Post Nice Reflections

I've had time to digest all of what I saw in Nice at the World Figure Skating Championships... re-watched lots of the skates...re-read what I wrote in blog posts and not to toot my own horn...I think I called square.

Right after the competition was over, Paul from Jumping Clapping Man sent me some questions and thoughts via Facebook that I promised a blog post on. I'll do my best to give my take:

"Virtue/Moir were given that SD result. Meryl/Charlie beat that at least in the SD." - I'm assuming, like many, that Paul thought Meryl and Charlie were better in the Short Dance. For me, I'm actually okay with Tessa and Scott winning the Short Dance. I think the difference that gives the Canadians a slight advantage in Latin dances is Scott's Latin abilities. He moves precisely like a Latin dancer and I think the judges respect the purity of his movements.

"What happened to the House of Sato/Dunjen? Are they just exhausted from a too long season? Or, is there something going on behind the scenes that knocked their confidence?" - I think it was different for each skater. Alissa and Jeremy both competed in Europe a couple of weeks prior to Worlds so burnout may have been a factor. Jeremy, Alissa, and Adam all have been known to be slight headcases at times. Alissa, more than any of them, seemed just exhausted and unprepared. There was also some chatter that Yuka and Jason had asked Alissa to add a few pounds and that may have messed with her jumping technique. All three need to find "killer" instincts so they can get the job done.

"Were Kavaguti/Smirnov decked for their public commentary on the ice? I actually think they deserved a higher FS score (at least 130s). They only made one mistake, as I remember." - That one mistake led to others. After Yuko missed the second double axel in sequence, they had to bail on a lift which left lots of points on the table. Those little mishaps seem to always happen to them...they need to figure out how to skate perfect because when they do, they'll be tough to beat.

"WHY, oh WHY is Chan always scored above Takahashi? Am I missing something? Takahashi is one of the finest dancers/footwork specialists of all time, so when he lands his jumps, shouldn't he prevail, when Chan falls?" - When you find the answer, let me know.

"I was thrilled to see Kostner have her moment. For years I watched as she was overscored, and now that she remade herself and her look, she earned/deserved it. Beautiful! I hope this gave Ashley some momentum for next season...way to go girl!" - Yes, the field of ladies made it so simple for Carolina that we can't even be mad about her watered down content as it was still some of the most difficult content performed (I joke but not really...she could have seriously phoned it in!). I do pray she never wears a body outfit like that ever again though. And Ashley took my breath away. She has that "killer" instinct that some other Team USA members desperately need.

"Did Weaver/Poje deserve the bronze? Their FD was so beautiful. Perhaps I'm just biased against The Mummy." - So Weaver and Poje's Free Dance is brilliant and if Pechalat and Bourzat had skated as they had all season up to this competition I would say yes, Weaver and Poje would deserve the bronze. But Pechalat and Bourzat (as was Joubert) were energized I think by the amazing swell of crowd support they were getting and it elevated their performance level. In the arena, that Mummy program was rockin' out and they had everyone in the palm of their hand. I say at this competition, the judges were fair in awarding the Bronze to Nathalie and Fabian.

"Channy McChanner Pants" and Kostner Phones It In

I don't even know what to make of the men's free skate...

I guess I'll start with Adam and Jeremy. Not their best by far. Both seemed...tired out there. I do love the fight that Jeremy had. Even though it wasn't going just jingles he was fighting to hang on to everything. Also, his quad is starting to look good (even though three judges gave it a -1 and another a +2 ???).

Oh Channy McChanner Pants...after he hit the second quad the deal was done. The last time I was at worlds was in 2009 and I had a little chuckle at remembering Chan and Joubert's little media spat over the quad and Chan saying it wasn't so important...now he completes two to Joubert's one at this competition...how things change. He had a couple errors but they didn't matter at all. Daisuke had another amazing performance to capture the silver. He was actually 3rd in the free skate, not certain how. I've had the pleasure of seeing Daisuke live three times this season and each time I thought he had the winning free skate...the points somehow don't add up though. I don't know which judges ass he needs to kiss to get some respect? Yuzuru Hanyu slipped in for bronze despite a strong skate from Joubert. Yuzuru was near perfect accept a freak fall that didn't disrupt any element. Joubert had the crowd in his hand with his 'Matrix' program. Solid jumps but he couldn't quite keep up with the others and finished 4th. He looked though, for the first time in a while, he enjoyed himself on the ice and I was genuinely happen for him.





I want to take a few sentences to talk about Alissa Czisny. After the third fall I literally began to weep for her. So much so the very nice women next to me felt it necessary to grab my hand and pat it for the next 5 minutes. That was tough to watch. I just wanted to give her a hug that never ended and remind her that she is such an amazing skater and that this moment doesn't define her. I watched sadly as the next skater took the ice and Alissa just sat in the Kiss and Cry with her face buried in her hands, Jason and Yuka doing everything they could to console her. The thing I want Alissa to know, is what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. I recall in 2009 Carolina Kostner going to complete pieces in her free skate at Worlds...now she's the 2012 World Champion. I don't know what Alissa's future skating plans are but if she decides to continue, I hope this puts a fire in her belly something fierce. I hope she ditches the timid, fragile, delicate Alissa once and for all and becomes a determined competitor, not willing to let anything get in her way.

Speaking of not letting anything get in your way...how about Ashley Wagner! After Team USA had been dealt one blow after another at these Championships we needed a pick me up...she delivered. She got after that free skate with fire and passion. This season, with this 'Black Swan' free skate, Ashley has become my favorite female skater. Oh had it not been for that short program...the podium would look a little different! But I can't complain too much about the podium. Akiko was lovely as always. She is such a reliable competitor. Her choreography is always to die for and she sells sells sells. I'm even happy for Alena Leonova. While I'm more in love with her short, she did okay in the free too. She's looked like a new competitor this season. Not sure if she just got out of her head or something Nikolai has done...whatever it is, it worked. And Carolina...I mean, she could have phoned that in. Alena didn't make it hard and Akiko and Ashley from 5th and 8th looked not as menacing. Carolina did what she's done all season; skate consistently, earn lost of points outside of the jumps, and show superior component scores. It was the recipe for an easy win for her and I think deserved. Both her programs this season were lovely (although the body suit she wears in the free skate is awful!).





That's a wrap! Nice has been lovely! I have a few more thoughts I'll do in a separate blog post.

Chan's World and a Pairs Photo Finish!

First the men's short program...as expected it's Chan's ball game. As per all season he botched an element in the short program but his scores are so high across the board it hardly matters. A beyond squeaky clean Brezina is within two points of him though. Takahashi I think would have caught him had he not sat down on the a triple toe behind a quad. I was so excited he finally hit the quad in the short only to botch the triple behind it.

Que sera sera...



Joubert is back...I don't think the judges would have made it out of the arena alive had they not ranked him near the top. His short program is cleverly designed to hide his weakness and show his strengths. I see them but I have better eye than the majority of french skating fans that just want to see their star do well. I'd a put him behind Amodio but again, I sure the judges feared for their lives. Tough day for Abbott and Rippon...but they are by no means out of it and still have a shot, if not to medal, still earn 3 spots for the U.S. in London. They need to get their chins up and fight. Tough day for Kozuka as well...13th, ouchomagoucho!

Shout out to Christopher Caluza...go ahead with your bad yourself!



On to Pairs where it was a photo finish...Volosozar and Trankov were beyond brilliant earlier on the night, nobody could catch them despite the fact they were in 8th. Savchenko and Szolkowy, skated well...still placed 2nd behind the Russians...but because of the short program eeked the win by .11. Photo finish. Takahashi and Tran held on to third to become (I think?) the first team from Japan to win a pairs medal at the World Championships. Pang and Tong showed a bit more rust to only manage 4th. Marley and Brubaker make a respectable debut at World's placing 10th and Denney and Coughlin finish 8th despite a great skate (again, the judges were boo'd for their scores). Not sure why but the judges seem to be actively judging against the American's...strange.

More Intrigue from Colorado Springs!

My day started with me rapidly trying to figure out how to get/keep the WiFi connection going so I could keep tweeting from the Arena (my phone died because I was using it as a mobile hot spot). After consulting @csworldarena, @PCFClub, and various other tweeps...it was decided that we would continue with the Phone-Mobile HotSpot-bit. Only this time, I had a mobile charging device to keep the phone fully charged. I ran to Best Buy, purchased one, it charged during the Ladies short, and @TimDavid_Sk8 let me use his while it charged. In the quick break between ladies short and mens free I ran back to the hotel...grabbed my charged charger...and presto...live tweeting! I told @csworldarena to invest in paid mobile service for the arena...they took it under advisement. Speaking of @csworldarena...they've been very cool about putting my blog on shout and I appreciate it. They even let me create the word "prescriminate." That is, to not discriminate against any press.

So the ladies short program...Mao Asada finds herself in a super close race with Ashley Wagner. The two sit one-two respectively and both had solid but just slightly flawed short programs. Mao kind of had some trouble landing her triple axel cleanly while Ashley two footed the triple toe behind a triple flip. Other than their slight technical bobbles, both gave determined and inspired performances. In third, and believe it or not, the only lady out of 30 to skate clean, is Kanako Murakami. She skated after Mao and Ashley and everyone thought for sure she'd be the leader. When the judges put her in third (less than a point behind Mao and Ashley), Twitter blew up. Phil Hersh went on one of his rants...people were calling for the judges to be hanged. It was all a bit much, but I dubbed it #KanakoGate. Caroline Zhang continues her comeback. She had a wee bit of trouble on the second triple loop in her triple-triple combo but did everything else well. She's in 4th and had good crowd support (she is so easy to root for). China's Kexin Zhang snuck in for 5th place edging Agnes Zawadzki who is 6th. You can check the full results here.



The Men closed the evening with their free skates. I tweeted earlier in the night Patrick needed to skate lights out to shut me up about his inflated scores. Well...he skated lights out. Two quads, one with the triple toe, axel was good, all the other trimmings and finishings. The only minor issue was with that weird lutz near the end of his program that is mid ice...its awkwardly placed and rarely works...he needs to move that jump. He didn't fall, he just struggled with landing it...but did so. His score was huge and rightly so...so there you go...Chantasticness at its best. I will say, and I feel very firmly about this, as amazingly perfect as Chan is...there is still something mechanical and methodical about his performances. It is very hard to put a finger on...but I feel often that while his movement is brilliant (and ridiculously difficult), I don't know if he "feels" it. Does he become one with the music or is he just so well trained he knows where to put each edge and step? No matter which it is and I'd love to see that debate play out...when he skates like this ain't nobody beating him...and I can't even argue with that.



Finishing out the top three was Daisuke in 2nd place. Another tweet I sent out that I got some pushback on referred to Daisuke's footwork sequence. I tweeted: "I'm sorry, Chan couldn't "feel" footwork like that if his life depended on it!" One of the things I think Daisuke does excel over Patrick is that "feeling" of music. He just becomes the music and it all happens so organically. He two footed his quad and singled the first triple axel but it was easy breezy from there. Ross Miner snuck in for 3rd ahead of Adam Rippon who place 4th. Both had a couple technical issues but Ross had the advantage of skating last and also had a lead over Adam coming into the free. I compared Ross Miner to Todd Eldredge...saying he was always reliable. Mura and D. Ten had technical issues and finished 5th and 6th. Christopher Caluza and Misha Ge, who skated earlier in the evening...had some pretty stunning performances that were real crowd pleasers.Full Results here.

Men's SP at Four Continents Cup

I guess the best place to start is the top...where of course Patrick Chan (did we doubt?) is. As has been his modus operandi this season he made a major mistake...kind of falling on his quad. His saving grace was it wasn't really considered a fall since when he crashed to the ice he put all his weight on his forearm and managed his way back up.



I think with a problem like that on a quad...you shouldn't be in the high 80s and basically untouchable. And he has a clear advantage in the free...this is home turf for him and he will not have the altitude struggles the others have. I feel like the judges need to equalize the scores and bring him a little closer to Earth.

Team Japan came to play...they are 2nd, 3rd, and 4th right behind Patrick. Takahiko Mura with an amazing skate to finish second. Gorgeous quad combo! Daisuke also fell on his quad but still managed 3rd. Tatsuki Machida was also amazing and barely behind Daisuke in 4th.

I feel like a broken record, Denis Ten fell on his quad, but pulled it together for the rest to place 5th. I was scratching my head on this placement. He got ahead of Ross Miner who was brilliant!



Adam Rippon, who oddly earned a season's best despite crashing on his lutz, was 7th. Richard Dornbush wasn't able to cast out his demons...he's 13th.

Finally, special shout out to Christopher Caluza who represents The Philippines. Really nice skate, had the crowd with him, looked like he was having a good time out there. I know Tim David (@TimDavid_Sk8) is very happy!

Full results here.

2012 Canadian Nationals

This past week, Canada's best took to the ice in Moncton, New Brunswick to declare National Champions. From my point of view, it just about went by the expected script.

Amelie Lacoste slipped in for her first Canadian Title, finishing second in both the short and free. In this case consistency paid off. She wasn't perfect, singling both a lutz and flip in her free but it was good enough on a night when it didn't take much to win. Cynthia Phaneuf, just fourth after the short, won the free skate (not by much) and pulled up to second. Surprise leader after the short, Kaetlyn Osmond (no idea who she is), in the end could only muster third. Without Joannie Rochette I don't think anyone expected this to be much of a "firework" event...

In Dance, Virtue and Moir won of course. I think the bigger story is that they only beat Weaver and Poje by a little over 6 points. It speaks volumes to the leaps and bounds Kaitlyn and Andrew have made. At the Grand Prix Final I was in tears watching them. It didn't help that I was sitting with Alexandria Aldridge's mom (who along with Daniel Eaton competes for the U.S. in Ice Dance and competed in the Junior Grand Prix Final); Alexandria trains with Kaitlyn and Andrew and her mom knew every step of their free dance and was sobbing the whole way through...which of course made me sob all the way through! I think Virtue and Moir will need to find a few extra points to defeat Americans Davis and White (I'm getting excited for 4CC!). Speaking of Americans, the bronze went to Gilles and Poirier. Piper Gilles, of course, is an American now skating with Paul Poirier (who used to skate with Vanessa Crone). Who new her first senior Ice Dance medal would come from Canada?

In Pairs, Duhamel and Radford skated away with a win. Not sure if sbs triple lutzes are the smartest thing to try, but I guess if your trying to set yourself apart... Dube and Wolfe slipped in for the silver and youngn's Lawrence and Sweigers the bronze. Moore-Towers and Moscovitch finished a disappointing 4th. Pairs skating in Canada right now is reminding me a lot of Pairs skating in the U.S. Some potential is there but nothing seems to be happening in a major way.

The big story was the men where Patrick put on quite the performance. Two clean skates, and a score of 302.14 (yes...he cracked the 300 mark!) gave him a more than 60 point buffer win over Kevin Reynolds. Being a National event, scores are always higher than international competition, so it's unclear if Patrick would have hit that number outside of Canada but what is clear it was an amazing performance (below). He's had some rough skates this season (although his scores haven't really reflected this) but he really had it together here. If Patrick skates like this the rest of the season I'll go ahead and give him the unbeatable stamp. Jeremy Ten made a bit of a comeback taking the bronze.



You can see the full results here. This week gives us U.S. Nationals and Europeans.

Grand Prix Musings...2

She Was Wearing What?

The ladies event came to an "uneventful" conclusion. As per I expected Kostner pulled off the win. I give her props...she did three events plus the final...that's not an easy schedule to keep. What I don't give her props on was her outfit...yeesh! Carolina, call me, we need to chat. Who also needs to call me...Alissa Czisny. Girl! What happened to Czisny 2.0? Czisny 1.0 showed up at this event. Find her again...please! Also, I was hoping Leonova would sport her Viktoria Helgesson "esque" do for the free skate...she went back to the usual hair...bummer.

No Way

Okay, I'm about to snap on the judges! Chan's Free Skate was scored higher than Daisuke's! How? And yes, I was in the building, and hands down Daisuke outskated Patrick on every level. The only component that Patrick really dominates Daisuke on is Transition/Linking Footwork. The rest...they're basically tied. And tonight, Daisuke was far superior in Interpretation (he does not miss a beat in his free skate), Skating Skills, and execution. What a shame the marks didn't reflect it. The crowd was cheering joyfully as Patrick won and I just sat there shaking my head...sad. On a more positive note...let's welcome Hanyu to the big boys club. What a skate! I think someone passed him my note, he tempered his performance just a bit and bingo! What an accomplishment for Fernandez as well (Canada appears to have adopted him as their own via Brian Orser). Finally Jeremy...oh he made my heart skip beats when he hit that quad! Shame there were problems that came later but I think he is on the right path as he heads towards San Jose...when he does that program clean it's going to be a gem.

So Close!

Savchenko and Szolkowy's MO this season has been to not do their best in the short but come rocketing back in the free. That's basically what they did here...only this time Volosozhar and Trankov kept up! The last two pairs free's of the night were absolutely amazing. Both teams had us on the edges of our seats. I think it came down to Tatiana's little wiggly landing on her throw salchow. Other than that it was an epic finale between the two.

p.s. Props to Jason Brown on a brilliant skate to take the Junior Men's Title...it was just awesome!

Grand Prix Musings

She's Not a Fem-bot

So we learned today that Elizaveta Tuktamisheva is not a fem-bot. Until today I had never seen her skate live and I thought she was a programmed robot with the instructions...[In Russian Robot Voice] "Skate Perfect." But seeing her live, despite the botched jumps in her short program, I found a couple flaws: She's kind of slow and she doesn't cover the ice super well. I now believe she is in fact human...but the jury is still out on Julia Lipnitskaia (pictured)...she seemed kind of fem-botish today with a perfect skate (somewhere I know someone is praying she never grow boobs or hips). Carolina leads the field after a solid skate...no one really challenged her. Mao Asada was missed in the event. What sad sad news about her mother.

Bounce-Back

So Scott Moir had the fastest fall and bounce back up ever this afternoon. That's right...fall! He was doing some footwork and tripped (or got clotheslined by Tessa...couldn't tell which) and went down. But as fast as he was down he was right back up and never missed a beat. I actually think he gained points by that move it was so impressive. Nevertheless, the fall cost them precious points against Meryl and Charlie who steamrolled right through on their way to winning the SD.

Get on the Trankov Train

Last year Volosozhar and Trankov wooed me in and they have quickly become my favorite Pairs Team. I was somewhat concerned when on the warm-up Maxim kept favoring his left hip. No worries though as they went out and killed the short program to take the leave. "Get on the Trankov Train" somewhere near me yelled after their skate...I like it!

Patrick Chan...Unappreciated?

He's so unappreciated that he got a standing ovation and the lead after another...another I say...botched short program. Hand down on triple axel and banging into the boards just before sitting down on combination = amazing score. Patrick should not exert so much effort...he should go stand on the ice for his programs...that should earn him enough points to win. The judges had no problem slapping Daisuke Takahashi, Savchenko and Szolkowy, and Virtue and Moir for making mistakes...why is Patrick immune? I have a video of him being unappreciated (re: Thunderous Applause) that I'll upload as soon as I can figure out how,

Chan's Mouth

So on my way up to Quebec I grabbed a newspaper at the airport in Toronto, open it up to the sports page, and boom...Chan's mouth!

The first time I was treated to Chan's mouth was at the 2009 World Championships where he got into a media tussle with Brian Joubert.

I love it, first of all, only in Canada (well maybe in Japan and in Korea if it pertains to Yu-Na) does figure skating make the front page of the newspaper.

I read the headline, "Chan Feeling Unappreciated in Canada." He talks about all the hard works skaters do and he feels left out of the big boys club (Stojko, Browning). He then even talks about how it would be cool to skate for China...

Chin to floor!

It was such a stir up here that he had to issue a statement about his statements (which were given 4 months ago to Reuters).

Patrick should come to the U.S. where people go, "What's figure skating?" and then discuss appreciation. I mean, I don't think he realizes how good he has it. He got the front page of the sports section for crying out loud! When was the last time a U.S. skater got the sports front page of the New York Times, or Washington Post, or USA Today (I'm dying for someone who really wants to put in the research here and tell me it's been at least close to a decade)?

So he hits the ice today...Canadian's, please support him or we may have to deal with another "skatertantrum."

p.s. Wishing Mao Asada well and hoping her mom is okay.

The Nitpick

So, with my new job I've learned that I can't blog as much as I used too. So when I do blog I want to make sure I'm saying something meaningful. I could give a bland rundown of what took place at an event but those of you reading my blog probably already know about that so I've come up with "The Nitpick." I'll focus on one thing in particular about an event that popped to me.

So this weeks Nitpick...Chanflation.

Before I even begin...I think Patrick Chan deserved to win Skate Canada...let me just say that and get it out of the way.

But now that we have that out of the way, I'd like to offer Exhibit A...Patrick, Daisuke, and Javier's short programs from Skate Canada.

So, after the short program these were the top three men...all separated by less than 2 points (1.43 to be exact). I have to tip my hat to Patrick Chan...even with a less than great skate he managed to be within two points of Javier Fernandez who had the skate of his life! Chan, if he knows how to do anything, it's how to get points. His component scores where close to 4 points up on Javier's (3.79 to be exact). As good a skater as Patrick is...his skate was not 3.79 points up on Javier (typically it might be, but not this day). Seems as though (To me at least. Figure Skating IS still subjective) Chan was propped up a bit. Even Patrick looked a little surprised at his scores when they came up. He was in the Kiss and Cry apologizing for a poor skate and then really good scores come up despite botching some of his elements. What was even more impressive is how the judges managed to squeeze Takahashi in for 2nd...that took precision!

And just a moment discussing Javier...wow! It's like he's somebody brand new! Brian Orser has worked some magic here!

To be fair, even despite the mistakes in Chan's free, it's a brilliant skate and he obviously would have won anyway...but even his free skate wasn't perfect and yet he's pulling scores like he had the skate of his life.

I don't blame Patrick for any of this...I almost don't blame the judges that much. This is the one flaw (well...I think the biggest flaw anyway) with the judging system...it's about points. Despite Chan's errors, he gets tons-o-points by doing what he does on the ice. I'm fearful of the day when, in a huge competition such as the Olympics, he's going to make similar mistakes and still beat someone that skates perfect...then I think there will be an uproar about "Chanflation."

I'm happy that Javier won the short program...he deserved to do so. I think he deserved to win by a bigger margin...or at least it seemed as though his short was better than just 1.43 points.

Later tonight I'll post a rundown of Cup of China.

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?

4th Annual Loop Axel Awards

How I look forward every year to take a look back at the season and point out the highlights! Get out your best Tux and Gown...it's the 4th Annual Loop Axel Awards!

[Queue Oscar-like overture]

This 4th installment of this annual tradition comes complete with several new categories, many suggested by readers. Official stuff today...a little fun to come afterwards. Enough of my prattling...Today's categories are:

• Best Ladies Free Skate
  
• Best Pairs Free Skate
  
• Best Free Dance
  
• Best Men's Free Skate
  
• Short Program of the Year
  
• Best Forgotten Program
  
• Worst Performance of the Year
  
• Best Exhibition Piece (NEW)
  
• Best Music Selection (NEW)
  
• Best Choreography (NEW)
  
• Competition of the Year (NEW)
  
• Skater of the Year
  

The Nominations for Best Ladies Free Skate please...

• Miki Ando - 2011 World Figure Skating Championships
  
• Mao Asada - 2011 Japanese National Figure Skating Championships
  
• Alissa Czisny - 2010 Grand Prix Final
  
• Alena Leonova - 2011 World Figure Skating Championships
  
• Sarah Meier - 2011 European Championships

And the winner is...I'm giving this one to Alissa Czinsy for her 2010 Grand Prix Final performance. It was like the program we all were holding our breath for. It didn't have complex movement but it's beauty was in its simplicity. There really is something to the saying "less is more." It was like a quiet whisper...soft and sweet.

The Nominations for Best Pairs Free Skate please...

• Kirsten Moore-Towers and Dylan Moscovitch - 2010 Skate Canada
  
• Aliona Savchenko and Robin Szolkowy - 2011 World Figure Skating Championships
  
• Tatiana Volosozhar and Maxim Trankov - 2011 World Figure Skating Championships
  
• Caitlin Yankowskas and John Coughlin - 2011 U.S. National Figure Skating Championships

And the winner is...Volosozahr and Trankov at this years World's. I fell in love with them at Russian Nationals and feel even deeper in love with them at World's. I find their skating to be exciting and I love that they bring me to the edge of my seat. Your eyes stay glued on Tatiana at every moment. Gush! I know they aren't as technically proficient as Savchenko and Szolkowy but I still love what they are cooking!

The Nominations for Best Free Dance please...

• Vanessa Crone and Paul Poirier - 2010 Skate Canada International
  
• Meryl Davis and Charlie White - 2011 World Figure Skating Championships
  
• Nathalie Péchalat and Fabian Bourzat - 2011 European Championships
  
• Maia Shibutani and Alex Shibutani - 2011 U.S. National Championships
  
• Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir - 2011 World Figure Skating Championships

And the winner is...No contest really, but obviously Meryl and Charlie's Free Dance from Worlds. They took that Tango to a different place, both technically and emotionally. Solid work from the American World Champs (how nice to finally be able to say that!).

The Nominations for Best Men's Free Skate please...

• Patrick Chan - 2011 Canadian National Championships
  
• Richard Dornbush - 2011 U.S. National Championships
  
• Artur Gachinksi - 2011 World Figure Skating Championships
  
• Takahiko Kozuka - 2011 World Figure Skating Championships
  
• Adam Rippon - 2010 Japan Open

The winner is...Patrick Chan for going lights-out at the 2011 Canadian National Championships. Wow! I'm pretty sure I called that performance one of the greatest things put to ice. That was the first time we all kind of leaned back and said, "yep...he's got a good handle on those quads." Sometimes it all just clicks...and that skate...it clicked! Was very tempted to give this award to Takahiko for his World's free which I thought was endearing especially given the situation in Japan...but I couldn't ignore the two quads from Patrick.

The Nominations for Short Program of the Year please...

• Florent Amodio - 2011 European Championships
  
• Ryan Bradley - 2011 U.S. National Championships
  
• Patrick Chan - 2011 World Figure Skating Championships
  
• Nobunari Oda - 2010 Grand Prix Final
  
• Qing Pang and Jian Tong - 2011 Four Continents Cup
  
• Daisuke Takahashi - 2011 Four Continents Cup

And the winner is...I almost want to give it to Pang and Tong for being the only skaters other than Men's singles to make the nominee list. I feel almost obligated to give it to Patrick Chan for that whopper of a score he got at Worlds...but I'll give it to Ryan Bradley because, more than anyone on the list, you can tell he genuinely had the most fun. Also, that Short Program, helped win him his first National Title. Hat's off to you Ryan!

The Nominations for Best Forgotten Program please...

• Miki Ando - 2010 Grand Prix Final [Free Skate]
  
• Brian Joubert - 2011 European Championships [Free Skate]
  
• Armin Mahbanoozadeh - 2010 Skate America [Free Skate]
  
• Brandon Mroz - 2010 Cup of China [Free Skate]
  
• Adam Rippon - 2010 Skate Canada International [Free Skate]

And the winner is...I'm going with Armin on this one. I thought he was pretty spectacular at Skate America in a field that kind of fizzled. It was one of the few times this year that the beautiful music of Avatar was really put to good use.

The Nominations for Worst Performance of the Year please...

• Mao Asada - 2010 Japan Open [Free Skate]
  
• Mao Asada - 2010 Trophy Eric Bompard [Short Program]
  
• Joshua Farris - 2011 U.S. National Figure Skating Championships [Free Skate]
  
• Rachael Flatt - 2011 World Figure Skating Championships [Free Skate]
  
• Denis Ten - 2010 Skate America [Free Skate]

And the winner is...Joshua Farris at Nationals. This kid is going to do great things in the very near future but his Free Skate that night was not to be. You can tell Joshua expects a lot from himself and after that disaster of a performance he literally just cried, perhaps from the pain from having a bum ankle or perhaps because he just expects more from himself. It was so sad. I think everyone in the arena just wanted to give him a big hug and let him know that there will be a better day.

The Nominations for Best Exhibition Piece please...

• Jeremy Abbott - "Rhythm of Love" by Plain White T's
  
• Alissa Czisny - "You'll Never Walk Alone" by Barbara Streisand
  
• Aliona Savchenko and Robin Szolkowy - "Barbie Girl" by Aqua
  
• Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir - "I Want To Hold Your Hand" from Across the Universe Soundtrack
  
• Tatiana Volosozhar and Maxim Trankov - "Super Mario Bros." from Nintendo Super Mario Bros.

And the winner is...This is tough call...but I'm going with Virtue and Moir because they bring the music to life so beautifully. I could have gone on and one endlessly with various exhibition pieces but these are my faves from the seaason.

The Nominations for Best Music Selection please...

• Jeremy Abbott - "Life is Beautiful" from the Life is Beautiful Soundtrack
  
• Alissa Czisny - "Selections from Winter into Spring" by George Winston
  
• Yuko Kavaguti and Alexander Smirnov - "Also sprach Zarathustra" by Richard Strauss
  
• Kim Yu-na - "Giselle" by Adolphe Adam
  
• Daisuke Takahashi - "Historia de un Amor" and "Que Rico El Mambo" by Perez Prado
  
• Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir - "Hip Hip Chindchin" by Club Des Belugas, "Temptation" by Diana Krall, and "Mujer Latina" by Thalia

And the winner is...Probably the best program this year that never got its due, Jeremy's Life is Beautiful program. What a gorgeous piece of music that just begged to be great. If there was any one program I wouldn't mind a skater reusing for a second year it would be this one...it never got its due.

The nominations for Best Choreography of the Year Please...

• Patrick Chan - "Take Five" by Paul Desmond/Lori Nichol Choreographer
  
• Vanessa Crone and Paul Poirier - "Eleanor Rigby" by Paul McCartney and John Lennon/Christopher Dean Choreographer
  
• Meryl Davis and Charlie White - "Il Postino" by Luis Bacalov and "Forever Tango" by Lisandro Adrover/Igor Shpilband and Marina Zoueva Choreographers
  
• Yuko Kavaguti and Alexander Smirnov - "Clair de Lune" by Claude Debussy/Peter Tchernyshev Choreographer
  
• Qing Pang and Jian Tong - "Nocturne in C Sharp minor" by Frédéric Chopin/Lori Nichol Choreographer
  
• Shawn Sawyer - "Alice in Wonderland" from the Alice in Wonderland Soundtrack/Marie-France Dubreuil Choreographer

And the winner is...Oh so hard a choice! The choreography represented here is truly the cream of the crop. Six way tie? Not gonna let me off that easy? Ok ok...I'm going with Kavaguti and Smirnov. It was subtly beautiful while still exciting. Peter Tchernyshev really outdid himself here and Tamara Moskvina always knows where to add a little extra flourish. There are moments in this program where you can here a pin drop and the audience is breathless. They use every bit of the music to express the character of the piece. And the choreography seems simple while it's actually quite complex...not an easy feat to accomplish.

The nominations for Competition of the Year please...

• 2010 Grand Prix Final
  
• 2010 Japan Open
  
• 2010 Skate Canada
  
• 2010 Skate America
  
• 2011 World Figure Skating Championships

And the winner is...almost by default after an extraordinary season and massive change of event and venue, the 2011 World Figure Skating Championships. It was an event chock full of surprises, with an outpouring of love for those suffering in Japan, and a few amazing performances, and an historic event given the unusual timing. There were many great competitions this season but for reasons not needing explanation, this will be the most memorable.

The nominations for Skater(s) of the Year please...

• Miki Ando
  
• Patrick Chan
  
• Alissa Czinsy
  
• Meryl Davis and Charlie White
  
• Aliona Savchenko and Robin Szolkowy

And the winner is...not be confused with the Reader's Choice Award, this is my choice for whom I think is most deserving of the award. Decisions decisions. Do I give it to a skater that has made vast improvements? Do I give it to a team that has gone undefeated? Do I give the award to a record breaker? Do I give the award to a skater that brought hope to a nation that things might be better soon? This is my struggle for this award this year. In the end...I've decided to award the Skater of the Year award to Patrick Chan. Aside from setting records this season (I know, I know...Chanflation), he did something I really respect. I've long been a member of the camp that I'll take a well skated program sans quad to a badly skated one with a quad. Patrick Chan has long defended the well rounded skate even as other "quad veterans" hounded him about it (he did do a little "rebel rousing" himself from time to time). Well this season he just went ahead and shut everyone up by adding two quads (perfect ones at that) to his already well rounded skate. It made him a near unbeatable force combining the absolute best of both worlds. It shut up all the "non-quad" nay-sayers and for that alone I think he's most deserving of the award.

Thus concludes part one of the 4th Annual Loop Axel Awards. What surprises and twists and turns will happen in part two? Stay tuned...

Best of the 2011 Worlds

Just decided to throw up my fave performances from last week.

What were your faves?

Men's Breakdown in Moscow

WTF?

The short program was a hot mess in my opinion as far as the judging goes. The free skate...where to begin! Skaters were all over the place, skaters still couldn't count, favorites fell, non favorites didn't fall, lyrics were in, and records (unbelievably) were set.

Speedy...get a grip on your Championships!

Let me begin with the short program where I was seething over the results! My three biggest issues was the low scoring of Ross Miner, the atmospheric scoring of Patrick Chan, and basically a good deal of the scoring inbetween. I am pleased as punch that Ross Miner skated so well in the short...and then he kept getting pushed down lower and lower and lower...and by skaters that weren't putting together half the performance he did. I was ticked. Skater after skater, mistake after mistake, higher placement after higher placement. I get it, Ross doesn't have the skating skills that some of the others do but he isn't a total novice. C'mon, one of the skaters that finished higher than Ross not only botched a quad, but failed to do a combination jump...that's right...three non-combo'd jumps! Please brother brother please! And then Patirck Chan. That short program score was, as someone on Twitter called it, "Chanflated." He was easily the winner of the short program; hell, I agree that he deserved to win the whole thing, but that score was out of control. Patrick proved the saying "You can't win it in the short program but you can loose it" wrong...ummm he won it.

The free skate was a hot mess. Again some scoring oddities for Miner who again was undermarked (but rightfully so was the highest placed U.S. man in the free, Dornbush finished the highest overall). The final two groups had me at the end of my chair. Joubert, who is going through an identity crisis, seemingly skated well but made barely any forward progress to finish an unimpressive 8th (first time since 2005 he didn't make the podium). The real humdinger came in the free when Chan kicked the group off with landing two quads and instantly sealing his victory. Verner choked, Takahashi choked, then Artur Gachinski (who only God knows how was in 4th place after the short) had the Plushenkoesque skate of his life to hit the podium. Nobunari Oda again has counting issues doing three triple toe-loops!

The highlight of it all was Takahiko Kozuka who came through clutch with the skate of his life, quad combo included! Patrick Chan was expected to do well...everyone hoped Kozuka would, and he did, and that made it special. Lots of support for Team Japan in the audience and a Silver well earned after the longest week of any of the competitors since he skated in (and won) the qualifying round.

Florent Amodio ended the night with a perfect opportunity to hit his first World Podium...instead he opted to entertain the audience with his One Republic/Black Eyed Peas/Michael Jackson medley...complete with lyrics! In true French style he gave a big middle finger to the judges and did what he wanted. Don't know if the payoff was worth the rule breaking.

At the end of it all...I want a men's redeux! I feel like that was the most haphazard thing put to ice in sometime.

Back to B.C.

Canadian Nationals just wrapped in Victoria. Victoria is hop across the water from Vancouver which still (always) has a warm place in my heart.

There was very little in the way of surprises at Canadian Nationals. In Ice Dance, it was a really close battle between Crone and Poirier and Weaver and Poje. Barely over a point separated the two teams with Crone and Poirier barely squeaking the win with their much heralded Beatles Free Dance. Paul and Islam did a nice job in capturing the bronze...but they will likely be the odd ones out assuming the Olympic Champs Virtue and Moir return to competition next month.

No big surprise amongst the women either with Cynthia Phaneuf capturing another title (she last accomplished the task in 2004...7 year gap, that's patience). With Rochette not competing she was the easy front runner. Not an especially difficult program but good enough on the night for the win. Cynthia spends so much time trying to be a pretty skater...I wish she would stop trying to cut against the grain and just be channel her inner Slutskaya and be a muscle skater...it suits her better.

Kirsten Moore-Towers and Dylan Moscovitch easily won the pairs competition. With Dube and Davison out due to Bryce's knee it was clear sailing for the Canadian duo that has turned heads this season with big tricks and unexpected presence. I think this team has the real possibility of cracking the top six at World's.

Finally, the big story of the event was Patrick Chan. Patrick, who didn't just win (as we all expected), but rather won with a flawless performance that rivals some of the best performances ever put to ice. If he skates like this in Tokyo...I don't know that anyone can catch him. He looks better every time he takes the ice and those quads are impressive. Bravo Patrick Chan, bravo!



Check the full results here.

Next Post: Ladies and Dance rundown of U.S. Nationals

Win, Lose, or Draw in Beijing

Some big winners in Beijing...some big losers in Beijing at the Grand Prix Final...and a few draws. See all the results here.

Winners
First and foremost, Alissa Czisny! She said after her free skate in Beijing "I almost feel like this is a new beginning for me. The past is gone - over and done with. I almost feel like I am a new skater." If it goes from almost to a certainty, none of the other girls have a chance at U.S. Nationals. We've all known for a few years now that if Alissa Czisny can put together a short program and a free skate in the same competition, she'd be formidable. Well...point proven! In Ice Dance and Pairs it was kind of what most people expected. Davis and White have virtually no competition currently with Virtue and Moir out so it was no shock to see them win. I think Savchenko and Szolkowy have refound their thunder (it was totally stolen by Shen and Zhao last season) and are back on track (despite a rather cheesy free skate to Pink Panther). Patrick Chan clobbered the field with a strong skate and huge component scores. Patrick has consistently brought in the biggest PCS score this season and now armed with a quad is the toughest guy to beat. The only skater currently in Patrick's neighborhood on PCS is Daisuke Takahashi and he was seven points back. Food for thought...

Losers
Oh Rachael Flatt. It was so unfortunate to see her come undone like that. Let's not even talk about the scores (I'll leave that to Phil Hersh). A lingering leg injury is partially to blame but she was dealing with that same issue at Skate America and skated much better there. This performance has many doubting her chances in Greensboro: "I'm going to go home, regroup and start over from scratch on a few things. I need to use the time to build up my confidence in my training again." The only other big loss I think was dealt to Miki Ando who finished ahead of Rachael in 5th. After a disappointing short program (a new short program), she rallied to win the free skate...and didn't move up a single spot despite out skating everyone ahead of her. She came in the favorite and leaves empty handed...and behind two of what promises to be tough competitors at Japanese Nationals; Akiko Suzuki and Kanako Murakami (who took the bronze).

Draws
I think Pang and Tong had a draw here. Coming off of last season where they won the Olympic Silver Medal and World Title, I expected them to push Savchenko and Szolkowy a bit more here. They didn't skate bad...but where not up to the level they need to be to keep pace ahead of the Germans. A draw for Carolina Kostner who continues to be awarded for easy programs...but not a win this time. And Nobunari Oda who has a Patrick Chan problem this season (the monkey on his back). He has to figure out how to 1) get all the way through his free skate clean and 2) figure out how to raise his PCS score. He's skating good...he needs to find a way to skate great.

And how about this video...definitely affected both of their performances. A nasty crash between Kozuka and Takahashi in practice. Kozuka had to fight for the bronze and Daisuke ended up off the podium (his doctor advised he withdraw but he chose to compete anyway).



Also, take a look at the winning performances!









Bonus Video! Check out American Richard Dornbush kill it in the Junior Men's Free Skate!

Skate Canada Afterglow

So Skate Canada is in the books. I have to apologize for not posting flashes. I was actually intending on watching most of Skate Canada on demand but ended up watching most of it as it happened. The flip side I was at work and couldn't watch, blog, work simultaneously. However...you can read what I thought about the action by checking my Twitter profile.

What were the Skate Canada highlights for me? Let's start with the amazing performance given by Kirsten Moore-Towers and Dylan Moscovitch in the free skate. I'm always down for a good Les Mis program and they rocked it. You didn't even care about the bobble Kirsten had on her Salchow because any memory of it was erased by the two fantastic lifts they did at the end to pull the crowd out of their seats. They won the free skate and took the silver overall but the were desparately close to catching the Russians Iliushechkina and Maisuradze for the Gold. Kirsten were joined on the podium by their young teammates Lawrence and Swiegers.The Americans Castelli and Shnapir were so close to medaling after a fantastic short but the free got the better of them. I do love their Avatar free skate though.

I also loved the unpredictability of the dance event. This season it seems like nothing is a done deal and all the teams can't put it on cruise control like they did before. Kerr and Kerr of Great Britain have a lovely free skate and were on their way to victory when they had a slip on lift and it didn't really go as planned. That one mistake was enough to let Crone and Poirier of Canada slip past them for the win with a Beatle's number choreographed by Christopher Dean (so in the end...I guess Great Britain still wins out!). The Canadians are really putting pressure on these Grand Prix Podiums. Paul and Islam, another Canadian Team at this event, was actually 2nd in the free dance and finished 4th overall. It was the Americans Chock and Zuerlein that snuck in for the bronze after after a fun dance set to Cabaret.

The ladies event was so unpredictable start to finish. I actually pegged the Junior World Silver Medalist Agnes Zawadzki to win it because I though at the least she would be consistent and that would win the day. Well Agnes was hot and saucy in the short but nerves got the better of her in the free and she fell to 6th. The podium was quite a roller coaster. Amelie Lacoste 5th after the short, managed the bronze. She didn't have a great free but it was good enough on the day. Johnny Weir tweeted several times that we should all pray for Ksenia. The prayer must have worked because she worked her Evita free skate enough to earn the silver medal. She seemed happy with her skate and Johnny tweeted he almost cried his lashes off! The Gold Medal, however, went for the second time in her career, to Alissa Czisny (video below). She came back from 4th in the short to take it all with a gorgeous program set to George Winston's Winter and Spring. Are good things ahead this season for Alissa?

Finally the men. I took some heat on Twitter for defending the judges at this event. Patrick Chan had a terrible short program and many felt he should have been further back than what he was (4th). In the free skate, he came roaring back (quad included) to take the title. Nobunari fans in particular harped on the "Canadian Bonus" Patrick got in the short. I will be the first to call out any point padding. I think Kevin Reynolds (who hit two quads in the short!) and Amelie Lacoste in particular were beneficiaries of some point bumps at this event. Chan, I felt was marked fairly. His tech score wasn't padded at all, the protocols show that, and he is one of (if not the) the best skaters as far as the component score. A better way of looking at it is like this...so you think Patrick was over scored in the short, so you think he should have been ranked behind Alban Preaubert, Javier Fernandez, Yasuharu Nanri? Even on a bad Patrick Chan day, you have to admit his skating skills are certainly going to keep him ranked ahead of those skaters. On the flip side, you can say Adam Rippon and Nobunari Oda weren't given the component scores they deserved. But as good as they are (and I love both of them!), Patrick is still far superior to them in the component mark. In the end...rationally...I think the judges did get it right and there were just some mad fans. I think Nobunari's silver and Adam's bronze were right. Should I prepare for more egg dodging?

You can see the full results here.

I can report that I am 0 for 8 on accurate podium predictions. I have to improve this. I did do better on my fantasy picks though. Tied for 197th (better than the 365th last week) and have improved to being ranked 175th overall. I just keep telling myself slow and steady... Cup of China next week!

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!