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...

Oh Ryan...

Some people just have "it."

Anyone who is a fan of Ryan Bradley knows exactly what I'm talking about. Today, after a Senior career that spanned an impressive 12 years, Ryan Bradley has made the decision to leave competitive skating. In true Ryan Bradley style he tweeted "Buh Byyyyyyyyeeee!!!"

International Competition was usually not his cup of tea (and honestly who cares)but he will undoubtedly be remembered for delighting audiences on the National Stage. How nice, that in his final season as competitive skater, all those laughs and smiles were rewarded with a National Title.

I hope (God I hope!) that Ryan continues to entertain crowds as he always has and I wish him luck in anything he does.

How about a trip down memory lane...

Playlist Shuffle

I'm always at the gym, working out, with the iPod Touch going, and constantly thinking to myself..."Oh, so and so should skate an exhibition to this." I think I'm a good judge of what music would fit certain skaters. I often want to see them do something I think they normally wouldn't. I don't know? Here are some of my thoughts. Agree or disagree?

Rachael Flatt - "Not Myself Tonight" by Christina Aguilera. I think I eluded to this is an earlier post about skating perhaps being to PC at times. I would love to see Rachael totally abandon her 'good girl' image and skate to something downright naughty! I think it would do wonders for her career to get her out of this 'goody goody two-shoes' typecast.

Kimmie Meissner - "Send in the Clowns" by Judy Collins. I love the simplicity of this music and I think I miss that most in Kimmie Meissner's skating. I would love to see Kimmie hit the ice with a gentle piece of music, soft understated choreography, and basic command of skating that shows off the very best of what she has to offer.

Virtue and Moir - "Saturday" by Basshunter. This is basically a oddball thought but I would love to see these two kill an Ice Dance number to a hard hitting club hit. They have the youthfulness and audience connection I think to pull this off.

Akiko Suzuki - "Waka Waka (Time For Africa)" by Shakira. Akiko was one of my breakout favorites last season and I love that she doesn't mind letting loose on the ice. This song is all about freedom of movement and fun and I think she could really have a lot of fun with it on the ice.

Ryan Bradley - "Like We Used To" by A Rocket To The Moon. It's a charming piece of music and I think Ryan Bradley has the sensibility to pull it off. It's not a comedy piece but rather a story of a young man's heart. Somehow seems perfect for him...at least to me.

Jeremy Abbott - "Cry Me a River" by Michael Buble. I know, I know...JerBear has done Buble before...but he's so good at it! This song has a different more sophisticated feel than his "Save the Last Dance For Me" number he did a few years ago. Abbott and Buble go together like bread and butter.

Evora and Ladwig - "Can't Help Falling in Love" by Andrea Bocelli and Katharine McPhee. Despite the fact these two aren't romantically involved they still have a great connection on the ice. I think a slow romantic piece that they could accent with their amazing lifts would be amazing.

Kim Yu-Na - "Louboutins" by Jennifer Lopez. I would start off the program with this fierce walk right down center ice and then she just kills it from that point on (oh boy, now I'm choreographing...watch out!). I think her Bond Short from last season showed us she could do sexy...this would just take it to the next level.

Johnny Weir - "I Will Not Bow" by Breaking Benjamin. Something about the tension and slight angst in this song I feel Johnny would kill at a rock program. It's such a departure from what you might expect from him but I think he'd surprise himself.

Did I hit the mark or am I way off base?

U.S. Nationals Preview (Men)

The mens event event promises to be exciting with one of the most accomplished field of men the event has seen in some time. The U.S. has the extra advantage of being able to send three men to Vancouver making the event all that more exciting. The field includes, among others, six men who have medaled at Nationals at the senior level (wow!), a World Champion (wow!), three national champions (wow!), and three Junior World Champions (wow!). Here's who I am watching out for:

Stephen Carriere - Of all the top men he's had the roughest season. After winning the 2007 Junior World Title he went on to claim the bronze medal at the 2008 U.S. Nationals. In fact you can partially credit him for the reason we get three men at the Olympics this season. Huh you say...follow my logic: He placed just high enough at the 2008 Worlds in Goteborg, Sweden to (along with Johnny Weir's bronze) qualify three men to the 2009 Worlds. Remember, Evan was third at the 2009 National Championships and had it not been for Stephen (and Johnny) he wouldn't have made the world team and thus Mroz and Abbott would have only qualified two spots for the Olympics...see? He's come on tough times recently but in the past he's proven he can be a top contender. In recent competition he placed 6th at Samsung Anycall Cup of China and 8th at HomeSense Skate Canada.

Johnny Weir - Reality T.V. star and U.S. Figure Skating's Diva, he's looked much more focused and prepared this season. After last season's National's disaster (after falling ill after doing skating shows in Asia) he took some time to reflect, get some perspective, put out a movie (Pop Star on Ice) and get his act together. He's one of three U.S. men that have looked solid this season and if he can continue to skate at the level he's shown this season, making the Olympic Team should be easy, however. the three time National Champ has stumbled as much as he has succeeded at this particular event (he's never had more than one real stumble in a row at Nationals so he's do for a success!). As one of only two guys in this event that has felt Olympic pressure, he has the opportunity to apply lessons learned from Torino to this run at Vancouver. After a 4th place finish at Rostelecom Cup to work out the kinks, he went on to win the silver medal at NHK Trophy and the bronze medal at the Grand Prix Final.

Adam Rippon - In the season Grand Prix opener Trophee Eric Bompard in Paris Adam stole my heart with two beautifully choreographed programs. I commented on Twitter that his Jonathan Livingston Seagull short was one of the best ever. He's shown flashes of what could be called brilliance this season. His big hurdle is his triple axel which has been inconsistent. It's something that he and coach Brian Orser (also coaches Kim Yu-Na) have been working on; getting that triple axel solidly under his belt. He's kind of a wild card, as the two time (and reigning) Junior World Champ we know he has what it takes to get to Vancouver, the question is if he'll be up to the challenge in Spoakane. Adam won the bronze medal at Trophee Eric Bompard and was 6th at NHK Trophy.

Brandon Mroz - He's had quite the roller coaster of a season thus far. In his season opener at Rostelecom Cup he was a disaster in the short program landing in last place only to come roaring back in the free skate with a quad and a solid skate. At Cancer.Net he did the exact opposite, hitting a solid short and then went to pieces in the free skate. Perhaps it's all been too much too soon for Mroz. In his first attempt at Nationals as a senior he won the silver medal and went to the World Championships. With such quick advancement it easy to forget he is still a bit on the young side and the pressure of expectation may be starting to weigh on him heavier than before. Still, he has to be considered one of the top contenders. Brandon finished 7th overall at Rostelecom Cup and 8th at Cancer.Net Skate America.

Evan Lysacek - The reigning World Champion has proven this season that his win last season in L.A. was no fluke. He looks well trained, consistent, and has been posting impressive numbers this season. "In the last Olympics, I was young and really excited. I've learned a lot in the past four years and want to take the experience I have gained and put it all into effect in Vancouver." He is certainly doing just that. He's had a stellar season thus far, nabbing the silver at Samsung Anycall Cup of China, the Gold at Cancer.Net Skate America, and the Gold at the Grand Prix Final. Barring catastrophic disaster, Evan Lysacek will be in Vancouver.

Ryan Bradley - During a recent teleconference he made it clear he was going for broke at Nationals. He's the veteran of the field and the oldest men's competitor. He is also the competitor who will attempt the hardest content...a for sure quad/triple combo in the short and two quads, one in combination, for the free skate. He's employing the 'Go Big or Go Home' strategy. Ryan certainly has to see this as his final shot at making it to an Olympic Games. The master showman put on quite the production last time he was in Spokane, taking the silver medal and having the skate of a lifetime. He'll need to summon those spirits again inside Spokane Arena to compete in this even deeper field. Ryan had a tough start to his season placing 9th at Trophee Eric Bompard but kicked it up a notch at Cancer.Net Skate America to win the bronze medal.

Jeremy Abbott - The reigning National Champion had a full plate last season. He was one of just three (Meryl Davis and Charlie White were the other two) U.S. skaters to do two Grand Prix Events, the Grand Prix Final, U.S. Nationals, Four Continents Cup, and World's. By the time he reached L.A., he was just out of gas. "Last season I got burned out toward the end and it didn't go as expected. I started early and pushed really hard all the way through and I think it was just too much to handle at the end of the season." The mid part of that season was fantastic where he won not only the Grand Prix Final, but the national crown as well. "This year, I took a different approach. I started a little bit later and I'm allowing my body and my mind to rest so I don't get overextended at the end of the year. I think it's certainly an attainable goal to be on the Olympic podium." After a so so start to his season at NHK Trophy with a 4th place finish, he rebounded nicely with a win at HomeSense Skate Canada. While he only placed 4th at the Grand Prix Final he had a tremendous free skate and was within a point or so of beating Lysacek in the free. He seems to be peaking just right this season. He and his new coach, Yuka Sato, have clearly made that a priority.

There is quite the cast of second-string men competing in Spokane including previous novice and junior champions, some other well rounded veterans, and some hot-shot young up-and-comers. Don't be surprised if you see a few other names amongst the top contenders!

Who are the ones to watch...to beat? You tell me...

Pic of the Week

Interesting fellow...

He's ordained in the state of Colorado. His coach is the PSA Coach of the Year. He has an unusual and somewhat quirky (unusual and quirky might be two solid adjectives to describe this guy) video on YouTube. His personality and wit on the ice are unmatched. Also, he competes this week in Germany at the Nebelhorn Trophy.

Ryan Bradley gets his Olympic Season underway, a season that many feel will be his last in the competitive ranks. By the time his free skate in Spokane rolls around, he'll be 26 and the oldest competitor in the men's competition (not that 26 is so old...others have won the event older than that).

I call Ryan one of the 'bubble skaters' because I feel they are on the bubble of making the Olympic Team...he might and then again he might not. He isn't a skater I feel I can confidently say will be on the team but I can't count him out either. Other 'bubble' skaters include Brandon Mroz, Stephen Carriere, and Adam Rippon. His performance this week will go a long way toward helping me get a better feel where he sits in the mix. He'll face stiff competition from Two-Time World Champ and Olympic Silver Medalist Stéphane Lambiel who will be in the competition as well.

I've long picked on Ryan to work on his jump technique and the overall smoothness of his skating. A little piece of me always wished he would go outside of himself and try a very serious piece of music. This season, his "Dark Eyes" short program and Baroque Era free skate music may be just the venue for him to try just that (although I hear he hams it up pretty good in the short!). In any case, it'll be interesting seeing him do something other than or at least along side schtick.

Let's see what Ryan can pull off this week...he may surprise us all.

I'm slightly confused...

This video kind of confuses me but I guess "Teamwork Makes the Dream Work?" Whatever that means...

Tom Zakrajsek's students apparently have too much free time on their hands. I say another long program run through for all of them!

My favorite is Rachael Flatt's 'Oh Snap!' See if you can spot it along with Arnold Schwarzenegger.

What are you searching for?

I have a blog tracking system that does a nice job of keep track of the traffic flowing into my blog.

It doesn't tell me precisely who you are...but it does tell me what country you are coming in from, where on my website you are clicking, etc. You may have noticed I have added some Canadian, Korean, and Japanese content to my side bar (television sites, broadcasters, etc.) because I can see a lot of people surfing in from those places. Axels, Loops, and Spins has gone global and I love it!

Another interesting feature that my blog tracker gives me is the referrer function. It tells me if another website has referred you to my site. If it's a Search Engine such as Google or AOL, it tells me what you were searching for that brought me to my site. This week there have been some interesting searches...

From multiple searches (and countries?) people are wanting to know if Ryan Bradley is gay? I don't think he is, but should I learn any info to the contrary, I'll let you know.

Large number of searches coming in looking for Yu-Na Kim in Concert. I just recently learned that Yu-Na is quite the singer and apparently people are looking for a performance of her singing live. I don't know exactly what performance people are searching for, but I was able to find the video below from this past Christmas, enjoy.

And the two biggest search items have been and continue to be Michelle Kwan and Sasha Cohen and if they will be competing next season. When I know...you'll know.



UPDATE: Yuna Kim Fan posted two more videos of Yu-Na showing off her singing talent.

Pic of the Week

How can you not love this guy! He can light up an audience quicker than flipping a light switch on (well that might be a stretch...but he's good!). This past weekend, he did just a little bit of lighting and won the Skate Canada International Silver Medal...of course I'm speaking of Ryan Bradley!

Now, I have been saying for a couple of years now, "I wish Ryan would try something serious other than schtick...maybe Henry VIII (I still think that would be a brilliant piece of music for him), but he is so good at the sly humor and witty moves on the ice that maybe he's going with the mantra, 'If it ain't broke...don't fix it!'

And he's made improvements this season. The jumps are improved (still some crazy technique on the axel...but it's better!), spins are stronger, little quicker on the feet, improved consistency...big strides.

Is Ryan ready to roll with the big players in the world of international figure skating? Maybe his performance this past weekend was his big coming out party!

Here's his free skate last weekend in Ottawa.