Campbell's Cup - on TV TODAY!

MKFSfan · Oct 15, 2006

I think Kimmie and Emily have interesting programs and hope they are able to develop them as the season goes on, so that they peak at Nationals/Worlds.

I loved Mai! I found her the most musical of all the ladies. Hopefully RA is able to help her with her jumps and her spins improve.

Mao Vs. Kimmie...not sure if this "rivalry" will live up to the hype. I thought Mao looked to be going through the motions, which I didn't think last year. Hopefully it's just a matter of getting used to a new program and new coach. I definitely think Mai is the more artistic of the two, but in the long run I expect Mao to be the better package, epecially with COP.

Sasha toured all summer and did Japan COI. If she was serious about Campbells, she certainly had enough ice time to be ready, even without new programs. Dark Eyes should be like 2nd nature, so I'm guessing not doing 3flip (popped) or 3lutz/2toe (struggled a bit) on tour is what hindered being ready (did lovely 2axle after including it in her GBA exhibition all summer). I noticed she didn't do a beillmann in her layback, and actually, her layback seemed stiffer, slower than usual. Her spiral sequence, while still the class of the night, was not up to par with her usual ability, so hope she's not hurting. All in all, I'm sick of hearing excuses. Emily took SAT's yesterday, and other skaters are busy with school, so the fact she's doing acting and skating should not be such a topic for why Sasha did not do her best. So what if she wants to act. That's her decision. I just don't care to hear she wasn't prepared BECAUSE she is exploring an acting career.

Miki...please fix that spiral sequence! Everything else looked SOOOO much improved from last year! I love how she gets picked on for dropping her chest in her spirals, but what about Emily? Not a word.
http://images.sportsline.com/u/ap/photos/OHTU115101519_lower.jpg

Fast fowarded thru mens...gotta watch!

Spun Silver · Oct 15, 2006

janka said:
also I guess i prefered more his smooth and delicate performances, this looked not like him to me and I felt that the first time ever

I had the same reaction. I listened to the commentators raving about his "new masculine style" and I just thought, Bring back the androgynous Johnny. IMO any weaknesses he has have NOTHING to do with his looking like a he-man out there. I love his unique old style - including the glitter, gloves, and other strokes of fashion - and hope he returns to it soon.

Jasper · Oct 15, 2006

Longhornliz said:
I wish they would have aired the pairs portion of the competition. I love naomi nari nam and I hope that she is able to achieve great success with her pairs career. I think it is interesting how the popularity of ice dance has grown so much in the US. In days of old they would have shown pairs in lieu of ice dance when pressed for time. I think we can thank tanith and ben for this paradigm shift. Also the popularity of "dancing with the stars" and other dance shows.

To be honest, pairs is in pretty poor shape at the present. Just look at last year's Worlds with very few memorable programs. These days we have the Chinese teams but they still leave much of the in-between stuff to be desired, the mediocre/not particularly original Canadian teams, the improving but still lacking Inoue/Baldwin, and maybe vets Petrova/Tikhonov who are cookie-cutter Russian. I miss the days of Mishkitunek/Dmitriev and Gordeeva/Grinkov, or even B/S vs. S/P in 2001-2002.

On the other hand, ice dance does have its problems but is becoming more and more dynamic. I am so excited for this upcoming season, especially if all the veteran teams from last year are returning.

mememe · Oct 15, 2006

mzheng said:
Heard Mike weiss was mentioned. Saying he is not officially retired yet. But where is Mathew S.? Heard he going to Connell study the law. But does he giveup skating completely? He never been judged fairly. And where is Ryan J.?

I didn't see this, but was this Mike saying he's not officially "retired" yet? If so, then he will be in two weeks or he'll be pulling out of Ice Wars, because he's scheduled to be in that event on Nov. 2 and that would definitely turn him pro (unless the ISU has decided to "sanction" this always all-pro event and the event has agreed to accept that sanction).

Jasper · Oct 15, 2006

As for my overall reactions, I completely agree that Johnny's new program is NOT in the least bit fitting to his style. Didn't he learn last season that he could not pull off the ugly, choppy techno music? I think his attempts to look more masculine are probably in reaction to his insecurity after the post-Olympic fall-out with the American public. But all in all, he was not pulling off the look to me, and I'd rather see him go back to programs that suit his flow and style like the Otonal or Rondo Capriccioso, even if it is "feminine."

Lysacek gets a poor rating for keeping the same music, which is no longer fresh or dramatic. And his spins were awful. More and more I'm becoming disinterested with his skating style - it doesn't seem natural or from the heart.

Oda was brilliant and I love that, besides the occasionally questionable triple axel, you can always count on him to pull off the other triple jumps with incredible spring and steadiness. Oda will always be a more consistent competitor than Takahashi because his jumping technique is SO flawless!!! Takahashi always comes across as sloppy to me, but I do love his expressiveness and music selection, from Tango de Roxanne (Moulin Rouge) to Phantom of the Opera!

For dance, Dubreuil/Lauzon were lovely as usual. They have found the perfect recipe the past two seasons and every program becomes an unfolding romance you can't take your eyes off of. Their creativty on lifts and passion in expression should be rewarded this season. I find them significantly more sophisticated skaters than Belbin/Agosto.

With the women, I agree that Meissner's program is MUCH better than last year's and I'm happy to see her growth in maturity. However, I don't think she'll ever be as consistent a jumper as Mao, who needs to step up the emotional element. And I also don't buy that Kimmie vs. Mao is the rivalry of the future with no other challengers - there are plenty of skaters who will match them. I was most impressed by Mai with her beautiful artistry (she was so much nicer to watch than her younger sister) and Miki, seemingly reinvigorated and rejuvinated.

Jasper · Oct 15, 2006

mzheng said:
Heard Mike weiss was mentioned. Saying he is not officially retired yet. But where is Mathew S.? Heard he going to Connell study the law. But does he giveup skating completely? He never been judged fairly. And where is Ryan J.?

Ryan Jahnke, who I love and miss, wrote on his personal website at the end of last season that he plans on taking a break from competitive skating for a while, if not indefinitely. I have a feeling he prolly won't skate at Nationals again.

Right now he's taking classes while also coaching on the side, and he is excited by the new challenges that coaching another skater pose for him.

debdelilah · Oct 15, 2006

Spun Silver said:
I had the same reaction. I listened to the commentators raving about his "new masculine style" and I just thought, Bring back the androgynous Johnny. IMO any weaknesses he has have NOTHING to do with his looking like a he-man out there. I love his unique old style - including the glitter, gloves, and other strokes of fashion - and hope he returns to it soon.

I disagree a bit; not that I don't like his old style, but that I like versatility. Since he's trying this for the first time, it can't match the style he's finessed over time--not yet. But it takes courage to branch out. I got a good vibe from "Chess"; the only thing I didn't like was that the commentators were making it seem like the style change was about masculinity. It seems like there's an implied value judgement that bothers me; I didn't like that Dick said the masculinity implied strength of character.
I wish it weren't such an either/or, all or nothing question. People are people, not categories; and femininity doesn't imply lack of character. If they stopped trying to make this about gender, I'd feel a lot better about it.

chuckm · Oct 15, 2006

About Evan: He hasn't had the "Carmen" problem for a whole season. He did it for the first time at NHK last December, having ditched his "Grease" program. He is planning to replace "Carmen" with a new FS before Nationals.

About D/L: This new FD is too much like their FD from last year, but watered down and with less effective music. The ISU judges don't like repeat programs, but in Ice Dance in particular, they like the top teams to show some versatility. It almost looks as if D/L are sticking to the soft, romantic themes because it masks their lack of speed. That may not be true, but the danger is the judges may see it that way. If D/L want to upgrade their silver medal to gold, this program is not the way to do it.

mzheng · Oct 15, 2006

mememe said:
I didn't see this, but was this Mike saying he's not officially "retired" yet? If so, then he will be in two weeks or he'll be pulling out of Ice Wars, because he's scheduled to be in that event on Nov. 2 and that would definitely turn him pro (unless the ISU has decided to "sanction" this always all-pro event and the event has agreed to accept that sanction).

It was from Terry's comment when they mentioned the Johnny and Evan will lead the US team this season. And Scott more likely be the third spots in US.

chuckm · Oct 15, 2006

You never know who's going to show up at Nationals and have a fantastic skate. Parker Pennington won silver at Nebelhorn and may improve on his 9th place finish at 2006 Nationals, where he was just 10 points behind Smith. Stephen Carriere is moving up to Seniors and has a quad.

kyla2 · Oct 15, 2006

Campbell's

Meissner's presentation has improved considerably. I liked her total package best. It remains to be seen who will end up on top this year. Sasha said it best when she admitted that she can't explore other life options and skate at a 100% effectiveness. I don't think for one minute she will be competitive for the next Olympics if she pursues her other options this year. She doesn't have a year to lose. I miss Michelle, Irina, and Shizuka. I don't know if anyone else noticed the empty seats or not but I would bet the absence of Michelle was a major factor.

mememe · Oct 15, 2006

mzheng said:
It was from Terry's comment when they mentioned the Johnny and Evan will lead the US team this season. And Scott more likely be the third spots in US.

Thank you! Oh, and in regard to Ryan Jahnke, he's on the cast list for Brian Boitano's Skating Spectacular in Loveland, Colo., this December. I'm really looking forward to seeing him skate there. In the past, eligible skaters have had to get a sanction from USFS in order to skate in these Disson shows, so it'll be interesting to see if he gets one in order to retain his eligibility.

sk8addict · Oct 15, 2006

Better hurry

If Kimmie wants a national title she better get it together this year. Here comes Caroline Zhang. I expect she will win Juniors this year and win Seriors the next. I don't think Kimmie has improved. I think her Choerography has improved. For the first time they hired Lori Nichol and before her coach was doing it. Kimmie skates like NancyK and Hughes skates almost as good as Tonya. Caroline will be the new Michelle or Shasha. Take your pick.

mzheng · Oct 15, 2006

sk8addict said:
Kimmie skates like NancyK and Hughes skates almost as good as Tonya.

Lol. How percisely. Only Kimmie is more consistant than Nancy. In some sense they both looked 'stiff' on ice to me. As for Emily and Tonya they couldn't look more alike if you watch the clips shown them (to me almost looke self promoted) exciting on finishing the program.

R.D. · Oct 15, 2006

sk8addict said:
If Kimmie wants a national title she better get it together this year. Here comes Caroline Zhang. I expect she will win Juniors this year and win Seriors the next. I don't think Kimmie has improved. I think her Choerography has improved. For the first time they hired Lori Nichol and before her coach was doing it. Kimmie skates like NancyK and Hughes skates almost as good as Tonya. Caroline will be the new Michelle or Shasha. Take your pick.

ok, just WHO is this Caroline Zhang? I keep hearing about her all over the place. Is she THAT good? We hear about these "phenomenons" and then they tend to die out once they get up here.

But as for Kimmie, it's only the beginning of the season. It would be stupid to think she would have any trouble this year based on that one performance. Heck, did anyone think she'd be World champion after seeing her GP skates last year?

mzheng · Oct 16, 2006

Red Dog said:
ok, just WHO is this Caroline Zhang? I keep hearing about her all over the place. Is she THAT good? We hear about these "phenomenons" and then they tend to die out once they get up here.

See for yourself

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_NxYVm6AjE

Jaana · Oct 16, 2006

Just a few short comments about the skaters (men and ladies):

Ando - I really enjoyed her programme and her skating looks so much more artistic

Mai Asada - what a beautiful and elegant skating style! She is truly artistic, in my opinon.

Mao Asda - it will be really exciting to see her skating at Worlds... This programme really suits her and she interprets the music very well.

Cohen - she had a bit technical difficulties, but her elegant looking skating style is always such a huge joy to watch!

Hughes - as in previous season I really like her skating! This was a good performance for middle October, I believe that she will be amazing at Worlds.

Lysacek - WOW, I really love his skating style!!! He has exactly what is needed to interpret music like Carmen. A lot of spunk... I think the music suits him better than any other recent or older skater.

Meissner - her new long programme really suits her. It will be exciting to watch it later in season, meaning the Worlds.

Nakaniwa - I don´t remember having seen his skating earlier. One more expressive Japanese skater. Lots of jump difficulties.

Oda - oh my, the season will be so exciting in men´s skating!!!

Smith - I think that some other piece of music (powerful and more exciting) might suit him better and would give ideas for the choreography.

Takahashi - his flow on the ice is so amazing and what a wonderful interpretation... I´m looking forward to see this number without the constant blabbering by the commentators!!! Button says fifty words as five would be enough.

Weir - now Weir´s skating looks really slow, one might expect a more powerful performance later in season, perhaps. As a programme it is nice, but I´m not sure if it really suits Weir, yet. At least he is trying something new, and that is good.

What a bother that the commentators feel the need to speak so much during performances!!! It will be a real treat to be able to watch the programmes without that constant blabbering at Worlds broadcast, LOL.

R.D. · Oct 16, 2006

mzheng said:
See for yourself

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_NxYVm6AjE

Don't want to "hijack" the thread but she's definitely got potential. Very bendy, too...wasn't expecting that. Much better than I was expecting. But as I always say we have to wait until she starts competing at this level and everything is factored in first.

brinababy87 · Oct 16, 2006

Here are my (very amateurish) pictures from the event.

Vash01 · Oct 16, 2006

Of all the ladies I enjoyed Mai Asada's performance the most. Loved Miki's SP but she needs to do something about her spiral. None of the other ladies skated up to the hype. Mao was particularly disappointing- not looking comfortable with the new program. I liked Kimmie's program although she had some problems with the jumps and finished below Mao.

I loved Johnny's new SP. I have yet to dislike a program skated by him; may be I am biased. However, I feel that it is good for him to try different types of music and styles for his artistic development. I like Karl Jenkin's Allegretto very much, and I liked Johnny's interpretation.

Takahashi was a big disappointment. He is such a talented skater; I wish he was consistent with his jumps the way Oda is. Oda skated very well, but he still looks unpolished in his artistry. He had the best program of the men though. Evan skated last year's program and still the rust showed. It was a respectable skate but not outstanding. I was impressed with Nakaniwa's musical interpretation. If only he could land the jumps...!

I did not care for Scott Smith's outfit or his musical interpretation, but he landed most of his jumps (except the quad salchow). That's a good start.

B&A's costumes were great but the OD was not quite ready- yet. D&L seemed more comfortable with their dance though.

Since this was the first 'competition' of the year, it was understandable that many skaters did not look comfortable with their new programs.

Campbell's Cup - on TV TODAY!

MKFSfan

Spun Silver

Jasper

mememe

Jasper

Jasper

debdelilah

chuckm

mzheng

chuckm

kyla2

mememe

sk8addict

mzheng

R.D.

mzheng

Jaana

R.D.

brinababy87

Vash01

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