Figure Skating

[Salacious Kitty]

Congrats to Isabeau. She brought it when it counted. Bradie bled points away, and was still gifted almost 140. 

So close Amber! Maybe she can land it at Worlds. No way they don't send the top 3. Starr can go to 4CCs. 

Josephine Lee is one to watch in juniors. Very impressive debut. 

[specialj67]

Agree that Bradie’s FS score was kinda ridiculous, but still impressive to see that much improvement from 2-3 months ago. Very happy to see Amber didn’t let the small mistakes get to her; both of her programs this season seem like much better vehicles for her than the soft, sad girl ballad stuff she’d been doing before. Isabeau’s win is well-deserved, but I do wonder about her jump technique and how it will serve her if she has a growth spurt. She seem to hunch over quite a bit for the toe pick jumps. 

Edited January 29, 2023 by specialj67

[Lady Whistleup]

Isabeau seems to have that classic Eteri-girl jump technique of lurching forwards after a jump and pre-rotating a lot. She;s only 15, wonder if she'll keep her jumps.

This isn't nice to say but after watching the men's SP, the ladies' FS was such a letdown. No one is really pushing the envelope, except for Amber Glenn's gutsy attempt at a 3A. Most skaters are skating to either ballads or muzak. Idk why the men in the US are so competitive, while the ladies are just not.

[Snow Apple]

15 minutes ago, Lady Whistleup said:

Isabeau seems to have that classic Eteri-girl jump technique of lurching forwards after a jump and pre-rotating a lot. She;s only 15, wonder if she'll keep her jumps.

This isn't nice to say but after watching the men's SP, the ladies' FS was such a letdown. No one is really pushing the envelope, except for Amber Glenn's gutsy attempt at a 3A. Most skaters are skating to either ballads or muzak. Idk why the men in the US are so competitive, while the ladies are just not.

I'm glad you said it first. I was afraid to post about how bored I was. It's not even the lack of triple axels and quad jumps. I loved ladies figuring skating in the 80's and 90's which didn't have any of that (except for a few), but they had....something that's missing these days.

[Avaleigh]

2 hours ago, Lady Whistleup said:

Most skaters are skating to either ballads or muzak.

This is an area where I really want to see a change. They have more music options than ever, yet a lot of people choose boring, sad, generic stuff. Where is the excitement? It doesn’t even necessarily have to be up tempo but at least choose something with passion.

Amber was a chief offender in this regard for the last two seasons, but this year I feel like she made great choices. I'm really looking forward to seeing her hit everything at Worlds. 

Edited January 28, 2023 by Avaleigh

[alexa]

12 hours ago, CeeBeeGee said:

I was thinking that last night--J&T were rhapsodizing about her SP, and I was like, she looked completely blank out there--if not terrified--until her step sequence. That's not artistry. And when you've got such wonderful music (I love that adaptation of East of Eden, much better IMO than the 1955 movie), you need to feel it.

I think that is the issue is that everyone is trying to be so polite about her because she has gone through a lot of emotional issues, and I get that.  But there is a reason she is scored lower (such as the short program), as the judges can sense she isn't really there--it is just someone moving around without any feeling.  And that is so important.  I was thinking as Amber skated her long program--she has never been a favorite of mine, but she has guts and determination out there every time and you can feel that she is loving her sport.  

[annzeepark914]

IMO, once they allowed vocals, the music choices have been mostly awful. Those sappy ballads, especially the ones sung in a whisper? The skaters usually skate over this music, not with it as there's no real beat. The audience always perks up as soon as they hear the start of an upbeat tune. Bradie's SP music was soft, but her choreography & exceptional skating fit the music perfectly. Back in the 90's, one of the top skaters said that piano-only music was risky as a fall is much more memorable (or something like that). 

[Avaleigh]

Whoa, what happened with Olga? 18th in the long?

[Jaded]

I was telling Tara to stfu last night after the women's long was over and she was ranking the ladies in the way that happens each time a really young newbie to seniors wins. 

[iMonrey]

Quote

Josephine Lee is one to watch in juniors. Very impressive debut. 

She was a highlight for me. 

I think it's way too early to put all our eggs into the Isabeau basket. She's only 15. How many times have we seen some little pipsqueak grab the spotlight out of nowhere, be prematurely crowned Next Olympic Champion, and then hit a growth spurt or injury and drop off the face of the earth? 

Quote

This isn't nice to say but after watching the men's SP, the ladies' FS was such a letdown. No one is really pushing the envelope, except for Amber Glenn's gutsy attempt at a 3A. Most skaters are skating to either ballads or muzak. Idk why the men in the US are so competitive, while the ladies are just not.

Yeah, this. Even Isabeau isn't doing anything other skaters aren't, except for maybe the triple Lutz triple loop. Starr has been around for years and still skates without a Lutz. I don't get how any of these ladies think they can be competitive on an international level.

[Avaleigh]

14 minutes ago, iMonrey said:

I don't get how any of these ladies think they can be competitive on an international level.

Even Amber? She has the goods. The jumps aren't suspect, no UR issues, the technique is perfect. We know she can do the triple axel.

Yes, she needs to be a little more reliable in terms of delivering a clean program,  but she has the potential to be competitive internationally. 

[anniebird]

As someone who loves to watch figure skating without possessing the know-how to analyze it, I loved Isabeau Levito's long program. She makes the jumps look easy and has the artistry to match. She reminds me of Michelle Kwan, my all-time favorite ladies' skater. Now you can all jump on me and tell me how wrong I am.

[honeywest]

1 hour ago, Jaded said:

I was telling Tara to stfu last night after the women's long was over and she was ranking the ladies in the way that happens each time a really young newbie to seniors wins. 

I’m always telling Tara to stfu.

[Jaded]

Edited January 28, 2023 by Jaded

[annzeepark914]

1 hour ago, anniebird said:

As someone who loves to watch figure skating without possessing the know-how to analyze it, I loved Isabeau Levito's long program. She makes the jumps look easy and has the artistry to match. She reminds me of Michelle Kwan, my all-time favorite ladies' skater. Now you can all jump on me and tell me how wrong I am.

No one should jump on you. We fans are at all levels of figure skating expertise. Some of us have actual experience, some have watched for decades, etc. And sometimes a fan just recognizes certain qualities--a smoothness in movements, jumps, just that certain look (that Michelle had).  Every once in a while I see that smoothness in a skater. 

[emma675]

6 hours ago, specialj67 said:

Isabeau’s win is well-deserved, but I do wonder about her jump technique and how it will serve her if she has a growth spurt. She seem to hunch over quite a bit for the toe pick jumps. 

I really noticed this last night. She seemed to lean so far forward before her toe pick jumps, much more than the other girls. It wasn't all that pretty, although the jump was.

Gracie just needs to retire, there was no joy anywhere on her face from start to finish. She looked blank or scared, it was sad. 

[Frost]

Do brother/sister pairs, like the Browns, have a harder time with scoring?  They are kind of limited in terms of the style of their routines.  I mean, they can't go sexy (at least, I hope they don't!).

[CherryMalotte]

13 minutes ago, annzeepark914 said:

No one should jump on you. We fans are at all levels of figure skating expertise. Some of us have actual experience, some have watched for decades, etc. And sometimes a fan just recognizes certain qualities--a smoothness in movements, jumps, just that certain look (that Michelle had).  Every once in a while I see that smoothness in a skater. 

Amen to all of this.

Jumps are great, quads are fine and all - but I find skaters that have the gift of really feeling the music are the most beautiful to watch.  Seeing Jason Brown over the years with his gains in artistry and his joy of skating is such a treasure and a gift to the viewers.   

[anniebird]

Just now, CherryMalotte said:

Amen to all of this.

Jumps are great, quads are fine and all - but I find skaters that have the gift of really feeling the music are the most beautiful to watch.  Seeing Jason Brown over the years with his gains in artistry and his joy of skating is such a treasure and a gift to the viewers.   

So true - I would much rather watch Jason Brown than almost any other male skater. 

[Crs97]

Isabeau reminded me of Sasha Cohen if she ever had skated a clean long program.

I remember when the women’s LP closed out the competition.  When did that change?  

[annzeepark914]

24 minutes ago, Crs97 said:

Isabeau reminded me of Sasha Cohen if she ever had skated a clean long program.

I remember when the women’s LP closed out the competition.  When did that change?  

Probably when the men's skating got more exciting (quads).

[Tippi]

I wish Johnny would knock off the Terrence stuff.  I know (and enjoy) the chemistry between Johnny, Tara, and Terry, but the Terrence remarks, said oh so archly, have become like nails on a chalkboard for me.

Skating wise: wow, did Bradie make a comeback!  I think she's now skating better than ever.  I love Isabeau's competitive nerve and that balletic style of hers.  Josephine is sure someone to watch over the next few years.  Good for Amber!  I'm very glad she made the Worlds team.

Ilia is the Quad God!  Gorgeous jumps.  Johnny and Tara are now Nathan who?  They are solidly on the Ilia train.  Mesmerizing short from Jason.  He is one of a kind. 

I haven't seen the Dance long yet.  There were a lot of good RDs.  Zingas & Kolesnik sure have made a big leap up the standings--very impressive for a team that has only been together for a year.

 

[meep.meep]

4 hours ago, honeywest said:

I’m always telling Tara to stfu.

It's definitely a thing.  But I find myself telling Johnnie to stfu even more.

[anniebird]

1 hour ago, Tippi said:

I wish Johnny would knock off the Terrence stuff.  I know (and enjoy) the chemistry between Johnny, Tara, and Terry, but the Terrence remarks, said oh so archly, have become like nails on a chalkboard for me.

 

 

There are things I enjoy about Johnny Weir - I like him much better as a commentator than as a skater - but there are also things I find hugely annoying and this is one of them. 

Edited January 28, 2023 by anniebird

[annzeepark914]

I always chuckle whenever Johnny disses a skater for skating without any facial expression. That's how I remember him as a skater. It might have been in his final year of competing (??) when he selected Poker Face for one of his programs, that I couldn't stop smirking. He is a piece of work.

[Tippi]

I just watched the Free Dances and I have to say WOW to Zingas/Kolesnik.  I feel like they can be a major player in the future.  I love how well matched they are physically and artistically. 

[CeeBeeGee]

6 hours ago, emma675 said:

Gracie just needs to retire, there was no joy anywhere on her face from start to finish. She looked blank or scared, it was sad. 

Fully agree. I got roasted on FB for pointing out how blank she looked--one person told me "Gracie, like me, suffers from RBF. I assure you, she loves skating." RBF or no, she's going to get downgraded for looking like that.

I was experiencing 1996 floor compulsories realness when the Mukhovs started skating.

 

[annzeepark914]

30 minutes ago, CeeBeeGee said:

I was experiencing 1996 floor compulsories realness when the Mukhovs started skating.

 

I kept thinking of the Protopopovs 😎.

[Lady Whistleup]

I feel like Gracie's skating simply hasn't grown at all. Her presentation is still very 2014, even though her jumps, spins, skating skills have all deteriorated. 

It's weird, she seems like a super-intelligent person and she could probably succeed in all sorts of things, but is stuck on skating.

[annzeepark914]

8 hours ago, Frost said:

Do brother/sister pairs, like the Browns, have a harder time with scoring?  They are kind of limited in terms of the style of their routines.  I mean, they can't go sexy (at least, I hope they don't!).

The Shibutani siblings did very well despite having to avoid romantic themes. 

[MaryMitch]

On 1/27/2023 at 2:41 PM, annzeepark914 said:

There's a nice article about Ilia in today's Washington Post (I don't know how to "gift" an article...maybe someone else here can??):

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/olympics/2023/01/26/ilia-malinin-figure-skating-quadg0d/

So rare these days to get any coverage of figure skating in the Post. I added the names of several other metro DC skaters competing this weekend to the comments section (Michael Parsons, Emily Bratti, Ian Sommerville, and Caleb Wein). 

 

Here is a gift link: https://wapo.st/3DkXIFm

(Gift articles are good for 14 days. After that it will count against the number of free articles a non-subscriber gets.)

Edited January 29, 2023 by MaryMitch

[annzeepark914]

OK, darn it, I'm selfish! I want Knierem & Frasier and Chock/Bates to compete one more year. Of course, I can't blame them for wanting/needing a break from the daily practice grind. But watching these two teams compete this weekend has been such a (pairs and ice dance) skate fan pleasure...especially pairs!  I think it was due to Tai & Randy that I began to really follow competitive figure skating. They seemed to "modernize" pairs, IMO.

[iMonrey]

In the singles events, what was up with the score box whenever there was a step sequence? The score kept coming up 0.00 and sitting there for a minute before it changed to numbers. It did that consistently with both mens and ladies. But only on step sequences.

Pairs was pretty much a splat-fest except for Knierim and Frazier. 

OMG. Jenni Meno and Todd Sand are old now. Which means . . . I am very, very old. 

[MaryMitch]

5 minutes ago, iMonrey said:

In the singles events, what was up with the score box whenever there was a step sequence? The score kept coming up 0.00 and sitting there for a minute before it changed to numbers. It did that consistently with both mens and ladies. But only on step sequences.

Pairs was pretty much a splat-fest except for Knierim and Frazier. 

OMG. Jenni Meno and Todd Sand are old now. Which means . . . I am very, very old. 

I hate that score box they're using for the US competition. For the European they're using the "Show the base and show the GOE" instead of "Show the base and the final score". I like seeing the GOE separately; I shouldn't have to do math to figure out the GOE. Why are they playing around with that?

[ML89]

What cracked me up with the score box was, at one point in the free dance, Ben was talking about points and the box wasn’t there. It then immediately appeared, as I’m sure someone looked at the on air feed and started yelling…

I thought Ben Agosto was terrific. I’m also really impressed with him, Terry and Johnny coordinating outfits. 

it’s also been hilarious to see one of those “join US figure skating” PSAs that ends with Brian Boitano in his “Pete Pepper, Pride of the Piedmont” costume - first talking to Scott and then looking at the camera. 

[meep.meep]

1 hour ago, MaryMitch said:

I hate that score box they're using for the US competition. For the European they're using the "Show the base and show the GOE" instead of "Show the base and the final score". I like seeing the GOE separately; I shouldn't have to do math to figure out the GOE. Why are they playing around with that?

I also miss the row of dots that showed when part of the program was under review and whether it passed or failed.

[Avaleigh]

My heart broke for Loena. She was so disappointed in her skate. That moment where she put the stuff animal in front of her face so that the camera wouldn't see how upset she was really got to me. 

Is it ironic that a Russian won the ladies event even with the ban? Gubanova is strong and there's an elegance to her in a way, but I can't overlook those terrible spins. I really wish Loena had won because she's the complete package. 

Kimmy's jumps are so tiny. Her skating overall is okay, but her excitement at winning a medal was infectious. I'm happy for her even though I wish it had been Kurakova on the podium. I think she was even more excited than Gubanova.

[honeywest]

2 hours ago, iMonrey said:

 

OMG. Jenni Meno and Todd Sand are old now. Which means . . . I am very, very old. 

She’s 52 and he’s 59. I am very, very old myself.

[Crs97]

I felt old, too, when I saw them.  I remember watching them skate to “Going to the Chapel”  after getting engaged.

I could see that Chock and Bates were technically on another level, but I did not enjoy their program.  She was the wind?  Why was her expression “constipated” throughout?

[Sarahsmile416]

33 minutes ago, Crs97 said:

I felt old, too, when I saw them.  I remember watching them skate to “Going to the Chapel”  after getting engaged.

I could see that Chock and Bates were technically on another level, but I did not enjoy their program.  She was the wind?  Why was her expression “constipated” throughout?

As I understood it, she was the flame, he, the wind.  I agree though - while definitely technically amazing, I liked their Daft Punk program last year much better

[annzeepark914]

43 minutes ago, Sarahsmile416 said:

As I understood it, she was the flame, he, the wind.  I agree though - while definitely technically amazing, I liked their Daft Punk program last year much better

This wasn't the FD they skated at Skate America, right? Wasn't that program OTT romantic (and sleep inducing...so unlike them). During this FD, I kept waiting to see that fabulous lift where she stands on his thigh. Saw a part of it...maybe. 

[Sarahsmile416]

11 minutes ago, annzeepark914 said:

This wasn't the FD they skated at Skate America, right? Wasn't that program OTT romantic (and sleep inducing...so unlike them). During this FD, I kept waiting to see that fabulous lift where she stands on his thigh. Saw a part of it...maybe. 

It looks like it is, but costumes are different.  Possible they tweaked it a bit, but the music is definitely the same…and the sleep inducing quality also the same 

[CherryMalotte]

I really really really hate The Impossible Dream, but if Jason wants to skate to it, that's okay.  Lovely performance. 

[annzeepark914]

7 minutes ago, Sarahsmile416 said:

It looks like it is, but costumes are different.  Possible they tweaked it a bit, but the music is definitely the same…and the sleep inducing quality also the same 

Back at Skate America, Madison went on & on about how the FD was all about their love for each other, how that love has grown. Yesterday's FD didn't look like a love story to me. Whenever Terry tells us what the program/characters are about, I know it won't be a thriller. 

[Lady Whistleup]

Well Ilia Malinin had a rough skate. Still enough to win, but a rough skate.

I love Jason Brown's skating skills, but tht rendition of The Impossible Dream was awful.

[justmehere]

Jason's skate was so beautiful. I wish somehow he'd kept the early arrangement of having the slide go into the last spin. The slide looked rushed today and then awkward into the last jump, which is where he fell. Might have required too much to reorganize it, but here's the earlier bit again for reference (no jumps, which allows for great flow):

The Ina Bauer was also shorter today than in this clip. Dumb jumps taking up space! (Semi-kidding) Still, he won silver, and this time, his PCS was about 9 points higher than Illia's.  

I know Josh Groban isn't a favorite for many, but the song does seem to fit Jason.

[Snow Apple]

I enjoyed Jason Brown's program and I think part of it was that Johnny and Tara didn't speak throughout most of it.

Does anyone know if there will be an exhibition and if it will be shown on tv?

[Lady Whistleup]

Just noticed: Ilia Malinin looks so much like Lucky Spencer (Jonathan Jackson) on General Hospital:

Edited January 30, 2023 by Lady Whistleup

[absnow54]

35 minutes ago, Snow Apple said:

Does anyone know if there will be an exhibition and if it will be shown on tv?

I think they’re airing it next Sunday on NBC at 4PM EST. Before that they’re showing footage from the European competition. 

[AuntieDiane6]

On 1/27/2023 at 10:14 PM, alexa said:

Every time I see Gracie skate it is like watching an empty shell.  She goes through the motions, but there is no energy or personality.  I wish she would know she doesn’t have to skate if she doesn’t love it.  Or maybe she does but just can’t show it effectively.

She should skate to "Waiting on a Miracle" from the Disney film Encanto.... Aside from some film-related lyrics, the song is SO Gracie.  

Always walking alone
Always wanting for more
Like I'm still at that door longing to shine
Like all of you shine

All I need is a change
All I need is a chance
All I know is I can't stay on the side
Open your eyes, open your eyes, open your eyes

I would move the mountains
Make new trees and flowers grow
Someone please just let me know, where do I go?
I am waiting on a miracle, a miracle

I would heal what's broken
Show this family something new
Who I am inside, so what can I do?
I'm sick of waiting on a miracle, so here I go

I am ready, come on, I'm ready
I've been patient, and steadfast, and steady
Bless me now as you blessed us all those years ago
When you gave us a miracle

Am I too late for a miracle?

Edited January 30, 2023 by AuntieDiane6