Yes, she has already been quoted on how exciting it was to meet her.
I think so, Igor Macypura.
Live - Random posting/musings from L.A.
- Thread starter Ms.Anthrope
- Start date
Yes, she has already been quoted on how exciting it was to meet her.
I think so, Igor Macypura.
- Joined
- Dec 13, 2005
He is working with Dube and Davison. I think he will also be in Phaneuf's camp - he was at Four Continents.
- Joined
- Mar 14, 2006
Rest your eyes, Ms. Anthrope. You have a long way to go and we really look forward to your continued reports.
(BTW, do you pronounce it MIZ-an-throap or Ms. AN-thro-pee?)
(BTW, do you pronounce it MIZ-an-throap or Ms. AN-thro-pee?)
- Joined
- Nov 24, 2007
Shizuka Arakawa sighting at the practice rink where Oda, Kozuka, Mura & Mao were practicing. She walked in with a total diva attitude (I mean that in a good way) and did some interviews with Japanese skaters. I never thought she was attractive, but she is quite attractive in person.
YuNa was watching the Men practice. Signed autographs and took pictures with fans.
YuNa was watching the Men practice. Signed autographs and took pictures with fans.
- Joined
- Dec 15, 2003
Thank you for all the interesting off ice stuff. Haven't been to a competition since 2002 , miss it.
- Joined
- Jul 28, 2003
my friend and i are volunteers...she is fluent in madarin....and we happen to be behind...the creepy head pairs coach of china in the shuttle bus...and she said they were talking about a guy leaving medicine/ drugs at home....they were contemplating on what they should do about it...
- Joined
- Dec 28, 2006
I saw Michelle during the men's SP today.
It is the first time I saw her in person. She looked so tiny, but very mature and beautiful. She was wearing a short sleeved navy blue dress, and looked cold, she kept hugging her arms. She looked fascinated with the event and talked a lot to Scott Hamilton.
It is the first time I saw her in person. She looked so tiny, but very mature and beautiful. She was wearing a short sleeved navy blue dress, and looked cold, she kept hugging her arms. She looked fascinated with the event and talked a lot to Scott Hamilton.
- Joined
- Nov 6, 2008
- Joined
- Dec 16, 2008
Mirai is doing for Japanese TV! She is sooooo cute.I don't think she is doing commentary for Japanese TV.
At least, I haven't seen her at the Japanese TV booth.
Caroline Zhang on the other hand, has been spotted numerous times by me!
She said " Rachael was great! I feel sorry for Alissa, but she skated very beautifully, so I really enjoyed their skatings" .Mirai also said "Mao and Yuna are genius! Someday I want to skate beautifully like them."
- Joined
- Nov 22, 2006
Could I submit my musings from the worlds? I had the absolute privilege of going to the men's long program and the women's short program, Thursday and Friday, respectively. It was a dream come true for me. Growing up (late 1980s to late 1990s, the golden years), I was a HUGE skating fan and used to religiously watch every competition. I had never been to a competition before, just the Campbell's tour 3 or 4 times. So you can imagine my excitement level that the worlds were coming to my hometown. I was thrilled to bits, really on cloud nine.
On Thursday evening, I arrived to the Staples center just a wee bit late. I had bought my tickets online just a couple of hours before (a last minute decision to attend), and had gotten not-so great seats in the nosebleed section (I had my kids with me and couldn't afford the more expensive seats for all of us). When we got into the arena, I could hear the music from Jeremy Ten's program. They had screens everywhere in the lobby, so you wouldn't miss any action. I took a quick peek through the curtains in the lower level. You know that scene in the Wizard of Oz when Dorothy opens the door to Oz the first time, and it's all in beautiful color? That is exactly how I felt. The ice looked like Oz, just beautiful and tempting. Inside, I was squealing with delight at being there. Man, to finally get to the worlds and for it to be the year before the Olympics--it couldn't get any better than that. We made our way to our seats. The arena was about 2/3 full, but the upper sections was barely 15% occupied. Even the premier level in the middle was a ghost town. The lower levels were filled, but not sold out as there were plenty of visibly empty seats. The truth is while LA is a hub of training, it's not really a skating town. It seemed that there were more visitors than natives.
The next five hours were blissful for me. I savored every performance. Some standouts to me were:
1. Adrian Schultheiss of Sweden--very entertaining to watch, audience was receptive to him
2. Kristoffer Berntsson of Sweden--immediately after Adrian. Also very entertaining with his humorous Axel F/Take on Me medley. The audience also loved him, and any guy that skates to one of my favorite songs ever (Take on Me) is good in my book.
3. Denis Ten--SPEC-frickin-TACULAR! This young man is my prediction for the gold in Sochi. Next to Evan, his program stayed with me the longest. He skated to Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto #2 and really had the audience going. That's my most favorite classical piece, so just like Berntsson, he's A-1 in my book.
4. Patrick Chan--you all saw him on TV--really impressive for someone so young. Excellent job, cute as can be. I kept thinking that maybe his nerves would show, but he was solid as a rock.
5. Samuel Contesti--loved his western theme performance. The audience adored him as well. I appreciated him choosing a western program knowning the worlds were coming to the US, particularly LA.
6. Brian Joubert--everyone was crazy about him, and everyone felt so bad after he fell twice. His program was exciting to watch in person and that feeling of anticipating those quads was great! It was a great battle 'til the end.
7. Evan Lysacek--brought down the house! I will be honest: I never really liked Evan Lysacek. But just him being our native resident, being the national champion, knowing how long and hard he's trained, I immediately became an Evan fan. I was boiling over with pride for him. We cheered him on until our throats got sore--that's how excited we were for him. I'll never forget the massive cheers once he finished his program. My kids and I were jumping up and down as if we won the lottery. It was such a great moment for American sports.
Notables:
Brandon Mroz--I really like him a lot. He did respectably, and I see great things for him. With his face on the big screen, I couldn't help but think how young he looked and how much potential he has. I love his "gothic" program.
Jeremy Abbott--Not his night, but again, a great effort. Felt so bad for him as he sat in the kiss and cry.
Nobunari Oda--He cried at the end of the program in the kiss and cry. We cried with him. You can't help but feel empathy for them--the amount of effort and sacrifice it takes to get to this level.
Tomas Verner--fought the good fight, great effort on his part
I was also so thrilled to see Alexei Mishin and Alexei Urmanov by the boards watching their students (Andrei Lutai and Sergei Voronov). I spotted Alexei Mishin's bald little head a mile away and felt like I was in the presence of greatness. I didn't see him face to face, but just over by the boards watching his pupil and on the big screens. Same with Alexei Urmanov--it was thrilling for me to see how he is after so many years. They mentioned Urmanov during the fun facts they revealed during warmup and showed his face.
After Evan's win, they brought out the podium and did the medal ceremony, which they called the victory ceremony. Apparently, they were having the medal ceremony the next day at 1. But this was totally a medal ceremony, with the flag raising and national anthem. Brian Boitano and Angela Nikodinov were on hand to hand out the bouquets and medals. There were two other women there to, but I couldn't hear who they were--definitely skaters of the past though.
After the ceremony, the audience started clearing out, but I rushed my kids down to the lower level to see if I could get a photo. The three medalists were skating around the rink, signing and posing with fans. I had a great view of them, but I didn't try to infiltrate the crowds. I knew that not everyone would get lucky and my kids were already tired and fed up of Mommy going nutsy over skaters. We were right on top of the kiss and cry area, where the portal is to backstage. From there, I got a great shot of Frank Carroll talking to Scott Hamilton. Beside them was Kurt Browning, and a few feet away were Tracy Wilson and Sandra Bezic. We shouted our congrats to Frank and he said thanks. I got a blurry photo of Brian Joubert as he ran backstage. It was then that we called it a night and headed home.
Next post will be about the ladies short!
On Thursday evening, I arrived to the Staples center just a wee bit late. I had bought my tickets online just a couple of hours before (a last minute decision to attend), and had gotten not-so great seats in the nosebleed section (I had my kids with me and couldn't afford the more expensive seats for all of us). When we got into the arena, I could hear the music from Jeremy Ten's program. They had screens everywhere in the lobby, so you wouldn't miss any action. I took a quick peek through the curtains in the lower level. You know that scene in the Wizard of Oz when Dorothy opens the door to Oz the first time, and it's all in beautiful color? That is exactly how I felt. The ice looked like Oz, just beautiful and tempting. Inside, I was squealing with delight at being there. Man, to finally get to the worlds and for it to be the year before the Olympics--it couldn't get any better than that. We made our way to our seats. The arena was about 2/3 full, but the upper sections was barely 15% occupied. Even the premier level in the middle was a ghost town. The lower levels were filled, but not sold out as there were plenty of visibly empty seats. The truth is while LA is a hub of training, it's not really a skating town. It seemed that there were more visitors than natives.
The next five hours were blissful for me. I savored every performance. Some standouts to me were:
1. Adrian Schultheiss of Sweden--very entertaining to watch, audience was receptive to him
2. Kristoffer Berntsson of Sweden--immediately after Adrian. Also very entertaining with his humorous Axel F/Take on Me medley. The audience also loved him, and any guy that skates to one of my favorite songs ever (Take on Me) is good in my book.
3. Denis Ten--SPEC-frickin-TACULAR! This young man is my prediction for the gold in Sochi. Next to Evan, his program stayed with me the longest. He skated to Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto #2 and really had the audience going. That's my most favorite classical piece, so just like Berntsson, he's A-1 in my book.
4. Patrick Chan--you all saw him on TV--really impressive for someone so young. Excellent job, cute as can be. I kept thinking that maybe his nerves would show, but he was solid as a rock.
5. Samuel Contesti--loved his western theme performance. The audience adored him as well. I appreciated him choosing a western program knowning the worlds were coming to the US, particularly LA.
6. Brian Joubert--everyone was crazy about him, and everyone felt so bad after he fell twice. His program was exciting to watch in person and that feeling of anticipating those quads was great! It was a great battle 'til the end.
7. Evan Lysacek--brought down the house! I will be honest: I never really liked Evan Lysacek. But just him being our native resident, being the national champion, knowing how long and hard he's trained, I immediately became an Evan fan. I was boiling over with pride for him. We cheered him on until our throats got sore--that's how excited we were for him. I'll never forget the massive cheers once he finished his program. My kids and I were jumping up and down as if we won the lottery. It was such a great moment for American sports.
Notables:
Brandon Mroz--I really like him a lot. He did respectably, and I see great things for him. With his face on the big screen, I couldn't help but think how young he looked and how much potential he has. I love his "gothic" program.
Jeremy Abbott--Not his night, but again, a great effort. Felt so bad for him as he sat in the kiss and cry.
Nobunari Oda--He cried at the end of the program in the kiss and cry. We cried with him. You can't help but feel empathy for them--the amount of effort and sacrifice it takes to get to this level.
Tomas Verner--fought the good fight, great effort on his part
I was also so thrilled to see Alexei Mishin and Alexei Urmanov by the boards watching their students (Andrei Lutai and Sergei Voronov). I spotted Alexei Mishin's bald little head a mile away and felt like I was in the presence of greatness. I didn't see him face to face, but just over by the boards watching his pupil and on the big screens. Same with Alexei Urmanov--it was thrilling for me to see how he is after so many years. They mentioned Urmanov during the fun facts they revealed during warmup and showed his face.
After Evan's win, they brought out the podium and did the medal ceremony, which they called the victory ceremony. Apparently, they were having the medal ceremony the next day at 1. But this was totally a medal ceremony, with the flag raising and national anthem. Brian Boitano and Angela Nikodinov were on hand to hand out the bouquets and medals. There were two other women there to, but I couldn't hear who they were--definitely skaters of the past though.
After the ceremony, the audience started clearing out, but I rushed my kids down to the lower level to see if I could get a photo. The three medalists were skating around the rink, signing and posing with fans. I had a great view of them, but I didn't try to infiltrate the crowds. I knew that not everyone would get lucky and my kids were already tired and fed up of Mommy going nutsy over skaters. We were right on top of the kiss and cry area, where the portal is to backstage. From there, I got a great shot of Frank Carroll talking to Scott Hamilton. Beside them was Kurt Browning, and a few feet away were Tracy Wilson and Sandra Bezic. We shouted our congrats to Frank and he said thanks. I got a blurry photo of Brian Joubert as he ran backstage. It was then that we called it a night and headed home.
Next post will be about the ladies short!
Last edited:
Thank you for the posting. I enjoyed it. I wish I could have been there...I debated many times but just couldn't think of a brilliant excuse to give my boss. Perhaps one day I'll be one of those old ladies sitting in the front row clapping and enjoying...
- Joined
- Nov 22, 2006
The next morning, I head out to the ladies short program. Once again, I was late (had to drop the kids off to school first). I had bought the tickets a few months back, and had splurged on a $125 seat. What that got me was a a seat in the lower level facing the judges, about 15 rows up. And I got an aisle seat, so I was a happy camper. It is definitely worth spending the extra money on the seats. I arrived during the third group, when Roxana Luca of Romania was performing, which was fine because as the competitition continued, none of the earlier ones had their names on the leaderboard anymore.
The arena was bare. Less than 1/3 the seats were taken, but as the 8 hour competition progressed, more people came, but it was still less than half full. The majority of people seemed to be tourists and visitors once again, with a healthy showing from Canada, Korea, Japan. There were fans from Germany, Finland and even Turkey.
I must say, it was a LONG competition, too long, and I must agree with Ottavio Cinquanta who wants a qualifying round reinstated again to weed out the field. The women's shorts was pretty much a splatfest. That's not to say the programs weren't good, just that the ice wasn't kind to the ladies.
Standouts to me were:
1. Miki Ando: just fabulous. Very elegant and spot on with her jumps. The first competitor to hit the triple-triple combo. Left me breathless that she did it! Her doing the combo was almost like a statement "Move over girlies, the big guns are in the building." A relief after the number of falls that I saw that day.
2. Fumie Suguri: Elegant, mature, confident, knew what she was doing. Her experience was evident in her skate. I don't want to call her the grande dame of skating, but she kind of was. IIRC, she fell on one element, but it didn't feel so blatant.
3. Joannie Rochette: Clean skate, but to me, not the most memorable. She's technically great, maybe a bit rough around the edges artistically. But she's made huge improvements, that was clear.
4. Mao Asada: skated to Claire de Lune, and was my favorite short program of the night. Soft and lovely, elegant, not forced or labored by any means.
5. Yu-Na Kim: fantastic!! Really on fire, technically superb, deserves the top spot, no doubt. Her triple-triple combo was authoritative and confident. Her skate was perfection and she looked well-trained.
Notables:
1. Rachael Flatt: great effort on her part. She did stumble on a jump, but didn't fall straight out. I was a little surprised though, since she is so solid. But I do see great things for her.
2. Alissa Czisny: elegant and pretty, but she fell apart as we all know.
3. Carolina Kostner: I think she's improved artistically, still I have a problem with her posture on the ice. I think she suffers from tall girl syndrome on the ice.
4. Laura Lepisto: I remember her as being very elegant, but not a threat to the top girls
5. Elene Gedevanishvili: the announcer messed up her name twice, which annoyed me, but she had a bit of a stumble as well IIRC (should have taken notes!) She was charismatic on the ice.
6. Sarah Meier: Loved her samba program--great choreography and festive costume.
Other non-contending notables: Good and bad
1. Tugba Karademir of Turkey: had the audience behind her with her sassy Ocean's Thirteen program.
2. Candice Didier of France: all I have to say is va-va-vavoom! She has a body to die for, I know, I know that's not why we're here, but dang, she deserves credit where it's due. Very lean, very French, looks a lot of like Eva Green. Pretty girl, and I must say, I liked her costume as well.
3. Ivana Reitmayerova of Slovakia--used Johnny Weir's music from last year "Love is War." Definitely not as brilliantly choreographed though.
4. Tamar Katz of Israel--I loved her Gone with the Wind music, but the costume was unfortunate. Too "costumey."
5. Ana Cecilia Cantu of Mexico--Intrigued me the most from all the skaters. Very attractive, she has great show quality, and I found her Beetlejuice program to be so charming. You can totally see the potential that she has. I'd like to see more of her on TV.
6. Mirna Libric and Anna Jurkiewicz--not that they were particularly memorable, but they both were in the same group, and they both skated to Dark Eyes, with similar costumes. Deja vu.
More notes in the next post!
The arena was bare. Less than 1/3 the seats were taken, but as the 8 hour competition progressed, more people came, but it was still less than half full. The majority of people seemed to be tourists and visitors once again, with a healthy showing from Canada, Korea, Japan. There were fans from Germany, Finland and even Turkey.
I must say, it was a LONG competition, too long, and I must agree with Ottavio Cinquanta who wants a qualifying round reinstated again to weed out the field. The women's shorts was pretty much a splatfest. That's not to say the programs weren't good, just that the ice wasn't kind to the ladies.
Standouts to me were:
1. Miki Ando: just fabulous. Very elegant and spot on with her jumps. The first competitor to hit the triple-triple combo. Left me breathless that she did it! Her doing the combo was almost like a statement "Move over girlies, the big guns are in the building." A relief after the number of falls that I saw that day.
2. Fumie Suguri: Elegant, mature, confident, knew what she was doing. Her experience was evident in her skate. I don't want to call her the grande dame of skating, but she kind of was. IIRC, she fell on one element, but it didn't feel so blatant.
3. Joannie Rochette: Clean skate, but to me, not the most memorable. She's technically great, maybe a bit rough around the edges artistically. But she's made huge improvements, that was clear.
4. Mao Asada: skated to Claire de Lune, and was my favorite short program of the night. Soft and lovely, elegant, not forced or labored by any means.
5. Yu-Na Kim: fantastic!! Really on fire, technically superb, deserves the top spot, no doubt. Her triple-triple combo was authoritative and confident. Her skate was perfection and she looked well-trained.
Notables:
1. Rachael Flatt: great effort on her part. She did stumble on a jump, but didn't fall straight out. I was a little surprised though, since she is so solid. But I do see great things for her.
2. Alissa Czisny: elegant and pretty, but she fell apart as we all know.
3. Carolina Kostner: I think she's improved artistically, still I have a problem with her posture on the ice. I think she suffers from tall girl syndrome on the ice.
4. Laura Lepisto: I remember her as being very elegant, but not a threat to the top girls
5. Elene Gedevanishvili: the announcer messed up her name twice, which annoyed me, but she had a bit of a stumble as well IIRC (should have taken notes!) She was charismatic on the ice.
6. Sarah Meier: Loved her samba program--great choreography and festive costume.
Other non-contending notables: Good and bad
1. Tugba Karademir of Turkey: had the audience behind her with her sassy Ocean's Thirteen program.
2. Candice Didier of France: all I have to say is va-va-vavoom! She has a body to die for, I know, I know that's not why we're here, but dang, she deserves credit where it's due. Very lean, very French, looks a lot of like Eva Green. Pretty girl, and I must say, I liked her costume as well.
3. Ivana Reitmayerova of Slovakia--used Johnny Weir's music from last year "Love is War." Definitely not as brilliantly choreographed though.
4. Tamar Katz of Israel--I loved her Gone with the Wind music, but the costume was unfortunate. Too "costumey."
5. Ana Cecilia Cantu of Mexico--Intrigued me the most from all the skaters. Very attractive, she has great show quality, and I found her Beetlejuice program to be so charming. You can totally see the potential that she has. I'd like to see more of her on TV.
6. Mirna Libric and Anna Jurkiewicz--not that they were particularly memorable, but they both were in the same group, and they both skated to Dark Eyes, with similar costumes. Deja vu.
More notes in the next post!
Last edited:
- Joined
- Nov 22, 2006
My final musings about my worlds experience!
The ladies short program was so long, eight hours in fact. There were many times when I'd just go to the lobby to stretch my legs. Some interesting things I noticed:
1. Nikolai Morozov is a very involved coach. He's coaching Miki Ando and Fumie Suguri and you could see him at the boards near the kiss and cry, hunched over, like his life was on the line. Very animated on the sides. I think he takes his job very seriously and the ladies are lucky to have him. Miki had finished her program, but he didn't sit with her in the kiss and cry. I was wondering why, when I saw him giving last minute advice to Fumie. He sat with her in the kiss and cry.
2. Tatiana Tarasova was there for Mao Asada in full fur regalia. They showed her reaction on the big screen after Mao's performance. She'd been making a funny face and everyone started to laugh. Tatiana heartily joined in the laughter.
3. They played pop music between the skaters, which I didn't particularly like, and I'll explain why. First, some of the music was slightly inappropriate for such a mixed crowd. I'm not a prude by any means, but come on. 95% of the fans there are elderly, children or foreign. Hearing "I kissed a girl and I liked it" or "all I wannna do is {bang bang bang and cha-ching}" isn't particularly thoughtful. Also, before some skaters, the music was upbeat and cheery, and other times, it was lilting and melancholy. I would hate to be on the ice, one minute from performing, only to hear something that brings you down. And what if it's a song you can't stand or one that eats at your brain for days afterward? They played Beyonce twice "If I were a Boy" and "Single Ladies" and I truly wanted to vomit up my pretzel. I felt so bad for the skaters. What an utter distraction! Either play some upbeat classical, jazz or oldies or pop standards. Don't give someone a psychological disadvantage!!!
4. I don't like the NJS or what it's done to figure skating. For an armchair observer, it's so hard to predict what the scores will be, how they are calculated, what's worth what. Like I've said, I used to watch obsessively growing up. But in the past 6 years, I didn't keep up as much. And with the lack of skating on TV, I'm very ignorant on the rules today. The NJS has made the programs very frantic and hyperactive, it's almost tiring to watch (I'm with Dick Button on this one!). Also, the increased technical expectation has not suited everyone. The ladies shorts was just a series of fall after fall after fall.
5. These worlds were the first skating competition I had ever attended. It is sooo different in real life than what it is on TV. I couldn't believe the difference! On TV, it seems like entertainment, like a frilly, sparkly pseudo-sport. In real life, you truly appreciate figure skating as a legitimate, bonfide sport. You feel the intensity, the years of training, the athletic prowess and strength, the sacrifice, the dedication, the thirst, it was overwhelming. On TV, it seems to go on forever, but in real life, four minutes seemed like the blink of an eye. And two minutes and forty seconds? Over before it began. Before you know it, someone's future has changed forever. It's difficult to witness the disappointment in the eyes of the competitors when they know they've messed up. Brian Joubert was a good example. I was sitting so high up, but just his body language after his program spoked loudly and clearly to each and every person there. It was painful and agonizing. Even in the ladies' short, the way the young women looked when they screwed up. Like they messed up the opportunity of a lifetime. I particularly remember the face of Victoria Muniz of Puerto Rico. Her family and friends were there cheering her on, and she started well enough. By the end, she looked like she was going to break down and cry. Same with Victoria Helgesson of Sweden and Alissa Czisny--that look of being so betrayed by their own self.
I was really impressed with the athletic strength the sport takes. You really get an appreciation for physics and athletic ability when watching it in person. It looks easy on TV, but incredibly hard in person. Anyone who says that figure skating is not a sport has not seen it in real life. That is what I've learned.
6. Gossipy of me, but Nikolai Morozov was there with his pupils, and Shae-Lynn Bourne was there with Joannie Rochette. They were in the same group. I wonder if it's awkward crossing paths like that?
And best of all...
7. I met Johnny Weir!!!!! I couldn't believe my luck. Around noon time Friday at the ladies short, they were resurfacing the ice. I decided to leave my seat and wander around. I noticed a crowd of people around the Dash Tours table in the lobby. I couldn't see what was going on, all I saw was a rotund middle aged man with a patriotic jacket. I'm thinking to myself, is he a skater from yore? Why is everyone going crazy? I get up to the table, and lo and behold, there is Johnny Weir in all his glory, signing autographs. He was looking great (tanned, well-rested, healthy, much taller than I thought he would be), wearing some cool bronze colored shoes, and a beautiful white watch (Michael Kors, I think. I've had my eye on that white watch for a few months That's how I recognized it). I nearly go nuts, but I hold my composure. Earlier that morning, I had discovered that while I brought my camera, I had left the battery in the charger at home. I had been kicking myself all morning about my carelessness, and had no luck finding a disposable camera in the gift shop. I did have my cell phone, so it was better than nothing. Anyways, I see a rope barrier for a line and I quickly get into it. More people are starting to come, and I notice a second, shorter line for the people who had come with Dash Tours. I stay in my line, and within a couple of minutes, they cordoned off the line I was in. Only a few people were behind me before they cut it off. Whew! I wait for twenty minutes before I get to the front. As I near the front, I ask the Dash Tours guy if he'll take a picture for me. He was incredibly nice and said sure. I show him how to use it. Next thing I know, I'm up front. I introduce myself and say something stupid (naturally). "Johnny, I feel like a giggly teenager meeting you!" To which he replies "Everyone should feel like a giggly teenager!" He signs my little notepad that I had with me and I give my cell phone to the Dash Tours guy. He can't get it to work! He tries for a minute, but then I give up and tell him it's okay, maybe next time. I didn't want to hog up the line either. I thank Johnny and exit the line. In the meantime, I realize that the tour guy didn't press the button long enough on my phone to take the picture. I hover around, and when Johnny's done with the last fan, I tell the tour guy that I figured out what was wrong and if he could take my photo again. He's so understanding about it (also in the meantime, he had ushered in two little girls who were standing wide-eyed at the side, but hadn't made it to the cutoff in the line. He even gets them paper to sign, what a good guy!) When Johnny is done with the little girls, the tour guy lets me in by the desk and I ask Johnny is I could get a photo, that I had figured out what was wrong with the phone. He is so gracious and I finally get my picture. Sure it's grainy, but it's better than nothing. Johnny Weir was so big-hearted, friendly, polite and kind to his fans. He really deserves great credit for his lovely, gracious, hospitable attitude. He was incredibly accomodating and patient, especially with me and the trouble I had. Sometimes, you'll meet someone famous and they're not so great in reality, but Johnny was just a doll, and he has a fan for life in me. I was so impressed with his good nature and approachability. I missed him sorely at the men's competition, but I wish him the best. And to the Dash Tours guy: you're so sweet--thanks a million!
The ladies short program was so long, eight hours in fact. There were many times when I'd just go to the lobby to stretch my legs. Some interesting things I noticed:
1. Nikolai Morozov is a very involved coach. He's coaching Miki Ando and Fumie Suguri and you could see him at the boards near the kiss and cry, hunched over, like his life was on the line. Very animated on the sides. I think he takes his job very seriously and the ladies are lucky to have him. Miki had finished her program, but he didn't sit with her in the kiss and cry. I was wondering why, when I saw him giving last minute advice to Fumie. He sat with her in the kiss and cry.
2. Tatiana Tarasova was there for Mao Asada in full fur regalia. They showed her reaction on the big screen after Mao's performance. She'd been making a funny face and everyone started to laugh. Tatiana heartily joined in the laughter.
3. They played pop music between the skaters, which I didn't particularly like, and I'll explain why. First, some of the music was slightly inappropriate for such a mixed crowd. I'm not a prude by any means, but come on. 95% of the fans there are elderly, children or foreign. Hearing "I kissed a girl and I liked it" or "all I wannna do is {bang bang bang and cha-ching}" isn't particularly thoughtful. Also, before some skaters, the music was upbeat and cheery, and other times, it was lilting and melancholy. I would hate to be on the ice, one minute from performing, only to hear something that brings you down. And what if it's a song you can't stand or one that eats at your brain for days afterward? They played Beyonce twice "If I were a Boy" and "Single Ladies" and I truly wanted to vomit up my pretzel. I felt so bad for the skaters. What an utter distraction! Either play some upbeat classical, jazz or oldies or pop standards. Don't give someone a psychological disadvantage!!!
4. I don't like the NJS or what it's done to figure skating. For an armchair observer, it's so hard to predict what the scores will be, how they are calculated, what's worth what. Like I've said, I used to watch obsessively growing up. But in the past 6 years, I didn't keep up as much. And with the lack of skating on TV, I'm very ignorant on the rules today. The NJS has made the programs very frantic and hyperactive, it's almost tiring to watch (I'm with Dick Button on this one!). Also, the increased technical expectation has not suited everyone. The ladies shorts was just a series of fall after fall after fall.
5. These worlds were the first skating competition I had ever attended. It is sooo different in real life than what it is on TV. I couldn't believe the difference! On TV, it seems like entertainment, like a frilly, sparkly pseudo-sport. In real life, you truly appreciate figure skating as a legitimate, bonfide sport. You feel the intensity, the years of training, the athletic prowess and strength, the sacrifice, the dedication, the thirst, it was overwhelming. On TV, it seems to go on forever, but in real life, four minutes seemed like the blink of an eye. And two minutes and forty seconds? Over before it began. Before you know it, someone's future has changed forever. It's difficult to witness the disappointment in the eyes of the competitors when they know they've messed up. Brian Joubert was a good example. I was sitting so high up, but just his body language after his program spoked loudly and clearly to each and every person there. It was painful and agonizing. Even in the ladies' short, the way the young women looked when they screwed up. Like they messed up the opportunity of a lifetime. I particularly remember the face of Victoria Muniz of Puerto Rico. Her family and friends were there cheering her on, and she started well enough. By the end, she looked like she was going to break down and cry. Same with Victoria Helgesson of Sweden and Alissa Czisny--that look of being so betrayed by their own self.
I was really impressed with the athletic strength the sport takes. You really get an appreciation for physics and athletic ability when watching it in person. It looks easy on TV, but incredibly hard in person. Anyone who says that figure skating is not a sport has not seen it in real life. That is what I've learned.
6. Gossipy of me, but Nikolai Morozov was there with his pupils, and Shae-Lynn Bourne was there with Joannie Rochette. They were in the same group. I wonder if it's awkward crossing paths like that?
And best of all...
7. I met Johnny Weir!!!!! I couldn't believe my luck. Around noon time Friday at the ladies short, they were resurfacing the ice. I decided to leave my seat and wander around. I noticed a crowd of people around the Dash Tours table in the lobby. I couldn't see what was going on, all I saw was a rotund middle aged man with a patriotic jacket. I'm thinking to myself, is he a skater from yore? Why is everyone going crazy? I get up to the table, and lo and behold, there is Johnny Weir in all his glory, signing autographs. He was looking great (tanned, well-rested, healthy, much taller than I thought he would be), wearing some cool bronze colored shoes, and a beautiful white watch (Michael Kors, I think. I've had my eye on that white watch for a few months
That's how I recognized it). I nearly go nuts, but I hold my composure. Earlier that morning, I had discovered that while I brought my camera, I had left the battery in the charger at home. I had been kicking myself all morning about my carelessness, and had no luck finding a disposable camera in the gift shop. I did have my cell phone, so it was better than nothing. Anyways, I see a rope barrier for a line and I quickly get into it. More people are starting to come, and I notice a second, shorter line for the people who had come with Dash Tours. I stay in my line, and within a couple of minutes, they cordoned off the line I was in. Only a few people were behind me before they cut it off. Whew! I wait for twenty minutes before I get to the front. As I near the front, I ask the Dash Tours guy if he'll take a picture for me. He was incredibly nice and said sure. I show him how to use it. Next thing I know, I'm up front. I introduce myself and say something stupid (naturally). "Johnny, I feel like a giggly teenager meeting you!" To which he replies "Everyone should feel like a giggly teenager!" He signs my little notepad that I had with me and I give my cell phone to the Dash Tours guy. He can't get it to work! He tries for a minute, but then I give up and tell him it's okay, maybe next time. I didn't want to hog up the line either. I thank Johnny and exit the line. In the meantime, I realize that the tour guy didn't press the button long enough on my phone to take the picture. I hover around, and when Johnny's done with the last fan, I tell the tour guy that I figured out what was wrong and if he could take my photo again. He's so understanding about it (also in the meantime, he had ushered in two little girls who were standing wide-eyed at the side, but hadn't made it to the cutoff in the line. He even gets them paper to sign, what a good guy!) When Johnny is done with the little girls, the tour guy lets me in by the desk and I ask Johnny is I could get a photo, that I had figured out what was wrong with the phone. He is so gracious and I finally get my picture. Sure it's grainy, but it's better than nothing. Johnny Weir was so big-hearted, friendly, polite and kind to his fans. He really deserves great credit for his lovely, gracious, hospitable attitude. He was incredibly accomodating and patient, especially with me and the trouble I had. Sometimes, you'll meet someone famous and they're not so great in reality, but Johnny was just a doll, and he has a fan for life in me. I was so impressed with his good nature and approachability. I missed him sorely at the men's competition, but I wish him the best. And to the Dash Tours guy: you're so sweet--thanks a million!
