rockstaryuzu

I like the new default theme!

Junhwan is starting to show signs of that same smoothness though. At least I thought so from observing him at Skate Canada practices. None of the other men even come close to having that light flowing style. *Ooh, look, I'm Notte Stellata now!

This made me laugh an unreasonable amount. Where's Ondrej when you need him? But you know, Shoma got the ladies to lift him (take a look at the photo, the guys are only at either end, the girls are doing all the hard work.) I wonder if Yuzu dares....

Just attending SCI was intense ( as is attending any comp, it seems). I can't imagine how hard it must be on the body to compete in one...and then go do it all again a week later. Junhwan must be planning to hibernate for the next week. Also, I noticed a few comments from people wondering why Yuzu was spotted on intra-Europe flights going to/from Helsinki. Maybe I can shed some light here: although I don't know what airline he travelled and have no knowledge whatsoever of his travel plans, the fact is that there aren't that many airlines that fly direct from Toronto to Helsinki (or most European cities) at this time of year (in summer there is more). He probably had to connect in London, Paris, Frankfurt or Amsterdam, since those are the main hubs for flights out of Toronto Pearson. Hence why he might have been on an intra-Europe flight. Basically it doesn't necessarily mean anything vis-a-vis his plans for going to Moscow. And one more (OT) comment: I just want to say that, after watching Alina's EX, I think her channeling Lara Croft, Tomb Raider, is infinitely healthier and more positive of an image than whatever that leopard thing was last year. That is all.

Wow. That really puts the "planet" in Planet Hanyu. And some of those places are really far-flung. Cape Verde? Mongolia? Wow! (BTW, we badly need a 'Wow!' Yuzumoji...I'm sure he's done a wow face somewhere...)

You pointed out something important here. It was something I noticed at ACI too. I was remarking how being a Yuzu fan was creating all these moments and communities and opportunities for so many people who otherwise would have not had them, and they're all basically positive opportunities. And it occurred to me that the Yuzu fan-omenon has gotten so much bigger than just being about him, even though it's still because of him. Is this his secret superpower that not even he realizes? It might be...

when I read things like that, I feel really glad for him that he's able to train in Canada, and Toronto specifically. Not that it's a perfect place, but it's so far removed from the general craziness of idol-style fandom that is starting to engulf him. And it's such cosmopolitan place ( every language in the world is spoken there, more 50% of residents were born somewhere else outside of Canada), that narrow-minded racialism is frowned on. TCC itself is a reflection of that.

Brian and Ghislain seriously look like they're ready for anything right there. Yuzu looks protected.

I know he had to do this at ACI - did he have to do it again at Helsinki? Yikes.

The agony and the ecstasy of being a Hanyu fan, neatly summed up in one thought.

I get the impression, from reading his interviews etc, that Yuzu himself thinks there's lots more he can do. He probably has a vision of "the perfect skate" that he won't quit until he can make the vision real. I say, go Yuzu go! He's going to transcend everything we ever thought skating could be.

That'd be there even without 4A. I can't watch him do any jump without a flashback to last December.

That makes a bit more sense. But still very ambitious.

Hmm. I wonder if Mr. Hanyu has that much patience.

Brian might be saying that in the hopes, for the sake of his nerves, that it'll be true. Yuzu is perfectly capable of doing something other than what Brian thinks will happen. That being said, Rostelecom or later is looking more likely.

Wow, Boyang's aiming sky-high with that BV.

So I stumbled across a YT clip from Japanese news media featuring Nobu talking about Yuzu's warmup routines and giving predictions on GP results. They had a ton of footage from ACI, and at one point, I realized that my left arm and side were in the shot. The best parts of me, on Japanese TV. Thanks Yuzu!

I need a career change...pick me!

My goodness. That's beautiful.

It also isn't quite the right phrase for the situation. The "keep it up/cheer up" translations seem closer to the right kind of meaning. Here we Canadians might say "chin up/you'll get through this" for such a situation.

I love how all these top skaters and former skaters are fans of, and/or starstruck by, each other.

Goodness. At this point, maybe Brian is starting to feel like he's just along for the ride. Also, that bodes well for Yuzu's future as a coach, should that be the path he chooses to take.

For a guy who just got off a trans-Atlantic flight, he looks surprisingly well-rested and ready to go.

No kidding.

It's a far cry from his arrival in PyeongChang...no paramilitary security escort this time!