Hi guys, I'm back home after a great weekend at Skate America. It was my first live competition and I had so much fun. Anyway, I thought I would start this thread for the GS-ers who were there to share their comments. I'll post more in the individual threads, but these are just general thoughts:
1.) It was so awesome meeting GS-ers in person after all these years chatting on the board. We had a great GS meetup that included DorisP, CoyoteChris, Paul_E, MoonlightSkater and jdw715 on Friday night. We had several opportunities to meet more informally throughout the weekend -- so it was fun to check in and get everyone's take on the different competitions.
2.) It's definitely true that some people look better in person than on TV. I think that Mae Bernice Mette was that for me. She is an impressive jumper---but oh boy---my jaw just about dropped when I saw some of her jumps. Other skaters who I think are more impressive in person: James/Cipres; Meshnov; Machida; Bobrova/Soloviev.
3.) I ended up having a nightcap at the host hotel twice, which turned out to be fun for people watching. I saw a lot of skaters and coaches and it was fun watching the Japanese fans camp out and try to get photos and autographs of different skaters. As I mentioned in the men's thread, I did have a fun conversation with Brian Orser, who happened to be sitting next to me at the bar. I also got to meet up with some other fans, which was cool.
4.) Some of the complaints from the skaters regarding the hotel are definitely valid. The hotel, which is near the airport, is a good 15-20 minutes away from the arena and the schedule was SOOO tight that even as a spectator I didn't have much time to do much besides eat at the Chipotle or Panera across the street.
5.) My husband, not a skating fan, had a good time.
1.) It was so awesome meeting GS-ers in person after all these years chatting on the board. We had a great GS meetup that included DorisP, CoyoteChris, Paul_E, MoonlightSkater and jdw715 on Friday night. We had several opportunities to meet more informally throughout the weekend -- so it was fun to check in and get everyone's take on the different competitions.
2.) It's definitely true that some people look better in person than on TV. I think that Mae Bernice Mette was that for me. She is an impressive jumper---but oh boy---my jaw just about dropped when I saw some of her jumps. Other skaters who I think are more impressive in person: James/Cipres; Meshnov; Machida; Bobrova/Soloviev.
3.) I ended up having a nightcap at the host hotel twice, which turned out to be fun for people watching. I saw a lot of skaters and coaches and it was fun watching the Japanese fans camp out and try to get photos and autographs of different skaters. As I mentioned in the men's thread, I did have a fun conversation with Brian Orser, who happened to be sitting next to me at the bar. I also got to meet up with some other fans, which was cool.
4.) Some of the complaints from the skaters regarding the hotel are definitely valid. The hotel, which is near the airport, is a good 15-20 minutes away from the arena and the schedule was SOOO tight that even as a spectator I didn't have much time to do much besides eat at the Chipotle or Panera across the street.
5.) My husband, not a skating fan, had a good time.