Afternoon of a Faun

[MR-FAN]

Four of the most exquisite skaters of all time skating to one of their most brilliant programs:

Janet Lynn
John Curry
Yuka Sato
Carolina Kostner

Which is your favorite?!?

[Pratfall]

Yuka! Yuka! Yuka!..and her costume is the best designed , most subtle and beautifully executed of that type of costume ever...

[floskate]

I think this is the best version of Janets Faun from the 1970's:

Janet Lynn 1971 Worlds EX

Waaaay too hard to decide between John & Janet

[Kelvster]

I think that Ilia Klimkin did a good job ... you guys have all forgotten about him, it seems

[DORISPULASKI]

I hadn't.

Here's one version of Ilia's Faun
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5a8MDtfn8M

[briancoogaert]

The 4 skaters are among my favorites. It's very difficult.
Of course, John Curry is probably the nearest from the ballet. And Janet Lynn has those qualities I love about her skating (light, expressive, freedom...).

But my favorite is probably Carolina Kostner, because of her Loop into the spiral, right into the step sequence.
This step sequence is so beautiful, IMO.

[robinhood]

Klimkin was amazing! Such underrated skater, those commentators are really stupid...never shut up and spoil the program with such fruitless comments

Anyway, this music is for pure, gorgeous skaters and all of the skaters of the list are very pure, indeed. But I like Klimkin's the best, although he has a hunched back most of the time. He created something different and new with that program in the 6.0 were transitions were really needless

[sk8ingcoach]

CAROLINA !!!!!! such a good program. One of the best step sequences ever

[pollyanna]

I think this is the best version of Janets Faun from the 1970's:

Janet Lynn 1971 Worlds EX

Waaaay too hard to decide between John & Janet

^^This. But in the end, I had to choose Janet. That 1971 Worlds exhibition is one of my favorite programs of all time. Still gives me chills when I watch it.

I love all four (and I love Klimkin's too). When I first heard that Carolina was going to use Janet's "signature" music, I literally cringed, but Carolina blew me away with that program, and I have been a huge fan ever since.

Interesting trivia - Janet Lynn was a judge at the World Pros at which Yuka skated this program. When Yuka found out, she was a bit nervous skating to this music in front of her, but Janet loved it of course.

[FunnyBut]

Carolina. I honestly couldn't stand this music until she skated to it. I called it 'Quaalude for an Afternoon of the Yawn'.

[Vash01]

Janet's version is considered one of the best (may be THE best?). I voted for Yuka Sato though. I loved her skate to this music, although Janet may have interpreted it better.

[briancoogaert]

Janet's version is considered one of the best (may be THE best?). I voted for Yuka Sato though. I loved her skate to this music, although Janet may have interpreted it better.

Yuka's skating is so soft. her knees are amazing.

[eurodance2001]

Janet "The Queen before the Kween" Lynn... Heaven on Earth..

[Rock2]

No Jennifer Robinson?!?!???

Can't find that anywhere online btw...her LP in her final year in 2004.
It was skated very slowly but was nonetheless kinda pretty.

I just remember feeling bad for her because that year she actually skated pretty well at worlds from a # of jumps completed perspective, yet she kept dropping in the standings after the prelims to the short to the long. That was the same year Joannie made her first good impression with international senior judges skating a clean short and doing six triples in the long to finish 8th. The baton was passed at that comp.
In fact, JRo even announced her retirement before the long which is a very unusual thing to do.

I met her in 2009 at 4CC and asked her about the 'skating well but dropping' phenomenon and she admitted that this was one of the signs that it was time to go. I'm sure there were other factors, though.

[pollyanna]

Charlene Wong skated a very nice pro program to Faun, I believe it was choreographed by Toller, but I don't think it's in the same league as the programs in the poll.

[AxelAnnie]

Although they are all lovely, my favorite by far is Ilia Klimkin. His program is so intricate, and brings out so much of the choreography of Nijinski. I don't think Klimkin was appreciated. This remains one of my all time favorites.

[pinky166]

Caro! Gorgeous program!

[DORISPULASKI]

Needless to say, I vote for Ilia Klimkin on this one. Unfortunately, the poll has no "Other" choice. He looks like a mischievous faun playing, and does unexpected, intricate things, which for me is just what the music is pleading for the skater to do.

Poor man, he had the bad luck to be skating for Russia when Abt, Yagudin & Pluschenko were all competing. And he tended to do stuff that was underappreciated under 6.0.

[Alex Forrest]

No Jennifer Robinson?!?!???

Can't find that anywhere online btw...her LP in her final year in 2004.
It was skated very slowly...

It was skated slowly? Never would have thought that... She earned the pet name JSlo and came by it honestly. You almost wanted to get out there and push her to get her faster. She had some nice qualities, but no.

I'm glad someone mentioned Ilia Klimkin's "Faun". His skating was sublime. So intricate and unusual.

I couldn't choose. Lynn or Curry. The rest were, how best to say, inspired by those two greats.

[Kelvster]

thanks for the thread.

Janet Lynn's was just soooooo special. probably the most beautiful programme EVAH ....
Coincidentally Susanna Poykio always reminded me of her, too bad Susanna never quite realized her potential ...

J.Ro's programme deserves a mention as well. I thought she really skated from her heart.