Saturday, March 25, 2017

Icy Trails Favorite Performances of the 2016/2017 Season- Part 3: Men

Alright, alright, alright! Still cranking these out! For our next post:

"It's raining men! Hallelujah! It's raining men! Amen!"

Seriously though, this one is gonna be a big post. For the past several years, the men's competition has been arguably the most exciting competition to watch because you never know who's going to show up prepared to win. There is an excellent field with such an array of talent. No one can ever predict who is going to win! Another thing I'm very excited about is that there are more and more new countries getting involved with the sport every day. I love the variety that each of the newcomers bring to the sport.

We will start out with the Super Short Programs!

Yuzuru Hanyu (JPN)- "Let's Go Crazy"


The second Prince program for the post! This one had to be included! Yuzu is probably my favorite skater right now, although I have discovered a new one which we will get to in a minute! This program is a departure from his usual programs, but he can skate to any style. He always gives 110% to every performance, and it shows. He's got it all: the jumps, and more importantly, the artistry. He just keeps getting better and better. And the lunge and slide is the coolest thing ever OMG! Someone did this cool flag for him at the beginning of the video too. He is interacting with the audience in such an awesome way here, and everyone is loving it! And the triple axel practically went into the stratosphere...amazing! The ending of this video is hilarious. They're highlighting all the tossies he got out there, and there's a lot!

Misha Ge (UZB)- "Liebestraum"


Another gent in lavender, and from a country newer to the sport! Misha may not have a quad, but he has beautiful artistry in this short program. What is fascinating about him is that he can skate a beautiful classical-type program like this, then transform into a completely different skater for exhibitions. You will see what I mean. Misha is one of my new favorites! He has been competing for a few seasons now, but I have unfortunately just recently discovered him. He has a flair for drama; I love it!

Michael Christian Martinez (PHI)- "Emeral Tiger"


Another somewhat newcomer on the scene from a different country. This is just great to see. Is this the most refined performance? Not necessarily. But his Biellman is the best I've ever seen from the men, and it's better than a lot of the ladies as well. Just amazing. He also starts off the program with an interesting step sequence, which is and interesting opening we do not seen often. The choreography here is dynamic and entertaining, and he has a few dance type sequences that look really cool. He's playing to his strengths.

Now on to some Fantastic Free Skates! This is where championships are often won!

Yuzuru Hanyu (JPN)- "Hope and Legacy"


This program is so legendary, beautiful and amazing. Pretty much anything Yuzu skates to is going to be one of my favorites. This program is an Olympic-worthy program, but then again, his program last season to "Seimei" was too. It will be interesting what he brings out next season. He's got the difficult jumps here, to include the quad loop. He's got a lot more great skating too, with all the transition steps and great line. This program is mesmerizing and you can't look away.

Nathan Chen (USA)- "The Polovtsian Dances"


It's our "Quad Bae" Nathan Chen! He is nothing like we have ever seen in US Figure Skating. This program was an unbelievable feat in athleticism, but also had good presentation. 5 quads for the first time ever at Nats! The stadium explodes in applause! He pulled off this performance after being out for several months with a serious injury. Not only that, but he also performs well in international competitions! Consistency has been an issue across the board for American skaters, except in the area of ice dance, for years. Skaters come to kick ass and take names at Nationals but then succumb to pressure at big international events. Johnny dubbed him "America's hope". Kind of dramatic, but also kind of truthful. The best thing about Nathan Chen is that he is just getting started. He's got potential to get better and better. You can already see how the competition is steep here, and I haven't even finished posting all my free skates for the men yet.

Adam Rippon (USA)- "Arrival of the Birds"


This program is absolutely gorgeous. It's really unique and has a lot of cool artistry to it. Adam becomes one with the birds. Even his jumps are birdlike with soft, light landings. He has a really nice layback spin too. I'm pretty bummed that he got injured and we can't see this at Worlds. Adam also made the Grand Prix Final for the first time this year, as the program was well received by both the audience and the judges.

Maxim Kovtun (RUS)- "Iron Sky"


I have Maxim Kovtun in here because I like this program, and also because it seems like he always gets the short end of the stick. He won Russian Nationals in 2014 but got left off the Olympic team when Plushenko came sweeping in and took his spot. Then he pours his heart into this performance at Europeans, and still comes in second to Javier Fernandez, even though Javi's performance was riddled with mistakes. This is a really cool song too, and suits him well. He's knocking out the quads too! I love the passion and drama he brought into the performance. Keep on fighing Maxim!

More on my thoughts on Kovtun:


Now, who's ready for some Excellent Exhibitions?

Yuzuru Hanyu (JPN)- "Notte Stellata"


This is beautiful, amazing, and iconic. Just like Yuzu himself, which is why he's a favorite. He has such grace and poise here. The performance is birdlike with vulnerability to it.

Shoma Uno (JPN)- "See You Again"


Shoma is someone I have enjoyed watching the past couple of years. He's got a lot of energy and focus in his skating and is crazy talented. From what I have seen, he's had at least 3 exhibition programs for this season. This one was my favorite, as it shows a different side from what we have seen in his competitive programs. I particularly enjoyed the hip-hop section of the program. He finished the program strong with a huge triple axel and then that cool slidey-thing (I don't know the actual name for it).

Misha Ge (UZB)- "Baby/Let Me Love You"


I thought his short program from Four Continents was beautiful, then he comes out with something completely different with this exhibition. This will be the first of about 10 of his exhibitions...just kidding! But there will be another. Then I found a ton more of his exhibitions and they are all so amazing! How am I just now discovering the wonder that is Misha? I'm glad I started my blog and got on Twitter because now I'm on the "up and up" with figure skating and a lot of other cool stuff. So, back to this program. It is so fun and he has some killer dance steps in here. Also, the music choice. I'm pretty open to most types of music, but Justin Bieber does not fall into that realm. However, like any great performance, this program made me enjoy it. Break it down, Misha! Seriously though, in the quest for quads, great skating like this is often overlooked. Those dance moves are every bit as complicated as a jump!

Jason Brown (USA)- "Canned Heat"


Jason Brown is always an amazing entertainer. There's all sorts of cool dances here, and the split jumps are killer!

And our last one, as promised:

Misha Ge (UZB)- "Great Balls of Fire/Juicy Wiggle"


Gosh, he has so many different skating personalities! Who is this man? He's definitely intriguing. It's funny how there's always a lady skater sitting up on the boards too. He's working the audience and blowing kisses before the music even starts! I enjoy that he's often singing along while he skates too. No one can entertain like this! I love when he breaks out in full hip-hop mode! Those step sequences are no joke! I've got another special exhibition I'm saving for my super awesome bonus content post, coming soon!

So, here's the programs to watch for at Worlds. I hope you have enjoyed these, and don't forget about the super awesome bonus content coming up! I'll be watching next week and I know y'all will too!

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