General Yuzuru Chat

[Pammi]

Yuzuru will be very impressed with Ghislain's 60th birthday date - 22.11.22 - beautiful symmetry, pattern, 22 is 2 x 11, such a great number!! (OK it's me that's impressed tbh!)

Happy birthday Ghislain 

 

 

EDIT - it's also Keiji's birthday!! Happy Bday Keiji!! 

[Guest Mary_kyo]

7 hours ago, isabelfm said:

uhhhh i don't think i've ever seen this before? it says it was recorded in 2020 in korea so i'm guessing when he went to 4cc!? why have i never seen this beforeso much to unpack here...my heart just broke a little again.

 

I don’t know why I didn’t remember this interview but indeed so much to unpack. He was fighting against a system and was heavily punished for following his ideals by that system. Although this made him the biggest and bravest hero in FS history in my opinion but he was very alone in this fight, so I’m glad he is out of this toxic game. Honestly, he can’t change this system when almost no one else has any problem with it and no one else is doing anything about it. For example, Kaori’s recent interview made me so disappointed in her. Since when as long as judges are satisfied, intentional wrong edge in lutz is okay? Wtf is this mindset. The whole system is just hopeless, so I'm glad I don’t have to care about it anymore.

[Perelandra]

Happy Birthday Ghislain

 

Happy Birthday Keiji

[Madita]

New video on one of my favourite YT channels

 

 

[Pammi]

3 hours ago, Mary_kyo said:

He was fighting against a system and was heavily punished for following his ideals by that system

The thing is, Yuzuru was actually following the rule book to the letter - everything it asked for, he worked very hard on....and the powers that be changed the rules without actually changing the rulebook, or telling anyone openly - they did it by stealth and manipulation and back room deals, that is another very sad aspect of Yuzuru's experience, he 100% worked to the rules set down by the ISU and federations, and when they realised that Yuzuru would be unbeatable using current rules, they changed course  and direction in the most dishonest way, and Yuzuru must have realised it was because it was the only way to ensure he didn't keep winning and that the USA could win Oly gold again (in 2018 was the plan...but they made sure of it in 2022). When he says he felt like he was being told to retire, he was right - that effectively is what they did to him.

[Figure_Frenzy]

Bon Anniversaire Ghislain Briand! Thank you for taking care of Yuzu all this time

 

Happy birthday to Keiji "the Detective" Tanaka too!

[Guest Mary_kyo]

2 hours ago, Pammi said:

The thing is, Yuzuru was actually following the rule book to the letter - everything it asked for, he worked very hard on....and the powers that be changed the rules without actually changing the rulebook, or telling anyone openly - they did it by stealth and manipulation and back room deals, that is another very sad aspect of Yuzuru's experience, he 100% worked to the rules set down by the ISU and federations, and when they realised that Yuzuru would be unbeatable using current rules, they changed course  and direction in the most dishonest way, and Yuzuru must have realised it was because it was the only way to ensure he didn't keep winning and that the USA could win Oly gold again (in 2018 was the plan...but they made sure of it in 2022). When he says he felt like he was being told to retire, he was right - that effectively is what they did to him.

He was indeed explicitly told to retire, back in 2018. Shirota told him right after PYC as she (and everyone inside FS) perfectly knew what USFS and ISU were cooking.

Isn’t it scary how they could “manipulate” the rules without literally anyone complaining? What a scary small community of hell. While the robbery against Kim Yuna was publicly criticized, the robbery against him was never questioned by anyone. Wow.

But I’m glad he didn’t retire right after 2018. Not only we got awesome programs but we also witnessed how he can stay by his ideals without drawing back till the very end like the bravest gladiators. Proof of his golden character in 2022 after proof of his GOAT status in 2018.

[ZuCritter]

6 hours ago, Mary_kyo said:

 

Since when as long as judges are satisfied, intentional wrong edge in lutz is okay? Wtf is this mindset. The whole system is just hopeless, so I'm glad I don’t have to care about it anymore.

Meanwhile, Yuzu is reluctant to jump the quad flip, EVEN IN ICE SHOWS, because he’s not confident of attaining four rotations AND maintaining the correct edge. FS never deserved him, and I’m so glad he’s no longer propping up a rotten system. May it enjoy a spectacular collapse. 

[Sun_Rise7777]

14 hours ago, Anni said:

Today is Ghislain's 60th birthday. My best wishes for him and thank you for all the support of Yuzu.

x

 

Happy Birthday, Ghislain! 

 

5 hours ago, Pammi said:

The thing is, Yuzuru was actually following the rule book to the letter - everything it asked for, he worked very hard on....and the powers that be changed the rules without actually changing the rulebook, or telling anyone openly - they did it by stealth and manipulation and back room deals, that is another very sad aspect of Yuzuru's experience, he 100% worked to the rules set down by the ISU and federations, and when they realised that Yuzuru would be unbeatable using current rules, they changed course  and direction in the most dishonest way, and Yuzuru must have realised it was because it was the only way to ensure he didn't keep winning and that the USA could win Oly gold again (in 2018 was the plan...but they made sure of it in 2022). When he says he felt like he was being told to retire, he was right - that effectively is what they did to him.

 

3 hours ago, Mary_kyo said:

He was indeed explicitly told to retire, back in 2018. Shirota told him right after PYC as she (and everyone inside FS) perfectly knew what USFS and ISU were cooking.

Isn’t it scary how they could “manipulate” the rules without literally anyone complaining? What a scary small community of hell. While the robbery against Kim Yuna was publicly criticized, the robbery against him was never questioned by anyone. Wow.

But I’m glad he didn’t retire right after 2018. Not only we got awesome programs but we also witnessed how he can stay by his ideals without drawing back till the very end like the bravest gladiators. Proof of his golden character in 2022 after proof of his GOAT status in 2018.

 

In his thesis abstract Yuzu repeats the word rules twice explaining the goal of his study emphasising that thanks to his method (with inertia sensors): 

 

"...the position of each joint can be accurately obtained. In addition, by analyzing the skeleton, it is possible to identify the center of gravity and the contact points (where the pressure increases on the ground and the part where it is installed), and the jump strictly follows the rules. It was possible to quantitatively clarify whether the jump was strictly according to the rules.

 

So yes, he was following the rules and wanted others to follow them too, but there was also another set of rules: informal, shady, favouring some, where he couldn't win anyway. But as you say, Mary, he won somewhere staying faithful to himself and to his fans and now he's getting his reward somewhere else. 

[sallycinnamon]

9 days 

 

 

[Perelandra]

"To thine own self be true"

 

Yuzu maintaining integrity of character will be the ultimate champion. 

People should never bend to corruption and certainly not in order to win. Somehow or other there will be a reckoning for the cheats, liars and those that stood by in complicity. 

As people flock to Yuzu's shows, the bitter truth of what beautiful figure is and what fans want to see will become increasingly evident. The corrupted sport has ruined itself and it relevance will diminish. Without spectators willing to spend money to view something that is without merit, the sport will wither away. Sad, but possibly also some kind of prologue for figure skating as a whole. To start again, refreshed and with clear values and ideals, perhaps figure skating might then recapture some of the disenfranchised fanbase and be worth watching again.

People really want to see fair competitions, that is part of the thrill and enjoyment of any sport, that the best performance on the day will win out. Hopefully this message will eventually penetrate the thick heads of those in charge. It could be a long wait though, so best not to dwell on bygones and ignore these folks whilst they sort themselves out into some semblance of organisation and governance.

[Geo1]

2017 AUTUMN CLASSIC INTERNATIONAL IN MONTRÉAL

 

Since there has been a definite end of an era for Yuzu with his announcement in July and the start of a new era with his first professional one-man ice show “Prologue” recently, I thought that it was time to share some of my personal memories of seeing Yuzu live during his competitive career.

 

I fully support Yuzu in his decision to quit the farce of the ISU competitions and completely understand his reasons for doing so, but I cannot help but miss the sense of anticipation and excitement that I felt when he was competing, particularly when we attended his live competitions.

 

As I have said before, I started down the rabbit hole of Yuzuru Hanyu when I serendipitously happened upon “Parisienne Walkways” while channel surfing during the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics. It wasn’t until September 2017, however, that we attended our first live Yuzu competition at the ACI in Montréal, Québec.

 

A MEDICAL EMERGENCY ON THE PLANE

 

Spoiler

We had a medical emergency on the flight from Vancouver to Montréal. I am not sure exactly what happened, but it occurred in the middle section of the aircraft to my immediate left. A fellow travelling with his wife and two kids passed out and a call went out for a doctor. Luckily for this man, there were a couple of doctors on board as well as nurses. Our friend, Greg, who was helping us on this trip happened to be sitting right behind this fellow who was in distress and Greg volunteered to hold the oxygen tank while the doctors and nurses worked on him. For a while, it looked very serious and there was talk of the plane having to land in Manitoba so that this fellow could be taken to a hospital. I have to admit that I was very uncharitable and selfish. My only concern was, “I hope our flight is not delayed because I don’t want to miss any Yuzu!” Fortunately for all concerned, the fellow recovered and we managed to make it to Montréal without delay.

 

FIRST “YUZU EXPERIENCE” AT MONTRÉAL AIRPORT

 

Spoiler

The first “Yuzu experience” we had on this trip was at the airport in Montréal. My wife and I were waiting in the terminal while Greg went to get our rental van when a large group of Japanese ladies led by tour guides stopped and sat down next to us. There were three ladies who were sitting right next to my wife and we started chatting with them. We asked them why they were in Montréal and they replied that they were there for an autumnal tour of the Laurentian Mountains as well as to watch figure skating. I asked the ladies whether they were there to see Yuzuru Hanyu and their eyes immediately lit up and they became very animated. They all started talking at once, very excited and happy to be speaking about their favourite subject. They showed us the Pooh bears that they had brought along as well as other gifts. One of the ladies pulled out a new Yuzu magazine and showed us pictures. We sat with these ladies for several minutes until their tour guides came to collect them to board buses to take them to their hotel.

 

MEETING PLANET HANYU SATELLITES FOR THE FIRST TIME

 

Spoiler

A highlight of the event was getting together with a group of satellites from the Planet in the cafeteria of the venue. We all introduced ourselves to each other and @Hydroblade was in the process of sorting out her collection of swans when a rumour started that Yuzu was entering the building. I have never seen so many people move so fast! Alas, it was a false rumour. Yuzu had already used his ninja skills to sneak in the building with his entourage.

 

NO TICKETS FOR THE SHORT PROGRAM

 

Spoiler

Although I had the chance to buy tickets to all of the events when I went online, I delayed because one of our friends, Jason, was unsure as to whether he wanted to go. By the time he decided not to, the only tickets available were the practice and free skate tickets. As a result, we did not see Yuzu’s record-breaking short program live at the arena. We did see it on livestream from our AirBnB condo. A bonus was being able to have an impromptu picnic on Mont Royal with Montréal smoked meat sandwiches, Portuguese roast chicken, French fries, crusty biscuits and beer overlooking the vista of Montréal before heading back to the AirBnB to livestream the short program.

 

RECORD-BREAKING SHORT PROGRAM

 

Spoiler

 

 

BEFRIENDING A NICE LADY FROM SKATE CANADA

 

Spoiler

A very nice lady named Lisa helped us to the wheelchair seating area and repositioned any banners that interfered with our view of the rink. We thought that she was a volunteer for Skate Canada. When we saw her again on the day of the free skate, it turned out that she was a manager with Skate Canada in charge of ticket sales. When we told her that we missed the short program because we did not have tickets, she said that she would have been able to get us in had we told her before because there was plenty of space in the wheelchair areas. The great thing is that we befriended her and she gave us her business card which came in handy for future events.

 

YUZU SMILED AND WAVED AT US

 

Spoiler

Another highlight of the event was during the practice day. The four of us were sitting in a disabled wheelchair seating area which was in the far corner of the arena. Our seating area almost overhung the rink corner. Yuzu would come very close whenever he skated around the corner and on one occasion, I called out to him very loudly, “HEY, YUZU!” Possibly because he wasn’t used to having English yelled at him from the audience, he looked our way just as my wife was waving to him. He gave her a REALLY BIG SMILE and a wave of his hand which made her day.

 

YUZU AND HIS 2 SAME-SIDED GLOVES

 

Another memorable moment that we witnessed was YUZU AND HIS 2 SAME-SIDED GLOVES.

 

 

WE MEET BRIAN ORSER

 

On the evening before the practice day, six of us had dinner at a restaurant in Montréal. Four of us were from Vancouver and I had arranged to meet with a lady Fanyu and her husband from Montréal. We were probably the last group to leave the restaurant and upon exiting it, I noticed Brian Orser and a blonde lady (probably Tracy Wilson) standing on the sidewalk apparently waiting for a taxi. Without any hesitation, I called, “HEY BRIAN!” Brian immediately looked at me and walked over. Brian was very friendly and accommodating and we chatted for a couple of minutes. I asked him whether there was any chance that we would be able to take him out for dinner during the competition. He implied that it might be possible and as a result, I kept looking for excuses to run into him at the venue. This is difficult to do surreptitiously because I am in a wheelchair with my friend pushing me! By the third or fourth attempt, I was afraid that poor Brian was going to call security on me for stalking him! LOL!

 

In any event, we did not go for dinner with Brian Orser at the 2017 ACI, but we did get this picture of the group of us outside the restaurant.

 

[gapil27]

6 hours ago, Sun_Rise7777 said:

 

In his thesis abstract Yuzu repeats the word rules twice explaining the goal of his study emphasising that thanks to his method (with inertia sensors): 

 

"...the position of each joint can be accurately obtained. In addition, by analyzing the skeleton, it is possible to identify the center of gravity and the contact points (where the pressure increases on the ground and the part where it is installed), and the jump strictly follows the rules. It was possible to quantitatively clarify whether the jump was strictly according to the rules.

 

So yes, he was following the rules and wanted others to follow them too, but there was also another set of rules: informal, shady, favouring some, where he couldn't win anyway. But as you say, Mary, he won somewhere staying faithful to himself and to his fans and now he's getting his reward somewhere else. 

I remember reading his paper and thinking, he's throwing some serious shades in there lol 

[vegavnc]

On 11/21/2022 at 8:29 PM, Mary_kyo said:

hmmm ohhhh... maybe new red custome? 

 

Wondering who else has that long a neck & cud wear something that red + 'sheer' + fitted🤔😂 

[vegavnc]

16 hours ago, Mary_kyo said:

 

I don’t know why I didn’t remember this interview but indeed so much to unpack. He was fighting against a system and was heavily punished for following his ideals by that system. Although this made him the biggest and bravest hero in FS history in my opinion but he was very alone in this fight, so I’m glad he is out of this toxic game. Honestly, he can’t change this system when almost no one else has any problem with it and no one else is doing anything about it. For example, Kaori’s recent interview made me so disappointed in her. Since when as long as judges are satisfied, intentional wrong edge in lutz is okay? Wtf is this mindset. The whole system is just hopeless, so I'm glad I don’t have to care about it anymore.

They work w such coaches since a very young age

These skaters have been groomed, raised to think everything is ok as long as they get the scores