12 Types of Figure Skating Fans

Hey guys what's uuupppp???? Hope you're all having a good week. Things have been all over the map here. We welcomed a new nephew to the family last week, then I got some great news at work, and we had to get the air conditioner repaired. So yeah, all around the spectrum. I have been observing all the types of skating fans out there for several months. My undergraduate degree was in marketing, so I am always interested in finding out target markets. I have even witnessed this within different groups where I share my blog, and I try to make my posts something that will appeal to each segment.

So here are the types of fans I have witnessed. Nothing is wrong with most of them, except for a few which I will highlight. Some fans even fall into more than one of these categories.

#1. The Loyal Stans/Anti-Stans

If you guys don't know what a stan is, don't feel bad. You don't know how many times I have to look things up in Urban Dictionary. I'm a little embarrassed to admit that, but anyway, a stan is basically someone who is a die-hard fanatic of a particular celebrity or sports figure. The Loyal Stans support their favorites 100%, no matter how they perform. They will often talk about how their favorite is underscored or underappreciated as well. There's a lot to respect about the Loyal Stan. They are at least not fair-weather fans. However, there is another side, or a foil, to the Loyal Stan. This is the Anti-Stan. The Anti-Stan has a skater they cannot stand, and will never give them credit for anything they do. They believe the judges overscore their least favorite and their programs lack any substance. It is quite common for someone to be both a Loyal Stan and an Anti-Stan. Usually a Loyal Stan is an Anti-Stan for someone who is a rival of their favorite, or a skater who wins everything seemingly unfairly.

#2: The Cranky Curmudgeons

The Cranky Curmudgeon has not watched or participated much in figure skating since around 2003. They hold the 6.0 system as the gold standard and are reluctant to accept any change. You will often hear them saying things like "you don't see programs like that anymore", or "figure skating is all just a jumping contest now". Rather than learn and try to appreciate the new system, they prefer to cling to the skating of the 80s, 90s and earlier. Cranky Curmudgeons do love figure skating but are stuck in the past.

#3: The Modern Traditionalists

I would say that most people who have followed skating for a long time would fall into this category. The Modern Traditionalists still love a lot of skating and how it was done in the early days, especially the 90s when figure skating was really in its heyday. However, unlike the Cranky Curmudgeons, they also embrace the changes and the skaters of today. The Modern Traditionalists see value in the IJS system while acknowledging its flaws. A lot of Modern Traditionalists also have an interest in compulsory figures and how they can be used to improve their overall skating. I have seen many modern traditionalists in the Adult Skating group. They are competing under the 6.0 system and the ordinals were all over the place. Some have expressed interest in skating under IJS, because it is at least something quantifiable, and you can see areas where you can improve. This is already done at the international adult competitions. Modern Traditionalists are a little more sensitive to the gaming of the IJS system than our next group of fans.

#4: The New-Wave Fans

The New-Wave Fans are fairly new to the world of skating. Most New-Wave Fans began following figure skating around the 2014 Olympics. But boy, have they caught up quick! New-Wave Fans are one of the most enthusiastic groups of skating fans, and they do a ton of research into previous competitions. They are always posting videos and pictures of recent World Championships, and finding interviews with today's top skaters. New-Wave Fans also have a great grasp of the IJS system, and how it's supposed to work. They are coming into the skating world fresh and with no pre-conceived ideas of how things used to be. New-Wave Fans also help many of the other fan groups regain their enthusiasm for the sport.

#5: The Trolls and their Idiot Minions

The Trolls contrast greatly with the new wave fans in their level of enthusiasm. They stir up animosity instead. The Trolls differ from the Cranky Curmudgeons in some ways. Cranky Curmudgeons are just hopelessly stuck in the past, and their criticism of the sport today comes from frustration and a lack of understanding. The Trolls' key objective is to post things just to piss people off. They are quite successful at doing this. There are a few bloggers that fall into this category, and the skating fandom rises up in fury. Yes, what they said in most instances was really screwed up, but by getting angry and blast-posting their idiotic commentary everywhere, they are getting exactly what they want. Good or bad, you're still talking about them. Another faction of the trolls are the Idiot Minions. The Idiot Minions are an additional mouthpiece for The Trolls. They repost everything The Troll says, plus try to stir up conversations with unsuspecting victims on social media. The Idiot Minions also agree with everything The Troll writes or says.

#6: Yuri on Ice Fans

The figure skating anime sensation "Yuri on Ice" has brought a lot of new fans to the sport. However, some of these fans are more pleasant than others. There are YOI fans who genuinely came to love figure skating through the show, and now watch a lot of competitions. This group is respectful of figure skaters, both as individuals and what they do on the ice. They are a cool group of people, and I'm glad they found their "gateway drug" into the sport.

Then there's the other group of fans. This group knows very little about skating, nor do they care to learn. Their main purpose is to write commentary on pretty much every figure skating video on YouTube, either comparing the skater to a YOI character, or saying something like "I'm only here because of Yuri on Ice". The worst faction of this group continues to avidly "ship" real figure skaters based on pairings from the show. This group has several similarities to the flippant Buzzfeed posts on figure skating, that only happen to show up around the Olympics. Most of these are related to a figure skating drinking game or some such nonsense, but consider the source. At any rate, it's annoying as hell. Moving on...

#7: The Lifetime Members

The Lifetime Members are just as their name implies. They have been fans of the sport for most of their life. Most Lifetime Members came to figure skating with the enthusiasm of the New-Wave Fans, and then settled down over time. This does not mean that their love for the sport has faded, however. Lifetime Members' love for figure skating is similar to that in a marriage. Some days it's full of passion and it's all you can think about. Other days aren't that great, as you're angry and frustrated, but you know you're in for the long haul. Hopefully that analogy makes sense. Lifetime Members can be an encyclopedia of figure skating once you get them going. They've seen a lot, to include the judging system changes, and all the scandals. Lifetime Members often don't get caught up in the details of competitions because of this. They see figure skating at a different level.

#8: The Die-Hards

The Die-Hards are the most dedicated group of fans. This group of fans travels all around the world to see their favorite skaters compete and perform in ice shows. Ice Network just wrote an article dedicated to the Japanese skating fans, showing their dedication to their skaters. They are the best example of Die-Hards now. This is a fan group that I would like to be in, but my bank account, and getting that much time off from work, are 2 very significant limitations toward this goal. But, you know, if I happen to win the Powerball one day...

#9: The Rage-a-holics

The Rage-a-holics are constantly on the lookout for figure skating news or information to get outraged about. Now, you're probably wondering how this is different from a Cranky Curmudgeon, or a Troll. Well, here's the difference. Rage-a-holics do genuinely love the sport, and they are current fans. In some cases, the are a Loyal Stan (or Anti-Stan) gone to extremes. Rage-a-holics are also prone to reacting to The Troll's postings, as they are designed to enrage. Not only do Rage-a-holics constantly go on about under and over scoring, they also look for any articles they can call out for being stupid and ridiculous, even from obscure sources. At their heart, the Rage-a-holic is an idealist for the sport, but their antics and constant ranting can be off putting.

#10: The Actual Factuals

The Actual Factuals know every rule and all scoring for IJS and 6.0, often calculating the base value of programs. They are very knowledgeable, but sometimes arrogant. They will throw the book at anyone who posts or says anything incorrect. If there is one thing to admire about Actual Factuals, it's their objectivity. They will quickly point out the good and bad of any skater without holding any personal bias.

#11: The Every Four Years Fans

As the name suggests, Every Four Years Fans only tune into figure skating during the Olympics. This gives them limited insight to the sport and everything leading up to it. However, they are needed as part of the figure skating fan base. Figure skating is the most popular sport in the Winter Olympics because of this group of fans combined with all the regulars. I am an Every Four Years Fan of luge myself. Luge looks like the most fun thing ever! And of course I watch speed skating, the second cousin to figure skating. I love most of the Winter Olympic sports, but I typically don't watch them outside of the Olympics.

#12: Screaming Fangirls/Fanboys

We have all been one a time or two. Don't try to deny it. A prime example of this is Jimmy MacElroy's fan/stalker in Blades of Glory. The Screaming Fangirls and Fanboys enthusiasm is contagious. In day-to-day life, when they are not watching their favorite skaters, they post pictures and videos of them online and talk about them nonstop. This doesn't bother me in the least. Keep on with your enthusiasm for your favorites and skater crushes!

Well folks, that's a wrap. Please keep in mind that this post was meant for satirical purposes. I'll catch you next time!

Icy Trails ⛸

Icy Trails 25 All Time Favorite Ladies Programs

Hi everyone! It's been a while since my last post. I have been focusing a lot on my own skating, working to get ready for test sessions and competitions later this summer. I also had a few posts I was working on that didn't end up happening. On one post, I just could not find the information I needed to pull it together. On another post, I had the brilliant idea to start writing after 2 margaritas. Word to the wise: don't drink and blog, my friends! Needless to say, it got scrapped. I hope you're all doing alright in the off season. There will still be plenty of content here!

After writing my Top Ten ice dance and pairs posts, I realized that maybe 10 programs was not enough to showcase. This was especially true for the ladies' programs, where there is so much diversity. These are my all time favorites, so there will be a good variety of programs from the 90s all the way to today, and maybe a few that are even older. There will be a mixture of competitive, exhibition, and show programs. So, without further ado, I will go ahead and showcase my 25 All Time Favorite Ladies Programs!

#25: Sasha Cohen (USA)- "Angels in America:

This one is not really a program; it's more of a transition piece in between performances. However, even for its short time, it's beautiful and effective. The wings add a lot of visual interest and add to the drama. I particularly enjoy the spiral sequences. Spirals are one of my favorite moves, and Sasha is one of the best at them.

#24: Katarina Witt (GDR)- "Carmen"

Yes, I included a Carmen performance here. This performance is Katarina's Olympic gold winning skate from 1988. The 1988 "Battle of the Carmens" between her and Debi Thomas is what led to the many (so many!!! 😧) incarnations of Carmen ever since. Since Katarina was one of the original Carmens, and she won, she gets a mention. Not to mention this is a fantastic performance. She combined superior technical ability of the time with artistry and playing to the crowd. She also dived into the 80s and early 90s trend of dying on the ice! Dick Button's opening comment, "The Carmen we're going to see is a flirtatious one" is one of the most memorable commentary moments. In Katarina's mid section of the program, she has a portion where she sells the program and gains momentum for the second half. This is a technique that was picked up by many skaters after this point.

#23: Rika Hongo (JPN)- "Reel Around the Sun (Riverdance)"

This performance by Rika at the 2016 World Championships is significant for a few reasons. The most prominent reason is that she skated to the exact same music, in the same venue, where Jason Brown brought down the house a few seasons before. This was an incredibly gutsy move. Not only that, but she brought her own spin to the program by adding in the Irish step dancing elements. My friend and I took some step dancing classes several years ago and attempted to do it on the ice, and I'm only slightly exaggerating when I say I feared for my life. Overall, a very good, solid, and entertaining performance. She kept this program for the 2016-2017 season too, but unfortunately it did not have that same exuberance. I really love the Riverdance show and soundtrack, and I'm glad to see skaters embracing a lot of the music for their programs.

#22: Evgenia Medvedeva (RUS)- "You Raise Me Up"

Evgenia has been dominating the ladies scene in competitions for the past 2 seasons, but I think she really shines in exhibitions. This one is my favorite. I love the song "You Raise Me Up". It is very special to me because I walked down the aisle to it at my wedding. I later skated to the song too. This version by Celtic Woman is a lovely rendition. To skate to this song, you have to put your heart into it. She conveyed emotion really well here. I wish she would skate more programs like this. I love everything about it.

Evgenia has received a lot of criticism from skating fans about being overscored, and she has been everywhere with skating. She is also a big Yuri on Ice fan and is well known among that fandom. I get the feeling that she may be getting a bit overexposed, but I don't hate on her for it. I have noticed that people in general have a tendency to grow tired of and dislike anyone who's winning all the time. I started doing some research on cognitive biases in sports and it was fascinating. I may end up writing more on the topic.

#21: Joannie Rochette (CAN)- "La Cumparsita"

Joannie's short program from the 2010 Olympics is one to remember. Her mother had passed away 2 days before she skated this, and she had to dig really deep to find the strength to skate. This is one of the most beautiful and emotionally charged programs I have ever witnessed. I love how the crowd cheered her on too. During this Olympics, I was suffering from a loss as well. Earlier on February 12, 2010, before the opening ceremonies, we made the heart-wrenching decision to put my most beloved cat to sleep. He was there for me for more than half my life. I don't think I would have ever made it without my husband there with me. While my loss pales in comparison to what Joannie was facing, I could understand the heartbreak. I'm so glad she skated so well here, with such precision and strength. She is such an inspiration.

#20: Joannie Rochette (CAN)- "Andalucia"

A double shot of Joannie! She is one of my favorite skaters, if you couldn't already tell. This particular performance was from the "Riverdance on Ice" show. I was really hoping this would be good, since sometimes these specials are a hit or miss. I loved this, but that's not entirely surprising. My obsession with Riverdance is right up there with my obsession with skating. If you're not familiar with Riverdance, it is mostly known for the Irish dance and folk music, but there are several other types of dance as well, to include tap dancing, Russian dancing, and flamenco. "Andalucia" is one of two flamenco numbers in the production, and the other is "Firedance", which is also the music for my freestyle program. Shae-Lynn Bourne skates to "Firedance" in this show, and I wish I could be that fabulous. There will be another performance to "Firedance" later in the countdown as well. Maria Pages is the flamenco dancer in both numbers and she is a beauty to watch. I love how Joannie mimics her at the beginning to get the essence of her style before going off and skating to the music.  The combination of the dancing and skating is just beautiful here, and the camera work gives them both about equal coverage throughout the performance. Also, if I could have the flamenco outfit and Joannie's costume in my closet, that would be great 😊. I would also recommend seeing the entire "Riverdance on Ice" show if you haven't seen it. It is so good!

#19: Surya Bonaly (FRA)- "The Four Seasons"

It's my friend Surya! Well, she waved at me one time at Champions on Ice 😊. That year we had seats right where the skaters came out and it was a dream come true! But I digress. This program is important to mention for several reasons. First, she is the only person who has ever done a back flip at the Olympics. That is some really cool stuff! Back flips are, and have been banned from competitions by the ISU because they are too dangerous. Surya is just a rebel, and I love her attitude! She was often underappreciated and underscored during her career. The 90s were definitely a different time in skating than today. Surya's style is more athletic, and her strength is in jumps and technical elements. Judges' main criticism of her was related to a lack of polish and artistry. However, Surya was definitely ahead of her time. During the ladies competitions today, the winning factor often boils down to the triple-triple combination and its difficulty. Surya often pulled off  triple-triples late in the program, most memorably in her 1994 World Championship performance. I can't help but thinking she would have fared a lot better under IJS. I also think that's why she decided "YOLO" and threw the back flip in here. The judges weren't going to do right by her anyway. Why not go out with a bang, right?

#18: Elena Radionova (RUS)- "Imagine"

Elena has performed several renditions of this exhibition across these past 2 seasons. The "living statue" rendition is my favorite. I love the visual dramatics that the angel statue costume provides. She skates with a lot of emotion and can skate to a wide range of musical styles. There is also a musical edit on YouTube of this performance with "Faded" by Alan Walker dubbed in. It provides another cool take on this performance. While Elena does not have the technical prowess or consistency of Evgenia Medvedeva, she surpasses her in some ways in presentation, poise, and artistry. I really hope Elena's next season is a good one and she makes Russia's Olympic team. I think she could really be a contender, especially working with Shae-Lynn Bourne on choreography.

#17: Karen Chen (USA)- "House of Flying Daggers"

I'm sure you guys are starting to notice a pattern here about my love for dramatic, flashy programs and costumes. This one is also visually stunning with the sleeves on the dress. What's really amazing is that she skated this whole program without tripping over them, which looks like a challenging feat. The music for this program is really dramatic too, which emphasizes the overall performance. Karen certainly had an interesting season with some ups and downs, but she peaked when it really counted. This earned her the US National Championship, and her performance at the 2017 World Championships helped retain 3 ladies slots for Team USA going into the Olympic season. I'm looking forward to seeing what she can do next season.

#16: Oksana Baiul (UKR)- "Sadeness"

Here we have the 1994 Olympic champion and my favorite skater. My often termed "artistry and passion" is exuded in spades by her. She is another skater with great versatility that could skate to anything. This performance was entrancing to watch because it brought a completely different side to her than what we saw in her Olympic programs. She was always able to bring her heart and emotion into every performance in a way that few can match, with a tremendous flair for drama. Every move and expression was made to reach even the nosebleed seats in the arena. I definitely tried to do my hair like this back in the day too. I had a t-shirt and a poster with her on it; she was just the coolest. However, like a lot of creative types, her life has had its share of drama too, both on and off the ice. Her style of skating is still something I would like to portray, as she has been a huge influence for me.

#15. Sasha Cohen (USA)- "Dark Eyes"

I've got to say, I love the camera work at the beginning of this one. It gives you a bit of the feeling of stepping out onto the ice at the Olympics. This short program is brilliant and showcases Sasha's sassy personality well. It helped her earn the silver medal at the 2006 Olympics. Again, she shows some of the best spiral sequences of all time here. I can go on and on about Sasha's spirals, but she is also an excellent spinner. This program and music is so full of drama; I just love it! It grabs your attention at the very beginning and keeps it there for the whole time.

#14: Gabrielle Daleman (CAN)- "Herodiade"

One word to describe Gabrielle Daleman: Fierce. Gabby was a pleasant surprise for me this season. She was not really on my radar before but I really enjoy her skating. She has such determination when she skates, and she provides great artistry while delivering solid technical elements. She really attacks her jumps in this program. She also looks perfect pretty much all the time, but she's so nice that no one hates on her. I particularly like the costume in this program. It's striking and different, and suits her perfectly. Her teammate Kaetlyn Osmond may be slightly better received by the judges, but Gabby is definitely the fan favorite.

#13: Carolina Kostner (ITA)- "Ave Maria"

I really enjoy Carolina's style of skating, and she does it best, in my opinion, to classical pieces. Her skating has an elegance and softness to it that allows her to pull off these pieces well. Many other skaters have skated to "Ave Maria", but she definitely makes it her own here. She floats across the ice in an almost angelic manner. Her layback spin here is perfection. I'm so glad she came back this season too! If she makes the Olympic team again (which she most likely will), this will be her 4th Olympics! So far, I think only Plushenko has skated in that many Olympic Games.

#12: Satoko Miyahara (JPN)- "The Planets"

Tiny, fierce diva Satoko. I really like her style of skating. I'm not really into Star Wars, so I didn't realize this was a Star Wars song/program until May the 4th. I just thought it was really pretty and I liked it. Watching this again, the connection is so obvious I don't know how I missed it. For some reason her theme wasn't hyped up this season like some of the other skaters. There is a lot of great quality skating in this program. She is pretty solid on the technical elements and doesn't use as much of the trickery that some skaters use to run up the points. She is just pleasing to watch. I'm looking forward to her coming back next season, once she has recovered from her injury. Team Japan has quite a strong ladies field, and it's unfortunate they only have 2 slots for the upcoming Olympics.

#11: Joannie Rochette (CAN)- "Samson and Delilah"

This marks Joannie's third appearance in my countdown, but she is just amazing. Her entire Olympic experience in 2010 is one to remember, and this free skate continued to build on her solid performance in the short program. She is just so great, skating with such skill but also emotion.

All right now! We are into the Top 10!

#10: Oksana Baiul (UKR)- "Swan Lake"

This short program from the 1994 Olympics is the first time I saw Oksana skate, and I thought she was just the most amazing skater ever! She really excels in these ballet-type performances due to her dance background. Many skaters have performed to this music, but few have had the impact and memorable performance that Oksana had with it. This costume is also amazing! I remember at the time there was a lot of contention, as there often is, on whether she or Nancy Kerrigan should have won the gold. Obviously, you guys know where I stand, but it appears that there are many other Oksana supporters out there too. For once I read YouTube comments that didn't make me lose faith in humanity. Oksana is an artist, and no one can dispute that! This program is like watching a ballet on ice. She even mimics some movements of a swan here. I enjoyed this much more than her free skate.
This program was the winning program of the 1994 Olympics.

#9: Mao Asada (JPN)- "Bells of Moscow"

Here we have the first program of the ever talented Mao Asada in my countdown: her free skate from the 2010 Olympics. Although the performance was not perfect, she threw in everything she could into the performance. This included 2 triple axels, with one in combination! I love the music choice here too. It's really dramatic and matches Mao's strong and dynamic skating style. Mao is mainly known for her jumps, but her spirals and step sequences are also amazing.

I'm sure most of you have heard by now that Mao is retiring. I would also like call attention to something that has been on my mind as both a skating fan and a skating blogger. I've been writing Icy Trails for about 10 months now, and I have seen other excellent skating bloggers and others that are no better than a tabloid. Throughout this season, there has been a lot of commentary from all angles about how Mao was performing. Unfortunately, this season has given Mao a lot of inconsistency. Some of what I will call the "tabloid bloggers" used this as an opportunity to trash her. It was as if all her contributions up to that point didn't matter, and she should just quit and let the younger skaters take the reins. Then, all of a sudden, once she announced her retirement, they all changed their tune. They started writing about how wonderful she is and the mark she left on the sport, and it was just so fake and hypocritical. Let me throw the BS flag on that right now. I cannot stand fair-weather fans (for examples in another sport, see the Chicago Cubs and their sudden legion of fans after winning the World Series)!

#8: Joannie Rochette (CAN)- "My Immortal"

Joannie's performance here is dedicated to her late mother. It is a heartfelt tribute that all of the audience can feel. The music choice and costume complement her performance very well. She is so gifted and I'm glad she's still out there skating in shows like All That Skate and Art on Ice. At the time of my writing, it's the day before Mother's Day. This just serves as a time for me to be grateful to my mother and to all my family.

#7: Yuna Kim (KOR)- "Kiss of the Vampire"

By now, you have seen several mentions of programs from the 2010 Olympics. You're all probably wondering, "where's Yuna?" For me, I prefer her programs after her Olympic victory. I think she has a lot more emotion and depth to her programs around the 2012-2014 time frame, to include this short program performance from the 2013 World Championships. This program was not as hyped up as her Olympic performances, but it's a beautiful program. Even though she is now retired, I'm pretty sure we will see her in some way with the upcoming Olympics in PyeongChang.

#6: Satoko Miyahara (JPN)- "Firedance"

Lights out! Give her all the medals! Bye!!!

No seriously, I love this. Everything about this performance is perfection. She does a great job of drawing the audience in on this one too! This is the other flamenco dance from Riverdance, and Satoko pulled it off flawlessly here. I especially love the step sequence and layback spin. I think now between this performance and others to "Firedance", I can gain inspiration and breathe new life into my freestyle program.

And now we go on to the Top 5. These programs have had a great impact on me, as I know they have on a great deal of skating fans. We begin the Top 5 with a name that everyone who loves figure skating will know...

#5: Michelle Kwan (USA)- "East of Eden"

Michelle performed this during 2 competitive seasons. Back in the 90s, there was much more of a distinction between an amateur, or competitive skater, and a professional skater. This distinction doesn't exist anymore, as now a skater is either competing or retired. In the 90s, the professional skaters had their own World Pro championships. The 1998 World Pros is where Michelle performed to "East of Eden" for the first time. She later decided to return to the competitive realm for another shot at the Olympics. She used "East of Eden" as a short program in the 2000/2001 season with different choreography and a new look and feel to the program.

Ok, so that was a super long explanation, but I chose the performance from the 1998 World Pros because everything flowed together perfectly here. She had the signature Michelle spirals and just all around beautiful skating with the right combination of technical components and artistry. We also saw Mariah Bell perform to "East of Eden" this season. She did a great job with modernizing the program for today's skating, but this is the performance I always think of when I hear this music.

#4: Yuna Kim (KOR)- "Send in the Clowns"

This brings us to "Autumn's issues with the 2014 Olympic Season, Part 1". I'm pretty happy with how most of the disciplines went, but with the ladies, there were a slew of issues. Seriously, how the hell did this not win???? The fallout from the ladies event in Sochi was huge. Many believed the ISU was colluding with the Russian Federation, and Yuna's enormous group of fans was outraged. There are several videos talking about how figure skating died that day, etc. After this Olympics, Yuna decided to retire. This seemingly abrupt decision left many in the skating community in shock.

Luckily, we have performances like this to remember. This was beautiful and artistic, showing her range of emotions. It is a culmination of everything the fans love about Yuna. It is everything a winning Olympic performance should be. But as all skating fans know, it's a subjective sport, and things don't always turn out the way they should.

#3: Ashley Wagner (USA)- "Moulin Rouge"

Now we have Autumn's issues with the 2014 Olympic Season, Part 2". Yes, I realize this is from the 2014-2015 season, but it's about to make sense in a minute; just bear with me. The Team USA Ladies Team for the 2014 Olympics caused a lot of controversy, most definitely in the US, but even a bit outside the US. At the 2014 US Nationals, Gracie Gold won the title, Polina Edmunds won the silver in her senior debut, and Mirai Nagasu made a great comeback to win the bronze. Ashley, unfortunately, finished 4th at this nationals after 2 falls in the free skate. This left her chances of making the Olympic team uncertain. If USFS had gone by traditional protocols, they would have gone by the results of nationals, and she would not have made the team. USFS has made exceptions in the past, most notably by naming Nancy Kerrigan to the 1994 Olympic Team, because for obvious reasons, she could not compete at nationals. However, no exceptions had been made for someone not performing their best and missing the podium.  Ashley did end up getting named to the Olympic team, and Mirai Nagasu was left off. This is probably an unpopular opinion, but I was not pleased about it. I had heard that Ashley was going to be on the team regardless, and USFS was trying to decide whether to send Mirai or Polina Edmunds, and they chose Polina Edmunds. I went on being salty about the whole Olympic team decision. This is an issue I still think about a lot, about whether the results of nationals determine World and Olympic team placement, or whether the federation chooses who will attend.

Then comes the next season, which will mark "Epic transformations, Part 1". I watched the 2015 Nationals not expecting much and I was blown away. That's why I chose this particular performance over the 2016 Worlds performance. It was a much bigger shift for Ashley. I could not look away from this performance and was enthralled the whole time. THIS is how you silence your critics and haters! You don't go whining and crying about things. You get out there and work your ass off and prove you are the champion you were meant to be. After this performance, I have nothing but respect for Ashley and she has gained a loyal fan. This is also a case of the perfect program, music and choreography for just the right skater.

#2: Michelle Kwan (USA)- "Salome"

Epic transformations, Part 2. Michelle made her senior debut at the 1994 US Nationals at the age of 13, something that has been unprecedented. For the 1994 and 1995 seasons, she was seen as the new up-and-comer, who would one day be a great champion. She had great technical ability but still had the little girl image. She comes back for the 1995-1996 season and BAM! She comes in with a sophisticated makeover and complete change in choreography, and we got this masterpiece known as "Salome", which would become one of her trademark programs. This was Michelle's breakthrough moment where she won her first of many world titles. Michelle is greatly admired as a skater who had such poise and maturity, even with winning her first world title at 15. Watching this, I can see why so many miss Michelle's style of skating in today's world. She did not put one element out that wasn't executed to perfection.

That leads us to our Number One program! Can we get a drum roll?

#1: Mao Asada (JPN)- "Rachmaninov Concerto No. 2"

This is what being a champion is all about here. This is so inspirational. After coming in 16th in the Short Program, many other skaters would have just thrown in the towel, knowing they would most likely not make the podium. This is not what Mao did. She skated the performance of her life here in an amazing free skate. This is her legacy and how she will be remembered. I find it interesting that there was so much talk about her retiring after the 2014 Olympics. Luckily, she stuck around for a few more years. It is nice to know that amidst the controversy surrounding the ladies event in Sochi that we have this wonderful performance and memory.

Well folks, we have reached the end. I hope you enjoyed this and the wide variety of skating styles. I, of course, enjoyed writing. Figure skating has been my passion for most of my life, and I'm glad I get to be involved with it from so many angles. Thank you to all my readers for your support, attention, and words of encouragement. Stay tuned for more posts to come!

~ Icy Trails~ ⛸💖