Who is your favorite all time singles skater and why?

[nguyhm]

Mao Asada
I have never been a big fan of men's skating but Patrick was the first to "draw" me in and now I'm big fan of Nathan . Such contrasting styles but Patrick melts my heart and Nathan makes skating "cool". What can I say the heart has its own reasons

 

[Lchan]

Probably no man has quite captivated me as much as Alexei Urmanov. His 94 Olympic FP - and the FPs of Candeloro and Stojko as well - were what made me a FS fan. I loved Urmy's ruffles, and that smile, which lit up the whole arena!

I started to read this thread thinking "I have to mention Alexei Urmanov because no one else will have and, after all, his 94 Olympic skate is the reason that, 24 years later, I'm logging into a figure skating board".... I can't believe someone beat me to it!

I also liked the ruffles. But my favourite programme ended up being Swan Lake - with the wings.

Honourable mention to my other all-time fave.... No one except Michelle Kwan could have got me out of bed in the middle of the night to watch her NOT win an Oly gold AGAIN.

I feel old now! I guess you just never forget your first skaters....

 

[gotoschool]

Mao Asada is my favorite because she overwhelmed my emotions more than any other with her challenging gauntlet of jumps done with fabulous posture and fluidity combined with aesthetic subtlety and sophistication in her spirals, spins and dazzling steps, in addition to profound expressiveness, intricate blade work and massive rink coverage to every corner of rink done with such seeming ease and grace, with the powers that be so obviously intriguing to keep her scores down.

After Mao, Midori Ito for her power, abandon and charisma and Lu Chen for her fabulous delayed rotation, fluidity, compelling artistry and musicality while being held down as well.

 

[Triple loop]

Mao Asada is my favorite because she overwhelmed my emotions more than any other with her challenging gauntlet of jumps done with fabulous posture and fluidity combined with aesthetic subtlety and sophistication in her spirals, spins and dazzling steps combined with massive rink coverage and profound expressiveness, all done with the powers that be so obviously stacked against her.

After Mao, Midori Ito for her power, abandon and charisma and Lu Chen for her fabulous delayed rotation, artistry and musicality
Those are 3 of my other favorites. I loved Lu's 1996 Worlds long program to Rachmaninoff.

 

[merrywidow]

John Curry & Dorothy Hamill for the beauty of their edges, their lines, choreography & Musicality.

 

[Mozart]

I started to read this thread thinking "I have to mention Alexei Urmanov because no one else will have and, after all, his 94 Olympic skate is the reason that, 24 years later, I'm logging into a figure skating board".... I can't believe someone beat me to it!

I also liked the ruffles. But my favourite programme ended up being Swan Lake - with the wings.

Honourable mention to my other all-time fave.... No one except Michelle Kwan could have got me out of bed in the middle of the night to watch her NOT win an Oly gold AGAIN.

I feel old now! I guess you just never forget your first skaters....

I also <3 Urmanov. I didn't think anyone would mention him either

 

[DimaToe]

Mao Asada and Johnny Weir brought me into this sport. My other favorites include Janet Lynn, Bonaly, Suguri, D.Takahashi, Kwan, and Yagudin.

I would have to say Akiko Suzuki and Ashley Wagner. I love a performer, if I have to choose then Diva Wagner by the thinnest or margins.

Forgot to add the why:

Akiko: She always skated from the heart, a quality similar to Kwan’s.

Diva Wagner: The sass, the grit, the show always went on, nuff said.

 

[RoseAugust]

Michelle Kwan because she has moved me like no other skater. I still watch her programs. Patrick Chan because of his crazy skating skills.

 

[lala]

Plushenko. And why? for ex: https://www.instagram.com/p/BnjkFyWF0ot/ Don't need words.

 

[Maximillian]

I have two skating lives: the first one as a kid and skater myself which went from about '84-'92 and then when I rediscovered the sport as a fan in 2000 (I followed the sport minimally in the time in-between so I knew of Kwan, Tara, et al.).

When I was a kid my fave skaters were: Tiffany Chin, Kat Witt, Jill Trenary, Robin Cousins, Petrenko, G&G, K&P, and the Duchesnays. Sasha was the one who brought me back to the sport, so she's way up there, in fact, she might be THE skater, but definitely the female skater, Yagudin is way up there, too and now Yuzuru and D10 (RIP). If I had to pick one it would probably be Sasha, though...

 

[VALuvsMKwan]

Look at my user name.

 

[Aceon6]

Rahkamo/Kokko. They're the only ones that could get me to buy a ticket without checking the price first.
Close second, Gordeeva/Grinkov.

 

[Sally1214]

Evgeni Plushenko. Not just for his awesome skating talent but for the pure passion he poured into his performances and the way he could command an audience. And, I absolutely LOVE his sense of humor.

And, Toller Cranston. He is the reason I am a skating fan today. He was SO exciting and creative. WAY ahead of his time. Truly captivating.

 

[nuge]

Katarina Witt as she was the first lady I ever saw and Sasha Cohen as I'm in awe of her flexibility.Quite liked Brian Joubert and Alexei Yagudin. Ice dance has always been my favourite though!

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

^^^ Im getting into dance more than ever myself.

But.. I kinda miss the old days of dance when it seemed to be more ballroom...

Sometimes today I think it could be called ice circus or trapeze on ice. lol

I still just LOVE Torvil and Dean comeback in 94... Was it "Lets face the Music and Dance?" Was so ballroom and seemed so fun...

I dont like it when it gets too sexy and the woman is wearing basically a bra and panties.

 

[Mad for Skating]

Men: Jason Brown
Ladies: Mao Asada, although I’m really a big Wakaba Higuchi fan too

 

[viennese]

Find the documentaries about John Curry, especially the recent BBC film "The Ice King"
He was an artist, an athlete, an innovator as an amateur and as a professional.

I was fortunate, as a small child, to see his Skating Company perform live - though I was too young to appreciate it at the time. So many great choreographers and coaches came from his company corps. You could see his influence in skaters like Paul Wylie, Michelle Kwan, Adam Rippon...and many more.

He changed the sport and made it better and different. And sadly, he died young.

 

[npavel]

Stephane Lambiel and Carolina Kostner
But I love Asada and Fernandez too