Brian Boitano gushing thread

[SmallFairy]

I've always loved his skating, but after posting in the "three greatest olympic performances" thread, I had a youtube-moment with Brian, and I was hooked again! (besides, I looooove to look at my old skating tapes!!)

Brian is really one of my all-time favourite skaters, he had/has so many qualities, when I watch his programs I don't really know where to start gushing...but I have to say, his spread eagels sends shivers down my spine, still, and his programs from Lillehammer didn't get the credit they deserved!

I read he was injured prior to the games, but I have a feeling the judges didn't feel like letting any of the old guys win medals, no matter how well they skated... (just my opinion...)

Anyway, I can handle it, because of his flawless, fantastic win in Calgary. I never grow tired of watching that program, sigh*

Calgary 1988 sp & fs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=me0RvshG1pY

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

Lillehammer 1994 sp & fs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKQ_Aw3JzeE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJ2CvPi6uo0

I really love the great basic of the figures age, I wish more kids would practice them nowadays. I read in an interview that Brian developed Jumpers knee when he was 12, and had to stay off the ice for quite some time. When he got back, he was only allowed to practice figures, which led to him being really good at them, and also enjoyed practicing them. Good boy!!

...and...add to all this that he has great sense of humour, as he loves South Park, and even has made What would Brian Boitano do t-shirts for charity and calls his food show What would Brian Boitano make
I also love he's youth skate program, giving kids a chance to skate! what a guy!!

[skatesindreams]

BB has always been one of my "favorites"
I'll always believe that his SP in Lillehamer suffered because of being amongst the first skaters in an "empty" arena, due to lack of "competition status".

Here are two very special programs:

Brian Boitano - Water Fountain (Glacier)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MleTnhI-lOw

1992 Skate America, Exhibition "Elegy for Harp and Strings" (debut)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76CdKBrooHE

[orientalplane]

I read he was injured prior to the games, but I have a feeling the judges didn't feel like letting any of the old guys win medals, no matter how well they skated... (just my opinion...)

Boitano, Petrenko and Browning all made major mistakes in the SP - that's why none of them had a chance to win a medal. And contrary to what you say, the judges clearly were very partial to their programmes, as can be seen from their FS marks and positions.

[ElinorD]

A thread after my own heart! LOL! Brian's Olympic performance in'88 is what started my Skating fandom. He's always been my favorite.
I tried to find one of my recent favorites - I saw it on Ice Wars a few years ago. He skated to music from "Pride & Prejudice." It's really lovely.
His cooking show is fabulous too! Last I heard, they were waiting to hear if it was renewed. Maybe we should email the Food network!

[SmallFairy]

Boitano, Petrenko and Browning all made major mistakes in the SP - that's why none of them had a chance to win a medal. And contrary to what you say, the judges clearly were very partial to their programmes, as can be seen from their FS marks and positions.

I know they did, but even with Brians mistake on the 3a, I would have placed him ahead of at least Cousins and Tataurov. Cousins basic and poisture was horrid, Tataurov was so dull, poor guy. Millot was a lovely skater, but didn't have a 3a in the sp, and it was generally not a safe jump for him. Cousins 3a was also totally fragile, did he land it in the sp at Lillehammer?
Brians sp had so many other qualities to it, I felt he deserved more than 8th...

Plushenko sat on his butt in the sp in Salt Lake, and that didn't stop him from placing 4th over Abt who skated clean with a 4t3t combo. everybody said it was because everything else about Plushys skate was so good...

the 3a was the quad of 1994..... the crucial jump....

and the three oldies recieved good marks in the fs, because they skated well!! lots of others, like Davies and Taturov didn't!

[orientalplane]

Cousins 3a was also totally fragile, did he land it in the sp at Lillehammer?

Yes.

and the three oldies recieved good marks in the fs, because they skated well!!

Yes, they all skated well in the FS (though Boitano less well than the other two). And the judges acknowledged this, and rewarded it, which rather contradicts what you said in your first post.

[SmallFairy]

Yes.



Yes, they all skated well in the FS (though Boitano less well than the other two). And the judges acknowledged this, and rewarded it, which rather contradicts what you said in your first post.

Didn't mean to contradict,because I still feel Brian was held back in the sp. (Will have to re-watch Kurt and Viktor,I don't remember their exact mistakes) Good for Steven landing the 3a. Millot did a 3t3t,right?

[floskate]

Wheee Boitano luuurve

I always wished that the 1994 Olympics had been 6 months later so he could skate to his potential. It wasn't just the missed triple axels that hurt Brian in Lillehammer but also stiff and double foot landings on flips and lutzes, no 3-3, no loop etc. Win or not, I just wish he'd had the chance to skate his best after all the effort to come back.

[Vash01]

I always loved his skating. The perfection in jumps and his spread eagles were incredible. Loved the power in his skating. As a pro he always experimented with different styles, which I appreciated. I also appreciated that he did not dilute his jumps content as a pro.

[Vash01]

Didn't mean to contradict,because I still feel Brian was held back in the sp. (Will have to re-watch Kurt and Viktor,I don't remember their exact mistakes) Good for Steven landing the 3a. Millot did a 3t3t,right?

In the SP Kurt and Viktor had two mistakes each. Kurt's mistakes were bigger (fall on 3flip and singling the double axel). Viktor's first mistake was not major (turn out on the landing of the 3A, but he completed the 3A-2t combination). His second mistake- IIRC- was on the triple lutz (I think he doubled it or had a major flaw, but not a fall), but he got credit for the double.

Remember that of the three, Boitano was the first to skate. When he took the ice, the arena was not even filled. In the 6.0 system skating order mattered and mistakes in the SP were penalized more than they do today under the COP. Brian was penalized heavily on the 3A fall (IIRC it wasn't exactly a fall, but he put both hands on the ice; I will have to rewatch the tape for this) because not only did he not complete the 3A but he completely missed the jump combination.

Cousins skated later, which helped him. He did not make mistakes, but the quality of his skating was nowhere close to Brian's (or Viktor's or Kurt's) but under the 6.0 he did not have any deductions and it helped.

[Garden Kitty]

I not only love Brian's Olympic programs, but he's been a great champion for many years. As a pro, he's been willing to try different styles, but he's never taken an audience for granted and always gives 100%. He also has a wonderful sense of humor about himself and the sport and is a great ambassador for skating. I also admire the volunteer work he does with kids. He really seems to care about the sport, as evidenced by his willingness to appear in Weiss's benefit show the last few years and his willingness to help younger competitive skaters.

He's been a great champion on and off the ice for decades

[skatesindreams]

Wheee Boitano luuurve

I always wished that the 1994 Olympics had been 6 months later so he could skate to his potential. It wasn't just the missed triple axels that hurt Brian in Lillehammer but also stiff and double foot landings on flips and lutzes, no 3-3, no loop etc. Win or not, I just wish he'd had the chance to skate his best after all the effort to come back.

He was fighting a knee injury at the time; although it wasn't wildly known/publicized.

It was a shame that he wasn't allowed to defend his OGM in 1992.
He wished to; and approached TPTB about it.
That may have contributed to the "one time exception" in 1994.

With due respect to Petrenko, et al.; Boitano likely would have won.
IMO, he was skating even better than he had in 1988.

[4rkidz]

it was that competition at the Olympics when I think I really became a fan of Brian Boitano.. till that point I always thought of Orser as the artistic one and Boitano as the athletic one.. but that changed during the Olympics and we got to see the great balance of the two.. although I wanted as a Canadian for Orser to win, I loved the battle of the Brians.. Boitano was so consistent as well.. great skater, thanks for the memories I enjoyed watching those

[olympic]

He was fighting a knee injury at the time; although it wasn't wildly known/publicized.

It was a shame that he wasn't allowed to defend his OGM in 1992.
He wished to; and approached TPTB about it.
That may have contributed to the "one time exception" in 1994.

With due respect to Petrenko, et al.; Boitano likely would have won.
IMO, he was skating even better than he had in 1988.

What kind of shape was BB in circa 1992 as opposed to 1994?

[mmscfdcsu]

Skate God for life! The Battle of the Brians was incredible. And then after that, Brian just kept getting better and better and better. He developed as an artist while maintaining incredibly difficult technique. This:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFep6...06E810FE2BD05A holds up very well today.

[love skating]

You have to see Brian in person to truly appreciate his skating. Just watching him do crossovers across the rink is a sight to behold - add a 'tano triple lutz, his magnificent spread eagles and a huge death drop and I'm in heaven. He really is the most impressive skater I've seen skate in person. I love his skating so much!

[paskatefan]

Skate God for life! The Battle of the Brians was incredible. And thenm after that, Brian just kept getting better and better and better. He developed as an artist while maintaining incredibly difficult technique. This:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFep6...06E810FE2BD05A holds up very well today.

I not only love Brian's Olympic programs, but he's been a great champion for many years. As a pro, he's been willing to try different styles, but he's never taken an audience for granted and always gives 100%. He also has a wonderful sense of humor about himself and the sport and is a great ambassador for skating. I also admire the volunteer work he does with kids. He really seems to care about the sport, as evidenced by his willingness to appear in Weiss's benefit show the last few years and his willingness to help younger competitive skaters.

He's been a great champion on and off the ice for decades

Amen!

[SmallFairy]

I not only love Brian's Olympic programs, but he's been a great champion for many years. As a pro, he's been willing to try different styles, but he's never taken an audience for granted and always gives 100%. He also has a wonderful sense of humor about himself and the sport and is a great ambassador for skating. I also admire the volunteer work he does with kids. He really seems to care about the sport, as evidenced by his willingness to appear in Weiss's benefit show the last few years and his willingness to help younger competitive skaters.

He's been a great champion on and off the ice for decades

So totally!! just what I wanted to say!

Thanks for all your great posts, and the links! Living in Norway, I was not able to follow his career as a pro skater until youtube came by lots of years later. Wish I could have....

[BmcC102]

DEATHDROP spin!