Skaters you want to like

[centerstage01]

You see a skater who obviously has talent and can jump and spin with the best of them, but on some level they do nothing for you. You want to be a fan but it's just not happening.

For me, it's Julia Lipnitskaya. I can't put my finger on it, but there's something about her skating that turns me off. Musicality, hyper-flexibility, small jumps, I don't know. I want to like her because she's got qualities I look for in ladies skaters, but she's just not clicking for me.

[Cloudy_Gumdrops]

Julia Lipnitskaya
Elena Radionova
Patrick Chan
Jeff Buttle
Shibutani/Shibutani

That's just to name a few.

I felt this way about Kwan for a long time too. Then after she retired, I realized (after seeing the other American and world ladies) that she's just got this indefinable quality about her skating.

[kiss-n-cry]

Of the current skaters:

Richard Dornbush (something about his shoulders)
Chock & Bates
Patrick Chan


There may be more, but I am drawing a blank at the moment! With Chan, I am looking forward to seeing him live at Worlds, because maybe seeing him in person will soften my opinion a bit. We'll see... if its a splatfest then he's out of luck.

[centerpt1]

Sometimes if I notice two competing skaters at the same time, I tend to like one and not the other, no matter how hard I try to like them both. (Even if I know one is better than the other)

Dornbush. I should love him, but......(I like Miner)

Buttle. Something about the phony smile. (I like Lambiel)

Asada. (I like Kim and Ando)

Lysacek. I don't like the phony persona. (I used to like Weir)

exception- Abbott and Carriere like them both, as well as Mroz

exception- I like all of the US ladies skaters

[shine]

Jeff Buttle, on paper he has all that I wanted in a male skater. He had the best programs and was obviously David Wilson's muse. But I could never really get into him. I think I just couldn't get past a certain way that he held his upper body carriage as well as how he would open his mouth when it came time to be expressive.

[Proustable]

Yuzuru Hanyu

[misskarne]

Stephane Lambiel - my god, a gorgeous skater, but I just can't seem to get into him.

Yuzuru Hanyu and Daisuke Takahashi - fantastic skaters and I understand why they're so beloved but I just don't feel it.

I wanted to give Chan a go. Really I did.

[blue_idealist]

Hanyu and the Shibutanis.. they're boring.

[alilou]

Plushenko. I keep trying but he just doesn't do it for me.

Dornbush (I also like Miner) - but waiting to see how he develops.

Also waiting to feel some kind of connection with Hanyu - maybe it will come.

I'm sure there's lots of others but that's all for now.

[MR-FAN]

Evan Lysacek

[aftershocks]

Funny thing, I actually did like Evan Lysacek, Tara Lipinski, Rachael Flatt, Nobunari Oda, and Patrick Chan when I first saw them skate. But as time passed, their skating became less and less appealing. I can admire their accomplishments, but I'm just not a fan. I admit that part of the problem for me with Evan and Rachael, and to some extent Tara, was the seeming over-favoritism they received from U.S. federation (in Tara's case, it was more favoritism from the press and the international judges more than from the U.S. federation). Re Oda, I thought he was quite cute and talented in the beginning. But he hasn't developed any artistry or musicality to go along with his superb jumping ability. It got to the point where I became annoyed by the way the judges seem to favor him because of his technical ability, while they seem to ignore his weak presentation skills.

In Patrick's case, it is more his overindulgent and overly defensive, often aggressive fans that are a huge turn-off, in addition to the over-hyping he has received from Canadian media, and the over-scoring he has undeniably received from ISU judges. Some of the things Patrick has been quoted as saying in the past have also been a turn-off. However, he's moved on from those mistakes that were perhaps largely caused by his immaturity and the intensity of the spotlight. I do appreciate Chan's talent, and it's cool to see him skating so beautifully, aside from the jumps (sigh) ... What is it about the early season that causes him to stumble and fall so much? The biggest turn-off for me has been how the judges continually have given him breaks with mistake-ridden programs, plus his fans exhibiting outrage and denial whenever this is commented on.

I do like and admire Jeffrey Buttle, but I'm just not a huge fan. Some of his programs are so wonderful, and I enjoy watching him often. However, there is something about the way some of his movements and mannerisms seem studied and affected that keeps me from being a full blown fan. I didn't like Michal Brezina when I first saw him skate, especially because he was favored by the judges for his jumps, while they ignored his weak presentation skills. I've always loved Tomas Verner and I feel he's often had poor luck with the judges. Now, I am more interested in Michal and I'm eager to see if he will be able to develop more artistry and musicality to match his jumping ability.

I have a fondness for Brian Joubert, but again I was never a huge fan. I like both Richard Dornbush and Ross Miner, but I kinda love Ross more. I like both Joshua Farris and Jason Brown, but I kinda love Jason more. I admire Tatiana and Max, but I love Aliona and Robin. I truly love Stephane Lambiel and I probably would have loved him even more if not for the fact that Johnny Weir captured my heart with his skating.

At first I simply admired Jeremy Abbott's skating, then I grew to love him and his skating. I'm a huge fan. When I first saw Dai skate, I felt he was just a jumper with no refinement and no artistry. Dai has developed his skating so much over the years -- that's what I find so amazing about him. He made himself into a great champion because of how he's continually challenged himself and been inspired by his peers and mentors. I admire Kozuka and Hanyu, but I love Dai Takahashi.

I also have to say that I wanted to love Sasha Cohen, but I never really have. I admired her talent and sometimes I rooted for her, but I always loved and rooted for Michelle Kwan more. I've never really been a huge fan of either Yagudin or Plushenko, but I love Sasha Abt. At first, I admired Matt Savoie, and then I fell in love with his skating.

In the beginning, Ashley Wagner was perhaps overshadowed by the over-hyping of Caroline Zhang and Mirai Nagasu. I always admired Ashley's spunk, but then I slowly became a fan. I found it very annoying when Rachael Flatt seemed to be favored over both Ashley and Mirai. However, Ashley weathered the disappointments and the personal struggles, and it is so wonderful to see her shine. She decided not to give up and she made a huge change, moved across country to train with John Nicks, put in the hard work, believed in herself and made good things happen.

[pinky166]

Sasha Cohen
Kimmie Meissner
Alena Leonova

Evan Lysacek
Ross Miner
Florent Amodio
Evgeni Plushenko

[blackrose050]

Patrick Chan
Evan Lysacek
Carolina Kostner
Nobunari Oda

[Vash01]

Patrick Chan
Carolina Kostner
Akiko Suzuki

Sasha Cohen (didn't like her as an eligible; liked as a pro)
Stephane Lambiel ( I have grown to like him more recently, as a pro; same with Sasha)
Kazakova-Dmitriev (I don't dislike them, but I don't absolutely like/love them)

[escaflowne9282]

Patrick Chan

Volhozhar and Trankov- I theoretically should be an uber of their skating, but their Emo bullshit last year was just

Virtue and Moir- I love so much about their skating, but I think their choreography is dull, and I feel Zueva has made no attempt whatsoever to develop any versatility within their expression

Weaver and Poje-I am in the minority, I know, but I really could not stand Lara Fabian last year. It was just so cheesy and preposterous. I think this year's FD is dull as dishwater, and the music sounds like Muzak to me. There is so much about their skating I love , but I cannot get into their choreography at all.

Yuna Kim- Zzzzzz, just no musicality or expression.

[t.mann]

Buttle. zzZ

(But he was awesome at this Japan Open.)

[victoriaheidi]

Julia Lipnitskaya (liked her better when she first appeared at Russian Nats 2011 than I do now)
Polina Edmunds
Yuna Kim
Angela Wang (sort of)
Adelina Sotnikova

Oda (I've always been a Kozuka girl myself)
Patrick Chan
Plushy

Volosozhar and Trankov (I never completely forgave him for the way things ended to Masha, and I had a hard time adjusting to them)

Virtue and Moir
Lynn and Logan (don't want to butcher their last names. I like them, but I have a hard time really loving their skating)

There are others, but I can't remember all of them right now.

[essence_of_soy]

Elena Liashenko.

Only because she is still setting up for that triple lutz she started in 1995.

[spikydurian]

NONE, too hard to try. Just like what I like.

[michiruwater]

Michelle Kwan