Euros from the TV

Joesitz (RIP) · Feb 3, 2008

There was lots of skating on ESPN. Of course, not all, but better than none.

Laura Lepisto skated well for the elements but her flow is rather questionable. However, I believe she will be a force next season. Should definitely be top 10 at this Worlds.

Ms Korpi always just misses in international competition.

When Carolina is on she is on! but oh, if she is not. Overall I saw quite a bit of improvements in her skating this season.

Sara Meier skates a bit too cautiously for me. She fullfils the ideals of the CoP, and that's important in competition. She did a fine LP in that respect.

Is Tomas on a roll? He has tumbled 2 World Champions here. Will it hold up for Gothenburg?

Stephane, is just the music man. Increible! He is still landing his 3A on the heel of his skate and falling. Why can't Mischin fix that? Maybe it doesn't matter when he skates, and this Euros was quite complete except for those bonus points. The footwork was to die for.

Brian has dark rings around his eyes, and I believe he was not all together well when he skated. However, he still looks competitive. Hope he'll be 100 per cent for Worlds.

Kevin, much faster than at Skate Canada, but faulty. Nice try though.

Sergei V. with all his jumps but a non style with a no rhythm I think he would be a force if he had his choreography by Lori Nichol because it's all there and thrusting hands are not his best characteristics. He seems to want to be a lyrical skater.

I believe the results in the Pairs and Dance were justified.

Joe

Tonichelle · Feb 3, 2008

Tomas has won me over, not just with his skating but his attitude... that he gave props to the people behind his skating speaks volumes. He just seems like a happy go lucky guy! very cute!

Skating was pretty good... but I'm still riding on my nationals high...

Ptichka · Feb 4, 2008

Joesitz said:
Stephane, is just the music man. Increible!

ITA. I am not generally a Lambiel fan, but his flamenco certainly won me over!

Sergei V. with all his jumps but a non style with a no rhythm I think he would be a force if he had his choreography by Lori Nichol because it's all there and thrusting hands are not his best characteristics. He seems to want to be a lyrical skater.

It seems that his only goal was to have a strong clean performance. He accomplished that beautifully. My guess is that Urmanov's next step will be to add style to his student's skating. Lori Nichols choreography would, I think, benefit him in a few years. For the the next season or two, IMO a more ambitious homegrown choreography should suffice.

I believe the results in the Pairs and Dance were justified.

Agree.
BTW, I was appalled at Morozov leaving Volosozhar and their coach in the K&C like that.

luvsasha · Feb 4, 2008

Joesitz said:
Stephane, is just the music man. Increible! He is still landing his 3A on the heel of his skate and falling. Why can't Mischin fix that? Maybe it doesn't matter when he skates, and this Euros was quite complete except for those bonus points. The footwork was to die for.

he really is. The music just oozes out of him. :biggrin:

Lumi · Feb 4, 2008

Joesitz, what do you mean by that Laura Lepistö's flow is questionable? I always thought she has great flow.

Tinymavy15 · Feb 4, 2008

I may be out of things, but where was Suzanna Poykio? I was looking foward to seeing her here.

Finally I appreciated Carolina's skating. Usually she looks very awkward to me, and athough she will never be a favorite of mine, I have to say I was impressed with her performance. That was the cleanest she has skated in a long time and deffinelty deserved to win. I was stunned on how close it was with Meier.

I have to say that athough he was obviosly ill, Brain's SP really impressed me. He felt the music a lot more than he has in the past, I liked the edgeness of the footwork, yes there were mistakes, but his inbetween skating was so much better than it has been... a lot of speed too.

Lumi · Feb 4, 2008

Susanna Pöykiö is injured.

merrywidow · Feb 4, 2008

Wasn't Lepisto the skater with no triple flip or triple lutz? I didn't tape the Europeans so I can't go back & double check but if she is & she
hopes to make top 10 next year she'd better get busy. She'll be up against the Japanese, Americans, Yu Na Kim, Joannie Rochette & the other European girls who have those jumps. I thought that other than Savchenko/Szolkowy the other pairs looked slow & labored.

Medusa · Feb 4, 2008

Yup, Lepisto is the one without Lutz or Flip. I heard that she lands them sometimes in practice, but they are just inconsistent. She gains lots of points with her good edge jumps and an amazing triple-Toe / triple-Toe, the technique looks good and she has excellent landings - therefore high GOE.

But she certainly needs Flip and Lutz to be a factor in the future, lots of these European ladies have good technique on the jumps they can do, but the level is just not high enough. I wonder whether girls like Lepisto should work with a good American or Russian jump-and-technique-coach from time to time.

But Lepisto is also 19, and lots of people say its hard to learn a consistent triple lutz and flip at that age.

eleonora.d · Feb 4, 2008

Tinymavy15 said:
Finally I appreciated Carolina's skating. Usually she looks very awkward to me, and athough she will never be a favorite of mine, I have to say I was impressed with her performance. That was the cleanest she has skated in a long time and deffinelty deserved to win. I was stunned on how close it was with Meier.

Carolina's LP was much better in Turin at the GPF.

Dee4707 · Feb 4, 2008

Ptichka said:
ITA. I am not generally a Lambiel fan, but his flamenco certainly won me over!.

I really like Stephan and I love his flamenco --- my heart flutters as he is doing it. :love:

The only other person beside Alexei and Stephan to make my heart flutter is Johnny's Otonal program. :love:

Now that's what I call musicality.

Dee

equestrianguy · Feb 4, 2008

I really wish Lepisto had a solid flip and lutz... What an elegant young lady. I really enjoy watching her skating.. The rest of the ladies were pretty much the "same ole same ole."

Stephane Lambiel's LP this year is probably my favorite men's LP of ALL TIME! The music and his choreography is amazing! The last half of his program going into the staight line footwork and to the last headless spin....The way is builds with the music is just like no other....Now if he can just get those 3a in there???? That would be an Olympic winning program!

Also, I really enjoyed the free dance team (Russians in 3rd?) that skated to "Night on Bald Mountain." That music along with her flexibility has such energy. Very interesting "and new" positions..

Joesitz (RIP) · Feb 4, 2008

Lumi said:
Joesitz, what do you mean by that Laura Lepistö's flow is questionable? I always thought she has great flow.

first of all, I like Laura. She held me spellbound in Skate Canada with her SP. Maybe I am wrong but it seems she was too cautious at Euros. I'll recheck at Worlds, and hopefully change my mind.

Joe

kikakiks · Feb 5, 2008

Lumi said:
Joesitz, what do you mean by that Laura Lepistö's flow is questionable? I always thought she has great flow.

I know you wanted someone else's response, but I'll give you my take...

Flow, for me is....fluidity: in both the stroking and of movements. To identify the earlier, just try to watch the program like a profane fan (despite you very likely are not!): don't look at the element but just to how the skater glides over the ice. For this regard, i think Laura is good, but certainly not exceptional: I would say an average-good.
Identifying the fluidity in movements, instead is much more difficult. Usually, if you are a dancer, you should be able to identify it. Commenting on Laura, I don't think she is really strong in this area. Try and do this: take a careful look at her performances (especially her short) and notice how she is very mechanical ni the arm movements of her arms and how her neck is really rigid. She is very similar to Kimmie in this aspect, with the difference that she turns her hands to the inside in a "ballet" position, but her arms are far from being soft or moldable into different positions. I think Kiira is superior to her in this.

However she is very precise in completing her choreography. Her movements alway seem very well thought of and then learned by heart. but she will never have the natural "effortlessness" of, say Kim or Kostner, or even Zhang.

I do understand why people like her: she gives a sense of completeness to everything she does. I must also quote a eurosport commentator who said: "I don't understand all this fuss about Lepisto...She certainly is good, but I see nothing exceptional. Maybe she is receiveing so much credit overseas because her stayle is very much like the one of the traditional american lady"....
So is this why she's receiving that much success among american fans?

Kati · Feb 5, 2008

kikakiks said:
. Try and do this: take a careful look at her performances (especially her short) and notice how she is very mechanical ni the arm movements of her arms and how her neck is really rigid. She is very similar to Kimmie in this aspect, with the difference that she turns her hands to the inside in a "ballet" position, but her arms are far from being soft or moldable into different positions. I think Kiira is superior to her in this.
QUOTE]

It's funny... I think just the opposite when I look at Laura's and Kiira's skating. I think Kiira has quite stiff head, hands and shoulders when she prepares to the jumps, and Laura's arm movements are very soft and nice. No bias, because I like them both and support them.

equestrianguy · Feb 5, 2008

I too think that Kira Kopi is more "stiff" as you would say...in her jumps. She reminds me a lot of Maria Butraskya (and not just the blonde femme fatal look..LOL). Lepisto to me is very soft in not just her upper body, but throughout in her jumps, etc.. She was the highlight of the ladies to me at Euro's.. I don't think "flow" is just about speed, but like someone said fluidity during the "inbetween" moves. I enjoy Kostner and she is very fast over the ice...but I don't consider her to have good "flow". Sometimes it seems her speed gets in the way and she looks chopy and rushed. Especially, in her legs setting up for a jump.. Although, when she is on...she's on... Her style remeinds me a lot of Irina's....of course, Irina was more solid on her jumps...lol

Kati · Feb 6, 2008

equestrianguy said:
I too think that Kira Kopi is more "stiff" as you would say...in her jumps. She reminds me a lot of Maria Butraskya (and not just the blonde femme fatal look..LOL). Lepisto to me is very soft in not just her upper body, but throughout in her jumps, etc.. She was the highlight of the ladies to me at Euro's.. I don't think "flow" is just about speed, but like someone said fluidity during the "inbetween" moves. I enjoy Kostner and she is very fast over the ice...but I don't consider her to have good "flow". Sometimes it seems her speed gets in the way and she looks chopy and rushed. Especially, in her legs setting up for a jump.. Although, when she is on...she's on... Her style remeinds me a lot of Irina's....of course, Irina was more solid on her jumps...lol

Yeah, when I look Carolina skating, I have quite mixed feelings, too... I like her skating, because of the great speed and terrific jumps (especially 3-3 when she's on) and presentation, and she seems to be a very nice girl, always friendly and smiling. But sometimes there is sloppiness in her skating, too, like the very long setups/telegraphing the jumps (a bit like Elena Liashenko), and low/saved landings. And she really is an on/off skater! Hope she's on in Göteborg, because, in spite of everything, she is the best European skater right now. Maybe Sarah or Elene Gedevanishvili or one of the Finnish girls (I wish!) could be in the top ten, but it seems that the lovely Asian ladies will get the podium places, maybe some of the North Americans, too, especially if Yu-Na is injured (I hope she's not!)

Euros from the TV

Joesitz (RIP)

Tonichelle

Idita-Rock-n-Roll

Ptichka

Forum translator

luvsasha

Lumi

Tinymavy15

Sinnerman for the win

Lumi

merrywidow

Medusa

eleonora.d

Dee4707

Ice Is Slippery - Alexie Yagudin

equestrianguy

Joesitz (RIP)

kikakiks

Kati

equestrianguy

Kati

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