- Joined
- Feb 10, 2014
Ah, you're probably right, karne!
:hap85:
Okay, all – Here are my (very belated) impressions of Skate America - I’m very sorry this has taken so long! At this point, I’m not sure if anything I have to say will be news, but for what it’s worth:
General: Overall, I thought this was a great event. The facility is somewhat smaller than Sears Centre (last year’s venue), so it felt a bit more intimate, especially during practice sessions, when I was able to sit much closer to the ice. I went by myself but I met a lot of people and made a lot of friends, so that was totally fine! Attending the practice sessions was really fun and reminded me a lot of watching opera rehearsals during the years I was young artist with a big opera company – you are watching world class performers / competitors, and you really see a different side of them. And since they may sit down near you after they’re done, you also have the opportunity to chat with them in a more relaxed way. At various times, Kori, Rohene, Vincent, Jenny & Dave, and many of the skaters all sat near me, so I guess I picked the right section to sit in! I also liked staying in the official hotel, although it was a bit on the pricey side, as it gave me more chances to watch and/or interact with skaters, coaches, judges, etc. I tend not to be a super-fan type (i.e., I am not someone who runs up to gush and get autographs and photos), but it was really a lot of fun anyway. Karne, I saw Max at breakfast one morning and I saw Jason and his parents a couple of times (they don't linger over breakfast). That was the only time I remember seeing Max off ice. I'm pretty groggy in the mornings so I mostly just drank a lot of coffee and watched and listened to people speaking many languages, only some of which I understood. Another thing I liked was the fact that my seat (which I didn't always stay in) was right behind the technical panel; I was a few rows up but I could still see everything they reviewed. Lots of times they were reviewing spin levels, not just jumps. And lots of times I thought "ooh that's an unclear edge" but they didn't mark it for review - possibly because I saw the jump from a different angle? Anyway, I thought it was really interesting!
About Jason specifically: as I think I said earlier in the thread, I was mesmerized by his skating during the practice session warm-ups. A lot of skaters will start with stroking and forward / backward cross-overs. Jason didn’t – he did a lot of edge work which was extremely beautiful to watch. He was very relaxed and had lovely flow, and he seemed to get a good deal of power from his edges – it was just gorgeous, especially compared to the quality of movement I saw in the other men. My overall impression is that he's not at all slow during the warm ups, but that he is a touch slower during the programs – both because of the transitions and perhaps because, as with the 4T, his edgework is still a work in progress. In the first session, his jumps were generally beautiful, although he never did land the 4T. During the final practice session (morning of FS), his 3A looked good initially, but he started having problems with it (circling and / or popping it) once he started having problems on the 4T. He started off that session his usual joyous Jason self, but as he continued to have trouble, you could see his joy dissipate a bit. I was really impressed, though, with how hard he kept working, trying jump after jump, and even more impressed that when he left the ice, he still took the time to speak with fans in the stands, sign autographs, etc., with a smile back on his face.
And yes, he really is like a rock star – or maybe a teen pop idol – several times I saw him on the street, posing for pictures, etc. Little girls love him! But they aren’t the only ones. Each time he appeared on the ice or was announced, he instantly got a huge ovation. It is quite amazing how much people love him, whether or not he is the best skater on a given night or not.
Regarding his costumes: although I preferred the earlier, less-bedazzled versions, what he wore looked fine to me in the rink. Bear in mind, though, that I initially didn't the first T&I costume was too bad (I later changed my mind!), so maybe YMMV. I think the SP costume is actually really flattering. Now that the FS costume has an over blouse, it tends to make his waist look a little longer and his legs a little shorter, so for that reason I don’t like it as well.
Regarding his programs / performances: he’s made astounding progress with both of them since Glacier Falls! The SP is pretty cohesive now, but I still feel he can do more with it. The FS is not as far along, I think because of jumps. The music sounds better in the rink than online, but I still don’t really like it until the end, when they use the full orchestration. I personally feel like he’s not fully moving with the music yet – e.g., there are certain movements or moments that I’d like to see him hold a bit longer, and some isolated movements that I’d like to see him join as phrases. As an example, the opening movements of River Dance were mesmerizing. The opening of this FS is not, yet. I also feel like I’m not really getting a character or interpretation yet from either program. But it’s early days yet.
I’m eager to see the progress he makes at NHK, although given how stacked the field is, it could be difficult for him to medal even if he skates well. It’s way early to judge, but at the moment, Max seems to me be in a stronger position both with respect to making the GP final and to winning the US Men’s title. His jumps are much better than they were last year, and it seems like judges are now recognizing and rewarding his stylistic improvements with higher PCS. Even more, Max seems to have a new confidence that I think will carry him far. I have to say that his exhibition was one of my favorite moments of the entire weekend! The other one was Gracie's FS.
As to the other competitors (because I did promise!) – I was impressed with Shoma’s jumps and skating skills during both programs, but I felt like he wasn’t really paying attention to the music, and he was a bit sloppy. I enjoyed him much more during his exhibition – he seemed to be paying more attention to the music and his lines were better. His knees are great! I have to say I had a hard time with his FS (Turandot / Nessun Dorma) because I hated the musical cuts, which were very abrupt, and also because I kept comparing it to Rohene’ s choreography for Jason’s 2011 program (which I infinitely prefer). There’s no doubt Shoma’s got a great future, though, and the audience loved him (and Max and Gracie). Brendan Kerry reminds me a bit of Ricky Dornbush and looks a tiny bit like Josh Farris. I heard people saying his hair looked red? It looked brown in the rink, though maybe with red highlights. He has really pretty jumps and very smooth skating. Ross also had very smooth skating, but it didn't really jump out at me much. It was really hard to watch Denis - that's about all I can say. Harder than last year. I liked Adian Pitkeev - he has an elegant way of moving. Menshov has good jumps. Mura, like Denis, was kinda sad. His costume was inexcusable - it looked like he was covered in seaweed or something! Just briefly regarding the other disciplines: In pairs, I loved Alexa and Chris! In ice dance, I really liked Sinitsina / Katsalapov - she is so beautiful, has a gorgeous smile, and they both move so beautifully together. I also liked Hawayek / Baker a lot, expecially Nutcracker. I have warmed up more to Madison / Evan and I do think they've improved a lot. I especially liked their exhibition, choreographed by Rohene - it's really out there, but very interesting.
Speaking of Rohene, I did talk with him very briefly. He has one of the sweetest smiles ever. If you look closely at Jason at the beginning of his exhibition, you will see that he is laughing and takes a bit of time to settle down - that's because some friends of Rohene's were hooting and catcalling him!
Final random thoughts: After one of the practice sessions, I saw Jason on the street; since he was miraculously alone I said hi, and got a big hug from him – a very nice moment! Later I saw his mom by herself, and since she is still using a very obnoxious contraption to get around (she broke her foot) I stopped and asked if I could help her, and we ended up having a nice chat. His parents both seem great, but I see a lot of her warmth in him.
Funniest and most random of all, though, the day after I returned to Chicago, I decided to take my very dull skates to be sharpened. The skate shop I take them to is in a rink in a northern suburb. When I went out into the lobby to wait, the first person I saw was Jason’s mom! I ran up to say hi, she remembered me, and we continued to chat. Jason was there also – initially, he was talking to a couple of other people, but after a while he came and sat down within ear shot of his mom and me, and he joined in our conversation a bit. It was interesting because he was more in normal person mode than “be nice to my fans mode” (which is very sincere, mind you, just a lot more “on”). And he really struck me as a poised young man - not a teenager any more. Anyway, when I told him that Prince was still my favorite thing he did, he mentioned that he really loved the program. Since he loves everything, I’m not sure how much that means, but there you have it!
If there’s anything or anyone else you’d like to know about, please ask!
:hap85:
Okay, all – Here are my (very belated) impressions of Skate America - I’m very sorry this has taken so long! At this point, I’m not sure if anything I have to say will be news, but for what it’s worth:
General: Overall, I thought this was a great event. The facility is somewhat smaller than Sears Centre (last year’s venue), so it felt a bit more intimate, especially during practice sessions, when I was able to sit much closer to the ice. I went by myself but I met a lot of people and made a lot of friends, so that was totally fine! Attending the practice sessions was really fun and reminded me a lot of watching opera rehearsals during the years I was young artist with a big opera company – you are watching world class performers / competitors, and you really see a different side of them. And since they may sit down near you after they’re done, you also have the opportunity to chat with them in a more relaxed way. At various times, Kori, Rohene, Vincent, Jenny & Dave, and many of the skaters all sat near me, so I guess I picked the right section to sit in! I also liked staying in the official hotel, although it was a bit on the pricey side, as it gave me more chances to watch and/or interact with skaters, coaches, judges, etc. I tend not to be a super-fan type (i.e., I am not someone who runs up to gush and get autographs and photos), but it was really a lot of fun anyway. Karne, I saw Max at breakfast one morning and I saw Jason and his parents a couple of times (they don't linger over breakfast). That was the only time I remember seeing Max off ice. I'm pretty groggy in the mornings so I mostly just drank a lot of coffee and watched and listened to people speaking many languages, only some of which I understood. Another thing I liked was the fact that my seat (which I didn't always stay in) was right behind the technical panel; I was a few rows up but I could still see everything they reviewed. Lots of times they were reviewing spin levels, not just jumps. And lots of times I thought "ooh that's an unclear edge" but they didn't mark it for review - possibly because I saw the jump from a different angle? Anyway, I thought it was really interesting!
About Jason specifically: as I think I said earlier in the thread, I was mesmerized by his skating during the practice session warm-ups. A lot of skaters will start with stroking and forward / backward cross-overs. Jason didn’t – he did a lot of edge work which was extremely beautiful to watch. He was very relaxed and had lovely flow, and he seemed to get a good deal of power from his edges – it was just gorgeous, especially compared to the quality of movement I saw in the other men. My overall impression is that he's not at all slow during the warm ups, but that he is a touch slower during the programs – both because of the transitions and perhaps because, as with the 4T, his edgework is still a work in progress. In the first session, his jumps were generally beautiful, although he never did land the 4T. During the final practice session (morning of FS), his 3A looked good initially, but he started having problems with it (circling and / or popping it) once he started having problems on the 4T. He started off that session his usual joyous Jason self, but as he continued to have trouble, you could see his joy dissipate a bit. I was really impressed, though, with how hard he kept working, trying jump after jump, and even more impressed that when he left the ice, he still took the time to speak with fans in the stands, sign autographs, etc., with a smile back on his face.
And yes, he really is like a rock star – or maybe a teen pop idol – several times I saw him on the street, posing for pictures, etc. Little girls love him! But they aren’t the only ones. Each time he appeared on the ice or was announced, he instantly got a huge ovation. It is quite amazing how much people love him, whether or not he is the best skater on a given night or not.
Regarding his costumes: although I preferred the earlier, less-bedazzled versions, what he wore looked fine to me in the rink. Bear in mind, though, that I initially didn't the first T&I costume was too bad (I later changed my mind!), so maybe YMMV. I think the SP costume is actually really flattering. Now that the FS costume has an over blouse, it tends to make his waist look a little longer and his legs a little shorter, so for that reason I don’t like it as well.
Regarding his programs / performances: he’s made astounding progress with both of them since Glacier Falls! The SP is pretty cohesive now, but I still feel he can do more with it. The FS is not as far along, I think because of jumps. The music sounds better in the rink than online, but I still don’t really like it until the end, when they use the full orchestration. I personally feel like he’s not fully moving with the music yet – e.g., there are certain movements or moments that I’d like to see him hold a bit longer, and some isolated movements that I’d like to see him join as phrases. As an example, the opening movements of River Dance were mesmerizing. The opening of this FS is not, yet. I also feel like I’m not really getting a character or interpretation yet from either program. But it’s early days yet.
I’m eager to see the progress he makes at NHK, although given how stacked the field is, it could be difficult for him to medal even if he skates well. It’s way early to judge, but at the moment, Max seems to me be in a stronger position both with respect to making the GP final and to winning the US Men’s title. His jumps are much better than they were last year, and it seems like judges are now recognizing and rewarding his stylistic improvements with higher PCS. Even more, Max seems to have a new confidence that I think will carry him far. I have to say that his exhibition was one of my favorite moments of the entire weekend! The other one was Gracie's FS.
As to the other competitors (because I did promise!) – I was impressed with Shoma’s jumps and skating skills during both programs, but I felt like he wasn’t really paying attention to the music, and he was a bit sloppy. I enjoyed him much more during his exhibition – he seemed to be paying more attention to the music and his lines were better. His knees are great! I have to say I had a hard time with his FS (Turandot / Nessun Dorma) because I hated the musical cuts, which were very abrupt, and also because I kept comparing it to Rohene’ s choreography for Jason’s 2011 program (which I infinitely prefer). There’s no doubt Shoma’s got a great future, though, and the audience loved him (and Max and Gracie). Brendan Kerry reminds me a bit of Ricky Dornbush and looks a tiny bit like Josh Farris. I heard people saying his hair looked red? It looked brown in the rink, though maybe with red highlights. He has really pretty jumps and very smooth skating. Ross also had very smooth skating, but it didn't really jump out at me much. It was really hard to watch Denis - that's about all I can say. Harder than last year. I liked Adian Pitkeev - he has an elegant way of moving. Menshov has good jumps. Mura, like Denis, was kinda sad. His costume was inexcusable - it looked like he was covered in seaweed or something! Just briefly regarding the other disciplines: In pairs, I loved Alexa and Chris! In ice dance, I really liked Sinitsina / Katsalapov - she is so beautiful, has a gorgeous smile, and they both move so beautifully together. I also liked Hawayek / Baker a lot, expecially Nutcracker. I have warmed up more to Madison / Evan and I do think they've improved a lot. I especially liked their exhibition, choreographed by Rohene - it's really out there, but very interesting.
Speaking of Rohene, I did talk with him very briefly. He has one of the sweetest smiles ever. If you look closely at Jason at the beginning of his exhibition, you will see that he is laughing and takes a bit of time to settle down - that's because some friends of Rohene's were hooting and catcalling him!
Final random thoughts: After one of the practice sessions, I saw Jason on the street; since he was miraculously alone I said hi, and got a big hug from him – a very nice moment! Later I saw his mom by herself, and since she is still using a very obnoxious contraption to get around (she broke her foot) I stopped and asked if I could help her, and we ended up having a nice chat. His parents both seem great, but I see a lot of her warmth in him.
Funniest and most random of all, though, the day after I returned to Chicago, I decided to take my very dull skates to be sharpened. The skate shop I take them to is in a rink in a northern suburb. When I went out into the lobby to wait, the first person I saw was Jason’s mom! I ran up to say hi, she remembered me, and we continued to chat. Jason was there also – initially, he was talking to a couple of other people, but after a while he came and sat down within ear shot of his mom and me, and he joined in our conversation a bit. It was interesting because he was more in normal person mode than “be nice to my fans mode” (which is very sincere, mind you, just a lot more “on”). And he really struck me as a poised young man - not a teenager any more. Anyway, when I told him that Prince was still my favorite thing he did, he mentioned that he really loved the program. Since he loves everything, I’m not sure how much that means, but there you have it!
If there’s anything or anyone else you’d like to know about, please ask!
I'm glad you liked his performances 
