State of U.S. Ladies' skating 2016-17
- Thread starter R.D.
- Start date
- Joined
- Feb 17, 2010
So CONGRATS MIRAI ON YOUR WIN AT AUTUMN CLASSIC!!!
That is a great result. She beat a few good skaters there, despite an edge call, four < and one <<.
I was browsing through the comments in this thread trying to find some compliments for Ashley's amazing showing at JO but I was not able to find much... I really liked her new lyrical image, and how she presented it, her program, her dress, not too mention the fact that she was able to maintain her great technical form through the summer and carry it over into the next season. Why is there always so much hype about Gracie, and there is so little appreciation for Ashley?
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- Joined
- Apr 4, 2016
None of that is her fault. You may percieve that she's not a nice person but she's never really done anything bad to anyone. She's very kind to people generally and interacts very well with other skaters.
As for USFS, can you really blame them? In practice Gracie for the past few year has had such solid technical skills if she ever put it together with her nerves she could be such a threat to the current top ladies. This thread has so many comments about how sad the state of the US ladies currently is. The 9 year medal drought wasn't because of her, she came in 2014 and the USFS finally had a contender. Of course they've given her chance after chance, they don't have too many options. Gracie is getting the scores she needs when she does well, and that is up to the judges of the event. PCS isn't just about percieved performance but about skating skills. She consistenty does well with PCS regardless of what us non judges think. That's no reason to hate her, it's not her fault, she doesn't make the scores.
- Joined
- Apr 4, 2016
Hardly.
When you grow up with it, you actually know how to use it to injure others. I've seen it too often.
Gracie needs to stop looking up tweets about herself. I notice that she favors tweets badmouthing her where the person doesn't even mention Gracie by her Twitter handle.
She's also mentioned on the record how social media hurts her feelings, etc.
That's what I was pointing out in my initial post. There is so much hateful stuff on twitter over things she does not control, it's sad to me that she looks it up and actually reads it. That in some way has to be contributing to her perfomance.
- Joined
- Apr 4, 2016
Gracie seems to give up after a mistake, that's because she is a perfectionist and Ashley is not. I honestly wish Gracie and Ashley would train together for a month sk Gracie could learn from her. Ashley had a lot of hate directed toward her for a long time and she learned to rise above it and let her skating do the talking.
- Joined
- Apr 4, 2016
Ashley's new program is beautiful! I love it! She did have a problem with a jumping pass (my eyes could have been wrong) but she kept her feet and it was a beautiful performance!
I can't wait to see how she grows it this season!
(I think the reason so many are talking about Gracie was because she had her worst meltdown ever and it was sad.)
- Joined
- Oct 30, 2012
Gracie looks unprepared to say the least. While other ladies look excited and happy to be there, she does not look happy at all. Maybe her issue is not just about skating. She does not seem to have that fight to win kind of spirit like Ashely and Russian ladies. I really hope Mirai and Polina rise up and challenge her place domestically so that she gets a mad awakening or something like that.
By the way, it looks white (Gracie, Ashely, Satoko, Rika) and light pink (Anna, Wakaba, Maria) are the colors of the new season.
By the way, it looks white (Gracie, Ashely, Satoko, Rika) and light pink (Anna, Wakaba, Maria) are the colors of the new season.
- Joined
- Jan 11, 2014
I wouldn't say it's because one is more of a perfectionist than the other. I think it has more to do with levels of expectations for each skater. Even after finishing off the podium at Worlds, people still expect Gracie to be World champion. Ashley might've ended the medal drought for the U.S. ladies, but that seems to have been overshadowed by the expectations for Gracie. I think Ashley also feels she has to prove that her silver medal wasn't just a fluke.
- Joined
- Apr 4, 2016
Being a perfectionist means that if you make one mistake you don't even want to continue. One mistake means your off balance and it would be easier to start over. I understand this, it's how I have been my whole life with classical piano. One stumble will inevitably lead to more. This is how Gracie is. Ashley on the other hand makes a mistake and then fights for every point. They are different in their mindsets. Both can be inconsistent but Gracie melts down completely a few times a year due to that perfectionist mindset. I've heard her speak about it and I understand it.
Wow wow so much to digest on this thread right now.
First of all huge congrats to Mirai and Ashley. Congrats to Ashley for a dynamite debut this season and looking like she's ready to live up to the title of World Silver Medalist. The packaging is wonderful and Shae Lynn has given her a great vehicle that I think works towards Ashley strengths while also pushing her artistically.
And awesome for Mirai to win here. The jumps were not there, but the spins sure were and I wanna give her big props for not imploding. She said after her massively successful short she was really nervous about living up to expectations in the long. She hasn't been in this position probably since Nationals 2011. So while the skate itself wasn't a home run I think the whole experience was a really valuable one for her. Plus she earned mostly 8s for PCS which is getting her in the ball park for the other top skaters. Her total here was right there with her Worlds total. I can't remember a season where Mirai was posting scores like this so early in the year.
As per Gracie. I think I like the construction of this program. Will look forward to seeing a more complete performance. She looked so dejected after the fall on the loop and I don't blame her. Those were Pogo grade falls.
Also, as a fellow Millennial who came of age during the rise of Social Media I think these black and white statements about "handling" oneself with social media because you're in your 20s is unfair and not very informed. Unfortunately for an athlete like Gracie, if she wants to be able to make the most of her career from a financial standpoint, which I think she has every right to and more power to her, she can't just shut off Social Media. I could go into the finer nuances of my opinion but I'll save them for a different thread.
At the end of the day, Social Media is woven into our generations experience and knowing how to shut it off and still maintain a presence that is highly valuable to an athlete like Gracie is not something that has been thoughtfully addressed or taken on. We didn't create this beast. But we were fed it and we now are criticized for utilizing it... but I digress...
First of all huge congrats to Mirai and Ashley. Congrats to Ashley for a dynamite debut this season and looking like she's ready to live up to the title of World Silver Medalist. The packaging is wonderful and Shae Lynn has given her a great vehicle that I think works towards Ashley strengths while also pushing her artistically.
And awesome for Mirai to win here. The jumps were not there, but the spins sure were and I wanna give her big props for not imploding. She said after her massively successful short she was really nervous about living up to expectations in the long. She hasn't been in this position probably since Nationals 2011. So while the skate itself wasn't a home run I think the whole experience was a really valuable one for her. Plus she earned mostly 8s for PCS which is getting her in the ball park for the other top skaters. Her total here was right there with her Worlds total. I can't remember a season where Mirai was posting scores like this so early in the year.
As per Gracie. I think I like the construction of this program. Will look forward to seeing a more complete performance. She looked so dejected after the fall on the loop and I don't blame her. Those were Pogo grade falls.
Also, as a fellow Millennial who came of age during the rise of Social Media I think these black and white statements about "handling" oneself with social media because you're in your 20s is unfair and not very informed. Unfortunately for an athlete like Gracie, if she wants to be able to make the most of her career from a financial standpoint, which I think she has every right to and more power to her, she can't just shut off Social Media. I could go into the finer nuances of my opinion but I'll save them for a different thread.
At the end of the day, Social Media is woven into our generations experience and knowing how to shut it off and still maintain a presence that is highly valuable to an athlete like Gracie is not something that has been thoughtfully addressed or taken on. We didn't create this beast. But we were fed it and we now are criticized for utilizing it... but I digress...
I'm sorry that Gracie skated so badly at the JO.
But looking back at last year's JO, it was Ashley who did poorly.
JO is what we use to call a cheesefest---basically a competition featuring big names who are sure to fill lots of seats. The US used to have at least 2 cheesefests a year back in the day when figureskating was a popular sport in the US.
Japanese audiences are crazy about figureskating, so now Japan is the country hosting cheesefests and ice shows of all kinds. And the Japanese cheer for EVERYONE, even if some don't perform as well as others.
But looking back at last year's JO, it was Ashley who did poorly.
JO is what we use to call a cheesefest---basically a competition featuring big names who are sure to fill lots of seats. The US used to have at least 2 cheesefests a year back in the day when figureskating was a popular sport in the US.
Japanese audiences are crazy about figureskating, so now Japan is the country hosting cheesefests and ice shows of all kinds. And the Japanese cheer for EVERYONE, even if some don't perform as well as others.
- Joined
- Nov 19, 2013
I'll offer up opinions on what I watched. There's a huge internet outage in my corner of the desert, so I'm working off a lame butt hot spot from my phone :/ More thoughts to come later.
First, Mirai's short is a masterpiece! I really think this will be one of those programs we look back on and hold up as an example. Huge congrats to her.
Ashley and Gracie: Ashley just looks prepared. I love the program, and she's darn close technically. Big improvement on her spins. I'm getting a feeling that she's only on the way up. Gracie left me feeling sad. The music is gorgeous, I think the choreography is there, too. But it's hard to imagine it in it's best state with all her mistakes. I'm also not a fan of the white dress. It fades into the ice way too much. I hope we can see it develop through the season and realize it's full potential like Sarah's 2002 Daphne et Chloe.
Big Congrats to Caroline on her regionals and Mariah on her bronze in Bratislava! Should be a fun season
First, Mirai's short is a masterpiece! I really think this will be one of those programs we look back on and hold up as an example. Huge congrats to her.
Ashley and Gracie: Ashley just looks prepared. I love the program, and she's darn close technically. Big improvement on her spins. I'm getting a feeling that she's only on the way up. Gracie left me feeling sad. The music is gorgeous, I think the choreography is there, too. But it's hard to imagine it in it's best state with all her mistakes. I'm also not a fan of the white dress. It fades into the ice way too much. I hope we can see it develop through the season and realize it's full potential like Sarah's 2002 Daphne et Chloe.
Big Congrats to Caroline on her regionals and Mariah on her bronze in Bratislava! Should be a fun season
- Joined
- Nov 18, 2014
So.
Vivian melted down at Regionals and Gracie melted down at JO. In the same weekend.
I think I'm a curse. :hopelessness:
Okay, maybe not really. But I'm sad for them. And I have a lot of fan superstitions. Not a good combination.
Example: I will sometimes try to "reverse-jinx" a skater by placing them lower than I think they will actually place in my predictions. It never works, but I do it anyway. A good example of the kind of fan I am: I try to control the outcomes of things that I am not in control of by doing things like that. It sounds dumb and probably makes me seem slightly unstable
, but watching skating makes me a nervous wreck, and I will figuratively implode if I don't do something "proactive" so I feel like I've "done my part" in helping the skaters skate well. It's nonsensical, I know. But it can't hurt to try 
Vivian melted down at Regionals and Gracie melted down at JO. In the same weekend.
I think I'm a curse. :hopelessness:
Okay, maybe not really. But I'm sad for them. And I have a lot of fan superstitions. Not a good combination.
Example: I will sometimes try to "reverse-jinx" a skater by placing them lower than I think they will actually place in my predictions. It never works, but I do it anyway. A good example of the kind of fan I am: I try to control the outcomes of things that I am not in control of by doing things like that. It sounds dumb and probably makes me seem slightly unstable
, but watching skating makes me a nervous wreck, and I will figuratively implode if I don't do something "proactive" so I feel like I've "done my part" in helping the skaters skate well. It's nonsensical, I know. But it can't hurt to try
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Oh come on, Mrs. P. She's a 21 years old girl. Log off twitter if it's going out of control. Better yet, delete the account.
They don't ever delete their social media account because you know why? There's a benefit to having massive following. Advertisers like that if Gracie can tweet about her favorite ice cream or whatever. It's very attractive.
It's hard to feel bad for someone who can and will capitalize on their social media. Let's get real. She doesn't give a crap about some losers sitting in piles of trash in his underwear mean-tweeting her. She's in it for the financial reward.
- Joined
- Nov 21, 2014
congrats to caroline!
she's the one who had the hip surgery a few years ago right? she was on TSL w/ her boyfriend once? wish her the best!
I can't wait to see Ashley's new short. I like her LP, but I think it made me notice just how lacking her skating skills are. It's very slow, and there aren't many unique positions where she curves her back or anything. It feels like everything is very stiff, not that much flexibility or quick smooth fast movements. She's always in an upright position, not a lot of variety in movement. I hadn't realized how slow she was til this program. Also, everything was done on center ice. No real ice coverage or speed or turns. Is there any hope that she'll improve on this in the near future?
I love her so I hope her basic SS improves but alas it seems very unlikely. Hopefully the short is more diverse in transitions and choreographic positions.
In prior seasons I could never understand why people would dislike her skating but now I can sort of see why. But she's still my favorite and she brings a wonderful joy to the ice and amazing interpretation skills and is definitely worthy of being a world silver medalist.
she's the one who had the hip surgery a few years ago right? she was on TSL w/ her boyfriend once? wish her the best!
I can't wait to see Ashley's new short. I like her LP, but I think it made me notice just how lacking her skating skills are. It's very slow, and there aren't many unique positions where she curves her back or anything. It feels like everything is very stiff, not that much flexibility or quick smooth fast movements. She's always in an upright position, not a lot of variety in movement. I hadn't realized how slow she was til this program. Also, everything was done on center ice. No real ice coverage or speed or turns. Is there any hope that she'll improve on this in the near future?
I love her so I hope her basic SS improves but alas it seems very unlikely. Hopefully the short is more diverse in transitions and choreographic positions.
In prior seasons I could never understand why people would dislike her skating but now I can sort of see why. But she's still my favorite and she brings a wonderful joy to the ice and amazing interpretation skills and is definitely worthy of being a world silver medalist.
I'm sorry and what is wrong with wanting a financial reward? She's one of the best skaters in our country and she's 21. Ashley's narrative of winning her first title while selling Lucky Jeans fits inside of the frame of the American Dream but it is hardly sustainable. Most 21+ year olds are expected to be financially independent and she is trying to do that do while paying Frank and Lori a premium AND being America's latest Nancy Kerrigan. As I said before, you can't be a public figure and not have a social media image. I'm with Gracie. I suggest the community of goldenskate joins me
- Joined
- Nov 19, 2013
I think I'm a curse. :hopelessness:
Okay, maybe not really. But I'm sad for them. And I have a lot of fan superstitions. Not a good combination.
You could never be a curse! Your posts are such a joy to read, and you only want the best for your faves. The season is young, my friend, there is every chance in the world that you will see the results you wish for
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