Report from Nationals [Archive]

ask8ingcat

04-12-2004, 07:43 AM

Hi Everyone:
Thanks for all your good wishes! I arrived yesterday. It was a long day but fun because I met up unexpectedly with skaters from all over while waiting for flights to get in for the shuttle bus ride into Lake Placid. No snow but nevertheless so beautiful here. I can't believe how clean the streets are and the view from my room.... sigh! Breathtaking. Mirror Lake is still frozen over. My room is in a different part of the hotel so I have to walk over to get the shuttle or for breakfast but its worth it. It's very quiet here.
I should be getting breakfast and heading to the rink soon, so I'll make this short!
c Have a good day everyone.

skatingatty

04-12-2004, 12:23 PM

Have a great time and good luck! I look forward to reading reports from those lucky enough to be there. :)

jazzpants

04-12-2004, 02:00 PM

ask8ingcat,

I'm envious!!! (I just saw the website for Mirror Lake Inn and it's GORGEOUS!!!)

So are you gonna treat yourself to a nice spa treatment afterwards too? ;)

Good luck! I'm sure you'll do very well this year! Or else Mistress Coach would get out "the whip" when you come back! :twisted: (heh heh heh...) ;)

Mel On Ice

04-12-2004, 02:52 PM

Just talked to my friends Denise and Kristen who are competing Adult Bronze I, who are fortifying their training regimen with some Ben and Jerry's ;). They skated two practice sessions already on the 1980 rink, and the ice is great. Weather is beautiful, and they are planning a trip around the village.

Good luck to everyone!

ask8ingcat

04-13-2004, 08:28 PM

Hello everyone:
It's raining today and I have had are really crummy practice. Part of it might be that I am not used to skating so much in one day. I am really fighting to get through my program. so please send me good vibes for tomorrow... may my legs not shake and may i not have to gasp for air!
and may I get through it skating a decent program. sigh. now that that's done with...
It's a blast to be here.
Cathy

jazzpants

04-13-2004, 11:27 PM

Alright! I've sent someone to bless the ice for both you and PattyP... so if it doesn't work, they didn't do it right (and should have sent ME instead!) :P

One word for you before you go out on the ice to compete... BREATHE!!! Believe in your practice and your coaches! You'll do *JUST* fine!!!

Elsy2

04-14-2004, 07:06 AM

Those of us stuck at home this year are sooooo envious of all of you at AN.
What a thrill to skate at Lake Placid!

Best of luck to all of you! Sk8Gr8! We love hearing your reports.

DRENDAVN

04-14-2004, 07:52 AM

Well, I'm off to spectate and cheer on my fellow skaters tomorrow morning. I had initially cancelled my LP plans due to a serious personal situation arising but I'm able to salvage at least part of my vacation. Looking forward to meeting as many posters as possible. Maybe I should wear a paper sign that says "ON ICE - SKATERS CHAT"!

Hello everyone:
It's raining today and I have had are really crummy practice. Part of it might be that I am not used to skating so much in one day. I am really fighting to get through my program. so please send me good vibes for tomorrow... may my legs not shake and may i not have to gasp for air!
and may I get through it skating a decent program. sigh. now that that's done with...
It's a blast to be here.
Cathy

Good luck CATHY! Many don't realize that the Olympic Center is close to 2000ft above sea level and those that skate at lower elevations may feel some effects of hypoxia during strenuous activity AND from being nervous.

See everyone there!
Dave D.

Mel On Ice

04-14-2004, 01:20 PM

Got a call from my friend who competed in Bronze Ladies I Group A. She came in 7th, just missing the cut for the final round. She's disappointed, because ordinals were all over the place, and she missed out in her three-way tie by thismuch. She said she skated relatively well, except she two footed one of the loops in her loop-loop combo, and skimmed the ice with her free foot on the flip, so judges may have interpreted that as a two-foot as well. Said competition in her flight was tough, last year no one had a back sit spin, this year everyone had one.

Still, she's having a good time, and looking forward to Silver and Interpretive events.

Michigansk8er

04-14-2004, 01:53 PM

Mel,

Thanks for the report. Bummer!

jenlyon60

04-14-2004, 02:10 PM

I guess it will be late this evening before results are posted anywhere? (Like USFSA site or SCLP site???)

Terri C

04-14-2004, 07:46 PM

I guess it will be late this evening before results are posted anywhere? (Like USFSA site or SCLP site???)

Nothing yet- events are apparently being delivered to the USFSA website by way of Pony Express :roll: :roll: !!!

flo

04-14-2004, 09:29 PM

Hi,
We arrived in Albany on Saturday, and Lake Placid on Sunday. The six of us (7 with dog Coco) have rented a beautiful house on the lake. We are having a great time. Our first practice on Sunday was strong. We met a new friend at the first session, and we all had dinner last night. We have a cook with us, and the gatherings have been great.
My friend in silver II has made final rounds, and two of us skate tomorrow. It's beautiful here, and it's great to see old friends.

Mel On Ice

04-14-2004, 10:39 PM

my friend Joyce made final round in Silver Ladies 3!

Debbie S

04-15-2004, 12:11 PM

Hi,
My friend in silver II has made final rounds, and two of us skate tomorrow. It's beautiful here, and it's great to see old friends.

Good luck, flo! I'll be crossing my fingers for you! And also Claudia, since she skates today as well.

(flo, if you happen to see Claudia, can you do me a favor and ask her to check her e-mail as soon as she gets home? Her answering machine wasn't working when I called so I sent her an e-mail telling her that the BFSC test session is full on Monday and I'm not testing. Which means I don't need to have a lesson on Mon afternoon. Thanks!)

If anyone's not crossing their fingers for anyone at ANs today, can you send me some good vibes for my supply chain exam tonight? :)

--Debbie, who's eagerly waiting for her first year in b-school to end.

flutzilla1

04-15-2004, 01:43 PM

Results from yesterday are now up:
http://www.usfsa.org/event_details.asp?id=19396

Congratulations to everyone from the forum who competed yesterday! I wish I could have been there to cheer you all on! :)

Good luck Dani in the final round of Bronze II -- sk8 gr8! -- and to everyone competing today and tomorrow! :)

Raine

04-15-2004, 07:34 PM

She came in 7th, just missing the cut for the final round. She's disappointed, because ordinals were all over the place, and she missed out in her three-way tie by thismuch.

I've just come home from Nationals because the identical thing happened to me. A three-way tie between 5th, 6th, and 7th, and I ended up 7th. I didn't skate my best, so I knew I'd be on the bubble. It was disappointing not to have the opportunity to skate on the 1980 rink, but I did have my 1:39 minutes on the 1932 rink, and the audience was generous in their support. The competition was very strong this year.

Cheers,
Raine

sk8er1964

04-15-2004, 07:59 PM

Hi all - I have to make this fast because I'm on a phone card...

We got here on Tuesday afternoon, after an awful drive (long story). I had practice ice about two hours after I got here, and it went fairly well. We rented a cabin with a wonderful view of Whiteface mountain, where the Olympic skiing events were held. (The first couple of days, because the summit was covered in cloud, but today we could see it in all it's glory.)

I enjoyed watching the Bronze's yesterday morning, then left to relax before I competed in Champ Gold last night. I was happy with my performance in the context of my practice meltdown last week, but I definitely did not do my best. I hope to do better tomorrow in my open event.

Of course, to put it in context, there was a lady who got injured in the warm up and had to withdraw. To get through Sectionals, and to get so close to the event and have that happen. How horrible. I felt so bad for her (she fell and split open her chin.)

We went to Montreal and Vermont today - both were beautiful places and I am very glad we took the day off of skating to go.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed for everyone else yet to skate -- maybe I'll get to meet some of you yet at the competitors party. Didn't see figureskates at registration.... :cry:

Debbie S

04-15-2004, 09:20 PM

Congratulations to manleywoman, winner of Masters Junior Ladies I!

I don't see the results yet for flo's comp or my coach's Gold Ladies I comp. Come on, USFSA!

vesperholly

04-15-2004, 10:38 PM

Yeah, go Allison!!!!

And :bow: to the three couples competing in Centennial Dance.

jazzpants

04-16-2004, 01:17 AM

Here's Gold Ladies I Comp:

http://www.usfsa.org/event_related_details.asp?ri=content/events/200304/adultnats/goldladies1.htm

Not too shabby for w.w.west (or Black Sheep for that matter...)

Cathy is KICKING BUTT so far!!! WOOO HOOO!!! PattyP and manleywoman for that matter too in their respective event!!! And skaternum and dani is doing JUST fine too! :bow: Nick, who is an absoluately wonderful skater and skating buddy, made a VERY respectable second in the Championship Gold Men to yet another very nice guy with an impressive hydroblade and charlotte spiral!!! :mrgreen:

I'm so proud of everyone who competed at this event!!! And someday when I get my act together and pass my test and save enough money, I look forward to being a competitor myself. :P

Man, I can't wait 'til the Championship Master's event!!! Or the final round for that matter either. :mrgreen:

Terri C

04-16-2004, 07:37 AM

Congratulations to manleywoman, winner of Masters Junior Ladies I!

I don't see the results yet for flo's comp or my coach's Gold Ladies I comp. Come on, USFSA!

Debbie, um you need to check those results, NOW!!!! :D

Arsenette

04-16-2004, 08:17 AM

So cool :) Congrats to all the competitors :bow:

I for one am looking at results for a friend of mine in Pre-Bronze Dance. He's doing good! 3rd so far.

Raine

04-16-2004, 09:12 AM

Debbie S

04-16-2004, 11:28 AM

Just saw the results. Congrats to flo, on her bronze medal, and super congrats to my coach, who won Gold Ladies I!!!! :D Glad to see that all those lessons she's been giving me on those dratted alt 3 turns didn't detract from her preparation!

Edited to add a congrats to climbsk8s (I think that's how she spells her screen name here) a.k.a. Lisa, who turned in what I'm sure was a gritty perfomance to place respectably in Gold I. How brave to get back to competing so soon after a knee injury. Go, Lisa!!

Mrs Redboots

04-16-2004, 12:27 PM

All my friends seem to be doing very well - I haven't finished looking at the results yet, but will do as soon as I've finished here. You're all awesome, the lot of you!

jazzpants

04-17-2004, 01:35 PM

Congrats to flo for her Bronze... and lookie here... she's famous!!! :mrgreen:

http://www.usfsa.org/event_related_details.asp?ri=content/events/200304/adultnats/pics1.htm

And congrats to my coach for his bronze in Masters Interpretative Men II too!!! :mrgreen:
Go KICK some ice BUTTS today!!! http://instagiber.net/smiliesdotcom/kao/otn/blob_box.gif

Mel On Ice

04-17-2004, 04:22 PM

my buddy duane (not duane who posts here) won silver in silver interp II and bronze in silver II free, although it's not up on the USFSA site yet. YAY~!

icedream

04-17-2004, 07:30 PM

Congrats to Jennifer on her 4th place finish in Adult Gold Ladies Class I!!!!!! woohoo!

i dunno if you people know her, but she's one of my freestyle 5 teachers :D

jazzpants

04-18-2004, 01:24 PM

In case my primary coach isn't joking, I think he should rethink quitting skating at least for one more year! :lol: He came in a very respectable 6th out of 9th against a BUNCH of verteran Masters Men and former kiddie skaters at his first competition as a Master's level skater!!! WOO HOO!!! :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

http://www.usfsa.org/event_related_details.asp?ri=content/events/200304/adultnats/champmastersmen.htm

Okay you guys that were watching this event! Did Eric Schroyer had a bad skating day or did Larry pull out another triple jump out of his arsenal??? (I fully expected Eric to beat Larry after attempting a triple lutz at Sectionals!) :lol:

Also, any one know who the videographer (is that the correct term?) is for AN? I wanna buy some tapes!!! :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: (Is it Ledin again?)

SkateGuard

04-18-2004, 04:41 PM

Eric is a very nice guy who is very much in the spirit of adult skating. Having said that, his performance was kind of a one-trick pony. He landed the triple lutz, but sat down on the triple toe and popped the double axel. His program didn't have the energy or excitement that it did at Mids. However, I hope Eric does come back to compete next year so the Pac Coast and Eastern skaters can see how good he is when he's on....

Larry landed triple salchow, triple toe, double axel, and fell on a second triple sal. He included the left start loop, and had the audience jumping to their feet by the end of the program.

By the way, I apologize if I'm wrong...they had an awards ceremony _during_ the start of champ masters men, and I was trying to see Cinderella's gold medal ceremony (and yes, the costume was fixed after Mids to remove the Shizuka imitation) at the same time as Eric and Larry.

Erin
who was one of the people screaming randomly during Champ Ladies...Larry, ever so shyly, had just told us he won with straight 1sts. (My friend had to ask twice!)

vesperholly

04-18-2004, 05:14 PM

What is the "left start loop"? Also, the article on the USFSA website said he landed a triple sal-triple toe combination - is that true?! If so, :bow:

lilpairsk8ter

04-18-2004, 05:15 PM

Mel
can you tell me how Duane skated. im a friend of his and was really bummed that i had to miss nationals this year and was wondering how he looked
thanks

Raine

04-18-2004, 05:21 PM

jazzpants wrote:

Also, any one know who the videographer (is that the correct term?) is for AN? I wanna buy some tapes!!! (Is it Ledin again?)

Hey jazz, it's Productions East Video http://www.productionseast.com/

Cheers,
Raine

SkateGuard

04-18-2004, 05:51 PM

What is the "left start loop"? Also, the article on the USFSA website said he landed a triple sal-triple toe combination - is that true?! If so, :bow:

It's a figure, like waltz eight. I didn't see triple sal-triple toe...I saw triple sal, then ran to Cinderella's awards ceremony. I missed the triple toe, but was told about it from a reliable source.

It was great for the USFS to treat AN's like any other National event this year. Yay! Just wait until next year!

Erin
who may be wrong on the figure...but it was a loop.

vesperholly

04-18-2004, 09:16 PM

It's a figure, like waltz eight.< snip > who may be wrong on the figure...but it was a loop.

That's kind of what I figured, I've just never heard it called left start before! :-)

sk8er1964

04-18-2004, 09:16 PM

I watched sk8er1964's Champ Gold performance. Perhaps not her best, but her footwork was outstanding. Light, quick, difficult steps that covered lots of ice. Very impressive. And she deservedly had many vocal supporters in the audience.

Cheers,
Raine

Thanks, Raine. I love footwork, and my coach is a genius at choreographing it! I really loved the support I got from my friends - it helped me get through the tough parts! They're the best (and the loudest :lol: ). Now, I just need to get those darn jumps solid.....

Cinderella won the Gold Ladies III!!!!! :D :D :D She was awesome! :bow:

Mrs. Redboots - I'm not quite sure who I was talking to, but they were talking about Mountain Cup and this wonderful British couple. She knew her name, but couldn't come up with it, but she said it was Robert and....

I jumped in with your name, and she asked me (surprised) if I knew you. I said, "not in person". What a small world we have. I so wish I could go there, but it'll have to wait until my son is out of travel hockey. I'll see you there in 2015!

As for the masters men, Larry clearly won. He was wonderful! Eric looked nervous - landed a terrific 3lutz, though. Great presentation, too. I have not yet met him, but I have heard he is very nice. My favorites, though, were Jazzpant's coach and the last two finishers.

Jazzpant's coach was great. It was a very emotional performance, with tears and laughter at the end. If he decides not to compete again, he has definitely had a fitting end to his competitive career. As a bonus, he managed to put underwear on his head and make it look like a classy hat! Now, who else could get away with that??? :bow:

The second to last place finisher always makes me smile with his love for skating. I haven't met him, either, but he always looks like he's having such fun. The last place finisher was the gentleman in group IV from Easterns that finished 4th there. He may not have had the jumps, but he has nice deep edges and strong turns. The guy could skate . I talked with him at the rink and at the competitors party - a very nice man. I hope he comes back next year!

The masters ladies winner had a double axel that had an exclamation point at the end of it. There was no question that she owned that jump. Nice presentation, and loved her dress (she had a periwinkle dress with gold on the underside of the skirt).

My mom doesn't read these boards, but I want to thank her anyway. She stood in for my coach this week, dealing with a rather nervous and neurotic skater with a big, huge double sal that only wants to show up in practice (it's the wimpy, crunched version that shows up in competition) :roll: . She gave me a few good tips on the layback to take back to my coach (who as a man has never done one). Yeah Mom! :bow:

Last, but not least, my dad came along to Lake Placid for the ride. You current and former Michiganders will understand this.....after my Friday skate, he threw a beenie octopus on the ice. Now how cool is that!? Go Red Wings! 8-)

Sorry for the book.....

manleywoman

04-18-2004, 09:31 PM

Hey all! Just got back from LP and unpacked. I just want to thank everyone for the congratulations on my win! I was really excited, since it's a tough group of ladies.

I had a great time, and am definitely motivated already for what I need to work on for next year!

Careygram

04-18-2004, 09:36 PM

Before I get to the point-- I'm curious about the beanie octupus!

Anyway, does anyone know the link to the company that was taking pictures and posting them on the computers for viewing/purchasing? By the time our final and medal ceremony were done on Saturday evening the vendors were but a memory and a few crumbs. They cleared out FAST. I saw the link for the video people too thanks.

Just a few thoughts on my very first adult nationals:

I had so much fun and everyone did so well just to go and skate

Interpretive is at times one of the "things that make you go hmmm..."

Change the pairs requirements--my partner and I were ready to sneak on the ice and say we were a last minute addition to pairs....didn't anyone check us in? :halo:

Don't make qualifiers from Wed wait until saturday night to skate. It darn near ruined my week. I was practically a saint this visit around :lol:

Masters ladies and silver ladies II final at same time--bad, no no :frus:

When you throw a stuffed (fill in the blank) write on the tag who it's from so I can come and kiss your feet

Maybe more practice ice, engrave the medals so we don't forget what the heck they were for (this is more of a wish list than a learning) and free beer after final events, handed to you right after you skate.

I can't wait to see everyone at various events throughout the year. Have great skates!

Deb Carey

SkateGuard

04-18-2004, 09:41 PM

Congrats, manleywoman! I missed seeing you in LP to congratulate you in person!

Erin

SkateGuard

04-18-2004, 09:55 PM

That's kind of what I figured, I've just never heard it called left start before! :-)

Actually, it's Larry's figure that started the patch class at my rink. My coach (who has known Larry since he was a kid) was a very strong figure skater in her day. On the way home from Ann Arbor last year, my coach and my training partner were going on and on about the fact it was a left start (I think from Jackson to Kalamazoo :) ) Our coach decided that she wanted to teach patch, and our patch class was born.

By the way, if any Chicago-area (or southern Wisconsin) skater is interested in adult patch, send me a private message (and please identify yourself) and I'll send you more info.

Erin
who is going to work on 3-turn figure eights to get those 3-turns in the Silver moves.

sk8er1964

04-18-2004, 10:26 PM

Before I get to the point-- I'm curious about the beanie octupus!

I'm a rather new Red Wing fan (didn't like hockey too much until my son started playing a few years ago), so I don't know all the details...

What I heard is that originally it took a minimum of 8 games to win the Stanley Cup. (???). Anyway, there is a tradition in Detroit to throw an octopus (8 legs) on the ice to represent the Stanley Cup championship. They don't do it much any more, for obvious reasons. Anyway, my dad's throwing the octopus on the ice came from that tradition. I thought it was cool - but I hope the Red Wings do better tha I did :lol: !

Mel On Ice

04-18-2004, 10:56 PM

Mel
can you tell me how Duane skated. im a friend of his and was really bummed that i had to miss nationals this year and was wondering how he looked
thanks

I wish I could tell you, I didn't go, but got play-by-play from my friend Denise who was there. I think he skated clean in interp, but she didn't tell me how he did in the freeskate. Apparently, ok, he did get one 1st place ordinal!

1964, GO WINGS! Are you by any chance competing at the GR Open this year? I'm making the trek again, but because my rink will be closed for the Olympic Diving Trials (what does THAT have to do with skating, I'll never know...) I'm going to visit with my sister in St. Clair Shores and skate there for a week, then go to GR to practice there. It's in June. Reply or PM me.

jazzpants

04-18-2004, 11:53 PM

Thanks, Raine. I love footwork, and my coach is a genius at choreographing it! I really loved the support I got from my friends - it helped me get through the tough parts! They're the best (and the loudest :lol: ). Now, I just need to get those darn jumps solid.....From what I've seen you were up against some really good skaters (including of course, our favorite witch) ;) , so give yourself a pat on the back for going out there to skate (and for making it to the Championship round!!!)

Cinderella won the Gold Ladies III!!!!! :D :D :D She was awesome! :bow: YAAAAY Cinderella :bow:

Jazzpant's coach was great. It was a very emotional performance, with tears and laughter at the end. If he decides not to compete again, he has definitely had a fitting end to his competitive career. As a bonus, he managed to put underwear on his head and make it look like a classy hat! Now, who else could get away with that??? :bow: http://mysmilies.ipbfree.com/s/kao/otn/bloblaugh.gif

So typical of him!!! SOOOO TYPICAL!!!

Well, I hope he's just pulling our leg and does come back to compete next year, but we'll see. He already told me that he's switching MY lesson from Thursday mornings to Monday nights so he can sleep in, instead of waiting a couple of hours for his next lesson. (Geez, and I was just getting used to "sleep-skating" too! :lol: I hope I could do my Bronze Moves during the Monday night public session. 8O )

The second to last place finisher always makes me smile with his love for skating. I haven't met him, either, but he always looks like he's having such fun.I'm happy Ted had a good skate, especially since he's still skating with an injury! :bow:

YAAAAY!!! manleywoman!!! :bow:

AWWWW!!! (for Eric...but I hope he comes back next year...)

And we all don't wanna forget dcden for his Silver in Gold Men I!!! WOO HOO!!! :mrgreen:

manleywoman

04-19-2004, 08:48 AM

YES! How could we forget?

Congrats to dcden for his silver medal...he landed three nice axels in his program! Our cheering section was rooting for him.

:bow: :bow:

Careygram

04-19-2004, 08:53 AM

dcden

04-19-2004, 10:16 AM

Thanks manley & jazzpants! I was happy to land my Axel-Axel combo for the first time in competition... it felt really good in the practices so I went for it. But I'm also motivated to start working on improvements for next year. And I'm going to be very hungry to return to the Championship event next year... but I gotta work on a lot.

I wish I'd seen Kim's interp!!!!!! She did the streaker, eh? I also missed her freestyle because I was waiting in line to purchase freestyle ice. I'm sure many other people have already or will soon post about the practice ice situation, so I won't comment on it further.

I agree, Jay skated beautifully and I would hope also that he reconsiders his decision to retire from adult competition.

Careygram: Great meeting you & Tim at Nationals. In regards to your previous post... yes, interpretive is often hard to figure out, regarding the scores. If anyone is considering entering an interpretive event, rule #1 is DO IT FOR FUN! If you do it to win a medal, be prepared for disappointment because it's often a crapshoot as to who the judges will place on the podium.

The scheduling doesn't make a whole lot of sense regarding qualiying groups and finals. While it is in the early stages, Maggie Harding mentioned that there are folks working on totally reworking the schedule which has been used for the past few years. Since it is in the early stages, I can't give any details about it now, only that there will be some tinkering with the schedule to see if changes can be made. But, it must have worked well for you because you placed 2nd in your final round! That is no easy feat in such a large field -- you should be very proud.

You mentioned the adult pairs event and I have to make mention of the Schwabs. While they finished off the podium, I was very impressed with their unison and their original moves. They had a spiral where he pulls her under his leg (a la Kuchiki/Sand), a combination spin where he swings his free leg (in camel) over her (in sit), and their exit from a death spiral had him stopping his pivot but continuing to swing her around by just passing his arm over his head. Very different stuff, good unison, and for me they captured the essence of what pairs is supposed to look like.

Other great performances that not everyone may have seen: Jodie Maier in Junior ladies III... I can't believe she's a III! Katherine Caldwell, who was 2nd, also had a lovely program. While the base mark was lower and the judges correctly had her 2nd, without the various double jumps her program still held your attention from start to finish because the choreography and transitions were seamless and elegant.

Those poor Senior I ladies... they had their official practice at 6:30 am but didn't compete till 11 pm. What was up with that schedule? But a mention must be made of the performance from the winner, Elizabeth Floriani. She had a double Axel and many other solid elements; her performance would have given Stephanie Cooke a run for her money in the Championship event, had she entered.

Gosh, too much to comment on for now... maybe more later. Hope everyone had a great time!

jazzpants

04-19-2004, 11:30 AM

Apparently, judges LOVE ask8ngcat's program, as well as PattyP's "Miss Piggy and Kermit dance." YAAAY!!! (Both, of course, won their respectitive Interpretive.) ak8ngcat: You could say you, Patty, and Sandra had a sweep: You and PattP w/your Interpretive, and Sandra with the Silver II event. (And PattyP, those guys didn't bless the ice right!!! I told them to bless it TWICE! Once for QR and another coat for the final round! GRRRR!!! Do I have to *BE* there to bless it properly?!?! :x :P )

dcden: re Axel-Axel combo *shudder*, then :bow: (I busted my calf doing a waltz-waltz combo last month. I'm just getting back to jumping this past weekend.)

The "streaker" strikes again, huh? :lol: Besides Jay, did the underwear phantom strike as well? :P

Mrs Redboots

04-19-2004, 11:50 AM

Mrs. Redboots - I'm not quite sure who I was talking to, but they were talking about Mountain Cup and this wonderful British couple. She knew her name, but couldn't come up with it, but she said it was Robert and....

I jumped in with your name, and she asked me (surprised) if I knew you. I said, "not in person". What a small world we have. I so wish I could go there, but it'll have to wait until my son is out of travel hockey. I'll see you there in 2015!

:oops: Well, I don't know who you were talking to, but we certainly aren't wonderful! There are loads of British couples who are (Oh, you should see Patrick and Sarah, or Stephen and his new partner - you will, those who are coming to the Mountain Cup), and we usually end up last in pre-Bronze. However, we have enormous fun trying hard not to - maybe this year we'll finally have developed enough speed and flow...... maybe.....

But we do love being there, and all the fun and everything - even though this year Robert has spurned the pre-Bronze solo dances (meaning he can't do a Riverside Rhumba in time to the music solo for love nor money) and isn't qualified for the Bronze dances there. So he's just there to show off my enormous (not) talents! :halo:

flo

04-19-2004, 12:11 PM

"Congrats to flo for her Bronze... and lookie here... she's famous!!!

http://www.usfsa.org/event_related_...tnats/pics1.htm"

Arggg! that's not me! - I already sent a correction to USFSA!
I wore a very simple black dress! I couldn't make the medal ceremony.

Congrats to all. We had a great time, and I loved skating in the exhibition. There was also a wonderful reception for all the 10 year participants in the Olympic museum. It was great to see old friends.
For the most part everything ran smoothly. There were some problems with the practice ice reservations, but most were relativiely well. I arived on Sunday and had good practice early so gave up several sessions to others.
There were several skaters who did not get practice ice, while there were skaters who skated several practice sessions after they had finished competing! There were also a few inconsiderate skaters on the ice, which made for dangerous situations.
I know that we all want to skate, but we have to be considerate of the other competitors. If you've finished competing, I don't think you should be on the practice ice, and that your fees be returned. Also, the practices should be better scheduled for level. I was on one session where there were bronze level skaters trying to get some practice in, and masters men doing doubles and oblivious to the others on the ice. There was also a pair (who had pair ice earlier that day) trying to skate together on this same FS ice - very dangerous and inconsiderate. The practice monitors did a great job, and will hopefully be given more authority to monitor (or add a monitor) to the sessions.
Finally - everyone who attended please fill out your surveys! For those of you not attending, the USFSA is working on making the survey more widley available.
Congrats to all!

flo

04-19-2004, 12:18 PM

They fixed it!
Debbie - Claudia did a great job - it was a beautiful performance!

manleywoman

04-19-2004, 01:16 PM

Manley woman,

Are you the one whose pants I really liked? I was there while Kim was getting ready to do her worlds streaker which, by the way, was so totally UNDER appreciated. I cracked up as soon as she started skating!

If so, I still like your pants.
;)

Yup, I am the proud owner of the pink vertically striped jeans! I love those jeans.

And yes...Kim dressed up as the streaker from Worlds, and I thought it was hilarious, but she was very under-appreciated! I think that since ABC cut most of it out of television, surprisingly few people actually saw the streaker. So Kim's Interp got a lot of blank stares. :oops:

flo

04-19-2004, 01:18 PM

Manleywoman - Congratulations!!! :)

Careygram

04-19-2004, 02:15 PM

Ah yes, Manley woman. Nice to meet you on and off board.

DCDEN, aka Dennis, likewise it was very very cool meeting you. I wish we had had more time to chat and get to know one another. There was just so much going on, people and events to see, places to go, stuff to figure out. I'm really so happy that you skated well. I didn't get to see you skate. Honestly, I didn't know what was going on half the time I just knew where I had to be when. Maybe at one of the smaller local competitions we can catch up. Now that I've beaten the nervous demons I'd like to try a few more competitions to see if it's still fun.

I did see the Schwabs. Tim and I really liked them and overall I was very impressed by both pairs events. Everyone had a couple of special "wow" elements that were totally their own and I loved watching.

Will you be doing any adult summer camps or clinics? If not, I'll be sure to look for you again even if it's here on the board. Great job!

Careygram

jazzpants

04-19-2004, 03:12 PM

flo

04-19-2004, 03:32 PM

That's ok! Charlie's program was great. He's been at quite a few of the Adult Nationals, and really supportive of us.

dani

04-19-2004, 03:56 PM

MQSeries

04-19-2004, 04:27 PM

John and Lorna were incredible at the exhibition!! She was a bartender/waitress at our hotel and so we talked with her some (and showed her the video) John flew in on Monday and they worked some on Tuesday and Wednesday but otherwise hadn't skated together in 14 years!! They were amazing, but I also really appreciate that they feel strongly enough about adult skating to come and do our exhibition like that!

Hugs!
Danielle

You mean Lorna is now working as a bartender/waitress? Nothing against bartending/waitressing as a profession, but it doesn't seem right somehow for a former National skating champion to now be waiting on people.

I remember seeing them one year at Dick Button's World Professional Championship in Landover, MD. They were an attractive and fun couple to watch.

dcden

04-19-2004, 04:34 PM

Careygram, no prob on not seeing my event... there was so much going on that while I spent a lot of time at the rink, I still missed many events that I was hoping to see. There's no way to see it all, or even a good portion of it. You just have to pick your events and hope for the best; plus, everyone has to eat, rest/practice for their own events, catch up with folks in the hallways, go shopping for clothes or videos at the vendor strip, etc.

I don't know what competitions I'm going to do for next season yet. I am still thinking about what's going to be my game plan regarding training habits and what areas to work on.

On another note, did anyone get the $10 ($15?) program this year? This was the first year I didn't purchase a program. Any thoughts on how it compared to previous years' programs?

dani

04-19-2004, 04:34 PM

Yes that is what Lorna is doing. We had a bunch of construction workers staying at our hotel (another long story, but suffice it to say, some get up even earlier than skaters and try to wake up those that don't). Anyway, several of these workers went to the Arena and watched her skate and pooled their money and bought her flowers. They were also her loudest audience when we showed her video in the lounge.

Michigansk8er

04-19-2004, 04:47 PM

Was the goodie bag great again this year? I love my backpack from 2000 (was that the year?). Way cool compared to Ann Arbor's.

dcden

04-19-2004, 05:16 PM

This year's goodie bag gift was a black scarf with the AN 2004 logo embroidered on it. I love it!

manleywoman

04-19-2004, 05:32 PM

On another note, did anyone get the $10 ($15?) program this year? This was the first year I didn't purchase a program. Any thoughts on how it compared to previous years' programs?

I would say it's the most expensive piece of kindling I've ever purchased. I'll sedn you mine, if you really want it!

What a waste of $15. :frus:

Michigansk8er

04-19-2004, 06:41 PM

Cool on the gift!!! :-)

Manleywoman:
As for the program..............we put a sponsor ad in (for a lot of money). Can you PM me to let me know what it was we paid for? The program last time I was there was great. Ann Arbor gives us a free program every year. This year.......nothing.

Michigansk8er

w.w.west

04-19-2004, 07:13 PM

From what I've seen you were up against some really good skaters (including of course, our favorite witch) ;) , so give yourself a pat on the back for going out there to skate (and for making it to the Championship round!!!):

Awwwwww....what a nice thing to say about a witch! You make me blush. It was a great group, and I feel privileged to have been among them (finally!) A certain fellow competitor and I are going to find a bigger house to drop next time! Right....sk8er1964? ;)

Well, I hope he's just pulling our leg and does come back to compete next year, but we'll see. He already told me that he's switching MY lesson from Thursday mornings to Monday nights so he can sleep in, instead of waiting a couple of hours for his next lesson. (Geez, and I was just getting used to "sleep-skating" too! :lol: I hope I could do my Bronze Moves during the Monday night public session. 8O ) !!!):

Interestingly, he said he is still joining our club. Then he said he would probaby still do the Peach and our Wyandotte comp. and other open's just not AN....so one never knows! But he did himself and others proud with his skate! Of course, the garments he "wore" did make him look "classy" somehow. Only, Jay!

I'm happy Ted had a good skate, especially since he's still skating with an injury! :bow: !!!):

I met Ted for the first time this year. What a guy to skate with a broken leg....and that warmup story and how he skated (or barely) to qualify from Pacifics takes the cake!

I'm totally exhausted but had a great time. It's always great to see old friends, but there never seems to be enough time. You say hello, hopefully watch some of your friends (old and new), try to skate decently yourself, and then it's time to say goodbye.

Hope everyone made it home safely and is unpacked and relaxing.

One more thing, Sk8er1964.....that is too cool that your dad threw you an Octopus. Only Michiganders!!!

sk8er1964

04-19-2004, 08:30 PM

I would say it's the most expensive piece of kindling I've ever purchased. I'll sedn you mine, if you really want it!

What a waste of $15. :frus:

You can have mine, too, if you want it. Last time I pre-purchase one.

sk8er1964

04-19-2004, 08:35 PM

Awwwwww....what a nice thing to say about a witch! You make me blush. It was a great group, and I feel privileged to have been among them (finally!) A certain fellow competitor and I are going to find a bigger house to drop next time! Right....sk8er1964? ;)

Hmmmm - there's some mansions going up about 2 miles from me (ones that could hold 6-7 of my house) -- think they're big enough? :D You skated great in champ gold! I also felt priviledged to skate in that group (and terrified....and nervous....and, well, you know ;) ). I'm glad I didn't find out until later that we were televised ! OMG - I've never been televised at anything in my life!

One more thing, Sk8er1964.....that is too cool that your dad threw you an Octopus. Only Michiganders!!!

8-)

dcden

04-19-2004, 08:42 PM

sk8er1964

04-19-2004, 08:52 PM

So I take it there were no baby pictures or interesting quotes like last year's program. I'm sure the color pictures also increased the price; I wonder if the competitors would rather it just be black and white to save on costs.

On a related topic, I personally would not recommend the highlight video. What was Rod Stewart doing in that video???? Does he do a flying camel? I also thought the video was very much skewed towards the Bronze and Silver ladies. No offense, bronze and silver ladies, but we saw few clips of dance, pairs, or master level skaters. And hardly any men either!

When I was watching it, I thought they were going day-by-day (even though there was only one champ gold lady - I was assuming they'd put us in later). It seems like they taped the first few days, though, and that was it. I was also very shocked at the prices for taping the events. I didn't buy anything there, because I wasn't about to pay that much.

On a side note, I did enjoy the competitors party. The carnival games were silly, but fun :D :lol: .

Now, the threads are running together in my mind....someone asked somewhere if anyone else got visited by the underwear phantom. My stablemate, a silver III man, got underwear wrapped beach balls :lol: .

Also, I didn't realize PattyP was Miss Piggy - I thought that was one of the best perfromances in the exhibition!

Careygram

04-19-2004, 09:07 PM

Well DCDEN, I'll just try to catch you when next you skate. Good luck with training and planning. My immediate plans are to SLEEP.

Anywho, luckily they let me peruse the program to see if I wanted to buy it. Needless to say, I didn't and I was also surprised to see that they had my profession and location completely WRONG. I do not work at St. Joseph's hospital in Lancaster, I was BORN there and I am a registered dietitian who works for Johnson and Johnson in New Jersey--I can see where they could confuse the two 8O PLUS, there didn't seem to be much substance concerning the skaters themselves. Oh well, guess they can't get it right every time. Overall the volunteers were fantastic and helpful and totally understanding of nervous competitors. I went to check for my friend who was competing to see if her event was on time and I was kind of apologetic for bugging the monitors and they laughed and told me one competitor asked them that very same question--7--times. Glad they had a sense of humor.

Now, about that beer handed to us when we step off...........Maggie?

:lol:

PattyP

04-19-2004, 09:47 PM

When I was watching it, I thought they were going day-by-day (even though there was only one champ gold lady - I was assuming they'd put us in later). It seems like they taped the first few days, though, and that was it. I was also very shocked at the prices for taping the events. I didn't buy anything there, because I wasn't about to pay that much.

Also, I didn't realize PattyP was Miss Piggy - I thought that was one of the best perfromances in the exhibition!

I watch the videos late last night when I got home and was quite disappointed in the quality after the amount of money they charged.

Thanks! Skating in the exhibition was the highlight of my week! What a treat that was. I will never forget it.

I was really tired by the time Silver II final round took place. Not an excuse for my mediocre performance, however. :roll: I just wish they had scheduled it earlier. I was really bummed I had to miss the Ch. Masters events. Oh well.

Overall, I had a really great week! It's going to take a few days to recover. Yesterday was a really long day after the 2 hour drive to Albany, the 2 hour flight to Chicago, the 2 hour delay in Chicago and then the 4 hour flight to Orange County. It was all worth it though! I can't wait until next year.

PattyP

ps. I'm all for the "beer when stepping of the ice" idea! :D

SkateGuard

04-19-2004, 11:06 PM

One more thing, Sk8er1964.....that is too cool that your dad threw you an Octopus. Only Michiganders!!!

When Sk8ter1964 said she got an octopus, I thought it was for the Red Wings...

But just for the record, this true-blue Chicagoan (20 yrs as a Cub fan) would have loved an octopus! Go Red Wings!

Erin
who gets so teased by her hockey-playing, Blackhawk-fan cousins at family get togethers...I just say, "and who made it to the playoffs? :lol:

Elsy2

04-20-2004, 07:27 AM

Did any of you see Davin Grindstaff's winning interpretive performance? I loved his Dorothy from Wizard of Oz last year, and the balloon number the year before. I'm curious as to what he came up with this year?

Careygram

04-20-2004, 09:07 AM

I forgot to add my thoughts on the "highlights" video. I saw NO pairs and only stuff from the first few days, barely any of the men's events and no Ch. gold stuff. Plus they showed a lot of the same people multiple times. Also, seeing Rod and Mick wasn't really what I was after. It was not worth what they were charging. Maybe I'm just being picky and truly I don't know just how difficult it is to put together a video like that. My preference would be to wait a little longer to have all events included and then maybe be able to view clips of it on-line to decide if I want to purchase (at less than $50 no matter how good it is).

Just my nickel (inflation you know)
Debbie

flo

04-20-2004, 09:29 AM

Hi,
I actually liked that the program was in color, and a change in format, although there were several mistakes.
I also thought the highlight video was far too expensive, also I didn't get to see it as they only played it once at the party! At the 10 year reception we watched the first Lake Placid video, and it was wonderful. The photos also had lots of missing feet and heads, but there were several to choose from.

jazzpants

04-21-2004, 04:49 PM

Interestingly, he said he is still joining our club. Then he said he would probaby still do the Peach and our Wyandotte comp. and other open's just not AN....so one never knows! But he did himself and others proud with his skate! Of course, the garments he "wore" did make him look "classy" somehow. Only, Jay!Hmmm? Interesting... especially since he will probably have at least one student going to AN next year. (Not implying me, of course! I was thinking of at least one other skater that went this year. ;) )

Maybe Master's Men Interpretative II at AN? ;) (Just wondering if he'll think of something that will top even the MK program.... I know. Scary thought, huh?) :P