CHAMPIONS ON ICE - Washington DC <April 1>

[TimDavidSkate]

It was a good night of skating and entertainment...

(Not the order of skate, btw)

Kwan was strong with all her jumps.
-At the beginning, she did a triple flip off the bat.
-During her program she did two 3flip, a 3lutz, and a double axel. Her program was from Madonna, I think. The verses were this used to be my playground....I forgot the rest.....
-At the ensemble program she did 4 double axels in a row

Slutskaya
-opened with a double axel
-during her program she did a triple loop, triple toe, and a double axel
her music was to brittney spear's ooops I did it again
- then a double axel during the ensemble

Cohen
-just did some splits and a combo spin
- Her don't rain on my parade program.. did a good double axel, nice triple sal..I couldnt understand the hell that woman is singing
- at the end, she tried a triple sal and stepped out

Kirk
- triple salchow (fall)
- triple toe (slightly two footed), triple flip (fall), double axel, triple toe ...she skated to a madonna/evita medley...

Kimmie Meisner
-I was so suprised!!! She did a solid triple flip, triple lutz, triple salchow, and a double axel.. very juniorish

Corwin
- did a good double axel in the beginning
- triple toe, double axel..song for a search for a sugar daddy..or something

Irina Grigorian
the hula hoop lady
- she started to do her hula in the middle of her flying camel spin, then the hula popped out of her head, she went to get it, then she tripped and slid on the ice, tried to get up, slid again...by this time she obviously was avoiding her right foot. She did a few more hula on her neck through her hands then she tried to do some footwork on her right and kinda tripped. she then exited the ice and collapsed forward...rrrr

Bonaly
- very strong with her jumps, good triple salchow and a back flip
- her program suprised me, she skated to her 1996 Short program from worlds, opened up with a nice 3loop, 3toe (a little off in the air, but saved it), high 3sal, 2axel

Petrenko
-1axel
- Program with his hat and a stick, he performed throughout the program with a stick, did 2axel, 3toe
-3toe at the ensemble program

Weir
- did a solid 3toe at the beginning
- he skated to unchained melody, still looks the same skating, but good triple lutz, triple toe, good spins

Goebel
- double axel
- adagio program, triple lutz, triple salchow, double axel, I can see him trying to be artistic...umm ballet classes will really help him
- triple loop at the end ensemble

Dan Hollander
- started his program sitting on a plastic couch and a fake tv, then started to work out like a woman to a tv program, very funny, good double axel, then to the music lyrics, 1toe/1toe/2toe/2toe/1loop/1loop/2toe, double salchow, then tried a triple toe, then his traditional backflip

Rudy Galindo
- double axel in the beginning
- 70's/80's medley(last dance), 2axel, 3toe(fall), 2axel, 3toe, used the chair as a prop in the beginning of his program, then he stripped to a white glittery tank top. very entertaining and flaming

Elvis Stojko
- solid 3toe in the beginning
- 3toe, 2axel, 3toe, usual fast music
- more 2axel and 3toe

Polishuk and I forgot his name
- good stunts and very entertaining

NO PLUSHY

Orsher and Lucash
- she fell on a throw 3sal, and a good split 2twist
- program- throw triple sal and a throw 3 loop
- good throw triple flip at the end

Pang and Tong
- nice and high throw 3sal, and a high split 2twist

Totmianina and Marinin
- high throw 3loop at the beginning
- another throw 3loop, beutiful side by side 3toe

Belbin and Agosto
- skated to their Free Dance

The end ensemble program was a complitation of western artists, all were wearing cowboy hats and clothes.

Sorry, I forgot Grushina & Goncharov - nacho break :halo:
Annasina and Pezerat - pizza break :halo:

[danibellerika]

Thanks for the review. I attended last year's show. Kimmie was there then too. For Michelle's program, here' are the lyrics:

http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/madonna/thisusedtobemyplayground.html

This is one of my absolute favorite songs (makes me cry) and I think this would be totally fitting if this is her last exhibition of her competitive career. I am 115% sure of where she put that spiral.

[snoopysnake]

Michelle did not perform to Madonna, she did Bolero. (Personally, I am glad of this.)

Did Besedin and Polishuk (sp?) have Washington DC jerseys on when they skated? In Boston they stripped off the racing suits and underneath wore jerseys of NE Patriots QB hero Tom Brady and Red Sox pitching ace Curt Schilling. YAYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!

Was Sasha in the group numbers? She was not in Boston, only did the solo.

No Plushy in Boston either :cry: and no Kimmie.

Viktor's music was Mack the Knife (possibly Darin but more likely Spacey.) WHY isn't he in the 2nd half of the show? (I know, I know, because he is "old" - but he's still young to me!!!)

I hope Irina will be okay. I love Dan Hollander's shirt that says "hoop boy" on the back. BTW, Dan's program this year is a takeoff on Richard Simmons. Hilarious as usual.

[snoopysnake]

We also had Anissina and Peizerat in Boston. They did Star Wars w Darth Vader and Exotica.

[icedancer2]

We also had Anissina and Peizerat in Boston. They did Star Wars w Darth Vader and Exotica.

I was wonderingt about that -- were they in DC as well?

Looking forward to seeing them at COI this year (actually they are one of the only reasons I'm going!)

[Debbie S]

Did Besedin and Polishuk (sp?) have Washington DC jerseys on when they skated? In Boston they stripped off the racing suits and underneath wore jerseys of NE Patriots QB hero Tom Brady and Red Sox pitching ace Curt Schilling.

No, one wore a NJ Nets jersey and the other a NY Knicks jersey.

Yes, Anissina and Peizerat were there. I believe they are doing the entire tour this year.

I assume the reason Sasha only did the solo in Boston was b/c of her groin injury. She seemed fine last night. I noticed that the 3 toe in the beginning of her program has become a 2 axel - maybe b/c of the injury? In any event, she skated well. I enjoyed her program.

Tonight was SOI - I had a real skating weekend! I think COI offered more of a variety of skaters, and a larger number, but I do like the group numbers of SOI. And it's nice to see the skaters doing more than 1 program. The arena tonight was barely half full, and I felt bad that attendance has dropped off so much, b/c this year's SOI show was good.

[jpeach]

I usually hate the cheesy closing numbers, but this time, it was a hoot: the country-western yee-HAW of the closing number was zippy and funny and very well done.

Other thoughts:

Loved Kwan's skating but meh to the Madonna music. She (Michele, not Madonna, lol) did a triple-double-double at the other end of the ring. During the closing number, she did about five double axels in a row.

Sasha once again floated above the ice - she's like a feather. I say that every time. Her spiral is stunning even if she did hit the highlight facing away from me to provide a total crotch shot. Excellent energy and pizzazz on her "Don't Rain on My Parade" number.

Elvis has terrific raport with the audience.

Ditto Rudy Galindo - well, of course, he's the home-town boy so San Jose loves him especially. Stooooopid lights during his performance were pointed right in my eyes most of the time, could barely see him. Who the heck is doing the lighting?

Irina looked happy and healthy and sexy doing a Britney Spears "ooops, I did it again" number.

Johnny Weir didn't wow me in person. He is a lovely skater but has almost no interaction with the audience. Hope he can change that.

Pang and Tong were the surprise for me this year. Though he is still poker-faced most of the time, she showed expression and great connection with the audience. I haven't seen this come through on TV, but in person, you just want to run to the ice and hug her.

Piezerat...speaking of hugging...omygawd - what a hunk. The duo got lots of appreciative applause for the gender-bending lifts. And, they are FAST!!

[windsor]

I haven't seen Pang and Tong in person, but I've wanted to ask someone who has - she looks very, VERY thin when I've seen her in televised events. They say the camera adds weight.

What does she look like in person? Any healthier maybe than she looked during Worlds? I'm afraid if she falls, she'll break! I know you have to be teeny-tiny to skate pairs, generally, but I kinda' worry about her health.

[jpeach]

She IS thin and has that almost-pre-pubescent undeveloped look to her body. Think: Tara Lipinski and Michelle Kwan before their growth spurts - legs, in particular thighs, thin, no curves, upper arms w/no definition, certainly no bust to speak of.

Still, though she does not yet (imo) have a very womanly shape, she appears strong, healthy, and capable of solidly landing jumps.

[windsor]

How old is she?

Both she and her partner are lovely together.