Which Skaters by Discipline did you grow up with when you first became a Sk8ing Fan?

[The Accordion]

Great question!

My very earliest was Toller Cranston - my Mom loved him and there was so much talk about his wonderful artistry and his split jumps higher than the boards. His ice show was also the first live skating I saw in Halifax in the mid-later 70s.

I have lovely nostalgic feelings when I see old footage with Johnny Esaw, Otto Jelinek and Debbie Wilkes commentating. Fond memories!

I also remember Karen Magnussen from back then - and being so bothered when I saw the footage of Dorothy Hamill crying because of the booing when she came onto the ice (because of the last skater's marks). I didn't know who she was then - and didn't even realize until a few years ago when someone mentioned that incident on FSU.

The first ice dance team I loved were Wilson and McCall. I met them at Divisionals when my skating club went to watch - and Tracy Wilson was so friendly! Not long after I was entranced (as was the world lol!) with Torvill and Dean!

[brilliant9]

1994 Olympics Dance. I was twelve and I watched FS for the first time of my life. They were performing 'bodyguard' gala and I realized I've never seen such a handsome man like him(Yes I'm talking about Evgeny Platov).

[Alex Forrest]

Liked skating my whole life, I'm 63. Grew up going to the Ice Capades in Atlantic City every summer. Watched the limited coverage of skating on TV. It was really the 80 Olympics, though, that made me a total fan..Robin Cousins, Scott Hamilton, Charlie Tickner, Torville and Dean, Tai and Randy, Carruthers..I was hooked! Once skating breaks your heart, Tai and Randy, then one knows one is a fan..

Starting in 1976 I was at every Atlantic City Ice Capades. My earliest fans were Hamill, Curry, Cranston. It's strange how I've blanked on Fratianne and 1980, but somewhere along the way I became a fan of Hamilton. And Elaine Zayak was local so we supported her.

[nuge]

Starting in 1984 T/D captured my interest initially ' but then I didn't really watch again fully till I saw Gordeeva/Grinkov Katarina Witt in 88

Have always been an ice dance fan could never get into the mens

[RumbleFish]

Katarina Witt.
She was the media darling of 88 Olympics in Calgary. There was so much written about her battle of Carmens against Debbie Thomas.
Although actual competition turned out to be rather flat, Witt's good looks and charisma surely helped hyping the figure skating event up to the level which non-watchers like me at the time would pay attention.

I ended up enjoying pairs competition with G&G much more than the ladies competition.

[Jeschke]

TANJA SZEWCZENKO !!!

[Katarzyna]

I started to watch FS in 1989 (at least Euros in 1989 is the first competition I remember watching)

MEN: Alexandr Fadejew, Viktor Petrenko, Alexej Urmanov.

I remember that as a little teenage girl I was a real big fan of Victor Petrenko and not only skating wise!
I still have a soft spot for Russian men.

(I know Petrenko is Ukrainian, but he skated Soviet/Russian style)

PAIRS: G&G, Mishkutenok/Dmitriev, Shishkova/Naumov

DANCE: Klimova/Ponomarenko, Usova/Zhulin, Gritchuk/Platov

Lucky me! Ice Dance was great these days! Did not care for it so much later on.

WOMEN: I can`t really remember any skater I particularly liked in the very early 90-ies. I think I was not interested in ladies then. The first female skaters I really liked were Maria Butyrskaja, Lu Chen and Irina Slutskaya later on.

[Nancy on SI,NY]

It has been a VERY long time since I was a child so I can't remember individual skaters but I do remember my parents taking me to see the live professional shows (Ice Capades &/or Ice Follies). These shows, the circus, summer symphony concerts in the park, and religious music were the main forms of live performances that I saw when I was young. Growing up in Massachusetts, ice skating was something one DID, both outdoors at the local park pond in the winter and at the indoor arena. My parents were beautiful skaters (as well as dancers) but alas I never could master more than putting one foot in front of the other going forward while on skates.

I enjoyed reading everyone's posts - it brought back a lot of good memories of figure skaters, some of whom I have seen in person and others only on TV.

[blue_idealist]

Ladies - Elizabeth Manley, Josee Chouinard, Karen Preston, Susan Humphreys, Katarina Witt, Tara Lipinski, Michelle Kwan....

Men - Kurt Browning, Elvis Stojko, Brian Orser, Brian Boitano, Jozef Savodcik, Scott Hamilton...

Pairs - Brasseur/Eisler, Sargeant/Wirtz, Gordeeva/Grinkov, Hough/Ladret

Dance - Bourne/Kraatz, Wilson/McCall, Grishuk/Platov (although I didn't like G/P) .. actually didn't pay that much attention to dance (back then). I remember watching Klimova/Ponomarenko as eligibles only once in real time, like not on youtube videos.

My first favourites were Kurt, Brasseur/Eisler, Elvis, Liz Manley and Bourne/Kraatz.

[Domshabfan]

Babes: Liz Manley, Kat Witt, Nancy K., Oksana B., Sasha C., Joannie Rocket; Dudes: Kurt, Scott, Phillipe Candeloro;
Pears: Underheight & Martini;
Eyes Dance: Krylova & Ovsiannikov, D & L

[Jaana]

Pairs: Kilius & Baumler, Rodnina & Ulanov/Zaitshev
Ladies: Fleming, Seyfert, Magnussen, Lynn, Errath, Hamill
Men: Curry, R. Cousins, Kovalev
Dance: Moiseeva & Minenkov, Torvill & Dean, Recoegzy & Sallay

[kwanatic]

I've been watching skating as long as I can remember. My mom and grandmom were big fans. The earliest person I remember them falling in love with was Kristi Yamaguchi and then Oksana Baiul. Those were my early favs. But then came Michelle Kwan...that's who I really grew up watching and it was more than just latching onto my mom's favorite...it was an incredible thing to witness her become the legend she is today and I'm so grateful to have been able to enjoy skating when it was about skating and not just numbers adding up to the most points.

I've always been a bigger fan of the ladies than any other discipline, though we did watch the men as well. Kurt Browning is my all-time favorite male skater; his ease, flow and personality are incredible. Notable mentions to Brian Boitano and Viktor Petrenko. Seeing as how I pay all of that money for a season pass on Ice Network, I really need to start watching more than just the ladies. I've paid some attention to the men, but not nearly as much as I do for the ladies.

Same goes for pairs and ice dance...never really gave them the time of day.

[Vash01]

Midori Ito and Gordeeva-Grinkov for me (1988). Also the two Brians- Boitano and Orser.

Also Katarina Witt and Torville Dean in 1984, but I wasn't quite a fan yet of the sport. I became a huge fan because of Midori and G&G.

[barbk]

Got to watch Caryn Kadavy and Jill Trenary practice at the Broadmor on many nights. Just fabulous.

[Yazmeen]

Peggy Fleming, Janet Lynn, Dorothy Hamill, Tai and Randy, John Curry, Starbuck and Shelley, Rodnina and partners.

Later on, Torvill and Dean put ice dancing into my radar.

[VALuvsMKwan]

Peggy Fleming, Janet Lynn, Dorothy Hamill, Tai and Randy, John Curry, Starbuck and Shelley, Rodnina and partners.

Later on, Torvill and Dean put ice dancing into my radar.

Pretty much covers me as well, but I do also remember John Misha Petkevich and Tim Wood.

[Rob]

Peggy Fleming in 1968 made me a fan. After that I loved Janet Lynn, Dorothy Hamill, John Curry, Tai & Randy, Rodnina/Ulanov then Zaitsev, Charlie Tickner, Toller Cranston. I didn't pay much attention to dance until the mid-80s.

[MakeMeLaff]

I'm a young one. Heard about Michelle Kwan in 2002, but really watched my first competition on tv at 2006 olympics. sooo .. I guess that means, Sasha Cohen, Irina Slutskaya, Plushenko, Lambiel, Navka/Kostomarov, etc. although didn't see many of them again after the olys.

[Rosier Juleps]

Being English and of a mature age, I grew up in the glory days of British skating. John Curry, Robin Cousins and Torville and Dean.
Then life and kids took over and I lost interest in skating.
Until about 18months ago I happened across a clip of Johnny Weir's poker face and I remembered what it was about skating I liked so much.

[Blondie12]

Katarina Witt at the 1984 Olympics, I was 9 years old and it was my first exposure to the Olympics. They were the good old days of Soviet/Eastern bloc and USA rivalry as well as the iconic performance of Torville and Dean. Scott Hamilton won gold too on that blue outfit!