@@paolala exactly same haha. I'm from India where figure skating (or any winter sport) is not mainstream in the slightest. Tessa and Scott got me into it and the i stumbled upon your channel where i learned about the Eteri drama. Safe to say i'm hooked now 😄
My go-to program for introducing friends to figure skating is Yuzu’s 2017 WC FS, Hope and Legacy. It’s got quads, it’s got artistry, it’s got an eye-catching costume (admittedly not as eye catching as Origin 2.0 😂) and it’s got great music. It might be a tad slow for some, but I’ve found it to be very effective as a gateway skate :)
My favorite figure skating routine ever is the RD by Papadakis/Cizeron in the 2022 Olympics. I have watched that thing a million times and it still gives me chills. It transcends figure skating, it's pure art
Some japanese show polled a bunch of younger people interested in skating on their favorite ladies SP and the #1 pick was Yuna Kim's Bond program - more than a decade since the program was last performed and in spite of the really negative feelings Japanese people have associated with that program (you truly had to be around in 2009-2010 to know lol) Definitely my pick to get ppl interested in skating, just on charisma alone
Torvill and Dean (Bolero and Let's Face The Music), Kaetlyn Osmond (Black Swan), Liz Manley (1988 Olympic LP), Kurt Browning (Casablanca), Joannie Rochette (2010 Olympic SP), Midori Ito (1989 World - both programs), Katarina Witt (Carmen), Bourne and Kratz (Riverdance), Yuna Kim (2010 Olympics), G&G (all programs!!), Sale and Pelletier (Love Story), Tessa and Scott (anything!!), and so many more!
G&G should’ve been #1. They had a chock hold on skating fans for a decade. Katia wrote a NYT bestselling book, had tv commercials, a Dateline episode, a made for tv movie and not to mention she and her daughter were on covers of magazines after losing Sergei💔
Tatiana and Maxim's 2013/14 Full Free routine is one of the things that got me back into figure skating and the winter olympics as a whole! Them and Ashley Wagner's spunky routines captivated my little teen heart!
For me it was a RU-vidr named Sophia figure skates then I randomly stumbled upon Alexandra trusovas cruella program which lead me to introduce myself to even more skaters.
I haven't seen anyone top aljona savchenko and Bruno's free Programme. The height and speed of their lifts and jumps was on another level. I'm struggling to get back into watching pairs.
Although I was already a casual fan, the performances that recently got me into seriously watching figure skating were Tessa and Scott's Moulin Rouge (just gorgeous), the Shibutani's free dance and exhibition gala at Pyeongchang (possibly my favourite ice dance team) and both of Stéphane Lambiel's programs at Vancouver in 2010 (despite the mistakes, his interpretation and musicality are beautiful, La Traviata always makes me cry). Also, although it's not figure skating and they were with different partners, for a while I was obsessed with Meryl Davis and Charlie White's performances on Dancing with the Stars. Meryl's foxtrot and Charlie's quickstep especially, they were born for those styles. All of their olympics programs are gorgeous as well.
ooh I'd also add Yuna Kim's James Bond Medley skate from the Olympics, it's such a fun program to watch, especially for people who are just getting into skating
One of my favorite figure skating memories will always be watching Gracie Gold at 2016 nationals. I was only 8 but it really inspired me to keep skating. It will forever be my favorite program
For me it was also the program from Savchenko and Massot, because I never saw someone from my country in figure scating before 👀 and also Alexandra Trusovas Cheap Thrills program, I was amazed by her when I saw this for the first time (and still am today)
As a newbie into FS(literally started joining the fandom within this past month), a few programs that I've liked and rewatched a lot are Yuna's FS in 2010 & 2014 Olympics, and Mao's SP in 2014 when she lands the 3A. I feel like the figure skater I've heard of the most before I became a fan was definitely Yuzu, I literally didn't know who Tonya or Nancy were until I started getting into the FS community.
Well if you watch yuna, mao, yuzuru then you’re set for good. There’re several champions fabricated by feds and isu but only the goat will stand the test of time.
Tessa & Scott Moulan Rouge, Jason Brown Riverdance, Kamila Valieva 2020 Olympic programs (or the ones that did not go horribly wrong lol), Ilia Malinin Succession
I went down a rabbit hole a few years ago and, even though I watched it live as a kid, Brian Boitano’s free skate at the ‘88 Olympics made me emotional watching as an adult. I also echo folks mentioning Katarina Witt’s Carmen and would add Ilinykh and Katsalapov’s Swan Lake!
No Aliona Kostornaia?! I had originally clicked on a video of her out of sheer curiosity because she reminded me of someone. Since then, I've been the biggest fan of figure skating and have even taken it up myself. Watched all of her programs soooo many times and still do
This might be for people that are already into figure skating but Mikhail Koyada’s White Crow is up there for me. No other White Crow can compare for me.
1:00 honestly i didn’t even know either of those names😅 the only one I grew up knowing was Michelle Kwan for some reason. But the first figure skating vid I actually saw was *Hanyu’s 2018 Olympic free skate* & I was in tears by the end! Ever since then I’ve been following all the major skating events ❤ Also, as a dancer, skating was the only real sport I could get into & fully understand because of the artistic & emotive components. It’s probably the best sport for anyone who’s into the fine or performing arts 👌
yay! two of my most fav programs of all time are on this list--the 2018 LP of savchenko/massot and the 2018 FD of virtue/moir. that year was and still is a very memorable year in figureskating!
Yulia lipnitskaia 2014 sochi was the reason i started following the sport. There was just something so mesmerising, watching the girl with the red coat. It touched me deeply. I remember i was just passing in front of the tv and i stopped to watch. Also i really love Gilles/Poirier van Gogh program. And sui/han bridge over troubled water❤
@Paola La REALLY a fan of your channel and this is SUCH a good post! What a great idea. I was a fan when very young, I skated as a young kid in the 1980s and early 1990s. In the UK Torvill and Dean (along with John Curry and Robin Cousins) were superstars and all Olympic champions. Studying meant I stepped away from skating in the mid 90s and 2000s. 2008: Tessa and Scott 2008 Umbrellas of Cherbourg blew me away - then again in 2010 Mahler Adagio and nearly all of their programs. Then Yu Na Kim/Mao Asada rivalry - I was hooked right back; add in Patrick Chan and Yuzuru Hanyu followed by Aliona Savchenko/Bruno Massot 2018 (choreographed by Christopher Dean), Russian drama and I can show You Tube figure skating videos to all my friends for HOURS!!
I would also recommend Sui & Han Beijing Olympics Free program, so emotional. Also Miura & Kihara's free from the same event, the way they connected with the music was phenominal
I like that the list isn't based on personal favorites. The list is crafted with your friends in mind who know nothing about skating. Definitely well done, and shows so many different perspectives for an uninformed casual watcher.
My reintroduction to being a figure skating fan was through my love of mess; it was when I discovered the Sochi drama then the Russians' drama. And now I can tell jumps apart without slo-mo.
The olympics of 2014 made me a fan of Figure Skating, the 2 programs that made me fall in love with skating was Yulia Lipnitskaya shindlers list and Karolina Kostner Ave María.
one of my honorable mentions have to be the Anna Karenina by Evgenia, her acting, her emotions, even the crying at the end, that programs fills me so much i think about it CONSTANTLY lmao
Totally agree on Tessa&Scott and Oona & Gage Brown. Though my ultimate top will be always Stéphane Lambiel. Unpopular opinion that Yuzuru Hanyu is just not my cup of tea. Other ultimate top for me is Mao Asada. The one who got me into skating in 2004 was Brian Joubert. The reason I'm still with skating today is Stephane and Mao, since 2006.
any Michelle Kwan, any Tessa and Scott, any Gordeeva and Grinkov, and Adam Rippon. Skating during the TV age was so different. People watch Battle of the Blades, Stars on Ice, Holiday on Ice. People stayed up to watch Grand Prix on air at certain time. Sure GoE was lower, much lower, but people loved strength in character and quality of skating. MK was the queen on making sure success isn't measured in skating, but how you challenge yourself as a person. She tried back to back reverse camel spin, she tried firing Frank Carrol on Olympic year, she had a caste on months before Nagano, she had to show humbleness when lost to Tara in 1998, she tried going to UCLA while still competing, she tried working for the secretary of state at the time. It's something girls nowadays need to learn: competing is an experience to challenge your strength and courage, it's not about drama and gossip, it's about growing as a person, and seeing beyond competition.
Drama ? There's drama in my figure skating club lmao and no one turns it into a GoT story. People are used to overreact to every single thing that comes out of the Eteri group (mostly by rumors and "I read somewhere", "someone said"). The disproportionate attention and overemphasis these girls receive is contradictory with the idea that these skaters are just "little girls". People want to "protect" these little girls but turn every single info (verified or not) into a tabloid title. The only drama in the Eteri group is the one fans have created. Again, darker things happened in my club and happen everywhere and everyone is ignoring it 😂
I've got to say the Gabriella Papadakis & Guillaume Cizeron couple, they're so elegant and romantic on ice that they can get my eyes teary. Then, Plushenko's feet sequences are iconic imo
Odd choice for Trusova's program. Her JWC 2018 FS started the quad revolution and broke multiple women's FS records. By 2019, multiple women were doing quads.
the entire 1994 Olympics/Worlds post competition galas. You had Brasseur & Eisler's Grease routine with the headbanger at the end. You had Surya Bonaly's backflips on one foot, and Philippe Candelora's Rocky routine, all in the same Gala.
Salé/Pelletier's Love Story at the Salt Lake Olympics! The program itself, the music, the pope's kiss on the ice, the rollercoaster of emotion of results, and then the HISTORY of it all, the politics, the points system change... That program has been on my mind every winter olympic since! Bonus: that double death-spiral during the closing exhibition skate.
I think that if you are looking for pure athletic skill Ilia Malinin's free program at the worlds this year (Montreal) is great, even my friends who know nothing about figure skating were talking about it
Old Russian programs, definitely yes. Recent decade programs, no. Childish programs that came out from one of the most artistically developed countries. I blame on doping coaches. I go back to Yugudin, Plushenko, Yuna, Caro, Mao, Yuzu, Virtue/Moir and Papa/Cize’s programs if I want to see both artistry and athleticism.
Ilia Malinin at World Champs. If that doesn't make them appreciate figure skating... they're a lost cause and not worth investing in. Find a new friend.
In my case it was Adelina Sotnikova's Free Skate from Sochi. Another one I think can engage people to the sport would be Alina's Free from Pyeonchang 2018.
I swear, youtube decided to recommend me Yuzu’s Seimei Pyong Chang performance one random day at the beginning of 2020 and my life has never been the same since
For me at least an honorable mention is Katharina Witts Carmen from 1988. It thinks it's just beautiful and I think Katharina is also a great skater and interesting person in general But not much people will probably know about that programm because it's so old
Sharon, I remember watching it live on TV before you had to pay for things like that. I can't afford Peacock or anything else, so the only way I get to see things is if there uploaded.
- Mao Asada's FS from Sochi 2014 and SP from Worlds 2014 - Yuna Kim's FS from Vancouver 2010 - Wakaba Higuchi's "Skyfall" FS from Worlds 2018 and "Lion King" FS from Beijing 2022 - Kaori's Matrix program and Piano program from the 2018-19 season - Yuzuru's "Hope and Legacy" from 2017 Worlds
