Lysacek and COI

[Mathman]

There is an interesting mention of Evan Lysacek in International Figure Skating magazine this month. After his remarkable and unexpected bronze medal at Worlds, he was invited to do one show (in Chicago) with COI. He hoped and expected that he would be invited to join the tour, but they told him, they "had enough skaters already." (Frank Caroll said he was actually glad, because this would give Evan a chance to rest and to start on his new programs in the summer.)

COI still has oldies but goodies Viktor Petrenko, Rudi Galindo and Elvis Stojko in the show. Do you think it's time for a new broom?

Mathman

PS. Jeff Buttle was invited to do the full Canadian SOI tour, after his silver medal finish at Dortmund.

[attyfan]

Collins probably already had contracts with a lot of the other skaters; the ones like Petrenko, Stojko, and Galindo are probably long term agreements. He can add new skaters as the older ones retire, or their contracts expire and are not renewed (such as with Bobek and Candeloro) I think Evan will probably be on the show next year, unless he really tanks.

[Joesitz]

COI still has oldies but goodies Viktor Petrenko, Rudi Galindo and Elvis Stojko in the show. Do you think it's time for a new broom?

Mathman

PS. Jeff Buttle was invited to do the full Canadian SOI tour, after his silver medal finish at Dortmund.

It seems we think skaters of a certain age "should go pro" and when they do and reach another certain age they "should go coach". :sheesh:

PS. I think you mean silver medal finish at Moscow.

Joe

[brad640]

It was pathetic that Evan was not asked to join COI after he won the bronze medal. He would have been perfect for them because of his entertaining style. I guess if he wore a nun costume or something else ridiculous Tom Collins might be interested. And why was Lambiel only invited to a few shows? COI and SOI are boring and they will not get any more of my money as long as they have the same old people based only on their resume and not on their present abilities. I wish Averbukh’s show had toured in the US this season because I would have gone to see that.

[attyfan]

... . And why was Lambiel only invited to a few shows? ... .

As I understand it, Lambiel had other commitments. For example, he wasn't with COI in Anaheim because he was skating with "Ice Chips" in Boston on the same date.

[Linny]

I didn't find SOI boring at all... 'cept perhaps for some of the pretty vanilla music selections. I prefer to see the skaters who have retired from eligible competition at these exhibition type events, and I'm also pleased that Evan isn't going to be there because I think that eligible skaters who concentrate on their eligible skating reach higher levels of athletic performance. That's just my opinion - don't have statistics to back it up.

So, at SOI, you though that S&P and B&S were boring? I thought they were marvelous.

Linny

[waxel]

We don't get COI in my hometown anymore so I haven't seen it in a few seasons. I might agree that SOI was somewhat boring--- but I also agree with Linny that S&P and B&S were marvelous. They seem to have a "one-up" relationship going on between them that keeps pushing both teams. My biggest overall SOI complaint would be poor music (lots of tepid "rock" selections) and hokey gimmicks (what was that tacky carnival theme all about??). And although I know Kurt's lame toolbox number has been thoroughly lampooned on this board- it warrants another mention in the "hokey gimmick" category.

[NJSk8Fan]

I never find SOI boring. I prefer it over COI, but wouldn't give up either show.
The theme of SOI this past season was Imagination.

[Tonichelle]

Tom Collins and Co. have made weird decisions and reasonings for why someone is in when others are not for years...

Evan should be in SOI... cuz it's cooler lol


and SOI should come to Alaska... like today.


that or Cambells Tour of Champions should come back...

ALASKA NEEDS A SKATING SHOW! *sobs*

[Ptichka]

Not a big fan of SOI.

As for the "oldies" of COI - I wouldn't lump them all together. I think Elvis is great asset to the tour; Victor a decent one but not a "must keep"; Rudy doesn't do anything for me.

[Mathman]

Victor has always been a favorite of mine (and Mrs. MM thinks he's a hottie). But IMHO he has gone downhill in the imagination department lately. I thought his Mambo #5 was very entertaining, where he danced with a big doll and still managed to get off a clean triple Lutz with the doll tied around his waist But last year's Who Let the Dogs Out was just silly, and this year, to me, his choice of music was totally inappropriate to an audience of families and young children.

Rudi is one of my all-time faves. For my money, he could do YMCA over and over every year. In fact, two year's ago he develpoed a new routine that he wanted to try out, but Tom Collins made him do YMCA all season because of audience demand.

About "going pro," I think that is the supposed distinction between SOI and COI. SOI is definitely a professional touring entertainment show, so they rely on group numbers, interesting choreography, theme pieces, Alexei Y descending from the rafters, etc.

COI instead tries to bring us the current eligible champions doing exhibition skating that is not too far from a competitive program.

Anyway, I'll definitely be going to COI every year as long as they have the hula hoop girl, Irina Grigorian .

Mathman

[Joesitz]

I, for one, couldn't care less if both COI and SOI disbanded.

Joe

[jesslily]

COI needs pay attention to the custome design and color of the group numbers. The colors are too strong, and the designs look like we have seen the same thing every year.

[Mathman]

COI needs pay attention to the custome design and color of the group numbers. The colors are too strong, and the designs look like we have seen the same thing every year.

Again, I think this is because COI is not an ensemble show. They don't really have choreographed group numbers, they just send all the performers out at the begining and end to skate around helter-skelter for a big hurrah.

Joe, if you don't care if COI and SOI fold, and you think the remaining pro competitions are silly, what advice would you have for a skater after his/her eligible days are over?

Mathman

[76olympics]

Neither show comes to my town (or hasn't in years)--but I echo Mathman. I am glad that they exist . They even televise SOI most years which increases my skating viewing (which seems to be shrinking yearly).