Which Oksana Do You Prefer and Why?

[briancoogaert]

No contest : Oksana Grishuk.
Oksana Baiul's career is such a waste of talent, and I'm not talking about her Gold medals she never deserved...

 

[Areski]

As a person: Baiul.

Grishuk was annoying in goofy, deluded way.

As for skating ... Grishuk more valuable. Not a devoted admirer of any of them though here. Baiul though had charm and incredible talent for interpretation of music.

 

[jenniferlyon]

LOL! What made you revive this classic vid? There's a part of me that misses those days of figure skating. Watch and learn skaters! This is what it takes to win 2 Oly golds!!

If any of today's skaters are that, uh, eccentric American fans would never know it. Our TV networks don't air many fluff pieces anymore. Of the few we do see, almost none focus on foreign skaters. And nobody gets a chance to parade their, uh, eccentricities in front of the camera.

 

[Vash01]

Someone with tons of athletic prowess and physicality. Oksana's speed and the moves she did in her programs plus the amount of moves were pretty remarkable. Obviously all ice dancers are athletic, as this is a sport, but I do think some are more than others as it is with all sports. Some athletes are just more physically gifted or skilled than others. That is not to say that's the only thing important in a sport, especially ice dance, but it is something I noted with Grishuk.

She was the queen of twizzles. Someone said that some skaters could break their ankles doing some of her moves.

 

[gk_891]

She was the queen of twizzles. Someone said that some skaters could break their ankles doing some of her moves.

She skated very aggressively and with a lot of snap to her movement. It was mentioned before that she had very thin legs but those skinny legs had such incredible power in them.

 

[snowbird]

I was reading a thread about Roger Moore. Some posters said that he brought them a lot of pleasure.
i was reminded of this thread and how much pleasure Pasha brought me.











i was reading a thread

 

[pinky166]

Oksana Chusovitina

 

[Rossig]

She skated very aggressively and with a lot of snap to her movement.

That's why I have always disliked her skating. Her movements were so agressive. Look even at the movements of her head or shoulders. They simply didn't look nice because of this shaprness and agressiveness. I will never understand how people can consider her such a great ice dancer, while she totally lacked smoothness and finesse.

 

[Deleted member 40371]

Oksana Domnina

 

[nuge]

That's why I have always disliked her skating. Her movements were so agressive. Look even at the movements of her head or shoulders. They simply didn't look nice because of this shaprness and agressiveness. I will never understand how people can consider her such a great ice dancer, while she totally lacked smoothness and finesse.

Have you ever seen their 95 OD Quickstep? Surely you can't get any more smoothness and finesse than that.It was as smooth and light as butter

 

[alchemy void]

I can only imagine how pissed Pasha would be (at least the 1998 version) at losing this poll to "criminal" Oksana by over 10%.

 

[gk_891]

That's why I have always disliked her skating. Her movements were so agressive. Look even at the movements of her head or shoulders. They simply didn't look nice because of this shaprness and agressiveness. I will never understand how people can consider her such a great ice dancer, while she totally lacked smoothness and finesse.

To each their own. Many love her aggressive style. Some don't.

 

[VGThuy]

That's why I have always disliked her skating. Her movements were so agressive. Look even at the movements of her head or shoulders. They simply didn't look nice because of this shaprness and agressiveness. I will never understand how people can consider her such a great ice dancer, while she totally lacked smoothness and finesse.

I do agree with you, but I do think her ankle down work was pretty amazing and full of technical difficulty and proficiency. I also think when she had programs that matched her style, it just worked. I also think she had a real innate sense of rhythm. However, there's something about her shoulders and sloppiness at times and her leg line, at times, that prevent me from fully embracing her the way I should with someone of her record.

 

[gk_891]

I do agree with you, but I do think her ankle down work was pretty amazing and full of technical difficulty and proficiency. I also think when she had programs that matched her style, it just worked. I also think she had a real innate sense of rhythm. However, there's something about her shoulders and sloppiness at times and her leg line, at times, that prevent me from fully embracing her the way I should with someone of her record.

What's interesting is that Grishuk's upper body movements were much more disciplined in the early 90s while she was coached by Dubova. While G&P were coached by Linichuk & Karponosov, Oksana really started to let loose with her upper body movements and she would often add a lot of flourishes with her shoulders and head that weren't very attractive.

And I think I mentioned this before but her leg line was usually impeccable during the compulsories but in the OD and FD, there were times where her free leg position could be hideous. She's a skater of extremes I guess.

 

[VGThuy]

And she was one-of-a-kind.

 

[nuge]

I think those over the boot tights didn't really look good on her.They did make her legs look thin.When she wore the lilac boots they looked better.I mean who else could rock those boots? only PASHA that's who

 

[Vash01]

Have you ever seen their 95 OD Quickstep? Surely you can't get any more smoothness and finesse than that.It was as smooth and light as butter

One of my all time fave ODs.

 

[gk_891]

One of my all time fave ODs.

Personally for me it's my all time fave OD. It's so tightly constructed and skated almost entirely face to face yet they have tremendous power and speed over the ice and they still manage to make it look so effortless.

 

[VGThuy]

Add me as another person who adores that OD.

 

[snowbird]

When Pasha was skating with Zhulin he told an interviewer,"I Can't
control her. She ad libs"

 

[nuge]

When Pasha was skating with Zhulin he told an interviewer,"I Can't
control her. She ad libs"

When she sings on top of Evgenie's shoulder in You'll see and in Unbreak my heart programme she was described by the commentator as skating with such abandonment

 

[gk_891]

There are times where I wonder if their 1995 programs were in response to the criticisms to their 1994 programs. Because in 1994, their programs emphasized their speed and energy but not much else as the choreography was extremely open. But their 1995 programs were much more tightly woven. I wish Platov's knee was better that season as I would've loved to have seen that FD skated at full strength. I remember during the CBC commentary, Underhill & Martini spoke about how great this FD was and how it was far superior to their 94 FD. But it fell very flat.

Still, I was impressed with how amazing that OD was. I'm probably one of the few who liked it better than the Libertango OD in 1997.

 

[Meoima]

Oh well at least both have settled down for now... eh...

 

[Areski]

One of my all time fave ODs.

Rahkamo / Kokko also had excellent OD in 1995, now we have Finnstep out of it.
I do wonder what could have happened had they continued for a couple of years more ... Olympic medal in Nagano '98?
How likely that was? They were over 30 years old already though.

 

[Taso]

There are times where I wonder if their 1995 programs were in response to the criticisms to their 1994 programs. Because in 1994, their programs emphasized their speed and energy but not much else as the choreography was extremely open. But their 1995 programs were much more tightly woven. I wish Platov's knee was better that season as I would've loved to have seen that FD skated at full strength. I remember during the CBC commentary, Underhill & Martini spoke about how great this FD was and how it was far superior to their 94 FD. But it fell very flat.

Still, I was impressed with how amazing that OD was. I'm probably one of the few who liked it better than the Libertango OD in 1997.

I prefer their Quickstep over Libertango as well. It's certainly in my top 5 favorite ODs, whereas I love Libertango but it would be a little lower for me.

 

[Seerek]

Oksana Chusovitina

Yes, absolutely this would be my personal answer. And she's still competing this season!

 

[gk_891]

I prefer their Quickstep over Libertango as well. It's certainly in my top 5 favorite ODs, whereas I love Libertango but it would be a little lower for me.

Out of curiosity, what would your top 5 list look like for OD's? Mine would be:

1. Grishuk & Platov Quickstep
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uE_9XOe72B0

2. Grishuk & Platov Tango
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2pFeVnhwkSU

3. Torvill & Dean Rhumba
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4WWc70IZGg

4. Anissina & Peizerat Jive (I seem to be one of the few who preferred their Jive to their Spanish Medley from 2002)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLHEBOrl7MI

5. Denkova & Staviski Memories of a Grand Ballroom
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YoGjwmOnfCE

For OSPs, my top 5 would be:

1. Klimova & Ponomarenko Waltz
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7BN7KU8bmQ

2. Torvill & Dean Blues
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EmztHpSIT4E

3. Torvill & Dean Paso Doble
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_8AsMSn1ys

4. Torvill & Dean Rock'n'Roll
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fEHsR679g1M

5. Klimova & Ponomarenko tie between their Polka and Charleston
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58eMfC5WM0o
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ko44GUtLbG0

I haven't seen enough short dances to give a list. But I did really like Davis & White's SD from 2011.

 

[VGThuy]

I don't know if I am confident to make a list for the SDs yet, but any list I have has to include Virtue/Moir's 2013-2014 SD and their 2016-2016 SD; Papadakis/Cizeron's 2015-2016 SD; Shibs' 2015-2016 SD; and Gilles/Poirier's 2015-2016 SD Worlds version.

 

[UMBS Go Blue]

WHERE'S ESTA WHEN WE NEED HER!!!!!

 

[gk_891]

Rahkamo / Kokko also had excellent OD in 1995, now we have Finnstep out of it.
I do wonder what could have happened had they continued for a couple of years more ... Olympic medal in Nagano '98?
How likely that was? They were over 30 years old already though.

I liked R&K's skating (they were smooth and quiet) and voidy style but I have my doubts about them staying as medal contenders by 1998 if they stuck around. Their programs were usually lacking in content although to be fair, that never hurt Usova & Zhulin or Bourne & Kraatz.