Robin Cousins - EX (1980)

[TheAdamMiller1]

just incredible i could watch him all day, i look up to him and hopefully one day i'll be like him, truly inspirational.

[Irlandese64]

Robin Cousins=Class Act.

[Cebuana59]

this gave me goose bumps in 1980. still gives me goose bumps every time I watch this performancet. I think Robin was the ice skater who sold this sport to the tropical countries.

[grosminet2224]

La classe à l'état pur ! Perfection du geste jusque dans les moindres détails,musicalité,imagination .......! Un artiste et un sportif hors du commun ! J'ai retrouvé intacte la magie de l'époque ! Quel plaisir !

[sirMEGADACTYL]

I remember this soooo well!!!

The bloke was bloody awesome!!!

[b2367]

Beautiful

Perfect jumps

[KKalGGal]

This utterly thrill me when I watched this 30 years ago ---- still does!

[GrizBear44]

I'll trade his open delayed single axle for a hundred quads. Much more thrilling to watch. In my view Robin was one of the top ten greatest mens single skaters of all time. He was a dancer on skates and could dance to any music - rock to classical - with utter conviction.

[ericanc12]

whoa... that was terrific w/ the MJ music of course!!!

[Fatima502]

As well as the musicality and artistry, it's the height he gets on the jumps. I don't think anyone around now manages to do that.

[jaybee106]

Still the best skater we have ever seen! Today's male skaters are forced into technically difficult but artistically ugly moves, to the deficit of their overall programmes.  Robin Cousins, Toller Cranston and John Curry were the creme de la creme. I wonder how many people watching Dancing on Ice realise that the head judge was a bigger star than all the celebrities that they Oooh and Aaah over.

[manilabynight]

I totally agree. Robin Cousins has grace, elegance and artistry like no other.

If only the current male skaters of today who are more technically skilled can imbibe the same grace and artistry that Robin Cousin has - then we would be a new phenomena born on the ice skating rink. So far, all that is displayed are technically difficult jumps like quads and triples but the elegance and artistic side has diminished a lot!

[krakenwave]

Brings the winter of 79/80 right back

[sophie081213]

As a deep devoted Longtime-Fan of MJ every time I listen to this song I have Robin Cousins in this competition in front of my inner eyes. It was such a perfect dance. I have never seen this elegance on ice again. As said before - now it's only jumping.

[gamine1]

ME TOO!! I just said the same thing to my friend when I said I was about to watch this!

[StLam235]

No-one ever compared to John Curry in my opinion, but Robin Cousins came fairly close.

[ausue82]

My favorite Olympic memory EVER! Love love love Robin Cousins. And MJ for that matter!

[rayza71]

he brought so much personality to the ice! now it seems to be more about fancy moves than anything else :(

[Sundancer2453]

In my 56 years of watching the Olympics, I have to say that Robin remains my favorite skater of ALL time. The beauty in his "length" that brings grace to his moves still brings me joy to watch. There have been many talented skaters over the years, but to combine the immense talent with the ability to entertain and skate as if they were born on the ice....he has it all.

[sandtats]

You said it all! He truly was pure artistry! My favorite of all time; such elegance, "line," and "length."

[nyacoriene]

I'm looking for his exhibition　program "Stray Cat Strut". Someone have? If you have it, please upload!

[skeavney]

Gorgeous skating, as always, from Cousins. I used to watch and hope he'd do the change edge/direction spiral that you can see at 5:25. Skaters probably wouldn't even get credit for doing one now! I'd love to see judges limit skaters to 4 or 5 triple jumps per long program and bring back some originality and style! All the programs are beginning to look alike!

[greshamgirl1]

He has been my favorite for over 20 years,.....he is brilliant!

[geothirtyfive]

There would be no Johnny Weir today if Cousins hadn't lead the way. Hat's off.

[skatebride9205]

0:38 It's Michael!!!!!!!!!!!!! That's my type of skater but you can see how much the skating has got forward!!!

[konked]

I am not a follower, but some have argued that skating is just of mechanic jumping machines doing 4s in a row nowadays.

[lamarin777]

Robin is a great personality in figure skating> There is nothig which he could not do on ice: a great jumper, a fantastic spinner and a wonderful choreographer.

[MunchTheSilivasFan]

he is too awesome

[walktrevor]

well done robin, still send a chill down my spine. excellent. the southmead crew

[LKW0908]

Thank you so much for posting this video! Robin Cousins made me fall in love with figure skating and I am sure the sport would not be what it is today without him. He's the greatest ever!!

[harrisonlvr]

Would love to hear Robin talk about what it felt like to do this routine and what inspired him to choose this MJ song. He's been my #1 since these Olympics and wish we had the opportunity stateside to see all his post Olympic successful accomplishments he has had in GB and on the Continent.  He should sell DVD's of all his work on his website!

[davesk8]

THE BEST.

period.

[betisakatella]

Those were the (happy) days, my friend! Cute Robin Cousins making history at the Lake Placid Olympic Winter Games. An those were the days, too, when Off the Wall was a great no. 1 album. RIP Michael Jackson. Robin was inspired to the top and he did a great, unforgettable performance. Great artists, great skating, great album, great song. Goodbye Michael Jackson. You'll never be forgotten.

[floflo0606]

"We're going somewhere new with this man" (2:50)

That's right - really great

[swimmingSMURF]

he's like a human flea, he jumps so friggin high!

[swimmingSMURF]

:O

O...M...D

[gerihatrix]

He was the finest skater ever. Great to see him perform again here. I wonder if there are any DVDs of his performances?

They'd be such an inspiration to young skaters.

[clarinetlover2012]

I'm gonna see robin in a brand new light when i watch the dancing on ice final tomorrow!

[angelicMisha]

I love watching Dancing On Ice, but I was watching a repeat of a show where they showed a clip of Robin doing the Russian splits, which I thought was amazing. Watching this performance was wonderful, he's so graceful and focused on the ice! It's totally made me respect his scoring and comments on the show even more now.

Wish there was more stuff like this on TV than footie and all that :)

[Elimin8]

It's lovely to be able to see these performances now - as I would have been too young to appreciate them back then. Thanks for the upload.

[amernob]

Wow, I love this! He really gets into this, and his single axels are the best I have ever seen, the sheer height of them are fantastic!

[Eduoceanica]

I´ve seen Robin in professional competition but just now, with you tube, I eas able to watch his amaterur skating. Justo see how MAGNIFICENT he was! Now I watch this video along with a 1991 Rachmaninov exibiton(also posted on you tube, check it out!)almost everyday! I´m a figure skater from Brasil. I can´t imagine how hard it is to be a figure skater in a south american country! We have no rinks (some reeealy small ones), skates ar astronomically expensive and we have no coaches at all!

[motherscousinsmother]

This performance is one of the most memorable moments in TV history.

[amyneilson]

His jump look like he is on strings holdin him in the air. theyre so high an seem to last for ages. Loved the first bit with Michael Jackson. Love skating and MJ = perfect. :D

[cuzzo1987]

i am his nephew!

[konge1]

Lucky you, you better be proud. he was great. Cry when I see this. Yes I was alive in the 80's..

[konge1]

Forgot to tell you, I am a 46 year old women from NOrway.....

[rubywiles2008]

I can only but echo NessaBorealis's note below - a truly nostalgic moment watching this.. and so grateful to the person posting this.. The UK have not been able to produce anything close to Robin or John Curry in nearly 30 years.. but to have enjoyed them both, along with Torvill and Dean makes you proud to have lived in the era of their prime.

[NessaBorealis]

I will never forget watching this when it was originally broadcast. In a chance search today, I finally got to see it again!! Thank you thank you! Robin Cousins is the male skater against whom I measure anyone else I watch...and few compare. He had masculinity, personality, and smooth grace all at once.

[penxtwide]

Phantastic!

[tashasmum]

i'd always heard he was good- but WOW!

[billsally]

He still takes my breath away - this is actually beauty in motion

[lindabrown40]

thanks for posting this. He fabulous skater. Some of the skaters now not a patch on this.

[ispiffey]

He still owns the world record for the longest figure skating jump - 19 ft 1 inch. No one has ever done jumps as huge as these - and, like John Curry, he could do reverse spins too. Amazing.

[trancesgirl]

Robin was an amazing talent - somewhat in the shadows of the Great late John Curry - (check his skating out if you haven't heard of him) - however Robin had a style of his own - this style was copied by many who followed in his footsteps - Robin was artistic and his musical intepreation was second to none. I remember watching him practice at the Bristol Ice Rink - the ice was his and his alone. Thank goodness Robin, Jane and Chris are still promoting the sport.

[skegnesssal]

What does it say about the calibre of the skating and interpretation of the music (and possibly even the choice of music!)that I enjoyed these two performances much much more than any of the 2008 European championships gala performances?

It's almost sad that so much emphasis is placed nowadays on quad and triple jumps, because Robin proves here that such jumps are not the be-all and end-all of skating.

[InXtGam3r]

is that guy on strings when he jumps cos it looks like he's floating and he gets some serious airtime !! great skater , just wow

[sungirl0221]

i could've SWORN this was the first time I saw a back flip on ice... guess I was wrong.

[ispiffey]

Back flips were forbidden in competition - he did them in the exhibition.

[I7emon]

i cant stop watcghing this its awesome!

[I7emon]

awesome skater

[aujuma]

Oh I've always wanted this one. Didn't have a VCR then!

[elmdelmdelmdelmd]

I can do that

[cuzzo1987]

can't believe so much hype is going into this after almost 30 years since he won gold, amazing!

[shortzmad]

does anyone have his long program from 1980? brillaint performance.

[albrecht9287]

robin is a living legend

[044JohnnyDepp]

OMG THIS WAS AMAZING! His footwork went sensational with the song!

[ROUGHBULL]

thank you for posting! i`ve been waiting so long that someone will post it! it brings back all these memories of the lake-placid games and i will never forget this show-program! there are only a few skaters who can dance to "disco" on ice!

[fairfielder]

Bar none, the finest, most stretched out camel spins ever spun! The one at the very end was absolutely breathtaking...my kind of skating...long edges, extensive gliding, and superb body line with musicality to boot! And as others commented, the open axel to start the "MJ" program was UNREAL! I mean the height and distance covered...like he FLEW! lol...thanks for posting this!

[1814Brandan]

Mr. Cousins put his thang DOWN.

[PishPosh99]

That was awesome..the footwork and the dancing was amazing!

[FrozenHermit]

Does anyone have his long program from this competition? or even from this season?

[izmargad]

That jump in the beginning was drop dead amazing:) What height!

[earthlyme]

COOL!!! that was great!!!!!!