General Yuzuru Chat

[micaelis]

6 hours ago, meoima said:

Sendai ice rink has updated the latest dotation from Yuzuru. The first number is his latest donation and the second number is the total of all his donations until now.

 

 

I did a quick calculation and came up with how many US dollars that would be - just under a quarter-million, which isn't small-change for a fairly small operation like Icerink Sendai.  I wonder also how many Yuzu paraphernalia may be sold at the rink because I'm sure it has become one of the biggest tourist draws in Sendai.  This is only speculation on my part but I would not be surprised if upon Yuzu's retirement from competition the rink is renamed after him.  Despite the fact there have been other prominent figure skaters involved with the rink in the minds of the public at large this is Yuzu's home-rink.  It might also be the rink he chooses to use if he decides to take up a coaching career.

[Anzi]

3 hours ago, Yukiko Sakae said:

Hi, everyone,

Now, I am posting after long time.

Today, I want to introduce a firework of  "Hope & Legacy" held last year. Very beautiful !!!

 

 

Omg I just watched July 4th fireworks yesterday and you just posted this amazing artistic piece. What a fantastic enjoyment I got!

 

2 hours ago, sun1985 said:

I remember he purposely have local small business make those products so in this case it's his intention to let the small businesses make profit.  

That's sounds great and reasonable, and for correction: I was going to see "appropriate" not "appreciate " . I just wanna make sure those peripherals businesses make profit only when getting Yuzu's permission, so his personal reputation would not be used arbitrarily.

[Xen]

42 minutes ago, micaelis said:

I did a quick calculation and came up with how many US dollars that would be - just under a quarter-million, which isn't small-change for a fairly small operation like Icerink Sendai.  I wonder also how many Yuzu paraphernalia may be sold at the rink because I'm sure it has become one of the biggest tourist draws in Sendai.  This is only speculation on my part but I would not be surprised if upon Yuzu's retirement from competition the rink is renamed after him.  Despite the fact there have been other prominent figure skaters involved with the rink in the minds of the public at large this is Yuzu's home-rink.  It might also be the rink he chooses to use if he decides to take up a coaching career.

I wouldn't be surprised if they want to name it after him, and I would imagine that he would insist that it is not named after him. Allowing such a move would seem a bit out of character for him, since he views and insists, that his accomplishments are due to the support and contributions of others. 

 

What would make more sense is if a memorial or scholarship grant/fund is named instead after him for skaters from japan, or even specifically from Miyagi region. This I think would make more sense, and he might have an easier time accepting. 

[KatjaThera]

1 hour ago, micaelis said:

I did a quick calculation and came up with how many US dollars that would be - just under a quarter-million, which isn't small-change for a fairly small operation like Icerink Sendai.  I wonder also how many Yuzu paraphernalia may be sold at the rink because I'm sure it has become one of the biggest tourist draws in Sendai.  This is only speculation on my part but I would not be surprised if upon Yuzu's retirement from competition the rink is renamed after him.  Despite the fact there have been other prominent figure skaters involved with the rink in the minds of the public at large this is Yuzu's home-rink.  It might also be the rink he chooses to use if he decides to take up a coaching career.

I don't think they will ever name Ice Rink Sendai after him. He's not the only top skater to have it as his starting point and Shizuka came first. Considering she was the first FS gold medalist for Japan and played a big part on Yuzu's own career, by helping re-open the rink when it was closed the first time around, I think he would hate being picked over her to have the rink named after him.

 

Personally, I'd rather he helped build other rinks across Tohoku, to give more skaters a chance to practice closer to their own homes, and they can name one of those after him. His loyalty to Ice Rink Sendai is amazing, but I think it would help skating in Japan and especially Tohoku if he helped other rinks as well, but that makes the most sense to do after he retires, rather than now. His influence is huge, so he might actually manage to make a real difference in that sense.

 

Also, just as a point of information, Ice Rink Sendai do not sell Yuzu goods, neither at the rink, nor on their online shop. They sell Irene goods - Irene being the rink's mascot - which Yuzu uses - and not only; several Japanese ladies use them, as does Evgenia. So that helps promote them and I'm sure they make very decent sells from that (I bought a pair online last year, too, and used them throughout winter). But they're not actually Yuzuru Hanyu goods. (They also had special items made to celebrate his gold medal, but still, Irene stuff.) I think they did have a Yuzu calendar and probably other stuff like that, at their booth at some competitions in Japan last year (I completely missed their booth at NHK >_<), but I think that might be collaborating with publishers or so and something that only happens at events. I actually went to Ice Rink Sendai last year mostly hoping to find that calendar, but they didn't even have Irene gloves then. (Their on location shop has very small stock, I guess; they didn't have much when I visited this April, either.)

[yuzuangel]

10 hours ago, Xen said:

If this were a more popular sport, like football, he should be reaching C. Ronaldo and Messi levels for endorsement contracts.

Even though ANA covers all his expenses for training in canada, I imagine they don't cover other living expenses (ie his mother staying in Canada)?

 

IIRC they pay his mom a salary, for being a full time employee working for him as well as other employees like Kikuchi-san..

 

9 hours ago, Sammie said:

I read somewhere that Yuna Kim net worth was almost 100 million usd from her endorsements and appearances. I wonder if Yuzu is even close to that?  

that sounds like a lot but considering she supposedly made $14million in one year at her competitive peak, it's not completely unreasonable. I remember during the Vancouver Olympics Brian and David Wilson would laugh about just how MANY advertisements she was in, everything from home appliances to water to makeup to food. And her ice show is also very successful.

 

When I was in Korea, I saw Yuna's image EVERYWHERE. She has a lot of makeup contracts which pay $$$ especially in Korea. It was also during the Winter Olympics in Korea, too, so she was probably hella marketable during that time.

 

Yuzu doesn't do half as many appearances as Yuna though, considering she's retired and he isn't, and even when she was competing, she didn't always compete the whole season. AND after Vancouver she trained in Korea which helps. So Yuzu could do all of those things but he puts skating first which does limit his "working" time...but I'm sure that also means that when he does do an endorsement, it's special and should be worth more

[ralucutzagy]

 

[Forcefield]

52 minutes ago, ralucutzagy said:

 

 

This reminds me

(OT) That clip during the Olympics of Max and (sorry forgot name)'s explanation/review of the men's jumps in the short and their GOEs was great, informative, and very revealing. I wish more tv stations did that and do analytical reviews after the event and skates.

 

In soccer and American football, the hosts, announcers, professionals, and guests on tv discuss and critic gameplays, runs, and etc (what went right, what went wrong) after a game. It can literally be done for figure skating but with skaters, their jumps, spins and etc, as well as discussing their scores and reviewing video. Will especially help build it as a sport!

 

And yet in figure skating it's like a taboo to even bring it up or even publicly state through analytical reviews that a skater is overscored/underscored. This instead has to be discussed behind closed doors or only between fans in forums because judges can't be wrong. 

 

Guess I'm back at being angry at how ISU handles things (and how powerless some skaters and coaches are, or that some commentators for FS are actually ill-informed.)

[rockstaryuzu]

12 hours ago, KatjaThera said:

And then you remember how much he gives emotionally as well and how he pretty much dedicates himself to skating and to being "Yuzuru Hanyu", body and soul... how on Earth is he just 23 years old?!

As you get older, you start to realize the kind of dedicated selflessness and giving Yuzu is doing is only possible when you're young. He's able to do it because he's 23.

 

Also, adding in to the general discussion re: his potential to earn, Yuzuru seems like the kind of kid who'd always worry about whether his parents had enough, so even if he were raking it in in endorsements, I bet they'd be the ones getting most of it. 

 

@KatjaThera To answer your question about Toronto living: Compared to Tokyo it's cheap. Compared to Sendai, it might be expensive. 

 

 

[TallyT]

On 7/4/2018 at 6:18 PM, ralucutzagy said:

We'll have shows, and it's always a joy to see Yuzu perform,  but those are old news, that we already saw, he will be lost in his Toronto cave for almost 2 months ... but, yes, the shows - heroes and future - I can't wait to see it - and the predictions about his music and his costumes will have to do in the meantime ... 

I must not be greedy... omg, I'm a bad Fanyu  lol

 

We should not be greedy no.... of all skating fans, we will have more riches in shows and the rest to tide us over than most of the rest combined....

 

(OTOH, I WANT to be greedy, damn it!!!)

[EisElle]

9 hours ago, Yukiko Sakae said:

Hi, everyone,

Now, I am posting after long time.

Today, I want to introduce a firework of  "Hope & Legacy" held last year. Very beautiful !!!

 

 

 

that's amazing! I love fireworks and I love H&L, this is

 

sharing this here too because I've just added it to the Glossary (yeah, I'm updating it starting from the less useful things) and it made me crack but it's also informative and now the song is stuck in my head so I'm going to bring satellites down with me

 

In the meanwhile Yuzuru is back to his cave 

he was just flooding the news for several days without a break and then he just vanished... such phenomenal ninja skills...

 

 

ETA: @robin apparently you can't receive PM

I wanted to PM you about the Event threads Index & guide

[Hydroblade]

6 minutes ago, LadyLou said:

In the meanwhile Yuzuru is back to his cave 

Actual depiction of when Yuzu emerges from his cave:

[Whee1000]

2 hours ago, rockstaryuzu said:

As you get older, you start to realize the kind of dedicated selflessness and giving Yuzu is doing is only possible when you're young. He's able to do it because he's 23.

 

Yes, yes, and yes! He doesn’t really have anyone else to attend to so he can be all he can be now. 

[Kim Nhung]

1 hour ago, LadyLou said:

that's amazing! I love fireworks and I love H&L, this is

 

sharing this here too because I've just added it to the Glossary (yeah, I'm updating it starting from the less useful things) and it made me crack but it's also informative and now the song is stuck in my head so I'm going to bring satellites down with me

 Such a great way to start my day. I am listening to H&L and start work. Thank you

[Anzi]

4 hours ago, Forcefield said:

 

This reminds me

(OT) That clip during the Olympics of Max and (sorry forgot name)'s explanation/review of the men's jumps in the short and their GOEs was great, informative, and very revealing. I wish more tv stations did that and do analytical reviews after the event and skates.

 

In soccer and American football, the hosts, announcers, professionals, and guests on tv discuss and critic gameplays, runs, and etc (what went right, what went wrong) after a game. It can literally be done for figure skating but with skaters, their jumps, spins and etc, as well as discussing their scores and reviewing video. Will especially help build it as a sport!

 

And yet in figure skating it's like a taboo to even bring it up or even publicly state through analytical reviews that a skater is overscored/underscored. This instead has to be discussed behind closed doors or only between fans in forums because judges can't be wrong. 

 

Guess I'm back at being angry at how ISU handles things (and how powerless some skaters and coaches are, or that some commentators for FS are actually ill-informed.)

The score of both Yuzu's SP and FS in 2017 WC exemplifies what you critiqued before. Such an ostensibly unfair judgement is the biggest scandal in sports, but even so, the committees justified themselves in such a way that underscoring is for encouraging some competitors to get better. 

[BrightonDogwoods]

My #CiONTUs merchandise finally arrived!! The tote bag is beautiful, and I also got the memorial book and WOW it's stunning! The beautiful hard cover, the thick glossy pages. And the content perfectly portrays what the show is all about- a tribute to the people who helped make him who he is today but also a show of love, to him and from him. I've watched the show several times already, I've never seen any ice show that is so moving and so beautifully done.

So I was surprised to find myself in TEARS, looking through the book (unable to read any of it of course), just being overwhelmed with the level of skating TALENT that was represented.

And all those people doing whatever they can do to help Yuzu be the best he can be!!! It is an awesome thought...with all that behind him, his own natural talent and an unstoppable drive to exceed his own limits...how can we possibly survive exposure to the next level of skating genius he ascends to?? I dunno, but I guess I'm going to have to risk it! SO EXCITED FOR THIS COMING SEASON and 2 new competition programs please and thank you skating gods