TV Alert: The Fifth Estate on CBC Sunday | Golden Skate

TV Alert: The Fifth Estate on CBC Sunday

Shmuzzy

On the Ice
Joined
Jan 20, 2005
For those of you that get CBC, the Fifth Estate episode on Sunday is titled "On The Edge Of Glory". The synopsis reads: "Canada's greatest singles figure skaters as they try and win a spot on Canada's Olympic team". Sounds like a mini Ice Diaries!

It airs for 1 hour on CBC Sunday at 7 PM Eastern. If you are a football fan I guess you will have to record it!
 

Ladskater

~ Figure Skating Is My Passion ~
Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 28, 2003
I saw the ad this evening. Looks interesting. thanks....
 

Shmuzzy

On the Ice
Joined
Jan 20, 2005
The time is drawing near so I figured I would give everybody a reminder with a gentle *bump* back to page 1.
 

CDMM1991

Medalist
Joined
Jun 3, 2005
Thanks Schmuzzy. I'm looking forward to this one. It's on at 7 in all time zones I think, so I guess I'll get to see it first :biggrin: There are some advantages of living in Atlantic Canada. :laugh:

12 minutes!
 

Shmuzzy

On the Ice
Joined
Jan 20, 2005
So did anybody watch? I thought it was pretty good. The most interesting thing for me was when coach Joanne McLeod said that "in her heart" she feels that Emanuel "wants modelling more than skating"! She followed later by saying that "off the ice he is growing, and that's kinda the reason I hang in there". Pretty revealing stuff!

I thought it was also interesting how the show focused on Leslie more than Joannie, and how Mira was barely mentioned. No doubt about it though, Leslie is a great story.

All in all an enjoyable program!
 
M

mylastduchess

Guest
Well I guess now I understand why Emanuel is so inconsistent, I don't think he puts 100 percent of his heart into the sport. Leslie, I admired she really is a great story!
 

CDMM1991

Medalist
Joined
Jun 3, 2005
Leslie is an amazing inspiration. You hear about these jumping beans that land their first triples when they're eight and as a skater that just makes you feel like you have no hope, but then you hear Leslie's story, and that she didn't even land a triple jump until she was sixteen, and you keep on trucking, and believing in that Olympic dream.

Emanuel's segments were pretty revealing. The thing his mother said to him at the 1998 Canadians was absolutely cruel. I couldn't believe she would do that after he had the skate of his life [so far]. Man, he has to be the most toned athlete in the world. The muscle definition is absolutely incredible.

I wasn't impressed by Jeff's reaction to his music not getting played. I've trained at Mariposa and the people that play music there try their absolute hardest and it isn't an enviable job. Having a world medal doesn't make him better than anybody else out there on the ice, and doesn't give him a reason to be rude.

I found it very interesting watching David Wilson at work with Joannie. Chris Mabee looks like a hard worker.
 

Ladskater

~ Figure Skating Is My Passion ~
Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 28, 2003
Shmuzzy said:
So did anybody watch? I thought it was pretty good. The most interesting thing for me was when coach Joanne McLeod said that "in her heart" she feels that Emanuel "wants modelling more than skating"! She followed later by saying that "off the ice he is growing, and that's kinda the reason I hang in there". Pretty revealing stuff!

I thought it was also interesting how the show focused on Leslie more than Joannie, and how Mira was barely mentioned. No doubt about it though, Leslie is a great story.

All in all an enjoyable program!


This program was made long before the Nationals. Mira was not really counted in yet by anyone and if you noticed Shawn Sawyer - who came third and made the Olympic team also was not featured. Chris Mabee had a great skate at Canadians 2005 and caught the attention of the judges as well as the rest of Canada.

I think Leslie's story was a real "heartsell" and shows what it really takes to become a champion - heart and soul.

Jeff was a little prima donnish stomping off the ice like that. I was a little surprised. I thought he had more integrity.

Emanuel is very focused on becoming a star and loves the attention. I agree with his coach about the modeling. He has to decide where he really wants to be. I still think Emanuel would be better at ice dance.

Joannie is a real down to earth girl and works hard. She has a great relationship with her mother one can tell.

All in all, it was well done!! The CBC is always good at making documentaries.
 

lotusland

On the Ice
Joined
May 5, 2004
I quite liked the CBC piece, although I was surprised to see that it had turned into a "Leslie & Friends" story. AFAIK, over the 8 months it took the CBC to put the program together, they followed Jeff, Emanual, Chris, Ben Ferreira, Shawn Sawyer, Joannie, Cynthia Phaneuf and Leslie. I don't know if they covered Mira at all.

I think the reason the CBC shifted its focus to Leslie Hawker is because she had a more interesting story to tell (in terms of public appeal). Its been a tougher road to the podium for her, being a relatively late bloomer, coming from a huge family, parents who could not afford the sport, having to work fulltime to pay for her training etc. The other competitors, although equally good or better skaters than Leslie might be, haven't necessarily had to put in much else than just a great deal of hard work and determination to get to where they are. For example: Jeff, Emanual, Chris and Joannie have financial sponsors and opportunities so the costs associated with the sport are largely taken care of. Don't know about Cynthia and Shawn, but certainly they have national team funding and winnings from their assignments and show skating. Since making the top 8 in the country Leslie received some funding, and now that she is on the national team, the money has increased, but she (AFAIK) hasn't had the invitations to guest skate in tours e.g. Celebration on Ice etc., and therefore hasn't collected the pay cheques that some of the other skaters have. As far as school goes, Leslie did try to do post-secondary in addition to working as a waitress and training, but she couldn't manage it all and had to put the schooling on hold (like Jeff has). You really have to root for someone who has to work their pattutti off to achieve what she has!

As far as Jeff goes, he is a VERY NICE person off the ice. On the ice however, when he is under pressure or is stressed, he is like any other highly strung competitor, prone to temper tantums and tears.
 
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Shmuzzy

On the Ice
Joined
Jan 20, 2005
Jeff, Emanual, Chris and Joannie have financial sponsors and opportunities so the costs associated with the sport are largely taken care of.

Yeah I would say that Emanuel is being "taken care of". Did you check out the car he was driving? A Mercedes convertible! Wonder if it is his or if he is leasing?:scratch:
 

Norlite

On the Ice
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Ladskater said:
Jeff was a little prima donnish stomping off the ice like that. I was a little surprised. I thought he had more integrity

Jeff does have intergrity. If you noticed, when he left the ice angry, he went to the change room instead of flipping on someone (like the music person) the way many other skaters do in that instance.
 

Ladskater

~ Figure Skating Is My Passion ~
Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 28, 2003
jonesgirl said:
Jeff does have intergrity. If you noticed, when he left the ice angry, he went to the change room instead of flipping on someone (like the music person) the way many other skaters do in that instance.


That could have been because there was a CBC cameraman following him. I really do like Jeff, but how we do we know that was not staged?
 

Norlite

On the Ice
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Ladskater said:
That could have been because there was a CBC cameraman following him. I really do like Jeff, but how we do we know that was not staged?


Because I've been at that particular rink during his sessions hundreds of times. He's one of the nicest guys out there. That doesn't mean he isn't normal though. And like someone else said, there are always tantrums and tears. From everyone.
 
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FrenchLady

Rinkside
Joined
Jan 26, 2005
Lotusland and jonesgirl, thank you for you insights. Jeff seems indeed a VERY nice person. I've come across some comments from fellow skaters who share the same opinion.

I really liked the CBC special. Maybe a little unbalanced (Leslie vs others) but I liked it in general. Skaters and people around them often talk about how hard this sport is. Seeing some footage of the day-to-day *reality* of training made me realize more than ever before how the skaters push themselves to the LIMIT, physically AND emotinally. I honestly don't know how they are able to deal with the pain and the pressure. They surely have a right to let off some steam from time to time.
 
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