Holy figure skating crap!

[WilliamPitt]

I never got into figure skating, male or female, but you'd have to be a stone not to be blown away by this. Jason Brown, 19 years old, skating for his life at the 2014 US Figure Skating Championships just a few days ago. The audience was on its feet way before he was done, and the TV announcers are audibly flipping out halfway through.

...and as Charlie Pierce noted in his last column of the weekend, pretty sharp thinking to do your routine to Riverdance before a Boston crowd.

Just watch.

[blaze]

1. That was a joy to watch!!

Thanks for sharing!

[defacto7]

59. I love this stuff....

My favorite Olympic sport!

[woodsprite]

2. Wow! How on earth can he top that! n/t

[raven mad]

3. OMG.

This kid is a treasure and danced to my favorite type of music - Celtic!

Thank you so much!

[sheshe2]

4. Awesome performance!

What a remarkably talented young man!

[Aerows]

5. bitten by a raccoon

Hurts like holy heck.

[pacalo]

6. ...

Hang in there, Aerows...

[marzipanni]

34. Yikes- been to a doctor? (edited)

Last edited Sat Jan 18, 2014, 06:41 PM - Edit history (1)

On edit- just read the saga I hope you feel better soon, Aerows.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

7. Friend of mine is a former skater, still active in skating organizations,

thought Jason Brown's program was one of the best ever, expects him to kick ass at the Olympics.

[Boomerproud]

11. I hope he does.

Bring home a gold medal for yourself Jason and have the time of your life.

[femmocrat]

13. He doesn't have a quad.

Unlikely that he will medal.

[2naSalit]

21. I heard an interview

with somebody in the know who said that he wasn't going to use it in this particular competition as it wasn't really required but plans to in the Olympics.



All the same, I'll be watching for his performance. This one made my eyes tear up. When I was very young I wanted to be a competitive figure skater but my parents weren't into it nor did they have the funds to put me into the appropriate training. But I still can't help watching these. This skater is awesome and I hope he does well at Sochi.

[LisaL]

45. If you don't do it in competition, and haven't done it in competition, it highly unlikely you can do

it in a competition such as Olympics even if you are able to land it in practice now and then. Top skaters are doing several in one program, and in combination with other jumps.

[pacalo]

8. Figure skating is what I look forward to most!

And now I'll be looking forward to seeing Jason perform at the Olympics.

I've been meaning to tell you, Will, how much I like your avatar.

[calimary]

27. Me too! I love the figure skating events. Eager to see this kid again!

Hope he goes home with some new jewelry around his neck!

[LisaL]

44. Skaters are doing several quad jumps in their programs.

He didn't do a single one.
For him to have any shot a lot of skaters would have to completely fall apart.

[CherokeeDem]

63. The announcers...

at the US championship said he was still very young (19...I think) The announcers said he had time and the athletic ability to develop the quad. I hope he continues to grow. He is spectacular to watch.

[valerief]

9. Wow, looks like moves from the Matrix movies. What a talent. nt

[nolabear]

10. I love those loooong arms and legs, and his exquisite control of them.

What a joy to watch!

[revolutionbrees]

12. Amazing!

He earned it.

[tomm2thumbs]

14. if only we could smooosh them together, technical and artistry.....

Jeremy Abbott

[Liberty Belle]

25. Perfect quad-triple....wow!

[New Orleans Strong]

15. Thank you -

How thrilling - and perfect. His skating commands one's brain to experience joy.

[nolabear]

20. Hey Baby! Welcome to DU!

[SnakeEyes]

16. Someday he will be an Olympic medal contender

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

17. He's on this year's Olympic team. So he's already a contender.

http://www.kjrh.com/sports/olympics/2014-sochi-olympics/team-usa-figure-skaters-besides-gracie-gold-who-are-the-athletes-going-to-the-winter-olympics

[SnakeEyes]

46. No he's not

He won't be a contender until he has a quad.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

52. So then why did they pick him for the Olympic team?

[LisaL]

58. US had two spots and he won a silver medal.

[Submariner]

18. Pffftttt!!!! Heck I can do that

my only problem is when I start vomiting during my high speed spin at the end of my routine. Once I get past that little issue you'll see me in the championships.

[ailsagirl]

78. LOL!!

[maddiemom]

19. A-Freakin' -Mazing! As the daughter of a great amateur ice skating mom, and mother of

a daughter who skated beautifully from day one on ice (at ten years years of age, she was debating whether to shoot for the Olympics as a figure skater or equestrian---bless her youthful heart, she was pretty good -if far below Olympic quality- at both), I've never understood my very weak ankles. Try as hard as I might, I could barely ever stand up on ice skates, despite being a roller skating ace. I have never heard or known of anyone else with this problem. Anyone else?

[SoapBox]

22. O...M...G!

I had a lump in my throat, forgot to breath and tears for him at the end of that phenomenal routine.

Stunning.

I'll be watching as much of the Olympics that I can, in support of our athletes (screw Putin!) and looking forward to such performances.

Bravo Jason!

[delrem]

23. Mesmerizing perfection.

I felt my heart lifting in joy!

[pangaia]

24. The most stunning ice skating performance I have ever seen..

Last edited Sat Jan 18, 2014, 11:30 AM - Edit history (1)

Oksana Baiul-1994 Olympic Gold medal winner.

I will never forget watching this. I was in tears. She 'became' the swan.

[Liberty Belle]

26. Yes, I remember her - the Russian girl who was adopted by her coach

...a very moving story.

[Beaverhausen]

30. remember this one?

This is music from Passion of the Christ by Peter Gabriel.

[pangaia]

36. Oh, yes. Absolutely.

(There is another video of the same routine -several years later, I believe, where at the end she takes off her head piece lets her hair down, as if to say. "See, I'm just a person. Just a human being, like you.&quot

I am a classical musician and not any kind of expert on figure skating, but to me, the difference between her and almost all of what I have seen elsewhere, is that she is not a 'skater trying to 'interpret' something.

She has 'something' in her..and it will come out no matter what she does..the feeling, not emotion, but feeling.
There are 'artists' in every field like this, not many. They are like a funnel, they are somehow open to.. ' something else,' something bigger comes through them. It is ...a gift, from... somewhere. Why, from where?

[WolverineDG]

39. I've seen her skate in person

and yes, she does have something "extra."

[magical thyme]

49. she's an artist who happens to dance on ice as her medium...

versus being a skater trying to incorporate artistry.

I think that is the difference.

[pangaia]

51. Yes. She 'becomes' (or became), whatever she was skating.

[WolverineDG]

37. I remember being angry that Nancy didn't win

but a few months later, I saw them both in the Campbell's Ice Skating show. Nancy came out, skated very blah-ly, barely acknowledged the crowd & refused to come back out on the ice to skate an encore, or even just wave a little more at the crowd who was there to see HER (she had top billing). What a snot-rag.

Meanwhile, Oksana came out & dazzled the audience with her gold medal routine. The crowd went nuts for her & when we kept clapping & yelling, she not only came out for another bow, she skated the same program AGAIN! And I saw why the judges gave her a higher score.

So yeah, I'll take Oksana over Nancy any day of the week. I hope she's got her life on track; she had a drinking problem the last time I saw her in the news.

[pangaia]

38. I too wish her only the best.

And yes, she has had her problems.
One 'pays' for the gift she has. An extraordinarily difficult life, in its own way.

I saw her once, in Syracuse, NY I believe. I was on a concert tour. I was about 51-52. Soon after her gold-that year? the next? I forget. I was eating with friends in a Thai restaurant. I knew that she and others were on tour with..some skating show. I learned from the paper, perhaps.

As I remember, she and maybe 2-3 others came in for dinner. I don't know that anyone recognized her, but I sure did. As we were leaving, we walked by her table. I didn't have any intention to even acknowledge her, didn't want to bother her.
Just as I approached, she looked up. So I looked at her and gave a small smile and nodded my head, as if to say, 'thank you for what you do.' She smiled briefly, and also nodded. tilting her head to the side, a genuine, very gracious gesture, as if to say. 'thank you,' and probably also 'and thank you for leaving me incognito.' Just a fleeting few seconds.

[yodermon]

40. I love moments and stories like that, thanks nt

[pangaia]

42. Yes, it is a moment I will never forget.

Now if I can just remember where I put my keys....

[magical thyme]

48. exquisite....I remember it well too. She lifted figure skating to a whole new level

The artistry of that performance was simply exquisite.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

57. The Japanese commentator is saying

"She makes you forget that she's dancing on ice."

[Demo_Chris]

28. No quad and I think he two-footed several of those jumps...

Cool performance, but I don't think he can medal doing that.

[truebluegreen]

29. Who in Boston or out of it would not be grabbed by Irish music?

That said, an outstanding performance with or without a quad jump.

BTW, gold medal winner in Canada 4 years ago did not do a quad, while the silver medalist successfully did several.

[livetohike]

31. That was awesome! Such joy.....must have been great to watch him live

Thanks for posting this .

[benld74]

32. Nailed it! Those spins were getting me dizzy,,,,,,,,,,,

[panader0]

33. Damn! That may be the best skating performance I've ever seen.

[Duer 157099]

35. Thanks Will

I doubt I ever would have seen that if you hadn't posted.

Phe.nom.e.nal.

The guy was in the zone. Flow. Awesomeness. Inspirational. Etc.

[trueblue2007]

41. he is FANTASTIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[WinkyDink]

43. LOVE this boy! Charisma and talent up the wazoo!

[TorchTheWitch]

47. That was the most fun on ice I've seen since

Scott Hamiliton did "Cuban Pete" (aka "Boom Chicky Boom&quot when he was 38 years old. Some rare artist athletes just have that mysterious "It" thing going on...

[Manifestor_of_Light]

70. I've always loved Scott Hamilton.

Ever since he got his gold medal back in 1970-something wearing bell bottoms and had tears in his eyes while they were playing the Star Spangled Banner.

Besides, only he and Surya Bonaly do backflips. They aren't allowed at the Olympics but he can do wilder things at non-official stuff.

[pipi_k]

50. Holy-o shit!!!!

I've been a fan of figure skating since childhood and have NEVER seen anything like that!

Truly awesome!

[ailsagirl]

53. Am I the only one who was moved to tears?

Last edited Thu Feb 13, 2014, 06:24 AM - Edit history (7)

Just *superb*



This Youtube video has gone MEGA viral-- 3,637,850 hits so far

Thanks so much for posting, Will. Jason Brown-- a name to remember

P.S. In the last three days, just under 200,000 hits have been added, making it 3,837,732. Not surprising if you've watched him skate!!

[pipi_k]

72. Probably not...

I'm almost always moved to tears by figure skating.

Not a problem when I'm alone...sort of embarrassing to explain when others are present. Especially when they just don't "get it", you know?

[ailsagirl]

74. Yes, I know

Last edited Thu Feb 13, 2014, 12:13 PM - Edit history (1)

I'm glad you understand

A friend was there in person and he said it made him cry-- so we're not the only ones!

(I wish Jason wouldn't have slipped at the Olympics-- he must be devastated. But he'll be back, with the quad, in 2018. As one of the commentators said, "He's only 19-- the quad will come-- he's got it all!&quot

[ailsagirl]

54. kick

[Capn Sunshine]

55. IN 2001, Will Pitt used to post some funny ass shit in the lounge and retire for the evening.

This is better than all that put together.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

56. dupe

[WilliamPitt]

60. ?

[Laura PourMeADrink]

64. link

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024326223

[WilliamPitt]

65. OK

Thanks for the heads up.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

66. good...just trying to keep you on your toes ! :>)

[CherokeeDem]

61. I never tire of watching this....

I saw his performance on TV, then watched this vid a few more times. What a showman and a talented skater. He is still young.... got a great future ahead of him. Wish him luck in the Olympics.

[ailsagirl]

62. I confess I've watched it more than a few times!

(like a dozen)

Apart from everything else, the performance itself is uplifting-- the music and he are one and it results in a truly joyous experience.

Dazzling

I'm still blown away

[ailsagirl]

67. KICK

[ailsagirl]

68. kick

[Hissyspit]

69. He's skating in the Olympics on NBC right now!

[WilliamPitt]

71. How did he do?

[Hissyspit]

73. Pretty good. He had a slight tumble.

[ailsagirl]

75. That was so painful to watch

Totally unexpected on my end-- I guess I've watched the Boston video too many times, where he executes a (near) perfect performance.

He'll be back-- with the quad. After all, he's only a kid!!

Go Jason!!

[LisaL]

76. He will be back in a couple of days.

That was a team competition. He is still going to skate in indivdual competition.

[ailsagirl]

77. Thanks, LisaL, for that info!

[ailsagirl]

79. Holy Moses-- the hits now total nearly 4 million

3,965,291 to be exact