Figure Skating

[ChicksDigScars]

2 hours ago, TwoBitUsherette said:

Tarah Kayne has already announced on Instagram that she and Danny are skating to Carmen next season.

 

[annzeepark914]

4 hours ago, TwoBitUsherette said:

Tarah Kayne has already announced on Instagram that she and Danny are skating to Carmen next season.

 

Hey, y'all...Carmen isn't all that bad. I mean, it's not like the dreary Otonal. Look on the bright side (😁)...they could've picked Hallelujah.

[ChicksDigScars]

1 hour ago, annzeepark914 said:

Hey, y'all...Carmen isn't all that bad. I mean, it's not like the dreary Otonal. Look on the bright side (😁)...they could've picked Hallelujah.

Well....they still need to pick a short program, right? I assume Carmen is for the long? 

[healthnut]

I don’t notice that many people using Otonal. Carmen and Turandot are two pieces I don’t EVER need to hear again.

[KittenPokerCheater]

24 minutes ago, healthnut said:

Carmen and Turandot are two pieces I don’t EVER need to hear again.

Can we add Moulin Rogue to that list?  Or at least put it on pause for the next ten years?

[ML89]

47 minutes ago, ChicksDigScars said:

Well....they still need to pick a short program, right? I assume Carmen is for the long? 

If someone would skate to the Gilligan's Island version of Carmen, with the Hamlet lyrics, I would stan them forever.

[lurkerbee]

7 hours ago, ChicksDigScars said:

Whatever happened to Robby Benson. He was one of the "it" heartthrobs of the 70's. Couldn't act for shit, but was kinda cute. His voice grated on my last nerve, though.

 

Thirty years ago he was the voice of Beast in Disney's classic, animated "Beauty & The Beast."

3 hours ago, KittenPokerCheater said:

Can we add Moulin Rogue to that list?  Or at least put it on pause for the next ten years?

Please do. If I never hear "Come What May" or "Tango Roxanne" again, it will be too soon.

2 hours ago, ML89 said:

If someone would skate to the Gilligan's Island version of Carmen, with the Hamlet lyrics, I would stan them forever.

Yes! I knew the Gilligan's Island version before I even knew what Carmen was.

Edited February 18, 2020 by lurkerbee

[displayname]

15 hours ago, ChicksDigScars said:

Well....they still need to pick a short program, right? I assume Carmen is for the long? 

They have the cultural dance theme for the next season's SD, IIRC.

[SeanC]

1 hour ago, displayname said:

They have the cultural dance theme for the next season's SD, IIRC.

That’s ice dance, not pairs.

[displayname]

24 minutes ago, SeanC said:

That’s ice dance, not pairs.

Oh, darn, misread the names. But I definitely am dreading the cultural SD theme.

[KittenPokerCheater]

How are they defining cultural dance?  Does it have to be a culture from the team’s home country? 

 

Will they all be dancing in yogurt costumes?  

(I’ll show myself out).

[CeeBeeGee]

On 2/17/2020 at 1:05 PM, ChicksDigScars said:

Sixteen year old figure skater/thirtysomething sportscaster. I'm thinking SafeSport would be all over that shit. now. 

As much as I love that movie, it is very much a guilty pleasure. My favorite part is--let's all stop to watch the skater throw her most difficult jump...in the half-darkness...on a rink which has a bunch of heavy metal equipment and cables at one end. What could possibly go wrong?

(And no one ever seems to skate a short program!)

[annzeepark914]

2 hours ago, KittenPokerCheater said:

How are they defining cultural dance?  Does it have to be a culture from the team’s home country? 

 

Will they all be dancing in yogurt costumes?  

(I’ll show myself out).

I wonder if TPTB are trying to avoid skaters having to appear in leiderhosen or other old world costumes, having to skate to bouncy old folk music. Thus, cultural dance is vague enough to allow skaters to use more modern themes, music, etc.  Just a thought. I sure haven't seen any clear definition of cultural dance.

[SeanC]

I believe the term they're using is folk dance, same as the 2009-10 short dance (and Domnina/Shabalin's heinous Aborigines-themed piece).

[Sew Sumi]

Yeah, I've also seen it referred to as a Folk Dance with Yankee Polka pattern.

[SeanC]

1 minute ago, Sew Sumi said:

Yeah, I've also seen it referred to as a Folk Dance with Yankee Polka pattern.

It was originally announced as using part of the Ravensburger Waltz pattern, but there's been conflicting reports that they're debating changing that to the Yankee Polka.

A nice bit of news for me today, Canadian junior pair girl Brooke McIntosh, who had her first partner retire after their final performance at the Youth Olympics, has got a new partner.  Brooke is a really talented up-and-comer, and I was worried she might struggle to find somebody good, but their elements look really good, especially given what can only have been a few weeks of practice at most.  Their twist, especially, looks great.

[Sew Sumi]

Was her partner the guy who quit to concentrate on school, or am I confusing them with another pair?

[SeanC]

10 minutes ago, Sew Sumi said:

Was her partner the guy who quit to concentrate on school, or am I confusing them with another pair?

Brandon retired because he was graduating high school and decided to go to university.

[Sew Sumi]

Okay, I was thinking about the right pair. Thanks!

[annzeepark914]

1 hour ago, SeanC said:

I believe the term they're using is folk dance, same as the 2009-10 short dance (and Domnina/Shabalin's heinous Aborigines-themed piece).

2009/10 was the season of Davis & White's Bollywood. Maybe we'll get to see some interesting RD's like that (fingers crossed).

[ChicksDigScars]

On 2/18/2020 at 7:15 PM, annzeepark914 said:

2009/10 was the season of Davis & White's Bollywood. Maybe we'll get to see some interesting RD's like that (fingers crossed).

I can just see the ISU instructional video, "As to not repeat what happened in 2009-10, here is the RIGHT way to do it (shows video of Davis and White's Bollywood), and here is what NOT TO DO (shows Domnina and Shabalin Aboriginal clusterfuck)."

The worst part was that Domnina and Shabalin seemed genuinely clueless as to the fuss people made about their costumes. 

[NUguy514]

6 hours ago, ChicksDigScars said:

The worst part was that Domnina and Shabalin seemed genuinely clueless as to the fuss people made about their costumes. 

It's been my experience that people from either very racially homogenous cultures or very privileged bubbles tend to have no clue why their cultural appropriations (whether major or minor) are offensive.  They really don't get it.  I'll never forget an incident while I was living in Sydney in early 2009: one of my close friends from LA was visiting me, and we were invited to go up the coast with an Aussie friend of mine and some of his mates for a few nights.  The second night, one of my Aussie friend's friends got absolutely smashed and started throwing around the n-word (I don't even remember why).  This kid was gay, white, and very privileged.  My LA friend and I are gay, white, and fairly privileged.  The difference is he's Australian and we're American, so our respective associations with the n-word couldn't be more different.  After the first use of the word, my friend and I were completely stunned, and I told him politely but firmly not to use it in our presence.  His response was a drunken "who cares, it's just a word," and then he said it again.  I said to him, essentially, "Yeah, well, you're talking to two people who actually understand the history behind it and for whom it represents the subjugation of one race by another.  It's not just a word.  Don't. say it. again."  He didn't, but he also had absolutely no idea what the big deal was.  I was reminded of that when I saw Domnina and Shabalin in their horrific costumes: they were so completely unaware of how gross they looked and probably didn't get it if it was explained to them why.

[HartofDixie]

Still not over this.

 

[annzeepark914]

I remember that day.  Mr. P914 was working in some country overseas and emailed me that Michelle was #2.  I was so disgusted. To this day I have not seen MK's LP at the '98 O's. I did see Tara's, on tape.

[Mellowyellow]

I watched the broadcast at night in Australia as a kid. I had no idea who either of them were but thought Tara was pretty good so enjoyed the event very much. 

It wasn't until years later that I realised there was all this controversy around her win. I still think Tara was better on that night in all honesty.

[displayname]

I think the women's event at the olympics is usually the least controversial for me, even if they generate a lot more controversy than the other events. The only events I really, truly disagree with are Sochi and Lillehammer (and Ito at Calgary should have won, but she was never considered more than a jumping bean for her career, unfortunately). Zagitova in 2018 is fine, Sarah Hughes, Tara...

I don't think I can fathom men's events at all for some years though. Why did Urmanov or Petrenko win? Why was Plushenko silver at SLC over Goebel? Why did Lysacek win?

Edited February 21, 2020 by displayname

[Mellowyellow]

Had to Google Lillihammer to remember who won. Oh my Baiul's jumps were awful! More awful than I remember.

People whinge about quads and the Eteri Kid's jumps but I'm glad we're not watching two footed jumps, doubled meant to be triples, ugly spins I can't identify and general prancing around on ice. Yikes!

[Jeddah]

9 hours ago, Mellowyellow said:

I watched the broadcast at night in Australia as a kid. I had no idea who either of them were but thought Tara was pretty good so enjoyed the event very much. 

It wasn't until years later that I realised there was all this controversy around her win. I still think Tara was better on that night in all honesty.

We are certainly the minority in that, but I agree about Tara. She had a triple-triple and a triple-half loop-triple (right at the end!). She was much faster. And performance-wise she just exuded joy. Michelle was beautiful and clean, but she seemed cautious.

[doodlebug]

2 hours ago, Jeddah said:

We are certainly the minority in that, but I agree about Tara. She had a triple-triple and a triple-half loop-triple (right at the end!). She was much faster. And performance-wise she just exuded joy. Michelle was beautiful and clean, but she seemed cautious.

Unfortunately, Michelle seemed to freeze up in the Olympics and never gave her best performances there.  Her talent and artistry far exceeded Tara's on her best day, though and the sheer happiness and excitement Michelle usually brought to her performances was exceptional, too.  Except at the Olympics.  On that day, Tara was better because of her jumps, but, overall, she couldn't hold a candle to what Michelle brought to the sport.  Not to mention Tara's klutzy flutzes that never seemed to be called by the judges.  Quite often, Tara looked heavy footed to me, like she was still wearing the roller skates of her early competitive career.  Her skating never inspired me like Michelle's did.

Edited February 21, 2020 by doodlebug

[ML89]

I still think Stojko should have won the men's at Lillehammer (loved that program) and Torvill and Dean got ripped off in the dance.

(I also loved Terry Gannon apologizing to Tanith for saying he still thought Torvill and Dean were the best).

 

 

Edited February 21, 2020 by ML89

[NUguy514]

Yep, if I live to a thousand, I'll never, ever get over Nagano.  I was a sophomore in college, and my acting teacher accidentally spoiled the results for me.  I ended up being glad because I might've exploded had I experienced it in real (delayed) time.  The creepy, child-pageant smile, the flutzing, the lack of height on her jumps – ugh, I can feel the bile rising.  I also will always believe Michelle would've won if they skated the exact same programs but their skating orders were swapped.  Lillehammer and Sochi were total robberies, and my eye starts twitching when I think about those, but Nagano is probably the one ladies' skating decision I would change if I could change only one.

9 hours ago, displayname said:

Why did Lysacek win?

Because he skated the best.

Edited February 21, 2020 by NUguy514

[displayname]

18 minutes ago, NUguy514 said:

Because he skated the best.

Nah. That Schehrezade is downright awful. Maybe no one should have got a gold medal if that's what is "best" in an event.

Edited February 21, 2020 by displayname

[NUguy514]

28 minutes ago, displayname said:

Nah. That Schehrezade is downright awful. Maybe no one should have got a gold medal if that's what is "best" in an event.

I thought his Firebird was great, and he was the only one to skate cleanly in both programs (Plushy may not have fallen, but both programs were sloppy messes from start to finish).  Whom would you have chosen?

Edited February 21, 2020 by NUguy514

[annzeepark914]

Sheesh...I can still see Plushenko smirking his way around the rink, stopping to do a bump & grind, skating obliviously to the music. Blech. And then, showing his butt during the medal ceremony since he thought *only he* deserved the gold. A real 14k gold horse's heinie.

[Mellowyellow]

With Sochi do you think there would have been as much scandal if Julia had skated her individual programs like she did in the team event and beat Yuna?

I probably would have found it easier to swallow because I thought she packed a punch as the girl in the red dress and was so memorable. Plus her flexibility was amazing.

The girl who won was terrible. All I can remember is that she chopped her way around the ice with very jerky movements. 

ETA: Anyone know why Nathan melted down at the Olympics? I only followed him post Olympics where he is as solid as a rock (lordy I hope that comment doesn't come back to bite me) and can't think of him as the meltdown type so it was very bizzare.

Edited February 21, 2020 by Mellowyellow

[healthnut]

Oh Vancouver, I didn’t love Evan or Plushy. Scheherazade is one those pieces of music I’m so over, too. Didn’t love when Michelle did it in Salt Lake or Davis/White, (at least they were great).

I will forever be Team Nancy, Team Michelle, Team Elena/Anton, & Team Yuna.

[Mittengirl]

8 hours ago, Jeddah said:

And performance-wise she just exuded joy. Michelle was beautiful and clean, but she seemed cautious.

I remember telling my mother, as Tara was skating, that she had won the gold.  Tara skated like she was trying to win an Olympic Gold Medal and Michelle skated like it was just another day at work.  To me, there was never any doubt who should win.  And the right person did win.

[Harry24]

19 hours ago, Mellowyellow said:

Baiul's jumps were awful! More awful than I remember.

I'm glad we're not watching ... ugly spins I can't identify .

I agree with some of your points, mellowyellow, but I thought some of Baiul's jumps were magnificent, even though some (like her inability to do a proper combination) were not acceptable.

And I have to disagree on the spins.  I think the current scoring system and its emphasis on "add more stuff" has killed the beauty and awesomeness of a great, fast, centered spin in a striking position, which was always one of the most exhilarating moves in skating.  I wish a current competitor could get a REALLY big points boost for a spin that's exceptional, like one of Jason Brown's.

[SeanC]

9 hours ago, displayname said:

Nah. That Schehrezade is downright awful. Maybe no one should have got a gold medal if that's what is "best" in an event.

As opposed to who, exactly?

Lysacek was never a favourite of mine, but he was clearly the best man on the day (if there was any issue with the judging in the Vancouver men's event, it was the silliness of him and Plushenko have identical PCS marks in the free skater; Lysacek should have had a multi-point lead based on the difference in transitions alone; Plushenko also somehow won interpretation).

There were definitely men in Vancouver who were better, more interesting skaters to watch (Takahashi and Chan, especially), but neither delivered the way they would have needed to to beat Lysacek.

6 hours ago, Mellowyellow said:

ETA: Anyone know why Nathan melted down at the Olympics? I only followed him post Olympics where he is as solid as a rock (lordy I hope that comment doesn't come back to bite me) and can't think of him as the meltdown type so it was very bizzare.

Why does anyone melt down?  He had a bad experience in the team event that seemed to spiral, maybe he couldn't take the pressure of being expected to win, he had to skate the short program in the individual event right after Hanyu nailed everything, and maybe he just had some off days.

[CeeBeeGee]

13 minutes ago, Harry24 said:

I agree with some of your points, mellowyellow, but I thought some of Baiul's jumps were magnificent, even though some (like her inability to do a proper combination) were not acceptable.

And I have to disagree on the spins.  I think the current scoring system and its emphasis on "add more stuff" has killed the beauty and awesomeness of a great, fast, centered spin in a striking position, which was always one of the most exhilarating moves in skating.  I wish a current competitor could get a REALLY big points boost for a spin that's exceptional, like one of Jason Brown's.

I was 100% Team Oksana in Lillehammer--she fucking fought for it. She doubled that triple and then threw it in at the last minute which always impresses me. Todd Eldridge did the same thing in Nagano--Nancy seemed very...complacent. 

[Mellowyellow]

2 minutes ago, SeanC said:

Why does anyone melt down?  He had a bad experience in the team event that seemed to spiral, maybe he couldn't take the pressure of being expected to win, he had to skate the short program in the individual event right after Hanyu nailed everything, and maybe he just had some off days.

Oh did he do badly in the team event too? I only caught Alina's skate in the team event.

So it was a once off meltdown at a really bad time? I was trying to find out if he was prone to meltdowns before that and had just grown in the last few years post Olympics. I know nothing about him pre Olympics.

Rika's early fans have told me she was a meltdowner in juniors (and I can see it in seniors with the random popped axels too). 

Don't know much about her but I got the impression Sasha Cohen was a meltdowner too.

[SeanC]

13 minutes ago, Mellowyellow said:

So it was a once off meltdown at a really bad time? I was trying to find out if he was prone to meltdowns before that and had just grown in the last few years post Olympics. I know nothing about him pre Olympics.

...

Don't know much about her but I got the impression Sasha Cohen was a meltdowner too.

Chen’s consistency noticeably improved post-Olympics, but I wouldn’t say he was notably disaster-prone beforehand.

Sasha Cohen was the poster girl for nerves.  She had maybe one clean free skate her entire career.

[displayname]

7 hours ago, healthnut said:

Oh Vancouver, I didn’t love Evan or Plushy.

Yeah, I am confused about Takahashi finishing only third lol. He fell once IIRC, but the rest of the skating was so much better than either of theirs.

  

1 hour ago, Harry24 said:

And I have to disagree on the spins.  I think the current scoring system and its emphasis on "add more stuff" has killed the beauty and awesomeness of a great, fast, centered spin in a striking position, which was always one of the most exhilarating moves in skating.  

I actually rewatched, and while I too disagree with mellowyellow, Baiul did a level 4 Camel spin in her free skate 😂 A very nice, finished one though, unlike the ones we see now.

Edited February 22, 2020 by displayname

[NUguy514]

1 hour ago, SeanC said:

Lysacek was never a favourite of mine, but he was clearly the best man on the day (if there was any issue with the judging in the Vancouver men's event, it was the silliness of him and Plushenko have identical PCS marks in the free skater; Lysacek should have had a multi-point lead based on the difference in transitions alone; Plushenko also somehow won interpretation).

TRUTH.  This still makes me queasy to think about.

[Mellowyellow]

Dammit Rika fell. On a freaking toe loop of all things.

I'm not cut out to be her fan. I find it very very very stressful 😫😫😫

I need to peace out or something.

Edited February 22, 2020 by Mellowyellow

[specialj67]

Re: Nathan Chen at the 2018 Olympics, the U.S. media hype around him leading up to those games was intense (for U.S. figure skating). He was heading there undefeated for the season and viewed as a realistic contender for gold, since Hanyu had an injury and was still a bit of a question mark as to whether he would be back at full force. I can’t imagine the kind of mindfuck all of that external, and internal, pressure could create. IIRC, Chen had some LP issues all that season, and was constantly changing some of the jumps around. He depended on the SP more than once to give him enough of a cushion to still win, even when his LPs were less than great. Looking back on it now, those terrible skates at the Olympics seemed inevitable. He was so young and was probably putting an immense amount of pressure on himself, in addition to all of the external pressure/expectations.

[SeanC]

9 hours ago, displayname said:

Yeah, I am confused about Takahashi finishing only third lol. He fell once IIRC, but the rest of the skating was so much better than either of theirs.

He had two underrotations (much more costly under the 2004-2010 version of the IJS), one of them being on the quad that he fell on.  He actually won the PCS in the free skate, but his element score was way behind the other top skaters as a result of the aforesaid.

Edited February 22, 2020 by SeanC

[CeeBeeGee]

13 hours ago, Mellowyellow said:

Don't know much about her but I got the impression Sasha Cohen was a meltdowner too.

Oh God, yes. She was always her own worst enemy.

[Mellowyellow]

3 hours ago, CeeBeeGee said:

Oh God, yes. She was always her own worst enemy.

She would have won Torino. Her skating was gorgeous if only she didn't splat.

I remember the commentary just before her skate about how she was having trouble with practice and her eyes were looking different to how they looked in the SP. It all felt like doom already and then she fell.

To this day it makes me nervous when the girls I like have a bad practice but usually they can have a bad practice and be perfectly fine in the actual skate.

[CeeBeeGee]

38 minutes ago, Mellowyellow said:

I remember the commentary just before her skate about how she was having trouble with practice and her eyes were looking different to how they looked in the SP. It all felt like doom already and then she fell.

Yes, you could see it in the eyes. absolutely. She had the two falls (one was a step out, IIRC) and then she skated exquisitely. It's a testament to how gorgeous her skating was that she got the silver, which Slutskaya's team naturally contested. (Please, Irina. There's no contest.) And she was so GOOD in her short program! I loved Dark Eyes.