THERE’S A GLOBAL PANDEMIC…and Yuzu picked up a flower (and our hearts).
Admit it. If you’re a Yuzu fan, you still have Hana wa Saku playing in your head.
If you’re like me, it’s because you’ve averaged watching it 4-5 times a day since Yuzu skated it at Worlds 2021. In fact, I recently discovered the “loop” button on the video player, and it was then that I realized I only had one option: quit my job.
But let’s back up a little.
Worlds 2021 was…
It was.
Was I happy to see Yuzu? Of course.
Was I happy to see Yuzu skate? Of course.
Was I happy to see Yuzu skate at a competition held during a pandemic? Of course NOT.
Yuzu didn’t look like he particularly wanted to be there either. And, based on comments prior to the competition, Yuzu had proven (as always) that he knew where the priorities were…even if a certain figure skating union didn’t. He put on a brave (and precious) face in the practices, but more than one photo surfaced that made me think, “Can’t Yuzu’s mom just write him a note and they let him go home?” When a camera is taking a photo of every single second of your existence, it’s virtually impossible to mask every look of concern…even IN a mask. I know I’m not the only Fanyu who spent the entire competition counting the minutes until Yuzu could just GO HOME.
Stunning jacket removal, Yuzu. One zip closer to home!
Beautiful sit twizzle, Yuzu. One twizzle closer to home!
Riveting warm-up room lap running, Yuzu. One lap closer to home!
By the time the victory ceremony rolled around, I didn’t give a flying quad flip what color the medal was. I just wanted to yell,
“Grab that sucker and GO HOME!”
As long as Yuzu returned healthily and safely to Japan with (Stunt) Pooh-san and his sanity (both his own and Stunt Pooh-san’s), I really didn’t care.
I could talk about all those “other” things about Worlds 2021…
Yuzu’s wild hair: So relieved to see a) he hasn’t allowed anyone close enough to him to cut it and b) he hasn’t resorted to trying to cut it himself.
A Certain Figure Skating Union’s Whack Safety Standards: Let’s make sure we don’t get close enough to the skaters to put their medals around their necks (WIN) but let’s still have them get in a line at the end of the Gala and you know what, wear a mask or don’t wear a mask in that line (LOSE). I know I’m not the only Fanyu who gasped when Yuzu got in line next to a non-masked skater. You should’ve had to have been in a full hazmat suit to get near Yuzu at Worlds, because, you know, a) gift to the world and b) asthma.
Speaking of asthma…Yuzu. We love you. And none of us slept between the night of the Free Program and the conclusion of the Gala. That’s all I’ll say about that.
But what I really have something to say about, is the Gala. The Gala. The Galaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa.
For starters, you can’t talk about this performance of Hana wa Saku without giving a shout-out to Jordan Cowan and On Ice Perspectives. If you are a Fanyu, chances are good that you have experienced Jordan’s incredible (seriously, incredible) videos. I think he should start to call his Yuzu videos “IMAX Yuzu.” They are jaw-droppingly beautiful. I want Jordan to always be the videographer for Yuzu’s skating. Heck. I just want Jordan to follow Yuzu everywhere. Is having him accompany Yuzu to McDonald’s to film him placing his order for a strawberry pie and McPudding too much to ask? In short: Thank you, Jordan. Thank you, thank you, thank you and どうもありがとうございます [thank you so much].
Because it had been a hard week. We loved seeing Yuzu again, but most of us were watching with concern about the environment he was in, the people he was around and what those people he was around were doing in that environment he was in. Added to the concern we always have that Yuzu will be judged unfairly and an overall constant prayer that he won’t get sick or injured, we were watching with the scream of “We love Yuzuuuuuuuuu” accompanied by the tiny scream of “Please be careful Yuzuuuuuuuu!”
But then the Gala reminded us of the real reason Yuzu skates: to be the light. And Hana wa Saku proved that to its fullest.
Everyone has a wound. And everyone has a different wound that Yuzu’s performance healed. Recovering from a natural disaster. Overcoming an obstacle. Missing a friend. The flower symbolizes something different to everyone. But no matter your pain or the symbolism, Yuzu said the same thing to every single one of us:
大丈夫だよ. [It will be okay.]
There were so many moments in Hana wa Saku that gave comfort, but there was one which really stood out. After Yuzu’s signature triple axel, his look into the camera said, “Well, yesterday sucked; didn’t it? I know you were worried. But I’m going to be okay. We’re all going to be okay.”
And Yuzu, given the way you picked up and skated with that flower in the final moments of Hana wa Saku…I believe you.
And that’s what I’ll remember about Worlds.
Not the questionable pandemic protocols.
Not the unfair scoring.
Not the medal color.
The way Yuzu lifted us all when he picked up that flower.
Because Yuzu didn’t win Worlds in Stockholm.
He won THE world.
Read the rest of the series, “There’s a Global Pandemic…”, HERE.
This blog post is featured on the third BONUS episode of “Yuzuru Hanyu is My Emergency Contact” – The FanyuFanme Podcast.
Listen now on SPOTIFY or find it on THESE OTHER PLATFORMS.
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