[2019.06.17] Quadruple Axel 2019: A Compilation of the Fierce Season

[yuzurujenn]

Info: https://www.amazon.co.jp/-/en/フィギュアスケート男子ファンブック-Quadruple-Axel-激闘のシーズン総集編-別冊山と溪谷/dp/4635925005

 

"Quadruple Axel" — Men’s Singles Figure Skating Specialty Magazine, Re-launched Volume 4!

A comprehensive special issue looking back on the season that marked the beginning of a new four-year cycle leading up to the 2022 Beijing Olympics.

Packed with content including exclusive interviews and the magazine’s popular special talk sessions.
We explore the skaters' charm and brilliance from a variety of angles.

 

Cover: Yuzuru Hanyu

 

【Contents】
[Exclusive Interview]

Yuzuru Hanyu: “The Return of the Absolute Champion”

 

[Close-up Report]

Yuzuru Hanyu: “With Renewed Resolve, Toward Even Greater Heights”

 

[Special Guest]

Hideo Sugita: “The Secret of His Strength — The Essence of Yuzuru Hanyu”

 

[Event Report]

Yuzuru Hanyu: Figure Skating Monument Design Unveiling Ceremony

 

[Report & Interview]

Shoma Uno: “Putting Everything on the Line for Skating”

 

[Event Report]

Shoma Uno: Colantotte Talk Show

 

[Event Reports]

Daisuke Takahashi: Sky Court “D-color Project”

Daisuke Takahashi: Naturie Talk Show

 

[Special Dialogue & Roundtable]

Keiji Tanaka × Kaori Sakamoto: “Two Who Share the Same Spirit”

Sota Yamamoto × Tatsuya Tsuboi: “Carrying on the Beauty of Skating”

Yuma Kagiyama × Shun Sato × Kao Miura: “Jump! The Manji Boys!”

 

[Coach-Student Roundtable]

Stéphane Lambiel × Deniss Vasiļjevs × Koshiro Shimada: “Teachings of Team Stéphane”

 

[Exclusive Interviews]

Kazuki Tomono: “A Beating Heart Ignited”

Taichiro Yamakuma: “Soaring in a New Land”

Yu Nakamura: “What’s Needed to Fight”

Hiroaki Sato: “Toward a Culminating Season”

Ryuju Hino: “To See It Through”

Jun Suzuki: “Toward the Final Chapter”

Yuto Kishina: “When Confidence Becomes Conviction”

Seina Miyake: “To Win in the Junior Ranks”

Mitsuki Sumoto: “With a Fresh Outlook”

[International Skaters]

Nathan Chen: “Intelligence Sparkling on Ice”

Vincent Zhou: “Believing in My Own Power”

Jason Brown: “Challenging a New Frontier”

 

[Special Guest]

Kikuo Makabe: “The Enthralling World of Fantasy on Ice”

 

[Event Report]

Film: “The Ice King – John Curry” Japan Premiere

Talk Show with Tatsuki Machida × Kenji Miyamoto

 

[Special Report]

The Deep World of Blades that Support Skaters

 

[Series]

“The Power of Choreographers Who Polish Individuality” #03: Kohei Yoshino

 

[Photo Gallery]

Fantasy on Ice 2019

Stars on Ice 2019

Prince Ice World 2019–2020

Nagoya Figure Skating Festival 2019

[yuzurujenn]

*Machine translation. Inaccuracies exist*

 

Source: Quadruple Axel 2019: A Compilation of the Fierce Season, pg 38-39

 

[Special Guest]

Kikuo Makabe: “The Enthralling World of Fantasy on Ice”

 

Kikuo Makabe, President and CEO, CIC Co., Ltd.

This year, the full-fledged ice show season has begun, and Fantasy on Ice has kicked off. We spoke with Kikuo Makabe of CIC about the behind-the-scenes workings of this elaborately crafted show, including the much-talked-about collaboration between Toshl and the skaters.

 

Spoiler

-The Fantasy on Ice show began this year with the Makuhari performances.

 

Makabe: Thank you very much. Thanks to everyone’s support, we’ve had an excellent turnout. The media were also able to attend the opening day performance, and especially in the second half of the show, time seemed to fly by. I believe the skaters, artists, and staff all came together as one and were able to draw the audience in. As a producer, I would say it was a real “hit.”

 

-Yuzuru Hanyu, who had been suffering from a right ankle injury, also appeared and reassured fans with his strong recovery.

 

Makabe: He opened the show by immediately performing a quadruple toe loop, which really lifted the energy in the venue. This surprise performance was, of course, his improvisation. I imagine he had difficulty practicing due to a right ankle injury, but his ability to perform perfectly on the day of the show is truly impressive. He was already in serious mode during the rehearsal the day before the opening. In the finale as well, he even attempted a quadruple Lutz, fully engaging with the audience and energizing the show.

 

-Hanyu also performed a collaboration with Toshl, the vocalist of X JAPAN, one of Japan's leading rock bands.

 

Makabe: Originally, due to concerns about Hanyu’s physical strain, the collaboration with Toshl was planned to be just one song. We discussed possible songs with Toshl and narrowed it down to “Masquerade” and “Crystal Memories.” I personally thought that an English song would be easier for overseas exhibitions, so I suggested that “Crystal Memories” alone would be sufficient. However, Hanyu expressed his intention to perform both songs. He is very particular about music, so I think he carefully listened to both pieces before making his decision. Both are wonderful songs, so he likely liked them both. It ended up being an alternating performance between “Masquerade,” choreographed by Shae-Lynn Bourne, and “Crystal Memories,” choreographed by David Wilson.

 

-This year, Toshl will appear at all shows in Makuhari, Sendai, Kobe, and Toyama. What led to his casting?

 

Makabe: It was a recommendation from someone who works with Satoshi Takebe, the music director of Fantasy on Ice. Every year, I challenge myself to create a better show than the previous year. Figure skating’s popularity in Japan has never been higher, but I believe we must not become complacent. Each new show must evolve further. For that reason, I wanted top-class artists to participate.

 

As you know, Toshl is the vocalist of X JAPAN. His singing ability is exceptional, and he can sing even slow-tempo songs with great grandeur. I had high expectations that he could help create the kind of show I envisioned.

 

Toshl sings about four songs per day's performance. I understand that, as a professional, he needs to maintain the condition of his voice, and that he can only sing a few songs at his best. At the Makuhari opening performance, he first opened with Yumi Matsutoya's hit song, “A Midsummer Night's Dream.” It was an upbeat piece specially prepared for this show. Then came three collaboration songs: Johnny Weir skating to Seiko Matsuda’s “Akai Sweet Pea,” Stéphane Lambiel performing to Yutaka Ozaki’s “I Love You,” and Hanyu’s “Masquerade.”

 

-We were surprised by Weir’s performance of “Akai Sweet Pea.”

 

Makabe: This year, we thought a lot about how to pleasantly “surprise” the audience. Perhaps it was a bit of playfulness.

 

At last year's Kobe performance, he skated to "Kawa no Nagare no Yo ni" (Like the Flow of a River), accompanied by the singing of singer Norimasa Fujisawa. It was quite difficult to match the rhythm of such a Japanese pop-style song, but he carried it through to the end. When Weir performed while skating to Misora Hibari’s famous song, the audience reacted with great surprise and admiration. That atmosphere is something I will never forget. So this year as well, I wanted to see how Weir would skate to another iconic Japanese female pop song and what kind of chemistry it would create with the audience.

 

-Nobunari Oda, a regular at this show, also captivated the audience.

 

Makabe: 

Makabe: After retiring, he has established his own character in ice shows. To put it simply, it’s a humorous, slightly playful style. At last year’s Kobe performance, he collaborated with Norimasa Fujisawa on Kenji Sawada’s “Katte ni Shiyagare,” fully embodying Sawada in his hat, costume, and choreography, and captivating the audience.

 

What I respect about Oda is that despite being busy with TV appearances and other work, he always prepares thoroughly for the show. As a result, he performs triple jumps and combinations like an active competitor, with almost no mistakes. Like Lambiel, he's a very reassuring presence to watch. We entrust him with famous songs that everyone knows, as he delivers performances that thoroughly satisfy the audience. This time, we asked him to perform to the music from the film “Mission: Impossible,” played by the up-and-coming violinist Mayuko Suenobu.

 

-Alina Zagitova, Olympic gold medalist at PyeongChang and this year’s World Champion, also made her first appearance.

 

Makabe: Last year was right after the Olympics, and there was a fierce rivalry with Evgenia Medvedeva. Medvedeva had been performing with us since 2017 and had made significant contributions to this show, so we had to be very careful about having the two of them perform together, considering each other's feelings. However, since there are also opportunities for them to appear together in other shows, we also asked Elizaveta Tuktamysheva, who is very popular in Japan, to join as well, which allowed us to realize the appearance of three Russian women skaters together.

 

Zagitova’s program was “Carmen Fantasy,” but she also skated to “Carmen” in her free program during the 2018–19 season. Although it is the same “Carmen” theme, the expectation was to see how she would show a different side of herself compared to her competitive performance.

 

-Javier Fernández, who retired this January, performed a number from 'Flamenco on Ice,' an ice show that fuses figure skating and flamenco.

 

Makabe: It was wonderful. I watched video footage of Fernández and the others during their rehearsals in advance, and I felt that this could even be presented as part of Fernández’s own program. He has been successful with his own ice show, 'Revolution on Ice.' I want to embrace programs that are successful on a global level, and I want to create ice shows that are globally competitive.

 

-What is the appeal of Fantasy on Ice?

 

Makabe: For me, the real thrill of the show is the chemistry that develops between the skaters, artists, and the audience. That has not changed, then or now. When live music and live singing collide with skating energy, and gradually begin to align, the show becomes more compelling.

 

This year, in late April, I worked with Takebe-san, Toshl, and BENI, who sang “Invisible Start,” an arrangement of Beethoven’s Piano Sonata “Pathétique,” for the finale. We edited the music while imagining how skaters would perform to live vocals and live instrumentation. I entered opening day thinking, “This is going to be interesting,” and now I feel, “It’s going to become even more interesting.”

 

This show is held over three days at each venue, from Friday to Sunday. It is always the case that it improves as it approaches the final day on Sunday. Better today, better tomorrow. I hope that by the final day in Toyama, we can create the very best performance.

 

[yuzurujenn]

*Machine translation. Inaccuracies exist*

 

Source: Quadruple Axel 2019: A Compilation of the Fierce Season, pg 28-31

 

 

[Special Guest] 

Hideo Sugita: "The reason for his strength — The essence of Yuzuru Hanyu"

 

Hideo Sugita, who played a key role in the early development of Japanese figure skating and helped lay the foundation for men’s singles, unravels the secret behind Yuzuru Hanyu’s strength through the keen eye he developed during his long career as an ISU referee.

 

Spoiler

— Today we would like Sugita-sensei to explain what makes Yuzuru Hanyu so amazing.

 

Sugita: Yes, well, in the last two or three years, or rather, even in the short time since the Olympics, his technical level has been steadily improving. He's making truly amazing progress year after year. It's incredible that he's able to perform at his best amidst all that. He's strong not only technically but also mentally. And I think he's a very intelligent athlete. No matter what, he thoroughly analyzes his own performance and always uses it to improve next time. He certainly has talent, but it's not just that; he's uncompromising when it comes to his next goal. He always aims for perfection, and I think he puts pressure on himself in a good way, with the desire to perfectly achieve his ideal. Normally, if you win the Olympics and become a world champion, it wouldn't be surprising if you were satisfied, but he's not like that at all. I guess you could call him a true challenger. I'm impressed by the way he approaches things with that kind of spirit. Moreover, he doesn't make excuses like, "This is difficult, so it can't be helped."

 

— At the World Championships, he made a remarkable comeback with an overwhelming performance despite a break due to injury.

 

Sugita: It was truly outstanding. What concerned me most, and at the same time impressed me greatly, was his first jump in the free skate. He has injured his right ankle ligaments twice, so I wondered what he would do about the opening quadruple loop. But he went for it. That courage is remarkable. Everyone around him was telling him not to push himself too hard, trying to avoid putting too much strain on his ankle.  But he said, “I’m going to do it,” and then actually executed it. That shows tremendous mental strength. When you are injured, fear inevitably creeps in. His ability to overcome that fear is remarkable.

 

— He also carefully checked the quadruple loop during official practice, didn’t he?

 

Sugita:  The loop is a jump where you take off and land on the right foot, but just before takeoff the body tends to rotate inward, making the timing extremely difficult. Because the hips also tend to open up, not many skaters attempt the quadruple loop. If you cannot maintain proper body position, you simply cannot execute it. He is a skater who can control that movement very well. And he performs it at the very beginning of his program. Rhythm and timing are extremely important in jumping, so even a slight disruption affects everything that follows. And yet, he placed the jump that had caused his injury right at the start of his program. I wasn’t just calmly watching; I was honestly trembling with excitement, thinking, “Wow!”

 

— He landed it perfectly and received a Grade of Execution score of 3.45.

 

Sugita:  What’s distinctive about his jumps is that he doesn’t set up before he jumps. The jumps are integrated into the flow of his skating. He also makes excellent use of his speed, which is why his jumps are so big. Longer airtime makes rotation easier. His jumps follow a parabolic trajectory. He uses his speed and converts that force directly into upward lift, so there is continuous flow even after landing. That’s why he can perform combination jumps so smoothly. There is no extreme difference between his first and second jumps, and his movements are not clunky or compressed. That is his remarkable technical ability. When you watch him, his movements don’t look difficult. You start to think, “Maybe this is actually easy.” Truly great skaters have movements free of wasted motion, giving the feeling that anyone could do it.

 

— It also feels like his curiosity and pursuit of technique continue to deepen.

 

Sugita: Yes. For example, ice conditions change constantly from day to day. Air temperature and the number of spectators affect the indoor temperature, and nowadays there are also broadcast television cameras, so lighting equipment can also have an impact. As a result, the condition of the ice changes subtly. For instance, you might think, “The ice on the judges’ side is a little soft,” or “If I go there, I might lose my edge on takeoff.” Depending on the type of jump, it can become extremely difficult, but I think he skates while considering how to deal with those conditions. That’s why, during warm-ups, after each jump, he always checks the trace of his takeoff. He does this whether the jump is successful or not. In fact, during practice at the recent World Championships, he was looking at the ice after missing a quadruple Salchow. The Salchow requires a firm edge takeoff, but if the ice becomes too “grippy,” the sensation changes. He does not shy away from such difficult jumping situations. Once he decides to do something, he always goes for it. I think he assesses the ice conditions and adjusts his takeoff accordingly. It is impressive that he has the technical ability to adapt to those conditions, but what is even more remarkable is that he carefully thinks through and analyzes everything. That is what makes him so outstanding. His intense competitiveness, drive to improve, and analytical ability—in short, he is extremely intelligent.

 

— This season, Hanyu successfully landed a triple Axel after a quadruple toe loop, a world first.

 

Sugita: That is also an incredible achievement. In a combination jump, if the landing of the first jump isn't good, you can't smoothly transition into the next position. He is excellent at landing jumps, and his positions are very stable, allowing him to flow naturally into the next movement. Normally, just landing a quadruple jump is extremely difficult. Furthermore, since you cannot take a run-up for the second jump, performing a triple Axel in that position is truly difficult.

 

First of all, even in a single triple Axel, he doesn’t really take a long approach. In fact, I think that if the approach is too long, it disrupts the rhythm of the jump and makes it difficult to execute. The longer the body’s movement is interrupted, the less it connects to the next action, and you end up having to rely on a different kind of force. In other words, the flow is broken. Therefore, it is crucial to minimize any pause in the body’s movement and smoothly transfer that force into the next action. By doing so, energy is not lost, and he can enter takeoff smoothly.

 

Since the Axel is a forward-takeoff jump, people often focus on the position at the moment of takeoff. But what is actually important is the position while gliding on the back outside edge just before that. If, while gliding backward, you properly control your weight with the ankles and knees and store it, the body becomes like a spring, allowing you to initiate the next movement from the hips. If you cannot do that, you either lunge into the jump or your body arches backward.

 

Skaters with long approaches often end up freezing as they try to hold the correct position. They think they are controlling their movement for the jump, but it actually has the opposite effect. In Hanyu’s case, this does not happen in any of his jumps. He flows naturally into the next movement. His hips remain at a consistent level, with no vertical movement, allowing everything to flow smoothly. It looks easy, but it is an extremely difficult technique.

 

— So, the way you use your ankles, knees, and hips is crucial.

 

Sugita: I think his strength lies in the fact that no matter how much his body is tilted, the alignment of his ankles, knees, and hips remains parallel. His ankles and knees are extremely flexible, and on top of that, he has strong spring-like power. He almost never loses his balance or falls. His vertical axis always remains straight. That’s why the deeper he leans into an edge, the lower his hips naturally become.

His hydroblading technique, for example, involves leaning his body so far forward that it almost touches the ice, yet he still manages to rotate smoothly. That requires incredibly flexible ankles and knees, along with a strong core. The fact that he can do that is a testament to his strong core and exceptional flexibility. In that sense, I think he'll have a long career as an athlete.

 

The main concern is the extent of his injury. In particular, jump landings place a great deal of stress on the body. In that respect, his landings are excellent because he effectively uses his ankles and knees to absorb and dissipate the force. He firmly engages his ankles and lands from the toe pick, allowing him to redirect the impact backward. The toe pick has large jagged teeth, and ideally, you want to use your ankle as if absorbing the landing from the very base of those teeth. If this is not done properly, it results in a “thud,” and the body bounces upward, which makes landing errors more likely.

 

— That’s a very interesting insight. It seems that Hanyu’s strengths are also reflected in his skating skills.

 

Sugita: It’s very natural, isn’t it? He has always had excellent body mechanics for skating, and after joining coach Brian Orser’s team, that precision improved even further. In his case, you don’t get the impression that he is pushing or stroking hard. It feels as if he is simply gliding effortlessly. That is the foundation of skating, after all. Because of that, power is transferred very effectively into his jumps, steps, and spins. His overall balance is excellent. It really shows how well he uses his body.

 

— Was this already evident in his childhood? What did you think when you first saw him skate?

 

Sugita: When Hanyu was little, he suffered from childhood asthma. My own son also had the same condition, and it was a real struggle, so I understand it well. When children with asthma have difficulty breathing, they tend to hunch their backs. In skating, if you are hunched over, your body axis is not straight, which inevitably leads to mistakes. Because of this, his performances were inconsistent when he was young. But his skating itself was very natural and fluid, and he also had good flexibility. So I thought that if he could just correct his body position properly, he would definitely rise to the top. When he sees my face, he says, “Your back!” (laughs). That’s because I used to often tell him “Your back!” as advice back then (laughs). This was long before he reached his current level. I imagine his mother also had a very difficult time. When he had asthma attacks, it was heartbreaking, and there was really nothing that could be done. It seems he still has occasional symptoms, but it’s amazing that he has overcome them.

 

— What do you expect from Hanyu going forward?

 

Sugita: I think he will attempt the quadruple Axel (4½ rotation jump). The way he performs the Axel and uses his body clearly holds enough potential to make it a reality. Once he decides, “I will do it,” his courage and drive for improvement are remarkable, so I have high expectations for him. My biggest concern, however, is injury. It may sound like an exaggeration, but he is a national treasure for Japan. That's what I believe. Athletes who can consistently bring out their own best performance do not come around easily. In that sense as well, Hanyu is truly a once-in-a-generation athlete.

 

For someone like me, being able to speak with a skater who has won two Olympic gold medals and become a world champion while I am still in good health has truly been a blessing in my life, and it makes me glad I pursued skating. He has, in many ways, made history—not only in Japan, but in the sport as a whole. When I think back to when I first started skating, it feels like a dream come true. Back then, when I saw world champions, I was shocked and thought, “If I don’t skate like this, I won’t be able to compete on the world stage,” and it made me think, “I have to train harder!” And now, I’m actually seeing that level right in front of my eyes. I’m beyond happy. He has made real what we once only dreamed of in an era when we couldn’t compete at the world level. I am deeply moved. I truly feel, “Ah, this is wonderful.” To be in the same world as him makes me happy, and I feel truly fortunate.

 

— Coming from you, those words carry great weight. Finally, could you give a message to Hanyu?

 

Sugita: He is always a challenger, so I believe he still has limitless potential. He is truly an outstanding athlete. Lately, even though I’ve seen him on the ice, I haven’t had the chance to speak with him properly, so I would really like to have a long conversation with him someday. The only thing I’m worried about is his injury. I just hope he can fully recover and continue competing.

 

 

Profile:
Born in 1935 in Tokyo. Honorary referee of the Japan Skating Federation. During his competitive career, he was active in men’s singles and won the All-Japan Championships in 1956. After retiring from competition, he served as a judge for many years and participated as an international judge at the Salt Lake City Olympic Games. He is currently a commentator for figure skating broadcasts on J SPORTS, and his accurate and insightful commentary has earned strong trust from viewers.