What are your favourite lesser-known / obscure skaters?

[briancoogaert]

Ivana Reitmayerova !

This program will always be something special for me !

 

[layman]

Anna Rechnio:

Anna Rechnio POL - 1998 World Championships LP

QB : 2nd, SP : 2nd, LP : 5th, 5th place March 29th-5th April, Minneapolis, USA

www.youtube.com

Anna Rechnio POL - 1999 World Championships SP

QA : 5th, SP : 6th, LP : 7th, 6th place March 20th-28th, Helsinki FIN

www.youtube.com

Anna Rechnio POL - 1999 World Championships LP

QA : 5th, SP : 6th, LP : 7th, 6th place March 20th-28th, Helsinki FIN

www.youtube.com

I loved her skating...she was not always the most consistent but she skated with tremendous speed and attack (Kamila Valieva is the only skater who reminds me of her currently in that regard). Anna's jumps were HUGE...she got tremendous height and her jumps seemed to cover half the rink. She also had beautiful spins and lovely carriage, body-line, stretch and turnout. I get goosebumps when I watch her skate.

 

[layman]

Stanick Jeannette:

Stanick Jeannette FRA - 2000 World Championships LP

QB : 5th, SP : 10th, LP : 8th, 7th place March 23rd-3rd, Nice, FRA

www.youtube.com

I appreciated the innovation in his choreography and skating...the unique movements, different entrances into jumps and out of jumps, different spins variations, variations with body and blade angles, unique music choices...but as usual with French Skaters, the judges did not seem to appreciate this as much as I did.

Ilia Klimkin:

[HD] Ilia Klimkin - "Afternoon of a Faun" 2000/2001 GPF - Round 1 Free Skating

Ilia Klimkin / Илья Климкин / イリヤ・クリムキン 2000/2001 ISU Grand Prix Final, Tokyo, Japan, Feb.15-18 2001 2000-2001 フィギュアスケート グランプリ ファイナル 代々木体育館 (東京) 2001年2月15日-1...

www.youtube.com

[HD] Ilia Klimkin - 2000/2001 GPF - Final Round Free Skating

Ilia Klimkin / Илья Климкин / イリヤ・クリムキン 2000/2001 ISU Grand Prix Final, Tokyo, Japan, Feb.15-18 2001 2000-2001 フィギュアスケート グランプリ ファイナル 代々木体育館 (東京) 2001年2月15日-1...

www.youtube.com

I appreciated Ilia's Klimkin's skating for the same reasons...unique entries into and exits from the jumps and spins (he had the ability to spin in both directions), different spin variations, innovative jump/spin combinations (where he would come out of a spin and go directly into a jump), innovative choreography, interesting musical choices, wonderful bodyline, stretch, turnout and posture. I never understood why the judges did not reward him more.

 

[layman]

Rohene Ward:

Rohene Ward 2006 US Nationals SP

Rohene Ward 2006 US Nationals SP

www.youtube.com

Though he has gone on to have a great career as a choreographer, Rohene is not known as much for his skating, which is a shame because he's a great skater...with great innovation in movement...he would jump and spin in both directions, the positions he hit were always extraordinary and the height he got in the jumps was spectacular (if you were in the cheap seats, he would jump up and wave to you).

I used to watch him practice and nail every jump only to see him struggle in the actual competition. He struggled with nerves and with the expense of figure skating. I think his skating legacy lives on with his choreography.

 

[sadya]

I still enjoy this program by Kaja Hanevold:
Kaja Hanevold NOR - 1999 European Championships LP

Kaja Hanevold NOR - 1999 European Championships LP

QB : 11th, SP : 13th, LP : 17th, 16th placeJan. 24th-31st, Prague, CZE

www.youtube.com