Skate America discussion - SPOILERS

[MQSeries]

Warning: this thread contains spoilers

[MQSeries]

--- Men ------
Weir - His long program bored me.

Lysachek - He should ditch the top half of his costume. The puffy sleaves and bedazzlers were not doing him any favor. I don't think the program as a whole did him any favor either. It wasn't bad but it wasn't great either. I'm don't understand why skaters are paying top $$$ to TT when her choreography isn't anything special. Maybe her footwork works great for a compact and speedy skater like Yagudin, but it just look awkward with Evan's lanky lean body. Suprised that he dropped to third.

Japanese skater - Sorry I don't remember his name. He had the most pleasant program of the top three and deserved to win.

side note: Does anyone think that it's corny when Frank Carol utter pep talk like "Undaunted courage" to his skater prior to starting his skate? I mean Evan is competing in a figure-skating competition, not going into the battle field.

--- Ladies ---

Kimmie - I feel bad for her, but I think her chance of ever being on top again is over even if she had landed all her jumps. Her body is now built like a gymnast, and she just doesn't have that "it" quality that will put her above the skaters that are ranked above her. Her program was not very interesting, and she was slow out there.

Mirai - She grew and is still adjusting to her new body. Right now she's not going to be able to challenge the top skaters in the world. Hopefully she will adjust to it by next year. I'm not sure she'll repeat as National champion this year. Definitely need to gain more speed and flow.

Rachael Flatt - Her skating doesn't excite me at all. She tends to hunch her upper shoulders which is unattractive.

Mikki Ando - Great jumps. How in the world was her 3loop in her 3-3 downgraded? The technical caller was smoking something. I guess Mikki needs to do a 3 1/2 loop for it to be ratified. Aside from the jumps, the program bored me. It was basically skate to one end, jump, skate to the other end, jump. Repeat. Mikki also look down at the ice a lot. She barely made any eyes contact with the audience at all. Morosov should really give her more inbetween stuffs and work with her to connect with the audience more.

Yukuri - pleasant enough program. I do like her version of Giselle better than Mikki's. The wrap leg on the lutz and flip is distracting though.

Yu-Na - She does have the speed, flow and security that the other skaters in the competition didn't. Deserved the win but I don't think she was so far above Ando and Yukuri to warrant such a huge winning maring. I'm disappointed with the choreographies that Dave Wilson have been giving her the past two seasons. Nothing special. I didn't get it when Sandra Bezic was raving about the Schez program; Heck, Kwan with her supposedly endless Xovers had more subtleties in her Schez's program than Yu Na's. I enjoy watching Mao more.


The SLF is still the most annoying aspect of COP. Skaters don't care that they're not matching the beat of the music at all.

[Schmeck]

I haven't had a chance to watch all the skaters (video on icenetwork is kind of choppy on this computer, hopefully my new one will be better!) But I did watch a bit of the ladies' short.

I agree that Rachel Flatt has upper body posture issues - her shoulders need to go down and back, and her head needs to be back more over her shoulders instead of jutting out. That would put a nice arch in her back as well. Just doing that would clean up her line so much, and I think it would reflect in the second mark.

Mirai got so tall! Now she needs to use that height to her advantage.

Kimmie seems to be done already - the fall in the short program seems so deja-vu.

I'll post more after I get to watch the entire competition, on my better computer!

[mskater]

MQSeries - I agree with all of your comments:]

I wish Johnny would try something new and I wish Evan would pick some music that is not completely 'played' out.

Yu Na Kim is great but her program looks just like last year's only with different music...

[NoVa Sk8r]

The "Battle of the Giselles"--I love it!

I think Frank was being tongue-in-cheek with his "undaunted courage" remark; that is his famous remark to Michelle Kwan back in 2000 or so.

Evan's outfit was ridiculous. The top half made him look like he was wearing a muscle shirt costume! Probably, as pointed out, to fill out his lanky frame.

I must also say that JWe *needs* to do a 3-jump combo. This is his 2nd or 3rd competition where he lost simply by not tacking on a 2toe or 2loop somewhere. I'm hoping to see one this season.

[MQSeries]

The "Battle of the Giselles"--I love it!


Ando is too much of a power skater for such delicate music. There was little if any Giselles in her performance. I like Bobek's Gisellse program.


I think Frank was being tongue-in-cheek with his "undaunted courage" remark; that is his famous remark to Michelle Kwan back in 2000 or so.


I think Frank use that quote for all of his students before they start their program to motivate them. Isn't that a Winston Churchill's quote? It just seems OTT to me, especially for a skating competituib,


Evan's outfit was ridiculous. The top half made him look like he was wearing a muscle shirt costume! Probably, as pointed out, to fill out his lanky frame.


When you wear a top that looks like it came from Urmanov's closet then you know it's wrong for you, :lol:. I'm suprised Evan was able to keep a straight face wearing that montrosity. It'll be interesting to see if he'll change it later in the seaon. He told Tarasova that he's totally hers this season in term of how she wants him to look and move out on the ice. Big mistake. Did he not remember the "Night on Bald Mountain" program that TT gave Goeble? Yikes.

[AgnesNitt]

Well, it looks like grown up hormones have finally hit JOhnny Wier. Anyone else notice the massive pecs---and those muscular thighs! I swear he didn't look like that last year.
I think his footwork is better. It seems even more effortless than before.
I like gloves on a man when he skates, it gives a more finished look and really shows off the fact that he choreographs his movements down to his hands. I just wish Wier would ditch the off the shoulder look. And what was with the peplum in his FS?
Lots of empty seats. Bummer.
I hate IJS, I do so miss the old beautiful spread eagles held forever and the long spirals. Everything is herky jerky now.

[sk8tmum]

I kept thinking about that old Sex Bomb takeoff ... with the huge fake muscle suit ... that Plushenko did ... when I was looking at the puffy top on Evan. Seriously, it's awful, and ruins the line of his skating. Hopefully, he'll rethink it.

[Isk8NYC]

I just watched the recording last night. I don't know why, but the DVR didn't get ANY of the commentators' remarks after the introductions. It was a JOY to watch the programs and be able to hear all of the music! I'm sure someone's in trouble for that screwup...too bad.

I thought Miki Ando looked great and could really jump, but what happened to her basic skating? Her crossovers were choppy and even the stroking didn't have any flow or grace. Maybe she was injured.

Can't believe how quickly the "little ones" (Flatt, Nagasu) are growing up - they're TALL now. Can't stand the toe pushes and stompy skating that Flatt and Meissner both do when they're warming up - they look hunch backed. (That was too critical, right?)

Loved the little german girl-looks in the last few skaters. Dirndls for all! Watching Nakano was like watching a 1960's performance, except for the jumps and combination spins, of course. Clean skate, I believe? She did well, as did Ya-Nu Kim; loved seeing Brian Orser in the kiss-and-cry.

Can't stand Weir's entire "look" for his long program. The black-black hair (was it always that color?) looks like a bad Beatles wig and I kept staring at the red spot over his heart. Not that Lysacek's "puffy shirt" was any better - he looked top-heavy, lol. I don't know who's dressing him this season, but I don't like what they've done with his long outfit.

Overall, there was a lot of "elevator music" programs. I'm sure Weir's music meant something to him, but it did nothing for me. Lysacek's music was exciting but all the arm-flailing was distracting. (Maybe he was signaling with those sleeves)

[MQSeries]

Can't stand Weir's entire "look" for his long program. The black-black hair (was it always that color?) looks like a bad Beatles wig and I kept staring at the red spot over his heart.


The image that kept coming to my mind while watching Weir was "Prince Valiant", LOL. Johny has thin, stringy hair, so I'm not really sure what type of hairstyle would be good for him, especially since the hair cut will have to match the flamboyant outfits.


Not that Lysacek's "puffy shirt" was any better - he looked top-heavy, lol. I don't know who's dressing him this season, but I don't like what they've done with his long outfit.


Tarasova is dressing him this season. For the SP, she had him in a form-fitting black shirt with a huge cross across the chest, very similar to the cross outfits that Platov & Pasha wore for their Memorial ice-dance program. Evan's competing in Skate Canada this Friday. I really hope he ditches this outfit. Go back to the Carmen black outfit from last season. But like I mentioned previousy, Evan told TT that he'll do whatever she tells him this season. So unless she approve of the costume change I'm not sure he'll get rid of it.

[Isk8NYC]

Gak. That sounds even worse. I kept thinking about Jerry Seinfeld's Puffy Shirt episode. Sigh.

While I didn't hear any of the commentators after intros, I did hear Frank Carroll (whom I adore) say something to Evan in the k&c about ... "We're going to go back to revisit (something) - don't you agree?" I guess Frank wants to change something for this week.

What was Evan's opening jump supposed to be - the one he splatted out of at the beginning?

[Isk8NYC]

Well, it looks like grown up hormones have finally hit JOhnny Wier. Anyone else notice the massive pecs---and those muscular thighs! I just wish Wier would ditch the off the shoulder look. And what was with the peplum in his FS? Didn't notice his build - the offshoulder number and the peplum was very distracting. I don't think I really watched him skate so much as I watched that costume move across the ice. It's really bad, now that I think about it.

I like gloves on a man when he skates, it gives a more finished look and really shows off the fact that he choreographs his movements down to his hands.Nah, I don't like the gloves, esp. not those net ones with the seams. They're just strange. (I didn't say wierd) Don't like any of the others' gloves either. I think (again) that they're more distracting from what was probably a great performance.

Sorry to be a broken record, but I really think that the whole costume should enhance, not distract.

I agree about the lack of time for graceful movements. There should be a requirement in the scoring system about inside/outside spreadeagles and extended-length spirals. Not even a hydroplane to be seen. yawn.

Maybe SkateCanada will be more entertaining.

[Swizzler]

I totally agree about Evan's costumes. His skating looked more powerful and the choreography was way more effective when he dressed simply, in stark black with a limited number of color accents. His new costumes, especially the LP one, are just garish and distracting.

Yu-Na Kim's red dress was simply gorgeous!

[Isk8NYC]

Welcome to the board! Glad you were able to register.

[Swizzler]

Thanks! :P

[Artemis]

... I don't understand why skaters are paying top $$$ to TT when her choreography isn't anything special. Maybe her footwork works great for a compact and speedy skater like Yagudin, but it just look awkward with Evan's lanky lean body.

I don't think it was just a mis-match with Evan's style & body type, I thought it was just plain bad choreography (if you're referring to that footwork sequence near the end of his LP). It looked frantic, unpolished, and just plain random, plus it didn't really fit the music.

My other concern about his LP was that, although it was called "Rhapsody in Blue," it was actually a very poorly edited mish-mash of a bunch of different Gershwin pieces. Waaay too many music changes, and impossible to set an overall mood. I think Rhapsody by itself would be a great piece for Evan to skate to, without all the froufrou stuff TT has made him do.

[Mel On Ice]

I have to admit, for the first time since these two have been competing head to head, I don't have a favorite as I disliked both programs, music cuts, and costumes.

[Isk8NYC]

I don't think it was just a mis-match with Evan's style & body type, I thought it was just plain bad choreography (if you're referring to that footwork sequence near the end of his LP). It looked frantic, unpolished, and just plain random, plus it didn't really fit the music. FRANTIC! That's the word I was looking for - I totally agree with you. Lysacek shouldn't be made to look frantic in a footwork sequence. If she was going for "exciting" and "dramatic" TT failed. Perhaps MQSeries is correct though.With shorter arms and a less distracting shirt, someone else might have pulled off that footwork sequence with all its flails and pops.

[MQSeries]

FRANTIC! That's the word I was looking for - I totally agree with you. Lysacek shouldn't be made to look frantic in a footwork sequence. If she was going for "exciting" and "dramatic" TT failed.

But wouldn't you also characterize Evan's SLF in Carmen as frantic? It seems like Evan's choreography for the SLF, regardless of wether it was choreographed by Nichols or TT, always has him throwing every portion of his body parts into the choreography.