#hope and legacy

[malinowaj]

chapter 3

“Why do you skate?” Simon asks instead. It is something he’s been wondering ever since their arrangement started. Wille takes a moment to answer, as if he actually needs to think about his answer. “Everyone in my family skates,” he settles for.  Simon makes a noise to indicate he’s heard the answer, hoping it’ll make Wille elaborate. It doesn’t.  “Do you actually like it?” he asks then.

chapter 3 of hope and legacy is now available here.

to start from the beginning, head this way.

[yuzu-all-the-way]

Legendary 4S3T

|| Hope and Legacy - Worlds 2017

[mauxanhduong]

why don't you go watch yuzuru hanyu skate to joe hisaishi's view of silence + asian dream song and break the world record and then maybe you'll calm down

[tenchisupremacist]

Happy anniversary to this masterpiece

[diavolito]

As the Worlds approach I miss him more than ever, so it's a right time to recall the last moment when I cried from happiness at this competition

[yuzupoll]

Notte Stellata

Hope and Legacy

[whenfatecollides]

Xena Warrior Princess 3.05 Gabrielle's hope

[cosmologicalspoon]

Manifesting that he has a stroke on his first day in office xx

likes to charge reblogs to cast

[luineile]

He was the last HOPE for the dying sport and now the sport he once represented is a LEGACY.

He was absolutely right to leave, because the skating world got too small and limiting for him.

Says a lot about this sport and its fans that we all went "THERAPY! BRING OUT HOPE AND LEGACY!" after last night. And it says something about Yuzuru as a skater and a representative of the sport, and I don't think I have to elaborate on that.

[choccy-milky]

@foundthatoldzeppelinshirt what did u do to me...what in the wattpad is this... i only planned to do a few doodles but then i kept getting more brainrotted and things got out of hand LMAOO (and ofc i HAD to draw hockey player seb at SOME POINT bc its my duty as a canadian citizen🫡🍁🍁 O CANADA!!!)

[malinowaj]

selected figure skating

so, @almostlake said they wanted to watch and learn more about figure skating. i will take any excuse to talk about this wretched sport (the love-hate relationship is strong, okay), so i've put together a list of my favourite programs. the original list was about 45 programs, so this is significantly scaled down. however, i'm always happy to talk skating, so you can ask me my current olympic quad favourites or favourite element or whatever comes to mind.

this also serves as a sort of behind-the-scenes for hope and legacy, because obviously some of these programs have heavily influenced how i write about skating in that story.

i'd like to say i love all disciplines equally, but the heart wants what it wants and unfortunately it wants chaos in the form of men's figure skating. this'll be heavy on that, though i'm letting my roots as an ice dance enthusiast show.

note: i acknowledge that russia has been a majorly significant powerhouse in figure skating, and there are several programs from russian skaters that could be on this list. however, due to basically two reasons i stopped paying any attention to anything russian skating related in february 2022 and everything i've learned since has been against my will. there is one russian program on this list, but that's the extent i'm going to discuss russian skating. all other skating though, let's chat.

men

yuzuru hanyu: seimei, hope and legacy, origin and let me entertain you. look, it's no secret yuzu is my favourite skater of all time. he's a once in a lifetime skater and pretty much changed the way i watch, analyse and feel figure skating. to me, skating is all about storytelling and yuzu does it like no one else. i could've really picked any of his programs, because there isn't a single one i don't like. i've had the privilege of seeing him live three times and i still remember, years later, how my comment after the last time was "i don't know if i should laugh or cry, because how can someone be so good".

junhwan cha: fate of the clockmaker/clock and dagger. i've never fallen for a skater as fast as i did for jun when i saw this program. i'd seen him around, of course, but this program was so perfect for him. the mood, the storytelling, the step sequence, the final spin.

deniss vasiljevs: romeo and juliet. a few years back i didn't watch that much skating because of life. then back in 2022 i actually sat down to watch euros and deniss, someone whose skating i've loved for years, did this. he doesn't just skate, he creates art and definitely makes me feel a lot when watching him. also, hands down the best spins in current men's skating. (also my reference program for simon's free skate.)

matteo rizzo: talking to the moon/that's what i like. is this matteo's best program? maybe not. (even i'm partial to his two men in love.) but this performance. the moment after his last spin and the step sequence. i saw this live and it was LOUD. he brought the arena alive like no one else and sadly this video doesn't quite capture it. depending on where in the world you are, i'd say get a VPN and watch the video on ISU's channel, with his reaction and bows, because that sort of gives you an idea how much we all loved this, and how much this meant for him. every time i write simon's step sequence, this moment is what i think about. out of everything i've ever seen live, that might be my favourite figure skating moment.

jason brown: sinnerman. jason has so many good programs, but i think this captures so well all his strengths, and is wonderfully different too.

jeremy abbott: exogenesis. an absolutely exquisite skater who sadly never quite kept it together under pressure. easily his best program, it has so much feeling to it.

stephane lambiel: wilhelm tell. could've been any of his programs, because i just want everyone to see what the bestest of best spins look like. (nowadays coaching deniss vasiljevs, which explains his spins.)

daisuke takahashi: bachelorette and blues for klook. i remember sitting on my grandma's uncomfortable leather couch with my mouth open when i saw bachelorette, because you're telling me skating can be like this too? dai's skating skills are to die for and he knew how to sell a story too.

women

carolina kostner: bolero. look, i hate bolero. it's possibly the worst figure skating music choice one can make. but i've watched caro's bolero more times than i can count, because it's incredible. there are so many of her programs i could've picked, but for the aforementioned reason this is notable. skating skills, spins, interpretation. god, i love her.

satoko miyahara: song for the little sparrow. program so good there's a guy doing a tribute to it. satton is easily one of the best and overall most well-rounded skaters of recent years, with spins to die for, and i'm so sad she never got to shine like she deserved. and i adore her recent show numbers.

akiko suzuki: O. the way she embodies the music is pure magic. this program should be the benchmark for all aspiring skaters, and it sure is my favourite women's program of all time.

pairs

wenjing sui/cong han: rain, in your black eyes. THE pairs program of all time. it's so effortless, it's so difficult, and it's so stunning. every time i watch it i go "oh, it's over already" when the finish, because they capture your attention and suck you in with this program so that you wish it would last at least three times as long as it does. also, my reference program for wille and stella.

aliona savchenko/robin szolkowy: pina. they have so many good programs, but i remember watching this in awe because it was different from what they'd done before. and the risk for a pairs team to do a dance-themed program, i think they were the only ones who could pull it off.

tatiana volozoshar/maxim trankov: masquerade waltz. the chemistry, the technique. i got to see this live at art on ice almost right after they won at the sochi olympics and it was magical. the height of their twists and throws was something unbelievable. my other reference program for wille and stella.

ice dance

tessa virtue/scott moir: moulin rouge. there's a thing that goes along the lines of 'someone who's seen one ice dance program will say v/m's moulin rouge is the best of all time. someone who's seen 100 programs will say it's some obscure original dance from a pair that was together for two seasons. and someone who's seen 1000 programs will say v/m's moulin rouge is the best of all time.' that's how good it is. the timing of the twizzles is my favourite thing in the world. i also love their farrucas. you want to watch amazing ice dance, you watch tessa and scott. (and then weep because they don't do ice dance like this anymore.)

meryl davis/charlie white: bollywood. the 2010 olympics original dance competition was definitely one for the books. this stood out with its originality, with it's attention to detail and it'll always be one of my favourites. (i'm going to start a petition to bring back original dance.)

sinead kerr/john kerr: scottish dance. i loved the kerrs, so much. they did so many things no one else did, especially when it came to lifts. and this one is legendary for john's kilt alone. (original dance i miss you so.)

kana muramoto/daisuke takahashi: soran bushi. yes, the same daisuke takahashi that appeared in men's. he ended his career in ice dance and this program is the best thing they did. the music choice, the details of the choreography, the way they perform.

kaitlin hawayek/jean-luc baker: with or without you. the best rhythm dance we never saw in competition last season. such an original take on the 80s theme, and an absolutely perfect fit for them. the skating skills are among the best, and there is so much emotion. if there was justice in the world, they'd have been USA's top pair after beijing, but sadly there isn't. i sometimes watch this when i want to cry, because it'll make me shed tears every single time.

ignore any and all typos, but please tell me if the links don't work. (i'm typing this after a 6-day workweek on too little sleep.)

finding skating videos, especially if you want a specific performance, is needle in a haystack stuff these days. the best way to get into skating is to watch it, preferably a lot, to find what works for you and who you like. the skating ISU channel has a lot of videos from recent seasons, and apart from the olympics does all major competitions live. depending on where you are in the world, you might need a VPN. (setting it to the netherlands works pretty much always.)

and if you ever get the chance, go watch skating live. it's the best, i promise.

[yuzu-all-the-way]

Yuzu reacting to his 11th World Record (11/19WRs)

[diavolito]

The best figure skate ever

Thank you, Yuzuru. Thank you.

[mauxanhduong]

it’s always a good day to rewatch hope and legacy. literally every time i remember it exists i’m like brb i need to rewatch hope and legacy and feel indescribable emotion for 4 minutes 40 seconds

[dapper-lil-arts]

I'm not the kind of person that's like "Here let me fix the canon" usually but like holy crap gen 5 implied a lot of messed up shit about our hero Twilight Sparkle lmao

[yuzupoll]

Hope and Legacy

LGC