I was at the event yesterday, so I'll share a few things.
In the Junior Dance event, Lauren Collins & Shane Firus were major standouts. I believe they've only been together for four months, but they looked like a seasoned team, confident and powerful. Their combination lift just floated. I was very, very impressed. Wouldn't be surprised to see them get a second JGP event. Mackenzie Bent & Garrett MacKeen were scheduled to compete but pulled out. I hope they're OK.
In Senior Ladies, Gabby Daleman's SP was dynamite. Her jumps were massive and beautifully executed. She also seemed calmer, more elegant and more refined than last season. Seriously, we couldn't keep our eyes off of her. I was very pleased to see that Alaine Chartrand was skating, and that she has done away the awful 60's inspired SP she did at Skate Detroit a few weeks back. This SP suited her much, much better. She struggled with a couple of elements, which is understandable with such a new program, but the overall effect was lovely. She has also improved in control, power and elegance. I was very impressed. Unfortunately, Fumie Suguri looked very rough. It wasn't just the jumps. All of the elements looked laboured.
The Senior Men's event was fantastic! I barely recognized Andrei Rogozine. He was fast, controlled and conditioned. He got through the program without looking winded, which is a huge improvement for him. You can tell that training at altitude has helped him immensely (he moved to Colorado to train with Kristy Krall). His jumps looked more powerful as well, and he was actually moving his arms and listening to his music. He landed a beautiful quad, a triple axel and a triple triple combo. As for Liam Firus, I could just watch him skate all day. His skating skills are above and beyond anyone else's. He covered the ice so quickly and powerfully, and his edges were deep and beautiful. It was mesmerizing to watch. Unfortunately, he only landed a double axel, so he fell behind Rogozine overall. Nam Nguyen went for a different, more mature look this season, which I really liked. His SP was much more choreographically intricate than usual for him, and the footwork sequence in particular was divine, and though his execution is still lacking a bit, I can see this program getting very good by the end of the season. He popped his triple axel, though, which is why his score was low. I also enjoyed Roman Sadovsky. He feels the music like crazy, and has a great presence. Unfortunately, his jumps were off last night, so he didn't score well. Still, he's definitely one to watch.
