Vintage Kurt

[noskates]

I would LOVE to meet anyone from this board at Nats next year. I think we're flying in to Boston from probably San Francisco (maybe Oakland - depends on cost) and we're with Dash Tours. I've heard our hotel is only a block from the arena but don't know the name yet. i'm going to look for Jump today and will be glad to lend it to anyone who wants to read it. The book is autobiographical, has some great pictures, talks at length about the night Kurt landed his first quad in practice, and IIRC it ends when he's won his third Worlds. I have a largish 2 story house with alot of storage so this may take awhile but I know I wouldn't have thrown it out. At some point we'll have to divulge real names because I don't want to say to my friend Barb "OH, I'd like you to meet iluvtodd!"

Olympia, why not just go with a round passport. That would be novel!!!!

The only thing I have to say about throwing stuff on the ice is - it really, really delays the competition. Last year at Nats Smuckers was giving out these little stuffed red strawberries. They were about the size of a baseball. Oh Lord what a mess. It took forever to get them off the ice.

[Olympia]

Yeah, thrown objects worry me even when I'm just watching on TV.

We could have an oval passport. Ovals are so elegant. But the thought of hexagons are growing on me. They have so many fascinating properties--how their angles work and whatnot.

[SkateFiguring]

Most toys are good visible sizes and there are usually many cuties rushing out to pick them up so I don't think they are normally a problem. If however, small objects are thrown, then it would be problematic, especially if there are not many pickers uppers around.

If hats were thrown for Patrick at Worlds, it would have been because he had won so the competition would not be delayed.

Now if Patrick actually gets his hat trick, I hope he will let Kurt have the first picks of the thrown objects.

[iluvtodd]

A further thought. We should give knighthoods. How does Sir Kurt sound? Sir Kurt and Lady Sonia.

Let the dubbing begin!

If hats were thrown for Patrick at Worlds, it would have been because he had won so the competition would not be delayed.

Now if Patrick actually gets his hat trick, I hope he will let Kurt have the first picks of the thrown objects.

I like this idea!

Noskates, you can call me Gail.

Speaking of books for pronunciation/humor, last time we were in Boston in summer 2010, I found a neat dictionary called The Boston Dictionary. It shows you how to pronounce essential Bostonian things and is enlightening about Boston & New England. It's one of those books you would want to read out loud in parts.

[noskates]

And I'm Sue. As a pseudo-Canadian, I would LOVE to see Patrick win Worlds. As an American I would love to see Patrick win Worlds.

Olympia is in charge of designing the passport. I need to get some books on Boston before next January. I spent a day there - or about 5 hours once - but that's it. Went to Faneuil Hall and was disappointed. Parked at the Aquarium for 1 1/2 hours and it cost $27. The first couple of days of Nats are events we usually can miss so we want to see some of the sights. It's going to be very cold so our traveling around will be limited.

I wonder if Kurt will be at Worlds in any capacity. The few times he's broadcast events for US television he was awesome. Skaters always bring a different perspective to competitions. This is probably heresy but I can't stand listening to Dick Button. He's so negative. He's never gotten over the fact that a beautiful spiral isn't as important anymore as a triple/triple jump! Sandra Bezic is more interested in the story told on the ice - that no one can see but her! Peggy Fleming is..........well, vapid! At best. But Kurt could get technical but also comment on the choreography and its place in the program.

[Scrufflet]

Oh dear oh dear, I've had a few glasses of wine and am feeling rather mellow! Taking some time outfrom the Virtue/Moir- Davis/White wars! I have 2 presents for you all in this thread! First up, in youtube:

http://youtu.be/bQfwBU0Elho[/URL]
Finest Kind @ Shepley Spring Festival 2011 Second to left is Ian Robb, the guy who wrote Garnet's Home Made Beer and performed in the Friends of Fiddler's Green with my husband. This is a good version of Mary Ellen Carter.

http://youtu.be/OMuRKHma3eg
Friends of Fiddler's Green- the Dogs.mp4
My husband is in 3rd shoit, on the left. A good song, especially if you've just seen the Westminster show!

Hope the links work! I'm really not very good at that!

[Scrufflet]

Oh dear oh dear, I've had a few glasses of wine and am feeling rather mellow! Taking some time outfrom the Virtue/Moir- Davis/White wars! I have 2 presents for you all in this thread! First up, in youtube:

http://youtu.be/bQfwBU0Elho[/URL]
Finest Kind @ Shepley Spring Festival 2011 Second to left is Ian Robb, the guy who wrote Garnet's Home Made Beer and performed in the Friends of Fiddler's Green with my husband. This is a good version of Mary Ellen Carter.

http://youtu.be/OMuRKHma3eg
Friends of Fiddler's Green- the Dogs.mp4
My husband is in 3rd shoit, on the left. A good song, especially if you've just seen the Westminster show!

Hope the links work! I'm really not very good at that!

Shoot! Only one worked! But check both ouT!

[iluvtodd]

Sue, visit the Kennedy Library. If the weather was warmer, I would suggest taking a swan boat ride in the Boston Public Garden (visit it anyway ). Walk on the Freedom Trail. Tour the USS Constitution.

Maybe Kurt will be @ Worlds. I think the US SOI tour will be over by then, and Worlds will take place before the Canadian leg of the tour begins.

[Olympia]

I haven't been to Boston in years, but I remember that the Old North Church is beautiful. I have a vague memory of the tour guide saying that the ceiling was constructed like the (upside-down) hull of a ship, because that's what they knew how to build.

Scrufflet, why is there a dot between the tu and the be of youtube? I've always wondered. So far I can't open the first one...drat. Will try the second one.

[SkateFiguring]

Scrufflet, I added the [url] before your first link and it works as a direct link now:

http://youtu.be/bQfwBU0Elho

[Scrufflet]

Scrufflet, I added the [url] before your first link and it works as a direct link now:

http://youtu.be/bQfwBU0Elho

Thanks!

[Olympia]

What fun, Scrufflet! I finally got to open your two videos.

A lovely lyrical rendition of The Mary Ellen Carter, and the Dog Song is very rousing.

The harmonies in the Dog Song reminds me a lot of Steeleye Span, my favorite English folk group.

(the fan-made visuals in this video are not related to Steeleye Span, but the music speaks for itself.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sw7cVK8Ve9k

[Scrufflet]

What fun, Scrufflet! I finally got to open your two videos.

A lovely lyrical rendition of The Mary Ellen Carter, and the Dog Song is very rousing.

The harmonies in the Dog Song reminds me a lot of Steeleye Span, my favorite English folk group.

(the fan-made visuals in this video are not related to Steeleye Span, but the music speaks for itself.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sw7cVK8Ve9k

What a strange video! The music I am familiar with. Seems like we have similar likes! A lot of the Brits from the old groups come through playing in different groups or solo. We are very fortunate! Battlefield Band and the Waterson's with Martin Carthy are my faves.

[noskates]

I posted this yesterday but I guess it got lost in the server move. Anyhoo.......my fellow pseudo-Canadians, I did find the Kurt book. That's the good news. The not-so-good news is that my friend has it and has to mail it back to me. Also, it's not called Jump (that was a video he made) it's called Pushing The Edge. So as soon as it's in my hot little hands I'll let y'all know and will be glad to loan it to anyone who's interested.

[Teenes]

Dunno how I missed this thread, but for whoever said they were in CA (noskates?) - Kurt is skating in SOI in San Jose on March 3 on his last US tour. If San Jose was an easy trip for Nationals for you, then you should make the trip for this one! He's said pretty definitively it's not his last year in Canada, and he's backtracked on the last year in Japan thing but he's been pretty consistent about saying it's his last US tour. So seize the chance while you can, and see Singing in the Rain live!

(he's also doing Anaheim 3/2, chicago 3/8, and Portland, ME 3/10 for anyone in those areas)

And Kurt's biography is "Forcing the Edge". It's out of print in Canada as well, I believe.

As someone who has been lucky enough to have had many many personal interactions with Kurt (doing his website and Facebook page kind of lends itself to that), I have to say that his parents very much raised him right. From all my personal interactions and watching him interact with other fans, he is always respectful (though he certainly doesn't hesitate to tease), always friendly, and always appreciative of his fans. Sometimes he's tired or in a hurry and can't take the time that he does on other occasions, but he always does the best he can!