EisElle

Little question totally unrelated: I remember seeing some kind of documentary from maybe september 2016 or such where they gave Yuzu a big book collecting the messages from fans attending FaoI. Does anyone remember that? And LOL, what am I doing still awake at this hour?

About 4A (can't believe we're discussing 4A technique) I'd like to know which calculations that japanese tv show used. My recollections about phisycs are a bit rusty, but if you know height and distance of a parabolic trajectory (jumps have a parabolic trajectory, right?) you know the air time and then I guess you get the (average) duration of a single revolution (depending on how many revolutions you want to squeeze in). But: So 2As are usually higher than 3As. I think 4A does need that extra height to grant longer airtime (unless someone can't rotate insanely faster), so I'm not expecting for 3A-4A the same trend as 2A-3A, but where do those 17 cm come from exactly? And they calculated what it takes to jump a 4A for Yuzuru, but what about other skaters who jump shorter 3A? Do they rotate that much faster than Yuzuru already? Because they can squeeze those 3.5 rotations into shorter airtime. Or not? Then they could do a shorter 4A? Or not? I don't know a thing about jumps aside from what I read and see, but I guess if Yuzuru can land huge 3A out of crazy steps, a 3A with normal preparation should give him the speed he needs to rotate faster and get higher. I think the real problem is to control the rotations so he can have a good landing. If he rotates slower, is it what it gives him that amazing control on his 3A? Or not? And why does he rotates slower (transitions aside)? Is it because he does take that big "step up" that usually other skaters take on 2A but not 3A? So maybe he only needs a smaller "step up" so to "pull into the rotation position more quickly"...but not too small or he doesn't get that much height. Ok I'm losing myself now. When Yuzu will continue to work on 4A (and I have no doubts he will, I just think he knows he can't afford it right now) what he'll work on will be not how to achieve more speed but how to control it, I think. That and how to jump it after difficult transitions. Sorry for the ramblings. It's just that the Axel is such a fascinating jump, it's like the black sheep among the jumps for take off, number of rotations, dynamics...and it's gorgerous edited to add a couple of very fitting emoticons:

LOL who are you and how can you say exactly the same things that I think (only better)? Jokes aside, for me Yuzuru was pretty much an epiphany that turned me form a very casual viewer with a general liking for figure skating and a few favourites into a...slightly obsessed fan? That's why I think it will be hard for me to ever like another skater as much as I like Yuzuru, his skating just speaks to my soul to me (and here I go all mushy and lyrical). Doesn't help that everything he does and says makes me respect him even more (and it makes my soft spot for him get softer and softer) Count me in too

I can't imagine how it must feel to have your entire life kind of culminate into a single moment that could make or break everything. I'm not sure if the right way to deal with the situation is to admit to yourself that this is it, this means everything to me and roll with it (a la Yuzu) or try to put it into perspective, minimise it and treat it as a regular thing (a la Eteri-style?). Can only hope his solution is the right way for him - it terrifies me, but that's because I don't like putting all my emotional eggs into one basket, so to speak (but this is...also why I'm not an elite athlete LOL) I guess Yuzu just can't work properly without putting all he has in line. But I hope he's learned his lessons from the past and he will be able to channel the pressure he puts onto himself into somerhing that will make him soar even higher. Thanks to our awesome @gladi for her new translation!!! The bolded parts are always on point Yes to this. I want to see how further Yuzuru can go with these programs and I will enjoy want to see him show everyone he has no fear nor limit because he’s just that good. Yuzu scares me all the time sometimes. CRUSH AND OBLITERATE. (sorry couldn't decide which one was the most fitting emoticon) Yuzu and “wa” are a match made in heaven. Seimei is such a unique program because it roots in one of those typical Yuzu dychotomies – strength and delicacy –. It’s not a warhorse but it’s captivating, commanding and yet graceful too. I agree that what Yuzu does – going beyond the typical western-ish fs programs – is going to be great for figure skating in general. I find it unfair that despite the beautiful variety of music we have out there, a lot of skaters from many different cultures end challenging a rather small selection of mainly western music. Classical music aside, even when they venture to more modern pieces, the overwhelming majority of them are western. It would be great if FS could be more like cousine (forgive me the rather trivial simile). Tradition, exploration, reinvention, mixing. Yuzu has reached the maturity (and let's say the international leverage?) to challenge the boundaries of what’s “usual”. He feels pride in his roots and culture, and why should he not? At the same time it's not some flaunting-it-in-your face kind of pride, but a quiet, positive feeling of admiration and affection that’s far far far from mere nationalism. I guess he wants to skate with these feelings on the biggest stage of all. Olympic stage is definitely the one where he can take pride in the culture that nurtured him. After all, it did have a big role in shaping the man and the athlete he is. Currenlty offtopic, but I also love that Yuzu’s skating, programs AND costumes challenge the usual boundaries of what, at least in western culture, is considered male or feminine. Of course we can’t forget Johnny Weir and others before him, but Yuzuru is a way bigger name in fs now, maybe more people will take strength from him – he proved you can be on top of the world even if you defy some stuffy prejudices about gender – and maybe everyone will able to skate in their own unique way and not to meet some other people’s expectations.

our zuzu the Troll strikes again So for the media days he's only done the Seimei runthrough with ending solo 3A? Mmmh Please do share your experience! I haven't still had the privilege luck to see Yuzuru live so I'm just feeding myself on recordings, but reading about first-hand experiences is like having a taste of the real thing. I enjoy any fan report!! And I'm so envious but then, it's thanks to what the lucky ones say about watching Yuzu live that I'll try to go to Worlds to get the chance to see him

sorry (but please go on with posting the good stuff) I’m back in the land of wi-fi, yay! First things first, I want to send a huuuuuuuuge thank you to all of you who posted news and videos and tweets all month long and to all the fabulous and patient translators. August hasn't felt like off season at all. And then I have to say a huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuge THANK YOU to Yuzuru, too who cares he’s not going to read this, he has alien superpowers anyway, apparently he is able to feel distance support for being the amazing person he is. It never fails to astonish me how deep his musings are. And It's always heartwarming to read how much he inspires people and how loved he is. No one who ever takes the trouble to read Yuzuru’s thoughts about his choice to repeat his two programs for oly season could ever accuse him of being lazy or going for the safest options. He’s challenging his past self –quoting Johnny Weir, “what’s harder than that?” – and also a lot of critics/reservations from audience/commentators/judges. I think the “confidence without conceit” from one of the translated articles really fits Yuzuru. I just love how confident, enthusiast yet calm he sounds. And just how much he wants to make us cry with his words about how deeply he cares for fans' support? Really, any hater of his must have a really ugly heart, because you can dislike his skating or his programs but as an athlete and a human being Yuzu deserves all the respect in the world. Now on a lighter note I won't hold my breath for a new ex, I think he'll go for a "best of" collection of his other programs. He's always very considerate when it comes to the preferences of his audience, so I think he'll try to chose among his programs those he thinks may be enjoyed the most in every event. (I’ve only recently discovered the swan is the national bird of Finland, so when Yuzuru skated to Notte Stellata in swan costume, on top of accepting Tarasova's suggestion he kind of appealed to that too, I don't know if he knew, but it's nice anyway). I'd bet on Notte Stellata for Rostelecom, it could be some sort of tribute to Tarasova to skate to that piece in Russia. Or maybe he could go for PW as a tribute to Sochi Olys. But he's defied all of my previous reasonings so far, so... I feel Yuzu enjoys trolling me us so much And LGC would be an awsome ex.

here a very sweet video (that always makes me emotional) also this https://www.bilibili.com/video/av12218833/ and reposting this one too because...edges. Lots of edges.(since that 4T video from 24hTV I'm kinda even more than before obsessing on edges, so worth reposting this, sorrynotsorry)

Hi guys and happy to the Planet! Dropping by just to say apparently Ambesi has damn good sources inside TCC So now I wonder why no 4Lz yet and it also means that 4A is real Here lots of hugs for all the inhabitants of the planet Now I'll go back to page 807 and resume my catching up jeez I'm reading from 3 days and I'm still and always 100 pages behind, blessed the recap thread or I would be dead already

ah this was such a pivotal season for Yuzuru, on a personal level other than the athletic one Some thoughts: I'm in love with Yuzuru's movements after his sp 3A, with his 3a in general, with his 2T rippon (expecially the Nice fs one), with the incredible flow in his sp and the mix of extreme softness and impetuous fire of his fs. I'm not a fun of Bibier but Yuzu obiviously is having fun skating to that song and showing off (and his casual outfit is quite good, no more ugly gloves!), so it's fine. I'm also in love with the sound of his landings of his 3A-3T combination. Now I really want to see Yuzuru skating to some epic musical soundtrack for his fs (but please no random falls in the step sequenceor even better no falls at all...and no more pops pretty please) Biggest thanks to @robin and all of you for the streaming party and the fun! For me it's the best goodbye and see you soon to the Planet Now I can happily r**** to my place forgotten by wi-fi, I'll survive feeding myself on tons of archived material and a few snippets of news here and there. I'm already dreading the terrific amount of pages I'll have to catch up later on the Planet...

I didn't remember very well,so I tracked back the updated guidelines for 2017-2018 about stsq it says The underlined part was added. I don't know what effect it can have in general, but I guess redundancy is no more useful because if you don't get the level with the first combination it's useless to have another one? As the second wouldn't be counted anyway? Someone more knowlegdeable maybe can explain better (I don't know a thing, just learning and nerding on the isu handbook) There is this one about the required lenght of the pattern too EDIT wait, sorry @SSS I misread what rule change you were talking about (I'm kinda still asleep) You can find the whole thing about Seimei stsq and rule change in 2015-2016 discussed at lenght here https://fuckyeahdearlybeloved.tumblr.com/post/158554601816/i-dont-really-get-the-levels-and-stsq-ive-also

I am so dead Actually I was kinda thinking I wouldn't like Yuzu to join the all-black army, because it is already going to be quite crowded, from what I've seen. BUT that outfit with that hairstyle and that look...please zuzu enlist NOW

thank you @moni for your insights. tbh I am always kind of surprised that Yuzuru doesn't trips during LGC step sequence because his speed is just insane, with so many abrupt changes in speed and direction. Yuzu, please slow down! (who am I kidding, he's always done Chopin ballade step sequence at breakneck speed, and it will only get worse...) where where?

so after complaining for the lack of news and going nuts on mere speculations we can all move on to the next stage and complain on the news and freak out with a bit more reason whatever the choice, I expect the thread (and the whole planet) to blow up

I can kind of accept (though sometimes it'is really hard) some bigger variability in pcs scoring (despite those still having some nice technical guidelines), but the tech part, goes included, should have a little more objectivity. I'd even be in for giving tech panel more power, but tech panels can't always be trusted either...so it really always goes back to the human material you have (as in professional training and ethics). As for all things, you may have the best rules (which for fs is sometimes a bit questionable) but if you don't have people applying them, they're totally useless. (my STEM background kind of makes me always a bit wary about the scoring part of judged sports. Of course someone can always find something to criticize even when judging is actually good, but it's when experimental evidence is being total disregarded that it really ticks me off and I start grumbling and grumbling endlessly aaand I think I'm always repeating the same things over and over again, sorry )

I remember that too, but he had a whole team to deal with the rule change, why it didn't bothered Javi for example? It's possible that, Yuzuru being more picky about matching to the music and all, he thought the "modified" stsq didn't felt as natural and fitting as the original ones, hence the struggles, but yeah, it's really strange. Now I'm worried for the new rule change, I hope he doesn't loses levels again.... please Yuzu and Yuzu's team, don't give anyone reason to pull you down! About 4CC I don't know if the tech panel too was all over the place... the judges certainly had a lot of fun...even if they did give one of the criminally few +3s to Yuzu's 3A...one of the criminally few +3s to Yuzu's jumps in general. God, every time I think about what criminal stingy scores some of the best jumps ever (of all times, not just by Yuzu) have got all past season...I'm still so salty

I am shook I think I remember the thing with his problems with lv4 in 2015-2016 at first was because the rules had changed from the previous season, and about GPF I thought he maybe was more focused on the performance rather than on control...and there was the tech specialist who is notorious for his strictness on stsq I think (if anyone knows better please correct me) but I didn't know he got lv3 for SP in Boston too (I don't know if laugh or cry for lv4 in the FS,oh zuzu ) But I'm really surprised he got lv3 at 4CC this year, with that SP... did Yuzu missed some requirements because he was distracted for his popped combo? I don't think the part about rotations in both direction was a problem, nor the use of upper body movements... did he messed up with the "complexity" part despite having planned more than the required number of different turns/steps, or with point 4) despite again having planned more than what required? Like he kinda forgot to execute them? I'm thinking that maybe he loses himself in the music a bit too much so maybe he's prone to not delivering exactly what he planned? It's so strange source http://static.isu.org/media/1001/tphb-singles-2016-2017.pdf As fot others getting lv4 even with worse skating skills, as long as they do the required turns/steps/combinations and skate in both direction for the minimum required (1/3 vs 2/3, it really doesn't add a thing level-wise that Yuzuru goes as far as doing almost 50-50) of course they'll get the level, no matter if there is a difference in the execution (which I hope is at least reflected in the GOEs)

Okay, while I wait for the date of the stream (praying all the gods that there will be a stream on saturday morning, because then I have to leave for a place without wifi and I'll be stuck there for a while, yes, there are places like that in Italy, like my parent's summer house, and there are no free wi-fi in a tourist location, what the hell, and I'm soooo stingy so I'll have only 1GB traffic on my phone for like a whole month, I'll just check mails and of course the big update on 5th august, but no more streaming parties, sorry... well, at least I'll go to the beach like...everyday, yay), I noticed in this season Yuzu got only one edge call on 3F? And a lot of positive GOEs on that jump? Had he managed to correct the edge or have it flat and then he lost it again when he went to TCC because he got faster/he had a huge tech upgrade that made him too tired to focus on an inside edge flip? (I could go and check the videos myself but I m too lazy...and right now I really should go to sleep...or have gone to sleep like...a while ago)

What I hope for Vincent is that he really gets more time to work on everything but the jumps, so he can feel the program better and bring out the connection to the music that he may already feel but he's not be able to show yet. Of course I want this because I'd rather see him doing this music justice and skate a performance with jumps in instead than jumps with some choreo here and there, but then I'm just a fan watching figure skating from her comfy couch and I'm not in for the medals, so he can do whatever he thinks it's best His interviews make me hopeful, but... I guess I'll sit (on my comfy couch) and wait. Aaaaand ( kind of for the thread maybe? it's not strictly about skating) reading young Yuzu 's interviews always makes me a bit teary. He has such a peculiar mix of....can I say innocent straightforwardness and naughty playfulness? and yet there is so much depth in what he says. He manages to convey harsh and complex feelings in a few (I'd say almost understated) words, it's staggering to think he already had at such maturity at such a young age and yet he still kept a more carefree side. It's undeniable all those experiences have shaped Yuzuru and his skating, too (now look at me going back on topic ). About RJ (drifting off topic again) I agree that, if we want to take Shakespeare's play as a reference, it is not really about "Love" (let's just be honest, a thing based on a first-sight fancy a few days long shouldn't be held as the epitome of love), but more about youth and rashness and passion and all that burns hot and fast, and about hate and struggle, and Fate, too (if we want to call Fate all the shitload bad things that happen, but it's a tragedy, so yeah). I think that's the essence of "Romeo", so Yuzu's struggling with so many things, his will to defy what "fate" threw in his face and that fire he had inside him to do well and prove (to himself first of all) he could stand proud in front of those who were supporting him made his RJ1 and that particular unforgettable performance at Worlds so different (and, for me, special)... ....plus Yuzuru's jumps, of course, his skating skills, his spins, his musicality...how not to mention the highligh of his step sequence, aka The Fall seriously, that one should have earned him not a deduction but lots of bonuses for enhancing the musical structure and drama.and I'm back on topic again...kind of sorrynotsorry

It's the same bit in which they complain wonder about some GOEs awarded to 3A with different entries (and some judges not knowing what the hell they're watching) About Vincent, earlier I watched a long interview and he sounded very down-to-heart and ambitious in a healty way, talking about improving in all fields and taking care of his health...then I got to watch his program and I was like tbh what struck me the most, aside the almost identical musical cut and a general feeling of emptiness (which could as well change as the season progresses and he enriches the choreo), is how slow he looks on the ice. I read this program was chosen so to highligh his speed and power, but I don't know if it is due to the camera angle, but he really looks so so slow (and his spins have lot of room for improving in that regard too... and many more aspects). One thing that always impresses me when I watch 16-17 years old Yuzu is how much speed and power he has in his skating, despite the 2nd half stamina issues. His speed and power, coupled with the softness of some other movements, really make his RJ1 special (and the wonderful cut, of course, starting from the very beginning, which feels like a storm exploding). One can't doubt for a moment that he was Romeo. True, it's still early in the season and Vincent has to focus on so many quads... has to...it's not like anyone is pointing a gun to him, he could start his senior career with a bit less jump upgrade and more work on all the rest (and we could also question that a bunch of his quads aren't even real quads...why don't start rotating all of them, to begin with?) As for now, he totally lacks the passion to be a true Romeo, which is strange, as he should be very familiar with the character already and they chose the piece specifically because they felt it fits him. He has the right age to let loose a bit of fire without having to be a super polished skater yet, why don't use age and freshness to his advantage, instead of getting all stuffy with all the not at all impressive quads eating all his energy and the performance? C'mon, boys, you're still so young! Less quads and more fire! I was actually thinking that maybe Vincent is more the cerebral type, so expressing passion doesn't come that easy for him... but then again Yuzuru is quite cerebral himself and he still is very passionate... That said, I like the huge spread eagles. (but the ending pose is so so similar to Marin's one... but I guess I should be glad that it doesn't resembles Yuzuru's one)

Huge rant post collecting various grumblings thoughts. Feel free to skip all the gloom Re: people going crazy with the quads What is really sad is that training for such hard layouts at such young age are very likely bound to lead to shorter careers, which means skating skills will drop across the field, because the skaters simply won't have enough time (as in years of competitive career) to refine them. Yuzu had already good skating skills in Sochi, but if he had r****d at 19, after winning everything he could back in that season, we would have missed so much. The skating world in general would have lost so much. e.g. Nathan may show good skating skill already in his ex, but he can't bring them in competition still, and he could really grow much more. This is a loss for skating fans. Of course it's his choice not to devote his life to skating, but I wonder, why skate only for the sake of one win? Six quads may be mind-blowing today, but tomorrow will come someone with more quads or who knows hell no way quints and then what? Is it really so important to read your name in some sort of golden medalists handbook? The performances are what stays, and the ability to make people remember you. So I wish for long carreers and the chance to see a good potential fulfilled. Re: rule change Given how much more vague is "creative" instead of difficult, I expect more leniency in general, which may be fair for those unlucky skaters who were affected by the previous rule and saw others getting away with it, but certainly is really unfair to those who instead were actually managing to follow them which ticks me off a lot because I'm kinda surrounded by such twisted reasoning on daily basis, like... why encourage people to get better raising the bar, when you can simply put the bar so low anyone can just step on. How can you expect a shred of consensus about creativity when you don't even have any decent guidelines? More subjective judging on the way, yay, as if it wasn't already bad enough. Also I read somewhere else Vincent has some underrotation and prerotation issues, I really wish tech panels could be allowed to use slow motion for takes off too, not that it would necessarily translate into some proper judging, but oh well, at least it wouldn' be so easy make up excuses. tbh I think the only thing that should matter isn't how much you are allowed to rotate on the ice before the take off and after the landing (which if I'm not mistaken amounts to the whopping total of 0.75 rotation on the ice before a theoric downgrade), but just how damn long you manage to stay up in the air, but maybe I'm just naive like what the hell, a triple jump should'n be a mere 2.25 rotation in total, what the heck, why do you even call it a triple! And as @Fresca and others have many times pointed out in other threads, bad technique isn't just not much pleasing to the eye, it's also bad for the body of the skater. I really hope this teens are taken good care by some responsible adults. It's not bad that they want to win, it's bad if they are encouraged to do so in total disregard of their health. Of course I may be wrong and all this people are already taking all of this into account. I guess only time will tell, this new generations are pretty much the guinea-pigs of figure skating (no offense). as for me, right now I'm just consoling myself that all the craziness is keeping Yuzuru fired up edit: yay I'm baby swan! With such a meaningful post *grinning proud of herself*

Thank you all for the streaming party! Some random thoughts: yai! the season when Yuzu didn't lose a single competition! (well aside senior JNat, but that's understandable) what is apparent already from his junior years is that Yuzuru has great musicality, he really isn't someone who skates on background music, he tries to bring it alive instead. his InaBauer was deeper, but that's not surpising, he was more flexible back then (what is surprising is that he still does it, and it's beautiful) Why did he put 3F in his SP if he often had edge calls that reduced his base value? Wouldn't a 3Lo with some decent GOE do the trick? Then again, it's spacekitten we're talking about... I see in his world fs protocol that a couple judges gave him a +3GOE for his opening 3A (maybe they were impressed by his young age? it was gorgeous btw) for an average of +2... while poor 2A received 0 from one judge despite being preceded by SE... how dare you judge! (which makes me think about what it's happening lately to his 3A GOEs... noooooo now I'm sad) some rippon 2T in combination since junior years I really admire that Yuzu's been always polishing each and every element of his skating (I'm in love with the soft soft drop of his leg in Biellman Yuzu does in H&L and the Swan) (And let's celebrate the last season Yuzurustill knew that 2As exist!)

I think it's the one from NHK special in January 2016, referenced here: btw thank you @kaeryth for the awesome insanely patient job.

Anyway dropping by because I tripped into this video about the Hana wa Saku special exhibition Yuzu skated with Honda, Akiko and Shizuka. Partial translation by yuzusorbet here It’s from last year but I don’t think I’ve seen it posted here, and If it’s been already shared then it’s always a pleasure to re-watch some good content including (in no particular order) hydroblade without hands beautiful lines ultra-brief snippets of other skaters spread eagle-3A- spread eagle-3A-spread eagle (no I haven’t typed that wrong, he did a double sandwich ) Yuzu among kids beautiful lines fall on 3A (during late night training?) Yuzu telling girl how to hand him out a flower (he’s picky about that too) more beautiful lines cute interactions (among others: Plushenko, Mao, Shizuka, Akiko, Nanami Abe) and of course more serious bits about the earthquake and Hana wa Saku EX. Enjoy!

a ray of sunshine and is that Patrick? (if I'm wrong ignore what follows) I like that this past season they were interacting more maybe with the new wave of youngsters it's easier to relate with those you had around for years (and I guess for Patrick now Yuzuru isn't anymore the young gun who surged to shot him )

I thought he was speaking about the layout, not the program itself? I think right now the biggest arguments for Seimei 2.0, instead of some other warhorse, might be that enigmatic tweet and Ambesi's comment. What I consider the main argument against using it - 2nd peat aside - is what is also one of the strenghts of the program: it clearly requires to play a character. Yuzuru portrayed that character wonderfully in the past, but because the program is its character, I think it leaves "less space" for the kind of evolution and nuances we've seen for Chopin over more than two seasons already. So I believe actually Seimei 2.0 could put on Yuzu way more pressure than Chopin Ballade n°whatever.0, despite being both iconic programs. A different music cut would grant at least a little bit more freedom. For me it's not much a matter of being disappointed in his choices but rather of being worried for him. But then if it ends being Seimei, as I already said, I'll just trust that Yuzuru knows what he's doing. I wasn't fond of some of his past musics, but in the end I loved the programs. For example don't hate on me I didn't like Prince and still don't, but Yuzuru skated LGC in a way that left me no choice but...going crazy for it (in the best sense)