30 Days of [Figure] Skating: Day Twelve

Day 12: Top 5 Favorite Ladies Skaters

1 - Yuka Sato, Japan. Yes, I named my dog after her. I saw Yuka for the first time in 99 when she came up with Scott's tour to Anchorage. I'd never heard of her, which is surprising considering she is a beloved skater. She was just so CUTE. She was just starting to skate with her hubby at the time and I loved watching their program, but she sparkled like no one else that night. And she's so quiet when skating across the ice. And she's cute as a bug. My dog does NOT take after her namesake (as I'm typing this she's barking and tearing up one of her toys... because she can).

2 - Kristi Yamaguchi, USA. Yama has always said Dorothy Hamill was her idol and she wanted to be her... well, I wanted to be Kristi Yamaguchi. She is the perfect combination of athletics and artistry (especially the longer she was in the professional ranks). She's a great inspiration/role model. And she's hot. lol

3 - Josee Chouinard, Canada. I've loved her since seeing her in Ice Wars. Which means I've liked her longer than I've liked Kurt! Shocking! I had the priviledge of watching her skate in 99 when she came with Scott's tour up to Anchorage. She skated to Rose in the Wind and Prima Donna. Adorable. Absolutely adorable.

4 - Angela Nikodinov, USA. Not surprising that she made my top five considering she is the one who skated my favorite ladies program of all time! She is just so smooth... I wish her nerves held up better under pressure because she's an amazing skater.

5 - Katia Gordeeva, Russia. It goes without saying that Katia is the picture of bravery. After having her world fall in around her after the death of her husband when she was 24 (wow, I'm two years older than she was!) she came back as a single working mother skating in front of millions for the first time by herself. She is an incredible inspiration. And she's gorgeous!

Not shocking - to me - is the fact that I've left Michelle Kwan off the list. There is no denying her contribution to the sport; however, she does absolutely nothing for me. She's like Tiger Woods - technically brilliant, but quite possibly the most boring personality. They both know how good they are, and that bugs me. Not so much that they acknowledge it, but they expect you to as well. I'm sorry, you can win five gazillion titles, if I see nothing special about it I'm not only going to say it - but I am not going to worship at the House of Kwan (or Woods).