Skate Canada 2012 Mens - Long Program (4:10PM PST/7:10PM EST)

[SGrand]

When I watch skating I want to be transported over the rainbow. When the skater falls it's like, who is that little man behind the curtain?

I know what you're saying, but realistically, how many times in a competition do we see completely clean programs from skaters? I mean, the technical difficulty they're doing along with the artistry we demand from them is asking a lot, especially at the beginning of a season, no? I love clean programs, and I think I initially find a fall momentarily distracting, but if the rest of the program is going pretty well and I'm "pulled in", I can still enjoy it. The test is to see what I want to re-watch on youtube or on my pvr.

[Mathman]

Besides that, there is a sports thrill to a skater who hits eight jumping passes, bam, bam, bam, without falling. I find myself keeping count. Is this his sixth jumping pass? Yay! Two more to go! Yay! Last one -- I'm on the edge of my seat! Just skip it, seven is enough! Oh no, I can't look!

[skatinginbc]

I find myself keeping count.

Ha, no wonder you are MATHman. I'm SKATINGinbc, however. I watch "skating" till mistakes make it unbearable to watch. Then my brain just stops.

[SGrand]

Besides that, there is a sports thrill to a skater who hits eight jumping passes, bam, bam, bam, without falling. I find myself keeping count. Is this his sixth jumping pass? Yay! Two more to go! Yay! Last one -- I'm on the edge of my seat! Just skip it, seven is enough! Oh no, I can't look!

I agree, it's extremely exciting when someone skates 'lights out', it almost casts a spell, even if you're not a fan of who's skating it......it may even make you a fan.

[Mrs. P]

Upon second viewing on TV, I think Sorcerer's Apprentice will be a great program for Oda. He needs to bring the energy from that last step sequence to the whole program.

[Mathman]

Ha, no wonder you are MATHman.

Figure skating is exciting for the same reason that it is exciting to play a gambling game where every time you win you put the money back into the pot, double or nothing.

Let's say you have a 90% chance of landing any particular jump. So you start out with only a 43% probability of running the table. It looks like a sucker's bet, right? But then...BAM! you hit that opening quad. Suddenly your odds jump to 48%. BAM! triple Axel. he odds tilt in your favor at 53%. You're on a roll. Triple Lutz-triple toe, 59%. Triple flip, 66! Triple loop, 73! Will he do it? It's still touch and go. Triple Salchow/2T/2Lo (81), second triple Lutz!!!! It's a mere double Axel to go, at 9 to 1 odds in your favor, but the skategods are cruel and there's many a slip twixt cup and lip.

That was what was so cool about Michelle Kwan. She fall didn't fall down, and she saved that second triple Lutz for the very last jump, just for a tease. "Oh, Mathman, you know I wouldn't let you down. Now watch me draw to an inside straight."

.

[pangtongfan]

Personally I never liked Oda's skating and still dont. I find his skating style immature and unpolished. There is a reason he is the only top Japanese who has never won a World medal, and why he has been bypassed to the point he has at best only a 20% shot to even make their Sochi Olympic team. While everyone knows I am far from a Chan fan and I did think Oda deserved to beat Chan hands down at Skate Canada 2010, I think the result of Chan placing above Oda was fine, as was their PCS comparatively.

[skatinginbc]

I sometimes wonder what would happen if Oda switches to the camp of Orser. Can Brain Orser, Tracy Wilson, Jeffrey Buttle and David Wilson do wonder on Oda's stagnated artistic development?

[bekalc]

I know what you're saying, but realistically, how many times in a competition do we see completely clean programs from skaters? I mean, the technical difficulty they're doing along with the artistry we demand from them is asking a lot, especially at the beginning of a season, no? I love clean programs, and I think I initially find a fall momentarily distracting, but if the rest of the program is going pretty well and I'm "pulled in", I can still enjoy it. The test is to see what I want to re-watch on youtube or on my pvr.

Well I can live with one fall. But when you get three major errors in jumping passes (or Gosh forbid 3 falls) than I'm sorry 9s in PCS expecially for a mark called performance/execution is more than a bit much...

In the end I can live with a mistake but messy, messy programs NO. Its destroying the sport to let people get away with it because it suggests that actual performance doesn't matter.

Where's the drama if Daisuke skates close to clean and Chan's messy and Chan still wins the free (I'm fine with Chan winning if he has a lead in the short) but really even the free-that was a better performance.

People keep saying its not figure jumping-true but its not figuring falling either. And having to hear Chan fans argue "rotations" Just about did it for me.

[SGrand]

Well I can live with one fall. But when you get three major errors in jumping passes (or Gosh forbid 3 falls) than I'm sorry 9s in PCS expecially for a mark called performance/execution is more than a bit much...


Where's the drama if Daisuke skates close to clean and Chan's messy and Chan still wins the free (I'm fine with Chan winning if he has a lead in the short) but really even the free-that was a better performance.

People keep saying its not figure jumping-true but its not figuring falling either. And having to hear Chan fans argue "rotations" Just about did it for me.

In the end I can live with a mistake but messy, messy programs NO. Its destroying the sport to let people get away with it because it suggests that actual performance doesn't matter.

Agreed, I definitely see the point. I also realize that just because I re-watch a program (even one with mistakes that may not bother me as much in the end), that doesn't mean it is deserving of the win either, lol. This kind of scoring only hurts skaters anyway.

[Jaana]

Great performance by Fernandez!!

Thanks for the video links!!! WOW, I´m so glad that Fernandez won the gold!!! I saw the programme in Finlandia Trophy live, it was not quite ready there, but now one really could see the fantastic choreography to the music and his great interpretation. And finally he is starting to get the PCS he and his programme deserve!!!

[Bluebonnet]

I love Denis Ten's LP! Didn't know it was choreographed by Lori Nichol when I watched it. I just thought it was wonderful. When I knew it afterwards, my reaction was, "No wonder!" Wish he could put together his jumps someday.

I like Oda's program very much. A few imitation from Fantasia was the highlight for me. But there is no way that his PCS could beat Chan's PCS.

I dislike Amodio's program very much.

Fernandez's Charlie Chaplin is memorable. Great improvement from the last year!