Well, tonight, i finally got to finish watching the Grand Prix skating event. I had taped it awhile ago. It was a breath of fresh air to watch the little girl from Switzerland. Although i will never be anywhere near her level, she (Sarah Meier) has lifted my spirits with her very light, balletic, and expressive skating. I will always have my favorites, but i found myself mimicking some of her arm expressions and such.

I just wondered if anyone else has been inspired by anyone lately?

I forgot to say...she also has these really great bright facial expressions....so refreshing...

I'm lucky to train regularly alongside the British No 2 ice-dance couple, and they inspire me at times. I'm sure just watching them - and another Senior British couple - really helps.

Plus the British men's champion occasionally visits us; his girlfriend trained here and her sister still does. Again, watching him train is pretty inspiring!

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Ice dancers have lovely big curves!

And she and her coach are very nice people. I met her briefly when I volunteered at the 2003 worlds. Her coach brought little gifts for the security people and other volunteer staff whom they had seen every day for the 2 or 3 weeks at the skater's entrance.

I actually found Brian Joubert's long program at this year's Cup of Russia to be inspiring, because the program challenges him to expand his range as a skater--more use of arms, head, torso, whole body, and the footwork is very intricate and interesting (kudos to Kurt Browning...). Joubert really pushed himself beyond his usual, and it really shows in the quality of the skating and the fullness of each movement. It reminds me as a skater to keep pushing myself on all aspects of my skating, not just the things I do better.

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Yu Na Kim's short program at Junior Worlds this year.

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Same! I found it inspiring that he went out thinking "I'll go out and land some quads" not the "maybe I'll land some quads" that a lot of skaters think, and he did them. I also think my very first ever double axel was landed the day after watching that program, i think it inspired me to go out and do it

I also love watching Yu Na Kim, she is my new skating idol she is amazing and well after watching her skate I was like "wow wow wow wow"

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All my skating inspiration has been men and I'm a female skater! I know. It's unusual for me but I just love watching men figure skate.

It's always been my primary coach and my NYC coach just b/c both of them look so beautiful on the ice. For Jay it would be b/c he looks so graceful on the ice and when he practices, he just makes things look so much fun, even when he totally splats on his jumps! Emanuele, it's definitely his presentation style and his uniquely complex footwork.

I'm becoming a big fan of Braden Overett these days!!! Funny, his footwork and presentation style also reminds me of Emanuele as well too! I also noticed that Braden is such a humble and kind gentleman when I first met him and when I watch him interact with other people. It's very VERY nice to see this in a young man of 25. Not an ounce of DIVO in him! Can't help liking the young man!!!

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jazzpants

11-04-2006: Shredded "Pre-Bronze FS for Life" Club Membership card!!!
Silver Moves is the next "Mission Impossible"
(Dare I try for Championship Adult Gold someday???)

Thank you for the support, you guys!!!

I totally agree with you about Sarah. I saw her at whatever her first GP event was and thought, wow. Her jumps just looked so so effortless. And she was so beautifully graceful.

I found a new inspiration at Lake Placid this summer. Kaitlin Mallory, senior level ice dancer. She skates with so much extension & expression I just couldn't take my eyes off her. Her back is so straight. I'm almost 6' tall, and when I was watching them skate I was thinking, "WOW--there's a girl who's about the same height as me! Look how straight her back is; how deep her knee bend is.....that's how I can look if I really work at it!"

When I got home I looked up their website bios: she's 5'4"!! She just looked that tall because she skated with such huge presence.

She is now the picture in my head when I'm working on extension / presentation/ posture, etc.

One of the boys at our rink is my new inspiration. He broke his landing foot last year on triple Lutzes by putting his free blade through his boot. He didn't skate for 4 months and no jumping for an additional 4. He went to Regionals as a Junior having just started jumping 2 months prior and put a program together a month in advance. He skated great and made Mids. Unfortunately, he woke up a week before Mids with his landing foot so swollen he couldn't get it in his skate and had to withdraw. When he could, he got back on the ice and has recovered his elements and then some and just looks fantastic. He's leaving to go train in California on Friday. His perseverance and belief he's going to make it inspires me!

I watched Caitlin grow up.. she used to skate FS then switched to dance a few years ago. Even as a freestyler she had that great posture, and ALWAYS that balletic extension. The reason for the great expression though is kind of interesting. Her parents were/are very "hippie/granola/Berkeley" and didn't allow her to wear ANY make-up. So if judges were going to see any facial expression it wouldn't be because of red lipstick or dark eye make-up.. it was ALL HER! Even when she was wearing a white dress with her pale skin and hair on white ice.. you could see her facial expressions.

Her parents finally relented about make-up when she started taking dance with Klimova & Ponomarenko... they (actually Marina) insisted that make-up was part of the entire package.. and if she wasn't wearing make-up, she would not be allowed to take lessons from them.