Twitter Tops

Last October I looked at the who was the Top Figure Skating Tweeps out there. With a season now behind us...I decided to take another look to see where things currently stand in the skating "Twitterverse."

Here is the current Top 10 Figure Skating Tweeps:

#10 Daisuke Takahashi (14,405)

#9 Mirai Nagasu (15,568)

#8 Fumie Suguri (18,046)

#7 Miki Ando (22,363)

#6 Evgeny Plushenko (22,841)

#5 Kristi Yamaguchi (25,464)

#4 Joannie Rochette (26,868)

#3 Evan Lysacek (63,752)

#2 Johnny Weir (95,794)

#1 Kim Yu-Na (356,355)

There have been some change in the results. Japanese skaters are showing up on Twitter and they have big followings. Miki Ando, Daisuke Takahashi, and Fumie Suguri have all made the top 10. Only Nagasu held her ground to stay in the top 10 with Belbin, Chan, and Abbott all getting the boot! Past Ando the placements are unchanged. Women have taken over with 6 in the top 10. Kristi remains the only "Pro" skater to be in the field. Now, all the skaters are single skaters (with Belbin's exit). And the Queen (Kim) is still queen...in a huge way.

I decided to look at the numbers in a different way. Rather than looking at # of followers, I looked at % increase in followers which painted a different story. How do they rank (excpet Ando, Suguri, and Takahashi who I didn't have info on last Oct.) by percent increase of followers?

#9 Evan Lysacek + 8%

#8 Patrick Chan + 31% (No Longer in Top 10)

#7 Kim Yu-Na + 34%

#6 Mirai Nagasu + 34.5%

#5 Johnny Weir + 37%

#4 Jeremy Abbott + 41% (No Longer in Top 10)

#3 Joannie Rochette + 44%

#2 Kristi Yamaguchi + 66%

#1 Evgeny Plushenko + 91%

Wow! The Olympic Champ is struggling! In a more and more socially connected world he was only able to increase his Twitter following by 8%...yikes. The bright-lights of Vancouver are fading...might explain his recent indication that he may be returning to competition. I feel like that was a poor quarterly earnings report.

The rest of the field has made nice gains...but one crushes them all...Plushenko! He's almost doubled his Twitter following. This shows he has a dedicated social core and with his subsequent return to competition I suspect this number will continue to rise as well.

Why has Kristi Yamaguchi gained so many followers? Does someone know something I don't?

Twitter Wars

Whose winning the Twitter War? Who has the most followers? Whose every word are we hanging on too? I have been in a top 10 mood so here are the Top 10 Figure Skaters (by followers at time of posting) on Twitter:

#10 Jeremy Abbott (@jeremyabbottpcf) - 9,980

#9 Tanith Belbin (@TanithJLB) - 10,641

#8 Patrick Chan (@PChiddy) - 10,947

#7 Mirai Nagasu (@mirai_nagasu) - 11,644

#6 Evgeny Plushenko (@Evgeniplushenko) - 11,947

#5 Kristi Yamaguchi (@kristiyamaguchi) - 15,356

#4 Joannie Rochette (@JoannieRochette) - 18,698

#3 Evan Lysacek (@EvanLysacek) - 59,069

#2 Johnny Weir (@JohnnyGWeir) - 70,024

#1 Kim Yu-Na (@Yunaaaa) - 266,581

So my thoughts...

Pro vs Amateur - As far as skating goes, Twitter is dominated by eligible skaters with Kristi Yamaguchi being the only established professional/veteran in the group. Kurt Browning, Scott Hamilton, and Brian Boitano did have followers in the thousands ranging from 5,072 to 7,484.

Johnny vs Evan - Johnny, despite not winning an Olympic Medal and a stint on Dancing with the Stars, has about 10,000 followers more than his arch nemesis (strong words?) Evan Lysacek. A credit to Johnny's inherent ability to simply create buzz and media sparkle. He seems perfect for Social Media.

Singles Club - All but one of the top 10 are singles skaters. Tanith Belbin is the only paired skater to break through. She must have done something right! And that begs the question...why is Tanith so much more popular than Ben and his 4,034 followers?

Vancouver was the Twitter Olympics - All the top 10 with the exception of Yamaguchi competed in Vancouver.

Boys vs Girls - Doesn't seem to be any gender bias on Twitter...5 boys and 5 girls make up the top 10. #equality

10,000 Threshold - Poor Jeremy Abbott is on the only skater in the top 10 not above 10,000 followers...can we get him there. Prove that Pigs Can Fly, follow Jeremy on Twitter! UPDATE: We ran a little Twitter campaign an voila...Jeremy is now above 10,000. Now he's going for 20,000...look out Joannie Rochette!

Popular! - Mirai Nagasu's appearance on this list suprises me. She came to Twitter a bit later than a lot of the top skaters yet has garnered quite a following in a short period of time. I love the 2008 National Champ and reigning U.S. Silver medalist...and apparently so do all of you!

Flag Representation - Twitter's top figure skaters are largely North American. 60% are American, 20% Canadian, and 10% each for Russia and S. Korea. Question...where's Japan?

The Queen - S. Korea's Kim Yu-Na really is the Queen. 266,581 followers and climbing. She destroys the rest of the Twitter competition!

2009-2010 Top 10 Performances

The 2010-2011 Season is underway but last season was so much fun I wanted to take one last trip down memory lane and remember my favorite performances.

#10 - Savchenko & Szolkowy - 2009 Skate Canada Free Skate


After their rather poor showing at Trophee Eric Bompard they ditched their free skate and came up with this fine diddy that I just gushed over for like a month. One of the best Pair Free Skates ever!

#9 - Denney & Barrett - 2010 U.S. Nationals Free Skate


These two always get my blood pumping! They went full out enroute to their first National Title and a spot on the Olympic Team.

#8 - Kim Yu-Na - Trophee Eric Bompard Short Program


When I first saw this short program I was hooked! David Wilson created a masterpiece and Kim Yu-Na brought it to life. She schooled us in "Sexy Assassin 101."

#7 - Shen & Zhao - Grand Prix Final Free Skate


I was just ho-hum about this program until I saw it performed here. It just clicked for me and I thought it was gorgeous. Love how they hit the beat of every note of the music.

#6 - Daisuke Takahashi - 2010 World Championships Free Skate


After he reeled off that Quad Flip we all perked up and took notice! With Lysacek and Plushenko out of the way he had free reign on this competition!

#5 - Davis & White - 2010 U.S. Nationals Free Dance


Really, Tanith and Ben had just ripped their Free Dance....and then these two came and pushed it to a whole new level. I remember watching and just going..."Oh they won."

#4 - Sasha Cohen - 2010 U.S. Nationals Short Program


With one skate she shut everyone up (including me!) that doubted the sincerity of her attempt at a comeback. Shame the Free didn't go as well. Que sera sera...

#3 - Evan Lysacek - 2010 Winter Olympics Free Skate


Olympic Gold Medal...enough said.

#2 - Joannie Rochette - 2010 Winter Olympics Short Program

Joannie Rochette 2010 Olympic Games SP Vidéo Flutz2508 sélectionnée dans Sport

I've never been so emotionally moved by a performance in my life (which is weird...because it was a tango...think it was the energy in the arena) and never rooted so hard for a skater to do well...not sure if I ever will be again.

#1 - Jeremy Abbott 2010 U.S. Nationals Free Skate


Masterpiece on the ice. My favorite performance by a men's figure skater...ever!

There were so many other great performances to mention so I have an honorable mention section including Akiko Suzuki's Grand Prix Final Free Skate, Kim Yu-Na's Olympic Free Skate, Stephane Lambiel's European Free Skate, Virtue and Moir's Olympic Free Dance, Mao Asada's Olympic Short Program, and Adam Rippon's Four Continents Cup Free Skate.

Do you think Evan will actually show up at U.S. Nationals?

I would think it's more likely that he wouldn't show up versus actually competing....

But I think there will be several factors that make this decision for him.

First his training and what kind of shape he is in. Without even a lot of practice if he feels like he's in okay shape and the jumps are still there he may give it a shot.

I think how his chief competitors are doing may also influence his decision. If it looks like Abbott, Rippon, and others are just going to cream him, he may opt to save face and not compete. And even if he believes he can win Nationals, does he feel like he could be competitive with the Chan's, Joubert's, and Takahashi's? To go to Nationals I think is to make a commitment to the end of the season.

Finally, his own schedule will help dictate his decision. If he still finds himself with other diversions (read: money making opportunities) , he may just choose to pass.

But I do feel Evan is competitive. And while I think his short term competitive skating outlooks seem less likely, I'm very much convinced that he would like very much to be in Sochi (that rhymes).

Have a skating question?

Who Won the Rivalry?

Part of what makes figure skating great are some of the amazing rivalries that have existed. I thought it would be fun to take a look at some of the rivalries fresh in our mind and decide...who won?!?!

Also, click on the links in this post for some fun YouTube trips down memory lane!

Alexei Yagudin vs Evgeny Plushenko: Yags v Plush. It seemed for a while these two where winning everything...and when one didn't win, the other got second place. It was ridiculous. It was even like their coaches would have snide little remarks about the other skater. I remember at one point Alexei Mishin (who in Yagudin's early days actually coached him) saying how Yagudin's best days where back in the junior ranks and Tatiana Tarasova called Evgeny Plushenko "plastic" at one point (what did that mean?). It all came to a head at the 2002 Olympics and fortunately for Yagudin, Plushenko decided to crash and burn on his quad combo in the short program leaving a free and clear gold medal path for Yagudin. But who wins this rivalry? I think if you look strictly at the competition between them, Yagudin's World Championship 3-peat wins over Plushenko (1998, 1999, 2000) combined with that Olympic Gold and I think Yagudin is the clear winner. If you take a look at their careers as a whole, Plushenko has certainly been more successful having medaled in three consecutive Olympics. I think rivalries are more than simply competition against one another but careers as a whole and what you are able to achieve above and beyond your chief competitor. WINNER: Evgeny Plushenko

Michelle Kwan vs Tara Lipinski: When Tara hit the stage in 1996 with that quick program set to music from the "Speed" soundtrack and finished 3rd at U.S. Nationals, I was sure we were looking at a contender for Olympic Gold in 2002. Not to be, she quickly rose to the level of Michelle Kwan (who won her first national title in 1996) and a rivalry was born. Michelle owned the 1996 season, winning the 1996 World Title as well...Lipinski finished 15th. But 1997 was an entirely different story. Things looked like they would continue as they had the year prior...Kwan had easy wins on the Grand Prix while Tara just had okay performances. The tides turned for Tara at U.S. Nationals where Michelle Kwan suffered a major meltdown and finished 2nd (the meltdown wasn't so much in the placement but in the terrible performance) allowing Lipinski...at 14 years old...to take the title. Michellle's storm cloud above her head stuck with her as she lost to Lipinski at the Champion Series Final (now Grand Prix Final) and at the World Championships. All of this set up an Olympic year showdown and both skaters where hungry! Michelle Kwan looked good on the Grand Prix but then suffered an injury causing her to withdraw from the Champion Series Final where Tara easily clinched a victory. At Nationals, Michelle Kwan turned in one of the most memorable performances in U.S. Nationals history to take that title. The short program at the Olympics couldn't have been any more suspenseful with both ladies skating flawlessly. But the much decried triple loop-triple loop from Tara Lipinski sealed the deal in the free and she took Olympic Gold. Ultimately, however, its about a career as a whole. WINNER: Michelle Kwan

Johnny Weir vs Evan Lysacek: The recent Twitter drama has me about sick of this rivalry. I wouldn't even call it a rivalry really if the media didn't make it so. Maybe it became a rivalry at the 2006 Olympics when Lysacek got ahead of Johnny for the first time (he finished 4th to Weir's 5th)? I don't even feel like it was a real rivalry until 2008 when they tied at U.S. Nationals but Evan won the tie-breaker to take the title. Then it was like, "Oh it's on bitch!" Johnny still seemed to be getting the better end of it during the Grand Prix in 2008. Evan failed to make the Grand Prix Final while Johnny took the Bronze. At Nationals they both lost out as Jeremy Abbott won the title, Evan only finishing 3rd and Johnny, well, not even on the podium. But that's when Evan kicked it up a notch, narrowly missing the Four Continents title in 2009 but then running away with the World Title. Johnny made a good run at Evan in the Olympic Season but didn't have the chops to keep up. Evan won the Grand Prix Final, Johnny third. While Evan again lost the National Title to Abbott, he was second to Johnny's third. And of course Evan scooted out of Vancouver with Olympic Gold...Johnny was 6th. I'm somewhat certain we are done seeing these two compete against each other in the competitive arena but their rivalry or what I would actually call a bitch-fest continues. They just keep trying to media-up one another and it's getting old. The last stunt Evan pulled about not being sure if Johnny was a girl was in poor taste...but Johnny's has pulled some zingers of his own. WINNER: Evan Lysacek on the condition he stops the bitch-fest.

Kim Yu-Na vs Mao Asada: This is the hottest rivalry in skating currently. This rivalry is so intense their fans are often ridiculous about it. I mean, computer servers have been shut down over these two. They are both so magnificently matched in talents and abilities. It's just crazy. They've been trading titles back and forth for the past three years and you never know which one will win if they are in a competition together. Mao has two World Titles to Kim's one but Kim has the Olympic Gold to Mao's Silver. I guess we can give Kim another point for having the World Record score, but then Mao is in the Guinness Book of World Records for Triple Axels completed by a woman in a competition. In the end, its ridiculously close between these two! WINNER: Undecided...I don't think we can call this one yet but Kim Yu-Na is ahead by just a smidge.

Brian Boitano vs Brian Orser: The storied Battle of the Brian's between American Brian Boitano and Canadian Brian Orser is one of the biggest rivalries in skating history. Both equally matched in skill and ability, their rivalry came to a head at the 1998 Olympics in Orser's home country of Canada. Brian Orser also had won the previous season's World Championship ahead of Boitano and entered the competition as the slight favorite. After the short program, both were nearly tied but a bobble on a triple flip in the free skate allowed Brian Boitano to slip through and win the title...and the Battle of the Brian's. But picking a winner of the overall rivalry between these two is tough. While Boitano has the Olympic Gold, Orser has two Silver's. You do have to give points to Boitano because he competed in a third Olympics (Lillehammer) while Orser only competed in two. Does Orser get points for coaching Kim Yu-Na? Boitano for having a show on Food Network? WINNER: It's a tie! Disagree...well it's my blog!

Tonya Harding vs Nancy Kerrigan: The knee whack heard round the world got everyone to tune in to what was going on between these two prior to the 1994 Olympics. But these two in fact did have a history prior to the 1994 U.S. Nationals. Both had a National Title under their belts prior to 1994. Both had a smattering of medals from various international events including the World Championships (that includes the 1991 U.S. sweep of Yamaguchi/Kerrigan/Harding). Tonya had something Nancy didn't have though...a triple axel. After the attack on Nancy at the 1994 U.S. Nationals, Tonya went on to win the title but at the Olympics it was a sad story for Tonya. Her entire career seemed to crumble in front of her and finished 8th while Nancy soared to Silver, narrowly missing the Gold in a 5-4 judging decision. Details of the attack had come out prior to the Olympics, Connie Chung was following her everywhere, she couldn't get her shoe-lace on her boot tied, it was a press nightmare everywhere she went, and she couldn't keep it together. On March 16th 1994, Tonya avoided jail time by pleading guilty to conspiring to hinder an investigation, was stripped of her National title, and banned from all future eligible competitions. WINNER: Nancy Kerrigan...as if it could go any other way?

Did I call it right? Would you call it differently? Weigh-in!

The Op-Ed: Slippery Slope

Last week, Kim, Lysacek, and Rochette all announced plans to skip the fall skating season and 'hopefully' move right into the big competitions in the back half of the season, namely Worlds.

I always think this is a terrible idea and rarely works out well for the competitors. It seems when competitors do this, if they do manage to show up, they seem woefully under-prepared. Think Sasha Cohen at U.S. Nationals this past season...talent will only get you so far (in her case a stunning short program!), but time in front of the judges and true training is what will always win the day. I just think it's a slippery slope that eventually leads to an unflattering career end. Someone will undoubtedly out-train you, out-skate you, and leave you the champion looking bewildered.

I would urge these competitors to, at the least, consider competing in one Grand Prix Event (I know the ISU frowns upon this for top seeded skaters but in the end hosting federations do have some power to invite competitors) or at least some fall skating competition (Nebelhorn?). Maybe one of those team "Counter-Match" things in Japan. Or if you do a show, make the effort to do a full run through of your competition program as one of your performances (complete with all the jumps!). Wait, do they even have free skates prepared...

I guess I'm just not a fan of the "Go Directly to Go and Collect $200" scenario when others have done their due diligence and gone all the way around the board. I always hate those cards in Monopoly. But here's the thing...the ones that go all the way around the board...they get to buy all the property. Being a Champion affords you the opportunity to pass over the smaller competitions and go directly to the big ones...but is it a smart move? What will you have lost from doing all that skipping? Food for thought.

Ballroom with a "Twist"

Evan Lysacek has parlayed his Dancing with the Stars clout into a part-time hosting gig for Louis van Amstel's new road production Ballroom with a Twist. Other hosts will include Mario Lopez, Sabrina Bryan, Gilles Marini, and fellow figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi.

The show is described as an extravagant evening of entertainment for the entire family, highlighted by stunning costumes, magnificent music (to be provided by former American Idol contestants) and breathtaking performances. "The costumes are pretty much what you see on Dancing With the Stars," says van Amstel. "They're young, they're hot, they're in the best shape of their lives."

Interested? The show may be coming to a city near you!

July 14: 2010 Clayton Opera House, Clayton, NY, USA
July 16: Chautauqua Institution, Chautauqua, NY, USA
July 17: Hershey Theatre, Hershey, PA, USA
July 23: River Rock Casino, Richmond, BC, Canada
Aug 12: Casino Nova Scotia, Halifax, NS, Canada
August 14: Motor City Casino, Detroit, MI, USA
October 1 & 2, 12: Southern Jubilee Auditorium, Calgary, AB, Canada
October 13: Northern Jubilee Auditorium, Edmonton, AB, Canada
October 14: TCU Place Sid Buckwold Theatre, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
October 15: Evraz Place, Regina, SK, Canada
October 17: Centennial Concert Hall, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
October 18: Copps Coliseum, Hamilton, ON, Canada
October 19: Sony Centre for the Performing Arts, Toronto, ON, Canada

Tickets will be available through Ticketmaster and Ticketmaster.ca

Evan Can Dance...but not as good as Nicole

So Evan pulled it together and got himself to the Finale of Dancing With the Stars. He followed in the footsteps of Apollo and Kristi and made his pitch for the Mirror Ball Trophy.

Trouble is I think his pitch was a bit weak. :-(

He was the lowest scorer coming out of Monday's Dance and I thought he was toast at that point. On Tuesday he managed to sneak past Erin and Maks who finished 3rd (wamp wamp) and get himself to the final dance.

That is where he really got pounced on. Evan did a nice Quick Step for one final set of judges scores, but Nicole came out and killed a jive. She danced to "Proud Mary" and I think she was channeling Tina Turner. It was ridic!

So when the final judgement came, it was a surprise to no one that Nicole won the Mirror Ball Trophy...and honestly...she deserved it. I could give a hoot rather all her dances where 'proper' dances...she was the funnest to watch.

But, and I may open an old can of worms here, this competition showed what is absolutely amazing about Evan Lysacek. Does he have the most natural talent, no. Does he have the most engaging personality, no. But was he willing to work the hardest to overcome his disadvantages...yep! That's the thing about Evan. He may not be the best but he will out work anyone in his quest to get to the top. He did it at the Olympics and he almost did it here.

Now if we can just get Michelle Kwan on Dancing with the Stars...

Evan Can Dance

It's crunch time. The past two weeks on Dancing with the Stars has resulted in an all out brawl and tonight we find out who makes the finals...and who goes home.

Last week Evan was off his game a little with iffy dances, one of which was an awkward futuristic Cha Cha.

But this week in the semi-finals he came out fast and furious with two amazing dances. First a foxtrot that was full of spunk (almost bordering on too much but not quite going over the line!). Bruno called him "High as Kite" he was so happy.

Next came Evan's best dance ever when he went all Twiglight on us and did a vampire inspired Paso that was magnificent. Each of the celebrities had to do a solo in the routine and Evan's was amazing! He grabbed Anna's dress and used it in a cape and then did these cool leaps and stuff...I was impressed!

I liked both dances so much I've posted them both below!

Last week Neicy didn't make it through and who will it be tonight. The finals are so close! Can Evan hang on?

Evan Can Dance

Dancing with the Stars infuruiated me this week...but more on that in a bit.

First let's talk about Evan who killed it this week. I mean it was something! I don't think he is the best dancer...but I think he has the best work ethic of anyone on the show. And hard work, as can be seen by his success on this show and his Olympic Gold Medal, can get you pretty far. He may not be outdancing Nicole...but he's out working her.

I had to take a cold shower after that Tango...it was steamy, sexy, seductive, sensual...how many "S" words can I come up with to describe it? And how about that score...season's first perfect 30. Not to shabby eh?

The group Cha-Cha was interesting. I hated that Evan was on Team Madonna because the song "Holiday" sucked in comparison to Lady GaGa's "Telephone."

What infuriated me was the vote! C'mon America! We need to keep the best around and I hate it when two of the best are up for elimination. Erin and Pam? What! How about Niecy Not or Chad Osoneedstobedoneo!?!?!

Pam, who was totally one of my faves, got the ole boot. It sucked so bad because she deserves to be there. Poop!

Well, at least Evan dances on!

Evan Can Dance

Fall from Grace?

I will again explain to all that I am ballroom dumb. I don't have a clue what about what makes what a great dance if it isn't on ice. I just watch and go..."Oh I loved it!" or "That was kind of lame." I'm more concerned with being entertained than I am about heel-leads.

Apparently Evan didn't do a correct Samba and the judges nailed him a bit for it. Something about bounce, rise and fall, and 'party atmosphere.'

Well, correct Samaba or not, I loved it. The booty shake was especially impressive! His swing dance was less impressive and it showed as he didn't make it far in that portion of the competition.

Sadly, Evan fell from his lofty position near the top of the leaderboard into middlish ground with several other teams. Then he had to sweat it out until the very end of the show as he and Anna where the very last team to be granted safety before they revealed the bottom two.

Jake, The Bachelor was sent packing. His ballroom stumbles (it was like every week he was tripping up on his feet!) finally caught up with him. But I give him credit...I did like the 'Risky Business' bit without the pants (devilish grin).

Evan Can Dance

Admittedly, I was slightly afraid for Evan this week knowing he would be dancing the Rhumba this week on Dancing with the Stars. Hip action....eeek!

But I was pleasantly surprised when he managed to almost look like he was feeling the groove. Hip Action...I give a B+! The song Evan and Anna got was the best ever!

The judges were right, his upper body is the best in the competition. I'm telling you it's those huge limbs (I''d love to see Michael Phelps and Evan Lysacek stand back-to-back, extend their arms, and see who has the longer wingspan [deleted off topic thought]...Phelps by a finger?).

His lower body, well, like I said...B+. The judges were impressed, Carrie Ann just wants Evan to connect the fluidity of his upper body with his lower body. Solid scores, but he slipped from the top spot back down to number two behind Nicole who delivered a fierce (fierce I say!) Tango.

Evan is still breezing by, easily safe. But c'mon America...stop sippin' on the Pamela Anderson haterade...bottom two again! Thankfully she didn't go home...that honor went to Kate Gosselin...finally.

Evan Can Dance

I'm on a mission...to get my hands on a nifty Team Evanna Bracelet!

So how does one obtain such highly esteemed merchandise? THEY TWEET!

Here's the skinny, tonight between 6:30p and 8:30p EST, Tweet #TeamEvanna with Evan Lysacek's voting info. His voting info is: Call 1-800-868-3406, text VOTE to 3406 (AT&T only) or visit http://ow.ly/1xAm4

If you can make that fit into a tweet one of these bracelets could be yours! Each tweet you send becomes an entry for one of these bracelets.

I'll certainly be attempting to get one, so if you need a tweet example (twexample?) you can follow my lead @skating102

3rd Annual Loop Axel Awards

Alright, part two of the Loop Axel Awards...time to have a little fun.

The categories are:

*Best Throw/Jump
*Hottest Skater
*The Twitterholic (NEW)
*Best Coach
*Most Improved Skater
*Best New Face
*Most Controversial (NEW)
*Best Outfit
*Memorable Moment of the Season (NEW)
*Blog of the Year (NEW)
*Reader's Choice: Skater of the Year

*Best Throw/Jump...the nominees are:

+Daisuke Takahashi - Quad Flip - 2010 World Figure Skating Championships (Free)
+Mao Asada - Triple Axel - 2010 Olympic Winter Games (Short)
+Evgeny Plushenko - Quad Toe/Triple Toe - 2009 Rostelecom Cup (Short)
+Inoue and Baldwin - Throw Triple Axel - 2010 U.S. National Figure Skating Championships (Free)
+Jeremy Abbott - Quad Toe - 2010 U.S. National Figure Skating Championships (Free)

And the winner is...Mao Asada - Triple Axel - 2010 Olympic Winter Games. In the pressure cooker that was that ladies Olympic short, it was a huge accomplishment to not only make history by landing the jump at the Olympics, but to hold up to the intense pressure that was being put on her. It was really fantastic and we all gasped when she hit it!

*Hottest Skater...the nominees are:

+Daisuke Takahashi
+Joannie Rochette
+Aliona Savchenko
+Charlie White
+Tanith Belbin

And the winner is...Tanith Belbin. Tough competition in this category but I think this time around Tanith wins out. At one point this season she was on the cover of Men's Health scantily clad and everyone was like..."woah!"

*The Twitterholic...the nominees are:

+Jeffrey Buttle (@J_Butt)
+Jeremy Abbott (@jeremyabbottpcf)
+Ana Cecilia Cantu (@cantufeelicks)
+Michael Weiss (@MichaelWeiss2)
+Charlie White (@CharlieAWhite)

And the winner is...Ana Cecilia Cantu. The National Champ of Mexico has some of the best tweets ever! She says what she wants and is always great for a laugh (and a great sit spin if you ever get the pleasure to see her in competition). If you aren't following her on Twitter...you should!

*Best Coach...the nominees are:

+Frank Carroll
+Brian Orser
+Yao Bin
+Igor Shpilband
+Jim Peterson

And the winner is...Brian Orser. This choice of all the awards for me was the hardest to choose because each of those coaches basically were completely amazing but I gave the award to Brian Orser because he had to guide Kim Yu-Na through far more than practice sessions. He had to basically manage a nations super-star and not only help her compete well, but stand up and handle the enormous pressure S. Korea was putting on her shoulders. Oh...and he's done an amazing job with Adam Rippon and Christina Gao too!

*Most Improved Skater...the nominees are:

+Michal Brezina
+Adam Rippon
+Akiko Suzuki
+Zaretski and Zaretski
+Faiella and Scali

And the winner is...Akiko Suzuki. Not that she didn't have her rough patches this season but to go from a long shot to make the Japanese Olympic Team last season to a Grand Prix Gold Medalist, Grand Prix Final Bronze Medalist, Japanese National Silver Medalist, and Four Continents Silver Medalist is quite impressive. Also, in almost every competition she managed to skate her butt off in the free skate. Also, she took a tired piece of music (West Side Story) and breathed new life into it.

*Best New Face...the nominees are:

+Kevin Reynolds
+Florent Amodio
+Ksenya Makarova
+Michal Brezina
+Adam Rippon

And the winner is...Michal Brezina. All season long I've called the young Czech a breath of fresh air. Easy straight forward skating and natural jumps. He gradually over the course of this season established himself as the top Czech skater over veteran Tomas Verner and his season culminated with a near flawless free skate at World's that I felt should have earned him a place on the podium. He may have come up short in Torino but he's the clear winner here!

*Most Controversial...and the nominees are:

+Evgeny Plushenko
+Sasha Cohen
+Johnny Weir
+Kim Yu-Na
+Domnina and Shabalin

And the winner is...Oksana Domnina and Maxim Shabalin. They had the entire Australian Olympic Committee after them over that Aboriginal Original Dance. The social ramification and ripples that one dance sent through the figure skating community in the run-up to the Olympics was more controversial than anything coming out of Plushenko's mouth, fur on Johnny's shoulder, Sasha's inability to show up at a competition, or an earring on Kim Yu-Na's ear.

*Best Outfit...and the nominees are:

+Davis and White - Original Dance
+Samuel Contesti - Free Skate
+Savchenko and Szolkowy - Free Skate
+Johnny Weir - Short Program
+Evan Lysacek - Short Program

And the winner is...Evan Lysacek - Short Program. I just loved that all black with the feathers around his neck and hands. I thought it was striking and powerful and perfect for his stature and the music. Also, his long limbs just accentuated the outfit and the performance.

*Memorable Moment of the Season...and the nominees are:

+Amanda Evora's flood of tears after earning an Olympic Berth.
+Joannie Rochette hugging her father after her Olympic Short Program.
+Evgeny Plushenko's #1 finger upon completing his free skate at Rostelecom Cup.
+John Baldwin's expression and interaction with the judges upon Rena Inoue's successful completion of the throw triple axel.
+Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir's final pose in their Olympic Free Dance.
+Sasha Cohen's entire U.S. Nationals short program.

And the winner is...John Baldwin's expression and interaction with the judges upon Rena Inoue's successful completion of the throw triple axel. I mean it was priceless! He popped his finger straight up and gave the judges this look like "What! C'mon!" He showed her off beautifully and it was awesome! All of that on top of the fact she had just landed a throw triple axel.

*Blog of the Year...and the nominees are:

+Aunt Joyce's Ice Cream Stand
+Required Elements
+jumping clapping man
+XanBoni!
+Blips of Todd...
+Ice Charades

And the winner is...It's so hard to judge your peers so I give everyone the award! Wait...you're note letting me cop out like that? Okay, okay...The winner is...Blips of Todd...It's so funny to see the other side of the skaters you watch compete. What you might think is their personality based upon what they do on the ice is nothing like who they really are and Todd Gilles' Vlog gives us little 'blips of Todd' that let us into his very character in a very fun and charming way. I can say however, without reserve, that all the blogs listed here and even many that aren't are amazing.

*Reader's Choice: Skater of the Year...and the nominees are:

+Shen and Zhao
+Daisuke Takahashi
+Virtue and Moir
+Kim Yu-Na
+Davis and White

And the winner is...Kim Yu-Na. The people have spoken and Kim Yu-Na is Queen indeed! I don't think there is any arguing with this choice or any of the five skaters/teams chosen to vie for this award. Kim Yu-Na has been tremendous this season, her Olympic Free in particular was stunning. She's a national hero and treasure for South Korea and how fortunate they are to have her!.

Evan Can Dance

Evan continues his reign atop the leaderboard, winning the top spot for the second week in a row for his Tango. He's really pulling this off Kristi Yamaguchi style! In fact, Kristi was in the audience giving him a stamp of approval with a hearty round of applause.

All the competitors received two sets of scores for performance and technique, Evan garnering 52 out of 60 points. Bruno commented on Evan's performance, "Strong. Powerful with a hint of catlike arrogance." Carrie Ann said "Perfect blend of artistry and technique."

But...isn't there always a but...

While Evan is producing technical, solid, judge impressing programs...he is still lacking a natural spark and connection with the audience...sound familiar?

This week, while he produced the best dance, it wasn't necessarily the crowd favorite. I think that Pamela Anderson took that prize with an elegant and sophisticated Rumba. It wasn't technically the best, but it had soul. If Evan can figure out how to not only dance the best but sell it the best, he'll for sure to be the one to beat!

But what Evan did was more than enough to keep him and Anna safe. In the end, it was soap star Aiden Turner that bit the dust after several weeks of sub par performances.

Evan Can Dance

It just seems fitting that this post should follow the previous post...the irony of it all...

Anywho, Evan Lysacek vaulted himself into first place amongst all the celebrities on Dancing With the Stars, despite two broken toes. His Quick Step set to the music of "Chicago" was well received by the judges. They are still picking on him about his feet. I guess going from skating to dancing is a tricky transition.

Even though Evan was the top point grabber, I still think he was outshined by Nicole Scherzinger who delivered a fierce Quick Step to music from the musical "Anything Goes." However, Derek broke the rules and went with a fun and playful routine chock full of choreography instead of a traditional Quick Step, which soured Len's grapes and caused the lower score.

Broken toes aside, Evan and Anna were picked to do the encore dance during last nights elimination episode. Anna and Evan were safe and it was Kate Gosslein and Buzz Aldrin that found themselves in the bottom two.

In the end, Buzz Aldrin was given his marching orders and sent home.

Evan Can Dance

He really can dance!

After the first elimination, he still there and he wasn't even a victim of the bottom two. That pleasure went to Pamela Anderson and Shannon Doherty with Shannon being the one eventual given the boot.

But back to Evan, his first dance the Viennese Waltz was technical sound but lacked a little character. You got the sense he was nervous. Judge Carrie Ann Inaba said "You aren't just skating by us...you need to make a connection with us."

Well connect he did when he came out the next week with Jive. It was fun, fast, chock full of character...exactly what the judges asked for. He was also one of just a few of the Celebrities that managed to have a week without drama. He in fact returned to Illinois (represent!) and visit his hometown. Frank Carroll was in the audience cheering Evan on as he delivered a fantastic Jive.

Now the only thing they are picking on Evan about is his feet. "Point the feet, point the feet, point the feet" said judge Bruno Tonioli. He'll need to improve if he wants to catch clear front runner Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger.

I also weighed in for Figure Skaters Online...you can check it out here.

Evan Can Dance

Kristi Yamaguchi's Dancing with the Stars spot on this blog was called "Kristi Can Dance."

Now that Evan Lysacek attempts to follow in Kristi's footsteps, I tried to think of a clever name for the spot. On Twitter one person suggested "Evan Ly-sa-step." Not exactly what I was looking for. I tried to think of some clever way of combing Evan with dancing and spray tan but couldn't be witty enough.

So, like Kristi, it will be Evan Can Dance...I just don't know if he actually can. I'm hoping he and Anna Trebunskaya can burn it up Kristi style...hoping.

The new season of Dancing with the Stars premieres tonight at 8/7c...tune in.

The Pass List

Inevitably, after any Olympics, there is a swath of competitors who opt-out of the World Championships to follow. Here is the "Pass List" as it currently exists:

Evan Lysacek - The Olympic Champ is focusing on "Dancing with the Stars." Perhaps he can add a Mirror Ball Trophy to his illustrious collection. Replaced by Ryan Bradley.

Johnny Weir - I think just too much post-Olympic press and not enough preparation. Vowing to comeback next season...but he vowed to compete at World's too so...anyway. Replaced by Adam Rippon.

Shen and Zhao - Back into retirement for these two having won everything including that elusive Olympic Gold Medal. Sometimes it is a fairy-tale ending. Replaced by Dong and Wu.

Stéphane Lambiel - Like Shen and Zhao, he's opted to retire from eligible skating and will be on ABC's "Thin Ice" later this month. Replaced by Jamal Othman.

Belbin and Agosto - While they've made no formal announcement concerning the end of their competitive careers, prior to this season they said after these Olympics would be "it." They were vague about their future in post-Olympic Press but their withdrawal would seem to indicate they are moving ahead as planned. Replaced by Navarro and Bommentre.

UPDATE:
Domnina and Shabalin - We can add them to the pass list. They say they are resting and taking care of their health but it "isn't goodbye." Replaced by Rubleva and Shefer.

Who isn't on the pass list? The entire women's podium from Vancouver including Kim Yu-Na! (Scratch that...Joannie Rochette is taking a pass). Evgeny Plushenko will attempt to win another World Title, a feat he hasn't accomplished since 2004. Virtue and Moir are also slated to compete in an attempt to win their first World Title and complete a medal set (Silver in '08, Bronze in '09).

Poster Boy

Last night at Pacific Coliseum an American star was born.

The last time an American man managed to take the top spot of an Olympic Podium, the Olympics found themselves in Canada. Then, in 1988, it was Calgary and Brian Boitano won the "Battle of the Brian's" in a close match with Canadian favorite son Brian Orser.

Since then, Soviet or Russian skaters have dominated the Men's Olympic Figure Skating Podium. Viktor Petrenko in 1992, Alexei Urmanov in 1994, Ilia Kulik in 1998, Alexei Yagudin in 2002, and Evgeny Plushenko in 2006.

Now Plushenko was back for seconds in Vancouver and was the leader after the short program but two skaters were right on his heels; American Evan Lysaccek and Japan's Daisuke Takahashi.

In the free skate, Plushenko and Takahashi were good, but on this night Lysacek was great. With that great free skate, he won the men's title with Plushenko only grabbing the Silver and Takahashi the Bronze.

Everywhere I turned this morning I saw pictures of Evan Lysacek. Lindsey Vonn and Shaun White have been the American face of these Olympics...well...move over, Evan Lysacek has arrived!

You can read this and all my other blog posts at the One Winter Five Dreams Gold Blogger Site!