Skaters you want to like

[Mafke]

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

Well she first has to finish that one she started in 1994 first. You can't rush these things.

[arakwafan2006]

Elena Liashenko.

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

LMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That was the worst lutz take off ever. Then that weird stroking.

[danceronice]

Abbot. Does nothing for me.

I wish I appreciated Weir more consistently. (This seems partially related to his coach tinkering with his jumps.)

[love_skate2011]

hay people the Title is Skaters you want to "Like"
not skaters you like to hate

wouldn't mentioning Buttle or Lysacek be reduntant ?

[Braulio]

Tuktamisheva
Sotnikova
Plushenko
Yu-Na Kim
Evan Lysacek
Stephane Lambiel
Amodio

[Frau Muller]

I can't warm up to the younger Russian ladies. I admire their jumps and spins but they seem bored/disinterested/robotic in their deliveries, especially Lipnitskaya, Radianova and Sotnikova. Leonova is a huge exception to the norm, as she is full of energy and excitement.

[essence_of_soy]

I can't warm up to the younger Russian ladies. I admire their jumps and spins but they seem bored/disinterested/robotic in their deliveries, especially Lipnitskaya, Radianova and Sotnikova. .

They're kind of like having one doll with three interchangeable heads.

[yossalu]

I always wanted to like Buttle, I really did. I can't even fully explain why I just never could get into him. Partly it might be because I clung to my favourites and did not like it when he beat them--I knew he was a better skater than Joubert in most ways, but he couldn't excite me the same way that Brian does (no, it's not just his arse). I always wanted Sandhu to have the kind of success that Buttle enjoyed, and though Sandhu was only ever in his own way I somehow couldn't love another national competitor the same way. So I hated to see Buttle get those great National, World and Olympic placements over them even though I didn't like that it bothered me so.

I started out loving Chan and liking Lysacek. Over time my enthusiasm for both of them waned and when I read posts from their biggest fans I could truly appreciate their talents and understood why people would defend and adore them. I agree with most of their placements over the years. I realise that my reasons for being turned off by them off-ice would not be turn-offs for me from another skater (once again, I use the example of Joubert). But they will never mean to me what an Abbott or a Takahashi mean, not close. This is even true for Yu-Na Kim and Virtue & Moir--they are amazing, but it is Mao and Davis & White that I adore.

I am embarrassed to admit that I do not always get into Volosozhar & Trankov. Last year's short program did not work for me, and though I forgive this sort of thing in Savchenko & Szolkowy I could not get past it for them. This can often be true as well for Pechalat & Bourzat, I only really root for them when I love their current programs. City Lights, love. That clock program, not so much.

I will say I do seem to have a great talent for finding the also-rans, the runner-ups and the headcases early on in their careers. Now I can only hope that some of my newer favourites don't end up in those categories and break my heart all over again.

[flipforsynchro]

Skaters who have artistry as their best quality

[lauravvv]

Skaters who have artistry as their best quality

Yes, we know . For myself, sometimes I do enjoy watching skaters from lower groups who are not that technically good, but try to express something and be artistic, but that really can't be compared to how much I enjoy skaters who have both the technique and artistry. Because only skaters with very good technique can fully express their artistry on ice.

True, jumping technique may not be so important for artistry, especially when it comes to exhibition programs where skaters can do less and simpler jumps/throws (although good jumps can look beautiful too). In competition programs it's a bit different - simpler jumps/throws that are done cleanly won't spoil the impression, but numerous falls (or even one) and/or really bad landings can spoil the impression even with the most artistic skater. Beautiful and well executed lifts really add to the impression with pairs skaters/ice dancers. But, for me, skating skills are the most important part of skater's technique that really helps to express the artistry - especially with singles skaters and ice dancers. Sometimes even skaters with just okay skating skills can jump pretty well, or do really complicated lifts - but only in rare occasions that is just as artistically appealing to me as something that skaters with excellent skating skills could do. And really slow and/or ugly spins don't help with the artistic impression either . To sum it up - I do love skaters who's main quality is supposed to be their artistry, but only if their technique is on par, or almost on par with it (like Lambiel - his jumps may not be the best, but they weren't/are not the worst ether, and his triple jumps and double axel look beautiful when well executed, but his skating skills and spins were/are just wonderful). But all the technique in the world won't help if I don't see enough artistry in a skater, or if a skater just doesn't excite me.

Sorry for that huge off-topic, but I just couldn't keep from answering.


Back to the topic: Yes, it's also Chan for me. But I am starting to like him slowly (those SS, and, as for artistry/performance - he's trying ), although most likely I will never love him. Hanyu - last season it seemed so close, and I thought: "Here's a skater for me to watch in the future.". But, unfortunately, his programs for this season are a bit disappointing for me. I can't think of any other current skater whom I would want to like, but couldn't. Rather, there are some separate programs that I want to like but just can't. Weaver/Poje's new programs, for instance. I see that their FD is really good and beautiful, but it just doesn't do it for me (actually, one of the reasons is that, although the movements in it are beautiful, there is not enough of them, in my opinion). And this can happen with favorites too - I am far from ecstatic about Takahashi's new programs, although I want to like them very much. That has become a trend with Weir's programs. Sometimes I don't particularly like some program of Buttle. Now I almost dread seeing Abbott's new programs. And so on.

As for older skaters - I must say that I haven't seen everything that Berezhnaya/Sikharulidze have done, but from what I have seen I don't like them nearly as much as I feel I should. Probably I am forgetting someone else.

Fortunately, there's very little that I really, really dislike, and no one/nothing that I hate (imho, it's absolutely childish to hate a skater or a program). I either love it, like it, am okay with, or quite indifferent to it (except those cases when I don't like a favorite's or otherwise likeable skater's program as much as I want to like it - then I dislike my inability to get excited about the program more than the program itself ).

[arakwafan2006]

Kiira Korpi. So pretty and so well put together but so shitty

[Mafke]

I really wanted to like Buttle (for his many great qualities) but couldn't get into his skating (until his well-deserved WC which was awesome).
One thing that bugged me was his planned fall on the quad in 2006 olys. No, I realize he wasn't planning on falling and would have loved to have landed it but it seemed very... calculated as in "I can rotate the thing so even if I fall it will help me" (not his fault, but...)

I also wanted to like B/S and came close but the little mistakes that never went away bugged me more than they would have if their overall skill level weren't so high (and it was hard for me to get behind her 'artistry' when she seemed so affectless on and off the ice).

I wanted to like Yamaguchi as a single but there were too many others I liked more at the time and I had the feeling that USFSA was shoving her as a soloist down the public's throat. I loved her pairs skating with Galindo (and thought they had potential to revolutionize pairs had things worked out a little differently).

Those three come to mind soonest.

[Vagabond]

Kiira Korpi. So pretty and so well put together but so shitty

Watch this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGV7RI2XHso

It might go some small way toward making you like her skating.

[essence_of_soy]

Kiira Korpi. So pretty and so well put together but so shitty

This makes me immediately think of Maria singing 'I feel pretty' from West Side Story.

Kiira's pretty
Yet skates shitty
She is pretty, skates shitty, all night.
Yes, I pity
That damn skater who can't stay... upright!

[chipso1]

Julia Lipnitskaia
Florent Amodio
Joelle Forte
Alena Leonova
Satoko Miyahara
Jeremy Ten
Nobunari Oda
Dube/Wolfe
Vise/Baldwin

...to name a few

[victoriaheidi]

This makes me immediately think of Maria singing 'I feel pretty' from West Side Story.

Kiira's pretty
Yet skates shitty
She is pretty, skates shitty, all night.
Yes, I pity
That damn skater who can't stay... upright!

If she can ever get it together enough to win a major medal (yes, I know she's medaled at Euros, but I'm referring to Worlds/Olys), she'll probably be beloved...because she's insanely pretty.

[MR-FAN]

Alena Leonova

[flipforsynchro]

skating skills and Chan

I am a sucker for skating skills. Watching Chan and Han Yan just make my heart flutter

[briancoogaert]

I don't have any name to give of actual skaters.
But in the years before, I admit that Urmanov and Eldredge had amazing basics, and I'm just sad I didn't like them enough, lol.

[snoopysnake]

Caydee Denney