What is a "better skater"?

[Jun Y]

This may be just semantics, but when I hear the word "skater" or "skating," my instinctive association is always to the blade-on-ice action. Not that I don't think jumps, spins, lifts, throw jumps, etc., are also important, but when I hear the question "Who's the better *skater*" my immediate thought is the person with the better skating skills. Better jumper, better spinner, better death spirals, better lifts, better expression of music, better taste in music and costume ... these are all separate from skating skills, even though a certain level of skating skills are necessary for most of these areas. Edges, flow, balance, and body control are the foundation of everything else.

Subpar skating skills may not stop someone from winning medals, given that today's figure skating is a very compartmentalized sport --- it is what it is. Nevertheless, good skating can leave out anything else, but cannot leave out good skating skills.