Patrick Chan | Page 15 | Golden Skate

Patrick Chan

Violet Bliss

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 19, 2010
Patrick Chan looks to expand horizons with Lou Marsh Award

1. He wants to raise the sport of figure skating and its profile. The award helps.

2. He is inclined to reset the game at some point and start a new sport, maybe varsity/collegiate. This fits in with the education plan. (Didn't I say he liked challenges?)

3. He is hit hard by the death of Sarah Burke. I've been sad about it too but haven't related this to Patrick.

Some nice pictures from the Think First fundraiser:

Roots and ThinkFirst Joint Forces!

And news Video Skating for a cause

Some interview and SP footage in Moncton local news:

Patrick Chan wins fifth Canadian figure skating title in Moncton

And he celebrated Chinese New Year with the Liberals in a fundraising gala. Click for photos.
 
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Violet Bliss

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 19, 2010
I'm bringing this from the Dai vs Pat thread:

Boeing787 said:
[Quote="SkateFiguring|]
OK, my proposal re program selection. Skate brand new SP and LP next season just to prove he can. Comes Olympic season, he can then decide if he will come up with a new masterpiece, or he could pick Aranjuez or next year's program, whichever is his or fans' favorite.

Dilemma resolved.

I don't think it will happen. Next year he will add another quad to his program, it's vey unlikely he will have time to learn two brand new programs and work on a new quad as well.[/QUOTE]

The new quad is an on going process he has started, to be implemented when he is comfortable and confident enough to include in his LP in competition, which may be anytime during the season. There were reasons he kept one of his programs each of the last two years. 2009 was shortened due to injury so POTO had not been used much and he didn't feel he had done it justice. Well, he did it justice by the end of 2010-11 season. Then with a postponed Worlds in 2011, the summer was very short, especially with shows he was doing in Asia. There was hardly time for a new LP, so the SP was kept. If this is going to be a normal summer, developing two new programs is quite doable, especially after the experience of this season.

Aranjuez may turn out to be an Olympic worthy masterpiece so it's good to save it as an option. OTOH, Lori may be so inspired by Patrick's skating skills that her creativity is stimulated to come up with ever greater programs. So there would be new options. Best to keep all options open, right? I'm sure new adjustments will be made if an old program is recycled, just as POTO evolved over the season.
 

Boeing787

On the Ice
Joined
Oct 21, 2011
You have convinced me he might do two brand new porgrams next season. As long as I still have chance to see Aranjuez again, I am ok with he storing it for one year.;)
 

jettasian

Match Penalty
Joined
Mar 21, 2009
Didn't Patrick or someone mentioned that he could easily do a quad flip? I think he's holding it for later on knowing that he doesn't really need it this season?

And about Aranjeuz, can the experts point out which parts of the program are considered very difficult, but Patrick makes them look easy? At National, Tracy Wilson point out one hop, she said it's very difficult. I was like, huh? Really? It looked simple to me. I don't skate, so I have no idea.
 
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Violet Bliss

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 19, 2010
jettasian, this is Patrick's biggest problem with the proverbial "casual fans" - making the extremely difficult look easy, a fact even his biggest rivals, the best skaters in the world, acknowledge. His whole programs illustrate this fact. One thing impressing and confounding everybody is generating speed with seemingly nothing perceivable, as illustrated by the one foot sequence down the length of the rink faster than others stroking with two feet. A non expert like me keeps finding little gems to marvel at, such as his swift edgy turn around into his spin. Gah! Or, remember the footwork fall in TEB? Go look at his usual work when he is not weak with illness. It shows the power required for such a brief position that even the master needs to be healthy and careful to keep the precise balance.

eta. I see you were asking specifically about Aranjuez. Watch all his jump entries. And the immediate choreography right after the landing flow out. E.g. I don't know how he could do his little flamenco toe tapping right before a triple jump! Another obvious and easy to observe feat is the speed and scope of his last footwork sequence, breathtakingly fluid and fast over the whole rink. The audience could not help but be moved to applaud involuntarily, something uncommon outside the showy jumps and spins. Then there are all those split second moves that no others can do without falling over.
 
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Boeing787

On the Ice
Joined
Oct 21, 2011
The commnetator of Universal sports said the same thing about Patrick's lunge in Aranjuez, "it looks easy, but very difficult". Being a casual fan myself, I figure if he said it's hard, it must be hard. Especially Patrick excecutes it beautifully and weaves it with jumps.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVeWigqxWCw&feature=player_detailpage#t=254s

Found this video on youtube. Patrick reminds him of himself. Starting 1:45.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=py9-PGWEb3I&feature=player_detailpage#t=106s
 
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Joined
Jun 21, 2003
jettasian, this is Patrick's biggest problem with the proverbial "casual fans" - making the extremely difficult look easy, a fact even his biggest rivals, the best skaters in the world, acknowledge. His whole programs illustrate this fact. One thing impressing and confounding everybody is generating speed with seemingly nothing perceivable, as illustrated by the one foot sequence down the length of the rink faster than others stroking with two feet. A non expert like me keeps finding little gems to marvel at, such as his swift edgy turn around into his spin. Gah! Or, remember the footwork fall in TEB? Go look at his usual work when he is not weak with illness. It shows the power required for such a brief position that even the master needs to be healthy and careful to keep the precise balance.

In the past Patrick has been "criticized" (if that's the right word) for filling his programs with CoP point-getting tricks.

I don't think so. I think he does all those cool things just because (a) he can, and (b) he takes such delight in doing them.
 

Violet Bliss

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 19, 2010
In the past Patrick has been "criticized" (if that's the right word) for filling his programs with CoP point-getting tricks.

I don't think so. I think he does all those cool things just because (a) he can, and (b) he takes such delight in doing them.

Yeah, except most of those making such criticism don't even see the tricks! That shows what well integrated the moves are.
 

Boeing787

On the Ice
Joined
Oct 21, 2011
In the past Patrick has been "criticized" (if that's the right word) for filling his programs with CoP point-getting tricks.

I don't think so. I think he does all those cool things just because (a) he can, and (b) he takes such delight in doing them.

I think other skaters want to do the same thing to get points but they can't. Yesaterday Sandra Bezic said "these ladies tried to do too many things on ice and lose the strength to do jumps" when she commented the US National. I see the same thing happened to Javier Fenandez and Yuzuru Hanyu. In the end of the program, they were so tired that they couldn't do the last jump.

That's what makes Patrick stand out.
 

Violet Bliss

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 19, 2010
Patrick's energy frustrates even Takahashi! :) He concedes to being unable to not succumb to fatigue in the later half of the LP like Patrick.

Patrick pays a price for it though, postponing his university education to stay in high altitude training.

However, one can't conclude that's all it takes to have his kind of high energy. His rink mates can't compare or do a sustained high energy program like Aranjuez with no rest period choreographed in.
 

Boeing787

On the Ice
Joined
Oct 21, 2011
Patrick pays a price for it though, postponing his university education to stay in high altitude training.

However, one can't conclude that's all it takes to have his kind of high energy. His rink mates can't compare or do a sustained high energy program like Aranjuez with no rest period choreographed in.

Actually I think it's wise to be single minded. Look at Flatt, what does she get by doing Stanford and Firgure skating the same time? It's a waste of money, time and energy.

I think Patrick is physically strong by nature. I remember PJ wrote of the then 16-years-old Patrick being "increditbly strong".
 
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SGrand

Final Flight
Joined
Dec 22, 2011
He's obviously very naturally gifted when it comes to athletics and I'm sure he would do great in other sports as well, would love to see that (not anytime soon though!).
What I don't get is why not stack your program full of potential points (without taking away from the artistry that is) if you are able to do so??? What, he's just supposed to skate around without doing anything? I am constantly in awe when watching him for many reasons and love his energy little things here and there that are in his programs.
 

chloepoco

Medalist
Joined
Nov 1, 2009
I think other skaters want to do the same thing to get points but they can't. Yesaterday Sandra Bezic said "these ladies tried to do too many things on ice and lose the strength to do jumps" when she commented the US National. I see the same thing happened to Javier Fenandez and Yuzuru Hanyu. In the end of the program, they were so tired that they couldn't do the last jump.

That's what makes Patrick stand out.

Part of Yuzuru's problem is that he suffers from asthma. As an asthma sufferer myself, it is frustrating to tire out and start gasping for breath while others are still easily running around the track.
 

jettasian

Match Penalty
Joined
Mar 21, 2009
E.g. I don't know how he could do his little flamenco toe tapping right before a triple jump!
That is one of my faves!!! He fell the first time on that one, and was shaky(?) the other time, so unable to really see it until the National. I really love the flamenco tap, then the jump, and right out and back to the flamenco post. That is just amazing and hit the music perfectly. I was like, wow, that's a very risky move. If he falls on that jump, or has shaky landing, that whole sequence will lose its effectiveness. So I hope he can repeat that whole sequence at World.
 
Joined
Aug 16, 2009
Patrick's energy frustrates even Takahashi! :) He concedes to being unable to not succumb to fatigue in the later half of the LP like Patrick.

Patrick pays a price for it though, postponing his university education to stay in high altitude training.

However, one can't conclude that's all it takes to have his kind of high energy. His rink mates can't compare or do a sustained high energy program like Aranjuez with no rest period choreographed in.



I think one thing that makes Patrick so appealing is that he combines natural talent with such a thorough work ethic and also such cool nerves. Often (most recently with Mirai Nagasu in U.S. Nationals) we encounter skaters who are just brimful of natural gifts, who either are head cases or don't work hard enough to achieve consistency. (Sometimes, alas, both.) Other times we see skaters whose talents are a good B+ or A- level but who work so hard that they are successful. How lovely to have a skater like Patrick, who has great physical gifts and also meticulous training from early years, but who also wrings every iota from this talent.
 

mmcdermott

On the Ice
Joined
Dec 3, 2011
Patrick's off-ice training regimen is very impressive too. it doesn't seem like a lot of other skaters put the same amount of emphasis on things like nutrition or off-ice conditioning. He learns from successful athletes in other sports, and does every little thing he can to make himself into the best possible athlete. Other skaters sometimes criticize the scoring system or the judging for not rewarding their strengths enough, instead of working hard to fix their weaknesses. Patrick thinks he needs to work on his artistry, so he adds an hour a day of modern dance to his schedule.
 

spikydurian

Medalist
Joined
Jan 15, 2012
He's obviously very naturally gifted when it comes to athletics and I'm sure he would do great in other sports as well, would love to see that (not anytime soon though!).

:agree: Remember reading somewhere that he's good in golf.
 
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