Pic of the Week

This Pic of the Week comes a day early as tomorrow I'm heading to Georgia for 4th of July festivites (WIN!!!).

Thinking about the 4th of July got me thinking about Michael Weiss 2004 U.S. Nationals Free Skate. I always called it the '4th of July' program because of all the patriotic music selections: When Johnny Comes Marching Home, Amazing Grace, Battle Hymn of the Republic...how could you not feel patriotic after that program!

Just so happens that Andrea "Hoo" Chempinski had a great picture of Michael Weiss performing this program at her website http://www.scratchspin.com/. If I recall, Michael slipped in for second place at this competition, right behind Johnny Weir. Matt Savoie was the bronze medalist...I think?

I scoured the Internet for a video of this program only to turn up empty handed...a picture will simply have to do. But I did find this video way back from 1998 of Michael Weiss coming oh so close to successfully landing a quad lutz (I believe he was the first skater to attempt that quad...not Evgeny Plushenko...just managed to answer another question I had from my Q&A Session!). Enjoy!

The Op-Ed: Fair vs Ferocious

Three cheers for Jenny Kirk for standing up for all the skaters out there! Guess what, they are people too!

One of the main reasons I began this blog (in 2005...wow!) was because I hated the divisiveness I found on so many web boards and forums. I wanted a place where I could voice my opinion in a fair, honest, and open way without being bombarded with crude, nasty comments. You'll find no link on my blog to all the web boards that exist out there...that's by design.

Jenny Kirk writes a blog at True/Slant and her current topic discusses the content found on the message boards about the skaters. She puts you in the seat of the skater and asks that you look at it from their point of view. Can you believe on a particular web board, Jenny Kirk was said to look like a "starving Auschwitz survivor." Did someone really write that? Jenny, should you stumble across this, I think you are a lovely skater and are just wonderful!

There is a fine line between being critical of skater and being down right out-of-place. We all watch skaters and like or dislike a performance, or choreography. We may think that a skater makes a poor music choice (just recently I've mentioned my dislike of Mirai Nagasu's music choice for this season) or we might just think they have been of the rails recently. This is okay, but attacking someone personally, or going after their character, or just being downright mean is uncalled for.

I'm proud that the figure skating community I support is not the 'unfriendly' one Kirk writes about. The links on this blog won't take you anywhere that would speak of a skater in such a way. If there are any skaters out there reading this, welcome to Online Figure Skating Fans Version 2.0...some of us are trying to change the mold!

Around the World

In Russia, Mao Asada is the buzz this week as she trains with Tatiana Tarasova in Moscow. I cannot find a translated version, but @tokitama69 has posted an interview with Fuji T.V. Mao gave in Moscow on her blog.

Canadian Joannie Rochette has just returned from Peru with some eye opening experiences. She was there to help World Vision Canada get their message across and to see firsthand how Canadian contributions to World Vision are impacting life in Peru. "It wasn't too hard. There was only one time that I cried because it was too much but, even though the people were very poor, they were happy to get help from World Vision and you could really see the difference it made in their lives," Joannie told Ice Network. Also in Canada, casting has begun for CBC's "Battle of the Blades." The show will pair hockey players with female figure skaters and I'm sure hilarity will ensue.

In Japan, Johnny Weir is entertaining fans in Kanazawa, Japan. He's been tweeting about how much he loves it there and how he is looking forward to rocking Lady Gaga's 'Poker Face" for his fans. Also in Japan, Daisuke Takahashi (Looking quite posh! Love the tan and hair!) has resumed his training (jumps still look a little rusty) and @tokitama69 has also posted that video as well.

News out of Italy is reporting that Carolina Kostner is trying out with a new coach for two weeks...that would be Frank Carroll! The Italian national sports newspaper "Gazette of the Sport" is saying while Kostner hasn't made her final decision, she will be in L.A. with Carroll for the next few weeks to try the partnership out. Carroll is also quoted as saying he'd be happy to train her and "Carolina is a lovely girl, she only needs to be more consistent".

Lots taking place here in the U.S. First a happy story! Caroline Zhang had her luggage, complete with skates, stolen from her at the airport just yesterday. After nearly a day of police searching, her skates were recovered. I tweeted her saying she should "pull some celebrity cred, flash some Junior World bling, and ask the officers to hurry." she didn't think that would work, but glad all is resolved. Ice Network is spilling the beans on tons of music choices for next season, you can check it out here, but I will mention that we cannot go a single season without someone using "Carmen." Ugh! Mirai Nagasu has chosen to use it this upcoming season for her free skate and that makes me sad. Finally, Kimmie Meissner (Sounding more confident and looking very fit!) is looking to famed ballet instructor Gyula Pandi to help her with her style. "It was a shock, at first, when I met him," Meissner said. "I was, like, blown away by everything he told me. He pulls out these words of wisdom all the time. And I just soak it in. He brings so much to what I do because he helps me realize little things that can make [my performance] 10 times better."

A final bit of news from Azerbaijan, Ice Dancers Fraser and Lukanin have retired from competitive skating citing physical stress and financial hardship.

Remembering...

What a sad day. This is how I choose to remember:

The Op-Ed: Am I sipping on the Euro Haterade?

For my Q&A earlier this week, Susan at Lifeskate asked me a question...'Which skaters do I feel are overrated?'

I thought about this for sometime and my short list included Evgeny Plushenko, Carolina Kostner, and Laura Lepisto.

Enter Sirprongs, who in a comment noticed that I was lavishing praise on North American and Asian skaters while criticizing European Skaters. Interesting...

I decided to continue my list of overrated skaters after reading that comment. I'd put Brian Joubert on that list, Khoklova and Novitski, Domnina and Shabalin (uh oh!)...I'm realizing that these are all European skaters.

So I put myself to task on really thinking about North American and Asian skaters I feel are overrated. Trouble is...I couldn't think of any.

So I found myself in a quandry..."Wow, do I just dislike European skaters? No, no, that can't be right...can it?" So I put myself to task on creating a list of European skaters I like that I feel are NOT overrated. Thankfully, this was not a problem. Stéphane Lambiel, Kerr and Kerr, Tomas Verner, Sergei Voronov, Samuel Contesti, Kavaguti and Smirnov, Kiira Korpi, Delobel and Schoenfelder, Kevin Van Der Perren, Savchenko and Szolkowy, and more.

So, therefore, I believe it to be pure coincidence that the skaters I feel are highly overrated are European. It's not a regional or continental thing, it's a style skating skills thing.

But I still wonder if my style preferences are influenced in some way. I also interested in knowing who others feel are overrated.

Pic of the Week

Alissa Czisny, I feel, is getting lost in translation.

Out of retirement translation that is.

The Olympic Games are looming and the U.S. has only two spots available (insert horrified gasp....here!). All the attention seems to be going towards Cohen's return and the part in a horror/suspense movie when you know something is coming but it takes forever...kind of like Kwan's decision to return or not. Alissa Czisny is a fan favorite...until past champions return.

But what of our National Champion? My goodness, you have to really think about it to remember that she IS the reigning National Champ. Snubbed for Skate America 'just in case' Kwan comes back, free skate not even shown on T.V. from L.A., little media attention. At least Skating Magazine had the good graces to give her 4 pages in their June/July edition.

I was talking ice with a friend and her comment shocked me' "Well, Alissa blew it in L.A., so if she doesn't make the Olympic Team I won't feel bad for her." Ouch! But I get the feeling that there is a general consensus out there that Alissa isn't one of the two 'candidates of choice' for Vancouver. Maybe the comment my friend made wasn't off base at all? Maybe I'm wrong, but when you think about who should be on that Olympic team does Czisny come to mind as a leading candidate (chance for Czisny fans to come to the rescue here!)?

Anywho, it's her birthday tomorrow and she's turning the ripe ole' age of 22. That does make her one of the 'older' (but certainly not the oldest) ladies that will be competing for a shot in Vancouver but by no means 'over the hill.' (Glasses raised) Here's to Czisny; that she have a great birthday and may she not be completely invisible next season (clink!).

Q and A Part 2

So yesterday I spilled the beans about myself, today I answer some of the burning skating questions you all had for me.

Question received via e-mail - What is your favorite Olympic figure skating moment?
A: The sad part is that so many have just not panned out. My would be favorite moments have actually been let downs. Nancy losing in 1994, Eldredge in 1998, Michelle in 1998 and 2002, Sasha in 2006. I haven't really gotten my Olympic figure skating wish yet. But of all those great moments that have happened, I'd say that Sale and Pelletier's 2002 Olympic Free was pretty amazing (the fallout from it less so).

Question received via blog - I always wonder, how did you get all those latest news on skating? From Asia to Europe, you know everything that's going on! Do you just keep searching? And! Do you skate? Have you tried?
A: The best source of news on figure skating is from the figure skating fans themselves...in online form, that would be fellow bloggers. I generally keep good tabs on places that report figure skating news such as the U.S. Figure Skating website, Skate Canada website, Ice Network, etc. Social media also helps keep me connected, Twitter has been an amazing tool. I follow individuals from all over...Korea, U.K., France, Japan, Canada, and Russia. They help keep connected to whats going on in their 'neck of the woods.' As for skating, when I was a wee young lad living in Seattle I did 'dabble' at skating. I was never very good and had way more fun watching than actually skating. I like that I have done it because I appreciate how hard it really is and recognize the extraordinary talent competitive skaters have.

Question received via Twitter - Do you only like eligible skating? The only time you mention professional skaters is when they are on reality shows.
A: No, I love professional skaters tremendously. Remember, they used to be my favorite eligible skaters! Unfortunately, they just aren't as broadcast these days as they used to be (insert sad face). But any opportunity I have to mention pros, I usually try to take.

Question received via e-mail - Who is your favorite Korean skater? Do you think Korea has a chance to make more than one podium finish in Olympics in Canada?
A: Well the obvious answer to your question is Kim Yu-Na! I think she is brilliant. On an aside, I kind of took a liking to another young Korean competitor at the Four Continents Cup in Vancouver, Kim Min-Seok. As far as the podium in Vancouver (2010 that is), barring disaster I put money on that Kim Yu-Na will be on the podium. As far as anyone else, doubtful. The depth in the Korean team isn't quite there yet, but I firmly believe it's one of the hardest working teams out there and I foresee an emerging powerhouse in skating in the near future.

Question received via e-mail - Do you think Michelle Kwan will comeback this season?
A: If you had asked me that up until a month ago I would have said no. But the mystery spot at Skate America combined with the fact that Michelle wont simply answer the question (why keep people in suspense if you know you're not?) makes me think she's at least considering it. It doesn't take a genius to figure out who U.S. Figure Skating would like to give that final spot at Skate America to and I don't think they would deny a berth to another U.S. Skater based on a whim...there is something going on behind the scenes here. I think Michelle will comeback if she feels she can be competitive.

Question received via e-mail - 1998, Michelle or Tara?
A: Ah...one of the greatest skating debates ever. This one is tough. Tara had speed and youthful exuberance...and a ridiculous arsenal of jumps while Michelle had beauty, grace, line, expression. I feel with this I'm totally biased...but I say Michelle. While I give it to Tara for going gang busters out there, I don't think Kwan's beauty could even be approached by Tara (Lu Chen was about the only skater I thought on par artistically with Kwan that night). And while Kwan was a bit cautious, I don't feel it distracted from the overall feel of her program which was mesmerizing. I think I would have judged it close with a Kwan victory.

Question received via e-mail - I would like to see you mention which competitions you'll be going to for the upcoming season. Who knows, others may be planning to go to them (Skate America, Nationals) and you guys could have a blog party.
A: Well, I am teetering on Skate America. The problem is that is the same weekend my friend is getting married. But if per chance Michelle Kwan ends up at Skate America...I just don't know what I'll do! I've been to every U.S. Nationals since 2001 however I think this will be the first one I'll miss (I'm not a fan of the two weekend format) but I am considering (considering...) going to Canadian Nationals in London, Ontario. Should Michelle end up at U.S. Nationals, I think I'd probably fly out to Spokane for the ladies event. The only other event I had in my head to go to was Worlds in Turin, Italy...but my job at the unnamed healthcare organization may actually prevent that...we'll see. As far as a blog party, it's a great idea! Myself and Jumping Clapping Man actually met at World's in L.A., we could certainly plan a bigger blog convention!

Question received via Twitter - Who do you think will medal at the Olympics from the U.S.? Who is the most overrated skater in your mind? Underrated?
A: Tough! Let's see, if I had to predict who will medal in Vancouver for the U.S. I'd go with Belbin and Agosto, Evan Lysacek, and outside of that I can't say. The Grand Prix Series will help me crunch those predictions a bit better...I'm on the fence with skaters like Jeremy Abbott and Davis and White. And I don't even think I can begin to speculate on U.S. ladies. Overrated...in my opinion, Evgeny Plushenko! I don't get what is so spectacular about him other than his jumping prowess. I find his style phony and uninteresting and the applied machismo unflattering at best. I'm still appalled at his short program score from the 2006 Olympics...are you kidding me? I think Laura Lepisto and Carolina Kostner are a bit overrated as well. Underrated...lots, but the team that comes to mind immediately is the British Ice Dance Team of Kerr and Kerr. I think they should be ranked right up there with the best and the judges seem to hold them back a bit, not sure why, I think they're brilliant. I also think the Ashley Wagner of the U.S. is underrated, she's amazing in my opinion.

Question received via Twitter - There is so many great Japanese ladies that can make it to the Olympics. Which ones do you think will go?
A: Unless the world ends, I think we can easily put Mao Asada on the Japanese Olympic team. Miki Ando is a bit of a wildcard but she's seems to be more consistent these days and I think has a great shot (not to mention she's the reigning World Bronze Medalist). The real battle, I think, will be for that third spot (Lucky for Japan, they get three. Imagine the fight for two that will take place here in the U.S!). Suguri, Nakano, and Suzuki are the three likely candidates. If I had to guess today, I'd say Suguri experience wins out but it's a long way off yet. Anything could happen.

Question received via e-mail (It was in French so I've done my best to translate) - Do you really think Joannie Rochette can win the Olympic Gold in Vancouver with so much pressure from her home crowd?
A:The only thing stopping Joannie is Joannie. She is an amazing skater that only needs to believe in herself. She will need to up the bar technically to compete with the likes of Kim but she has proven many times in the past she's capable. Her performance at World's this past season also shows that eve with a few technical glitches the judges greatly respect her skating. I'm not going to sugar coat this, it will be damn hard for her to win and the odds are probably against her, but I believe she does have a shot at it.

Final question received via Facebook - Do you think the Code of Points judging system works?
A: Yes and no. I like that skaters get a number to shoot for and highest point total wins...that was one of my biggest beefs with the 6.0 system in that you could be out of the top three after the short program and you were screwed. What I don't like is the inconsistency in judging. At one event a skater gets a level four spin credit and at the next competition they get a level three for the same spin? I don't like how a gorgeous triple axel with the tiniest of cheats is judged as a crappy double axel? And what I certainly don't understand is why I can't know what judge gave what mark? I think if they can fix these problems and find a way to make it easy for the general public to understand they'll have made huge strides.

Whew...that wasn't even a third of the questions so I apologize if I didn't get to yours. Maybe I'll post some of the other questions in individual blog posts.

Q and A Part 1

First, you are all awesome. I had so many questions come in! Thank you all for being so interested.

Second, because the response was intense, I won't be able to answer all the questions here (the blog post would be enormous!) but I promise to attempt to re-tweet, email, or blog in some way about all the questions I've received.

I've decided to do two parts. Today I'll post the non skating questions, and tomorrow all the questions I received about skating in general.

So, without further delay...

Question received via e-mail - How old are you?
A: I'm 28. My birthday is November 26th.

Question received via Twitter - I've seen you Tweet about things other than figure skating. What else interests you?
A: Lot's of things! Politics, Globalization, and Travel are probably my biggest interests outside of figure skating.

Question received via Twitter - Are you gay?
A: Yes. Member since 1998.

Question received via Twitter - What's with your obsession with United Airlines?
A: Do I have an obsession with United? Hahaha! We'll, I'm not their spokesperson or anything but it is my airline of choice. I have the United Mileage Plus Gold Card Visa which I use to pay all my bills and make all my purchases with, I then pay off my balance each month. I earn Frequent Flyer Miles that take me to cool places like Vancouver for the Four Continents Cup and Los Angeles for the World Figure Skating Championships. Because I'm loyal to one airline, I get extra perks too like free seating upgrades, access to airport lounges with free Wi-Fi (so I can connect with all of you), and big savings on both domestic and international fares. United is my airline because I often fly out of Chicago-O'Hare and that is one of their hubs.

Question received via e-mail - I see that you travel much. Where all have you been?
A: I recently earned my masters degree in globalization and to be a true student of globalization one must travel. I've been to every corner of the U.S. Several places in Canada including Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto (and surrounding area), Ottawa, Halifax, and Quebec City. I've been also to Tokyo, Japan, all over India, Mexico, France, and all over the U.K. But I'm not done traveling at all...I have designs on visiting Korea and Italy soon and would like to also visit Dubai and Australia.

Question received via Facebook - You are always going on some figure skating trip. What do you do? How do you have so much time off?
A: I have traveled to a lot of figure skating events this past season. It was one of those fortunate years for us here in North America with so many big competitions taking place here. I'm not exactly allowed to mention my employer in this forum but we can say that I work for a healthcare organization in Central Illinois. As for time off, I have to work LOTS before I take that time off but I have a pretty fluid schedule that I can usually work around skating events.

Question received via e-mail - Do you like blogging?
A: I LOVE blogging! Having been a fan of figure skating for 'some time' now I like to think I have a better understanding of the sport than a sports reporter who wrote a 'page filler' piece. I think it's fun to impart my thoughts and opinions on the going-ons of figure skating. Also, I like to learn. I have been wrong about plenty of things and I have found that blogging about something is certainly a great way to get fact-checked! I enjoy reading all the other figure skating blogs out there. They are all unique and offer something totally original. I feel like a member of an online skating community (insert warm fuzzy feeling).

Question received via Twitter - If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?
A: Tough question. First, I've been lots of place in the world and every time I come home I appreciate the things we have here in the U.S. more and more. However, there are two places that I'd have to truly consider living if given the opportunity that are outside the U.S. First, London. Something about London that just fits with me. Last year I spent about 10 days there and didn't want to come home. Perhaps if you live there you might get sick of it, but I saw endless opportunity (and I got Graham Norton's autograph!). Second, Vancouver. I spent many of my years growing up in Seattle and thus naturally visited Vancouver often. I could sit all day in Stanley Park, spend hours strolling in the West End, catch a ferry to Victoria, or drive up to Whistler whenever I wanted. It's truly a magical place and I envy you BC'ers!

Question received via e-mail - I find American elections very interesting. Who was your vote for in 2008?
A: First, a disclaimer! I'm a stout independent. I've never voted for a candidate based solely on their political party. I really try to find out everything about a candidate and base my vote that way. Also, I respect people no matter their political affiliation, healthy debate is what keeps this world turning. That said...during the primary season I was a huge supporter of Senator (now Sec. of State) Hillary Clinton. In the general election, I supported and voted for Senator (now President) Barack Obama.

Question received via text message (hahaha...a friend texted me a question)- Your constantly tweeting from your phone. What kind of 'bad ass' phone do you have?
A: Well, Tyler, my 'bad ass' phone is a Helio by Virgin Mobile Ocean2...but I'm seriously considering changing over to the Apple iPhone 3SG. However, any phone that supports basic text messaging you can tweet from.

Final question, received via Twitter - What's your favorite kind of food?
A: I'm a sucker for Thai!

Hopefully you all feel like you know a bit more about me. Tomorrow I'll answer some of the skating specific questions I received (tons!)...stay tuned!

Need some direction?

From time to time I check into the search engine queries that direct individuals to my blog. Here are some of the recent heavy hitters and all that I can offer on the topics:

Whitney Jo Lawson - The "Braniac" to competitive skater in six weeks flat! I did a post on her last October. She was on the MTV show "Made," must have re-aired. The original blog post is here.

There are a lot of searches associating Caroline Zhang with Don Laws, who coaches Patrick Chan. Not exactly why people are searching for these two in conjunction but I can tell you that Caroline will not be training under Laws, but rather Charlene Wong. You can check the story here.

Michelle Kwan - Nobody knows yet? No official word and the mystery Skate America slot persists...

Jeffrey Buttle - Yes, he's on Twitter (@J_Butt)!

I fairly certain that Alexei Yagudin is not planning on competing next season. He is about to be a dad! But Evgeny Plushenko is in!

Lastly, I couldn't find any Charles Shou-San Pao YouTube videos when I did my pic of the week post...sorry.

Best of the Blog

A question for all my fellow bloggers out there...have you ever wondered into the catacombs of your blog? You know, revisited those posts you did a long time ago. I found myself meandering around down there today. I think it's interesting to see my writing then versus now..it's changed a little.

I decided to re-post some of my favorite bloggies (that's what I call old posts).

• February 24, 2006 - Isn't she lovely. Isn't she wonderful.



• September 25, 2007 - OMG...I'm afraid of French Canadians!



• January 28, 2008 - 244.77 - 244.77



• February 16, 2008 - How did Daisuke do that?



• July 3, 2008 - The Grinch gets down low!



• October 10, 2008 - Walk the plank ye scurvy judge, aargh!



• October 26, 2008 - I learned 10 important things.



• January 29, 2009 - U.S. Figure Skating...I got your back.



• March 10, 2009 - EEE? Oh Scott...



• March 21, 2009 - I'll never put words in Kim Yu-Na's mouth ever again! (This bloggie has the highest traffic record of all my posts...3,450 hits in just 4 days! Also received about 100 e-mail messages because of this post...no joke!)



• May 14, 2009 - "And the lunge spin!"

I encourage all Blogger's to take a trip down memory lane...might be surprised what you find!

Pic of the Week

This young man may get the unbelievable chance of a lifetime!

In most instances, the host country of figure skating events usually has a skater that compete with the best. Usually, skating events are held in places where big names in skating exist. Japan, Canada, United States, Korea, France, China...you know where skating events are held often.

But rarely, just rarely, they hold events in places that don't always get a lot of skating attention. I always imagine what it would be like for a skater that may have never imagined having the opportunity to compete on home soil actually get that chance?

Charles Shou-San Pao represents Chinese Taipei. I actually had the chance to see him in action at both the World Championships in Los Angeles and the Four Continents Cup in Vancouver. He has a lot of spunk and fortune has smiled upon him...

At the ISU June conference, they made several provisional allotments for future events. Lucky for Pao, the ISU granted the 2011 ISU Four Continents Cup to Chinese Taipei. If Charles is still a member of the Chinese Taipei national team at that point, he'll get the chance to represent his home country...on home ice!

I know competing at home both adds pressure and gives a confidence boost and there are certainly pros and cons; but for a skater like Pao...this may be a once in a lifetime opportunity, Carpe diem!

Just an aside, I love the questions that are coming in for my Q&A...keep them coming!

Q and A

Interestingly, over the past month or so, I've received questions about, of all people, myself.

People are e-mailing me asking me about myself, how I became the figure skating super fan, what political party I belong too, the whole gambit. Lot of interesting questions from my overseas readers...

So, next week, I've decided to put together a little Q and A about myself for all my blog readers. I'll take questions people have already asked as well as any new questions and post them with answers. Here's your chance to ask me the question you've been burning to know. It's like I'm holding a press conference!

Three ways to submit a question:

• You can leave a comment on this blog post.



• You can Tweet me a question @skating102.



• You can send an e-mail to the address below with the subject Q&A.

There you have it...ask away!

Yet more shuffling...

(Insert "Hustle" music)"Do the Shuffle...Da da da da da da da da da"

Yes, we come to another round of coaching changes. This time, it's Caroline Zhang, who has left her coach of 4 years Mingzhu Li and will now train under the tutledge of Charlene Wong.

No, you're not mistaken, Charlene Wong IS the coach Mirai Nagasu just left to train with Frank Carroll.

"I feel that I need a change to further improve my skating, so I have chosen to work with Charlene," Zhang to Ice Network. "I feel she will be able to add a new dimension to my skating."

Interesting, interesting, interesting. Who's next to switch coaches?

Around the World

Who knew the off season would be so busy!

We start in Japan where Daisuke Takahashi made a public appearance at an ice show on Sunday. He didn't skate as he's just returned to training after sitting out all of last season with a knee injury. His plan...win Gold in Vancouver. Also, don't mess with Miki Ando! Last Friday she spent the day as the police chief advocating for delinquency prevention for school children.

Here in the U.S., Champs Camp concluded. It's a chance for all the best figure skaters in the country to get together in Colorado Springs and 'strut their stuff.' Actually, it's, according to U.S. Figure Skating, "to prepare elite U.S. athletes and coaches for the 2010 and 2014 Olympic Winter Games, assist with planning and setting goals, improve communication skills, implement programs to enhance training, clarify U.S. Figure Skating policies and procedures, give media training, and highlight the organization's marketing efforts." The biggest story here was the fact that many of the attendees were late getting there due to the terrible weather in the mid-section of the country during the event. Many of the attendees experienced the same troubles going home as the weather again was inclement. Dancing with the Stars news to report...Fashion Designer (and former figure skater) Vera Wang is reportedly going to be on the cast of this fall's DWTS. Although Wang is keeping mum, it's all but confirmed.

Finally, some news from Russia. First, Russian Pairs World Champions Petrova and Tikhonov (Again, I had no clue they were even together! I need to do a better job on keeping up with my Russian couples news) are soon expecting the birth of their first child. They've built a house near St. Petersburg and will Wed after the baby's birth. How many former competitive Russian skaters does that make now having babies? The Russian Figure Skating Team in Vancouver will train prior to the Olympics in Abbotsford, BC. Abbotsford is a small town about 35 minutes from Vancouver, just on the Canadian side of the Canadian-U.S. Border. The Russian team (except the women who will train elsewhere) will have access to the ice from Feb. 3rd - February 17th).

Follow Friday

Friday is my favorite day on Twitter. As always, I've located some more skaters for you all to follow. Seems like every week there is more and more. This whole Twitter thing is really starting to catch on. I must admit, I'm atwicted to it!

Rachael Flatt @RachaelFlatt
Emily Hughes @EmHughes26
Marissa Castelli @MarissaCast
Ross Miner @rossminer
Kim Yu-Na @Yunaaaa

I'm actually following lots of skaters, you can check me out (@skating102) and find more. Also, look for a complete listing of Tweeting skaters to appear on the sidebar to the right soon.

Have a Twitter question...ask here.

The Op-Ed: Please DO Stop The Music!

Rhianna sang "Please don't stop the music." I'm asking some skaters to do the exact opposite.

As music choices for the very (very!) important season ahead begin to trickle in, I decided to put out a public plea to skaters, if there is still time, don't pick the music that's been over used.

When I learned via Twitter that Akiko Suzuki would be skating to "West Side Story", I cringed. "Not again!" A guide for skaters to follow:

Let's begin with "West Side Story". Every season no less than three skaters/teams use this and rarely successfully. It's a hard piece of music to portray and I think it takes an 'American' flair to pull off. Even then it's tough. McLaughlin and Brubaker, a team with an abundance of said flair struggled a bit with it. Best to steer clear or seriously work very hard at it...I mean 3 times harder to maybe do it justice...but probably not.

"Carmen." Ugh! This piece was immortalized by Katarina Witt and I think it should have been retired for good right then and there...unfortunately it wasn't. Now, every skater since has felt the need to take a stab at it...some successfully, others not so. But the point is, it's overkill. Most of us are sick of hearing this piece of music. No reports yet of any "Carmen's"...let's hope it stays that way (not likely).

The Tchaikovsky version of "Romeo and Juliet" is scary territory. My one well concern with this piece is everyone uses that same adagio section (you know, the love theme) and it gets old. There are other wonderful parts of that music that are less widely used that I think work (think Daisuke Takahashi). Kimmie Meissner is in fact using this for her free skate, let's hope she makes a good music cut. The music from the movie "Romeo and Juliet" is also over used (think Takahiko Kozuka). If you're going to do "Romeo and Juliet," go with the more powerful Prokofiev version.

While it is a beautiful piece of music, "The Mission Soundtrack," sadly, needs to be retired. Ennio Morricone has some other gems...I'll suggest one below.

I'll mention a one more before making some suggestions. "Bolero" I think has to go as well. Like Witt with "Carmen," Torvill and Dean owned this piece of music and it should have been laid to rest right along with their final pose at the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo. Even Ice God Evgeny Plushenko and Ice Goddess Michelle Kwan struggled making this piece of music work.

Some suggestions for skaters to consider..."Cinema Paradiso!" We can retire one Ennio Morricone piece for another. It's absolutely gorgeous music that begs to be skated to. The wonderfully bouncy "Die Fledermaus" by Strauss. I'm absolutely shocked fewer skaters use this piece, it's wonderful. I ask skaters to give Soundtracks a look. There are some amazing scores out there going unused, take a listen. And finally, a piece I've wished someone would pick up for years, "Spanish Caravan" by the Doors.

What music are you sick of? What music suggestions do you have? Sound off below!

Music, please

Slowly, music choice for the upcoming season are starting to trickle in.

Just got word from @tokitama69 on Twitter that Akiko Suzuki of Japan will be skating to "Riverdance" for her SP and (gasp) the dreaded "West Side Story" for her free skate.

Emily Hughes, also via Twitter, announced she'll be skating to "Caprice Bohèmien" by Rachmaninoff for her SP.

Belbin and Agosto have a Star Trek themed Free Dance (facetious smile).

I knew someone else's music but can't remember now...

Post if you know anyone else's music so we can comment.

Pic of the Week

Michelle Kwan isn't the only figure skater to recently earn a diploma.

On May 25th, Sarah Hughes also received a degree in American studies with a concentration in U.S. politics from prestigious Yale University.

What's on the 24 year old Hughes' plate? People magazine reports "The 2002 Olympic champ has no plans to make a competitive return at this time but intends to return to skating in shows and exhibitions. 'I want to do some skating and then go to law school in three years,' Hughes told PEOPLE. 'I'm enjoying it and I'm going to see where it takes me.'"

A trip down memory lane...enjoy Sarah's 2002 Gold winning performance.

Around the World

In Japan, Daisuke Takahashi updated his blog and explained that he has begun jumping again. Unfortunately for all my Japanese readers, he won't be performing at this Sunday's "Koshien Ice." He will, however, be there to greet fans.

In Russia, 1999 World Champion Maria Butyrskaya, gave birth to her second child, a girl. She had a son two years ago. Reportedly she and husband Vadim Khomitski are very happy and had "dreamed" about having a girl.

Lots to report here in the United States. First, Michelle Kwan has graduated from Denver University with a degree in international studies with a political science minor. What's next for Michelle? Nobody knows. The economy has the organizing committee for the 2011 U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Greensboro, NC trying a new tactic. During the month of June, if you buy an all event pass for the event, they'll give you a ticket to the exhibition, free. That's a savings of about $60.00! You may have seen the new USOC Television Spots (if not...it's below) that features many of our new 2010 Olympic hopefuls including Belbin and Agosto, Jeremy Abbott, Davis and White, and Johnny Weir. Lastly, unconfirmed twitter reports are saying Evan Lysacek has signed a sponsorship deal with Ralph Lauren who will be outfitting Team USA in Vancouver.

In Italy, Carolina Kostner has left longtime coach Michael Huth reports a German news agency. It's also reported that she'd like Brian Orser, who coaches World Junior Champ Adam Rippon and World Champ Kim Yu-Na, to coach her. However, Orser has not committed to the coaching deal and has previously stated his "plate is full." Stay tuned...

In China, much fanfare over the return of Shen and Zhao to competitive skating after a two year hiatus. "We are aiming for the gold medal this time," the 35-year-old Zhao was quoted as saying by sports.cn. "To achieve this, we have done a lot of preparation, such as inviting the best choreographer and the best costume designers in the world. Before leaving the national team, we got all the titles of that season. So, if we could reach the form at that time, we are confident we can realize our Olympic gold medal dream."

Finally, in Canada, they are selling Vancouver 2010 Tickets like crazy up there! And what tickets were among the first to go? That would be Opening Ceremonies, speed skating and of course, figure skating.

Twitter Tabs

On Twitter, Fridays are the days when you suggest those tweeters you feel everyone should check up on...it's called Follow Friday.

I'm a huge fan of Follow Friday's...I like to share and it seems there are skaters popping onto Twitter all the time!

Some new skaters have joined the Twitter revolution...you shold too!

Dorothy Hamil @DorothyHamill
Jeremy Abbott @jeremyabbottpcf
Jeremy Ten @j3r3bear

As per usual, I'm always willing to promote myself on Twitter @skating102!

In my humble opinion...

I've studied all the Grand Prix events, their entries, and in my humble opinion the event to get to next season is...Skate America! If I recall, Skate America was the 'it' event last season too.

But my opinion is based on a bit of premonition, and a bit of math. I'll explain. The premonition part came in when I played the part of obsessed skating fan and predicted the medalists in each event for all four disciplines. I made some tough calls and I'm sure I'll be wrong plenty of the time (right State of the Skate?) but predictions none-the-less.

The math part came in when for each discipline at each event I gave a number. 1 went to the most exciting match-up amongst my predicted medalists while 6 went to the least exciting match-up. I then took the four scores for each event (pairs, ladies, men, and dance) and added them. The lowest score (which was Skate America) was the most exciting because it had the highest excitement score. That make sense? While Skate America I think is the probably the best Grand Prix event, I thought it only the most exciting in one discipline, ice dance. I judged Rostelecom Cup the best men's match up, Eric Bompard the top ladies event, and Cup of China the best pairs competition. More on all these match-ups later this year.

But who is at Skate America that makes it such an exciting event overall? In Ice Dance, Belbin and Agosto get another shot at Delobel and Schoenfelder who narrowly defeated them at the event last season. Russian's Khoklova and Novitski are in the mix and I'm interested to see where Junior World Champs Chock and Zuerlein will squeeze into the mix. World Champ Evan Lysacek headlines the mens field which includes dueling Coloradan's Brandon Mroz and Ryan Bradley as well as the Czech Republic's Tomas Verner. Some of the more 'original' male skaters will be here as well including Sweden's Adrian Schultheiss, Canada's Shawn Sawyer, and France's Florent Amodio. In pairs, the U.S. is keeping its complete lineup a secret but we do know McLaughlin and Brubaker will be there. So to will Shen and Zhao after sitting out two seasons. Their teammates Zhang and Zhang will help keep it interesting as will Ukranian's Volosozhar and Morozov. Finally, the ladies event will have heavy hitter Kim Yu-Na pitted against Sasha Cohen. Flatt, Suguri, and Gedevanishvili will also be in tow. Don't forget the mystery American as yet to be revealed...

Now I find myself faced with a dilemma, a friend has decided to schedule her wedding the same weekend as Skate America (who would do such a thing!). I asked her to push it back a week and she gave me the evil eye...guess that's a no. I need the help of my blog readers...to Skate America in Lake Placid...or to the wedding in Lake Forest???

Pic of the Week

I love a good comeback! There is nothing more exciting than when a skater who has been down on their luck, somehow, rises to the occasion and wows all...again! I'm reminded of Irina Slutskaya at the 2005 World Championships (or 2000 Grand Prix Final for that fact) or Lu Chen at the 1998 Olympics. What about Maria Butyrskaya at the 1999 World Championships or Todd Eldredge at the 1995 U.S. National Championships. We all have our favorite comeback performance...

The past few days the buzz has most definitely been about Grand Prix Assignments and who is going where. Sasha Cohen gets two head-to-head events against Kim Yu-Na (please notice I've switched how I type her name...I was getting lots of e-mail telling me I was doing it wrong), Evgeny Plushenko will compete at Cup of Russia (now actually the Rostelecom Cup), Shen and Zhao are back! Who's going where?

Quietly, Kimmie Meissner was given two Grand Prix events, Rostelecom Cup and NHK Trophy. Jumping Clapping Man, on the previous post, commented that she was lucky, quite true. The past two season's haven't been exactly sunshine for her.

Kimmie Meissner, remember her? She's that cute little thing that hit a triple axel at the 2005 U.S. National Championships. She's the other U.S. lady that earned a top six finish at the Torino Olympics in 2006. A month later she killed it with her 'Queen of Sheeba' free skate and upset to win the World Championships. 2007 U.S. National Champion...ring any bells?

I find myself always rooting for the underdog (isn't it always easy to root for the underdog?) because when they pull it off it seems that much more exciting. When I saw her Grand Prix Assignments I sent a Tweet to @kimmiemeissner...I told her good luck. To my absolute delight @kimmiemeissner tweeted back..."Thanks! I can't wait!" She had me hooked...firmly in her corner this season. I sent another Tweet, "We're all behind you...go get em!" And she tweeted back again..."I will!" Fighting spirit...love that too!

So my comeback wish this season is for Kimmie Meissner! This season will not be easy. The good money is probably against her but my hope of all hopes is that she can again find some success this season.

I want to know!

What is U.S. Figure Skating up to? I want to know!

Is anyone else annoyingly intrigued with the fact that they left a mystery opening at Skate America for the ladies? Why would they do that? Why?

Sasha Cohen goes...sure. Flatt makes sense. But they could have easily put Caroline Zhang there, or Ashley Wagner, or how about the National Champ, Alissa Czisny! But they didn't, they spread the top U.S. talent out to other Grand Prix Assignments. Why leave the line-up for the biggest international competition the U.S. will host this season a mystery? Why, why, why?

My instant thought, but I caution myself that there is a good chance I'm getting way ahead of myself here and totally off-base, is that they are saving that spot for Michelle Kwan. That she's talked with U.S. Figure Skating, stated that she would like to compete there, but doesn't want to commit herself to the return just yet. A little more quiet training time. But that's probably not what's going on...right?

I'll be very interested to see who gets that TBD spot. I'm watching with much anticipation