Eunsoo Lim to be coached by Arutunian

[shine]

That's not just completely unrelated to anything said in this thread and an obvious attempt at picking a fight, it's IMO even backfiring because... I don't see how Boyangs coach would be a worse choice. Hard to argue, since I'm not familiar with any students of theirs outside Boyang, and it makes a lot more sense to evaluate a coaches work with more then one skater. But, well.

Excuse me? We are discussing coaching here, are we not? People have expressed concerns over Eunsoo going to Raf and I saw some mention that they wish she had gone to Brian Orser instead, for example. So mentioning BO is relevant but not others? I suggested Boyang’s coach because some people believe he teaches excellent one-foot skating and has turned Jin’s subpar ss into something wonderful. Maybe you should stop picking a fight.

 

[oatmella]

I think I've mentioned at least a few times that Raf's main strength is coaching jumps - so obviously he helped Nathan get his quads. I don't think anyone is doubting that?

Nathan himself said he works with Raf primarily on jumps.

He does have great spins - but it doesn't seem like anyone is arguing that he doesn't need to improve his SS.

My main point was that I'm not sure if skaters since joining Team Raf have made noticeable improvements in these areas. Please feel free to give examples (other than Nathan) if I'm wrong here. And perhaps Nathan is not a good example since he has been with Raf full-time since age 13 - and has been the only skater to stay with Raf since childhood.

 

[sweetice]

Mariah Bell, Marin Honda, Eunsoo Lim.

Rafael Arutunian's group has just become the most attractive pack in figure skating, period.

Maybe is a casting for searching a wife for Nathan... lucky guy...

 

[Warwick360]

I... do not think this is a good idea...

I was hoping Orser. Not because Orser is Orser (the legend). But because Canada seemed to have a good Korean community when Yuna was training with Orser. Maybe she'd feel more at home. hwell:

 

[lappo]

I was hoping Orser. Not because Orser is Orser (the legend). But because Canada seemed to have a good Korean community when Yuna was training with Orser. Maybe she'd feel more at home. hwell:

Maybe one of the reasons for not chosing Orser is the fear of even more comparison with Yuna, she probably would be under even more pressure in her country...but I would have preferred Orser as well.

 

[mau]

I was hoping Orser. Not because Orser is Orser (the legend). But because Canada seemed to have a good Korean community when Yuna was training with Orser. Maybe she'd feel more at home. hwell:

Los Angeles has a large Korean community and it's not that far from Lakewood, she will be fine.

 

[yyyskate]

Do you really like watching Adam's back crossovers circa 2010? To me, his back was pumping up and down way too much back then and it was quite jarring to watch. (Not the kind of whole body skating I appreciate.) Obviously he's still no Patrick Chan and his crossovers still don't look that smooth compared to some other skaters but in my eyes, he's gotten better over the years in that department.

Also, didn't Nathan mostly get his spin and step levels this season? And I thought people actually liked his step sequences this year and thought his programs were pretty good, especially his Nemesis SP? IDK, it feels weird how in this thread people are suddenly talking about him as if he's been just doing sloppy steps and crappy programs the whole year with no attention to paid anything but the jumps...

ofc, I knew Adam's pumping cross-overs, it was there still now, really not much of an improvement. but the whole body skating, the speed and flow is indeed visibly lacking in Adam's current skating comparing to before.

Nathan's spins are fab in his baby days. his spins deteriorated during his years with Raf, with it worst at a couple of years ago. Nathan's spins only started to stabilize recent year (yes still have trouble get all lv 4 spins). and his stsq this season is his own deliberate effort to seek out help from Lori twice to get the levels.

The success of his recent senior programs should mostly credit to his choreographers (Shae, Lori and Marina). the choreo only get worse when he is away from those choreographers.

 

[Ophelia]

Maybe Orser turned her down?

 

[chopinskate]

Maybe Orser turned her down?

Somehow, I think it's unlikely they went to Orser. Though I guess with the Higuchi rumours, it might well have been "who came in first".

 

[oatmella]

I don't think Nathan is getting everything he needs at Team Raf, there does not appear to much importance placed on SS - from the evidence that I can see.

Raf himself has said, "After all program components are not actually an intelligence."

For example, from NY Times article 'Why Nathan Chen Shuns Sequins':

Nichol also felt that Chen was “using too much tension in his body” and “muscling things” with his skating stroke. So she brought in a blade-skills expert, Tracey Robertson-Hanford, to help Chen deepen his edges, enhance his rhythmic knee action and develop what appears to be effortless power and acceleration on the ice. The idea is for the skater to seem as if he is being pulled along by a magnet, conserving energy and performing with a sweeping gracefulness.

“I felt that mastering the blade would liberate Nathan’s body to do all the movement he can do,” Nichol said.

 

[Ophelia]

Somehow, I think it's unlikely they went to Orser. Though I guess with the Higuchi rumours, it might well have been "who came in first".

Why unlikely? Orser has 2 open student spots, and he has enough men skaters already.

 

[yyyskate]

I don't think Nathan is getting everything he needs at Team Raf. For example, from NY Times article 'Why Nathan Chen Shuns Sequins':

Nichol also felt that Chen was “using too much tension in his body” and “muscling things” with his skating stroke. So she brought in a blade-skills expert, Tracey Robertson-Hanford, to help Chen deepen his edges, enhance his rhythmic knee action and develop what appears to be effortless power and acceleration on the ice. The idea is for the skater to seem as if he is being pulled along by a magnet, conserving energy and performing with a sweeping gracefulness.

“I felt that mastering the blade would liberate Nathan’s body to do all the movement he can do,” Nichol said.

this is sooooo true about Nathan's current SS issue!!

i hope Nathan can learn more from his choreographers if he has to stuck with Raf.

 

[chopinskate]

Why unlikely? Orser has 2 open student spots, and he has enough men skaters already.

How does he have two spots?

 

[Ophelia]

^ He stated in an interview he's looking to take on 2 new skaters now that Olys are over.

 

[chopinskate]

^ He stated in an interview he's looking to take on 2 new skaters now that Olys are over.

Hmmm. Maybe because he didn't get the talks going with Higuchi being pushed, then?

 

[Ophelia]

^he said 2 spots during an interview at Olys, a month before the Higuchi rumors.

 

[SnowWhite]

Why unlikely? Orser has 2 open student spots, and he has enough men skaters already.

It seems as though Conrad Orzel has moved to TCC. No official announcement, but he's been skating there recently in his Instagram stories and it didn't seem like he was there for choreo. He was at YRSA before. But who knows whether he would be primarily working with Brian, if he is really there.

 

[Li'Kitsu]

^he said 2 spots during an interview at Olys, a month before the Higuchi rumors.

I think Brian said "1 or 2 new skaters" - and the Higuchi rumors are far older. They at least started during the GP. Tbh I think they are even older then that. When Brian gave that interview, Waka was very, very likely already accounted for, if she is going to TCC.

 

[Haleth]

It seems as though Conrad Orzel has moved to TCC. No official announcement, but he's been skating there recently in his Instagram stories and it didn't seem like he was there for choreo. He was at YRSA before. But who knows whether he would be primarily working with Brian, if he is really there.

Yes it does seem like Conrad is spending a lot of time there the past few weeks! No official word, and as you said he could be working with someone other than Brian if he's changed coaches. OTOH, in this article from January there's no hint of a planned coaching change. It may be that he's studying with a specialist coach at the CC, just like he will be working again with Raf again this summer on his jumps: http://www.cbc.ca/sports/thebond/2017/#conrad-orzel I guess we'll get some sort of confirmation eventually whether he's remaining with his old coach or moving on.

Brian Orser and the Chinese fed are currently negotiating some sort of arrangement for Boyang Jin. It may be temporary (maybe summer(s) only?) or an actual longer-term change, but it sounds like they would want Orser to work with Boyang's current coach. So unsure if he will be considered as one of those open slot(s) either.

And then there's Javi, who may also be there part-time if he decides to go for another Euros championship. Again no idea if him fully retiring would be the decisive factor on whether there was room for 1 or 2 people permanently for the upcoming season.

 

[SnowWhite]

Yes it does seem like Conrad is spending a lot of time there the past few weeks! No official word, and as you said he could be working with someone other than Brian if he's changed coaches. OTOH, in this article from January there's no hint of a planned coaching change. It may be that he's studying with a specialist coach at the CC, just like he will be working again with Raf again this summer on his jumps: http://www.cbc.ca/sports/thebond/2017/#conrad-orzel I guess we'll get some sort of confirmation eventually whether he's remaining with his old coach or moving on.

Brian Orser and the Chinese fed are currently negotiating some sort of arrangement for Boyang Jin. It may be temporary (maybe summer(s) only?) or an actual longer-term change, but it sounds like they would want Orser to work with Boyang's current coach. So unsure if he will be considered as one of those open slot(s) either.

And then there's Javi, who may also be there part-time if he decides to go for another Euros championship. Again no idea if him fully retiring would be the decisive factor on whether there was room for 1 or 2 people permanently for the upcoming season.

I would have guessed he wouldn't be at TCC if he was still going to go to Raf, but of course he could be doing both. Maybe skating skills work with Tracy? And he may not have been planning a change back then. Also, he may only have wanted to change to TCC. He wouldn't have made that public, especially since there would be no guarantee they'd take him.

But we'll find out. So many moving pieces. Conrad, Bpyang, maybe Wakaba.

Although it just occurred to me that TCC is in the same area where Conrad normally trains, so wouldn't he just go once a week or something (like Seguin/Bilodeau and Gadbois) to work on stuff, instead of being there for an extended period of time, the way he would with Raf since it's far? But anyways, who knows.