Skaters who 'own the ice'?

[Holy Headband]

Who are some skaters (including pairs and ice dance couples) past and present who give off that vibe people describe as 'owning the ice'? What does that entail in your opinion?

For example, I've heard it said about Elizaveta Tuktamysheva, but I don't know if I would describe her in those terms. For me, owning the ice/attracting attention as soon as you step onto it involves being a quick and smooth skater and having great ice coverage in addition to being charismatic/un-self-conscious and making eye contact with the audience. But perhaps other people's definitions are different? And perhaps stuff like this is perceived differently in person as opposed to via TV broadcast?

And maybe there are different ways for skaters to have an eye-catching/distinct presence on the ice--hence my request for specific examples.

Discuss.

 

[aka_gerbil]

Virtue/Moir epitomize it for me. I will never forget the first time I saw them live. It was a practice at 2014 Canadian nationals. They are not physically big people, but the amplitude, ice coverage, and command of the ice were huge.

 

[maatTheViking]

Hanyu. I remember before he was a Star - it was obvious there was something special about this presence.

Evan Lysachek. I recall his presence live was so different, and his scoring made sense. Impossible to take your eyes off him; and I wasn’t a fan. Plushy was the same.

Miyahara, in a different way; she just always commands your attention with her programs.

 

[Plusdinfo]

Oksana Baiul was one.

 

[AxelAnnie]

katerina Witt. I don't think it is so much what you do...but who you are in the matter. you are in the matter. It is someone who draws you in when they skate out there and take their opening pose. Think Sui of. Sui and Han. It Javier Fernandez..
.

 

[briancoogaert]

Surya Bonaly, Stephane Lambiel, Kevin Aymoz, Deniss Vassiljevs, Shen&Zhao...
Because they give just so much to the audience. They really enjoy skating, and you can see it, even when the jumps are not good !

 

[Orm Irian]

Javier Fernandez. When he was on the ice you couldn't look away. And in a different way, Papadakis/Cizeron - where Javi projects outwards to the audience, they create a magnetic still moment on the ice that draws you in.

 

[rfisher]

Plushenko. When he decided to come back for Sochi and stepped onto the ice at Europeans, it was all confidence. It was palpable. He said, "look at me." To me it's not skating skills, it's that absolute confidence in yourself. Liza has it. Samodurova does not. It's the skater who believes in themselves regardless of how well they skate.

 

[bardtoob]

Michelle Kwan

 

[MsZem]

Virtue/Moir. The first competition I went to was 2009 TEB, and I couldn't take my eyes off them. They were also very clearly superior to everyone there.

I was also wowed by Yuna Kim, much more so than when I saw her on TV.

 

[paskatefan]

Kurt Browning, Scott Hamilton ...

 

[Enchanted]

Papadakis/Cizeron, Akiko Suzuki and Carolina Kostner.

 

[screech]

For example, I've heard it said about Elizaveta Tuktamysheva, but I don't know if I would describe her in those terms.

I saw Liza live at the 2015 Euros. She was completely captivating. From the moment she took the ice you could not take your eyes off of her. She just drew you in in a way that none of the other competitors did. I don't think this comes across as well on TV, but live (at least 6 years ago), she owned it.

Javier Fernandez. When he was on the ice you couldn't look away. And in a different way, Papadakis/Cizeron - where Javi projects outwards to the audience, they create a magnetic still moment on the ice that draws you in.

Same with Javi. I saw him live at 2015 Euros as well and he made you love him. I remember he was winking at and flirting with the audience during his footwork sequence in his FP. Even if you were not sitting near the ice, you could still see him reaching to the 'nosebleeds' with his performance.

 

[Judy]

Katerina Witt during her time.

 

[once_upon]

.

 

[once_upon]

Matt Savioe, he may not have entered the ice with commanding skate to center ice, but once his program started you could feel his choreography.

 

[VGThuy]

When I was rewatching 2001 Worlds Ladies LP, watching the top 12, something different happened when Kwan took the ice. Maybe she was feeling herself or was in top shape and prepared, but she just moved as if she the queen of that rink and we were her subjects. It looked like she was completely in her domain and she was doing exactly what she was made to be doing and we had the luxury of watching it.

 

[DreamSkates]

Today, Kamila Valieva.

 

[jenny12]

Virtue and Moir, especially in the second gold medal where they seemed at their most confident.

Hanyu and Plushenko in the same way. While I much prefer Hanyu’s skating, I see a similarity in the assuredness they convey when they’re at the best.

Post 2000 Michelle Kwan. Before that of course she was already great but her post 2000 years, she really felt like she was in total control of the ice.

Brian Boitano. Even until this day no one can swoop around the ice like he can. (Except Carolina Kostner who made the ice look too small for her when she was at her best)

Also, Yu-Na Kim. Her strong technique I think lent her a confidence in the rest of her performance pretty consistently.

 

[Vash01]

Plushenko and Oksana Baiul owned the ice the best. Watched them skate live many times.

Others-

Rudy Galindo

Katarina Witt

Artur Dmitriev (with both his partners).

Michelle Kwan

Viktor Petrenko

Hanyu - though I saw him skate live just once.

I never saw Midori Ito skate live, but from what I heard she lit up the arena.

 

[once_upon]

I never thought Bauil command the ice. I mean she brought the to the ice, but her actual skating never moved me.

 

[Bigbird]

Elena Ilinykh with anybody.

 

[Vash01]

I never thought Bauil command the ice. I mean she brought the to the ice, but her actual skating never moved me.

I think the current topic is not about the skating (and she had great flow on the ice). It is About the command of the ice, the confidence, the audience connection. I saw her skate live many times and she had it all, even when she made mistakes.

 

[Holy Headband]

I think the current topic is not about the skating (and she had great flow on the ice). It is About the command of the ice, the confidence, the audience connection. I saw her skate live many times and she had it all, even when she made mistakes.

Well, I asked people if they factor skating into this stuff. I personally do, but clearly not everyone does!

 

[LoopCombo]

For me, of the people I’ve seen live, Hanyu (it was like watching a rock star), Medvedeva (absolutely mesmerizing, especially in the gala), Kaori Sakamoto (so absurdly fast and smooth), and Deniss Vasiljevs (I could hardly take my eyes off him in the practice sessions even though Hanyu was on the ice too because Vasiljevs was just such an amazing skater — he has a ton of presence and drama).

 

[miffy]

Yagudin, Plushy and Hanyu.

In dance I would say Torvill/Dean.

 

[Vash01]

I would include Deniss Vasiljvs. Saw him skate live in 2016. Great presence.

 

[Marco]

For me anyways, what 'owning the ice' refers to is being as one with the ice and in the performance, and that for me first and foremost means complete effortlessness and surety, and also natural movements.

I think no one epitomize that phrase more so than Michelle Kwan and Patrick Chan.

 

[sap5]

I don't follow other the disciplines the way I follow dance, so Virtue/Moir 2018 Olympic FD is the ultimate example of "owning the ice" for me. They knew they had to show everyone that they deserved to win the gold, and so they commanded the ice from the second they stepped on, and held the audience for the entire program.

 

[barbk]

My favorite seats at COI were next to the space nearest the backstage area where the skaters did not enter the ice. Year after year, I'd see a dozen or more tour skaters come into that area to watch while Kwan skated. I never saw that for another skater in that era.