Your new "skating discoveries" this season?

[jcspkbfan]

Every year, I seem to discover and become a fan of at least one skater after seeing them for the first time. This year, that's happened to me with many new skaters, not only with ones I've never seen before, but ones I have seen a few times before, but had never really caught my eye until this year.

Skating discoveries where it was "fan at first sight":

Yukina Ota
Mira Leung (I've heard fans gush about her since she was only nine or ten, and I was pleasantly surprised she actually lived up to all the hype)
Miki Ando (another skater I've heard tons of rave reviews about in the past few years, but didn't actually see her skate until Worlds)
Chantal Lefevbre and Andrei Markov
Julia Obertas and her new partner (sorry, I can't remember his last name!)
Viktoria Pavuk
David Liu (I know he turned pro years ago, but he's another skater people have raved about for years, but who I never saw until his appearance at Kurt's Gotta Skate show last fall)

Skating discoveries in the "I've seen them skate before, but they never really caught my eye until this season" category:

Cynthia Phaneuf
Jenny Kirk (mainly because of her awesome Skate America LP and her "Chicago" exhibition number)
Frederic Dambier
Stéphane Lambiel (boy, has he ever matured--in more ways than one--since the last time I saw him skate two years ago!)
Stefan Lindemann
Valerie Marcoux and Craig Buntin
Shizuka Arakawa (actually, I enjoyed her Worlds exhibition skate more than her two competitive programs!)
Johnny Weir
Zagorska and Siudek (even though they've been around for years, they look like a completely different pairs team now!)

Anyone else have any new "skating discoveries" they'd like to share? :)

[Aussie Willy]

Well my vote here goes for The Kerrs from Britain. I have not seen a dance team that has excited me like this for a while. They just rock.

I agree about Zagorska/Suidek. They seem like completely different skaters this season. There is a new maturity about their programmes and they look great. I think her hairstyle and their costumes have a lot to do with the new look, but they have improved their line and presentation.

[Roma]

Julia Obertas and her new partner (sorry, I can't remember his last name!)


Heehee. That's what I always call them- "Julia Obertas and her new partner" -so I can't help you with his name! They are in my "love at first sight" category. And to go even one better there is another pair coached by Moskvina where the man is really tall (maybe 6'4" or so) and it was love it first sight for me, but I can't remember either partner's name.

Other "love at first sights" for me this year:
Wakamatsu and Fectau

People who were love at first sight for me in prior years whom I still lurve:
Johnny Weir
Vakhtang Murvanidze
Brian Joubert
Sasha Cohen (first saw her as a novice)

People who are among my current faves where it was not love at first sight:
Shizuka Arakawa
Yukina Ota

[icenut84]

Julia Obertas and her new partner (sorry, I can't remember his last name!)

Sergei Slavnov. :)

Some skaters that I've seen for the first time this year and enjoyed:
Sinead & John Kerr :D
Frederic Dambier
Viktoria Pavuk
Obertas & Slavnov (first time I've seen them together, anyway)
Johnny Weir

Seen before, but enjoyed more this year than before:
Petrova & Tikhonov (they were awesome at Euros)
Stefan Lindemann

Already loved but now love even more:
Plushenko
Lambiel
Denkova & Staviyski

[Artemis]

In addition to several already mentioned in both categories (specifically Phaneuf, Leung, Lefevbre & Markov, Weir, Arakawa, Lambiel, and Joubert), my top picks would be:

~ Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir, Canadian junior dance champs. It isn't very often that juniors make me go Wow! like these two. They are definitely ready for prime time. If they go into seniors next year that competition will be very interesting!

~ Inoe and Baldwin. Definitely in the "seen them before but didn't catch my eye" category. Their performance at Worlds in particular made me think what a shame it was they didn't find each other until so late in Baldwin's competitive career.

[DaisySmurf]

My biggest thing this season, having not really watched since Alexei Yagudin first got hurt was Brian Joubert! I couldn't believe how good he was at Worlds. I think he should have won.

[PaulWyliefan]

Yukina for me too. I was really impressed by her. Wish she could have made it to Worlds, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed for next year!

[Oracle]

Jordan Brauninger, Kimmie Meisner, Katy Taylor, Stiegler & Cording. :bow:

[MizEdiesBoy]

My mom called me from Louisiana to ask me if I had seen "the Swiss fella". Stephane Lambiel is an amazing kid with lots of talent. He skates like a gyspy. I think Plushy should look out for HIM, and not the boring Joubert.

Kevin Van Der Perren has also made an impression on me - he has a very businesslike quality to his skating that I like. I hope he finds his quad soon -- he'll need it.

Seeing Yukina Oto skate at Four Continents also made an impression on me. She is absolutely lovely to look at.

The same with Cynthia Phaneuf -- she's adorable and has great, crisp jumps. I couldn't understand Suzie Wynne comparing her to Tara Lipinski and saying she wasn't as good. I strongly disagree. I would love to see a Canadian lady win some medals in the upcoming season.