NRW Trophy 2014

Quick Results Ladies SP

Alex D said:

Someone tell the Finnish girls please to not always pick so emotional music, always makes me wanne cry

The whole finish squad is sitting right next to me, I believe we are in total the biggest fanbase right now - hardly anyone is here.

Seidi has scored 39.63 points, she skated to a similar piece of music that already Henna and Ossi did last season. Her version however is with the vocals but not less charming in any way. Sera received 44.11, she lacked the combo but gorgeous layback by her.

Currently leading is Kerstin Frank with a clean performance in front of Fleur.

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Even worse for my heart than just picking emotional music by the Fins is, when they land on their butt. But tomorrow is another day!

Best Fin right now is Sera with 44.10, Seidi scored 39.63 before Hanna with 34.33, latter by the way had a great idea behind her routine, just the execution was lacking.

We saw some good stuff by Nicole Schott, the German did pretty well today if you consider she had and might still have some health issues,, lets hope she can go clean at Stuttgart in three weeks.
The Lady from Essen scored enough points to take the lead with 51.29. I loved her spins - especially the Layback, they looked great even if they were just level threes except one.
A great second place goes to Kerstin Frank with 50.99, who as I mentioned last time improved a lot over the years. She went for a triple - double toe combination and the triple Sal, also received a level 4 spin but where she lacks points are the SS, which is mainly of her early start Nr. (1) but also since the judges often don't reward her with much more... an issue some skaters sadly have, I wish it would change someday.

Fleur is once again on three, hopefully she doesn't lose her spot again in the FS, like last year.

I also want to mention Tanja Odermatt, she had a very open hearted program, with a lot of variation and flair. Even with the mistakes she kept smiling and I must admit it was quite a hot performance at times, too hot for our "dress & skin" police for sure but I was greatly entertained. I wonder where the shy little girl has gone that I met at Budapest in January She was flirting and playing hot & cold, so naughty!


http://www.lev-nrw.org/docs/event/1404/SEG016.HTM

Great performance by Franz at the men, lets hope he wont bomb in the FS... I loved the program by Andrej Zuber, finally a men with some dynamite in his pants (no pun intended) Great music and performance, that's how I love men skating

http://www.lev-nrw.org/docs/event/1404/SEG018.HTM

Pairs are next now,

18.41 is the time for the ultimate cuteness factor with Vanessa and Jiri!

Besides that we also have two junior and 4 senior pairs. Competition will resume in about 20 minutes from now.

Report Pairs:

Alex D said:

Pairs are next now,

18.41 is the time for the ultimate cuteness factor with Vanessa and Jiri!

Besides that we also have two junior and 4 senior pairs. Competition will resume in about 20 minutes from now.

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WOW I had so much fun with the Pairs that I decided to write a full report about them.

Advanced Pairs:

1 Vanessa Stefanova / Jiri Belohradsky CZE 62.14

What can I say about that pair? Well, I am a huge fan because of the "cuteness" factor and how harmonic they look already, even though its their very first competition together! They smile a lot at each other, have fun off ice and Jiri is taking care of his little girl. Both are also pretty good single skaters, Jiri came 5th here in the Junior men's bracket and Vanessa was successful for Pilzen in the recent years. This was very noticeable when they performed a double Lutz side by side flawlessly!

But its not only this, they actually have lovely dance moves, which are inspired by old movies like Dirty Dancing and ya somehow Jiri was Vanessas Jonny and she his babe. This reflect nicely in their PC´s where they received an average 4 which is pretty good actually.

I can highly recommend both programs, they should be on YT already, go there and watch for yourself. Cutest couple ever, ever, ever as we in Germany like to say.

Daria Foka / Evgenii Kostarev RUS & Albina Sokur / Sergey Ivin RUS did not compete.


Junior Pairs

1 Anna Duskova / Martin Bidar CZE 128.35

Another Czech couple on top of the podium and a very enjoyable one I have to say.

Their program had some really nice elements and Anna was doing great landing the triples (Sal + loop). In general I absolutely loved how the program was choreographed. At one point it was more serious and even romantic, quiet and then fast and loud, even funny! It just never got boring, it was a constant flow of variety and both skaters while in the same colors managed to put that great choreography perfectly on the ice.
The mastermind behind that Choreo is Gabriela Zilkova-Hrazska and she really nailed it, as the elements reflected both skaters abilities and their harmony while keeping a good TES by adding a triple Sal side by side or the high category lifts.

Its not the first time that I saw them and honestly they get better and better with every skate. Both mentioned afterwards that they will keep working on the smaller mistakes but overall they were very pleased with their performance.

2 Christina Bogdanova / Thomas Rochelet FRA 81.83

First of all, wonderful choice of music and outfit and isn't Christina charming?

Not so charming however was the drama which appeared in the elements especially in the last minute when both skaters really made me worry that this might not end well for them...
I don't know what the reason was, maybe lack of concentration or power but they really struggled which is so sad as I am 100% sure that they can skate this program clean and I assure you, it would absolutely rock the ice as both skaters work lovely together and can sell it greatly.

Their aura is thrilling, combine this with a flawless skate and you have it! Today their side by sides (double Axel & double Toe - double Toe) were pretty good, sadly the triple Sal didn't work.


Senior Pairs

Last but not least we have the seniors which were beating each other at the Podium in regards of who has the best and biggest smile for us with the cameras.

1. Marin Ono / Hon Lam To HKG 113.59

First of all, I loved how they skated for the crowd I mean not that we actually were more than 20 people or so but still, they kept their heads up and went for it, even after some elements were not working today. They stayed positive and fought through it just like Americans do and managed to perform most of their planned elements like the side by side double Axel or double loop throw while the triple Sal and a lift unfortunately didn´t work today. You might now wonder, Americans? Aren´t they from Hong Kong? Actually they are but they do practice in the US, at San Jose to be precise.

Hon Lam is also a very good singles skater, he came third at the nationals a while ago.

2 Alexandra Hebrikova / Nicolas Roulet SUI 106.01

These two here were my absolute favorite today, especially Alexandra. Oh boy, whenever her blade hit the ice after a landing a huge smile came out and that smile she still had on the podium. WOW, that is really something I tell ya - you can get soft knees from it...

Their choreography had loads of funny but also naughty and of course sexy emotes when she was going all out during a small sequence! Seriously, every men needed an ice cold shower after that!

I really like how these two skaters work together and are able to create such a chemistry on the ice, it was really amazing to see how in sync so many choreographed elements were, not two skaters but one and it just always fits to the music, big applause to the person who created that program and of course the skaters who are able to sell it in such a wonderful way.

It might had its errors but seriously, you can always fix technical aspects but the fire between them, the feeling for the music and story can not be learned and they are really blessed by those abilities.

Nicolas by the way was the Swiss juniors champion in 2013, however I honestly hope he will never get back there, these two together should never be separated again.

3 Minerva Fabienne Hase / Nolan Segert GER 102.24

I love her name, Minerva! Thats something you don't hear every day and I am so happy that there are new pairs coming up for us in Germany and honestly, these two from Berlin have something that I like.
As a brand new pair they already attempted the triple Sal (throw + side by side) and while she couldn't land it this time, its something to build up on and their harmony on the ice is great anyways.
Their FS program itself fits pretty good for a first season if you ask me. The music and also their style on the ice, the outfits it all reflects some type of innocence, especially during the last minute of their program. If you now consider that they are actually innocent and inexperience as a new pair, a wonderful idea and even if this wasn't the intention it grabbed me!

Wonderful pair!

4 Camille Mendoza / Pavel Kovalev FRA 100.26

While this couple came last, they created an incredible atmosphere at the ice rink. Their music and their motions were so quiet and soft that you could hear a needle drop.

I honestly don't care a bit that it had mistakes what matters is that I didn't even want to clap because I just wanted to watch these two on the ice with nothing but the soft piano in the background. You guys at home couldnt look into their eyes while they were skating, you cant feel what I felt but let me tell you this. It was special.

The way they touched and looked at each other, their movements and the gliding over the ice - it all created an atmosphere that I can hardly describe. It was like watching the last 5 minutes of a movie, it was magical.

Please Camille and Pavel, do me a favor and skate this beautiful program clean and invite me to it, thank you!


A big thanks to all pairs for these wonderful programs. Every one had its own special moments and these moments are why I like pair skating so much.

Thank You!

Day 5 preview

Day 5 preview:

So folks, last day for us here at Dortmund and today we are looking for the best Lady and Men.

Senior Ladies

At the Senior ladies Nicole Schott from Essen (Germany) is currently in the lead with a small margin of 0.20 points before Kerstin Frank from Austria, Fleur is trailing behind by round about 5 points, with 46.15.

For our Finnish skaters a medal chance is still there,

so does Sera Väistö currently on 4, only need 2.04 to catch up with Fleur.

Hanna is going to start at 11.13 CET and lets hope she can put her program on the ice, a very gorgeous program if I may add. Seidi is going to skate at 11.58 in group two and last but not least Sera who will get on the ice around 13.12 CET.

Lets hope all Ladies come clean and are able of showing their programs and of course lets hope for a Finnish girl on the podium

Senior Men

I am just watching the last group of the men and I have to say some really good programs so far, its going to be a good competition and also there Finland has a chance to score a medal with Vlatter who is going to skate last and therefore will close the this years NRW Trophy. The Fin is currently on 4 with 60.84 points with a shot for place three which Martin Rappe from Germany holds with 60.92. THe Ukrainien Ivan Pavlov is on two with 63.42 points and the current leader is coming from Germany. Franz Streubel scored bigger than everyone else yesterday with a triple Toe combination and a very clean triple Axel right at the start.

The NRW Trophy livestreams are really good! Makes for good background entertainment while doing other stuff and occasionally really sitting down and watching. ;-)

Winnie_20 said:

The NRW Trophy livestreams are really good! Makes for good background entertainment while doing other stuff and occasionally really sitting down and watching. ;-)

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I agree!

It also helps to write the column so many amazing skates to re watch later and get back in the mood you had when watching it live.

The TV is also here today because of Nicole and Franz... it kind of got in the heads of some skaters I believe, as they for some reason made so many errors.

I loved Anne´s program, she is really lovely to watch and always has wonderful outfits as well. I already enjoyed them a lot last season, for some reason however she is seldom in the spotlight in Germany, I wonder why that is.

Currently leading is the swiss Tanja with a lot of variation and 120.96 points. The fins didn't do so well sadly I am sad.

Sera can still save the day for Finland though! Good luck to all the skaters now!

Fleur so wonderful She is such a cool lady off ice but on the ice her fire is burning every time.

Well, that was... interesting. Music problems much? Poor girl.

About Sera

That was really something I have very seldom seen, comparable to Tonja Harding in 1994...

Sera´s music was skipping already during the practice sessions and today it completely failed, even the second CD didn't help. That was so sad to see, she was skating so wonderful until then and then all of a sudden the music failed and instead of her joyful eyes we saw a very sad young lady, who didn't know what was happening to her and why she deserved such a harsh punishment. Nobody was helping her in that moment either, it was a strange situation.
What did she do.... I don't know, I feel so sorry for her - such a friendly and sympatric fellow, its always the nice ones who get caught by bad luck

After she finished her program without the music but the applause of the crowd, she left the ice and most likely wanted to forget the horrible situation as fast as possible.
Unfortunately the judges demanded that she comes back to the ice and after a long discussion among the panel and the referee, she had to continue the last 20 seconds of her FS.

Just think about this, you are done with your program and it was horrible what happened to you there, your muscles cool out and then you have to get back on the ice, talk about risking a skaters health here, this could end very badly.

Words cant express the respect I have for this young lady, must have been hell for her and yet she came back and did her job like nothing happened, just with very sad eyes.

Heads up Sera!

My German isn't perfect, but from what I gathered, the commentators were as confused about why she had to redo the final twenty seconds as I was.
Something strange must've been going on, though, if both CDs with music were having issues.

Ladies Quick Result

Well,

I am still somehow impacted by what happened to Sera, poor girl

Yet I want to give you the results real quick.

The winner Nicole Schott from Germany wasn't flawless but this sadly was no one today and in her case you must give her Kudos for competing as she is still running around with a big scarf around her neck, due having a cold.

Maybe the ladies also got a bit nervous as we have the TV at the ice rink today and exactly infront of the two big TV cameras most falls happened....

But don´t get too excited, having TV usually means that they send 1-2 minute reports... so ya pretty much still nothing worth mentioning They did an interview with her at least...

What´s worth mentioning however is Nicole´s arm and hand work, I really love what she does there. It looks amazing and very graceful! Besides that she went for 5 triples of which she got credit for four (lost her Loop). Her spins were lovely to watch and received twice a level 4, just her layback which I absolutely love got a 3, silly bullet points... it looked so amazing, she really rocks that element.

Fleur who has won the FS, is trailing by 03.06 behind Nicole with 131.30 points. She really performed greatly today, I love her style so much, it always wets my eyes and the judges gave her credit for it by awarding several 2´s. She really has a unique style and a wonderful interpretation of her programs, including that wicked flexibility, she is wonderful! Maxwell is skating to the same programs now for a while but its always again a joy to watch and finally she is here on the podium after trying for so many years now.

As for her jumps, she singled a Loop and fell on her second Axel, also the double Sal in the middle was supposed to be a triple but honestly, I can watch that girl on the ice forever, she is such a unique character on the ice.

Third came Kerstin Frank from France, oh pardon - Austria. The Austrian, had just like Fleur and Nicole before quite a few issues on some of her elements, only skating the 5th FS.
In the end however it was enough to keep a well performing Tanja Odermatt in distance. The Swiss skated a really good program today, just lacking a bit in execution as she lost two of her 5 triples (Loop & Toe), while starting with a decent triple toe - double toe combination.
I am a big fan of her interpretation, especially in the middle of her program, also wonderful transitions between the different themes in her choreography.

1. Nicole 134.34
2. Fleur 131.30
3. Kerstin 127.83

Congratulations to all skaters and thank you.


http://www.lev-nrw.org/docs/event/1404/CAT010RS.HTM

Winnie_20 said:

My German isn't perfect, but from what I gathered, the commentators were as confused about why she had to redo the final twenty seconds as I was.
Something strange must've been going on, though, if both CDs with music were having issues.

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There was a lot of confusion indeed, I didn't want to bother Sera with it so I didn't ask what happened, lets better forget this all real quick

Senior Men

So last result,

Germany was able to claim the 4th victory here. Franz Streubel performed 8 triple jumps, including one Axel and a Sal - Toe combination.
While he did run out of steam towards the end, he was able to put an almost clean performance on to the ice, executing each type of jump with three revolutions.
I liked especially the choice of music by him, as these old western classics with soundtracks by Ennio Morricone belong to my all time favorites. Franz who is well known for his long hair and extravagant type of skating was able to get a 7 in total for choreography and one level four spin.
SP & FS combined granted him a new PB of 206.73 and a good feeling for the German Nationals in about two weeks at Stuttgart.

Second came a young men from the Ukraine, Ivan Pavlov who attempted 8 triples of which he managed to land 7 in total, including two Lutz jumps. Pavlov showed good recovery skills after falling at the beginning at his triple Axel, landing a Lutz - Toe combination right after. His facial expression showed a strong will and desire to get on to the podium throughout the whole routine. While he likes to play the guitar in his free time, playing with the crowd didn't trouble him too much which gave him a couple of cheers by the ladies, or should I say by one lady who was very vocal about liking him

In general he showed a good variety and flexibility, which granted him level 4 modifications in his first seniors season.

Last but not least on the Podium came a young men from France, Adrian Tesson who was impressive to watch. He had an awesome way of interpreting the music by Craig Armstrongs (Romeo & Juliet). All that drama of the music reflected to his facial expression and body language.
While attempting 8 triple jumps, not all were working today, that said it fit lovely to his choreography as he was fighting through this routine with a lot of heart and strong will, even after losing the very first spin today.
Probably my favorite program by the men today, well done by the 17 years old who is also in his first senior season.

I also want to note that I absolutely loved the program by another French skater, Kevin Aymoz. He put so much into his program and while it wasn't flawless I felt that he really rocked the ice. It would be amazing to see him skate this clean, a very talented skater especially for shows & exhibitions with a lot of heart.

Congratulations to all the skaters!

http://www.lev-nrw.org/docs/event/1404/CAT011RS.HTM

Alex D said:

Well,

I am still somehow impacted by what happened to Sera, poor girl

Yet I want to give you the results real quick.

The winner Nicole Schott from Germany wasn't flawless but this sadly was no one today and in her case you must give her Kudos for competing as she is still running around with a big scarf around her neck, due having a cold.

Maybe the ladies also got a bit nervous as we have the TV at the ice rink today and exactly infront of the two big TV cameras most falls happened....

But don´t get too excited, having TV usually means that they send 1-2 minute reports... so ya pretty much still nothing worth mentioning They did an interview with her at least...

What´s worth mentioning however is Nicole´s arm and hand work, I really love what she does there. It looks amazing and very graceful! Besides that she went for 5 triples of which she got credit for four (lost her Loop). Her spins were lovely to watch and received twice a level 4, just her layback which I absolutely love got a 3, silly bullet points... it looked so amazing, she really rocks that element.

Fleur who has won the FS, is trailing by 03.06 behind Nicole with 131.30 points. She really performed greatly today, I love her style so much, it always wets my eyes and the judges gave her credit for it by awarding several 2´s. She really has a unique style and a wonderful interpretation of her programs, including that wicked flexibility, she is wonderful! Maxwell is skating to the same programs now for a while but its always again a joy to watch and finally she is here on the podium after trying for so many years now.

As for her jumps, she singled a Loop and fell on her second Axel, also the double Sal in the middle was supposed to be a triple but honestly, I can watch that girl on the ice forever, she is such a unique character on the ice.

Third came Kerstin Frank from France, oh pardon - Austria. The Austrian, had just like Fleur and Nicole before quite a few issues on some of her elements, only skating the 5th FS.
In the end however it was enough to keep a well performing Tanja Odermatt in distance. The Swiss skated a really good program today, just lacking a bit in execution as she lost two of her 5 triples (Loop & Toe), while starting with a decent triple toe - double toe combination.
I am a big fan of her interpretation, especially in the middle of her program, also wonderful transitions between the different themes in her choreography.

1. Nicole 134.34
2. Fleur 131.30
3. Kerstin 127.83

Congratulations to all skaters and thank you.


http://www.lev-nrw.org/docs/event/1404/CAT010RS.HTM

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I was in the audience watching the Ladies and Men singles event! The confusion about the music seem to affect the skater even more because she was put out of concentration, of course! But protocol demands that you skate on whatever happens, isnt it? This was so confusing for all of us because nobody seem to know how to handle the situation exactly! Big fail, orga team, that is their job!

Nicole Schott skated really well under the circumstances....she changed her program this summer and from JGP to Senoirs so naturally she hasn't skated it many times through (just last week and this week in fact!) But she was better than in Warsaw already. I also think it wasnt a good idea to ask the skaters TV interviews shortly before they have to skate? i mean never heard of concenration and being in a tunnel, you TV people?

Generally the Huth students performed very well all in all...I liked Panagios Poliozoakis a lot...of course Franz was the best this day - no doubt! If he skates like that at the German nationals, he has a decent chance to become German national champion!

(BTW: Please check your PM inbox here it is full!)

TarAncalime said:

I was in the audience watching the Ladies and Men singles event! The confusion about the music seem to affect the skater even more because she was put out of concentration, of course! But protocol demands that you skate on whatever happens, isnt it? This was so confusing for all of us because nobody seem to know how to handle the situation exactly! Big fail, orga team, that is their job!

Nicole Schott skated really well under the circumstances....she changed her program this summer and from JGP to Senoirs so naturally she hasn't skated it many times through (just last week and this week in fact!) But she was better than in Warsaw already. I also think it wasnt a good idea to ask the skaters TV interviews shortly before they have to skate? i mean never heard of concenration and being in a tunnel, you TV people?

Generally the Huth students performed very well all in all...I liked Panagios Poliozoakis a lot...of course Franz was the best this day - no doubt! If he skates like that at the German nationals, he has a decent chance to become German national champion!

(BTW: Please check your PM inbox here it is full!)

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As someone who worked at the TV once I say "this is how they work". ...

Sorry about my inbox to everyone, I made some space now.

NRW Trophy 2014 Column


In the past few years a lot of big champions came to Dortmund, Yuna Kim, Brian Joubert or Alijona and Robin. This year however, Dortmund focused more on the up and coming, the new kids around the block so to speak. I was able to witness some amazing performances in the advanced and juniors brackets - performances with grace, beauty but also good technical abilities.
In the following pages I will try to point out a few of these extraordinary performances while keeping the focus also on those who were not that lucky or just had a bad day here at Dortmund.

Suomi days

Since Susanna and Laura, my heart is wide open for the Finnish skating nation. Not only their friendliness, but also grace and beauty on the ice, always makes my day. Therefore, I am always having a very close look at skaters from Finland.
The big story for me here at Dortmund was a young lady, competing in her 4th NRW Trophy already and while it was the most successful one with coming 6th, it also was one of the most dramatic ones.

Sera´s sad eyes

Sera Väistö from Joensuu is a beautiful performer on the ice, she is able to capture the essence of grace, beauty and interpretation just lovely and yet, was unable to storm the podium this year and here is what happened.

Already during her practice sessions the FS music seemed to have a struggle with the local CD player. It came to skipping, drop outs and the like. To me, as someone who is working with music every day, this was a worrying situation, a situation I did hope would have been fixed after the practice. Unfortunately this wasn´t the case and I said it before during the live commentary, if I don´t want something to happen on the ice, then it is the finnish girls being unhappy and brought down to tears.
Sadly, exactly this happened to the 21 years old. Sera skated amazingly well at first, putting two triple - double combinations on to the ice, while nailing a level four spin and double Axel right after.

Even her mistake on the Sal didn´t disturb her that much when she came back with a clean triple Toe. Her eyes were full of joy and passion and she was absolutely on track to score a spot on the podium for Finland after Anni Järvenpää reached a great second place in the Juniors. Unfortunately those beautiful eyes which were once happy, started to fade in the last minute of her skate.
Under the big applause of the crowd Sera had to finish her program without music, as the element that was supposed to back her up on the ice, left Sera in the cold and my hopes to see a Finnish victory as well.

If all of this wouldn´t be hard enough already, she was called back on to the ice to have yet another chat with the referee. After a 10 minute long discussion, her muscles getting cold, her focus shifting, herself probably wishing she would finally be released to get some privacy, she was asked to repeat the last 30 seconds of her program.
To her fans and especially Sera herself those 10 minutes must have been hell. Just imagine, you had a horrible situation on the ice and then you need to get back on to the same ice, with the same jury and the same crowd and skate your last few elements once again. It was like worse got even worse and hell becoming even darker. To not risk an injury she was then just cruising a bit and it was a very good decision to do so.

Words like respect and bravery are not enough to describe what I think about Sera having the guts to come back.

While her eyes were wet, tears running down her chin she did what was her job - a job she probably hated in those minutes. Yet, she did it with style and gave us all a little smile after waving goodbye.
I am very proud of Sera, she is a fighter and I really hope she will not think back about Dortmund with a grudge, but knowing that she had a chance and that this chance will still be there in 2015 and at other competitions. Please Sera come back and show us once again what Finnish girls are made of!

Korpi´s story

The name Korpi stands for a lot, not only success and beauty, but also the last survivor of the "golden" squad consisting of Susanna, Laura and of course Kiira. Three girls that lifted up the finnish skating dream with winning a bronze at Worlds, one gold - three silver and four bronze at Euros. Because of this the demand for a new hero is as big as probably in no other European country right now.
While Jenni Saarinen a young lady which I featured in my Bavarian report is currently in her first senior season and a hot pick for the future there is someone else who I want to introduce to you and she goes actually by the name of Korpi too.
Befrore you ask, no Essi is not the sister of Kiira who is supposed to give her comeback this weekend at Zagreb, yet she already smiles and act´s a little bit like her idol 12 years ago.

The 13 years old from Kangasala mentioned that the double Axel - an element loads of adults still have problems with, is her favorite element and she already combines it with a double Toe in her FS.
While she only came 16th in a very strong Advanced competition, this young lady has style already in her younger years and she knows where the cameras are and how to give the crowd something for their money. I am sure if she gains a bit more maturity, works on her consistancy then, who knows, I always say never underestimate someone with the name of Korpi!

Anni Järvanpää

Another hot talent is this young lady here from Tampere, who was really making my day during the juniors competition. Not only did she grant my wish of finally having a Finnish skater on the podium, no she also did it with a wonderful style and a very mature performance.
The 14 years old attitude especially during the VC was a real joy, but not less great was her actual skating. Anni performed five triple jumps, including a triple Sal - double toe & Triple Sal - double Toe - double Flip combination. Throughout her program she had elegance and consistancy while constantly being in sync with the music, always ready to drop a fitting emote.
In total the Fin who won the national championships in March was rewarded with several levels of four and good SS, a result that catapulted her from six after the SP on two after the FS.

With Finnish skaters it is always a rollercoaster for me, as I want them to do so good and yet too often are the lack of concentration and "fear" the reasons why they can´t skate at their best. Because of this I absolutely loved what Anni did on the ice and had to say about her personal "motto". After her opinion you have to try, if you don´t, then you never know what the result might be.

Another very interesting quote by her from the Federation is that she doesn´t like to make a compromise, a very charming characteristic of Anni if you ask me, one however, that might could lead to a few disputes with her coaches Susanna Haarala and Maaret Siromaa.
Last but not least I also want to mention that I absolutely loved the programs of Hanna Kiviniemi, even with the mistakes and that Vlatter did a very good job in the men´s competition coming 5th, only six points behind the third.

Kiitos Suomen taitoluistelija!

The French were here

Ever since Leanelle Gilleron Gorry gave me her gorgeous smile a few years ago, I am trying to keep track of what happens over there at France. While my french is miserable and therefore translating articles from Lequipe more a drama than a pleasure, I noticed a strong figure skating scene coming up there slowly and I definately think that Meatite is no longer alone out there! At Dortmund we actually had the pleasure to see many great French skaters and here are their names.

Pauline Wanner

Pauline is skating for Club de Patinage Artistique de Colmar and showed us four triple jumps during her FS, including a triple Sal - double Toe combination. However, it is not so much the TES that impressed me, but more her whole appearance and attitude on the ice. She was incredible close to edge at all times, using every inch of the ice never being afraid of us or the cameras. The 13 years old who celebrated her birthday less than two months ago, shows an incredible maturity already, it is a joy to see her skate. Pauline who started skating at the age of six already celebrated a few victories in France like winning her age category in 2012 and coming third in the French nationals (novice) in 2014.
With flowers in her hair, coming second in the Advanced girls bracket, Pauline is one of many discoveries here at Dortmund and someone we will definitely hear about in the future.

Kevin Aymoz

This guy here was my favorite male skater at Dortmund and already won a competition this year at the Lombardia in Milano (Juniors). What I like a lot about the 17 years old who competed in the seniors at NRW are his programs, the whole choreography, choice of music and interpretation. He really is what I want to see in the males bracket, programs that entertain, but still have lots of heart. While he fell seven times in total, he put up an emotional skate on both days that I absolutely loved.

To me, male skating is a lot more than just having a high TES. It is about what Plushenko once did, putting up a show with heart, fighting spirit and variation. Kevin might have fallen a lot, but he never gave up. His music actually fit to a skater who fell so often, it was dramatic and so was his facial expression at all times. He was really living his program, feeling every inch of it.
I see a bright feature for this young athlete here, if he can fix the errors, gain some consistency on his jump elements and also learn a triple Axel, then I am sure we will see him some day at Euros or even Worlds. He already is a great show skater now he only must become an equally good skater in competitions.

Cassandra Perotin

Cassandra if we believe the Greek Mythology was a young woman able to see in the future, yet not being able to make someone believe of it. Our Cassandra here, might not be a fortune-teller but equally to Cassandras stories in Athen, it was silent when she told hers on the ice. So silent, that you could hear a needle drop and guess what, she made me believe hers!

What the 13 years old from Colmar was able to achieve, was magical. She was skating to stormy weather by Ella Fitzgeralt and believe it or not, Cassandra was like the wind just a million times quieter. The French performed four triple jumps including a Triple Sal - double Toe while gaining two level four for her spins in the FS. After only coming 19th after the SP, she was storming the ladder and came 7th in total, with skating the 3th FS.

To me this young lady is a hot favorite for future competitions, the ability to sell such a quiet program is rare and I hope she will improve her SP so that she will be able to claim a spot on the podium very soon. Her coach Sandra Garde a former skater who competed versus the likes of Kristi Yawagutchi has a jewel there, she only needs to polish it.

Lekker Kunstrjiden

To polish their skating boots very well this nation is known for, the dutch. However, most of their efforts in the recent years went into polishing the speedskating boots. Once again Holland was the most successful (ice) nation during the Winter Games at Sochi. Therefore, I am really glad that not all the skaters go for speed these days, but more and more for artistry. This whole development might open up the future brackets in Figure Skating, so that we won´t only have winners from Russia, Asia or NA, but also from other countries.

Kylie Loots

Our first "loot" here at Dortmund went to this young lady with the fitting name of "Loots", who also goes to the "Loot School" at Amsterdam, which is a sports - education school for talents in the Netherlands. What is a little joke for Americans as it is obviously spelled totally different in dutch, actually makes a lot of sense still. Kylie was able to lift the trophy, the first during this years NRW Trophy.

The 12 years old had a very charming and challenging program based on music that she selected herself (Yanni - Reflections of Passion) while getting a little bit of help with the choreography by her coach Aneta Kowalska. Kylie who was in her third international competition said afterwards that she was a little bit tight and nervous because of the good skating by the Germans in practice.
Of this however, not too much was seen during competition, as she landed a wonderful double Lutz - double Toe right at the start followed by another double Lutz towards the end. Loots who does practice 14 hours a week also managed to top her levels, getting a two for all her spins and the step sequence.

Next stop in Kylie´s "loot schedule" are the Open Dutch Championships in Tilburg, where she will compete as the defending champion on the 13th of December.

Zoe Zuidhoeck

Another very impressive young lady competed in the Novice B and she goes by the name of Zoe Zuidhoeck. Zoe managed to grab my heart with her lovely attitude on the ice and the elegance that she already had.
Fun is that her family name actually points to the place where she does life, in the south of Holland - the beach resort Hoeck. The 13 years old really embraced the crowd with her graceful and very feminine performance while her Teddy bear in the hands of her coach was going all out after she landed the double Sal - single Toe towards the end.

It was impressive how such a young girl was able to combine grace, elegance and beauty, while keeping positive vibes, backed up by a huge smile. She says about herself that she "wants to reach the highest possible TES" in her programs and that she loves animals, well the highest smile score she already has!

Zoe who trains at the "Kunstrijvereniging De Drechtsteden Dordrecht" was born at Leiden and started to skate just once / twice a week in 2008 and fell in love with the sport so that she is now skating on a daily basis. The last season however, has not been very bright for the former medalist at the nationals. Zoe suffered from several injuries and mononucleosis and it is great to see that she has returned so strong now at Dortmund coming second in the Basic Novice B.

On the Podium

As always, my columns main focus is on those who usually dont get the spotlight, however, I still want to give justice where justice is due and name a few of our champions.

Franz Streubel - Senior Men

Franz a very extrovagance skater from Berlin, was able to claim the 4th victory for Germany here at Dortmund.

Streubel performed eight triple jumps during his FS, including one Axel and a Sal - Toe combination putting an almost clean performance on to the ice, executing each type of jump with three revolutions. I liked especially the choice of music by him, as these old western classics with soundtracks by Ennio Morricone belong to my all time favorites.
Franz who is well known for his long hair was able to get a seven in total for choreography and one level four spin. SP&FS combined granted him a new PB of 206.73 and us hopefully a good show during the German nationals versus former Champion and Olympion Peter Liebers who already has his spot for the Euros at Stockholm.

Nikolaj Majorov - Advanced Novice Boys

Nikolaj is the brother of Alexander, my favorite male skater right now. In a competition with ups and downs he managed to come second in the Advanced Novice Boys competition, won by Andrei Petrenko from Russia. What I absolutely liked about Nikolaj is that he is so much like Sascha already, the whole show talent and type of skating that I like in men´s competitions is already evolving around him. He doesn´t hold back and he looks 1:1 like Alex once did.

During competition he went for his favorite element the triple Sal, while putting a double Axel and Lutz on the ice as well. While he lost the lead he had after the SP, this young boy is definitely someone to keep an eye on.
Of course Nikolaj does also skate at Lunea in Sweden and has a hang to "special" moments on the ice, just like with Alexander. Both will take part in a special Christmas show on the 20th of December at the Coop Arena in Lunea, Sweden.

Fleur Maxwell - Senior Ladies

Luxemburg is a small country, yet it gave birth to one of the most amazing Figure Skaters in the world, Fleur Maxwell. As a huge fan of this lady I am of course very biased, but oh boy was I happy when I saw her scores coming up, knowing that she would be on the podium.
Fleur is coming to Dortmund since five years now and was always close, but never managed to step on the podium.
This year however ,she was the most consistent during the final day, skating the best FS and climbing up a rank from three to two. As always Fleur showed an amazing flexibility, glamour and grace.
She really is our lady in the figure skating scene, with beautifully choreographed programs and an incredible personality during her skates. The 26 years old skated to music by Ludovico Einaudi in her FS and it was not a perfect skate as she said, but still not miserable, especially since she was a bit ill prior to Dortmund as she noted.

Nicole Schott - Senior Ladies

Nicole does skate for the EJE in Essen, but went to Oberstdorf in summer to practice with Michael Huth and is the national champion of 2012. What I like about her skating are her beautiful arms and hands, it all looks so mature and elegant, just like her layback does.
At Dortmund the 18 years old attempted eight triple jumps over both days, especially in the SP to Memories of a Geisha a wonderful triple Toe combination.
Schott who still suffered under a minor cold has recently upped her TES to be more competetive and while it doesn´t all work out yet, she said herself that skating the routine in competition is what matters most right now, as this is the only way how you can gain confidence and a feeling for the elements.

In about one week time during the German nationals we could very well see a head to head race between Nicole, Lutricia and if she can compete, Nathalie Weinzierl. Before that however, Nicole will compete at the Golden Spin at Zagreb and we wish her the best of luck for this, especially without any annoying press teams who take interviews right before you are about to compete.

Marin Ono / Hon Lam To - Senior Pairs

Last but not least in the champaions section are these two from Hong Kong. What I absolutely love about skaters is if they skate for the crowd, the people in the stands who paid a lot of money or just do their job like we journalists do.
It always gives me a very warm feeling so it did when I saw that not all of their elements were working in the FS, yet these two never gave up and stayed positive throughout their routine, performing elements like a double Axel side by side and attempting a triple throw Sal. Hon Lam is also a very good singles skater and a very sympathic fellow off ice, he came third at the nationals a while ago.

Third in pairs by the way, came the germans Minerva Fabienne Hase / Nolan Segert who even though it is their first season together, already have a beautiful harmony on the ice. The young couple from Berlin isn´t afraid of difficult elements either, so they attempted the triple Sal side by side and throw during their FS. While not all went as planned, it is a couple that might play a role in the next few years, especially since Annabelle&Ruben decided to call it a day. With time comes confidence and stability, a very charming style they already have. Minerva is also a pretty good single skater, who does compete quite successful in regional competitions like the OBM recently where she came second behind Annika Hocke.

Future Champions

Germany tends to be a place where a lot of future champions skate during their youth. No matter if Korpi, Lepistö, Osmond, Gold or the Olympic Champion Adelina Sotnikova - they all came to Germany as teenagers and many of them like Gracie or Kiira still come over from time to time to practice at Oberstdorf. The next two young ladies might not be new to many of you, yet they left their footprints at Dortmund.

Anastasia Gubanova

Anastasia is one of many great Russian skaters and while we are used to this by now, this young lady actually has a very special ability that I honestly don´t see at too many of the other Russians.

For me the 12 years old has an incredible feeling for the music and it looks like she has a very strong background in ballet. You can see this especially in her SP, the movements of her arms and fingers are very soft, mature and show a great sense for music. You can say that she is really grooving with the music at times, there is a connection between skater and music - it is wonderful!
The young lady from St. Petersburg is able to put some amazing elements on the ice already, while showing great flexibility nailing those level threes. Her Lutz - Toe didn´t work this time, however she instantly nailed a triple Flip - Toe right after, like it was nothing - an element she is able to perform since she was nine years of age!

Interesting is that while performing these jump elements, she does elevate greatly during her take offs and gains a nice position in the air, leaving her enough time to place the landing, so that it looks very soft and calm, like nothing actually happened. Nothing actually happened also in her mature expression, she fell three times and you didn´t see it at all. She was as cool and focused as she was before her skate, nothing could really get to her and she seems to be very strong in that department.

Over the past years I have seen everyone climbing up the ladders from advanced, to juniors and then seniors. Honestly, Anastasia is while different not less good than for instance Radionova was in 2012, but with all due respect already further than many Russians were at her age.
Of course we all need to consider that puberty will also hit her, like now Julia or Liza before. It is something no skater can avoid, but I believe I speak for a lot of people here when I say that it would be wonderful to see her skate on that level in the future. The next few years will be crucial for her, yet I love her abilities already and I push every thumb I have that she doesn´t get hit too hard by what many skaters fear so much.

Elizabetha Tursynbaeva

No fear however, this skater seems to have, the 14 years old just puts amazing skate after amazing skate on the ice while showing an incredible maturity as well.
Just two months ago at Dresden she came second behind Wakabi Higuchi and it is impressive what type of consistency she can put into her programs, winning already Nice & Merano this season. You hardly see any errors while she gains a decent GOE even though she said after her victory in the juniors that she wants to work on her landings before the next competition hits.

Eliza skated her FS to "Papa can you hear me" which was choreographed by former ice skater David Wilson and it fits like a second skin to be honest. The Kazakhstany performed seven triple jumps flawlessly including a Sal - Toe and double Axel - triple Toe combination while gaining level fours for her foot-works and spins. It´s almost shocking how natural she looks on the ice, its doesn´t seem to bother her at all, she is really enjoying her time on the ice. Turszynbaeva who does practice in Toronta improved her PB by about 12 points, gaining 176,12 in total.

Medals for all

Now as always its time to get a bit "less" serious, yet not less important. The awards for best program, spins, dresses and steps are as follows.

Best Stepsequence - Matilda Algotsson Archangel - SP

We saw many good step sequences this year at Dortmund, one however, stood out and the reward goes to Sweden with Matilda Algotsson who came 5th in the juniors competition. If I talk about the stepsequence of the 16 years old from Stockholm then this is actually not 100 % correct. It isn´t, because her whole last minute in the SP was absolutely amazing!

It all started with her layback during a quieter piano part of her music. During that layback however, the music started to grow, it got dramatic and she actually expressed that dramatic moment beautifully by changing position and speed during the layback, having her eyes pointing skywards. Alone this moment is worth a reward already.
After she was done with her spin, her stepsequence actually started and she used her expression and arm movement greatly to support the drums and effects of her SP music by Two Steps from Hell - Archangel. Little passages of running on the ice occurred and it got more and more dramatic towards the end until she finished with a bang and her combination spin.

I still get goosebumps when I see the recorded video on YT, it is absolutely amazingly done and choreographed and sadly it doesn´t fully get across if you just watch it at home. Awesome job there by Matilda and Cecilia Willberg her choreographer - nothing could top this!

Best Spin Deimante Kizalaite Layback - SP

As I mentioned above, Matildas Layback would fit equally good into that category here as well. Nontheless was there one spin which even topped Matildas and the reward goes to a wonderful young lady from Lithuania, Deimante Kizalaite who came 4th in the juniors at Dortmund.
The layback of the 15 years old who is coached by former Olympian Alexei Urmanov left my mouth wide open, as she gets even deeper as the element progresses.
It looked fantastic and you really have to question how something like that is even possible. Maybe it is because she started skating at the age of three and therefore is given with such an incredible flexibility in her back. Not only that flexibility, but her mature ability already granted her the victory at the Kaunas Open in November, a competiton by her home club Baltų ainiai.

Most Unusual performance Lara Luft - Rocky (the eye of the tiger)

I don´t remember a woman ever skating to Rocky! We had a few men, but girls? Therefore, I really have to give Lara a big virtual hug as she was really rocking the pants Apollo gave Rocky during part three of the Saga.
It was a very cute program actually, with Lara doing some shadow boxing, counting to three infront of the judges or just putting her stepsequence during the piano solo of her music. Lara who does skate for the LSC Bad Nauheim came 26th at the advanced girls and I am really curious what she has to offer next year as her LP was the complete opposite to her SP and versatility is always fun for as journalists as we never know what we will get.

I also want to mention Michaela Lucie Hanzlikova from the Czech Republic, who had a very unique and original FS and lovely ice coverage.

Best Smiles Alexandra HEBRIKOVA / Nicolas ROULET

These two were so amazing during the VC, I seldom have so much fun taking pictures like with these two. But that´s not all of course!
Their choreography especially the FS had loads of funny, but also naughty and of course a few sexy emotes when she was going all out during a small sequence! Saying that a lot of men had to take an ice cold shower afterwards is probably an understatement.
What impressed me a lot about those two in their first international competition was, how they worked together, it was like one unit with a wonderful synchronicity. To me it seemed like the fun they had together was in everyone else´s face as well. They are so addictive once you start smiling with them, you cant´ stop anymore. Nicolas by the way, is the swiss national men´s champion of 2013!

Best Music Christina Schöner SP - Ich gehör nur mir

If we talk about Lyrics, thenwe also have to talk about what they actually say and not just that they are either there or not. In Christinas SP the lyrics spoke about a young girl which wanted to do what she wanted to do, not to impress a boyfriend, father or mother. No she wants to do what she thinks is best for her, as she belongs only to herself.

I don´t know Christina personally, but I had the strong impression that what she was skating to actually meant a lot to her. After she was done with the program, she seemed reliefed, but not really like a skater who finished the program, but like a lady that got a message across to someone.

Katharina Witt the two times olympic champion skated to the same music about 20 years ago and like someone said before, it´s a timeless piece of music and I am very happy that the ISU finally allows these type of musical choices where lyrics can get you even deeper into the choreography and a skaters mind than just notes played by an instrument.
Too often skating seems to be about landing the biggest jumps, gaining the highest levels etc, but there are also skaters who might skate for a different purpose, and yes, I do believe that a lot of programs have a deeper sense, especially if skaters are not pressured to use every loophole the scoring system might give them. I am very happy that we have skaters like Christina!

Best SP Vanessa Stefanova / Jiri Belohradsky - Dirty Dancing

What can I say about that pair? Well, I am a huge fan because of the "cuteness" factor and how harmonic they look already, even though its´ their very first competition together! They smile a lot at each other, have fun off ice and Jiri is taking care of his little girl. Both are also pretty good single skaters, Jiri came 5th here in the Junior men's bracket and Vanessa was successful for Pilzen in the recent years. This was especially noticeable when they performed a double Lutz side by side flawlessly!

Besides their good technical abilities they are able to add little dance moves from time to time and it reminds me of myself when I was nine years old dancing with my former partner and everyone told us how cute that looked like and maybe now I finally understand why they said this to us 20 years ago.

But back to Vanessa and Jiri who were performing to Dirty Dancing (time of my life), a music that already Ondrey and Stefania performed to in 2013 and ya somehow Jiri was Vanessas Jonny and she his babe. The way they looked at each other was so cute and it seemed like a real love story in the beginning, just lovely to watch and rewarded with several 4´s in PC´s.
I am not sure what Jiri is going to do in the future, if he will focus on the men´s bracket or if he continues with Vannessa. That said, I can only say one thing, please do more of these wonderful programs!

Best LP Dora Hus Crystalized by Lindsay Sterlin

Dora does skate for the ERC Mannheim like Kalina does and impressed me with a very soft and calm movement on the ice, while performing to Crystalized by Lindsay Sterlin. She was floating like an elf, performing a double Axel - double Toe combination, as well as a triple Sal and a triple Sal - double Toe in her SP. In general, her double Axel looks pretty solid and she travels nicely in the air and she is also able to jump a triple Toe, this element however ,she didn´t perform at Dortmund. I like how she cracked a smile from time to time, that´s what we want to see on the stands.

Sadly there is not much more known yet about the skater that I could tell you, she is however, also coached by Peter Sczypa and 11 years old and came 5th in the Advanced girls bracket.

Best development

Here I want to mention two skaters who I watch since a while now and it is quite incredible how a skater can change within a few months without seeing him or her.

Niki Worries

This young lady here has really moved up from just being a girl on the ice to being a lady. In only eight months time she made the transition to an adult and her skates these days are much more mature and elegant, than compared to the last season. As always she went for her triples the Flip&Lutz and while she struggled with some of her elements, I am sure she will just get better and better over time - the 18 years old who does compete for her figure skating club at Dordrecht.

Kalina Levicka

I am already a pretty big fan of this young lady here, she is the German Gracie Gold as I like to call her. So much about her on the ice especially this season reminds me of Gracie years ago. Last season Kalina was pretty shy, she was actually freezing during the VC and even though she won the advanced girls competition at Dortmund - you didn´t really see it in her eyes.
This year however, my encounter with her was a totally different one. She was very mature and controlled, it was like a different type of skater. A skater that made the transition from advanced to juniors and came 20th, but yet has so much space to improve and with more consistency she will battle for the medals in Germany very soon.

The 13 years old who was very impressive last year with a challenging program of double Axel - double Toe, triple Toe - double Toe, raised the difficulty even more this year and performed a triple Toe - double Toe - double Loop in her FS. Kalina seems to have worked more on her fitness and strength, but also her expression has improved. Sadly, Peter Sczypa her coach will retire in the next few years so that she needs to find an equally skilled coach soon, not the easiest job for sure especially in younger years where confidence and trust in your coach plays as much a role as your family support. Based on information that I have, he will at least stick with Kalina until 2016, so there is still time for both to work together on her abilities.

Best Dress Julia Chromik Basic Novice Girls B

This young lady here who is also from the EJE at Essen really knows how to rock a dress. Her "flame - neon" outfit was the eye catcher on the first day. Julia who won the Basic Novice Girls B is 13 years old and performed a double Flip - double Toe combination and received level two modifications for her spins. Unless Heidi Klum steals Julia for her Top Model show, this young lady who was skating to a movie soundtrack, should not be disregarded. Not only her outfits, but also her interpretation and confidence combined with her technical abilities let her shine on the ice.

Final Words

This year the NRW Trophy had a lot of good skaters, entertaining programs and funny incidents. There was actually a bomb found not too far away, skaters got caught by the sun-blind, while we had the TV here for the very first time in god knows how many years.

In the end writing my column was a lot of fun, fun because of what the skaters did. I could have mentioned so many more ,but lets face it, I have already written way too much for a single person to handle and I still need to learn how to organize the column better as it´s just too much information, yet I really want to speak about what I saw and how I experienced it, featuring skaters who are usually not in the spotlight ,but still do a damn good job!

If anyone is still with me, thanks a lot for reading and following my live commentary as well. Thanks to the OC for letting me report about their event and a huge virtual hug to all the skaters, especially those I got in contact with personally. You rock and you know it!

Disclaimer:

As always I tried to add as many skaters to the Column as possible and tried to double check facts given. If there are still any spelling errors or miss information then please get back to me and it will be fixed.

Thank you!

Great job! Thank you!