2016 Team Challenge Cup - Gen Info/Pre-chat | Page 5 | Golden Skate

2016 Team Challenge Cup - Gen Info/Pre-chat

I much preferred when CBS broadcast the Winter Olympics compared to NBC and that munchkin Bob Costas. Even Scott wasn't as obnoxious when he was paired with Verne Lundquist and they had good chemistry. I know most of the figure skating team at CBS went to NBC including Scott, Tracy Wilson and Andrea Joyce but Verne Lundquist actually added to the broadcast while Tom Hammonds was horrible and did and said nothing of value ever.
 
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New article: It looks like Spokane will host inaugural Team Cup Challenge figure skating event

Excerpt:

A high-profile skating delegation is headed to Spokane this week and is expected to announce that the Lilac City will again host a major figure skating event: the first-ever Team Cup Challenge.

The delegation from U.S. Figure Skating is coming Wednesday and will include ... Kristi Yamaguchi, ... Gracie Gold and several other skating officials.

“To have this delegation coming in is about as good an indication as you could possibly get, that it’s a go,” said Barb Beddor, vice president of Star USA, which has successfully promoted other skating events. “I can’t imagine them sending them here and not having good news.” ...

The delegation is due to arrive in Spokane on Wednesday. A news conference has been scheduled for 11:45 a.m. at the Spokane Convention Center.​

via Skate Today

Added tonight to Facebook page of Spokane 2016 Team Challenge Cup Bid City:
WOW, we learned today that a huge delegation of Very Important People including Kristi Yamaguchi and Gracie Gold are flying into Spokane this Wednesday. That's gotta be good news RIGHT? A big shout out to AVISTA for committing that if Spokane is awarded the 2016 Team Challenge Cup they will be our Local Presenting Sponsor. That probably put us over the top.
https://www.facebook.com/spokane201....106599.33677917903/10153696588857904/?type=1​
 
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^ :cheer: I guess this mens that Kristi has been signed by USFS to be the public relations point-person for this enterprise.

Factoid: Hosting sponsor Avista (formerly Washington Water Power) is the local electricity company.

Lilac City: The big annual civic event in Spokane is the spring Lilac Festival. This skating event will be right in the mix, time-wise. I bet they will find a way to work it in. The preparations for the parades, etc., begin just about that time with the "Royal Tea" kickoff. The Lilac Princesses are girls chosen from local high schools, primarily on the basis of community involvement and charitable service, to preside over the festivities.
 
Mathman said:
^ :cheer: I guess this mens that Kristi has been signed by USFS to be the public relations point-person for this enterprise.

Factoid: Hosting sponsor Avista (formerly Washington Water Power) is the local electricity company.

Lilac City: The big annual civic event in Spokane is the spring Lilac Festival. This skating event will be right in the mix, time-wise. I bet they will find a way to work it in. The preparations for the parades, etc., begin just about that time with the "Royal Tea" kickoff. The Lilac Princesses are girls chosen from local high schools, primarily on the basis of community involvement and charitable service, to preside over the festivities.
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:agree: I think it prob. means also that of the legends who will be team captains, Kristi will be North America's.

BTW, in addition to the press conference, Kristi "will also appear Wednesday morning on KREM 2 News at 5:30 a.m."

I wonder whether it was an "accident" or a deliberate decision that USFS is holding the inaugural TCC in the same season that Worlds are in Boston.
I would think that some fans based in North America already have depleted their travel budgets for Boston, although in any other year they would have been happy to plan a trip anywhere in the U.S. for TCC.
And I do worry that the USFS staff involved will be stretched very thin. I'm sure that they will give their all to make Worlds successful .... and then three short weeks later, they will have to be fully prepared and rarin' to go to hold the first-ever edition of another high-profile world-class comp. Even with LOCs doing their parts, I'm guessing that a lot of USFS manpower also will be required for both Boston and Spokane.

Anyway ... thank you for the background re Avista. And especially re Lilac City. I had not known that Spokane was all about lilacs. I love lilacs :).
 
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golden411 said:
I wonder whether it was an "accident" or a deliberate decision that USFS is holding the inaugural TCC in the same season that Worlds are in Boston.
I would think that some fans based in North America already have depleted their travel budgets for Boston, although in any other year they would have been happy to plan a trip anywhere in the U.S. for TCC.
Click to expand...

I live in the west and once I looked at plane tickets, hotel, & tickets to Worlds, I kept putting off making a decision...Spokane would be a lot easier & cheaper, probably a much more intimate & relaxed feeling as well. Maybe it won't have the same excitement as Worlds, but considering that most of my favorites don't tend to do well there anyway, I don't know if I want to witness that in person. This is the better option for me (but we still don't know how the teams are decided, so that's the #1 question I hope they will answer tomorrow).
 
This format nicely suits the Americans and Russians That leaves the bronze between China, Japan and Canada. It will be interesting if they go by ordinals or total score. Canada will get lambasted in ladies if it is by total score.
 
I been debating about Worlds also and Spokane is within driving distance from me, so an easy weekend trip.
 
Skater Boy said:
This format nicely suits the Americans and Russians That leaves the bronze between China, Japan and Canada. It will be
interesting if they go by ordinals or total score. Canada will get lambasted in ladies if it is by total score.
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You've got the format wrong.
Individual countries will not be competing against each other.
The format is Team North America vs. Team Asia vs. Team Europe, according to all the reporting from Spokane.

Mrs. P said:
I been debating about Worlds also and Spokane is within driving distance from me, so an easy weekend trip.
Click to expand...

:cool: :popcorn: Happy to hear that Family P (all of you, I hope?) will be in Spokane :).
 
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Just arrived home from camping in the dirt for 9 days watching airplanes go around in circles...me, the motorcycle and the planes all arrived home safe and sound. The paper today said Gracie is coming here as well tomarrow....I will offer my spare bedroom if she needs it.....:laugh2: If Mao comes later she can have it too.....
Generous Chris waiting in line for tickets
 
So, if Kristi is going to be the "legendary team captain" for North America, who will the others be? I vote for Plushenko for Europe and Shen & Zhao for Asia.
 
Mathman said:
So, if Kristi is going to be the "legendary team captain" for North America, who will the others be? I vote for Plushenko for Europe and Shen & Zhao for Asia.
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I am really hoping for Plushenko. Please skating world, give this to Plushenko... give him something skating related that will not lead to another surgery. I would love to see him in a team captain role.
 
Yes...I would move heaven and earth to see Plushenko in Spokane! Are they all going to be announced today? :popcorn:
 
I'm so excited for this event!! LOVE love love the format, that doesn't go by country but continents!
How much I wish Yuna would be still competing - then we would have Mao and Yuna for Asia vs. Carolina and russian wonderkid (now woman), vs. Ashley/Gracie/Karen/Polina/Mirai. That would be soooo awsome ;)
Sorry for the OT gushig but I couldn't hold my excitement.

also the idea of a legend team leader is wonderful- I love Kristi. She's such a charismatic person. Also Plushy or Yagudin for Europe would be great. Ohhhh maybe they could give the Asia team leader spot to Yuna??? But I would also love to see Daisuke Takahashi or Shen/Zhao or Pang/Tong in that position. And Shizuka probably really has a good shot at that spot too :)
 
gallavich said:
Yes...I would move heaven and earth to see Plushenko in Spokane! Are they all going to be announced today? :popcorn:
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FYI for diehards, today's announcement will be streamed by KHQ, a local Spokane news channel site. 11:45 am Pacific time.

The article that mentions the streaming (this link is not for the streaming itself):


(LOL, earlier today, KHQ was live streaming the Pope at the White House. From the sublime to the ??? ;) ...]

I have no idea whether all the team captains will be announced today :popcorn:.
Presumably a USFS press release will be forthcoming today ... as well as a flurry of coverage/mentions by Spokane media and figure skating reporters.
But how much/little information will be announced today (other than Spokane's selection as the site) remains to be seen.

CoyoteChris said:
Just arrived home from camping in the dirt for 9 days watching airplanes go around in circles...me, the motorcycle and the planes all arrived home safe and sound. The paper today said Gracie is coming here as well tomarrow....I will offer my spare bedroom if she needs it.....:laugh2: If Mao comes later she can have it too.....
Generous Chris waiting in line for tickets
Click to expand...

Glad that attending another comp this season is in your future, Chris :).
 
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Listening to the announcement!

Spokane is the city (no surprise!) and tix go on sale October 9.

Gracie Gold is apparently the official "athlete ambassador" for Team North America, so there's a pretty good shot she will be there.
 
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Confirmed at today's announcement:

Spokane will host 2016 Team Challenge Cup.

Kristi will be captain of Team North America

Gracie will be athlete ambassador for Team North America.

The event website is www.TeamChallengeCup.com.

Tickets go on sale Oct 9.​

From the new website:

Christopher Dean will be captain of Team Europe.

The Team Captain will not compete in the event, but will be involved in selecting skaters and determining team strategy.

Selection Process
http://www.teamchallengecup.com/athletes

ISU World Rankings (as of January 1, 2016) will be used to determine the 2016 Team Challenge Cup field of competitors. The top two singles skaters (ladies and men) and top two pairs and ice dance teams from each continent will be invited to participate at the 2016 Team Challenge Cup.

*The top two invited athletes/teams may not be from the same country.

The final singles athletes (ladies and men) for each team will be determined by a fan vote. Up to five skaters (both ladies and men) will be nominated by the Team Captains from those skaters who are entered in the 2016 ISU World Figure Skating Championships. Online fan voting will begin immediately following the announcement of the Captain’s Picks and will conclude one week after the 2016 World Championships. The top male and female vote getters from each continent will be invited to compete. ​

ETA:

Nota bene: I see now that "ISU World Standings" is the language in the USFS press release, although "ISU World Rankings" is copied verbatim from the TCC page.

Thanks to Mrs. P for raising a red flag re "ISU World Rankings."​
 
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Full press release re today's announcement:

It provides confirmation of CBS as the broadcast network:

Team Challenge Cup will air domestically on CBS from 1-3 p.m. ET on Sunday, April 24. The entire event will be streamed live on icenetwork. Additional television partners and a detailed broadcast schedule will be announced at a later date.​

BTW, the captain of Team Asia is TBA.
 
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