Skate America Report 3

It turned out to be another fantastic day! If you are ever in Pennsylvania, I suggest a trip to Gettysburg National Military Park. It was really moving walking where history has been made...history that really defines our nation. It was truly a site to behold.

The skating wrapped up today. I was able to chit chat some more with Amanda Evora's parents and Davis and White's family. They are really very nice people! I was a bit confused by the final standings of the ice dance competition. Davis and White finished 4th...I would have easily had them 3rd and maybe even second. I think the judges are not appreciating the super technical content White and Davis are executing; I certainly hope they are judged better in France. The bronze medal went to the Italians despite having a nasty fall mid program. They managed to recover but the program lost steam after that; the music of "Yentl" doesn't seem to match their personality. The French claimed the silver with a high energy new-age program that certainly felt french. This team has made big improvements since last season. Tanith and Ben of course won the gold and their Beethoven program is brilliant. This program may be the one that gets them to the top of the World Podium.

Let me be blunt...Caroline Zhang should be the 2007 Skate America Champ...she got short-changed by the judges, she was spectacular. She did win the bronze beating out Emily Hughes (who had big troubles with her jumps). Miki Ando captured the silver with a powerful performance. She had a couple minor jump issues but overall she looks well trained and ready to go this season. Kimmie Meissner won the gold...somehow. She too had some jump issues popping a planned triple lutz, again cheating the second half of her triple/triple and stepping out of a salchow. I can say her choice of music, Puccini's "Turnadot" is brilliant.

The night ended with the exhibition performances. Three times were treated to Timberlake's "I'm bringing Sexy Back." Once again Caroline Zhang brought the crowd to their feet with a brilliant performance, Daisuke Takahashi brought elegance and speed to the ice, Dube and Davison brought a tear to all our faces with their gorgeous skate, The Haydenette's stopped by for a performance and Tanith Belbin did indeed bring sexy back!

Skate America was a blast...thank you Reading, PA...it's been swell! Okay, time to hop on a plane and make my way to Quebec City, Canada!

Skate America Report 2

I must say I completely enjoyed myself today! To begin, I slept in (and that was needed), went shopping at the local outlet stores, went to see the Pagoda, and had a blast at the Sovereign Center!

I was really shocked at the pairs outcome. Dube and Davison managed to hold off the Chinese team of Pang and Tong. Bazarova and Larionov won the bronze. But that wasn't the most exciting part...as it would happen I was sitting next to Amanda Evora's (Amanda Evora and Mark Ladwig finished 4th) who was very knowledgeable and fun to chat with. Things got even more interesting when Mark and Amanda joined us in the stands. We had more fun talking skating, joking, and laughing then we ever should have...and they were there all night...good times. Please note, if you need to get a bear from your seat to the ice as a gift for a skater, Mark Ladwig can get it there 2 out of 3 times! Great skaters, great people.

No shock in the Ice Dance...Tanith and Ben still lead heading into the Free Skate. Their OD is this banjo, country thing that while technically difficult, it leaves me a little unimpressed. The whole folk music thing this year doesn't really do it for me. I wasn't a huge fan of most of the OD's except the French team of Pechalat and Bourzat; they skated to this Spanish piece that had lots of power, they're in second and the Italians are still third. Davis and White moved up to fourth. I was watching Meryl and Charlie warm up their twizzles in the warm-up and I said "very spiffy." A woman turns around in the seat in front of me, pats my leg, and says "I like you." Moments later enter two girls wearing white "Team Davis and White" t-shirts and I'm made aware that they are Charlie's sisters and she in fact is Meryl's mother...thankfully I like this team and was saying nice things!

The ladies short program was great! Very decent skating from the top six ladies. Looking at the standings the spread between 4th and 9th place is slim. Emily Hughes is in 4th after missing her opening combination, she then changed the program and added the combo later...that's a no no...and she suffered points. Caroline Zhang made her senior debut and it was stunning. She truly is a gem and several of us thought maybe she should be in the lead. Miki Ando is 2nd...she was cruising through her program until she went splat on the ice during her footwork sequence. Had it not been for that fall she would be the leader. Kimmie Meissner tops the leader board with her performance to "The Feeling Begins." Interestingly she lost no points for doing a triple lutz/triple toe in which the triple toe was cheated...it wasn't even downgraded yet Caroline Zhang's performance was nit picked to all hell by the judges...I'm just saying...

The men closed the night and Daisuke took the title with an up and down performance (his 14 point lead after the short helped!). He nailed is opening quad, fell on the triple axel. He went on to land several more jumps including a second axel but then fell on a triple lutz late in his program. It was good enough for a win. Evan brought the house down with his performance to "Tosca." His only problem came when he stepped out of his quad. Amazing footwork sequence in this program too. He won the free skate and placed 2nd overall and the program is fantastic, great job Evan. Patrick Chan of Canada made a splash with the bronze and seems very much like a skater on the move, he too had a great program. I have to mention the other two American Men who skated great as well! Ryan Bradley debuted his "Charlie Chaplin" number and it is Ryan at his best...but I still say work on those skating skills and he can place higher than 6th. Big night for Stephen Carriere, most of the people I was sitting near had no clue who this guy was (I informed them that he in fact is the reigning Jr. World Champ) and he skated great as well too finishing 4th...I'm thinking Nationals dark horse for the podium?

The weather broke today so I hope for lovely weather tomorrow here in Reading!

Skate America Report 1

So I would have blogged last night but by the time I got to my hotel room I was pooped!

I would love to tell you about the Compulsory Dance but...I can't! Rather than landing in Newark at 2:15 we had to circle the airport for nearly 2 hours so I got in late and what is a 2 hour drive became a 3 hour drive due to traffic...yeah I didn't see any of the dance competition night 1.

The pairs seemed like a relatively weak field but I was impressed with Canadians Dube and Davison, they lead Pang and Tong of China. It was a powerful performance they gave and strong skating skills that got them there. The Chinese looked a bit rusty but I think they will pull away in the free. The only clean team were Russians Basanova and Larionov, but they had lesser technical difficulty than the the other teams and are in third place.

The men also had trouble getting clean performances as well. Ryan Bradley had trouble with his quad combo doing only a triple triple and then did a double axel instead of a triple. His Godfather program is entertaining but he simply must work on his skating skills, he's in 8th place. Stephen Carriere pulled it together and while he had no quad he did accomplish what he planned and sits in 6th place. Evan Lysacek when down on his quad (awesome that he attempted it though) but came back strong. His Zorro program has a great circular footwork section and he gave it a lot of power, he's in 2nd place. The guy to beat was Takahashi. He was last to skate and didn't even have to try a quad because no one landed it successfully (Lutai of Russia almost did but it was a little bit under rotated). His program is brilliant, he incorporates his silky smooth style with hip hop dancing, great spins, awesome jumps, and very difficult footwork. He has a big lead going into the free skate. Patrick Chan of Canada rounds out the top three.

I can also tell you NBC's commentating team is Tom Hammond, Sandra Bezic, and Scott Hamilton.