2023 Four Continents Men's Free Skate

[BlissfulSynergy]

The big addition came from correcting a tech box error. Miura had been credited for a 3t-3t combo while he had done 4t-3t. That's what took some folks by surprise. I expected the TES score to rise. Regarding who should have won this, I am fine either way, There are good arguments for each skater to at least win the LP portion of the event.
PCS is very debatable indeed. I'd add to the factors influencing judges : reaction of the crowd, skating last and well after having won the SP, etc. Do I think Miura's PCS score is justified? Rationally yes. He skated with energy, focus, a desire to win, got the crowd excited... which all adds up when judging presentation. The program is well made.. His skating skills are there (not the best but very good). Emotionally, I don't remember much from his program, so I agree there is work to do with musicality and connection... but these two factors are probably lesser factors when considering figure skating as a sport first and wouldn't take away that much in terms of scoring, even with a harsh panel, at least, not enough for Keegan to win it I believe. I am a huge Messing fan, nobody skates like him. Nobody spins like him. He is very personable. But, I am not devastated with the results.

Yeah for sure. Thanks for your rationalizations. As I said, Miura's win is not unreasonable. It was close and could go either way. Thanks for the scoring box update. It's certainly not devastating that Keegan didn't win. I don't remember whether I had Keegan third or fourth in my predictions. Still, emotionally for me, it was Keegan's performance which stole my heart. Of course Miura's performance was determined and worthy of the win. But I wasn't feeling it as being well-rounded and exciting. I figured Miura was going to win, but I held out hope to see Keegan be rewarded with an unexpected victory.

Miura's music playing in the background excites emotions and he's doing all this technical wizardry which is compelling. That's what the sport basically amounts to these days, so it's really satisfying and rare to see a Jason Brown and a Keegan Messing, et al., put it all together in more rare and meaningful ways. Good for Miura, but I'm still Team Keegan all the way. The cheerful, amazing Honey Badger! He will be greatly missed.

 

[sworddance21]

Like Jumpin' Joe Sabovchek!

YES!

Golly, the solo violin version is wonderful

This IS lovely. I see Shoma in my head when I listen to it.

 

[4everchan]

YES!

This IS lovely. I see Shoma in my head when I listen to it.

I see Shoma in my head. A.L.W.A.Y.S. HA !

 

[TontoK]

My initial thoughts were that I believed Keegan deserved to win the LP on the basis of a superior program, while acknowledging that it wouldn't be enough for the title.

I still sort of feel like that, but it's not a scandal that the result went the other way.

 

[Weathergal]

My initial thoughts were that I believed Keegan deserved to win the LP on the basis of a superior program, while acknowledging that it wouldn't be enough for the title.

I still sort of feel like that, but it's not a scandal that the result went the other way.

Same!

 

[yesterday]

I see Shoma in my head. A.L.W.A.Y.S. HA !

Stéph, is it you?

 

[Skater Boy]

Miura looks great for junior worlds. He did a great job. I honestly think Keegan is undermarked for pcs. But he doesn't do the classical/lyrical pieces or mainstream heavy music. Still his speed and edges are quite wonderful. Judges need to embrace differences but the quality of his skating is very very good. I still believe Cha will be a threat come worlds but he has looked like a contender for so long and then failed. My dream would be to see Keegan get a medal at worlds. I am fine with which Japanese man wins. The "problem" or challenge is there are so many skaters who "could" medal after the Japanese men and Malinin. INcluding Jason Brown, CHa, Morisi, the French, the Italians, Keegan, like 8 skaters plus two Japanese going for bronze really. INconsistency is noted in everyone but Brown I guess. But there is some huge inconsistency. Some bronze medallist contenders will end up out of the top ten come worlds.

 

[TontoK]

Following up on @Skater Boy post above and looking ahead to World's... and yep, I know we're entering Thread Drift here, but after 40+ pages, it's probably OK...

I think it will be an exciting Men's event. I agree there are probably at least 10 or 12 men who are capable of winning a medal, depending on who skates well and who doesn't. There are a lot of skaters who have the goods, but don't have the track record of delivering them this season.

That's not to say it can't happen at World's. In predicting the outcome, we're really betting on consistency more than anything else.

 

[skatedreamer]

My dream would be to see Keegan get a medal at worlds.

Me, too...and Jason!

They both skate with so much heart, and that's what gets me. Every. Single. Time. Even if it's not Valentine's Day.

 

[skatedreamer]

See people, this is what you miss when you don't follow the JGP. Here is Younghyun Cha of Korea skating to Erlkönig:

Younghyun CHA (KOR) | Men Short Program | Courchevel 2022 | #JGPFigure

To license ISU footage: https://bit.ly/3M7bcaF Visit https://isu.org/JuniorGrandPrix for more information on the ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating.Cour...

youtu.be

thanks for this!

I'm still not sold on Der Erlkönig as a piece for skaters but IMO Young-hyun is definitely a guy to watch.

 

[skatedreamer]

drifting again, but as @TontoK said, after 40+ pages I guess it's not so awful.

Re: Der Erlkönig, if anyone is interested in the Goethe poem on which the Schubert piece is based, here's a link:

German Literature - Der Erlkönig; The Erl King

Der Erlkönig; The Erl King (written and published 1782)

sites.google.com

The site describes the poem as "one of the spookiest poems ever written." I'm always amazed at how perfectly Schubert captured the sinister, frightening feeling of those words in his music.

 

[icewhite]

Free Skate:
Miura BV: 84
Messing BV: 76

SP:
Miura BV: 45
Messing BV: 41

Or in other words:
Miura had a 4S (neg GOE) and a 4T-3T in the short. 4T, 4S and 4t-3T in his free. Compared to
Messing with a 4T (fall), 3Lz-3T; 4T, 4T-2T, 3Lz-3T.

In which world does Messing win? Not in this era of figure skating for sure. It has nothing to do with the Japanese fed.
Of course Messing has the better skating skills and presentation. He did get PCS accordingly. Was Miura overscored in PCS if you take the ISU rules by the word? Sure. But it has been done like that all the time now, the only one to break this pattern and surpass others with seriously higher technical content on a regular basis was Brown - IF he skated everything abolutely clean and to perfection, and with the backing of the US fed and huge fanlove. Get your ultra c jumps right, that's like 85% of the result.

I am really surprised people actually thought Messing might win this.

 

[Ruthypegs]

See people, this is what you miss when you don't follow the JGP. Here is Younghyun Cha of Korea skating to Erlkönig:

Younghyun CHA (KOR) | Men Short Program | Courchevel 2022 | #JGPFigure

To license ISU footage: https://bit.ly/3M7bcaF Visit https://isu.org/JuniorGrandPrix for more information on the ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating.Cour...

youtu.be

brilliant! thank you for this. (The orchestral remix is far less unsettling than the piano and voice - and Younghyan Cha, although a fine skater, doesn't emit much menace!!)

 

[Ruthypegs]

HA !!!!! I guess for a pianist, the flashbacks are about the tour de force it is to play this... and would nix all memories of it in figure skating context LOL But yes indeed, I remember you saying you had to learn it at school !

The poem I remember learning and reciting in school was If by Kipling. Very powerful. It has only be set once to music... (in 2019 by Ron Beckett)... and I didn't find a recording of it...

Very high brow - the poem I remember learning and reciting in school was "Colonel Fazackerly Butterworth-Toast" by Charles Causley.....never set to music, as far as I know.....

 

[4everchan]

Very high brow - the poem I remember learning and reciting in school was "Colonel Fazackerly Butterworth-Toast" by Charles Causley.....never set to music, as far as I know.....

the colonel was never set to music.... yet.... but Causley has seen his texts set .. https://www.lieder.net/lieder/get_author_texts.html?AuthorId=7977

 

[CrazyKittenLady]

Very high brow - the poem I remember learning and reciting in school was "Colonel Fazackerly Butterworth-Toast" by Charles Causley.....never set to music, as far as I know.....

Haha, I googled it and had a good laugh.

 

[skatedreamer]

Haha, I googled it and had a good laugh.

I googled, too. The poem is a hoot...not to mention the polar opposite of The Erlking. The good Colonel's name all by itself was enough to make me LOL!

Poetry By Heart

www.poetrybyheart.org.uk

possible 21st century update: Colonel Fazackerley Avocado-Toast ???

 

[yesterday]

Haha, I googled it and had a good laugh.

same here

 

[yesterday]

I googled, too. The poem is a hoot...not to mention the polar opposite of The Erlking. The good Colonel's name all by itself was enough to make me LOL!

Poetry By Heart

www.poetrybyheart.org.uk

possible 21st century update: Colonel Fazackerley Avocado-Toast ???

Avocado-Bagel you mean?

 

[scoty]

I'd like to catch up on the free skates before Worlds this week (I know... procrastinator) but last time I tried to watch the ISU Youtube using a VPN there was a copyright block even after trying around 10 different countries. Has anyone figured out a VPN country that works? I was able to watch the rest of the event setting my VPN to United Kingdom, but the men's free skate in particular is the tricky one.