Is this me, Mrs. P? I think I should change my username to this, Une chat de luxe est magnifiqueI have no idea what I've said about Alexander Samarin though.
(It was a completely different person. LOL)
Last time Rika skated, she showed her massive scoring potential and ability to fight for top spots/scores. This time, she showed that she is a fighter by saving that 3A and quick thinker by opting for a 2A combo and adding her second combo onto the lutz as she didn't repeat the 3A. And whatever she and her team are doing to up her mental game, it's working very well as many of us remember Rika imploding at the first sign of struggle in juniors. She's come a long way in many regards and I'm excited for what's next.
Marin giving a pikachu to Raf was endearing.
Mai and Evgenia were heartbreaking. I didn't know it was possible to be so affected by skaters who aren't anywhere close to my favourites. They both are under a lot of pressure given the depth of their respective federations, but I hope (and believe) they'll come out stronger.
I think I'll have more to share once I watch more of hte competition, but I have one thought for now and I want to answer Specs' question.
First of all, I only really watched the men's event. I had to work and do other things this weekend and the men's event was scheduled early enough so I could watch it in its entirety. I did watch the free dance entirely (and seeing Beatrice, aka NoNameFace, give Piper that beautiful bouquet and card was definitely a highlight knowing how much work and thought she put into the gift) and the pair's free skate just now.
But my sole thought for now: Jason Brown put the men's skating world on notice with that short program. Honestly, we've seen him score well with quadless programs, but this short program truly melded together the best of what he had prior to coming to TCC (Rohene's choreography, his flexibility, great spins and his connection with the audience) and what he has gained over the last few months (a mature look and feel in his overall packaging, new jump technique and newly developed skating skills from Mama Tracy). I think we're used to seeing Jason as this sunshine and happy-go-lucky guy and here, he was confident and ready to attack. It's honestly the best I've seen him skate ever.
A lot of folks speculated that Jason would benefit from the new +5/-5 GOE and the reduced base values on quads. But he also benefits from what has been a clear shift in the technical calling for steps and spins. Getting a level 4 is much harder and judges expect much more to get the +GOE. He skated clean and there you go, a 96.41. Only three skaters have beat that score. I think it was hard to deny that quality skating should matter more (not just hitting the HARDEST jumps or base value) after seeing a program like that.
The free skate isn't there yet with melding what Jason already has and what he's gained in his new coaching environment and in a new skater/choreographer relationship. But I found it encouraging that David Wilson and the rest of the TCC gang were open to making changes that made Jason connect it more. The new choreographic sequence is a nice mesh of old -- the beautiful Kerrigan spiral -- and new -- the Ina Bauer and the leaps throughout. The judges thought so too, giving it a whopping +2.31 GOE (compared to 1.50 GOE at Skate Canada). There were a bunch of silly mistakes, which seem to be a bit of a lapse in competition -- but his emotional connection to that program is leaps and bounds from when he first performed it at Autumn Classic International two months ago.
The quad of course is still a big work in progress, but Jason clearly knows that, but he turned in one out-of-this-world performance and one solid, if not amazing one. I think a lot more people took note of Jason's silver because it was honestly so unexpected after so-so performances in his two former competitions. Anyway, I'm proud of him. He gave a lot for his fans, including me, to be excited about.
For me what makes Samarin so endearing is that he loves what he's doing. He shows great investment in his programs, even if the execution isn't quite there, and I can't help but appreciate that.
I think Sasha looks better in person, IMO, then on television. He has massive jumps, but like many others, he has a hard time controlling them. I think he has fairly good speed and he does have some power to him. From an overall skating/performance/choreography standpoint, I prefer Dmitri Aliev, but I think Sasha's good qualities deserved to be highlighted.
I do agree with DSQ's post from earlier and I hope he's keeping track of skaters like Jason and how important it is to maintain overall quality not just getting the big money jumps.
What a charming moment.
My feelings for Piper and Paul outshadow everything else, but congratulations to the medalists and those who qualified for GPF.
Thank goodness for NoNameFace (aka Beatrice) and Tabsy. Spotting them enthusiastically cheering on every performance with their multiple country flags, and the touching handoff of NNF’s amazing sunflowers/card to Piper (which made me tear up), brought a beautiful spirit and joy to this competition — bravo
Thanks for this. What I leaned this year, going on 3 competitions for the first time, is that the most healthy and beneficiary way of experiencing figure skating live is to cheer on everybody and wish for a great competition all around. I am no saint, I have faves and skaters I relate closer to than others, but when I see it all live I bring all my flags and all my enthusiasm to back up every skater.
I came to Grenoble last minute, but with strong purpose - to show physically my support and admiration over what Piper and Paul represent as artists, creators, seeing and appreciating a bigger perspective than just competing for scores, getting levels and qualifying further somewhere. I was there to appreciate the craft and all the unique value of their programs that for me is pretty much unjudgeable or cannot be thoughtfully put into numbers, because it is counted in emotional package that is brought by them and that lingers for a long time, challenging to see layers of it and to understand them, scoring the levels or not. I developed, maybe even against common sense, a deep relations and bond with their FD in particular this season as an act of creation the picture of an artist being often misunderstood and excluded, adding an emotional layer to it with their own stories to tell, achieving originality, innovative look onto choreography and their own signature quirk setting them apart from others. Like Van Gogh himself and his art, they have their highs and lows and are often put into this interesting-but-not-competitive box - I won't fight these opinions, but just take pride personally in supporting something true to myself and relatable on a deeper perspective. I hope that the gift, all heart, thought and effort I put into it showed my support and that the message in the card will help them to constantly make Programs for the People.
