Is Alissa the One!!

[Mathman]

can someone let me in on the big secret alissa is always grinning about when she skates? plenty of people adore her and i want to be let in on this secret.

Sell it, sell it, sell it. When you fall, jump up with a big grin like, "fall, what fall? I didn't see any fall? Did you see a fall?"

Alissa is the anti-Butyrskaya. Every time Maria skated, even when she did well, she had a look on her face like, "oh brother, what a crumby travesty of a performance I'm inflicting on the audience, as usual."

 

[skfan]

Sell it, sell it, sell it. When you fall, jump up with a big grin like, "fall, what fall? I didn't see any fall? Did you see a fall?"

Alissa is the anto-Butyrskaya. Every time Maria skated, even when she did well, she had a look on her face like, "oh brother, what a crumby travesty of a performance I'm inflicting on the audience, as usual."

thanks for quoting me before i could delete it. if you can't say anything nice... LOL

still, the emotional range of that smile appears a bit constricted to me, and i don't think the exact same expression (someone else called it grinning broadly 24/7) is called for at different moments even in the same program, much less across different programs with different music and choreography. oh well, to each his or her own. i'm just saying i'm flummoxed because it appears one of the reasons her skating doesn't move me is the exact reason many people seem to adore her. but i can survive being left out this once

i quite prefer the nicely modulated smiles of ashley wagner (which has different settings, ranging all the way from 1 to 10), and the more natural feeling smiles of mirai nagasu.

alissa does have nice spins but i wish she could be freed from COP so that we can see more variety of spins with good speed. i really like her camel spins, for instance. it's not only alissa who's always yanking her leg over her head--it's COP, the epidemic of ugly spins is one of the reasons i can't fully embrace COP.

 

[janetfan]

alissa does have nice spins but i wish she could be freed from COP so that we can see more variety of spins with good speed. i really like her camel spins, for instance. it's not only alissa who's always yanking her leg over her head--it's COP, the epidemic of ugly spins is one of the reasons i can't fully embrace COP.

I think CoP spiral requirements are even more annoying than some of the spins.

I am not so sure but wonder if CoP should forget judging spirals as an element and maybe consider them under transitions or even interpretation. Maybe then we would see more flowing spirals again that would actually seem to enhance a program - rather than artisitically hindering them.

I think the spirals look so silly, repetitive and unattractive at times .......

 

[skfan]

I think CoP spiral requirements are even more annoying than some of the spins.

I am not so sure but wonder if CoP should forget judging spirals as an element and maybe consider them under transitions or even interpretation. Maybe then we would see more flowing spirals again that would actually seem to enhance a program - rather than artisitically hindering them.

I think the spirals look so silly, repetitive and unattractive at times .......

true many of the spirals are ugly and because of the time requirements just don't fit the music. not referring to alissa's spiral in particular, just replying to janetfan here--although i dislike the sticking out elbows on the forward charlotte--it reminds me of stretching before P.E. class--i don't like it on caroline zhang, either!

that's why i prefer to have the spiral be ONE of the elements skaters can select--along w/ ina bauer, layback spins (so that the ones who do ugly laybacks can just leave them out), other moves in the field, footwork, whatever--to show off how snazzy they are--and maybe have the skaters pick 2 of 3 or 1 of 3 to include in each short or long program, like a chinese take out menu--and that way we don't have to see aesthetically blah moves that are timed to last half the program (feels like half the program, anyway)

 

[silverlake22]

Yeah! Just throw in Ashley and Mirai; I certainly wouldn't mind any 2 of the 4! (Not going to happen but I can dream).

Alissa is a beautiful, graceful skater but everytime she jumps I'm terrified (Oh skate gods be kind ). When she's on though; she's a thing of beauty. Recently, she's been really fighting for her programmes (eg RoC) and her nerves appear to be holding better now (at least I hope so).

That said, I'm praying for her to be on at Nationals and make the Olympic Team.

She has been landing a lot more of her jumps recently then before, but I think she still often gets downgrades, on her flip and loop especially (I think). Like Mirai, she has to rotate to make it to the podium. At worlds in 2007 she put up what looked to be a great program, she only fell once and the rest of her landings were solid, but her FS came in 12th place even with all her lovely artistry because she had a lot of downgrades. He freeskate at Cup of Russia also appeared to be great but she got 4th because I think again she had a few UR calls on her triples. I don't know how a skater really goes about trying to fix that though...more strength training for the legs?

 

[Dee4707]

Hmmm, I only remember this time when he had some troubles

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLMlt3Noavg

and even this was still beautiful skating.

Otherwise, he always seemed so reliable I don't know why it would be considered so nerve wracking watching him skate.

ahhhhhhhh Janetfan....you so quickly forgot 2001 Goodwill games. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZ4_O7wbKjI&feature=PlayList&p=5296A1FDFB9FE62F&index=44&playnext=2&playnext_from=PL ....Plus it was the Olympics....Plus Plush got such inflated marks. You just never know.

I can tell you are not cut out to root for Alissa or Tomas - they would simply shatter you

I think they would.

 

[chuckm]

She has been landing a lot more of her jumps recently then before, but I think she still often gets downgrades, on her flip and loop especially (I think). Like Mirai, she has to rotate to make it to the podium. At worlds in 2007 she put up what looked to be a great program, she only fell once and the rest of her landings were solid, but her FS came in 12th place even with all her lovely artistry because she had a lot of downgrades. He freeskate at Cup of Russia also appeared to be great but she got 4th because I think again she had a few UR calls on her triples. I don't know how a skater really goes about trying to fix that though...more strength training for the legs?

I think the lack of confidence in her jumps is what causes the URs. She doesn't go for them whole-hog because of a fear of falling. So she doesn't get them all the way around. It's self-fulfilling prophecy.

 

[plushyta]

Maybe you can move this post to Ashley's thread plushyta? I am sure Ashley's fans would appreciate it.

Good point! :agree: (... you see that me still is not working brain :sheesh: )

 

[silverlake22]

That would make sense. Alissa is not a very fast skater and speed probably helps with the jumps

 

[semosk8tfan]

Alissa just scored the 3rd highest short program score in the GP series this year: 63.52. That also is the highest for any US lady. I think she is making her case that she is serious about defending her US title.

 

[R.D.]

I think she is making her case that she is serious about defending her US title.

Not necessarily. She's just an inconsistent skater- some days she is ON, other days you wonder what got into her.

 

[Trewyn]

Alissa will need a FS of 110,8 to edge out Flatt in the standings to make the GPF; should the standings remain as they are now (Joannie in first; Akiko below fourth and Alissa herself in 2nd). Not impossible, I guess... If she wins; the FS score doesn't matter; she's in the final.

 

[janetfan]

Not necessarily. She's just an inconsistent skater- some days she is ON, other days you wonder what got into her.

I am just itching to give you a comeback RD - but I better wait until after the LP

I didn't see any of the SP's yet but am glad to hear Alissa skated so well. :yes:

 

[chrissy51]

Olympic team for Alissa

I want so much for Alissa to make the Olympic team but I can't root for her because I'm afraid she'll get on the team, bump a more consistant skater like Rachael Flatt and then let her nerves kill her at the Olympics

 

[R.D.]

I want so much for Alissa to make the Olympic team but I can't root for her because I'm afraid she'll get on the team, bump a more consistant skater like Rachael Flatt and then let her nerves kill her at the Olympics

I think the nerves will kill her at Nats, forget about Olys.

 

[Tinymavy15]

I think the nerves will kill her at Nats, forget about Olys.

Right, what do they always say "defending your title is the hardest"
Alissa does not have a great track record of shaking nerves as it is, never mind the pressure pot that will be nationals.

 

[amateur]

Hmmm.... I notice that for Alissa's thread here, it is expressed not as a question, but as a statement. I guess that answers it then. (Let's move on! )

 

[silverlake22]

I want so much for Alissa to make the Olympic team but I can't root for her because I'm afraid she'll get on the team, bump a more consistant skater like Rachael Flatt and then let her nerves kill her at the Olympics

I'm worried about that too. If she medals at SC, and goes the the GPF...it's starting to look a lot like her situation in 2005. Great at the grand prixs, decent at the GPF, everything was all set for her to make the olympic team and then at nationals she choked and was 7th and didn't get to go.
I tend to think Rachael will go to the Olympics, but if Alissa keeps this up I think she is the logical 2nd choice (so long as Sasha doesn't try to get on the US team after not competing for 3 years...). With Mirai and Caroline's recent issues, I think Alissa, Rachael, and Ashley are our top 3 as of now. Rachael and Ashley are kinda similair to me, but I think Rachael is more consistent and has better jumps, so I think it should be Rachael and Alissa.

I doubt Alissa will meltdown at nats...she might not regain her title, but I think she will finish somewhere on the podium. As for the olympics, I tend to think the pressure might get to her there, but at that point she will have made it to the Olympics so it won't really matter. I suspect that if she goes to the Olympics and then doesn't perform well, she will retire from skating, as she reached her goal of going to the Olympics but realized with her nerves (and limited technical ability) a medal finish at a big event like the olympics or worlds is not likely to happen.

 

[katiedear]

alissa

Alissa has and reverts to bad technique when she gets nervous. She is lovely to look at but really has to muscle those jumps to land them. She has it all; looks, costumes, beautiful programs, great spins - but she also has technical problems with her jumps.

 

[silverlake22]

Alissa has and reverts to bad technique when she gets nervous. She is lovely to look at but really has to muscle those jumps to land them. She has it all; looks, costumes, beautiful programs, great spins - but she also has technical problems with her jumps.

ITA, and another one of her issues is speed. Though she isn't as slow as Caroline Zhang, she is one of the slower skaters out there (I'd put her even with or even a little slower than Rachael Flatt). I think if she had more speed going into her jumps she'd land them and rotate them more consistently.

If she won't speed up her skating though, then she should look into more intense off ice training so she can become stronger and fix her jumps without speed. I know her signature look is long and lean, but she doesn't appear to be particularly muscular and some extra strength training for her legs and even upper body probably would help her jumps a lot. The most consistent skaters do a lot of off ice training, at least I know this is true of Yuna and Rachael, both of whom work out in a gym a lot