This evening, I spent several hours I really didn't have putting together a special news feed for It Figures. Over to the right, under the "About Me" section is now an automatically updating news feed of figure skating articles. The news feed updates every hour. I wouldn't be so proud of this except that I wrote the scripts that obtain and parse the headlines myself.
Anyway, if you're jonesin for figure skating news, feel free to visit as often as you like.
Saturday, March 18, 2006
Friday, March 17, 2006
Blogging for Books
Every once in a while, I do something bloglike... writing on a particular topic... you know, blog-shit. Well, this time, like many other times, it's an author-thing.
Except this author-thing is about the military. The book the author-thing is promoting is about being a military wife. I'm familiar with the author, though I don't know her. Perhaps I should. Despite being a military wife for nearly 12 years and having loved a sailor for almost 14 years, I write very little about military life. Perhaps because I don't find it so all fired amusing and I don't think people are interested in hearing about it. Maybe just because I am Melodrama Girl, it's a pretty dramatic tale.
Anyway, there are three things I've ever written about being military. I am going to post them in separate posts, but these three are my entry in the military themed Blogging for Books. Please read them in the order shown here.
They are:
Except this author-thing is about the military. The book the author-thing is promoting is about being a military wife. I'm familiar with the author, though I don't know her. Perhaps I should. Despite being a military wife for nearly 12 years and having loved a sailor for almost 14 years, I write very little about military life. Perhaps because I don't find it so all fired amusing and I don't think people are interested in hearing about it. Maybe just because I am Melodrama Girl, it's a pretty dramatic tale.
Anyway, there are three things I've ever written about being military. I am going to post them in separate posts, but these three are my entry in the military themed Blogging for Books. Please read them in the order shown here.
They are:
Leave a Light On
Where Are You Tonight?
Unsung (a poem)
Leave a Light On
It took me over a year to realize that Ahoy Acres was shaped like a ship. Ahoy Drive is the bowsprit leading into a small '60s era development of unrelieved, single-story brick ranchers and faux salt-boxes with fake clapboards. After a block, to your left, Port Road cradles the south side of this crumbling little haven of the lower-middle-class American dream. Yes, Starboard Road is on the right. We lived on Port, just before the waterline's curve. It was the best we could afford.
My husband had just left for six month deployment. He's in the Navy--you'd think Ahoy Acres would take me less than a year. I'm a little slow. We'd never done such a long deployment before. I knew the agony of being parted for months at a time. He had already been gone 45 days that year, and six months seemed an eternity.
To keep myself busy, I began a quilt. I've sewn most of my life, always creatively, but seldom well. I'd never quilted anything before, but I needed something to make the days run together--anything to make six months shorter than it was. I chose a simple log cabin design, in autumn browns with a dark red square in the center. That square, I'd learned, was the home fire burning.
As the squares grew beneath my fingers, my 2 year old daughter moved from my bed into her own. She weaned. She got bit by the cat and needed antibiotics. The stove died and had to be replaced. I learned everything one could learn about decorating and furniture refinishing from The Discovery Channel. I decided the quilt was too small--a queen--it needed to be a king.
I tried laying the pieces out every which way. No dice. I tried buying more fabric. Not in any store near me. Then, as if I was a cartoon character, a light bulb illuminated my room one late night I smoothed my tousled bed-clothes, too empty and forlorn, and began to lay out the quilt squares in the shape of a ship.
With complementary sashing, it would work. I was only one piece short. I gathered the scraps together. Yes, there was enough and dug into three generations of fabric stash, my grandmother's, my mother's and mine and found a clear yellow cotton. I ran up that square and placed it just before the waterline's curve. The red squares spread across the bed, dim and inviting--all the other wives awaiting all the other men on my husband's ship. But at the corner, exactly where our house stood in Ahoy Acres, there was a light in the Log Cabin's window.
I never finished the quilt, but it served its purpose. It's somewhere in one of my fabric bins waiting for desperate hands to lay upon it again. Though we no longer live in Ahoy Acres, that was three houses ago, my quilt won't have long to wait.
At the beginning of this year, my husband's ship deployed for parts unknown, for an undetermined time, and an unpredictable return. It could be 40 days. It could be 9 months. My second child, now a two year old might be weaned by then. She might sleep in her own bed, too. As he prepared for war, I feel like I need to make preparations of my own. I've prepared my mind for the idea that he might never return--and I studiously ignore it, employing every tool at my disposal to make the days run together. Even a quilt.
Somewhere out there, on the dark waters, three hundred men know that somewhere, in developments shaped like ships and not, the home fires are burning. But my husband knows there is a light in the window.
Come home safely, beloved.
Come home.
Note: This was written in 2003, as the Iraq War loomed. My husband's ship was one of many that fired the opening salvos of that war. Each day during that 5 month deployment--by the grace of God a short one compared to what some endured--my husband boarded ships daily, carrying a gun, perhaps facing only scared merchant sailors, perhaps facing terrorists who would shoot first and answer questions later. For three days, while CNN reported nothing, my email returned undelivered, bounced. For three days, I knew--WE kNEW, we military wives--that the shooting had already begun. We were at war... but no one heard us and no one dried our tears.
My husband returned, well and healthy, alive to deploy again another day. This August he will have "15 years in." A bit more than five years from now, he will retire from the Navy... on my birthday.
My husband had just left for six month deployment. He's in the Navy--you'd think Ahoy Acres would take me less than a year. I'm a little slow. We'd never done such a long deployment before. I knew the agony of being parted for months at a time. He had already been gone 45 days that year, and six months seemed an eternity.
To keep myself busy, I began a quilt. I've sewn most of my life, always creatively, but seldom well. I'd never quilted anything before, but I needed something to make the days run together--anything to make six months shorter than it was. I chose a simple log cabin design, in autumn browns with a dark red square in the center. That square, I'd learned, was the home fire burning.
As the squares grew beneath my fingers, my 2 year old daughter moved from my bed into her own. She weaned. She got bit by the cat and needed antibiotics. The stove died and had to be replaced. I learned everything one could learn about decorating and furniture refinishing from The Discovery Channel. I decided the quilt was too small--a queen--it needed to be a king.
I tried laying the pieces out every which way. No dice. I tried buying more fabric. Not in any store near me. Then, as if I was a cartoon character, a light bulb illuminated my room one late night I smoothed my tousled bed-clothes, too empty and forlorn, and began to lay out the quilt squares in the shape of a ship.
With complementary sashing, it would work. I was only one piece short. I gathered the scraps together. Yes, there was enough and dug into three generations of fabric stash, my grandmother's, my mother's and mine and found a clear yellow cotton. I ran up that square and placed it just before the waterline's curve. The red squares spread across the bed, dim and inviting--all the other wives awaiting all the other men on my husband's ship. But at the corner, exactly where our house stood in Ahoy Acres, there was a light in the Log Cabin's window.
I never finished the quilt, but it served its purpose. It's somewhere in one of my fabric bins waiting for desperate hands to lay upon it again. Though we no longer live in Ahoy Acres, that was three houses ago, my quilt won't have long to wait.
At the beginning of this year, my husband's ship deployed for parts unknown, for an undetermined time, and an unpredictable return. It could be 40 days. It could be 9 months. My second child, now a two year old might be weaned by then. She might sleep in her own bed, too. As he prepared for war, I feel like I need to make preparations of my own. I've prepared my mind for the idea that he might never return--and I studiously ignore it, employing every tool at my disposal to make the days run together. Even a quilt.
Somewhere out there, on the dark waters, three hundred men know that somewhere, in developments shaped like ships and not, the home fires are burning. But my husband knows there is a light in the window.
Come home safely, beloved.
Come home.
Note: This was written in 2003, as the Iraq War loomed. My husband's ship was one of many that fired the opening salvos of that war. Each day during that 5 month deployment--by the grace of God a short one compared to what some endured--my husband boarded ships daily, carrying a gun, perhaps facing only scared merchant sailors, perhaps facing terrorists who would shoot first and answer questions later. For three days, while CNN reported nothing, my email returned undelivered, bounced. For three days, I knew--WE kNEW, we military wives--that the shooting had already begun. We were at war... but no one heard us and no one dried our tears.
My husband returned, well and healthy, alive to deploy again another day. This August he will have "15 years in." A bit more than five years from now, he will retire from the Navy... on my birthday.
Where Are You Tonight?
(Note: My husband sometimes uses this essay to counsel young sailors who are having marital problems. It's too common. The military has a much higher rate of divorce than civilians.)
He called from the ship tonight. "I can't tell you where I am."
How come?
"Because I don't know where I am. Somewhere off the coast, less than 12 miles."
In the Indian Ocean. Or in Bahrain. Or near the Canary Island. Or in Cuba.
Or across the street from La Segrada Familia in Barcelona. He doesn't even know why he might want to go see La Segrada Familia, the great unfinished Cathedral of the Holy Family. He knows that his friends are out for a beer and he's stopped to call home.
It's always been nice when he called home from some exotic place. The US Navy takes him to some strange places: Israel, Italy, Egypt. He could see the pyramids, the bazaars, the paintings, the cathedrals. Instead, he goes for dive bars, museums of dirty pictures, dusty streets. It's all about the next beer.
I stay at home and dream--and fume--a boiling kettle of need to fly, to see new places, different things. Instead, I go to the day care, the elementary school, Wal-mart. I wipe noses, mouths and tears. My own raised voice echoes the screams of a tantrumming toddler and the steaming desire to get away.
What am I doing here?
How did I become a drudge to dishes and diapers while he travels the world? Remember me? I have the toughest job in the Navy. I do it alone, but I'm not a single parent. The Navy does not "take care of its own." I am a member of no team. I am a Navy of one.
He says, he could do this, day in, day out, stay home like I do. It's not that hard.
He'd go crazy.
I'm not crazy. I can wait for the day when I'll see the Louvre, walk the cathedrals of Europe, eat falafel in the streets of Haifa. It only hurts a little that I'll probably never get there. I can accept that. Security is a prison. Freedom is risk. Commitment holds me as sure as an iron cuff about my ankle.
Commitment is not big in this day and age. He understands commitment. The Navy requires nothing less than to be number one. He understands sacrifice, living in the close quarters of the ship, hard metal and his radar system between him and death. He would give his life willingly, but not cheaply. Freedom, he understands so well, because his life is on the line.
Commitment to freedom, I understand that too. I have committed my freedom to these three, small girls. Though smiles balance tantrums and kisses weigh down the tears, there is no one to balance me. He would give his whole life at once for your freedom.
I give my life in inches.
He called from the ship tonight. "I can't tell you where I am."
How come?
"Because I don't know where I am. Somewhere off the coast, less than 12 miles."
In the Indian Ocean. Or in Bahrain. Or near the Canary Island. Or in Cuba.
Or across the street from La Segrada Familia in Barcelona. He doesn't even know why he might want to go see La Segrada Familia, the great unfinished Cathedral of the Holy Family. He knows that his friends are out for a beer and he's stopped to call home.
It's always been nice when he called home from some exotic place. The US Navy takes him to some strange places: Israel, Italy, Egypt. He could see the pyramids, the bazaars, the paintings, the cathedrals. Instead, he goes for dive bars, museums of dirty pictures, dusty streets. It's all about the next beer.
I stay at home and dream--and fume--a boiling kettle of need to fly, to see new places, different things. Instead, I go to the day care, the elementary school, Wal-mart. I wipe noses, mouths and tears. My own raised voice echoes the screams of a tantrumming toddler and the steaming desire to get away.
What am I doing here?
How did I become a drudge to dishes and diapers while he travels the world? Remember me? I have the toughest job in the Navy. I do it alone, but I'm not a single parent. The Navy does not "take care of its own." I am a member of no team. I am a Navy of one.
He says, he could do this, day in, day out, stay home like I do. It's not that hard.
He'd go crazy.
I'm not crazy. I can wait for the day when I'll see the Louvre, walk the cathedrals of Europe, eat falafel in the streets of Haifa. It only hurts a little that I'll probably never get there. I can accept that. Security is a prison. Freedom is risk. Commitment holds me as sure as an iron cuff about my ankle.
Commitment is not big in this day and age. He understands commitment. The Navy requires nothing less than to be number one. He understands sacrifice, living in the close quarters of the ship, hard metal and his radar system between him and death. He would give his life willingly, but not cheaply. Freedom, he understands so well, because his life is on the line.
Commitment to freedom, I understand that too. I have committed my freedom to these three, small girls. Though smiles balance tantrums and kisses weigh down the tears, there is no one to balance me. He would give his whole life at once for your freedom.
I give my life in inches.
Unsung
Autumn
Pondering deployments to come
Five days, eight weeks, six months.
One set of hands--
Short.
Leaves to rake,
Sweet Gum balls on the ground.
And him--
out protecting freedom again
My hero.
Pondering deployments to come
Five days, eight weeks, six months.
One set of hands--
Short.
Leaves to rake,
Sweet Gum balls on the ground.
And him--
out protecting freedom again
My hero.
Figure Skating: Junior Worlds Men's FS
Takahito Mura JPE age 15
Tchiakovski violin concerto
shit shirt with blue trim and side panels, blue pants
3A nice. 3F-2T nice. 3Z-2T. nice easy death drop squat outside twist. SL FW swirly there's some intensity there. 3S nice. outSEs now we see some presentation where before was only stalking jumps. 3Z 2footed?. steps PAUSE 3L. sit squat twist. 3T-2T. 3T. circle FW fast and nicely sold, swirly but not upy downy L3 at best. fly camel sit inside ch camel; squat outside.
The boy stalks his jumps and his presentation skills are fairly unformed. He gets tired and raggedy towards the end, but his jumps remain easy and unhesitating. I like his intensity in the FW, but obviously, he forgets any attempt at artistry to stalk the jumps. He's young, but there's excitement here
61.32 + 51.92 = 113.24 Personal best T =168.39
Ryo Shibata JPN age 19
Maleguena
purple shirt with military shoulder pads and crushed velvet half. black pants with sequined side stripe. A fashionable hair cut bleached brown.
3T-2T. 2A-2T-2T. 3Z-2T. his jumps are whippy. Serp FW difficult but not sold at all. 3L nice. NICE fly camel inside ugly donut. music: slow. nice side catch spiral. WOW nice forward Beioll spiral. to 3S. camel inside layover donut upright. steps 3Z fall. SL FW difficult sirly uppy downy but he's tired and it's raggedy. 3F fall. 2A nice camel inside layover sit inside ch squat beill NICE.
The boy spins well, quick and well centered. He's long and lean and has great flexibility... not quite Shawn Saywer, but definitely on par with Plushenko. His falls are fully rotated... but he obviously left out a lot of content... for sure a quad attempt. Two of his coaches are very solemn in the K&C and the other is smiling widely, rubbing Shibata's shoulder and handing him tissues. I think the poor kid is crying.
47.89 + 50.04 = 95.93 T = 151.01
American viewers will be intrigued to know that Russian Sports TV shows 2 programs and then breaks for several minutes of commercials... sometimes 5 or 10 short ones. Pepsi is a skating sponsor in Russia and they keep showing the SAME stupid soccer commercial with the dancing German team in Leiderhosen beating the sexy soccer guys.
Varner USA age 19
Conquest in Paradise (that Columbus film from a couple years ago)
black velvet unitard with half the shirt in gold and black sequins with flowers and black gloves
3Z-3T hop out. 2A squat inside pancake ch bad squat, foot behind foot spin. 3F-2T-2L last badly cheated eh. SL FW uppy downy swirly but not sold now he;s selling a little kind of gumby-like, but he's more Goebel than Savoie. steps 3L off center and landed but badly, also cheated, fell out. lots of arm waving passing for presentation. 3S. camel variant sit nice catch upright. ch sit pancake upright inside. SE to 2Z. 3F 2 footed 1T. circle FW very ragged but difficult. 2A wonky landing but landed. death drop squat pancake.
He's a kid. Not much to say. from the look of his SP score, this was not a good night for him.
51.74 + 47.44 = 99.18 T = 152.54
Kevin Reynolds CAN age 15
Vareki Ombra
black pants purple (blue?) shirt with white instead and black stripes. He's TEENY Tiny!
steps 2A. nice arms. 3Z-3T-2T nice. stalking steps 3S NICE (apparently, according to a reader, this was a 4S and was 2footed. It's easy to miss that extra rotation. But color me even MORE impressed with this little guy). eh death drop squat upright nice crossfoot. music slow and gentle steps 3L nice. 2A-3T nice. good air position. 3Z eh. getting tired. steps 2S-2T. nice twisted inside argh bad pancake. circle FW not really sold very tired. steps 3F he likes that! SL FW fast difficult and very well sold. the audience is clapping along. camel outside inside squat pancake ch squat upright crossfoot nice headless slow scratch.
Kid pumps his fist. He's happy. This was a very young program for a very young kid, but it's what I imagine Johnny Weir must have looked like at 15, seeds of that divine movement style... maybe with better jumps. The kid's air position is textbook beautiful, but his picking technique disturbs me and the 3A is definitely not there yet. He points his toes and has some clue how to use his hands and arms... he has nice soft elbows but his hands hang. His sit spin positions are AWFUL, barely squatted and the bent jackknife/pancake leaves a lot to be desired not really an upright, not really a sit. Still be fun to watch him grow. He seems like a very unpretentious kid and was just smiling to beat the band in the K&C.
On a personal note, he is adorable, with curly auburn hair and looks a great deal like my HS boyfriend. That, if nothing else, would make him a favorite of mine, but he's got a lot to offer for such a young kid. If he can get the jumps... he will be a VERY exciting contender for those who like their skaters to move like Curry and Weir.
66.12 + 45.98 = 112.10 T =165.14
Alexandr Uspenski RUS
The Bird
black velvet unitard with nice white sequined leaves, white gloves
NICE 3A-2T landed at a dead stop though. lovely 3A very easy. 3L hL 3S. wonky on the loop landing. 3Z badly under rotated and fell. 3T^-2T2L wonky. nice fly camel; inside layover. behind music. shades of Ilia. he presents well when trying. SL FW nice.y done and presented. steps 3F hand down turned out. 2A nice. camel squat cannon catch upright ch upright squat. circle FW good speed slowing lots of arm flinging but it works. 3S sit cannon ch squat
This kid is half Plushy, half Ilia and his costume is 500% Yags. A very nice Winter knock off... would that the program was. I can't help liking this boy. The jumps weren't there for him today, but he's a cutie, give him 4 years and he'll be a HOTTIE (give him 15 years and he'll be old enough to be more than aesthetically pleasing). He has lovely straight features... now he needs a quad to match. He needs a better hair cut and a bleach rinse to lighten his kind of blah sandy hair... a good colorist definitely. His camel positions leave something to be desired, his foot droops. He didn't melt down, just didn't land a lot. I can see why they would initially choose him over Alexei Notquiteivich Nextbigthingsky for Worlds... other fellow hasn't skated great this year either.
52.83 + 52.86 = 104.69 T=157.68
Yang CHN age 16
Tocata and Fugue
blue velvet unitard with gold inset sequins and stones
nice crisp movement style. 3F-3T almost a lip. steps 3Z-2T-2L camel nice outside nice sit jack ch sit inside twist upright. nice fast spin. music slows kid has nice edges. steps 3S hand down then steps out on a bed edge and fall long after the jump was landed. steps 3F NICE. 2A nice. steps 3Z. death drop squat inside twist pancake, slow. circle FW music change slow FW very flow but swirly and uppy downy and interesting. 2A step out. SL FW nice, well sold. well choreographed to the music. nice. very nice. camel half beill ends after music.
I like this boy... but no 3A. He has a BEAUTIFUL Lutz though. His spins could use some work when they are there, they are okay, not too fast, but when they are not there--like that last spin--they are REALLY not there.
Gosh, he's a BABY.
47.83 + 49.14 = 95.96 T = 152.48
I think this kid was undermarked as far as components went. They used it to place him in line with his tech, which wasn't there. He was convicted of skating while Chinese and that is never good for components and while he was not overly artistic, he moved well and easily and he did not present-forget-present-forget like a lot of the other kids did. The ROBBED him in components. I smell a PROTOCOL here!
Patrick Chan CAN (according to a reader, he is 15)
Guitar concerto
black with ice blue stripes all around and over ice blue velvet cummerbund and diagonal side
fast. 3S nice. NICE death drop inside pancake. 3A pitch forward hand down. nice transitions though lots of FW. arm waving but nice. serp FW nice. steps 3Z-2T-2L. ina bauer eh. 3L nice air position. camel nice speed inside donut ch camel layover eh droopy foot. steps 3F eh landing. SL FW tiring but so so presentation walley 3T-2T steps 3F fall out (fall?). 2A-2T. camel outside sit cannon upright ch camel sit twist.
The kid Lips pretty bad, but his Lutz is nice. His coach is ANCIENT.
58.31 + 52.34 = 108.65 T = 168.19
He's puzzled and a bit upset with his scores. I think he got jobbed by the protocol. His presentation was better than that and he had a tough program FILELD with transitions.
Yannick Ponsero FRA 19
Les Lacs du Conemare
black with blue stylized wave on shoulder and leg.
Gosh he's a cutie! 3A NICE. 4T? sit inside twist. steps 3Z fall just slipped out from under him. 3S. DD squat inside twist. SEs3A turn out hand down. 2F hl 3S. camel layover sit upright inside scratch ch camel half beill sit outside upright. 3S pitch forward hand down. nice circle? FW fast and WELL sold. 2A fall slipped out from under him. SL FW fast swirly uppy downy.
He's not happy with himself. I'm not so sure what was wrong with those jumps. they looked okay on take off and fine in the air but he just didn't get into them in the landing... perhaps a core strength problem. No... on replay, he was tilted in the air which means picking problems.
Anyway, Yannick is adorable and almost old enough to drool over without feeling like a pederast. He looks stockier on TV than in person (saw him at SA this year). In person, he's slim and almost graceful, so much so, I think Ben Currie had a crush on him.
Yannick was not ON tonight, and I've seen him skate better... but so far, he's the class of this field... he skates like a man, not a boy. He must have placed WAY down in the long program to drop to third overall... and can see why. The jumps just were not there. He has technique problems picking, methinks. He definitely needs more core strength if he is going to muscle out those wonky take offs.
54.32 + 55.36 = 107.68 T = 170.97
And as I thought of later while I was grocery shopping, " Alas, poor Yannick, he didn't skate well!"
Leibers GER age 17
Cool Runnings (if you forgot, this was the forgettable movie about the Jamaican bobsled team)
black pants orange poet shirt with multicolor ruffles at neck and funny tie thing on his tummy. This costume should be taken out and shot.
stalking. 1A pop. nice 3F. arabian to camel donut. steps nice 3Z low landing. 3L. serp FW fast but awkward. 2A skid on landing. arm waving. SL FW getting into the music. 3T-2T. camel crouch camel sit outside upright ch squat upright inside. 3S 2T turn out. hop squat ch squat inside.
Nice run out on his landings but landings are very low and deep and soft in the knee... almost uncontrolled. He's young and he TRIES to sell his program... pretty much all the way through, he's just awkward and he flails. he doesn't have anything approaching line and he's not dance-y much, but he does try.
44.44 + 48.22 = 92.66 T = 105.33 (10th)
His response, "SHIT!"
Gotta love him. Just for that.
Voronov RUS age 18
Coach is Urmanov
Music was alternately heroic and gentle.
black pants, black sequined maroon vesty thing with peach chiffon flowers and white sequined shirt, black gloves. Very deep cut V and illusion neck over very skinny hairless chest.
nice 3Z. 3A nice but no flow. 3L tight landing. 1F popped. nice circle FW fast good music building. music gentle piano. kid emotes well. stalking. SE nice outside one long. 3A 2T 2L nice. very nice. jack catch upright variant. death drop NICE inside 2A nice. music fast again clapping. 3T SL FW swirly but not uppy downy. 3S high wrap and whippy. camel nice. sit NICE inside jack ch sit inside.
The kid has a lot of intensity, but is a "manly" skater rather than an arty one. There's a LOT to like--maybe even ready for prime time. Nice haircut too. A very cute kid, still got a baby face... and there is Urmy in the K&C looking as hot and edible as ever.
60.82 + 54.44 = 115.26 personal best T = 172.92 (1st)
He'll get at least a bronze says the announcer.
Stephen Carriere 16 USA
once upon a time in Mexico
maroon shirt with rolled up sleeves black pants with white chevrons down the side.
steps 3S. 3A nice flow out. steps 3Z 2T decent. SL FW swirly uppy downy fast. but not sold well. traveling camel squat jack pancake hop upright. posing. "gee coach said to put my hand up here. how long should I keep it up? okay drop it now." nice 3F. nice 3L. nice 3F 2T. death drop pancake. serp FW fast and uppy downy swirly but not sold at all. fast but just done. steps 3Z fallish. 2A 2T. hop sit pancake.
"whew" hand motion at end which is the ONLY thing this kid seemed to give any emotion.
He has LOVELY jumps, nice take offs, LOVELY air position, very tight, freaking TEXTBOOK... things of beauty. a joy forever.
His coach is a hottie though... all in black with nicely done hair. Unfortunately, he has my gaydar screeching. This is not to imply that he IS gay. How the hell should I know. It only implies that guys that look this good with hair that good never play for my team. Oh well, once can still admire from afar.
60.09 + 52.16 = 112.25 T = 169.40 (3rd) That's about right...
Reader says if Carriere had hit that 3Z instead of making it a 2Z he would have gotten the bronze over Ponsero. In the long run, I am comfortable with this result. Ponsero is soup--though his jumps were AWOL. Carriere isn't soup, as lovely as him jumps are. He needs another year or two in Jrs.
Takahiko Kozuha JPN
piano concerto, Gershwin
black pants and black shirt with red vesty thing
3A muscled landing. 3Flz touch on landing. SL FW swirly but not uppy downy. steps 3L nice. 3S nice. sit NICE, outside twist pancake. SE death drop inside nice. 2A 2T. 3Z-2T-1T. 3F. 2A-2T. steps lot sof nice steps in this full program. circle FW fast and pretty well sold. uppy downy. camel sit nice outside jack ch sit inside pancake upright, NICE scratch (traveling)!!!
The kid can spin. He has nicely centered spins, his sit position is EXCELLENT. His flip is great but Lutz less great. he still has to really try for the 3A. His landings are not so well controlled as they could be.
63.96 + 56.02 = 119.98 personal best T = 180.05 (1st!)
This was well deserved.
Gosh, he is HUGE compared to his coaches... at least 6-8" taller... which means for a Japanese kid, he's pretty tall even without skates.
More comments later, MUST get the kids to school!
Tchiakovski violin concerto
shit shirt with blue trim and side panels, blue pants
3A nice. 3F-2T nice. 3Z-2T. nice easy death drop squat outside twist. SL FW swirly there's some intensity there. 3S nice. outSEs now we see some presentation where before was only stalking jumps. 3Z 2footed?. steps PAUSE 3L. sit squat twist. 3T-2T. 3T. circle FW fast and nicely sold, swirly but not upy downy L3 at best. fly camel sit inside ch camel; squat outside.
The boy stalks his jumps and his presentation skills are fairly unformed. He gets tired and raggedy towards the end, but his jumps remain easy and unhesitating. I like his intensity in the FW, but obviously, he forgets any attempt at artistry to stalk the jumps. He's young, but there's excitement here
61.32 + 51.92 = 113.24 Personal best T =168.39
Ryo Shibata JPN age 19
Maleguena
purple shirt with military shoulder pads and crushed velvet half. black pants with sequined side stripe. A fashionable hair cut bleached brown.
3T-2T. 2A-2T-2T. 3Z-2T. his jumps are whippy. Serp FW difficult but not sold at all. 3L nice. NICE fly camel inside ugly donut. music: slow. nice side catch spiral. WOW nice forward Beioll spiral. to 3S. camel inside layover donut upright. steps 3Z fall. SL FW difficult sirly uppy downy but he's tired and it's raggedy. 3F fall. 2A nice camel inside layover sit inside ch squat beill NICE.
The boy spins well, quick and well centered. He's long and lean and has great flexibility... not quite Shawn Saywer, but definitely on par with Plushenko. His falls are fully rotated... but he obviously left out a lot of content... for sure a quad attempt. Two of his coaches are very solemn in the K&C and the other is smiling widely, rubbing Shibata's shoulder and handing him tissues. I think the poor kid is crying.
47.89 + 50.04 = 95.93 T = 151.01
American viewers will be intrigued to know that Russian Sports TV shows 2 programs and then breaks for several minutes of commercials... sometimes 5 or 10 short ones. Pepsi is a skating sponsor in Russia and they keep showing the SAME stupid soccer commercial with the dancing German team in Leiderhosen beating the sexy soccer guys.
Varner USA age 19
Conquest in Paradise (that Columbus film from a couple years ago)
black velvet unitard with half the shirt in gold and black sequins with flowers and black gloves
3Z-3T hop out. 2A squat inside pancake ch bad squat, foot behind foot spin. 3F-2T-2L last badly cheated eh. SL FW uppy downy swirly but not sold now he;s selling a little kind of gumby-like, but he's more Goebel than Savoie. steps 3L off center and landed but badly, also cheated, fell out. lots of arm waving passing for presentation. 3S. camel variant sit nice catch upright. ch sit pancake upright inside. SE to 2Z. 3F 2 footed 1T. circle FW very ragged but difficult. 2A wonky landing but landed. death drop squat pancake.
He's a kid. Not much to say. from the look of his SP score, this was not a good night for him.
51.74 + 47.44 = 99.18 T = 152.54
Kevin Reynolds CAN age 15
Vareki Ombra
black pants purple (blue?) shirt with white instead and black stripes. He's TEENY Tiny!
steps 2A. nice arms. 3Z-3T-2T nice. stalking steps 3S NICE (apparently, according to a reader, this was a 4S and was 2footed. It's easy to miss that extra rotation. But color me even MORE impressed with this little guy). eh death drop squat upright nice crossfoot. music slow and gentle steps 3L nice. 2A-3T nice. good air position. 3Z eh. getting tired. steps 2S-2T. nice twisted inside argh bad pancake. circle FW not really sold very tired. steps 3F he likes that! SL FW fast difficult and very well sold. the audience is clapping along. camel outside inside squat pancake ch squat upright crossfoot nice headless slow scratch.
Kid pumps his fist. He's happy. This was a very young program for a very young kid, but it's what I imagine Johnny Weir must have looked like at 15, seeds of that divine movement style... maybe with better jumps. The kid's air position is textbook beautiful, but his picking technique disturbs me and the 3A is definitely not there yet. He points his toes and has some clue how to use his hands and arms... he has nice soft elbows but his hands hang. His sit spin positions are AWFUL, barely squatted and the bent jackknife/pancake leaves a lot to be desired not really an upright, not really a sit. Still be fun to watch him grow. He seems like a very unpretentious kid and was just smiling to beat the band in the K&C.
On a personal note, he is adorable, with curly auburn hair and looks a great deal like my HS boyfriend. That, if nothing else, would make him a favorite of mine, but he's got a lot to offer for such a young kid. If he can get the jumps... he will be a VERY exciting contender for those who like their skaters to move like Curry and Weir.
66.12 + 45.98 = 112.10 T =165.14
Alexandr Uspenski RUS
The Bird
black velvet unitard with nice white sequined leaves, white gloves
NICE 3A-2T landed at a dead stop though. lovely 3A very easy. 3L hL 3S. wonky on the loop landing. 3Z badly under rotated and fell. 3T^-2T2L wonky. nice fly camel; inside layover. behind music. shades of Ilia. he presents well when trying. SL FW nice.y done and presented. steps 3F hand down turned out. 2A nice. camel squat cannon catch upright ch upright squat. circle FW good speed slowing lots of arm flinging but it works. 3S sit cannon ch squat
This kid is half Plushy, half Ilia and his costume is 500% Yags. A very nice Winter knock off... would that the program was. I can't help liking this boy. The jumps weren't there for him today, but he's a cutie, give him 4 years and he'll be a HOTTIE (give him 15 years and he'll be old enough to be more than aesthetically pleasing). He has lovely straight features... now he needs a quad to match. He needs a better hair cut and a bleach rinse to lighten his kind of blah sandy hair... a good colorist definitely. His camel positions leave something to be desired, his foot droops. He didn't melt down, just didn't land a lot. I can see why they would initially choose him over Alexei Notquiteivich Nextbigthingsky for Worlds... other fellow hasn't skated great this year either.
52.83 + 52.86 = 104.69 T=157.68
Yang CHN age 16
Tocata and Fugue
blue velvet unitard with gold inset sequins and stones
nice crisp movement style. 3F-3T almost a lip. steps 3Z-2T-2L camel nice outside nice sit jack ch sit inside twist upright. nice fast spin. music slows kid has nice edges. steps 3S hand down then steps out on a bed edge and fall long after the jump was landed. steps 3F NICE. 2A nice. steps 3Z. death drop squat inside twist pancake, slow. circle FW music change slow FW very flow but swirly and uppy downy and interesting. 2A step out. SL FW nice, well sold. well choreographed to the music. nice. very nice. camel half beill ends after music.
I like this boy... but no 3A. He has a BEAUTIFUL Lutz though. His spins could use some work when they are there, they are okay, not too fast, but when they are not there--like that last spin--they are REALLY not there.
Gosh, he's a BABY.
47.83 + 49.14 = 95.96 T = 152.48
I think this kid was undermarked as far as components went. They used it to place him in line with his tech, which wasn't there. He was convicted of skating while Chinese and that is never good for components and while he was not overly artistic, he moved well and easily and he did not present-forget-present-forget like a lot of the other kids did. The ROBBED him in components. I smell a PROTOCOL here!
Patrick Chan CAN (according to a reader, he is 15)
Guitar concerto
black with ice blue stripes all around and over ice blue velvet cummerbund and diagonal side
fast. 3S nice. NICE death drop inside pancake. 3A pitch forward hand down. nice transitions though lots of FW. arm waving but nice. serp FW nice. steps 3Z-2T-2L. ina bauer eh. 3L nice air position. camel nice speed inside donut ch camel layover eh droopy foot. steps 3F eh landing. SL FW tiring but so so presentation walley 3T-2T steps 3F fall out (fall?). 2A-2T. camel outside sit cannon upright ch camel sit twist.
The kid Lips pretty bad, but his Lutz is nice. His coach is ANCIENT.
58.31 + 52.34 = 108.65 T = 168.19
He's puzzled and a bit upset with his scores. I think he got jobbed by the protocol. His presentation was better than that and he had a tough program FILELD with transitions.
Yannick Ponsero FRA 19
Les Lacs du Conemare
black with blue stylized wave on shoulder and leg.
Gosh he's a cutie! 3A NICE. 4T? sit inside twist. steps 3Z fall just slipped out from under him. 3S. DD squat inside twist. SEs3A turn out hand down. 2F hl 3S. camel layover sit upright inside scratch ch camel half beill sit outside upright. 3S pitch forward hand down. nice circle? FW fast and WELL sold. 2A fall slipped out from under him. SL FW fast swirly uppy downy.
He's not happy with himself. I'm not so sure what was wrong with those jumps. they looked okay on take off and fine in the air but he just didn't get into them in the landing... perhaps a core strength problem. No... on replay, he was tilted in the air which means picking problems.
Anyway, Yannick is adorable and almost old enough to drool over without feeling like a pederast. He looks stockier on TV than in person (saw him at SA this year). In person, he's slim and almost graceful, so much so, I think Ben Currie had a crush on him.
Yannick was not ON tonight, and I've seen him skate better... but so far, he's the class of this field... he skates like a man, not a boy. He must have placed WAY down in the long program to drop to third overall... and can see why. The jumps just were not there. He has technique problems picking, methinks. He definitely needs more core strength if he is going to muscle out those wonky take offs.
54.32 + 55.36 = 107.68 T = 170.97
And as I thought of later while I was grocery shopping, " Alas, poor Yannick, he didn't skate well!"
Leibers GER age 17
Cool Runnings (if you forgot, this was the forgettable movie about the Jamaican bobsled team)
black pants orange poet shirt with multicolor ruffles at neck and funny tie thing on his tummy. This costume should be taken out and shot.
stalking. 1A pop. nice 3F. arabian to camel donut. steps nice 3Z low landing. 3L. serp FW fast but awkward. 2A skid on landing. arm waving. SL FW getting into the music. 3T-2T. camel crouch camel sit outside upright ch squat upright inside. 3S 2T turn out. hop squat ch squat inside.
Nice run out on his landings but landings are very low and deep and soft in the knee... almost uncontrolled. He's young and he TRIES to sell his program... pretty much all the way through, he's just awkward and he flails. he doesn't have anything approaching line and he's not dance-y much, but he does try.
44.44 + 48.22 = 92.66 T = 105.33 (10th)
His response, "SHIT!"
Gotta love him. Just for that.
Voronov RUS age 18
Coach is Urmanov
Music was alternately heroic and gentle.
black pants, black sequined maroon vesty thing with peach chiffon flowers and white sequined shirt, black gloves. Very deep cut V and illusion neck over very skinny hairless chest.
nice 3Z. 3A nice but no flow. 3L tight landing. 1F popped. nice circle FW fast good music building. music gentle piano. kid emotes well. stalking. SE nice outside one long. 3A 2T 2L nice. very nice. jack catch upright variant. death drop NICE inside 2A nice. music fast again clapping. 3T SL FW swirly but not uppy downy. 3S high wrap and whippy. camel nice. sit NICE inside jack ch sit inside.
The kid has a lot of intensity, but is a "manly" skater rather than an arty one. There's a LOT to like--maybe even ready for prime time. Nice haircut too. A very cute kid, still got a baby face... and there is Urmy in the K&C looking as hot and edible as ever.
60.82 + 54.44 = 115.26 personal best T = 172.92 (1st)
He'll get at least a bronze says the announcer.
Stephen Carriere 16 USA
once upon a time in Mexico
maroon shirt with rolled up sleeves black pants with white chevrons down the side.
steps 3S. 3A nice flow out. steps 3Z 2T decent. SL FW swirly uppy downy fast. but not sold well. traveling camel squat jack pancake hop upright. posing. "gee coach said to put my hand up here. how long should I keep it up? okay drop it now." nice 3F. nice 3L. nice 3F 2T. death drop pancake. serp FW fast and uppy downy swirly but not sold at all. fast but just done. steps 3Z fallish. 2A 2T. hop sit pancake.
"whew" hand motion at end which is the ONLY thing this kid seemed to give any emotion.
He has LOVELY jumps, nice take offs, LOVELY air position, very tight, freaking TEXTBOOK... things of beauty. a joy forever.
His coach is a hottie though... all in black with nicely done hair. Unfortunately, he has my gaydar screeching. This is not to imply that he IS gay. How the hell should I know. It only implies that guys that look this good with hair that good never play for my team. Oh well, once can still admire from afar.
60.09 + 52.16 = 112.25 T = 169.40 (3rd) That's about right...
Reader says if Carriere had hit that 3Z instead of making it a 2Z he would have gotten the bronze over Ponsero. In the long run, I am comfortable with this result. Ponsero is soup--though his jumps were AWOL. Carriere isn't soup, as lovely as him jumps are. He needs another year or two in Jrs.
Takahiko Kozuha JPN
piano concerto, Gershwin
black pants and black shirt with red vesty thing
3A muscled landing. 3Flz touch on landing. SL FW swirly but not uppy downy. steps 3L nice. 3S nice. sit NICE, outside twist pancake. SE death drop inside nice. 2A 2T. 3Z-2T-1T. 3F. 2A-2T. steps lot sof nice steps in this full program. circle FW fast and pretty well sold. uppy downy. camel sit nice outside jack ch sit inside pancake upright, NICE scratch (traveling)!!!
The kid can spin. He has nicely centered spins, his sit position is EXCELLENT. His flip is great but Lutz less great. he still has to really try for the 3A. His landings are not so well controlled as they could be.
63.96 + 56.02 = 119.98 personal best T = 180.05 (1st!)
This was well deserved.
Gosh, he is HUGE compared to his coaches... at least 6-8" taller... which means for a Japanese kid, he's pretty tall even without skates.
More comments later, MUST get the kids to school!
Wednesday, March 15, 2006
Sorry no Junior Worlds Ice Dance
My apologies to readers who came looking for a review of Junior Worlds Ice Dance on RTR. Getting up at O'Dark-Thirty to do the reviews did me in Monday and Tuesday. I didn't get anything significant done yesterday beyond napping for 6 hours. I just couldn't face another gray dawning. I MUST get some work done today... figured sleep was the better part of valor. I'll be back with the reports from the Junior Worlds Men's Free Skate on Friday.
I am gratified, though, that my dance reports are not a total throw away for readers. Who'da'thunk!
I am gratified, though, that my dance reports are not a total throw away for readers. Who'da'thunk!
Tuesday, March 14, 2006
Figure Skating: Junior Worlds Pairs FS
Kazantseva/Enbert RUS
Die Fleidermouse
him purple overall, white shirt, her brighter purple dress with purple illusion sleeves and a white sequined stripe down the back. Very nice, tasteful and attractive costumes.
T2L fall her. 3T her fall. bad unison break. S2T iffy catch. SBS 3S her fall. fly camel bad unison break half beill HIS was nicer. nice sbs side spiral, eh forward spiral, nice back half beill spiral good matching positions. overhead lift him scary footwork. her nice positions. a very difficult lift though. T3T LANDED! SBS circle FW pretty good unison. overhead lift aborted. overhead lift one arm nice position, good footwork but slow. weak FI DS. pairs sit ch camel sit-sit
She's young... but has a nice quality I think will age well. She has nice in air positions in her lifts. But as tiny as she is, he seems to have a lot of trouble lifting her. They match pretty well for all that he is a GOOD 14" taller than she is! She looks very sad and almost ashamed in the K&C. It was not a great skate for her. They had a lot of difficulty though.
30.17 + 31.88 = 60.05 T = 99.61
Goreeva/Talan UKR
Chicago
black/grey striped tux. black dress with yellow/gold accents/underskirt
sbs 2T. good speed. s2T eh. T3S her fall. sbs 1A steps 2T. sbs camel twist ch sit catch not so great unison. They sell this program well though. back press lift nice steady footwork. overhead lift, nice speed, good footwork, pretty good position for her. T3T nice. they have nice unison. star lift good speed and position. eh spiral sorta steady COE more eh spirals. really EH back spiral. over head into BO DS, so so position from her. SL FW poor unison not selling it really anymore. bobble. pairs camel ch pairs camel, sit.
She looks dizzy as she finishes. She is tall for him and not the skinny girl we normally see in young pairs. On the other hand, he lifts her really well, with good security (perhaps because the lifts are simple) and speed. I prefer this pair who can DO their lifts to the pairs with more difficulty who are scary. It will be interesting to see how this pair develops.
35.77 + 33.61 = 68.38 T = 104.19 (Personal Best)
An/Wu CHN
black with green. greens fading to black at bottom with mandarin collar
modern music with Chinese sound
sbs 3T her fall. huge S2T. huge T2L. pairs camel, camel-sit, sit-beill. ch camel, poor can-opener spin. overhead lift eh positions decent footwork. spirals side spirals nicer, forward spirals slow and careful. sbs 2A okay. star lift aborted. sbs fly camel bad unison catch knee ch sit sit catch foot side. huge T3S her fall. overhead lift him so so footwork. SL FW fairly decent unison. FI DS with half beill entry variation
They look fairly well matched, though she is quite small. She is not so thin as other CHN pair girls have been... a welcome change if you ask me!
30.49 + 30.84 = 59.33 T = 96.40
Riberio/Chutter CAN
black pants light peach shirt, her light peach with crissy crossy
The Legend
NICE S2T arms over head landing. T3S her 2footed. overhead him decent footwork her nice position. sbs 2A her fall. nice unison. overhead lift him okay FW. T2S. sbs fly camel; pretty good unison camel sit ch camel sit upright sit catch. sbs 2T something weird with his sbs 2T her: funny landing. star lift aborted. SBS SL FW decent speed eh unison. FI Ds with entry variation wobbly. side catch spiral CEO nice, BI spiral eh, pairs came; sit him catch ch pairs sit finish slightly after music.
These two are pretty well matched in height and ability. they have that nice Canadian pairness and decent confidence. She has nice air positions in her lifts--when they happen. they have a lovely S2T, good split.
36.78 + 32.64 = 68.42 T = 106.46
Namiotka/Coughlin USA
black pants and ashes of rose shirt/ ashes of rose dress with straps. she is tall and THIN.
Prince of Egypt
lasso lift to carry nice positions to turning again. very secure footwork. sbs 2A her whippy but good unison. sbs camel sit ch sit NICE unison. good stroking. star lift eh position change star. HUGE T3S. S3?T nice. very big. steps sbs 2F 2T. T2L. good speed circle FW nice unison. overhead lift sos so position NICE FW for him. good ice coverage eh pairs spirals. good matching eh positions. sit-camel sit-sit pair camel pairs site pairs layback. NICE FI DS past and GREAT body position for her on the entry. FANTASTIC
OH MY GOD. An American pair I can get excited about! They were great! They have very nice unison all over, but particularly in spins... and absolutely HUGE throws and twists. Her body position in the FI DS would be the envy of the senior pairs event at the OOOs.
48.95 + 39.89 = 88.84 T = 132.35
Note from a reader:
Apparently, Namiotka has a health problem that is controlled with a special diet which contributes to her being so thin and she is sensitive about people noticing how thin she is and thinking she might be anoretic—understandable. You can read about Namiokta's health in her USFS bio. News like that is always troubling, so here's wishing a complete recovery (or at least good control of her health issues) to this talented young lady. I hope we get to see her and her partner develop in years to come.
Maheu/Cote CAN
black pants and shirt with greek decorations. her deep back green dress
spanish music
small S2T. T3S her pitch forward but landed. lasso overhead to star. eh. sbs 2A both fall. side spiral. eh forward COE spiral VERY EH. poor positions, so so back spiral. overhead lift decent ice coverage okay FW her so so position. T2F okay. 2T her nope 2S. fly camel sit inside upright poor unison. press overhead to star to airplane carry. SL FW slow tentative poor unison big break. shoot the duck (hiding poor entry) to FI DS, nice once she gets into it. pair camel. sit-sit ch camel sit-sit upright.
She's pretty and looks VERY like another familiar skater. Can't place her...
39.48 + 34.82 = 73.30 T = 113.56
Krazilinklova Bezmaternihk RUS
black pants red matador top, her blood red with gold stomacher.
Don Quixote (no, i can't spell it)
steps HUGE S2(3?)T. T3S nice. sbs 3T her fall. fly camel sit ch sit catch. good unison til the end. nice BO DS catch foot spiral entry. lovely star to awful flat butt in the air position nice FW though. sbs 2S her fall out sbs 2T? forward spirals COE okay, back spirals back spirals. lasso good coverage nice FW okay position. T3S nice landing. lasso overhead nice FW good speed and coverage. SL FW pretty good unison. pairs camel uprights ch pairs sit end a bit after music.
This is a very dynamic team. Another pairs team to get excited about. She's tiny and very pinched looking and he's YOUNG, but he lifts her well, has good, clean footwork in lifts and good speed over the ice and NICE coverage.
47.92 + 40.61 = 87.43 T = 132.66 1st place... and it's pretty well deserved.
Demers boutin/Joncas CAN
dark "jeans" black shirt with suspenders. her fuchsia dress
West Side Story
huge S2T no handed catch. sbs 1A. lasso overhead star so so footwork. careful. T3S tilted in air, her fall. overhead star really scary FW. catch spiral to AWFUL UGLY BO DS. music: Maria, sbs 1F turns 2T both messy. forward spirals COE nice. BI spirals nice. eh side spirals back spirals nice. T2L. fly camel sit inside catch ch sit upright ch sit so so unison poor positions. music tonight tonight. circle FW star lift eh good FW and coverage pairs sit ch camels sits uprights
I hate lifts that are too difficult where the man stands STILL while his partner changes position. As Canadian pairs go, they have a LONG way to go.
45.01 + 36.66 = 80.67 T = 121.31 3rd
Vasilieva/Smirnov RUS
dark cornflower purple unitard with lighter blue sleeve. her lighter blue chiffon with darker blue panel.
Somebody's Tune
sbs 3T her fall. steps 2T off sync. nice S2T not high though. sbs 2F her under rotated. spiral SE, T3L nice. axel lasso nice coverage, FW, position. T3S fall. forward COE spirals eh. back ha;f beill nice. careful Sl FW eh unison. but difficult. star lift nice FW, coverage, position. over head shakey start but improved as the lift went on. poor entry to nice FI DS. sbs camel sit ch camel half beill eh upright. pairs camels her half beill ch camels then him sit
These two were tentative and careful... kind of bland, but bland in a pretty way. nothing to get excited about. She's adorable and he has arms (and thighs) for DAYS. WHEW!
40.70 + 40.50 = 79.90 T = 127.31 3rd
Pylkina Hogner SWE
black pants and top her red with black trim
Jalouise Andalouse
nice speed. huge S3T, nice. T3S her hand down. sbs 3S her fall. fly camel sit inside catch upright. nice press lift to good turns. lgiht set down. T2L popped. forward COE spirals NICE positions, back spirals eh. nice side spiral. sbs 2FZ? overhead to star nice coverage FW. SalPel drag the girl variant entry to FI DS nice. SBS SL FW slow good unison. axel lasso overhead one arm nice set down. pairs camel over the head ch upright ch sit-sit
This is a gorilla and flea pairing. he must be 16" taller than she is and BIG compared to her. HUGE compared to her, which explains the security of their lifts. They also have incredible speed and pretty good unison. This will be an interesting pair if they stay together and she doesn't grow too much.
40.85 + 43.49 = 83.34 T = 129.62 3rd
Moyle/Seitz USA
black pants maroon fuchsia shirt with pink leaves. her fuchsia dress with pink leaves
tangos (Jealousy from Addams family)
S2T okay. good speed. sbs 2A steps 2T poor unison. T3L BEAUTIFUL. overhead lasso to one arm nice set down okay FW, sbs 2F. beill FI Ds VERY low, might have touched her shoulder to the ice, with drag the chick exit. slow. T3S fall. lasso overhead to one arm okay FW coverage speed. camels sit upright inside ch sit upright. spirals wobbly COE poor positions back spirals okay, side spirals. star to one hand poor set down. SBS SL FW eh unison good speed. her fall out of TW. pairs camels sits ch paris camels
43.29 + 42.74 = 85.03 personal best T = 133.50 1st place
other teams were better, but this one landed jumps and probably had done well in the short.
Vlassov/Meekins USA
not quite matching blue/purple outifts with illusions sleeves and white sequins
dynamic music
sbs 2A her popped 1A. overhead one arm nice set down good coverage and FW. T3L nice. lasso overhead one arm. S2T okay with variant entry. sbs 2Z 2F. sbs camel; sit inside forward spirals COE back half beill nice matching. side spirals. T3S. nice. pairs sit, ch pairs camel sit-camel ch uprights slowing. star lift to carry to change rotation eh. sbs Serp FW gaining speed. nice transitions catch foot entry to BO DS bas drag the girl exit.
This team is not soup. They have a lot of interesting transitions, but nothing is done really well. For a team that has been skating in US seniors for a year, they seem awfully juniorish. They do have difficult entries into everything though.
CORRECTION: Vlassova and Meekins have not skated US Srs yet. I must have mixed them up with another pair, probably one of the Vise sisters. My other comments hold though.
48.43 + 44.18 = 92.61 T = 138.05 1st place
Okay, color me clueless and unimpressed. I didn't see what was all so great about this team. They were slow, had poor unison and positions... the ONLY thing they had was a program designed for CoP and nothing else, really. They were NOT all that good, and yet they won because of the construction of their program. Of all the teams in the top 6, this was probably the weakest. Almost all the teams made mistakes, and while V&M didn't make really bad mistakes, they were lackluster and slow.
Just color me clueless. This isn't pairs, it's a freaking mathematics competition.
Freaking Math.
Die Fleidermouse
him purple overall, white shirt, her brighter purple dress with purple illusion sleeves and a white sequined stripe down the back. Very nice, tasteful and attractive costumes.
T2L fall her. 3T her fall. bad unison break. S2T iffy catch. SBS 3S her fall. fly camel bad unison break half beill HIS was nicer. nice sbs side spiral, eh forward spiral, nice back half beill spiral good matching positions. overhead lift him scary footwork. her nice positions. a very difficult lift though. T3T LANDED! SBS circle FW pretty good unison. overhead lift aborted. overhead lift one arm nice position, good footwork but slow. weak FI DS. pairs sit ch camel sit-sit
She's young... but has a nice quality I think will age well. She has nice in air positions in her lifts. But as tiny as she is, he seems to have a lot of trouble lifting her. They match pretty well for all that he is a GOOD 14" taller than she is! She looks very sad and almost ashamed in the K&C. It was not a great skate for her. They had a lot of difficulty though.
30.17 + 31.88 = 60.05 T = 99.61
Goreeva/Talan UKR
Chicago
black/grey striped tux. black dress with yellow/gold accents/underskirt
sbs 2T. good speed. s2T eh. T3S her fall. sbs 1A steps 2T. sbs camel twist ch sit catch not so great unison. They sell this program well though. back press lift nice steady footwork. overhead lift, nice speed, good footwork, pretty good position for her. T3T nice. they have nice unison. star lift good speed and position. eh spiral sorta steady COE more eh spirals. really EH back spiral. over head into BO DS, so so position from her. SL FW poor unison not selling it really anymore. bobble. pairs camel ch pairs camel, sit.
She looks dizzy as she finishes. She is tall for him and not the skinny girl we normally see in young pairs. On the other hand, he lifts her really well, with good security (perhaps because the lifts are simple) and speed. I prefer this pair who can DO their lifts to the pairs with more difficulty who are scary. It will be interesting to see how this pair develops.
35.77 + 33.61 = 68.38 T = 104.19 (Personal Best)
An/Wu CHN
black with green. greens fading to black at bottom with mandarin collar
modern music with Chinese sound
sbs 3T her fall. huge S2T. huge T2L. pairs camel, camel-sit, sit-beill. ch camel, poor can-opener spin. overhead lift eh positions decent footwork. spirals side spirals nicer, forward spirals slow and careful. sbs 2A okay. star lift aborted. sbs fly camel bad unison catch knee ch sit sit catch foot side. huge T3S her fall. overhead lift him so so footwork. SL FW fairly decent unison. FI DS with half beill entry variation
They look fairly well matched, though she is quite small. She is not so thin as other CHN pair girls have been... a welcome change if you ask me!
30.49 + 30.84 = 59.33 T = 96.40
Riberio/Chutter CAN
black pants light peach shirt, her light peach with crissy crossy
The Legend
NICE S2T arms over head landing. T3S her 2footed. overhead him decent footwork her nice position. sbs 2A her fall. nice unison. overhead lift him okay FW. T2S. sbs fly camel; pretty good unison camel sit ch camel sit upright sit catch. sbs 2T something weird with his sbs 2T her: funny landing. star lift aborted. SBS SL FW decent speed eh unison. FI Ds with entry variation wobbly. side catch spiral CEO nice, BI spiral eh, pairs came; sit him catch ch pairs sit finish slightly after music.
These two are pretty well matched in height and ability. they have that nice Canadian pairness and decent confidence. She has nice air positions in her lifts--when they happen. they have a lovely S2T, good split.
36.78 + 32.64 = 68.42 T = 106.46
Namiotka/Coughlin USA
black pants and ashes of rose shirt/ ashes of rose dress with straps. she is tall and THIN.
Prince of Egypt
lasso lift to carry nice positions to turning again. very secure footwork. sbs 2A her whippy but good unison. sbs camel sit ch sit NICE unison. good stroking. star lift eh position change star. HUGE T3S. S3?T nice. very big. steps sbs 2F 2T. T2L. good speed circle FW nice unison. overhead lift sos so position NICE FW for him. good ice coverage eh pairs spirals. good matching eh positions. sit-camel sit-sit pair camel pairs site pairs layback. NICE FI DS past and GREAT body position for her on the entry. FANTASTIC
OH MY GOD. An American pair I can get excited about! They were great! They have very nice unison all over, but particularly in spins... and absolutely HUGE throws and twists. Her body position in the FI DS would be the envy of the senior pairs event at the OOOs.
48.95 + 39.89 = 88.84 T = 132.35
Note from a reader:
Apparently, Namiotka has a health problem that is controlled with a special diet which contributes to her being so thin and she is sensitive about people noticing how thin she is and thinking she might be anoretic—understandable. You can read about Namiokta's health in her USFS bio. News like that is always troubling, so here's wishing a complete recovery (or at least good control of her health issues) to this talented young lady. I hope we get to see her and her partner develop in years to come.
Maheu/Cote CAN
black pants and shirt with greek decorations. her deep back green dress
spanish music
small S2T. T3S her pitch forward but landed. lasso overhead to star. eh. sbs 2A both fall. side spiral. eh forward COE spiral VERY EH. poor positions, so so back spiral. overhead lift decent ice coverage okay FW her so so position. T2F okay. 2T her nope 2S. fly camel sit inside upright poor unison. press overhead to star to airplane carry. SL FW slow tentative poor unison big break. shoot the duck (hiding poor entry) to FI DS, nice once she gets into it. pair camel. sit-sit ch camel sit-sit upright.
She's pretty and looks VERY like another familiar skater. Can't place her...
39.48 + 34.82 = 73.30 T = 113.56
Krazilinklova Bezmaternihk RUS
black pants red matador top, her blood red with gold stomacher.
Don Quixote (no, i can't spell it)
steps HUGE S2(3?)T. T3S nice. sbs 3T her fall. fly camel sit ch sit catch. good unison til the end. nice BO DS catch foot spiral entry. lovely star to awful flat butt in the air position nice FW though. sbs 2S her fall out sbs 2T? forward spirals COE okay, back spirals back spirals. lasso good coverage nice FW okay position. T3S nice landing. lasso overhead nice FW good speed and coverage. SL FW pretty good unison. pairs camel uprights ch pairs sit end a bit after music.
This is a very dynamic team. Another pairs team to get excited about. She's tiny and very pinched looking and he's YOUNG, but he lifts her well, has good, clean footwork in lifts and good speed over the ice and NICE coverage.
47.92 + 40.61 = 87.43 T = 132.66 1st place... and it's pretty well deserved.
Demers boutin/Joncas CAN
dark "jeans" black shirt with suspenders. her fuchsia dress
West Side Story
huge S2T no handed catch. sbs 1A. lasso overhead star so so footwork. careful. T3S tilted in air, her fall. overhead star really scary FW. catch spiral to AWFUL UGLY BO DS. music: Maria, sbs 1F turns 2T both messy. forward spirals COE nice. BI spirals nice. eh side spirals back spirals nice. T2L. fly camel sit inside catch ch sit upright ch sit so so unison poor positions. music tonight tonight. circle FW star lift eh good FW and coverage pairs sit ch camels sits uprights
I hate lifts that are too difficult where the man stands STILL while his partner changes position. As Canadian pairs go, they have a LONG way to go.
45.01 + 36.66 = 80.67 T = 121.31 3rd
Vasilieva/Smirnov RUS
dark cornflower purple unitard with lighter blue sleeve. her lighter blue chiffon with darker blue panel.
Somebody's Tune
sbs 3T her fall. steps 2T off sync. nice S2T not high though. sbs 2F her under rotated. spiral SE, T3L nice. axel lasso nice coverage, FW, position. T3S fall. forward COE spirals eh. back ha;f beill nice. careful Sl FW eh unison. but difficult. star lift nice FW, coverage, position. over head shakey start but improved as the lift went on. poor entry to nice FI DS. sbs camel sit ch camel half beill eh upright. pairs camels her half beill ch camels then him sit
These two were tentative and careful... kind of bland, but bland in a pretty way. nothing to get excited about. She's adorable and he has arms (and thighs) for DAYS. WHEW!
40.70 + 40.50 = 79.90 T = 127.31 3rd
Pylkina Hogner SWE
black pants and top her red with black trim
Jalouise Andalouse
nice speed. huge S3T, nice. T3S her hand down. sbs 3S her fall. fly camel sit inside catch upright. nice press lift to good turns. lgiht set down. T2L popped. forward COE spirals NICE positions, back spirals eh. nice side spiral. sbs 2FZ? overhead to star nice coverage FW. SalPel drag the girl variant entry to FI DS nice. SBS SL FW slow good unison. axel lasso overhead one arm nice set down. pairs camel over the head ch upright ch sit-sit
This is a gorilla and flea pairing. he must be 16" taller than she is and BIG compared to her. HUGE compared to her, which explains the security of their lifts. They also have incredible speed and pretty good unison. This will be an interesting pair if they stay together and she doesn't grow too much.
40.85 + 43.49 = 83.34 T = 129.62 3rd
Moyle/Seitz USA
black pants maroon fuchsia shirt with pink leaves. her fuchsia dress with pink leaves
tangos (Jealousy from Addams family)
S2T okay. good speed. sbs 2A steps 2T poor unison. T3L BEAUTIFUL. overhead lasso to one arm nice set down okay FW, sbs 2F. beill FI Ds VERY low, might have touched her shoulder to the ice, with drag the chick exit. slow. T3S fall. lasso overhead to one arm okay FW coverage speed. camels sit upright inside ch sit upright. spirals wobbly COE poor positions back spirals okay, side spirals. star to one hand poor set down. SBS SL FW eh unison good speed. her fall out of TW. pairs camels sits ch paris camels
43.29 + 42.74 = 85.03 personal best T = 133.50 1st place
other teams were better, but this one landed jumps and probably had done well in the short.
Vlassov/Meekins USA
not quite matching blue/purple outifts with illusions sleeves and white sequins
dynamic music
sbs 2A her popped 1A. overhead one arm nice set down good coverage and FW. T3L nice. lasso overhead one arm. S2T okay with variant entry. sbs 2Z 2F. sbs camel; sit inside forward spirals COE back half beill nice matching. side spirals. T3S. nice. pairs sit, ch pairs camel sit-camel ch uprights slowing. star lift to carry to change rotation eh. sbs Serp FW gaining speed. nice transitions catch foot entry to BO DS bas drag the girl exit.
This team is not soup. They have a lot of interesting transitions, but nothing is done really well. For a team that has been skating in US seniors for a year, they seem awfully juniorish. They do have difficult entries into everything though.
CORRECTION: Vlassova and Meekins have not skated US Srs yet. I must have mixed them up with another pair, probably one of the Vise sisters. My other comments hold though.
48.43 + 44.18 = 92.61 T = 138.05 1st place
Okay, color me clueless and unimpressed. I didn't see what was all so great about this team. They were slow, had poor unison and positions... the ONLY thing they had was a program designed for CoP and nothing else, really. They were NOT all that good, and yet they won because of the construction of their program. Of all the teams in the top 6, this was probably the weakest. Almost all the teams made mistakes, and while V&M didn't make really bad mistakes, they were lackluster and slow.
Just color me clueless. This isn't pairs, it's a freaking mathematics competition.
Freaking Math.
Monday, March 13, 2006
Figure Skating: Junior Worlds Ladies FS
Well, Russian Sports TV is showing Junior Worlds this week and despite Rosaleen's great live reports I'm getting up insanely early to watch russian TV and do my own reports. Russian commercials are fairly interesting. Anyway, I arrived in the midst of...
Nella Simaova CZE
2A, 2Z-2T-2L
Nella does not point her toes, but I like her very understated black costume with a few lines of stones.
35.99 31.44 67.43 105.79 5th
Megan Hyatt USA
red and red velvet with a deep V front. Attractive.
drummy music
3T nice. badly under rotated 2Z, traveling camel, donut, half beill, sit layback inside upright. 1L pop. back beill spital CE forward classic spiral eh back spiral eh. 2A-2T. 3S nice. axel sit. 3T turns out. tango music. uppy downy FW. steps 3S-2T? NICE layback, foot to head, beill EH.
Megan has the beginnings of some decent presentation. Give her a couple years.
39.01 + 34.70 = 73.71 T=113.82
Nana Takeda JPE
Lavender chiffon. nice.
Music: Otonal, the same arrangement as Johnny Weir
nice 3L. 2F. 3T-2T. layback nice, foot to head, beill. 2S. spiral eh ChE, back beill sp, side catch spiral. 3L. step 2A. 3T. axel sit outside. SL FW eh. 2A-2T-2T, camel inside sit camel donut, something, beill.
She kind of collapses trying to bow low. It's cute.
48.10 + 42.05 = 90.15 T=129.09
Hello protocol judging! I didn't get a close look at the components, but where the heck did they come from? The child didn't make even a creditable ATTEMPT at presentation. She had good speed, but that was about all. Maybe it's the effect of the music. But i just don't see components this high.
Chae-Hwa Kim KOR This is Korea's #2?
red velvet, black illusion sleeve
VERY familiar music? Nutcracker maybe?
3T(2foot)2F. 3S-2T-2L. 2A-2T. nice death drop inside. 3L. back spiral ch E beill. nice and steady. side catch eh bent knee. 3T. layback ugly leg foot to head. 3S nice. 2A nice. SL FW. camel sit outside layback ch sit inside sasha catchfoot.
She landed a lot of jumps. Her presentation is still very VERY embryonic. She gave up much pretense at it towards the end. I'm still not sure how the previous skate outpoints this one... maybe in the FW? CoP is sure unintelligible when a lackluster skate like Takeda outpoints this by 5 points on the tech score...
43.73 + 36.96 = 80.69 T= 122.81 2nd place
Elena Glebova EST
blue with straps, couple lines of stones. nice.
Queen symphony
3T turns out 2T. 2Z NICE. flying camel squat upright inside. 2A. 1L pop. weird layback on outside edge beill nice speed, spiral ChE wobbly. low catch foot side spiral. 3S-2T. Sl FW slow tentative upy downy. NICE twizzles though. 2A-2T-2T. 3T. camel sit inside layback ch camel outside-layback beill.
Now, under CoP, this exceptionally unique, probably nearly impossible, layback on an outside edge will get NO more points than the usual one.
In the replays, they are playing the Stairway to Heaven violin chamber music.
42.79 + 35.05 = 77.84 T = 118.26
I am still amazed how the Japanese girl outpointed these girls in components. That was really weird.
Jenniu Vahamma FIN
yallow dress with black stones and trim
little girlish showtunes
walley. 2S-2T-2L. 2A hop out. flying camel inside nice donut. 3T hand down. 2F-2T close to the boards. layback eh. half beill wobbbly so so classic forward nice catch side spiral nice side spiral. 2A-2T. 3S nice. nice circle FW very fast, slowing. Flz. fly camel, outside, sit nice catch, ch sit inside NICE catchfoot.
She's probably 12, she looks 9 and is just a delight. She has good speed and a nice tight wrap on her jumps... a pretty face and a bright smile. She has nice camel positions.
41.86 + 37.26 = 79.12 T = 121.88
Someone explain to me how this comes over Glebova? IN COMPONENTS? This kid isn't "juniorish" she's NOVICE-ISH for chrissakes! She was cute, and fast, but she was so unformed... She landed like one decent jump... color me not getting the judging here. Color me not getting it BIGTIME. At All.
Katerina Gerboldt age 16 RUS
WAY ugly dark pink with black insets and long black gloves.
2A eh. 2L-2T wonky landing. steps 3Z 2foot? steps 3T? flying camel inside donut nice. good speed. 3S bad fall out. beill spiral ch E nice. back beill. 3L. 2F-2T. layback. metal rock music with high vocal. camel outside squat layback ch donut beill.
Very pretty girl. VERY ugly dress.
39.13 + 35.99 = 75.12 T = 120.90
Isabelle Nylander SWE age 15
orange dress with red sequins and boa, my bet, Firebird... YEP, Firebird.
layback foot to head, nice fast spin. good speed. spiral back half beill ugh. side spiral. 2A. 2L 2foot. 3T FALL. 2S. camel outside nice sit layback foot to head. ch nice sit inside slow catch. 3S fall out. spiral to 2F-2L? SL FW nice speed. 2A turns 2L NICE axel sit slow cannonball, free leg bent in sit spin.
This kid looks like she's actually a normally sized human being. She has something nice about her skating, but the jumps really were not there for her today.
26.98 + 34.80 = 60.78 T = 102.83 12th place
Laura Lepisto FIN
snuffy brown and gold lamé dress with flowers... really, INCREDIBLY ugly... the color was awful.
Feeling Begins? Arabian music
3T nice. 2T-2T. steps 3S-2T, flying sit (DD?) inside. music change. nice 3L. 3T nice. wobbly ch e spiral so so position. back half beill, nice sideways lean to layback nice, foot to head. bad pop 1S fall. music change. circle FW slow2L 2T. camel outside sit catch, ch sit inside catch (the Kwan spin).
39.48 + 38.33 = 76.81 T = 121.05
Christine Zukowski USA
Nice forest green dress with criss crossy straps and white stones
oboe music
2L. nice speed. 3Z? sat on the landing but landed. layback. steps 2Z. spiral ch E half beill. back half beill BAD. 3S. 3T 2T. hop sit inside, foot behind the leg crouch. SL FW, swirly. 3S-2T-2T. 2A-2T, landed the 2A on an inside edge. traveling camel outside, sit cannon, layback, ch squat inside catch.
Here's a CW jumper, so I may have miscalled some of the jumps before I figured it out.
44.51 + 39.26 = 83.77 T = 135.14
Alissa Czisny USA
La baydere
dark blue Salome costume
3Z 2foot, fall. flying sit inside pancake good speed through. 3F 2foot? 3L wonky landing. camel inside donut sit catch ch sit layback beill. 2A. 1F pop. fast circle FW 1A pop. 1Z pop. SL FW fast and nice. side catch to unsupported ch e side spiral back spiral. forward beill spiral. sideways layback beill, very fast great positions.
Lovely as always and a very UN-juniorish skater, but jumps were AWOL today.
33.21 + 41.61 = 73.83 T = 124.18, 3 place
The idea that Takeda could have gotten better components than this when Takeda skates like a junior and Czisny skates like a senior is just beyond me. Where can I get some of the good drugs these judges are on?
Arina Martinova RUS
black velvet with long black chiffon skirt and silver "bow" in sequins, black velvet gloves
Devil's Trill (a la Kulik) and others.
2T. steps 3Flz. arm waving. 3F bad fall. arm waving. 3Flz fall. 2T?-2T 2A 2T. flying camel inside donut. music change to bluesy something. 2S-2T camel outside sit layback beill, ch sit inside catch traveling bad. spiral music change nice change of edge, steady. music change. back beill spiral. circle FW nice good speed. sideways lean layback foot to head beill finish after music.
Her coach looks like she must be her older sister. Talk about a family resemblance!
30.03 + 38.40 = 66.43 T = 116.39, 9th place.
Aki Savada JPE
red velvet with geometric designs
City of Veils
3F-2T nice. 3S ok. layback sideways, foot to head. 3Z pretty nice. 3F fall out and fall on knee. ugh spiral COE half beill. back half beill poor positions. back spiral poor position. 3L wobbly camel outside sit layback ch sit inside cross foot upright. 3T nice. 1A pop, another jump pop. axel sit inside.
This is no waif skater. She is short, but stocky and powerful looking (which means she's probably tiny compared to real people). They give her powerful music and it works for her. She both flutzes AND lips. her spins are wobbly and not well centered... until she gets into them. She IS adorable though.
39.46 + 39.84 = 78.30 T = 126.15, 3rd place
Yu Na Kim KOR
blue green strappy dress. No puberty monster here! age 15, looks 10
violin music.
3F-3T nice. 2A nice. nice death drop sit twist pancake. good arms nicely evocative. steps 3Z. layback foot to head beill. ina bauer to 2A 3T. 3Z-2t-2L spiral COE half beill. back beill eh. nice SL FW. 3L. 3S camel sit layback ch sit twist inside sasha catch.
This was very clean, nicely "pretty" and well done. It would have done pretty well in seniors. She has good speed... but, let's see what the Puberty Monster does to her. She has obviously NOT had a visit from said monster yet.
64.85 (she goes WOW) + 51.83 = 116.68 T= 177.54
A senior level score for a senior level skate... and in 4 minutes instead of 4:30! This really was an impressive skate. I do think it's a shame that this child could not be at the olympics. If she skated there that well, she could easily have done as well as Messiner. Kim's as "mature" as a skater.
Mao Asada JPE age 15
Her pink little girl dress... still looking very prepubescent.
Swan Lake?
3A popped to 1A. 3L nice. fly camel inside donut. illusion nice. swirly7 SL FW. 2A nice. small death drop twist panacke. 3F nice. beill COE spiral back slide catch foot. 3L-2L-2L. 3F-1L. 1Z pop. camel inside donut beill ch outside twist beill.
Okay, this isn't exactly the end, but I need to get my kids to school.
pardon the typos!
Nella Simaova CZE
2A, 2Z-2T-2L
Nella does not point her toes, but I like her very understated black costume with a few lines of stones.
35.99 31.44 67.43 105.79 5th
Megan Hyatt USA
red and red velvet with a deep V front. Attractive.
drummy music
3T nice. badly under rotated 2Z, traveling camel, donut, half beill, sit layback inside upright. 1L pop. back beill spital CE forward classic spiral eh back spiral eh. 2A-2T. 3S nice. axel sit. 3T turns out. tango music. uppy downy FW. steps 3S-2T? NICE layback, foot to head, beill EH.
Megan has the beginnings of some decent presentation. Give her a couple years.
39.01 + 34.70 = 73.71 T=113.82
Nana Takeda JPE
Lavender chiffon. nice.
Music: Otonal, the same arrangement as Johnny Weir
nice 3L. 2F. 3T-2T. layback nice, foot to head, beill. 2S. spiral eh ChE, back beill sp, side catch spiral. 3L. step 2A. 3T. axel sit outside. SL FW eh. 2A-2T-2T, camel inside sit camel donut, something, beill.
She kind of collapses trying to bow low. It's cute.
48.10 + 42.05 = 90.15 T=129.09
Hello protocol judging! I didn't get a close look at the components, but where the heck did they come from? The child didn't make even a creditable ATTEMPT at presentation. She had good speed, but that was about all. Maybe it's the effect of the music. But i just don't see components this high.
Chae-Hwa Kim KOR This is Korea's #2?
red velvet, black illusion sleeve
VERY familiar music? Nutcracker maybe?
3T(2foot)2F. 3S-2T-2L. 2A-2T. nice death drop inside. 3L. back spiral ch E beill. nice and steady. side catch eh bent knee. 3T. layback ugly leg foot to head. 3S nice. 2A nice. SL FW. camel sit outside layback ch sit inside sasha catchfoot.
She landed a lot of jumps. Her presentation is still very VERY embryonic. She gave up much pretense at it towards the end. I'm still not sure how the previous skate outpoints this one... maybe in the FW? CoP is sure unintelligible when a lackluster skate like Takeda outpoints this by 5 points on the tech score...
43.73 + 36.96 = 80.69 T= 122.81 2nd place
Elena Glebova EST
blue with straps, couple lines of stones. nice.
Queen symphony
3T turns out 2T. 2Z NICE. flying camel squat upright inside. 2A. 1L pop. weird layback on outside edge beill nice speed, spiral ChE wobbly. low catch foot side spiral. 3S-2T. Sl FW slow tentative upy downy. NICE twizzles though. 2A-2T-2T. 3T. camel sit inside layback ch camel outside-layback beill.
Now, under CoP, this exceptionally unique, probably nearly impossible, layback on an outside edge will get NO more points than the usual one.
In the replays, they are playing the Stairway to Heaven violin chamber music.
42.79 + 35.05 = 77.84 T = 118.26
I am still amazed how the Japanese girl outpointed these girls in components. That was really weird.
Jenniu Vahamma FIN
yallow dress with black stones and trim
little girlish showtunes
walley. 2S-2T-2L. 2A hop out. flying camel inside nice donut. 3T hand down. 2F-2T close to the boards. layback eh. half beill wobbbly so so classic forward nice catch side spiral nice side spiral. 2A-2T. 3S nice. nice circle FW very fast, slowing. Flz. fly camel, outside, sit nice catch, ch sit inside NICE catchfoot.
She's probably 12, she looks 9 and is just a delight. She has good speed and a nice tight wrap on her jumps... a pretty face and a bright smile. She has nice camel positions.
41.86 + 37.26 = 79.12 T = 121.88
Someone explain to me how this comes over Glebova? IN COMPONENTS? This kid isn't "juniorish" she's NOVICE-ISH for chrissakes! She was cute, and fast, but she was so unformed... She landed like one decent jump... color me not getting the judging here. Color me not getting it BIGTIME. At All.
Katerina Gerboldt age 16 RUS
WAY ugly dark pink with black insets and long black gloves.
2A eh. 2L-2T wonky landing. steps 3Z 2foot? steps 3T? flying camel inside donut nice. good speed. 3S bad fall out. beill spiral ch E nice. back beill. 3L. 2F-2T. layback. metal rock music with high vocal. camel outside squat layback ch donut beill.
Very pretty girl. VERY ugly dress.
39.13 + 35.99 = 75.12 T = 120.90
Isabelle Nylander SWE age 15
orange dress with red sequins and boa, my bet, Firebird... YEP, Firebird.
layback foot to head, nice fast spin. good speed. spiral back half beill ugh. side spiral. 2A. 2L 2foot. 3T FALL. 2S. camel outside nice sit layback foot to head. ch nice sit inside slow catch. 3S fall out. spiral to 2F-2L? SL FW nice speed. 2A turns 2L NICE axel sit slow cannonball, free leg bent in sit spin.
This kid looks like she's actually a normally sized human being. She has something nice about her skating, but the jumps really were not there for her today.
26.98 + 34.80 = 60.78 T = 102.83 12th place
Laura Lepisto FIN
snuffy brown and gold lamé dress with flowers... really, INCREDIBLY ugly... the color was awful.
Feeling Begins? Arabian music
3T nice. 2T-2T. steps 3S-2T, flying sit (DD?) inside. music change. nice 3L. 3T nice. wobbly ch e spiral so so position. back half beill, nice sideways lean to layback nice, foot to head. bad pop 1S fall. music change. circle FW slow2L 2T. camel outside sit catch, ch sit inside catch (the Kwan spin).
39.48 + 38.33 = 76.81 T = 121.05
Christine Zukowski USA
Nice forest green dress with criss crossy straps and white stones
oboe music
2L. nice speed. 3Z? sat on the landing but landed. layback. steps 2Z. spiral ch E half beill. back half beill BAD. 3S. 3T 2T. hop sit inside, foot behind the leg crouch. SL FW, swirly. 3S-2T-2T. 2A-2T, landed the 2A on an inside edge. traveling camel outside, sit cannon, layback, ch squat inside catch.
Here's a CW jumper, so I may have miscalled some of the jumps before I figured it out.
44.51 + 39.26 = 83.77 T = 135.14
Alissa Czisny USA
La baydere
dark blue Salome costume
3Z 2foot, fall. flying sit inside pancake good speed through. 3F 2foot? 3L wonky landing. camel inside donut sit catch ch sit layback beill. 2A. 1F pop. fast circle FW 1A pop. 1Z pop. SL FW fast and nice. side catch to unsupported ch e side spiral back spiral. forward beill spiral. sideways layback beill, very fast great positions.
Lovely as always and a very UN-juniorish skater, but jumps were AWOL today.
33.21 + 41.61 = 73.83 T = 124.18, 3 place
The idea that Takeda could have gotten better components than this when Takeda skates like a junior and Czisny skates like a senior is just beyond me. Where can I get some of the good drugs these judges are on?
Arina Martinova RUS
black velvet with long black chiffon skirt and silver "bow" in sequins, black velvet gloves
Devil's Trill (a la Kulik) and others.
2T. steps 3Flz. arm waving. 3F bad fall. arm waving. 3Flz fall. 2T?-2T 2A 2T. flying camel inside donut. music change to bluesy something. 2S-2T camel outside sit layback beill, ch sit inside catch traveling bad. spiral music change nice change of edge, steady. music change. back beill spiral. circle FW nice good speed. sideways lean layback foot to head beill finish after music.
Her coach looks like she must be her older sister. Talk about a family resemblance!
30.03 + 38.40 = 66.43 T = 116.39, 9th place.
Aki Savada JPE
red velvet with geometric designs
City of Veils
3F-2T nice. 3S ok. layback sideways, foot to head. 3Z pretty nice. 3F fall out and fall on knee. ugh spiral COE half beill. back half beill poor positions. back spiral poor position. 3L wobbly camel outside sit layback ch sit inside cross foot upright. 3T nice. 1A pop, another jump pop. axel sit inside.
This is no waif skater. She is short, but stocky and powerful looking (which means she's probably tiny compared to real people). They give her powerful music and it works for her. She both flutzes AND lips. her spins are wobbly and not well centered... until she gets into them. She IS adorable though.
39.46 + 39.84 = 78.30 T = 126.15, 3rd place
Yu Na Kim KOR
blue green strappy dress. No puberty monster here! age 15, looks 10
violin music.
3F-3T nice. 2A nice. nice death drop sit twist pancake. good arms nicely evocative. steps 3Z. layback foot to head beill. ina bauer to 2A 3T. 3Z-2t-2L spiral COE half beill. back beill eh. nice SL FW. 3L. 3S camel sit layback ch sit twist inside sasha catch.
This was very clean, nicely "pretty" and well done. It would have done pretty well in seniors. She has good speed... but, let's see what the Puberty Monster does to her. She has obviously NOT had a visit from said monster yet.
64.85 (she goes WOW) + 51.83 = 116.68 T= 177.54
A senior level score for a senior level skate... and in 4 minutes instead of 4:30! This really was an impressive skate. I do think it's a shame that this child could not be at the olympics. If she skated there that well, she could easily have done as well as Messiner. Kim's as "mature" as a skater.
Mao Asada JPE age 15
Her pink little girl dress... still looking very prepubescent.
Swan Lake?
3A popped to 1A. 3L nice. fly camel inside donut. illusion nice. swirly7 SL FW. 2A nice. small death drop twist panacke. 3F nice. beill COE spiral back slide catch foot. 3L-2L-2L. 3F-1L. 1Z pop. camel inside donut beill ch outside twist beill.
Okay, this isn't exactly the end, but I need to get my kids to school.
pardon the typos!
Thursday, March 02, 2006
I've been meme tagged!
Playing tag on skates is one of those fun things you never forget. Unfortunately, when you get middle aged and frumpy, you play blog tag. Author Martha O'Connor of Bitch Posse fame has seen fit to tag me. I guess I need to tag some people. I'm tagging Author Natalie R. Collins, my favorite graphic designer and queer activist David Shelton, and Axel of Evil author Alina Adams.
1- If you won a million dollars, how much of it would you give to charity?
I'd probably give 10% to start... then as the years go on, I'd keep giving 10% of whatever profits the investment of the money generated.
What would I do?
I'd endow a room at the Catholic HS I attended and ask them to name it in honor of one of my favorite teachers who died the year after I graduated. I'd probably donate some to the Catholic Elementary school where my kids go. I'd give a chunk to Catholics for Faithful Citizenship, the Human Rights Campaign, and the Mother Jones Investigative Journalism Fund. At some point, I'd also set up a technology journalism scholarship at Carnegie Mellon University, my alma mater. I would probably also give to the Muscular Dystrophy Association. Boy, that's a lot of ways to slice that pie!
2- Describe what you looked like in the 5th grade.
I was just short of 5' tall and maybe 105lbs. I had long brown hair, a bit frizzled from being braided at night. I had a pointy chin that stuck out because I had a bad underbite that had yet to be fixed. I had a very engaging smile... but not much to smile about that year.
3-Do you think you have a good singing voice?
I have an excellent singing voice. I sing Mezzo Soprano/Alto. I can even sing high tenor. As long as my allergies are not acting up. I can sing when sick, but not when I'm having an allergic reaction.
4- Which would be harder to give up, TV or chocolate?
Chocolate.
5- If you could change your name, what would you change it to?
I did. Dejah.
6- A cat darts into the road and you hear a thud under your tire, do you stop?
Yes.
7- A friend has chronic bad breath, do you say something? If so, what?
Probably not.
8- If you had to move to another country for a year, which one would you choose and why?
I'd love to go to Russia... but really, I'm not sure I could stay in one place. Once I got to Europe, I'd buy a Eurail pass and see everything I possibly could and go everywhere. I'd spend time in Peter and in Moscow and ride the Trans-Siberian. I'd visit my friend Aleksei in Kiev (or Kyiv, as he spells it). I'd take lessons at the famed Yeblenii Skating School. I'd immerse myself in Russian language and culture.
9- If you had only 15 minutes left to live, what would you do?
I'd spend my final moments wanting to go somewhere lovely with my family, but instead screamingat them to get ready because I was dying and needed to leave. And then, when I was taking my last breaths, my husband who had done nothing to that point would stomp in fussing that he's ready and why am I just sitting there, while Joyah can't find her socks and Akey is wearing a green shirt, pink panti-hose, her Harley Davidson boots and no pants and GG is screeching for her sisters to get ready.
Then, I'd die, probably of frustration and embarrassment.
10- If you could remain one age for the rest of your life, what would it be?
I don't think I'd like it. I enjoyed being 20, and part of me wants to be young and free like that again, but I was kind of inconsiderate and self-absorbed at 20. Would I want to be that way again? At 25, I was married, had a child, and I was still thin, but I had not settled into being a mother, or a wife. There were so many conflicts... and I still looked 15. I had no career to speak of and I felt like a huge failure. I didn't have the perspective and the peace that 30 brought. Would I like to be 30 forever? Thirty brought me a career (and then a career change), a difficult child, a nervous breakdown, financial troubles and increasing health problems... and perspective. I can't explain what exactly perspective is or why it is so valuable... but a friend who was in her 40's said "30 is freeing." I didn't understand what she meant until I turned 30. Would I want to be 30 again?
Now, I'm 35. Whatever claim I might once have had to physical beauty is gone. My youth is a dream that lives inside me, but no one sees. I've rebuilt a writing career that tanked with the IT sector when I was 31. I have worsening health problems (both the cause and effect of being heavy, and other things)... and yet, I have declared unilateral victory over money as a measure of success. I am more successful in my career than ever before. I have peace of mind, a pretty nice family and a husband that I love and am content to grow old with. Yes, I have gray hairs. Yes, there have been hard years.
I don't ever want to stay one age. I wouldn't trade who I am today for who I was 5 years ago or who I will be 5 years from now. The challenges are many. But there are rewards too. I'll keep aging, thanks. I paid for these gray hairs.
11- What kind of food is your best friend?
sushi
12- What is your worst habit?
Oh GOD, do I HAVE to answer this? Probably picking my nose when I hope no one is looking. No, I do NOT eat boogers. That's my 6-year-old.
13- Name the best bad movie you ever loved.
Tie:
Somewhere in Time with Christophe Reeve
Champions: A Love Story—yes, it's a figure skating flick.
14- Do you make friends easily?
I make acquaintances easily. I very, very, very seldom make friends. But when I do, I value them.
15- When is the last time you cried?
I don't recall.
16- What will the last line of your obituary say?
Loving Wife, Blameless Mother, Published Author.
SCHAH! GOTCHA!
17- What was your first job, how much did it pay?
My first "job" was running a u-pick blueberry business when I was 6. My brother and I split the summer's take... i think it was about $40.
18- Which Brady would you date if you had to?
Probably Peter... but not til he was 40 or so.
19- Name the movie you would star in if you could be the lead in any film ever made.
I'm not really a movie watcher. I can't think of one that I liked enough to go through the bother of being in a movie. Maybe they could just PAY me to be in a movie but they could like have a double do all the work.
20- If you had to give up one of the 5 senses (sight, hearing, touch, smell, taste), which one would it be?
I'd keep seeing the sights, hearing the sound of children's laughter, feeling rose petals, smelling fresh baked bread and tasting all the delights the culinary world has to offer. I can't imagine voluntarily giving up one of my senses. I suppose you could take them all when you pry them from my cold dead hands.
21- What is the most valuable lesson you have ever learned?
The success cannot always be measured by who has the most money.
22-What is the worst thing a friend has ever done to you?
She refused to forgive me.
23- If you could give your parents any one gift in the world, what would it be?
I gave my father forgiveness and love before he died.
I would want my mom to finally believe in herself, believe she is as smart, as deserving, and as capable as I know she is. She thinks I look down on her because she was only a mom. She does not seem to understand that all my life, I was looking up.
I still am.
24- What is the last good deed someone has done for you?
My husband brought me Godiva chocolates the other day for no reason at all.
25- What is your least favorite fashion trend?
I'm with Martha on this one... women being too skinny is the most awful fashion trend ever.
26- If you had triplet daughters today, what would you name them?
Who thinks up this shit? I have three daughters and I gave them all the names I ever had to give girls I had.
27- Tell about a time when you laughed inappropriately.
It had to be recently when Joyah did something hysterically funny and then got VERY angry with me for laughing at her. I can't remember what she did... she does this sort of thing regularly.
28- What makes you happy?
Truly? Natural progesterone is really what makes me happy... because without it, I can't even function and I drift through the days from funk to funk being miserable and not having a reason.
29- Ever think you might have ESP?
Yes. I dream.
30- Name the one super power you would like to have.
Super power? I have one. I am Tax Aide, see me help the elderly and low and middle income traverse the chaotic landscape of income tax filing. Watch me write off thousands of dollars of income in a single bound, saving a little old lady who lives hand to mouth from the clutches of the IRS. It's Our Hope! Now we'll save! It's Tax Aide!
I volunteer with the AARP Tax Aide program that serves low and middle income and the elderly 2 days a week, January though April 15th. Today, I saved a woman $900 by itemizing. And I got a 50 year old man who never had an ounce of savings started on the path to having an IRA. Maybe that's not much, but it's good work.
31- Name the one household chore you wish you never had to do again.
Laundry!
32- If you could name only one song as the best song of all times, which would it be?
I'm Moving On by Rascal Flatts.
33- How old do you wish you were right now?
The age I am at this moment.
34-Name three things you wouldn't do for money.
WouldN'T?
Only three? I can think of a lot of terrible things... but I'll choose things that I might some day be offered money for or that I might get money if I did.
35- Is 35 questions too many???
Fuck, yeah.
1- If you won a million dollars, how much of it would you give to charity?
I'd probably give 10% to start... then as the years go on, I'd keep giving 10% of whatever profits the investment of the money generated.
What would I do?
I'd endow a room at the Catholic HS I attended and ask them to name it in honor of one of my favorite teachers who died the year after I graduated. I'd probably donate some to the Catholic Elementary school where my kids go. I'd give a chunk to Catholics for Faithful Citizenship, the Human Rights Campaign, and the Mother Jones Investigative Journalism Fund. At some point, I'd also set up a technology journalism scholarship at Carnegie Mellon University, my alma mater. I would probably also give to the Muscular Dystrophy Association. Boy, that's a lot of ways to slice that pie!
2- Describe what you looked like in the 5th grade.
I was just short of 5' tall and maybe 105lbs. I had long brown hair, a bit frizzled from being braided at night. I had a pointy chin that stuck out because I had a bad underbite that had yet to be fixed. I had a very engaging smile... but not much to smile about that year.
3-Do you think you have a good singing voice?
I have an excellent singing voice. I sing Mezzo Soprano/Alto. I can even sing high tenor. As long as my allergies are not acting up. I can sing when sick, but not when I'm having an allergic reaction.
4- Which would be harder to give up, TV or chocolate?
Chocolate.
5- If you could change your name, what would you change it to?
I did. Dejah.
6- A cat darts into the road and you hear a thud under your tire, do you stop?
Yes.
7- A friend has chronic bad breath, do you say something? If so, what?
Probably not.
8- If you had to move to another country for a year, which one would you choose and why?
I'd love to go to Russia... but really, I'm not sure I could stay in one place. Once I got to Europe, I'd buy a Eurail pass and see everything I possibly could and go everywhere. I'd spend time in Peter and in Moscow and ride the Trans-Siberian. I'd visit my friend Aleksei in Kiev (or Kyiv, as he spells it). I'd take lessons at the famed Yeblenii Skating School. I'd immerse myself in Russian language and culture.
9- If you had only 15 minutes left to live, what would you do?
I'd spend my final moments wanting to go somewhere lovely with my family, but instead screamingat them to get ready because I was dying and needed to leave. And then, when I was taking my last breaths, my husband who had done nothing to that point would stomp in fussing that he's ready and why am I just sitting there, while Joyah can't find her socks and Akey is wearing a green shirt, pink panti-hose, her Harley Davidson boots and no pants and GG is screeching for her sisters to get ready.
Then, I'd die, probably of frustration and embarrassment.
10- If you could remain one age for the rest of your life, what would it be?
I don't think I'd like it. I enjoyed being 20, and part of me wants to be young and free like that again, but I was kind of inconsiderate and self-absorbed at 20. Would I want to be that way again? At 25, I was married, had a child, and I was still thin, but I had not settled into being a mother, or a wife. There were so many conflicts... and I still looked 15. I had no career to speak of and I felt like a huge failure. I didn't have the perspective and the peace that 30 brought. Would I like to be 30 forever? Thirty brought me a career (and then a career change), a difficult child, a nervous breakdown, financial troubles and increasing health problems... and perspective. I can't explain what exactly perspective is or why it is so valuable... but a friend who was in her 40's said "30 is freeing." I didn't understand what she meant until I turned 30. Would I want to be 30 again?
Now, I'm 35. Whatever claim I might once have had to physical beauty is gone. My youth is a dream that lives inside me, but no one sees. I've rebuilt a writing career that tanked with the IT sector when I was 31. I have worsening health problems (both the cause and effect of being heavy, and other things)... and yet, I have declared unilateral victory over money as a measure of success. I am more successful in my career than ever before. I have peace of mind, a pretty nice family and a husband that I love and am content to grow old with. Yes, I have gray hairs. Yes, there have been hard years.
I don't ever want to stay one age. I wouldn't trade who I am today for who I was 5 years ago or who I will be 5 years from now. The challenges are many. But there are rewards too. I'll keep aging, thanks. I paid for these gray hairs.
11- What kind of food is your best friend?
sushi
12- What is your worst habit?
Oh GOD, do I HAVE to answer this? Probably picking my nose when I hope no one is looking. No, I do NOT eat boogers. That's my 6-year-old.
13- Name the best bad movie you ever loved.
Tie:
Somewhere in Time with Christophe Reeve
Champions: A Love Story—yes, it's a figure skating flick.
14- Do you make friends easily?
I make acquaintances easily. I very, very, very seldom make friends. But when I do, I value them.
15- When is the last time you cried?
I don't recall.
16- What will the last line of your obituary say?
Loving Wife, Blameless Mother, Published Author.
SCHAH! GOTCHA!
17- What was your first job, how much did it pay?
My first "job" was running a u-pick blueberry business when I was 6. My brother and I split the summer's take... i think it was about $40.
18- Which Brady would you date if you had to?
Probably Peter... but not til he was 40 or so.
19- Name the movie you would star in if you could be the lead in any film ever made.
I'm not really a movie watcher. I can't think of one that I liked enough to go through the bother of being in a movie. Maybe they could just PAY me to be in a movie but they could like have a double do all the work.
20- If you had to give up one of the 5 senses (sight, hearing, touch, smell, taste), which one would it be?
I'd keep seeing the sights, hearing the sound of children's laughter, feeling rose petals, smelling fresh baked bread and tasting all the delights the culinary world has to offer. I can't imagine voluntarily giving up one of my senses. I suppose you could take them all when you pry them from my cold dead hands.
21- What is the most valuable lesson you have ever learned?
The success cannot always be measured by who has the most money.
22-What is the worst thing a friend has ever done to you?
She refused to forgive me.
23- If you could give your parents any one gift in the world, what would it be?
I gave my father forgiveness and love before he died.
I would want my mom to finally believe in herself, believe she is as smart, as deserving, and as capable as I know she is. She thinks I look down on her because she was only a mom. She does not seem to understand that all my life, I was looking up.
I still am.
24- What is the last good deed someone has done for you?
My husband brought me Godiva chocolates the other day for no reason at all.
25- What is your least favorite fashion trend?
I'm with Martha on this one... women being too skinny is the most awful fashion trend ever.
26- If you had triplet daughters today, what would you name them?
Who thinks up this shit? I have three daughters and I gave them all the names I ever had to give girls I had.
27- Tell about a time when you laughed inappropriately.
It had to be recently when Joyah did something hysterically funny and then got VERY angry with me for laughing at her. I can't remember what she did... she does this sort of thing regularly.
28- What makes you happy?
Truly? Natural progesterone is really what makes me happy... because without it, I can't even function and I drift through the days from funk to funk being miserable and not having a reason.
29- Ever think you might have ESP?
Yes. I dream.
30- Name the one super power you would like to have.
Super power? I have one. I am Tax Aide, see me help the elderly and low and middle income traverse the chaotic landscape of income tax filing. Watch me write off thousands of dollars of income in a single bound, saving a little old lady who lives hand to mouth from the clutches of the IRS. It's Our Hope! Now we'll save! It's Tax Aide!
I volunteer with the AARP Tax Aide program that serves low and middle income and the elderly 2 days a week, January though April 15th. Today, I saved a woman $900 by itemizing. And I got a 50 year old man who never had an ounce of savings started on the path to having an IRA. Maybe that's not much, but it's good work.
31- Name the one household chore you wish you never had to do again.
Laundry!
32- If you could name only one song as the best song of all times, which would it be?
I'm Moving On by Rascal Flatts.
33- How old do you wish you were right now?
The age I am at this moment.
34-Name three things you wouldn't do for money.
WouldN'T?
Only three? I can think of a lot of terrible things... but I'll choose things that I might some day be offered money for or that I might get money if I did.
- Sacrifice my artistic principles.
- Violate my idea of journalistic integrity.
- Cheat my brother out of his share of our inheritance.
35- Is 35 questions too many???
Fuck, yeah.
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