Who has/had the best sideways leaning spin?

[Marco]

Now that IJS forces everyone to do it, the quality has really gone down hill. There is often very little lean and speed - almost just doing the bare minimum to get the feature done, and not concerning about quality.

Whose sideways leaning spin do you think is the best?

Naomi Nari Nam? https://youtu.be/27xvPjakbYA?t=55

Alissa Czisny? https://youtu.be/Rx_fj_6QgA0?t=211

Oksana Baiul? https://youtu.be/qI27ulyzUoM?t=192

Caroline Zhang? https://youtu.be/_fybVmT77mY?t=228

 

[skategal]

I always loved Josee Chouinard's

 

[pETEs (Sasha Fan)]

Now that IJS forces everyone to do it, the quality has really gone down hill. There is often very little lean and speed - almost just doing the bare minimum to get the feature done, and not concerning about quality.

Whose sideways leaning spin do you think is the best?

Naomi Nari Nam? https://youtu.be/27xvPjakbYA?t=55

Alissa Czisny? https://youtu.be/Rx_fj_6QgA0?t=211

Oksana Baiul? https://youtu.be/qI27ulyzUoM?t=192

Caroline Zhang? https://youtu.be/_fybVmT77mY?t=228

Not sure Oksana's a sideways in strict terms (beautiful, nonetheless). Caroline's pure glory, tho', mostly because of what follows that "sideway leaning".

 

[Marco]

I think so. Her shoulders were almost perpendicular.

 

[alexikeguchi]

How about Satoko Miyahara?
Of the ones in the OP, though, I'd go with Zhang.

 

[bardtoob]

Good question because I always saw it as the "can't do a layback" spin since it was the sp alternative to a layback.

 

[Marco]

Good question because I always saw it as the "can't do a layback" spin since it was the sp alternative to a layback.

Flexibility is still required. It's just a matter of bending backwards or sideways. Skaters with extremely limited back bend in their laybacks like Tatyana Malinina, Maria Butyrskaya and Laetitia Hubert are not likely to have a decent sideways leaning even if they tried.

I have no idea why this was a required position in the short program until recent years,