It's that time of the year again, that time when we look back at the year that is rapidly on its way to passing us by and ponder those time-worn questions: what was good? What was bad? How much alcohol is needed to forget it all?
When it comes to looking back at the 'good' in figure skating, I find that it isn't necessarily the programs in their entirety that endure the longest in my memories, but certain indelible moments within those programs. That glorious, wind-beneath-the-wings feeling evoked when
Akiko Suzuki flew down the ice during her choreographic sequence after nailing all her jumps at the NHK Trophy, for instance, or the memory of seeing
Virtue/Moir's brilliant, furious closing lifts in their
Carmen free dance at Skate Canada for the very first time. Another great moment that imprinted itself into my mind was watching
Takahiko Kozuka skate his beautiful spread eagles set perfectly to the beating of the drums in his short program at Skate America, and who can forget
Carolina Kostner's sinuous, sensual step and choreographic sequences and her final, very late 3S right to the music of her
Bolero long program.
