Unpopular Opinions

[MsZem]

Meanwhile her Matrix actually wasn't a bad program .

I love the Matrix music but again don't think she can pull it off

+1 on that. It was much more in Joubert's wheelhouse.

I don't mind Buble and I'm fine with Coldplay. There are even parts of that Moulin Rouge soundtrack that I don't mind, but really if you're going to skate to Your Song or The Show Must Go On please, for the love of god, use the originals. Freddie Mercury did not go to the trouble of singing the latter for people to use the MR version.

 

[antmanb]

Whereas I will happily listen to Moulin Rouge or the original songs all day long and don't mind the covers.

 

[mtnskater]

I think Kaori Sakamoto's feminist LP is absolutely horrible and pure cringe from beginning to end.

Meanwhile her Matrix actually wasn't a bad program .

Interesting. I am by no means a fan of Kaori. Just not my preferred style of skating. But I think her partnership with Benoit has resulted in the perfect programs to showcase her power and her kind of style. Prior to the Matrix and this year’s Woman/Tris program it seemed she was trying to do traditional, more balletic/graceful programs that just made her look somewhat awkward and unrefined. She hasn’t really gotten more refined in her movement. Just found the perfect choreographer for her. The more modern angular movement by Benoit really fits her. I’ve enjoyed these programs because they hide her weaknesses and bring out her strengths.

 

[Wyliefan]

My all-time favorite Kaori program is Bach a la Jazz. The music was great and she brought a nice playfulness to it.

 

[once_upon]

I'd prefer originals for most songs..there are occasional exceptions..

Coldplay has been overplayed, which is my biggest complaint about their music.

Buble is too meh. I prefer Connick.

Celine shrieks

 

[Andora]

Buble isn't so bad when it's not the same few songs (mostly male) skaters use.

All this talk about covers vs. originals... I would LOVE to see someone skate to this one.

I'm generally forgiving of skaters overusing certain music, like Nessun Dorma, but I think this version remains my favourite.

 

[On My Own]

I love a lot of Japanese skaters and they have undoubtedly some of the best basic skating around... However, I find the artistic aspect from a lot of them to be overrated and generic. There have been very few who have been able to create something genuinely interesting.

There's hot take number 2, after V/M having only one interesting program in their career.

 

[VGThuy]

The Japanese do need something in their choreography to make them more memorable. I always enjoy their skating and programs but I don’t often remember them. I think they’re just smooth glide/skating skills showcases and then everything else follows with non-stop moving. Great displays for what PCS is looking for in terms of skating skills, transitions, etc. but missing the character…even with character heavy programs…always Chaplin or Gene Kelly or something when they go that route. I think maybe that’s why Uno’s early empty programs were such a hit. I’ll never forget his Turandot or that screaming lady program. They don’t need to change much, just a Cha-like “Juliet!” moment.

 

[On My Own]

It's not necessarily about character for me I guess (at least not the Chaplin type you're mentioning), rather about it just beginning and ending at pleasant for me. It's just all usually on the same level. All very practised and delivered well, but not necessarily personal or interesting. Or we used to get Hanyu type "art" which barely made sense with the music a lot of the time and came across as very shallow and trivial even if performed well. Maybe I just miss Mao and Daisuke. Or I will take being stunned by Midori Ito's jumps. But this is just pleasant and sometimes sleep-inducing.

 

[VGThuy]

Yeah, when I mean character, I don’t mean play acting. I mean like something distinctive you get that you just remember.

 

[Dobre]

Shoma's SP was great & memorable to me the year he was awful and had no coach. (Timing!) Higuchi had the best Lion King program that I have seen. (Though I still remember Nicole's Lion King hydroblading. Pretty sure that was the first Lion King program I'd ever seen, which explains why it stayed with me). Muramoto & Takahashi have my favorite RD of the season and had one of my favorite RDs last season. I will remember that one for years, I'm sure, as it stands out as something different.

 

[On My Own]

I don't mean to include Muramoto/Takahashi, but the others you've mentioned I take with a grain of salt. I did like Higuchi's Bond, Uno's Loco. Liked-ish Sakamoto and Higuchi's SPs last season.

 

[paskatefan]

Please, skaters, no more of Lara Fabian's "Je Suis Malade." That song makes me feel "malade!"

Nothing personal against Celine Dion (although I'm SO tired of "My Heart Will Go On"). OTOH, I LOVED when Caryn Kadavy skated to "It's All Coming Back to Me Now" (to this date, my favorite Celine Dion song).

 

[bardtoob]

I am not all that impressed with the technique of today's women skaters, and I am glad the eligibility age was raised to 17 because it punishes the coaches and federations for not developing robust technique.

At the 1992 Olympics, the top 5 women were:

• 18-22 years old
• between 145 cm (4 ft 9 in) - 163 cm (5ft 4 in)
• a variety of body types
• attempting a variety of high level jumps, including 3T (All), 3S (All), 3L (All), 3F (All), 3Lz (All), 3A (Ito, Harding), 4T (Surya), 4S (Surya), 3T - 2A (Surya), 2A-3S (Ito), 3T-3T (Kerrigan, Harding, Ito, Yamaguchi), 3Lz - 3T (Yamaguchi, Ito), 3A - 2T (Ito, Harding), 3A - 3T (Ito)

I supposed that is why I love Sakamoto's and Tuktamysheva's technique so much, since they could easily fit into the above group.

 

[On My Own]

I don't see much difference between 17 and 18, development-wise. Maybe there's an argument for legality/age of majority, though.

 

[bardtoob]

I don't see much difference between 17 and 18, development-wise. Maybe there's an argument for legality/age of majority, though.

I revised my post because I was swayed by the skater wanting to go to uni and/or family can not support the skater indefinitely.

I still think raising the age is the best thing the sport has done in a long time.

 

[Fiero425]

I revised my post because I was swayed by the skater wanting to go to uni and/or family can not support the skater indefinitely.

I still think raising the age is the best thing the sport has done in a long time.

All I could do was SMH a couple years ago as Russian skaters got younger & younger; malnourished w/ a short shelf-life! It was shocking to see how fast Alina Zagitova disappeared after a great season! She just fell off a cliff barely able to keep up w/ the next wave of kids their program abused over the years! The technique used to propel those tiny bodies was systematically breaking them down IMO! I had stopped watching as much skating after Asado & Yuna Kim era! It started with Evgenia Medvedeva who was anointed fufture queen of the ice! AZ pulled a "Tara" who stole Nagano from Kwan back in 1998! It came down to that one combination that the veterans wouldn't even try thinking their artistic maturity would go further than doing extreme jumps! It was a repeat; including the inevitable that Alina wasn't going to last! Maybe raising the age limits will stop the cycle!

 

[Marco]

To me most singles skaters today are not / do not attempt to be musical. I suppose being truly musical is not in fact rewarded in PCS in the same way as being clean or being 'busy' is.

I miss the days of Michelle or even Sasha when moves are important, make sense and are held out, even if they would do less of them - the overall performance is still so much more enjoyable to watch. They made me feel like I was watching a performance rather than a competition.

 

[Seerek]

Most of the skaters with any sense of musicality currently in singles you will only see in their national championships, perhaps Senior B's/Challengers, and maybe Euros/4CCs. I'm at peace that those skaters won't make it to Worlds/Olympics. It is what it is.

 

[On My Own]

Most of the skaters with any sense of musicality currently in singles you will only see in their national championships, perhaps Senior B's/Challengers, and maybe Euros/4CCs. I'm at peace that those skaters won't make it to Worlds/Olympics. It is what it is.

Josefin made it! Giada Russo made it too!!

 

[Marco]

Most of the skaters with any sense of musicality currently in singles you will only see in their national championships, perhaps Senior B's/Challengers, and maybe Euros/4CCs. I'm at peace that those skaters won't make it to Worlds/Olympics. It is what it is.

For instance, I am glad Satoko retired having made it to the Olympics once (nearly medalled there) and actually medalled at Worlds. Her skating and expressiveness was absolutely stunning but I cannot in good conscience applaud those jumps

It is what it is.

 

[screech]

My seemingly unpopular opinion is that Fournier Beaudry/Sorensen clearly deserve to be sent to Worlds over Lajoie/Lagha even with the repeated mistakes they make.

 

[tony]

My seemingly unpopular opinion is that Fournier Beaudry/Sorensen clearly deserve to be sent to Worlds over Lajoie/Lagha even with the repeated mistakes they make.

You mean over the one person who thinks otherwise? No, not unpopular.

 

[screech]

You mean over the one person who thinks otherwise? No, not unpopular.

Go on the figure skating board on Reddit, especially the live discussion of the Canadians FD. I'm in the complete minority there.

 

[SkateFanBerlin]

I supposed that is why I love Sakamoto's and Tuktamysheva's technique so much, since they could easily fit into the above group.

When Tuk got her jumps back - 3A, etc. - I forgave her win in 2015 using a substance banned the next year. Now I see she is jumping better than ever including 3Lz3T which she never really had before. I say once a cheater always a cheater. She may not have intended to cheat in 2015. But, she's a grown woman now and on some level knows only a little taste of Dr. Feelgood could explain recent results. No desire to see her again.

 

[bardtoob]

When Tuk got her jumps back - 3A, etc. - I forgave her win in 2015 using a substance banned the next year. Now I see she is jumping better than ever including 3Lz3T which she never really had before. I say once a cheater always a cheater. She may not have intended to cheat in 2015. But, she's a grown woman now and on some level knows only a little taste of Dr. Feelgood could explain recent results. No desire to see her again.

I think it's fair for you to have your suspicions and even conclusions.

OTOH, no amount of banned substance would ever allow any of Eteri's skaters to keep their jumps with that technique to age 26, let alone 18, but both Maria and Irina were able to win Worlds at age 26, the same age Liza is now. Oddly enough, Irina even performed 3Lz-3Lp at age 26.

 

[skatingcheckers]

My seemingly unpopular opinion is that Fournier Beaudry/Sorensen clearly deserve to be sent to Worlds over Lajoie/Lagha even with the repeated mistakes they make.

For the first time this year, I noticed this team and really like them. F-B is really an amazing skater - I was captivated by her in their recent Free Dance. Her partner is not as great with smoothness and edges, but somehow it works ... my eye is always drawn to her. I'm rooting for them!

 

[olympic]

Back OT - Don't know how popular / unpopular this would be, but I didn't care much for Radionova's skating: She skated 'happy' but I couldn't get past those poor lines, the completed but uninspiring jumps and programs, and the occasional tacky costume

 

[angi]

A recent unpopular opinion of mine - I don't get the hype about Kagapol at all, they are really not great, their basics skills are mediocre, their speed and ice coverage are not good for their level and experience, and the material Krylova is giving them should be considered as a crime against skating (perhaps except their R&J)

 

[olympic]

... And I wasn't that excited about the Rach program ... THAT Rach program

FWIW, I appreciated Romanza, DoD, Carmen, EoE and TFB a lot more.