Figure skaters that drew you into Figure Skating?

[leigh466]

Nicole Bobek reinforced my skating fandom with this performance. Dinah + Nicole = fabulous.

Wow! That was fabulous! Thanks!

 

[Kati]

Moiseeva and Minenkov, John Curry, Robin Cousins, Midori Ito, Denise Biellmann, and many more

 

[Xela M]

Grishuk & Platov at the 1994 Olympics drew me in, but this performance made them my favourite dance team of all time... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8HIFeB04DA

There has never been a better ice dance program in my view.

 

[olympic]

Can it not be a competitor but a competition? I was 10 years old and my family watched the 1980 Lake Placid Olympics on our brand new color TV. LOL. I've been hooked ever since: The first event was the pairs SP and the WD of Tai and Randy was one of the most dramatic moments in skating history. I remember I went to bed crying . I also remember everyone expecting Fratianne to win (family, commentators, etc.), but that didn't happen.

The next year, I can remember being at my grandparents' home in Buffalo NY during '81 Worlds. They used to get Canadian stations, so we watched the Ladies LP (Biellmann, Zayak, et al) on Canadian TV, and I can remember thinking as an 11 year old: Wow! Canada shows so many more competitors than American stations. LOL

 

[~tapdancer~]

I go way back...Scott Hamilton, Torvill and Dean, Babilonia and Gardner. The 1980 Olympics was my true beginning of figure skating uberdom.

 

[Aimless]

Wow! That was fabulous! Thanks!

It sure was! I was so happy to hear that her story, with its several low points, now seems to have a happy ending with her new career and recent marriage.

 

[AnnM]

Seeing Linda Fratianne skate on television is what sparked my interest in learning to skate, but the first skaters I remember being fans of were Tiffany Chin and Debi Thomas.

My interest waned a bit after 1988, but I got pulled back in by Kristi Yamaguchi in 1992.

 

[screech]

I was put into skating as a child because my mom had skated in her youth, but growing up I ADORED Kurt Browning. Probably one of my first crushes. I couldn't wait to watch him skate, and I couldn't get enough of him.

 

[Limonite]

I started to follow figure skating competitions after the Nancy/Tonya saga. I became a huge fan of Kerrigan by the time she competed in Lillehammer. Back then I use to like Mishkutenok & Dmitriev, Witt and Boitano. Then Michelle Kwan came to the senior world and she became my favorite. I remember being so sad when she didn't win the olympic gold in Nagano. I don't remember exactly when I stopped caring about the sport, but by early 2000's I had completely forgot about it. A few months ago I started watching old competitions on youtube but that's all I watch right now; the sport has changed a lot for my taste.

 

[RoseRed]

For me it was watching Tessa and Scott at the Vancouver Olympics. First I was just paying attention to any Canadian medal contender, then I was curious about what on Earth "Ice Dance" was, then I fell in love with the beautiful skating of this young Canadian team.

 

[Karpenko]

Michelle Kwan. once I saw Tara Lipinski defeat her at 1997 Nationals, there was no looking back. I knew Michelle was the best at that time, but was way more into gymnastics as a kid so I missed 96 skating season I had to keep watching until the amazingly impressive Michelle finally beat her. I haven't looked back since. I've also grown up and like Tara now.

I'd always watched the Olympics with family and loved the US ladies in 92 (Kristi!), and then Tonya/Nancy was everywhere in 94, the pro competitions during 94-96, but it wasn't until 97 Nats that I had to watch absolutely everything that would come on afterwards. I was introduced to Pasha and "The Feeling Begins" at 97 Worlds and liked all of the FD's shown on ABC's telecast, and the ladies were so intense/interesting so ice dance was in. The other disciplines followed suit very soon after.

 

[bbkenn]

For me it was Liz Manley's silver medal at the Calgary Olympics in 1988 and the battle of the Brians; the wonderful dance of Wilson and McCall that captured me; then the brilliance and beauty of G&G in pairs, particularly after they got married and then skated professionally; and their Moonlight Sonata at the Olympics in 1994. Kurt Browning and Kristi Yamaguchi's along with Michelle Kwan, kept me engaged and then Virtue & Moir, Shibutani's, Mao Asada, Ashley Wagner, Patrick Chan, Javier Fernandez, and now also, Katelyn Osmond & Gabby Daleman and Karen Chen.

 

[Simone411]

Another skater that drew me in besides Michelle Kwan and so many others mentioned in this thread was Yuka Sato. I totally loved the program she skated to at the 1996 Ladies Pro Skating Championships.

I Love You Always Forever

 

[skatesindreams]

My favorite programs by Yuka:
"Color of Roses" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YzUPUGEyrWU
"Clair de Lune" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YzUPUGEyrWU

 

[Bellanca]

My heart -- John Curry Scott Hamilton Tai Babilonia & Randy Gardner

I could go on, but I won’t. My list would become quite lengthy, as there are too many skaters and ice dancers to name from the previous generations on up that I admire, respect and who have had a significant influence (on me) regarding my love for the sport. This list is just the tip of the iceberg, but the frontrunners, nonetheless.

 

[kwanfan1818]

Peggy Fleming. Which brought me to the Protopopovs. Finally, John Misha Petkevich, my first and last skating crush.

ETA: Plus Dick Button and Jim McKay wearing formalwear to commentate.

 

[Simone411]

Just finished watching a skating segment during the 1996 Ladies Pro Championships called The Skating Times. I had forgotten about it, and several of the skaters in the segment were ones I loved including Kurt Browning, Rosalynn Sumners and Philippe Candeloro. The segment also included event results from the Russian Nationals and Japan's Prelude before the World Championships.
1996 Ladies Pro Skating Championships - The Skating Times