Free Dance Sunday 4:45 PM EST | Page 10 | Golden Skate

Free Dance Sunday 4:45 PM EST

dorispulaski

Wicked Yankee Girl
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Country
United-States
I don't recall it being this bad. Nor at Skate America in 2000

There was the recent incident with the Karen Magnussen's rink, where people were severely affected by fumes. And a relatively recent study about skaters' lungs being permanently damaged from bad air at ice rinks.

Sometimes the the zamboni is at fault if it is not an electric model, sometimes the icemaking compresser is misbehaving. They should do an air quality check.
 
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leafygreens

Final Flight
Joined
Mar 7, 2011
I am sick that D/W have lost and don't see how. Even on a good day, V/M are boring and not as technically advanced as D/W. The latest issues with Scott's attitude aren't winning me over, either. There are a host of other reasons (later skate draw, home crowd cheering louder, and the last of anti-Americanism in ice dancing), not skating ability, that allowed V/M to win Oly gold, giving them a rep that puts their scores way loser to D/W than they should be. I'm so over this manufactured "rivalry".
 

Macassar88

Medalist
Joined
Dec 21, 2011
It's hard to see because of the lousy camera work, but Charlie may have put a hand down on the butterfly at the end of the program.
Anyway, so happy to see Virtue and Moir where they belong.
 

Tonichelle

Idita-Rock-n-Roll
Record Breaker
Joined
Jun 27, 2003
Thanks to everyone who has been reporting on the results, post-competition press conference, and so forth.

Jcoates, your suggestion about American and Canadian Nationals being moved to earlier in the year makes logistical sense, but since that change would step on the feet of football, I fear that pigs will fly before it happens.

I don't think it's football for the US, it's because December = Christmas and they don't want to get in the way of that (kinda a big deal, or so I hear) and January is National Skating Month... so they try to keep it in January... not sure why they don't do it earlier, IIRC, US and Canadian nationals used to flip flop weeks, and then sometimes they were teh same week... (btw, there was football on teh same week as nationals)
 

jcoates

Medalist
Joined
Mar 3, 2006
I don't think it's football for the US, it's because December = Christmas and they don't want to get in the way of that (kinda a big deal, or so I hear) and January is National Skating Month... so they try to keep it in January... not sure why they don't do it earlier, IIRC, US and Canadian nationals used to flip flop weeks, and then sometimes they were teh same week... (btw, there was football on teh same week as nationals)

I'm not advocating that nationals be moved to December, just a week earlier in January or the 4CC be moved back a week as IP suggested. Yes football still going on, but IIRC, in the past the number of weeks between conference championships and the superbowl used to alternated between 1 nd 2 weeks. It's not really about the sports themselves so much as it's about availability of quality TV time for programming. January is a surprisingly busy month for sports. Aside from football and skating, the Australian Open and it's warmup events are going on all month long. the amount of golf coverage ramps up as well and of course there is tons of college basketball. ESPN2 has made a major commitment to covering tennis and has covered the Aussie Open consistently for 28 years. They have upped their hours in recent years which is I suspect one of the reasons why ESPN dropped skating coverage altogether (I recall something in their statement about focusing on sticks and balls sports). With NBC as the only real option left due to their more open football coverage schedule, USFSA is still somewhat hamstrung by how many playoff games NBC has in a given year and when gaps in their coverage develop so skating can be slotted in. Scheduling has to be worked around the largest revenue generator in order for the broadcaster to consider it worthwhile and I'm sure NBC calls much of the shots as to when the event is held and in what format, just as they did by starting the current trend of splitting groups. Given that factor, I suspect that may be one of the reasons why US and Canadian nationals no longer overlap since Tracy calls both events. I think that's been the case since the days when she and Kurt both worked for ABC as well as calling Canadian events.
 

skatingbc

Final Flight
Joined
Jan 2, 2009
I am sick that D/W have lost and don't see how. Even on a good day, V/M are boring and not as technically advanced as D/W. The latest issues with Scott's attitude aren't winning me over, either. There are a host of other reasons (later skate draw, home crowd cheering louder, and the last of anti-Americanism in ice dancing), not skating ability, that allowed V/M to win Oly gold, giving them a rep that puts their scores way loser to D/W than they should be. I'm so over this manufactured "rivalry".

:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:

Thanks for the laugh. You're entitled to think they are boring (while I vehemently disagree) but it is absolutely ridiculous to assert that V/M are not as technically advanced as D/W, or that they won the Olympics based on any other criteria than their actual skating ability.

Although, I think I can understand why many may believe that V/M are boring. D/W consistently skate to big, loud, recognizable/exciting music and V/M are much the opposite. D/W have, so far, needed their music to carry them as I don't think that they naturally have a feel for music as much as V/M do. I think that V/M have an easier time understanding the intricacies of a piece of music and portraying a depth of character than D/W just don't have (yet, who knows!). Clearly D/W have consistently found music that works for them and that's great, but I'd like to see them take on a more subtle (not something constantly used in the skating world) piece of music and see some real development of character. Perhaps V/M should skate to some big piece of music that everyone and their mother knows and see what happens then.
 

Ravensque

On the Ice
Joined
Dec 31, 2009
:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:

Thanks for the laugh. You're entitled to think they are boring (while I vehemently disagree) but it is absolutely ridiculous to assert that V/M are not as technically advanced as D/W, or that they won the Olympics based on any other criteria than their actual skating ability.

Although, I think I can understand why many may believe that V/M are boring. D/W consistently skate to big, loud, recognizable/exciting music and V/M are much the opposite. D/W have, so far, needed their music to carry them as I don't think that they naturally have a feel for music as much as V/M do. I think that V/M have an easier time understanding the intricacies of a piece of music and portraying a depth of character than D/W just don't have (yet, who knows!). Clearly D/W have consistently found music that works for them and that's great, but I'd like to see them take on a more subtle (not something constantly used in the skating world) piece of music and see some real development of character. Perhaps V/M should skate to some big piece of music that everyone and their mother knows and see what happens then.

ITA with your opinion on this. I admire the way V/M really get into their characters no matter what. I'm hoping that they choose something sexy, sultry, and bluesy next year as a departure from this year's program. It was so nice to see them healthy and skating a full season this year after 3 or 4 years of Tessa skating injured and in pain against an always healthy D/W. I hope this continues for them. It certainly makes these comps more interesting. Congratulations to them for this win. They deserve it. Also congrats to W/P on their bronze. This team has worked their tails off and it shows. They are true contenders for bronze at Worlds.
 

icefan1005

Rinkside
Joined
Dec 18, 2011
ITA with your opinion on this. I admire the way V/M really get into their characters no matter what. I'm hoping that they choose something sexy, sultry, and bluesy next year as a departure from this year's program. It was so nice to see them healthy and skating a full season this year after 3 or 4 years of Tessa skating injured and in pain against an always healthy D/W. I hope this continues for them. It certainly makes these comps more interesting. Congratulations to them for this win. They deserve it. Also congrats to W/P on their bronze. This team has worked their tails off and it shows. They are true contenders for bronze at Worlds.

I agree. A blues program will suit them well next year to show their smooth skating, then they can be romantic & magical again in 2014. Anyway, congrats Tessa & Scott!
 

icefan1005

Rinkside
Joined
Dec 18, 2011
I am sick that D/W have lost and don't see how. Even on a good day, V/M are boring and not as technically advanced as D/W. The latest issues with Scott's attitude aren't winning me over, either. There are a host of other reasons (later skate draw, home crowd cheering louder, and the last of anti-Americanism in ice dancing), not skating ability, that allowed V/M to win Oly gold, giving them a rep that puts their scores way loser to D/W than they should be. I'm so over this manufactured "rivalry".

Okay, that's your opinion then. :)
 
Joined
Aug 16, 2009
I think that at the level of V/M and D/W, there's nothing to choose from between them. I'm not as technically savvy as most of you, but it seems to me that they're both amazing; maybe each couple is a sliver better than the other in one aspect or another. It all comes down to each individual competition. I can't even decide which one I like better. This year I'm rooting for Davis and White, largely because of that amazing "Die Fledermaus" program. Since V/M already have an OGM, I'd love for D/W to win at Sochi, but that's not always the way things work. Mainly I'm glad that both couples have continued to compete and share their talents with us.
 

NorthernDancers

On the Ice
Joined
Jan 15, 2010
:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:

Thanks for the laugh. You're entitled to think they are boring (while I vehemently disagree) but it is absolutely ridiculous to assert that V/M are not as technically advanced as D/W, or that they won the Olympics based on any other criteria than their actual skating ability.

Although, I think I can understand why many may believe that V/M are boring. D/W consistently skate to big, loud, recognizable/exciting music and V/M are much the opposite. D/W have, so far, needed their music to carry them as I don't think that they naturally have a feel for music as much as V/M do. I think that V/M have an easier time understanding the intricacies of a piece of music and portraying a depth of character than D/W just don't have (yet, who knows!). Clearly D/W have consistently found music that works for them and that's great, but I'd like to see them take on a more subtle (not something constantly used in the skating world) piece of music and see some real development of character. Perhaps V/M should skate to some big piece of music that everyone and their mother knows and see what happens then.

Exactly. What V/M do with lines, edges, music articulation, unison, .... is simply sublime. There are new nuances to see everytime they skate their programs. There is a reason why so many of the "greats" of the past, many of their current competitors, commentators around the world, etc. consider V/M to be in a class of their own. Looking at the PCS scores yesterday, I still think the judges aren't understanding the brilliance of the FD this year. In my mind and understanding of PCS, there is no way that D/W should finish ahead of V/M in PCS. I'm hoping the judges understand better at Worlds, but somehow I think the current trend is loud, bombastic music skated as fast as possible.
 

leafygreens

Final Flight
Joined
Mar 7, 2011
There are some comments on icenetwork that I agree with. One is that the scores at 4CC's are "fishy" and may have something to do with backlash/overcompensation for the GPF scoring malfunction. It would be nice if there was an explanation why D/W's movements were suddenly level 3-worthy that have been level 4 all season. The scoring almost seems like revenge. After all, who wants to put up with whining from Skate Canada and Scott Moir about "unfairness". Better throw in an extra cushion to prevent any backlash.

The other opinion on icenetwork that I agree with is that - "Scott and Tessa come across more like they are celebrities and they are deserving to be #1 no matter what the other ice dancers put out there." Scott's attitude after GPF was that they should have won even after he fell, which is telling of his attitude all the time, even when he doesn't speak. His language that it was a "piss-off" is not something I even understand, maybe it's Canadian lingo, but his choice of words was horrible. Let's compare that to D/W's response after 4CC's - where they didn't fall - that they were disappointed but would work harder. Class all the way.

skatingbc - I really don't understand your comment about how D/W always skate to "some big piece of music that everyone and their mother knows". Is that what matters now, that the piece of music can never be used in order for it to be a good dance? Let's go back through history and look at all the gold medalists, and see if they are all unworthy because their music has been used before. That's ridiculous. Did anybody ever skate to an Indian dance before? Nope, D/W were the first, it was a masterpiece, and they still lost inexplicably. Phantom and Die Fledermaus may be something "everyone in their mother knows" but they're masterpieces none the less.

The other comments that are crazy are the comments about "lack of connection" between D/W. First of all, they do have a connection, they just don't lie about their relationship like V/M do. There is no score for romance, and why should there be? What about brother and sister teams - should they just be thrown to the dustbins of history because they will never have that "romantic tension"? In fact, I would rather watch a couple who is honest and forthright about who they are (D/W) rather than a couple who manipulates to cover up their romantic relationship (V/M). I am more touched by an authentic performance than a lie-on-ice.
 

dorispulaski

Wicked Yankee Girl
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Country
United-States
Congratulations to V&M for the win! They skated really well in tough conditions!

The discussion about this competition has taken a turn that confuses me.

I don't see why anyone would cut D&W down because they are better at picking music that will be popular with an audience than V&M :confused:

I don't see why V&M want to skate to music that makes it harder to win rather than making it easier.

I don't see why they should be rewarded for making a choice of music that does not appeal on its own merit to audiences. Why is it good for them to pick to skate with an anchor tied to their legs in the form of their music? Personally, I think that skaters are best for the sport when they skate to stuff that pulls the audience off the street and into the arena, or off the Xbox and into the front of the TV (for at least as long as TV coverage is available.).

If V&M doesn't want to dance to music the audience likes, then they don't have to, but it isn't something that I think they should get props for. Nor should their score be penalized for such a pick, either.
 

Dragonlady

Final Flight
Joined
Aug 23, 2003
I am sick that D/W have lost and don't see how. Even on a good day, V/M are boring and not as technically advanced as D/W. The latest issues with Scott's attitude aren't winning me over, either. There are a host of other reasons (later skate draw, home crowd cheering louder, and the last of anti-Americanism in ice dancing), not skating ability, that allowed V/M to win Oly gold, giving them a rep that puts their scores way loser to D/W than they should be. I'm so over this manufactured "rivalry".

I watched both programs yesterday and thought that D&W looked slightly off their best form. At the GPF, D&W seemed to float over the ice effortlessly. At 4CC, their dance didn’t have that effortless floating quality. Seeing that Charlies basically had to be helped off the ice by Meryl, I wondered if he was having difficulty breathing, and that was confirmed when I read he was having trouble with his asthma at that altititude.

When both teams finished at the GPF, I couldn’t decide which team had the better skate. Given how close the marks were, the judges seemed to agree. At 4CC it was easy to see that V&M had the better skate.

Last but certainly not lease, Scott Moir DID NOT say they should have won the GPF. He said they should have won the FD and he was correct. At no point did he say they should have won the gold. And it's hardly arrogance to think you're the best when you're a World and Olympic Champion with the highest score in the FD ever recorded.
 
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