Performances That SHOCKED You

[natsulian]

Throughout the course of figure skating history, there have been an ample amount of performances by some of the most gifted and talented athletes that not only left audiences breathless, but made them feel as though they were part of a greater experience. Share some of the performances that awed and shocked you. I'll be the initiator by sharing a few of my favorites.

Michelle Kwan - Fields of Gold: An emotive, otherworldly experience coupled with a sense of loss that quintessentially encapsulates Kwan's brilliance on the ice (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wazOhkRuySI)

Mirai Nagasu - Miss Saigon: Denied in 2014, Nagasu's redemptive skate not only sent chills down my spine, but her performance at Nationals showcased why she should be considered to be among the greats of the newer generation (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__P0kqXBiBA)

Michelle Kwan - Lyra Angelica: Probably one of the greatest ladies' competitive programs of all time... a perfect blend of exquisite, beautiful artistry and sheer athleticism (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kdAv4NglqvE)

Sui Wenjing and Han Cong - Rain, In Your Black Eyes: Buffeted by injury and uncertainty, China's (and the world's) #1 pairs team truly came back in a huge manner and showed off a deluge of talent (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eW0bGsh1_wg)

Yuzuru Hanyu - Hope and Legacy: No words... Hanyu is one of the greatest figure skaters of all time and he showed the entire world why with this performance (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLnWD7i99-w)

Maia Shibutani and Alex Shibutani - Fix You: This performance made me cry... and when a program has the ability to touch you at such a personal level, you know the skaters truly have something special (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5AqOemILZBs)

Honourable mentions: Chen Lu's "Butterfly Lovers", Shizuka Arakawa's "Nessun Dorma", Mao Asada's "Piano Concerto No. 2", Yuna Kim's "The Lark Ascending", Mariah Bell's "Experience", and Ashley Wagner's "Moulin Rouge".

 

[Spun Silver]

Definitely Mao's two skates at the 2014 Olympics. Shocking in very different ways. The most emotional skating performances I can think of. Legend.

 

[overedge]

Shockingly great performances can come from relatively unknown skaters too.

Stephanie Rosenthal - 06 Nationals SP

Stephanie Rosenthal - 06 Nationals SP

m.youtube.com

 

[AxelAnnie]

Interesting you chose the word "shocked", because it has to antithetical meanings. It can mean "horrified" or "marvel"

Skates that have left me in awe:
Tara Lapinski LP at Nagano

Sasha Cohen - almost anything. Her R&J at the OLYS got off to a bad start (she had pulled a muscle) But the rest of the program was breath taking.

David & White - Scheherazade at OLYS. Simply amazing.
.
Sui & Han Both of their last year's LP's, and especially "Rain in your Black eyes" at Worlds.

Nathan Chen Last year was just beyond belief.

Carolina Costner : Ne me Quitte Pas & Afternoon of a Faun - I don't think we will ever see skating like that.

Tatiana Volosozhar / Maxim Trankov - Both of their programs at Sochi.

Yuna-Kim - all four programs at both Olympics

Aliona Savchenko / Bruno Massot - La Terre vue du ciel - it was so flippin perfect!

Kaetlyn Osmond: Sous le ciel de Paris - everytime she skated it.

I am sure there are many more.

Some I could have done without:

Gracie Gold - her disaster comeback skate.
Anna Pogorilaya - her skate when she was, well I am not sure what she was doing, but she was crumbled on the ice sobbing or emoting or something.
Jonny Weir - when he missed his bus at the OLYS.

 

[VGThuy]

I'm not going to go into all the programs that "shocked" me because I think it's easier to shock a skating fan when they're new and discovering skating, so many of the past greats "shocked" me when I retroactively researched their performances via YouTube. I will single out the Duchesnay's 1991 Worlds FD for very obvious reasons. I think the last time I was truly "shocked" by a performance was either Sui/Han's 2015-2016 SP and the Shibs 2015 Skate Canada performance of "Fix You" because after their Nepela version underwhelmed me, I did NOT expect that just a month or so later they'd give me a program for the ages. They may have lost that competition, but that was the beginning of them doing what they needed to do to win the season (even if they lost Worlds to probably my favorite Papadakis/Cizeron program ever). I think the most rewarding thing being a Shibs fan was how they turned things around and "shocked" me by upended a lot of conventional wisdom in ice dance and ice dance hierarchies.

 

[gk_891]

I was new to figure skating in the late 80s so for me at that time, I was shocked (or maybe amazed or stunned is a better word?) by the long programs of Gordeeva & Grinkov and Midori Ito at the 1988 Olympics. I was also stunned by Ito's LPs at the 1989 Worlds and 1990 Worlds.

Later on when I became more of an ice dance fan, I remember being amazed by the skating skills of teams like Klimova & Ponomarenko (from 1988 to 1992) and Grishuk & Platov (from 1992 to 1998). Torvill & Dean came a bit later for me as I watched them retroactively years later as an adult. And I remember being shocked at what incredible skaters they were when watching their OSPs and FDs from 1981 to 1984. The earlier years when Klimova & Ponomarenko skated as amateurs (e.g. 1985, 1986, 1987) also came a bit later for me as I watched them retroactively as an adult and I was also truly amazed by many of their programs. The range of steps, edges, turns, and handholds was just incredible.

I also remember being pleasantly shocked by Surya Bonaly's backflip (landing on one leg nonetheless) at the 1998 Olympics. And of course, I remember being deeply inspired by Shen & Zhao's incredible performance at the 2003 Worlds (LP).

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

Angela Nikodinov's complete transformation - Just For You, No One Gives Up On Love

Carolina Kostner - Ave Maria

Michelle Kwan - Dante's Prayer

Lucinda Ruh - as a professional, pick any and I do mean any program

 

[bardtoob]

Gracie Gold's 2016 US Nationals LP

2016 U.S. Nationals - Gracie Gold FS NBC (no commentary)

NBC High Definition No Commentary2016 US Championships - Gracie Gold free skate / long program

youtu.be

Tonya Harding 1987 NHK SP

1987 NHK Tonya Harding SP

Tonya skates an amazing short program to beat Katarina Witt and take 2nd place behing Midori Ito. Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe Tonya was th...

youtu.be

Tonya Harding 1985 US Olympic Festival SP

Tonya Harding - 1985 U.S. Olympic Festival, Figure Skating, Ladies' Short Program

Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA - 1985 U.S. Olympic Festival, Figure Skating, Ladies' Short Program

youtu.be

 

[meggonzo]

Tonya Harding 1991 Nationals

 

[Vagabond]

I had steeled myself for Jeffrey Buttle's inevitable heart-breaking meltdown in the Free Skate at the 2008 World Championships, and then he went and won the Gold Medal!

 

[bardtoob]

Surya Bonaly 2000 World Pro Championships technical program

4th overall - Washington / USA (December 2000)

youtu.be

Surya lands a 100% clean 3Lz.

Her edge was usually correct, but the jump was often two-footed. Also, she was two years into retirement from eligible competition at this point with a history of an Achilles injury.

 

[natsulian]

Surya Bonaly 2000 World Pro Championships technical program

4th overall - Washington / USA (December 2000)

youtu.be

Surya lands a 100% clean 3Lz.

Her edge was usually correct, but the jump was often two-footed. Also, she was two years into retirement from eligible competition at this point with a history of an Achilles injury.

Loved her “Four Seasons” Long Program and her sheer guts and determination. What an amazing athlete.

 

[Carina]

I had steeled myself for Jeffrey Buttle's inevitable heart-breaking meltdown in the Free Skate at the 2008 World Championships, and then he went and won the Gold Medal!

I think everyone in the audience and people in front of their telly had expected that to happened and just couldn't believe our eyes. He really hit zone that time

 

[puglover]

Kurt Browning "Casablanca". We were pretty new to the sport at that time and saw it live in Edmonton. It was such a masterpiece and the first time I can say I was really shocked by what I saw on the ice. I would also add Patrick Chan - just even stroking - any program.

 

[Jeanine]

I always think of shocked in a bad way so the one that comes to mind for me is Kurt’s SP at Lillehamar. When he went around and did that axel, I remember thinking “that looked like a single” and next thing, the Eurosport guys are going “was that a single?” and my stomach just dropped.

Also, Mao’s SP in Sochi, and Jeremy Abbott’s in the same games.

 

[blue_idealist]

I always think of shocked in a bad way so the one that comes to mind for me is Kurt’s SP at Lillehamar. When he went around and did that axel, I remember thinking “that looked like a single” and next thing, the Eurosport guys are going “was that a single?” and my stomach just dropped.

Also, Mao’s SP in Sochi, and Jeremy Abbott’s in the same games.

Yeah, Jeremy Abbott lying on the ice next to the boards was definitely a shock.

 

[misskarne]

Shocked me good:

• Papadakis/Cizeron's FD at 2016 Worlds. I didn't (still don't) watch a great deal of ice dance but I'll never forget almost forgetting to breathe during that program. It was breathtaking.
• Jason's SP at IdF last season...when I saw his TES before the last spin and step sequence I just started internally shrieking HE'S GOING OVER 50 on a loop for the rest of the program.
• When I saw "MAS" next to a name on an entry list for an event in 2012...and I went to the event and was utterly charmed by this good, talented Malaysian kid named Julian Yee.

Shocked me bad:

• Hanyu's FS at 2016 Worlds. I was 100% convinced he was going to win after the SP. Oof.
• Max's SPs at both 2017 and 2018 US Nationals. Felt like I'd been punched in the guts both times.
• Seeing Jeremy Abbott's shoulders drop in the Team Event SP at Sochi and realising he'd completely given up on the program.
• Han Yan not making the cut at 2016 Worlds.
• Kailani not making the cut at 2019 Worlds.
• Katia and Harley's FS at Rostelecom this season.

 

[kittysk8ts]

Cool thread.

I think #1 has to be Patrick Chan for me. The first time I saw him live. I had never ever seen such depth of edge, among many other stellar attributes. He took my breath away. Still boggles my mind.

Joannie Rochette’s 2010 Games. Just, OMG, how? For me, the true definition of bittersweet.

Nathan Chen’s 6 quad program.

Eric Radford hanging in for a whole program after Meaghan broke his face on their 1st element, a triple twist.

Sotnikova’s win over Kim.

 

[muffinplus]

Shocked... was after Hubbell/Donohue's fiasco at 4CC this year

That was shocking.

 

[Jeanine]

Shocked... was after Hubbell/Donohue's fiasco at 4CC this year

That was shocking.

I forgot that one! Up until then, I’d been really tired - it was stupid o’clock at night for me - but that proper woke me up!

 

[Iluvid]

Having known Jason Brown when he was just a little kid at a camp. His 2014 US Nats freeskate had me nearly in tears. Never had I thought that little boy would become a great in this sport and make the Olympic team. So proud! ⛸

 

[overedge]

2011 US Nationals Jason Brown FS

No commentary.

m.youtube.com

 

[Vash01]

I am not “shocked” by any FS performance. I may be impressed, surprised, etc.

 

[briancoogaert]

Shocked probably by Surya Bonaly 1998 Olympics LP !
This backflip !!!

 

[bardtoob]

Shocked probably by Surya Bonaly 1998 Olympics LP !
This backflip !!!

Me, the SP because the jump quality matched the skating quality!

 

[VGThuy]

Shocked probably by Surya Bonaly 1998 Olympics LP !
This backflip !!!

I don't know why, but I was expecting the backflip. I was super young when I watched 1998 Ladies "live" on CBS and I knew Surya for all the backflips she did in those made-for-tv events that would play on TV non-stop in the mid-to-late 90s. I didn't even know what a big deal it was until later.

 

[bardtoob]

I don't know why, but I was expecting the backflip. I was super young when I watched 1998 Ladies "live" on CBS and I knew Surya for all the backflips she did in those made-for-tv events that would play on TV non-stop in the mid-to-late 90s. I didn't even know what a big deal it was until later.

I thought the back flip would come out because of the what happened after the 1992 Olympic SP official practice. Apparently she got a talking to about this from ISU officials.

Preview of Ladies' Original Program - 1992 Albertville, Figure Skating

Albertville, FRANCE - 1992 Winter Games, Figure Skating - Preview of the Ladies' Original Program with Katarina Witt. Discussed here is the controversy of Fr...

www.youtube.com

 

[all_empty]

I was pleasantly surprised by Surya's early pro years, as she had regained the harder triples (3Lo and 3Lz) she had lost due to her Achilles injury. I'm glad she found success in those ranks. However, the backflip in practice -- while Midori's music was playing -- was both unsportsmanlike and dangerous. It's one thing to perform to your competitor's music (ala Katarina) but another thing to do an illegal, potentially dangerous move while another skater with right of way is doing a run-through.

As for shockers, I remember seeing Mao Asada for the first time and my jaw-dropping:

Mao Asada 2002 Japanese Nationals FS

includes highlights of her SP

www.youtube.com

I was shocked by Jeffrey Buttle's performance at 2003 Worlds where he fell four times.

Ditto with Sasha Cohen's Cheesefest free where she fell four times, and I was in the audience at 2009 Worlds where Carolina Kostner popped every jump and people were audibly groaning.

I was so sure that Irina Slutskaya would clinch gold in Torino that after she doubled her flip and went down on the loop I still felt she would be held up. To see her skate away with bronze was a shocker.

 

[Lamente Ariane]

Awed: Savchenko/Massot's free skate at Skate America 2017. Of course their Olympic comeback was objectively more impressive but I'm biased in favor of the one I was in the audience for, especially after seeing that twist up close and personal at practices. Actually, those pair practices truly shocked me, I was not prepared for how spectacular pairs skating can be in the first few rows with teams that good.