Patrick Chan

[Boeing787]

I don't know how Skate Canada does things, but I would guess it's similar to how USFS does.

They reserve a block of rooms in an official host hotel, which competitors are encouraged to use. The competitors (or competitors' parents, in most cases) pay for their own rooms and other expenses. They also pay for their coaches' expenses. (And some coaches also want to be paid for all the lessons that they usually teach other skaters every week but will have to miss while they're out of town at the competition)

Don't you think the coaches want to be paid even though they wouldn't miss any lessons to be given to other skaters? This is the time they could have spent with their family and done the housework.

Figure skating is indeed money-losing business. That's why I try to watch as much as I can while it still exits!

 

[skatinginbc]

Question: Since this thread is a fan fest, why haven't posters used the endearing nickname Chiddy yet? Patrick likes it, I think, as evidenced by the name tag on his special pants (You can read it when the video zoomed in to the tag).

The room looks very much like HolidayInn Express level.

OK, I was wrong and you are right. Neither Skate Canada is cheap nor Patrick Chan is thrifty and none of them are on a tight budget since Holiday Inn Express is a mid-priced hotel, intended to target the "upper economy" market segment (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holiday_Inn_Express).

 

[gkelly]

Don't you think the coaches want to be paid even though they wouldn't miss any lessons to be given to other skaters?

Well, most coaches expect to be paid for the time they spend actually coaching the skater while at the competition. That might involve more than the time the skater is actually on the ice (practice and actual competition).

The question is whether they ask the skater also to pay for any of their down time while at the competition venue -- time that would have been spent earning money if they were home with their other students.

 

[Bluebonnet]

Question: Since this thread is a fan fest, why haven't posters used the endearing nickname Chiddy yet? Patrick likes it, I think, as evidenced by the name tag on his special pants (You can read it when the video zoomed in to the tag).

To me, Chiddy doesn't sound good, reguardless whether Patrick likes it or not, as of Plushenko to Plushy, Plush, or Plu.

 

[Violet Bliss]

Well, most coaches expect to be paid for the time they spend actually coaching the skater while at the competition. That might involve more than the time the skater is actually on the ice (practice and actual competition).

The question is whether they ask the skater also to pay for any of their down time while at the competition venue -- time that would have been spent earning money if they were home with their other students.

I think the federation pays for the coach's traveling and accommodation expenses while accompanying the skater to competition. I think it's reasonable the coach should be compensated for the time involved in the competition, not just the actual time spent coaching/supporting the skate, but not in addition to missed earning at the home rink. I guess it should be one or another, either the coach is paid the full days involved or actual coaching plus missed work, whatever the agreement. If latter, hopefully the coach gets to use the down time for personal tasks or enjoyment.

 

[Bluebonnet]

OK, I was wrong and you are right. Neither Skate Canada is cheap nor Patrick Chan is thrifty and none of them are on a tight budget since Holiday Inn Express is a mid-priced hotel, intended to target the "upper economy" market segment (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holiday_Inn_Express).

I think it fits the discription of Patrick's tight budget. It costs $80 - $150 per night depends on the location. His family is doing the best they can for Patrick with no spare money for more luxury like Lysacek family. One of the best feature of HolidayInn Express is their free breakfast. Very handy. If you go to live in Holiday Inn which is the same hotel chain but has better quality rooms and services, you need to pay for the breakfast they serve. I've always liked HolidayInn Express when I travel.

 

[skatinginbc]

One of the best feature of HolidayInn Express is their free breakfast.

Free breakfast...hmmm....I like free. But do skaters like Chan eat the free breakfast? I imagine they are on some special diet and eat only selected food. Especially Chan, who even has a special pair of pants!

 

[gkelly]

I think the federation pays for the coach's traveling and accommodation expenses while accompanying the skater to competition.

To INTERNATIONAL competition, when the skater is representing the federation.

Not to NATIONAL competitions where skaters are trying to earn the privilege of representing the federation. Most competitors at a national championship are still trying to prove themselves (and most of them never will, to the level of getting to represent Skate Canada internationally).

Someone like Chan has already proven himself and brought home lots of medals for Skate Canada. So they give him grants to help fund his training expenses. They don't pay the training expenses directly -- they don't pay the coaches.

(Well, unless SC operates more like the Russian federation than the US one, which I don't believe is the case.)

And they don't pay the costs of bringing a coach to a domestic competition.

 

[Bluebonnet]

Free breakfast...hmmm....I like free. But do skaters like Chan eat the free breakfast? I imagine they are on some special diet and eat only selected food. Especially Chan, who even has a special pair of pants!

I imagine Chan is on special diet too. But his parents could use that feature.

 

[Violet Bliss]

The answer to Patrick's breakfast:

His breakfast of champions is a smoothie with frozen organic fruit, organic milk and supplements like protein powder, flax seed, hemp seed, with a good dash of steel cut oats blended in.

From

Trainer sees a lot of hockey star Sidney Crosby in skater Patrick Chan

I am so glad he is eating right. I had concerns a couple of years ago. And the holistic approach was one of the reasons I immediately liked his coaching change to Krall and Nichols.

 

[Violet Bliss]

To INTERNATIONAL competition, when the skater is representing the federation.

Not to NATIONAL competitions where skaters are trying to earn the privilege of representing the federation. Most competitors at a national championship are still trying to prove themselves (and most of them never will, to the level of getting to represent Skate Canada internationally).

Someone like Chan has already proven himself and brought home lots of medals for Skate Canada. So they give him grants to help fund his training expenses. They don't pay the training expenses directly -- they don't pay the coaches.

(Well, unless SC operates more like the Russian federation than the US one, which I don't believe is the case.)

And they don't pay the costs of bringing a coach to a domestic competition.

IOW, the federation pays when skaters represent them but not when the skaters represent themselves.

 

[gkelly]

IOW, the federation pays when skaters represent them but not when the skaters represent themselves.

Yeah.

 

[Boeing787]

The answer to Patrick's breakfast:
From
Trainer sees a lot of hockey star Sidney Crosby in skater Patrick Chan

I am so glad he is eating right. I had concerns a couple of years ago. And the holistic approach was one of the reasons I immediately liked his coaching change to Krall and Nichols.

Interesting article. So Patrick has a natural talent for figure skating. I notice his legs are thick. I recall people on this board discussed Abbott's thin legs, maybe that's why his jumps are never stable?

 

[skatinginbc]

His breakfast of champions is a smoothie with frozen organic fruit, organic milk...

That doesn't sound friendly to my Chinese stomach (Around 90 percent of the Chinese adult population is thought to be lactose intolerant http://www.china.org.cn/health/2008-05/14/content_15219088.htm). Milk plus icy sugary fruit juice on a morning empty stomach = running for a privy all day. My concept of good breakfast is: a cup of warm sweetened soybean milk, meat-and-veggie buns fried in olive oil, a plate of assorted dim sum, and a small dish of dips that contain chopped-up green onion, garlic and ginger in sesame oil, soy sauce, and chili oil. And if that is not enough, you may add a deep fried Chinese donut that would drip buttery oil into the mouth as you take a bite.

 

[spikydurian]

Interesting article. So Patrick has a natural talent for figure skating. I notice his legs are thick. I recall people on this board discussed Abbott's thin legs, maybe that's why his jumps are never stable?

I will be keeping an eye on Patrick's and other skater's legs ie. hopefully they may skate in shorts at times.

 

[Olympia]

That doesn't sound friendly to my Chinese stomach (Around 90 percent of the Chinese adult population is thought to be lactose intolerant http://www.china.org.cn/health/2008-05/14/content_15219088.htm). Milk plus icy sugary fruit juice on a morning empty stomach = running for a privy all day. My concept of good breakfast is: a cup of warm sweetened soybean milk, meat-and-veggie buns fried in olive oil, a plate of assorted dim sum, and a small dish of dips that contain chopped-up green onion, garlic and ginger in sesame oil, soy sauce, and chili oil. And if that is not enough, you may add a deep fried Chinese donut that would drip buttery oil into the mouth as you take a bite.

Tofu, yum! But, bc, you've forgotten the chocolate!

 

[skatinginbc]

Tofu, yum! But, bc, you've forgotten the chocolate!

Chocolate? What a great idea! Why didn't I think of it? Not the cheapy Hershey's kisses that give you a sugar high, but the thin-sliced gourmet chocolate that melts in the mouth like honey. The nose breathes sweetness and the tongue speaks love in the smiling warmth of the morning sun....Yum.

 

[Olympia]

That does it. I'm off to the chocolate store! You tempted me all the way from BC, bc.

 

[Boeing787]

It just occurred to me that Patrick only needed to pay Krall half as much as he would have paid for the GPF because Joshua Farris was also in GPF - he should split the bills with Patrick. Now let's hope Joshua also makes it to Nice!

ETA. on a 2nd thought, it's Skate Canada that saved money. Poor Patric still has to pay the full amount of the bills for this National. Now I wish Joshua becomes a Canadian!

 

[Violet Bliss]

It just occurred to me that Patrick only needed to pay Krall half as much as he would have paid for the GPF because Joshua Farris was also in GPF - he should split the bills with Patrick. Now let's hope Joshua also makes it to Nice!

But Joshua and Patrick needed Krall in different days at different events. Maybe it was the federations which split her traveling and accommodation expenses.