Now that I have rum and eggnog in front of me, I am ready to type!
Disclaimer: I’m not a skating uber-fan, I just like skating. With that in mind, here we go….
Oh yeah, and I will bounce between past- and present-tense.
The only part of the competition I was there for was the Ice Dance and Ladies Final session on Sunday afternoon. The drive to the arena was good, with no rain and an accurate GPS. After being efficiently told where to park, I waited in the car a bit to make sure that the minivan that backed in next to me didn’t door ding me. They didn’t, so I was a happy camper. Off I walked to the arena entrance, where there were many people but no/little lines to speak of. After getting my bag rifled through, I went in search of CoyoteChris, but he was not yet in his seat. Next, I went in search of dorispulaski, and there she was! We had a quick chat (and she showed me where Mrs. P would be sitting), but I figured I’d best find my seat before the darkness freaked me out (can’t see too well in the dark). Although I missed the last stair, I kept on walking and hoped no one saw me. After figuring out where my seat was, I was pleased with both the view (row 11, not far from the broadcast booth) and the folks sitting next to me (aka Mr. & Mrs. Seatmate). They were very nice, and we were about the same level of enthusiasm.
First up were the ice dancers. Although I know little about singles/pairs skating, I know even less about ice dance. When Zhiganshina & Gazsi came up, we couldn’t quite figure out what their costumes were all about. Mrs. Seatmate thought maybe they were poor. Mr. Seatmate thought maybe they were hobos. “A purple hobo?”, I said. But then after the starting pose, we realized they were supposed to be zombies. It was an entertaining routine, staying in character for every second of it and definitely hamming it up. We really liked Weaver & Poje’s routine and were disappointed that they were third (although I guess he messed up a twizzle a bit). Davis & White were, of course, quite good, but I can’t say I loved their routine as much as I loved Der Fledermaus. Maybe it will grow on me. Oh, and that stuff after the end of the routine (picking her up, spinning her around, gazing longingly into her eyes) just seemed cheesy and fake to me. I enjoy watching Davis & White, so maybe I will just avert my eyes after the end of their next Free Dance. After the FD ended, I intended to go find some of you fine folks. I ended up enjoying talking to Mr. & Mrs. Seatmate so much that I forgot until it was too late! Doh!
Next up were the ladies. Yes, Rachael was slower than the others, but I didn’t think her routine was as bad as some folks are making it out to be. She did not fall all over the place, and her dress was beautiful (although not as flattering as her SP dress). Keep on competing until you don’t want to, I say! Then came Alena Leonova in a nice red dress, which was way better than her confusing SP dress. When her face was shown on the big screen, she looked like she was on the verge of crying, poor thing. I felt so bad for her when she was sobbing in the K&C after her SP. Anyway, her routine was a bit shaky, but it was far better than her SP. I think her coach Icky Nicky was reasonably pleased (I told Mrs. Seatmate a bit about Icky Nicky, as she was suitable horrified). Haruka Imai got my vote for prettiest dress. Loved the lavender with lots of sparkles! Of course, it doesn’t hurt that her coach is My Favorite Skater of All Time. I liked Viktoria’s new haircut, and thought it suited her. She is a pretty gal, and the light blue dress was a good color on her. As for Valentina, I could not figure out what the gloves were all about. Not a fan of the pink gloves. Aside from that, I think she has improved over last season and is off to a good start. Mae Berenice looked solidly built and strong. I think this will be a good year for her. Before this competition, I had seen Christina Gao only once (Nationals, I think), and it wasn’t memorable one way or the other. This time, however, did she ever make an impression! A great skate for a young lady with a good future. It wouldn’t surprise me if she was second at Nationals and gave Ashley a run for her money. Then came Adelina Sotnikova. I hadn’t really seen her before, either, but had high expectation from everything I had read. First, I found the music from the first half of her routine to be too sophisticated for her age. It just didn’t work. Her blue dress was made of the same type of fabric as her black SP dress – it looks like a sheer fabric over a nude background. The effect was, IMHO, not appropriate. It didn’t leave anything to the imagination. If you look at some photos, you will see what I mean…. Anyway, she had good speed, but I was underwhelmed. Maybe when I see her skate again, it will be better. Last but not least was Ashley Wagner. I was happy to read (from her live chat at the Seattle Times) that she had performed “minor surgery” on her costume, but the color still is not flattering on her. I cannot imagine who would ask her such a question, can you?
Anyway, the dress wasn’t all that bad, but I didn’t particularly care for it. It’s better in person than in photos, though. Anyway, she toughed it out through her routine. It wasn’t flawless, but it was apparent that she was well-trained and that the program would improve as the season progresses.
Hopefully 4CC or Skate America will return to the NW! Maybe then I’ll be able to stay for the entire event and can meet all of you.
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Originally Posted by MoonlightSkater
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