Which Skaters From Which Country (Other Than Your Own) Are You MOST Drawn To?

[aftershocks]

It truly depends, because country affiliation has nothing to do with who I like -- it's all based on who moves me. I picked Germany in this instance because I am a huge fan of Savchenko/ Szolkowy. Obviously, Japan and Russia are winning in the poll due to the sheer numbers of skaters from those countries who possess amazing talent. Perhaps the numbers are down for USA due to many participating in the poll being from USA (or Canada).

[briancoogaert]

I like North american's basics more than russian's basics (especially canadians). But about skaters, it depends. For example, I love Polina Korobeynikova, who is not a north american skater.
About the style, canadians again, and german pairs (from Schwarz&Muller, Woetzel&Steuer... to Savchenko&Szolkowy)

[invierno]

What? You don't have Korea?

For me it's Canada.

[PeterG]

What? You don't have Korea?

South Korea, Belgium and Spain did not quality for the long program.

[SkateBlades17]

I don't like a skater based on where they are from at all, I just like who I like. It's nice to hear some other people say the same thing. I've been called unpatriotic because I don't always root for the American skaters (I'm from the US) just because they are American. The country that the most skaters I like are from though is Russia or Ukraine, G&G, G&P, K&O, M&D, N&K, Yagudin, Baiul, Petrenko, etc.

[flipforsynchro]

I think most of us don't like a skater based on their country either. We just happen to coincidentally like a lot of skaters from a certain country.

ETA: Or we might happen to like a characteristic that a lot of a country's skaters have.

[Cherub721]

I think most of us don't like a skater based on their country either. We just happen to coincidentally like a lot of skaters from a certain country.

ETA: Or we might happen to like a characteristic that a lot of a country's skaters have.

Yeah, like IMO French skaters tend to be voidy, Italian skaters tend to be emotive, Japanese skaters tend to have pure skating skills, Canadians tend to have CoP ready programs, etc. So one's preferences could favor one country because one prefers a certain style that country has in abundance, while also appreciating a skater from another country who has those qualities (eg, Takahashi is voidy and emotive in addition to having great skating skills).

[sk8ingcoach]

Russia, Japan and Italy

[Susan M]

For me, I'd say Russia.

For about my entire skate fan life until a few years ago, my favorite pairs have invariably been Russian. (For the last several years, I have had no favorite pair because they all suck by G&G/M&D standards.) Between 1984 and the end of the 1990s, it was also always the USSR/Russian ice dancers who were my favorites (though Klimova-Ponomarenko alone account for about 8 years of that). Russian/USSR men have also very often been my favorites (Petrenko, Kulik, Yagudin). Interestingly, I have never found any USSR or Russian lady to be much worth watching.

[Jaana]

I have not been drawn to skaters because they are from a specific country, the country has never mattered. My favourites are from

Great Britain (Torvill & Dean, Curry, R. Cousins), USA, China, Japan, France, Ukraine, Russia, Germany and Switzerland

[query5]

i narrow it down to 3 mainly --japan, russia, canada ladies, men, dance,
germany and china for pairs only for now
sorry best i can do

[PeterG]

I don't like a skater based on where they are from at all, I just like who I like. It's nice to hear some other people say the same thing.

You're totally missing the point of this thread.

[doubleflutz]

Japan - Their singles skaters usually have good to excellent basics, good speed, a bare minimum of acceptable tastefulness in the presentation aspects without bringing weird hangups about the meaning of artistry into everything, and as a whole there's definitely a culture of pushing the bar technically. I just like the way Japanese culture as a whole seems to approach the sport, plus many of my favorite skaters happen to be Japanese.
Russia - Pairs. 'Nuff said.
Canada - Skating skills. 'Nuff said.

[parasolka]

For me, I'd say Russia.

For about my entire skate fan life until a few years ago, my favorite pairs have invariably been Russian. (For the last several years, I have had no favorite pair because they all suck by G&G/M&D standards.) Between 1984 and the end of the 1990s, it was also always the USSR/Russian ice dancers who were my favorites (though Klimova-Ponomarenko alone account for about 8 years of that). Russian/USSR men have also very often been my favorites (Petrenko, Kulik, Yagudin). Interestingly, I have never found any USSR or Russian lady to be much worth watching.

It's really interesting. I mean if you still haven't seen these young russian girls

Adelina: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DGm_4prb0M
Lisa: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDxCu...eature=related
Julia: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCdBh...eature=related
Lena: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpQrg...ure=plpp_video
Evgeniya:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWriP...ure=plpp_video

I just wonder do you find them to be worth watching?

[parasolka]

Back to the topic: USA, Japan, Canada

[martyross]

Russia for theatrical and balletic influence. i like Russian divas (on ice) and drama. it must be their special temper that make russian athlets approach skating with such intensity and passion. there have been even programs inspired by modern dance and ballet which to me is the direction ice dance should take.
i noticed that russian artistic gymnastic takes from ballet. nothing's more sublime than watching these marvellous skaters and gymnastic hitting graceful positions and express emotions and beauty through their bodies. my current favorite Russian lady is Sotnikova, for these reasons, Bereznaya-Sikharulidze are my fav pair ever, Yagudin is the best ever and i wish Usova-Zhulin skated in eternity!
end of gushing.

[kwanatic]

I'm from the US and try to be supportive but, to be honest, it's been a little tough! Right now I'm really rooting for Ashley Wagner and Caroline Zhang this season. I admire how they have worked at improving themselves and have worked their way back to the top of the standings. I'd really love to see Agnes Zawadski take her skating to the next level and I'm always praying Mirai Nagasu will wake up and become great.

As for other countries:

Japan: I've been a fan of Mao Asada since 2005. She's an exquisite skater... I love Akiko Suzuki's perseverance and the joy and energy she brings to her skating...I've been watching Kanako Murakami since she was a junior and I love how she's grown and matured. I'm also crossing my fingers for Haruka Imai...she's lovely skater.

Korea: Yu-Na Kim is incredible and I'm so excited she's coming back. I also hope to see good things from So Youn Park and Hae Jin Kim in the coming years. They are two talented skaters with that little something extra that could make them a real threat on the world stage.

China: China has a number of up and comers. Kexin Zhang really made a splash internationally last year. Zijun Li is a gorgeous skater and I've been watching her on the JGP for the past two years. I love her lyrical and expressive style; she has the technical goods to compete as well.

Russia: I've never been a fan of Russian skaters until these last two years. Most skaters from Russia were like Irina Slutskaya or Elena Sokolova...or more recently Alena Leonova. They have great jumps but fail miserably in terms of aesthetic appeal. I've fallen in love with Adelina Sotnikova's gorgeous lines, elegant style and huge jumps. I love Elizaveta Tuktamysheva's wonderful performance ability and her textbook jumps...I really think her new programs will help to push her artistically this season and I'm really excited about that. Those are my two favorite Russians right now.

I love that I can cheer for so many skaters from so many countries...I used to be a one-woman skater...it was The Kween or no one!

[Susan M]

It's really interesting. I mean if you still haven't seen these young russian girls I just wonder do you find them to be worth watching?

Let me preface my reply by saying that it will be hard for any young skater today to appeal to me instantly the way Kristi & Baiul did at that age because they are having to labor under COP choreography.

Adelina - potential, still too juniorish to tell
Lisa - don't see any magic here
Julia - she has no clue musically
Lena - still skates really young
Evgeniya - so young, but I think there is something there.

First, in their current form, I didn't find any of them "worth watching" (literally, in that I got bored and stopped before the end of the program).

It was almost painful to watch such young girls with all that ridiculous arm waving and fake emoting in their choreo. All of them look to still be in "I stuck out my arm because the choreographer said to stick out my arm" mode, with out really owning or feeling the choreo. I don't mean to criticize these young ladies unfairly. I can't really think of anyone else this young today who makes me feel the music is moving thru her. It will be interesting to see if one of them can become my first favorite Russian lady (unless you count Baiul, who did start out as a Soviet skater).

What made a skater like Baiul stand out was that she totally moved to the music and used her whole body when she skated. You could see it even at 14 or 15. She made you feel like the movement was her own, not just something she was trained to do. This is the same quality that made me fall in love with Kulik at first sight. They also both had, and Russian skaters often have, another quality I love - the ability to skate with an ease and effortless power. The first lady you linked has that quality.

[Jammers]

I agree about Baiul that she had something special from the first time she skated at Worlds in 93. It almost didn't matter if she landed the jumps or not she could skate to the music and feel it in a way few skaters have ever skated. And she could skate to any kind of music. One minute she skating to Ave Maria then the next to Michael Jackson. That's unique and special.

[blue_idealist]

I noticed for the ladies, it's often the Finns (Lepisto, Poykio, Korpi's pretty good too).

I've liked a lot of the French men, even lesser-knowns - Joubert, Millot, Preaubert, Ponsero, Bessighier.

I recently noticed I'm often into the German pairs - Woetzel/Steuer, Savchenko/Szolkowy, and Hausch/Wende specifically.

For dance, I guess it's the French as well (Pechalat/Bourzat, Carron/Jones, Carron/Jost, Anissina/Peizerat, Duschesnays).