General Yuzuru Chat

[Sombreuil]

13 minutes ago, Whoopiewoop said:

 

"pursue skating at a higher level as a professional"

 

Just shows that the ISU was getting too small for him, how stagnated the sport has been for the past 15 years. He has been growing at a quicker pace than what they could keep up with, the federation as well as other skaters who made the decision to neglect artistry and instead focused on the athletic side of it.

 

 

It’s stagnated because it’s corrupt.  Judging based on passports and Fed favouritism rather than adherence to the judging system- which was perfectly ok if there had been impartial judges to apply it - but there weren’t.  Constant tinkering with the rules to suit the big federations best prospects.  The erosion of the tech/ artistic balance to disadvantage the skater who is the most perfectly balanced between the two.  
 

Where will the ISU and the national federations and the gatekeeper ‘real skating fans’, who are so disdainful of fanyus and so thrilled that he’s retired so that they can reclaim their sport be when the money dries up?  No one can be persuaded to take on the remaining GP.  Without the hanyuconomy the venues will be half empty - there either aren’t enough ‘real skating fans’ outside Japan to fill a small stadium for their Olympic champions, or their genuine love for the sport doesn’t extend to opening their wallets to buy tickets.  
 

Whatever format Yuzuru chooses for his show it will be full to the rafters with fanyus. So who are the true fans - and who is the real keeper of the figure skating ideal?

 

Cirque de soleil style sounds good - but I don’t know where you’ll find skaters skilled enough to staff it once the class of ‘94 get too old to skate in it.  

[Hydroblade]

I was just thinking that this is Yuzu being a trailblazer again.

Once a skater retires, there's not much else to do if you want to continue skating: coach, choreographer, ice shows here and there...

But maybe he will open up a stage where Pro Skaters can continue to do what they love, away from ISU, a more dynamic life suitable for someone who has been in competitions all their lives. For people who want to continue to challenge themselves, allowing them to skate as athletes beyond their "prime" (I hate this word, but I'll use it to refer to the span of time that ISU thinks that is acceptable for a skater to keep on skating), and getting rid of the expectation that a skater will retire and fade into obscurity after they get their OGM.

 

Sure, a lot of them want to live life away from skating, but I think that it might be because of the kind of life that compétitions in their current state demand from a skater since they're young. 

 

And imagine a world where everyone's favourites get a platform to keep on delivering their performances after they turn pro, without relying on just Japan's ice shows, allowing fans to keep on supporting them after they turn pro.

[shina07]

Woke up feeling sad again. I keep bargaining lol I’m hoping the things we will miss about seeing him in competition will be replaced by something better when we see him skate again. 

[Geo1]

19 hours ago, Skrimblo_iced said:

just a random thing (i couldn't find a version without the music) but it's one of my fave videos because all the tcc bois r skating together, and so in sync too  

 

 When I think of the TCC Boys, I think of the original "Cricket Brothers" – Yuzu, Javi and  Nam.

[Yuzu_GOAT]

I was doing fine today until hope and legacy showed up in my timeliness and now I am a mess of emotions again

[Sun_Rise]

11 minutes ago, shina07 said:

Woke up feeling sad again. I keep bargaining lol I’m hoping the things we will moss about seeing him in competition will be replaced by something better when we see him skate again. 

 

3 minutes ago, Yuzu_GOAT said:

I was doing fine today until hope and legacy showed up in my timeliness and now I am a mess of emotions again

 

It's ok to feel sad. It's also like a sinusoid - you think you're better & then there is something triggering the pain. If there is anything at all that gives you some hope, try to hold on to it, as much as you can. Hugs. 

[Kadova]

Does someone know the professional fs competitions?

[Kat]

29 minutes ago, Yuzu_GOAT said:

I was doing fine today until hope and legacy showed up in my timeliness and now I am a mess of emotions again

About the same...then my vibes got killed by 🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬 Kagiy*ma showed up as my auto next. Went from messy emotions to rage...guess it was good for that. 😅

 

Ahhh but hope and legacy was the one that sold me on Yuzuru😍 🤧🤧🥺

[Yuzu_GOAT]

18 minutes ago, Kat said:

About the same...then my vibes got killed by 🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬 Kagiy*ma showed up as my auto next. Went from messy emotions to rage...guess it was good for that. 😅

 

Ahhh but hope and legacy was the one that sold me on Yuzuru😍 🤧🤧🥺

Mine was origin, not one that was common as the one to fall in love with 

[shina07]

https://www.asahi.com/special/hanyu-yuzuru/2022-dream/

 

Saw this which summarized his competitive life complete with photos of all the wonderful moments and archives of articles about him. The last quad is kinda sad compared to the other 2 quads. I am in tears again 😭

[CiONTUw4A]

 

 

[shina07]

 

[Yuzurella]

9 hours ago, shina07 said:

I think we were all taken aback. He gave no hints on retiring at all and his words during FaOI about continuing to aim for 4a led me to believe he will be competing this season and I assumed Saitama would be his last comp. He didn’t lie though because he’s still pursuing his 4a goal, just that it isn’t in a competitive setting anymore. He did say he has thought about it as he was healing his injury and how he thinks he can do a lot in a non-competitive setting when he was preparing for FaOI. Do you think the recent changes in isu scoring played a part in his decision? 

 

I believe the main reason for Yuzu to leave the ISU clown world behind was the repeated rule changes that disadvantaged specifically him as well as the constant underscoring of him, overscoring of unworthy opponents, and robbery and humiliation he had to suffer at their hands. The recent change regarding the PCS categories was probably the last straw for him.

 

Yuzu realized that his skating was not valued by the ISU, that he as a skater was not valued by the official governing bodies and feds in this "sport". I believe that the Beijing Olympics played an important part in showing him that he and his skating are loved and valued by fans all over the world regardless of him winning medals or not.

 

He loves skating too much to compromise any of it in order to please an organization that treats him and what he loves like dirt. Thus, the only way for him to continue doing what he loves most, and do it with joy and without being judged and evaluated by people who don't appreciate him and his art and craft, is to break free from this rotten place.

 

7 hours ago, Umebachi said:

Sharing my thoughts on what yuzu might be planning. I can’t imagine he would be satisfied with just the traditional style ice shows. He wants the thrill of competition. 
 

 

 

This would indeed be the founding of the YSU, the Yuzuru Skating Foundation.

 

7 hours ago, Perelandra said:

That truly would be a competition worth travelling to see. Please, let me join the queue for tickets. 

Plus huge boxes for skater gifts and Pooh Blizzard and lots of fantastic merchandise

 

Yuzu please take my money

 

Huge boxes for skater gifts? Yes, but not for Yuzu. For Yuzu, they should better reserve large meetings rooms or even gyms for his gifts.

 

6 hours ago, Skrimblo_iced said:

im gonna make a list of competition stuff ill miss (in no particular order) just because im in my feels again watching all of these clips of yuzu pop up:

the things ill miss:

1. His presence in general lol it always hyped everyone up and i don't think that special feeling of yuzuru hanyu taking the ice at a competition whether or not it was during practice or the actual event will ever be replicated 
2. kiss and cry, it was sad how recently he didn't have anyone but pooh while waiting for his scores ;w; i missed when borser and co would make jokes with him, react with him etc. and ill miss him talking to pooh during k&c too 
3. the ritual before skating, shake hands with coaches, bend down, squeeze pooh's face, go to the center, crossing himself as a reminder to keep his axis straight and prayer hands, sometimes lil spins
4. pooh rain, ending pose, the loud cheering 
5. costume reveal! always so fun 
6. seeing all the banners in the stands for him 
7. filling in the holes in the ice/helping staff do it 
8. podiuming (when he was genuinely happy with the result), the flower crown/wreath shenanigans 
9. interactions with other skaters
    

 

 

His practice sessions wearing Under Armour!!! I'm gonna miss those so much!

His practice run-throughs during the Beijing Olympics were really a special farewell gift to his fans.

 

4 hours ago, Sombreuil said:

I love the inference here…..
 

 

 

 

Well, of course Yuzu isn't an amateur anymore. His level of figure skating and thus, his level of professionalism, is such that he cannot possibly be expected to stay in the amateur league anymore. He has to rise up into the pro league.

 

3 hours ago, Whoopiewoop said:

 

This.

 

I was having the exact same thoughts last night, in fact. As cringy as ice shows can be, we all secretly live for the embarrassing moments in them but they can't remain like that forever. 

 

I imagine his production being all about skaters challenging their own abilities and not just sticking to the usual skating programs. Something like Nobu's "Kinky Boots" at FoI is a good example. It was quirky, it was fun, it was great acting on his side. Now add something else to it (I'll leave it to Yuzu's imagination because mine is burned after the heatwave we had) to make it even more unique.

 

2 hours ago, Hydroblade said:

I was just thinking that this is Yuzu being a trailblazer again.

Once a skater retires, there's not much else to do if you want to continue skating: coach, choreographer, ice shows here and there...

But maybe he will open up a stage where Pro Skaters can continue to do what they love, away from ISU, a more dynamic life suitable for someone who has been in competitions all their lives. For people who want to continue to challenge themselves, allowing them to skate as athletes beyond their "prime" (I hate this word, but I'll use it to refer to the span of time that ISU thinks that is acceptable for a skater to keep on skating), and getting rid of the expectation that a skater will retire and fade into obscurity after they get their OGM.

 

Sure, a lot of them want to live life away from skating, but I think that it might be because of the kind of life that compétitions in their current state demand from a skater since they're young. 

 

And imagine a world where everyone's favourites get a platform to keep on delivering their performances after they turn pro, without relying on just Japan's ice shows, allowing fans to keep on supporting them after they turn pro.

 

I would love to see skaters becoming true professionals who keep progressing, being creative, and constantly creating and trying out new things. I can see Yuzu becoming not only the GOAT of figure skating, but one of the greatest performers of all time in general, on the same level as the best musicians, dancers, actors, and artists. He will bring figure skating to completely new dimensions that only he can envision.

[Yuzurella]

 

This is such a beautiful and touching edit.

[Geo1]

13 hours ago, Yuzurella said:

Perhaps one day, if Yuzu might do world tours, he might stop over at the TCC and teach some masterclasses. Who knows?

 

Nah, he’d walk in unannounced, signal the front door security guy to not raise the alarm, walk down the steps and across the open space to the benches along the wall by the rink wearing all black and his black cap, pulling his gold hardshell carry-on, change into his black UA practice outfit, put on his skates and nonchalantly join Tracy’s stroking class.

 

After the stroking class, he might consider giving everyone a thrill by effortlessly jumping and landing a pristine quadruple Axel, a jump that he would have perfected by then.