40 minutes ago, wildstrawberry said:

one of yuzu's costumes for next season has leaked.the only improvement imo would be a high collar in the shape of a maple leaf

 

 

 

Sorry Yuzuru, Jason has already done it!    Maybe next time!

 

 

 

Or he can borrow Jason's costume for his EX next season LOL

4 minutes ago, Figure_Frenzy said:

 

MY EYEEEEEES 

 

I don't know about you though but this edit gave me a major late 80s/early 90s men FS costume vibes... 

 

You know what? I'm changing my mind: dear Yuzu, please bring all the quads that you want next season. Give me 4A and 4F. I don't care about my sanity anymore. Anything is better than this costume. 

37 minutes ago, Lambari said:

     I think my biggest pet peeve about this whole issue, isn't even exactly the media hype around Nathan and the rivalry created this particular season.  It always happens at the sport, it creates narratives and tries to build  excitement towards a new Olympic cycle. That's why there's score inflation in all disciplines leading to the Olympics. It happens every 4 years, it's nothing new.  My guess is that Yuzuru antecipated that it would happen anyway when a younger contender would come along, you can't stay at the top forever during this highly competitive men's era without making your own moves, that's why Yuzuru constantly improved during all of these past seasons, keeping himself at the top even when the generation before him retired. And now we're entering a new chapter and even though he absolutely doesn't have to, he could just rest on his laurels, he still aims to do to the same.   

.

      My issue is the american media deliberately erasing the quad revolution history.  Let's go back to COC 2015 when Boyang  landed the first ratified 4Lz-3T.  Actually, let's go back even further, to the end of 2014-2015 season.  Even though there was footage of Yuzuru praticing the 4Loop since the 2014 off season  and I believe his first clean one caught on video was on an ice show in 2014,   Yuzuru unveiled a 4Loop for the first time on international ice at the gala finale of World Team Trophy on a explosive fashion, he actually did a 4Lo-3A.  It was after a season riddled with injuries (COC collision, surgery after japanese nationals...), it  kind of felt like a statement that he will be back on full force.  During the off season of  2014-2015 the thought of Yuzuru coming up with the 4Lo was looming.  What would happen if he actually introduced the 4Loop during the 2015-2016 season?    Yuzuru lost Worlds 2015 but given his status as the current Olympic champion, the fact that he had setbacks out of his control this season and  since Javier wasn't looking to change his layout anytime soon, if Yuzuru were to introduce the 4Loop it could created a wider gap between the field and it was unclear how other skaters would respond.

       

      Now we enter the 2015-2016 season that changed the FS landscape. At COC 2015, during his senior debut Boyang Jin lands the first ratified 4Lz-3T.  We could make a case that it was Yuzuru who actually pushed the whole field to a cieling that the only way out for skaters in PCS disavantage would be different types of quads, especially given that Yuzuru himself was looking to introduce different types of quads. Let's remember that Boyang expressed his admiration for Yuzuru the first time after Worlds 2012 when he said that Yuzuru's R&J inspired him and as a young skater that he saw himself in Yuzuru  (I'm paraphrasing, can't find the interview where he said that for my dear life, If someone can help me with that I'm thankful) However,  Since Boyang was the first one who actually brought it into fruition in competition ice and despite the off season speculation Yuzuru actually decided to not introduce the 4Loop in 2015-2016,  then I think it's fair for us to start with him. Boyang also had a 4 quad planned free skate which was unheard of at the time.   Boyang was partially responsible for the incredible drive Yuzuru had during the 2015-2016 season most skating fans just blatantly like to erase that.  Yuzuru himself said that knowing that Boyang landed his 4Lz in NHK Trophy SP was what ignited  him to enter the competitive mindset in order to make his historic skates in NHK 2015.  

 

       As a matter of fact,  2015-2016 IS the starting point of the quad revolution, but since no american was in the frontline of that,  american media tends to delay the start of this phenomenon in order to accentuate the contribution of their own country athletes.  I don't always agree with CBC, but I remember during Boyang LP at GPF 2015 at least at the beginning of their commentary they acknowledged the movement that Boyang started and after 6:32 they also mentioned what happened at the NHK trophy.  At this point, Nathan was winning the JGP 2015  in this same season, at the same venue that Yuzuru took the figure skating world by storm with his GPF 2015.  The junior competition there, which was rather catastrophic in comparison to the senior men's  which remains a historic event, sparked a mild debate whether the incessant quest for quads will just destroy the sport altogether (you know.. the usual stuff... that comes up every 2 days, I guess?)  But since the goal point of the sport was still Yuzuru, in addition with  Javier and Shoma at the top together, skaters which were able to combine both aspects,  the debate didn't move on.   Nathan won the JGP 2015 doing 4S and 4T with a 3 quad planned free skate.  Fast foward to  the US nationals a month later, Nathan was the first man to land a clean 4 quad long program since Boyang never managed to land all 4 clean during the season,  and was the first US skater to land 2 on a short program.  This was his first contributiton to the quad revolution started at the beginning of this season when Boyang landed his at the time infamous 4Lz.  Maybe he was inspired by the all of this buzz at the senior ranks after the GPF 2015, maybe the 4 quad playout was already his first plan even before? I don't know.  I can't remember if the junior rules allowed 4 quad layouts. Nathan then injuried his hip on the Nationals Gala and couldn't compete at Junior Worlds 2016.  Even though he had these accolades, this was a difficult season for Nathan due to his injury.

       Then right after the end of 2015-2016,  Shoma lands the first ratified 4F at minor event in April 2016.  It was his response to all that happened during this past season. Once we enter the 2016-2017  Nathan makes his senior debut now aimed with a 4F and a 4lz.  Yuzuru finally introduces his 4Loop.  It was the new era starting.  

 

     There's a whole timeline in that,  2015-2016 was the season that changed men's figure skating forever and the frontrunners in that were Boyang as the new challenger and Yuzuru as the man at the top. This season was absolutely incredible to watch, I still miss it sometimes. When Boyang landed that 4Lz it sent shivers down my spine,  it was a turning point in skating history.  But no one knew what it would lead to. It would depend on how the ones at the top would move and Yuzuru eventually did.  Both Boyang and Yuzuru had similar visions on how the sport was going to move forward, even though Boyang didn't have the finesse on his skating to bring similar PCS.  

 

However, if you read american articles going to Pyeongchang until now, you get the impression that Nathan singlehandly took the skating world by storm with his unprecedent 5 quad layout,  making all of his competitors shiver on his presence and scramble to up their game in fear of losing their place at the top ... I'm sorry, but what..?  He made an incredible contribution to this phenomenon.  But he isn't the pioneer, he's a consequence of it all.  He was the junior skater looking up at all of this happening at the senior ranks and trying to find his own answer.  He found it,  that's a full arsenal of quads and consistency and now he's achieving success with it.  American media doesn't need to erase history in order to elevate their own skater, Nathan has his own merits. I guess I need to resign that Boyang (and Yuzuru!) will never receive full credit for what he did, but it saddens me that people that also were seeing everything first hand back then like I did deliberately choose to have a selective memory, only because now there's a north american skater that entered the quad revolution who ALSO fits their ideal style of skating, even though Boyang improved leaps and bounds on PCS.   Boyang never fit the bill from the start.

 

 

PS. Sorry for the essay, but I had to this out there. 

 

Thank you so much for this timeline!!!

 

I can remember a press conference from this time where Boyang said something like“ I like jumping quads“ and Yuzuru listened and made a remark on the lines that skating without quads is figure skating as well, and something might be lost with the pressure for quads.

 

I am sorry I cannot quote correctly and do not remember the occasion of the press conference, but to me it was this moment: Boyang challenged, and Yuzuru thought about responding. And I remember being afraid at this time: omg, there is this Boyang and he talks about quads as something fun and easy and no problem for him— what will Yuzuru be able to hold against it?

 

It was a highly charged scene there and it is perfectly understandably to me that Yuzuru references Boyangs jumps often.

 

Yes, these were exciting times— and the name Nathan Chen was unknown to me then, as I do not follow juniors. 

2 minutes ago, Veveco said:

Give me 4A and 4F.

 

Especially 4A I crave death

 

 

2 minutes ago, raebia said:

 

Thank you so much for this timeline!!!

 

I can remember a press conference from this time where Boyang said something like“ I like jumping quads“ and Yuzuru listened and made a remark on the lines that skating without quads is figure skating as well, and something might be lost with the pressure for quads.

 

I am sorry I cannot quote correctly and do not remember the occasion of the press conference, but to me it was this moment: Boyang challenged, and Yuzuru thought about responding. And I remember being afraid at this time: omg, there is this Boyang and he talks about quads as something fun and easy and no problem for him— what will Yuzuru be able to hold against it?

 

It was a highly charged scene there and it is perfectly understandably to me that Yuzuru references Boyangs jumps often.

 

Yes, these were exciting times— and the name Nathan Chen was unknown to me then, as I do not follow juniors. 

I remember that interview and the reason this exists!

8 minutes ago, Figure_Frenzy said:

 

MY EYEEEEEES 

 

I don't know about you though but this edit gave me a major late 80s/early 90s men FS costume vibes... 

 

your eyes will have to deal with it.the important thing here is what's happening with isu judges eyes when they see those flags

Just now, faeline said:

I remember that interview and the reason this exists!

 

Do you know which competition this was or even have a link? 

 

So great you remember it as well!

Just now, wildstrawberry said:

your eyes will have to deal with it.the important thing here is what's happening with isu judges eyes when they see those flags

 

I had a giggle despite my eyes burning from looking at that pic so...

1 minute ago, raebia said:

Do you know which competition this was or even have a link?

It was the press con after the fs at nhk 2015 I believe

re the „costume“ ..: I am speechless

1 minute ago, yuzuru-hanyus-triple-axel said:

It was the press con after the fs at nhk 2015 I believe

 

thank you! 

 

I was thinking about nhk 2015....I will try and find it😊.

 

Thank you!

1 hour ago, Moria Polonius said:

Oh, there were moments where Adam's Rippon body language was very telling - although I think it was deliberate.

Yes, but it doesn't read as 'feminine' to me, even so. At least on the ice. I agree that there are times off the ice when he affects a stereotypically effeminate demeanor, but to my eye it looks like a role he enjoys playing, as opposed to how he'd act when he's, say, relaxing at home. 

 

Maybe it's a matter of what a person sees first when looking at a skate. For me, the athleticism and artistry is what I see first, before I register who might be skating. I see the jump or the spin, the lines of the body, the quality and energy of the movement, and then I notice man or woman, style of skating, music etc.

 

 

And that being said, my style prefs:

 

Just take Yuzu as a given. Obviously I love his style or I wouldn't be here. After Yuzu, and in no particular order:

1. Aymoz for sure.

2. Keegan's snap and energy is like watching a ball of fire bounce around.

3. Roman Sadovsky really caught my eye at ACI. He's a graceful bird. 

4. Scott Moir. Talk about someone who oozes masculinity in all the right ways. I know he's an ice dancer but I can't help but feel he'd have been great at singles too. Brezina has the same quality to me. 

5. Jun. He's just fresh. 

 

I like so many more too. It's probably easier to talk about the ones I don't like. I'm not a big fan of Bychenko or Samohin, or any of the guys that really go for the heavy serious drama in their music and programs. Likewise I hate it when you can tell a skater is just doing a program their coach handed to them, that they don't feel attached to themselves. That's kind of my complaint about all the Eteri skaters actually. 

 

I guess you could say that I like skaters who can make their programs into personal expressions through their artistic and athletic capabilities. 

 

 

9 hours ago, rockstaryuzu said:

Hmm....maybe my memory is faulty, but back when I was a kid and watched figure skating, Scotty Hamilton never struck me as projecting all that masculine of an aura himself. Yuzu as Sakura fairy is still 100% more masculine-looking than Scott in his zip-up blue one piece jumpsuit with rainbows across his shoulders.

1 hour ago, Dreamer said:

I do like Nathan as a person as he is more gracious and I have never heard  him trash talk his competitors. He could teach Scott a thing or two about class.

Yeah I do like Nathan as a person too, outside of the hype. Seems like an okay guy.

 

Unfortunately I believe Hamilton was problematic even before the chemo, so there's really no excuse. He just has some weird complex about figure skating and sexuality, as quite a few of the old guard do.

 

Elvis Stojko was another one. His idea was that figure skating needs to like, butch it up more if it wanted to attract the NASCAR crowd?!

 

https://www.salon.com/2010/02/15/elvis_stojko_interview/

 

One can only imagine what the VENN diagram would be for fans of those two sports. Maybe there's some overlap, but they're two very different worlds.

 

On a more positive note, these guys are dinosaurs by today's standards and hopefully attitudes will continue to improve over time. Let everybody find their own style and take that style to its pinnacle. 

1 hour ago, LadyLou said:

I like that he is always himself, adapting to the music, embodying the spirtit of the program but always doing things in his own distinctive style.

I believe this is the reason why he can do all the things he does and none of it falls flat. Sakura fairy or primordial Origin, it's all authentic to him and that's the key.