2017 Skate Canada Challenge | Page 4 | Golden Skate

2017 Skate Canada Challenge

Joined
Nov 24, 2016
But I still feel that I would like to see stronger SS and other program components from CO and BC skaters. QC competitors had generally better presentation, more one foot skating, transitions, less posing and reliance on moves in the field to fill the space between elements.

Lots of finishing work to be done for certain. Rosalie is 15, Catherine 13. Lots of time.
 

Mango

Royal Chinet 👑🍽️
Record Breaker
Joined
Apr 5, 2016
nadster I'm not sure what you're talking about as there 45 pre-novice women in BC/YK sectionals. And their pre-novice champ was first in the SP here. I'm with you though that there should be more intra-provincial competition. That's why I have commend SK for sending some of their skaters to Ontario for Octoberfest. Get all the competitive experience you can.

Last group of pre-novice women is on. Senior pairs is also happening. Gah too much too watch! :gaah:
 

nadster

Final Flight
Joined
Feb 1, 2004
nadster I'm not sure what you're talking about as there 45 pre-novice women in BC/YK sectionals. And their pre-novice champ was first in the SP here. I'm with you though that there should be more intra-provincial competition. That's why I have commend SK for sending some of their skaters to Ontario for Octoberfest. Get all the competitive experience you can.

Last group of pre-novice women is on. Senior pairs is also happening. Gah too much too watch! :gaah:

45 pre-novice women is small compared to what CO ( around 70 ) and QC ( 200 + ) have. QC has to use their fall competition as a subsectional in all of the ladies events.

Yes there are multiple groups in BC competitions but not nearly as many hence less dilution of the field.
 

TGee

Record Breaker
Joined
Sep 17, 2016
Agree here. I also feel that the Quebec skaters also struggle the most in conquering the nerves of competition. I never see the Quebec section send promising novices to international advanced novice competitions ( you see that sometimes from CO and BC ). Often the best skaters in Quebec never face off against each other until sectionals.

Ontario has a strength vs strength competition at Octoberfest ( based on summer results ). BC is a smaller section so there are never more than 2 pre-novice or novice groups in their local comps. ( Compare that to a section like Quebec that could have 8 or more pre-novice groups in a summer competition. Besides BC takes their Victoria day competition quite seriously.

IOW, the Quebec ladies have the least experience in strength vs strength competition

I'm not entirely sure.

Many of the very young Quebec skaters compete in the US and travel about to competitions quite a bit. The US competitions are less and less an option as the two systems are now too different...

And as I mentioned below, most of the Quebec skaters were at Minto Summer Skate. Even in previous years befor the national summer series, there were very many Quebec entries there... But I would agree that, with many flights, the top competitors may not see each other.

So my sense was that they are doing a lot of events, but not seeing competitors with the higher BVs for level...
 

Mango

Royal Chinet 👑🍽️
Record Breaker
Joined
Apr 5, 2016
45 pre-novice women is small compared to what CO ( around 70 ) and QC ( 200 + ) have. QC has to use their fall competition as a subsectional in all of the ladies events.

Yes there are multiple groups in BC competitions but not nearly as many hence less dilution of the field.

I think population and interest in skating has to be taken into account. Ontario and Quebec are the largest provinces after all. There's always more men from these two provinces as well.

Julianne Séguin and Charlie Bilodeau actually competed and they've gone back to their Cirque du Soleil's Kurios SP. Julianne landed the 3S but spun around a bit. Otherwise it was good. 72.50 for them in SP. I'm glad they made this decision and hope it helps them do really well at GPF.
 

nadster

Final Flight
Joined
Feb 1, 2004
I am sure the Quebec ladies are doing a lot of competitions. That is not the issue. The fact is that quality competitions ( where the field is strong throughout ) is the most important thing .

It is a pity that novice and below , the US rules are so different from the Canadian rules. It gives no incentives for the novice skaters and below to get valuable experience in the US.

Sure many of our junior and senior skaters do go to the US in the summer as the rules are the same but it is important for the most talented novice and below skaters get the same strength-vs-strength experience.

One thing that could easily be done is to at least have FS finals consisting of the best skaters in each group. ( Many US summer competitions including Detroit do this ) And Thornhill did this before the IJS judging system came out.
 

ancientpeas

The Notorious SEW
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 11, 2014
Hey! I didn't even know this was going on. I'm an empty head. Thanks for all the work Mango and TGee.
 

ancientpeas

The Notorious SEW
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 11, 2014
I'm going to try to watch the Pairs SP since it's my favourite discipline.

New picture of Eli taken while he's was playing in the snow. He's waiting for me to throw his toy and got quite mad that I took his picture instead.
 

TGee

Record Breaker
Joined
Sep 17, 2016
45 pre-novice women is small compared to what CO ( around 70 ) and QC ( 200 + ) have. QC has to use their fall competition as a subsectional in all of the ladies events.

Yes there are multiple groups in BC competitions but not nearly as many hence less dilution of the field.

Here's another angle...

Canada manages to produce high level men, dance, and pairs, but the participation of boys and men is relatively very low.

For boys and men the risk is not having anyone to compete against. And much the same in pairs...

But the lack of numbers don't seem to be inhibiting excellence. :think:

Perhaps, as the life time development model argues, we aren't doing as well as we should at maximizing the potential of our girls.

In a section like Quebec, where there are so very many girls, coaches and section officials may not be able to really see who has potential. And some of the early developers that have high levels of early achievement may get more encouragement to stay on, while the later developers, who have more potential to attain the specialized technical skills before peak growth and puberty are discouraged and pushed out....:bang:
 

ancientpeas

The Notorious SEW
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 11, 2014
Dear people who run the stream
The time for commercials is after the skating performance, not during.

Charlie and Julieanne look good as always but I am not sold on the loop.
Moore Towers and Marinaro did very well but I can't enjoy them. I keep waiting for him to drop her. I'm actually afraid for her the whole performance. It doesn't lead to an enjoyable watching experience for me. I hope I get over it soon because he hasn't really dropped her since nationals last year.
Jones and Reagan continue to improve and I like these two. I think it's that they are both tall so what they do looks impressive.
The other two younger pairs did well. Although I hate Ekaterinas and partner's music.

How scary is watching pre-novice pairs btw?
 
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TGee

Record Breaker
Joined
Sep 17, 2016
How scary is watching pre-novice pairs btw?
NOT scary.......Wonderful !

I'm gushing, but it's deserved.....a number of the teams had such great performance qualities. Do catch the video if you can. There were only 7 teams.

I totally enjoyed the top SP from Forest/Foster of QC, and a number of the others.

The tech is still fairly low at this level, single twists and double throws, but the lifts, pairs spins and death spirals are definitely there, and some with quite decent levels. Will be interested to see the protocol.
 
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ancientpeas

The Notorious SEW
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 11, 2014
NOT scary.......Wonderful!I'm gushing, but it's deserved.....a number of the teams had such great performance qualities. Do catch the video if you can. There were only 7 teams.I totally enjoyed the top SP from Forest/Foster if QC, and a number of the others.The tech is still fairly low at this level, single twists and double throws, but the lifts, pairs spins and death spirals are definitely there, and some with quite decent levels. Will be interested to see the protocol.


Okay.. as long as it's not scary. I hate feeling like the girl is going to be dropped.
 

ancientpeas

The Notorious SEW
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 11, 2014
Julianne and Charlie didn't do the triple loop? Julianne stepped out of a salchow.

This is absolutely possible. I'm crud at jump calls but I thought they wanted to do the look this year so when she stepped out I thought it was on the loop. The recording didn't start until about half way through the program so I only saw the jump and throw on the replay.
 

Mango

Royal Chinet 👑🍽️
Record Breaker
Joined
Apr 5, 2016
Impressed by KM-T/MM in their return. They've been working hard, you can tell.
 
Joined
Nov 24, 2016
45 pre-novice women is small compared to what CO ( around 70 ) and QC ( 200 + ) have. QC has to use their fall competition as a subsectional in all of the ladies events.

Yes there are multiple groups in BC competitions but not nearly as many hence less dilution of the field.

2017-2018 season will see a large number of skaters at Sectionals for Ontario as well with the unification of the Sections under one Ontario. Hopefully a Summer Series style qualifier can narrow the focus a little.
 
Joined
Nov 24, 2016
I'm not entirely sure.

Many of the very young Quebec skaters compete in the US and travel about to competitions quite a bit. The US competitions are less and less an option as the two systems are now too different...

And as I mentioned below, most of the Quebec skaters were at Minto Summer Skate. Even in previous years befor the national summer series, there were very many Quebec entries there... But I would agree that, with many flights, the top competitors may not see each other.

So my sense was that they are doing a lot of events, but not seeing competitors with the higher BVs for level...

The Ontario Super Series tried to accomplish just that this year and I think they weren't as successful as they'd hoped due to a lack of funding for bursaries.
 

TGee

Record Breaker
Joined
Sep 17, 2016
The Ontario Super Series tried to accomplish just that this year and I think they weren't as successful as they'd hoped due to a lack of funding for bursaries.

The super series did offer bursaries for previous years....and it is true that the provincial super series final did offer strength on strength competition to some extent. However, for the Juniors so many had byes due to the JPG, it was less effective from that perspective.

Hadn't heard the story on the bursaries this year, but hopefully with the Skate Ontario amalgamation the Ontario skaters will be included in provincial sport bursary recipients.
 
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