Macho macho woman

[gkelly]

What are some of the butchest programs by female skaters that you have enjoyed over the years, taking into account music and choreography, costuming, general presence on the ice?

Here are few I've liked:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ChmdEFrn3OY

exhibition: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SiFyRQez-io

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ugAVDosB1Lg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buQXBXmjumU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sB7ZJqGlVWI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92olbgLrUjE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rnkku5aJzZM


Other examples?

[ioana]

Stephanie Roth usually has tons of power in her skating

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lm9ynEHkd6c

Katie Lee was in the same category, but I can't seem to find any videos of her skating on youtube.

Yukari Nakano's Bolero SP was a personal favorite. I was not a fan of the pwetty pwincess packaging they gave her closer to Vancouver.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQn_J...ext=1&index=60

Would Krisztina Czako's Adams Family LP also qualify? She always had power to spare, but I'm not sure which of her programs best showcases it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUisw...eature=related

[ks777]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sc_Ve...eature=related

[briancoogaert]

Elena Sokolova :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=veFDbTmMkoU

Surya Bonaly :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YhGL8...next=1&index=9

[gkelly]

Yeah, that's one of my favorite Bonaly programs, but the costume is not very macho.

For that, we'd have to go to something like this one.

[pinky166]

Irina's Totentanz

[briancoogaert]

Irina's Totentanz

And Irina's Timeless from Mandchoue (her 2001 Worlds exhibition : WOW)

[Fallcolor]

Tonya harding- "people are still having sex" what a program!

[falling_dance]

Two words: Power Cats.

[ioana]

Two words: Power Cats.

Marion had the most creative programs . She even managed to make her tango LP to Adios Nonino seem fresh!

[Aussie Willy]

I am surprised no-one has mentioned Ms Muscles - Denise Beillmann. She has definately done her fair share of macho looking programmes. And we love her for it.

[Jot the Dot Dot]

I am surprised no-one has mentioned Ms Muscles - Denise Beillmann. She has definately done her fair share of macho looking programmes. And we love her for it.

Ditto. Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYXGzUsz9vM

[aftershocks]

Great thread. Thanks for the links and introduction to some skaters I haven't seen. I remember Holly Cook (what is she doing now -- judging, coaching?) Love Stephanie Rosenthal -- does anyone know how she's faring/ fared at Stanford?

Vanessa Gusmeroli, while not necessarily "butch," certainly had a more unique skating style and sensibility than some other ladies. I noticed she has her own thread in Trash Can too.

Love that Irina Slutskaya montage. It made me appreciate her more than I did during her career. Irina was always a great jumper, and her style did mature in a way that suited her power and speed. I never liked the way she telegraphed some of her jumps, but she did work on fixing that. Amazingly, around the time she got married or after meeting her future husband, she had one season (2001-2002, I think) where she wore an outfit with fabric that flowed past her knees, and she exhibited a more graceful, lyrical quality (very unusual for her, but she was competing in the Michelle Kwan era). Irina and Debi in the unitard performances are IMO the best of the "macho" women, along with Harding's best programs.

Also, in the "butch" category of female skaters, I would include another "Irina." Irina Rodnina who skated pairs with Ulanov and later with Zeitsev (after Ulanov broke her heart and fell in love with another skater). Rodnina was the powerful personality behind both of these pairings. Oh, the power, precision and speed of the routines. Very dynamic and considered state of the art at the time, but looking back they were basically doing crossovers and hand-holds into lifts and jumps (albeit while maintaining superb speed -- and the lifts were advanced for that time), with some lovely posing during the slow parts. Although they did not have the elegance, grace, and remarkable unison of Babilonia and Gardner, Rodnina is a great skater (legend in her own time) and a good example of macho women in skating:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWzQYjgudz4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2J5xStx2Wc&NR=1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vODVr...eature=related


at Zeitsev's bell bottoms

[floskate]

She may not have had the grace and elegance but both her pairings had phenomenal unison despite their difference in size. She is one of the very few skaters who takes my breath away with her power. Unbelievable speed and precision with incredible skating skills. The womans a total legend and not just in her own time. You just have to ask the skaters who knew her and competed with her. It's not everyone who can pull fellow skaters from other disciplines to 6am pairs practice just to watch her skate!!

[aftershocks]

You're right, floskate, I have to agree. Despite the difference in size with her partners, Rodnina and her partners did have great unison, not in the same way as Babilonia and Gardner, but unison nonetheless. I stand corrected. Re: "legend in her own time" I meant that complimentary (because few skaters are in their own time regarded as legends), but certainly she remains a legend for the ages.

While I was unaware that other skaters would get up early just to watch her sessions, I am definitely aware that other skaters held Rodnina in very high regard then and now. Tai Babilonia on manleywoman's podcast speaks on this very subject. Tai talks about how she has remained friendly with Rodnina over the years, and goes on to describe how she felt when they were competing that Rodnina was on another level entirely. Tai regarded Rodnina as not really a fellow competitor but someone in a different stratosphere.