- Joined
- Mar 14, 2007
I can’t stay up or get up to watch comps held in Asia. There was a time I’d set my alarm to see Kaitlyn and Jean Luc but all it would do was make me mad when they were inevitably low scored.
2025 Cup of China
- Thread starter gsk8
- Start date
- Joined
- Jun 2, 2014
I don't follow dance closely, but I loved Zingas and Kolesnik's "Romeo and Juliet". I think Coach Shpilband's face must hurt today from smiling so much.
He was rivaled by Shun Sato's coach for the " happiest coach of the competition " award. Couldn't help but smile at his overjoyed reaction.
He was rivaled by Shun Sato's coach for the " happiest coach of the competition " award. Couldn't help but smile at his overjoyed reaction.
- Joined
- Sep 7, 2023
My main takeaway from the free dance is that Evan Bates just isn't bullish enough.
Madison Chock as a matador- obviously going to work. But if this is a bullfight then surely it has to look like the bull could actually flatten the person? She has a such a strong presence and I think he looked overpowered right from the start.
Madison Chock as a matador- obviously going to work. But if this is a bullfight then surely it has to look like the bull could actually flatten the person? She has a such a strong presence and I think he looked overpowered right from the start.
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- Joined
- Mar 30, 2016
He paid a lot for those teeth, he's making sure he gets full value for money!
- Joined
- Jan 3, 2007
Some of that is that dancers have less freedom to tell a story. Here is a bull and female matador circling each other - but wait first twizzles - back into character - next a one foot step sequence like a bad commercial break- it interrupts the flow of a lot of the storytelling for the teams. The free dance has not really been free since IJS in my opinion.
- Joined
- Jan 3, 2007
He looked like he kept dodging her skirt and getting set up for each of the elements.
- Joined
- Dec 18, 2014
Truly. I miss them so much.
- Joined
- Mar 14, 2007
I mean she said her neck hurt.
- Joined
- Jun 21, 2003
I think that this is the bugaboo that all competitive figure skaters have to deal with. Just when you're getting into your program, no, you have to stop skating and do a triple Lutz. It is a rare -- and very impressive -- performance that can weave the technical elements into the choreography.
That is why I am not offended at men's programs that are just a series of quads one after another. This IS the program, so there is nothing for us to gripe about. No one, after all, promotes himself as the footwork g0d or the spinning g0d or the story-telling g0d.
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- Joined
- Jun 21, 2003
Wait, isn't that backward? Isn't the matador supposed to be dodging the bull?
- Joined
- Jan 3, 2007
Yes the madi-matador dodges, but evan-bull had to catch her to do ice dance lifts and spins...
Anyhow, I wonder if the tape on her shoulder was what took them out of the gala affected them while they were competing messing up the timing and or if they got hurt managing the skirt. I just hope they feel better and can work things out in time for their next event. I want all the skaters healthy and ready by Olympics.
- Joined
- May 25, 2014
I also think he needs to look fiercer.
- Joined
- May 25, 2014
I noticed that when watching the replay of the comp and thought it was really odd!
- Joined
- Mar 7, 2015
What Asher Hill and Kaetlyn Osmond thought of Madi's dress
(you may need a VPN set to Canada to watch it)
(you may need a VPN set to Canada to watch it)
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- Joined
- Oct 31, 2006
I definitely agree with and understand this observation. Out of all the top men currently in ice dance, I think Paul Poirier would do a much better job interpreting a bull as he has embodied characters on the ice with fierce intensity before (Norman Bates/2014 season FD, 2017 season FD, Heathcliff/2024 season FD, 2025 season tango FD). I’ve never seen Evan Bates try to embody a character like this before, so it will be interesting to see how he rises to the challenge as the season progresses.
- Joined
- Oct 31, 2006
Amber has always been the type of person who wears her heart on her sleeve. She is very sensitive, feels every moment, and doesn’t hide her true emotions. I appreciate the fact that she keeps it real instead of parading like she’s a perfect princess with no struggles in her life, which is modeled in how she advocates for athletes’ mental health awareness. She’s an elite athlete in a skating discipline that is historically known for its athletes peaking at the ages of 14-17. She, on the other hand, has reached her peak at the age of 24/25 and she just turned 26 today. I guarantee if you were an elite athlete, you would have aches and pains all the time too. Like Kaori, she’s known as one of the kindest athletes on the skating scene today who acts as a great role model for the younger skaters and she is always looking after other skaters like a mother figure. I don’t like the mentality that athletes shouldn’t be allowed to own how they really feel. She’s not selling an image, running for political office, participating in a beauty pageant, or trying to sell a home. She’s competing in a very physically, mentally, and emotionally draining and grueling sport that is known to be susceptible to injuries.
At least, now we know that Mrs. Evan Bates has been encouraged to wear that. So, we can't put on her the entire responsibility for her choice.
To be fair, the skirt looked much better in the snippet than it looked throughout the program when it showed tendency to stuck in awkward places rather than wave dramatically.
This might improve though as the program gets polished in the course of the season.
- Joined
- Nov 12, 2011
yup alllllll of this. this is exactly why i am such huge fans of both Amber and Alysa, they don't try to sell you something they're not or try to fit someone else's ideal image of who they should be, how they should act, etc. not to mention Amber's neck does actually have a small injury, she tweaked it before the FS. when i sleep the wrong way and tweak my neck that is PAINFUL so i can't imagine trying to skate a long program with a 3A in that kind of pain/limited range of motion. i'd be grabbing my neck much more than Amber did.
