- Joined
- Sep 7, 2023
Who were the three local skaters with the glowy thing at the beginning of the gala?
Replay Lounge 2025-26 Grand Prix Final
- Thread starter gsk8
- Start date
Replay Lounge
- Joined
- Mar 3, 2015
I’d buy one just for the pleasure of explaining to those who ask!!
)
, but that was an elegant and lovely skate. 
- Joined
- Jul 11, 2018
it's the sountrack from a popular movie, also Italy is, at least on paper, a secular country
Men: Yuta Koyama (show skater, coach, 3 time national competitor, 33yo)
Girl: Karin Miyazaki (national novice A women champion, 13yo)
Boy: Riku Sakuma (national novice A men champion, 13yo)
- Joined
- Oct 9, 2011
I thought she was going to go to town on the taiko, but she did a short play and stopped, I was so disappointed!
Alysa had new programs. It’s been covered why she had to drop them. She intends to have the new programs ready by Nationals.I had to miss women free live so I catched up just now, that was quite a menning
Anyway, another very strong event and some wonderful moments: Kaori, Ami, Amber and Alysa clean again, winning again, this girl is amazing cause if everyone went clean she probably woudn't be on the podium but somehow she's the only one having two the most clean skates. But I wish she would bring the new program to nats and olympics cause having two recycled programs without any development is a bit off.
I also catched up junior pairs and I loved it, so much potential there.
- Joined
- Feb 18, 2014
Why the laugh emoji?Ice dance: I'm not an ice dance fan and usually don't watch, but I really looove Chock/Bates free program this season and don't understand why no one else does?
Because C/B's FD comes off as calculated and devoid of emotion - whereas the couples in 2nd, 3rd and 4th place definitely stirred the emotions, and, certainly in the case of the French, demanded great skill in execution.
For some reason, C/B were highly overscored, meaning that even without the fall, the French would not have won.
- Joined
- Feb 18, 2014
Z/K are undoubtedly hugely talented but my reaction on seeing this FD for the first time this season was "HUH??" How on earth can they skate to something as tired and old-fashioned as R&J when last season they produced a superb contemporary-style piece, smoothly executed with lots of clever and innovative moves? Same coach, same choreographer, so I don't get it.
This programe does not suit them, I try to like it but cannot.
- Joined
- Sep 1, 2020
Gosh, I have so much to say. And it's not just about Piper and Paul. But yeah, I'm really bummed. It makes me look back to two seasons ago when Piper & Paul should have won Worlds. Fans were pacified and accepting of the result only because of convincing themselves that P&P lost it in the RD. But no, their FD was brilliant and they should have won in their home country. If not, then P&P should have won in Boston. But once again, they didn't. They at least won 2025 4CCs and the silver in Boston. So, there was still hope for the Olympics season. Now, though, it's looking like TPTB are planning to drop P&P in favor of Lilah/ Lewis.
I also wonder how much this has to do with punishing Piper for speaking out recently at the Finlandia presser. Guillaume bravely spoke out, too, and they were placed behind C/B in the RD. Not that C/B's RD was actually better. I'm upset we didn't get to see the judges put on the spot had Laurence/ Guillaume not had the fluke fall with L's toe pick catching on her dress fabric. But honestly, I still think the judges would have found a way to have C/B edge L&G with both skating clean, even though L&G's FD is head-and-shoulders above and beyond what everyone else is putting out on the ice.
What Piper & Paul have contributed and meant to ice dance will continue to resonate! Young skaters and their choreographers often reference the work and creativity of Piper/ Paul, especially their work with Chris Dean. As a fan, I'm going to miss Piper & Paul most of all.
If they are not rewarded with an individual Olympic medal for their amazing work, we as fans need to celebrate and elevate them. Those who are able, show up at the Olympics with supportive signs and love. 
I hope Skate Canada does something special for P&P at Cdn Nats in January. 
Last edited:
- Joined
- Sep 1, 2020
I agree the RDs are tragic, despite skaters and choreographers doing the best they can with these, at this point, overreaching and in some cases, same-old, same-old RD decade themes, which have little resemblance to actual ice-dancing. I'm fairly unexcited by a lot of ice dance teams who are just average. And then, there are those teams who are cute and entertaining, but do not have the best blade skills. Still, they get over with vibing, posing, and jazzing it up for audiences. I used to defend I.AM because they have contributed so much to ice dance, but once again, an all I.AM skaters' podium.
Bottom line issue is that P&P coaches have no political clout.As well, the young ice dance team I was most excited and inspired by for just over two years is no more for, as yet, unproven reasons. And even though there has been info that has come out questioning discrepancies of what actually happened, TPTB mishandling of the entire situation leaves a gaping hole where a star-making team on the rise was. Lots of teams have been copying their moves and social media engagement. Nothing will likely ever be done to bring fair and honest closure to the situation that broke them up either. See reporter George Perry's recent Substack article. With their loss, I have become quite cynical and disaffected about ice dance and figure skating in general. Especially seeing all the favoritism and politics, I am left with a sour taste in my mouth.
I actually hope something blows up sky high at the Olympics to significantly change this sport for the better, for the skaters most of all.
Can we get back to the roots of what figure skating is? Can figure skating ever be freed from speedskating?! Would they please stop mixing in speedskating videos with figure skating on the ISU YouTube channel? I'm NOT interested in speed skating!All of the disciplines involve political scoring. Politics and scandals in figure skating judging has been going on since the first official competition took place in the late 1800s. Ice dance judging was so very much worse in the 70s, 80s, 90s, and early 2000s. Circa 2010, with the advent of Virture/Moir and Davis/White, two talented, groundbreaking young teams, things begin to change and upward movement for talented teams became possible.
Recently, part of what we have been seeing, IMO, is in reaction to the loud whining of fans several seasons ago decrying podium predictability. After all the whining, things began to change the following season, with more movement and unpredictability. And now, with L&G partnering and coming back together (which I am strongly in favor of, because they are so good individually, and together), further unpredictability has occurred. And yet, at the same time, Chock/ Bates still seem ensconced at the top.The men's discipline is very exciting right now, but politics is still involved there, just as it is in the women's discipline, albeit that fans do not have many arguments about the overall outcomes matching what we saw happen on the ice at 2025 GPF singles events. In pairs and ice dance, though, oh boy!
- Joined
- Sep 1, 2020
Interesting. But your interpretive commentary is an example of the subjectivity that is so much a part of a sport that also involves artistic expression to music. Someone else could see these skaters and their performances very differently. I actually find no reason nor need to compare these two, at all.
Nathan has made his contributions to the sport. He won his Olympic gold medal with great effort, discipline, and determination. And he has gracefully and purposely moved on with his life to make important contributions in other fields of endeavor. Kudos to Nathan Chen!
Last edited:
- Joined
- Sep 22, 2024
Yes I know, I even saw them
I'm absolutely fine with bringing back the short as it has still its magic (and frankly the new SP was actually very similar) but the free is not inspiring anymore, I hope she will bring Gaga for some fresh impression of her.- Joined
- Sep 1, 2020
Yep, Alysa does get away with these UR calls. In fact, Daniel Grassl, in his fp had a clear Q and a UR seen in the slo-mo, which Hanretty commented on politely. But there were zero reviews for Grassl in the fp. In Grassl's case, it likely would not have changed the result outcome. But the judges are so fallible, obviously.Tech panel got it wrong not giving Liu the underrotation on the 3Lo. Sorry to be so no negative, but it I've never seen every call go someone's way.
Missed the unclear edge on the flip again. Mone needed to have the skate of her life to beat it. Rinka it seems the calls always go against her. Kaori the only one with a level 3 step sequence. Amber can win a medal.
In Alysa's case, she's very well-liked and appreciated for her moxie and her determined competitive efforts. A lot of her career has been about ignoring her URs. She is, of course, very delightful and so chill in how she approaches competition.
- Joined
- Feb 18, 2014
Which team is that, please?
- Joined
- Sep 1, 2020
Former team, Flores/Desyatov. Check out the George Perry article on Substack, Abuse of Process: Holding Institutions Accountable. It is about a number of uninvestigated claims that have robbed athlete careers across many sports. Perry cites interesting statistics and new information. BTW, Allison & Saul who were the fifth place 2025 GPF ice dance team, won gold at 2023 Golden Spin of Zagreb. Zingas/ Kolesnik (the 6th place team at 2025 GPF) were second at 2023 Golden Spin, winning the silver medal, despite being beaten in the FD by the third place team: Flores/Desyatov, who won bronze.
Later that month, Flores posted delightful clips skating in Vail, CO for the Christmas holidays. She reached 100K IG followers around that time. By October 2024, just as Flores/ Desyatov were abruptly pulled from Skate America in favor of a new team who are no longer together, Morosov/ Chen, Flores' IG had reached 392K followers, every one of them legit. Her IG engagement brought many new fans to the sport. I admire her courage and her determination to continue competing, but it's sad to see her newly partnered this year with someone she's not really well-matched with. They are in danger of finishing last at 2026 U.S. Nationals, after she had been so beautifully on-the-rise previously with Desyatov. Flores/ Desyatov had received a standing ovation for their West Side Story FD at 2024 U.S. Nats. I think Flores/Desyatov's skating and choreo in that program inspired a number of ice dance FD programs this season, including Lim/Quan's Adagio for Strings; Pham/ Spirodonov's Ghost: The Musical; and the fresh Romeo & Juliet takes performed by Bekker/ Hernandez and Zingas/Kolesnik. In the middle of Z/K's FD, their choreographer, Benoit, copped a move clearly inspired by the move Kaitlyn Weaver created for the opening of Flores/Desyatov's 2024 FD to Poor Things soundtrack, from the 2023 movie.
I probably didn't explain it well, @Mathman.
I compared Yuma's score from GPF with Short Programs with more difficult jumping contents, but from different competitions, where those skaters were clean or skated very well. Even in this case they didn't reach Yuma's points.
And I compared it because of debates about quads being valued too high. And debates that skaters with difficult quads are overjumping in score skaters who are better in components.
Sure, it is Short Program, not Free Program.
But based on marks it looks like that clean or almost clean Yuma can easily beaten Shun / Adam / Daniel / Nikolaj, simply everybody with more difficult jumping content in Free Skate.
(Yes, he lost Free Program to Shun here, but Yuma made more mistakes this time.)
Last edited:
- Joined
- Mar 12, 2007
It's all subjective of course and I respect your thoughtful opinion, but I completely agree with @GGFan . When I heard their FD this year was R&J, I groaned and made myself dizzy rolling my eyes so hard. But then I saw the program, and how it is R&J but not schlocky at all, and how emotion is there, and intensity in spades, but not a drop of saccharine, and I was sold. I find it mesmerizing.
Having said all that, I did like last year's FD even better.
He actually did the quad axel in the SP at the Grand Prix Final in 2023 as his solo quad. .So done before, was trying to use it as the combo this time, but didn't pan out.
