2017 GP NHK Mens SP

[gsk8]

Moving on to the skating, kudos to:

Rippon for having the second highest PCS
Tomono and Sato for new PBs in their GP debut
Bychenko and Voronov for solid skates

 

[Fruitpie]

I have had a few opportunities to meet Jason.
He is so genuine and he smiles because he is an upbeat, optimistic person that appreciates being able to do what he loves the most, skate and entertain. He is also serious about competition, trains hard but can put things such as a not so perfect outing in perspective. He is truly a gifted skater and person.

Actually I really didn't like this quote of Jason. It sounded very pejorative towards other competitors.

 

[Starsfan84]

I have become a huge fan of Jason's skating. He makes me smile every time I watch him. He has so much respect for skating. I truly hope to see more skaters like Jason in the future!

 

[chillgil]

i think for the people who cant seem to 'get' jason's skating you should try and put yourself in the shoes of someone watching him skate live. the power to capture the audience and the incredibly bright bubbly personality that he projects almost 24/7 is a huge weapon for him. it translates well on ice IRL but not through tv where it can seem gimmicky or fake

The guy can PERFORM I LIVE for his SP look at how much fun he's having . . . he's truly infectious as long as you keep your cynicism at bay

 

[CanadianSkaterGuy]

Tomoni and Sato were very solid for having to step in... congrats to them!

But part of me would have loved for Oda to step out of retirement and win NHK more than 10 years after he first won it. And he very well could!

 

[Tavi...]

Since when are Lin-Manuel and Munoz figure skating experts? Or choreographers, for that matter? yes, they are artists, and as most artists, they are all about spreading their art. Heck, maybe they're even running off to produce Hamilton on Ice soon! And yet, their approval does not mean it's a good program! The only approval that matters is that of the judges, and Jason has clearly gotten the thumbs up.
I'm a fan of Jason's skating (with or without a quad), and I love the music from Hamilton, but the style of the choreography does not match the music (hip-hop). But that's just an observation, not a complaint (yet, if push came to shove, I would personally lower the pcs for choreography and interpretation...which would then force me to lower everyone else's even more, lol).
My opinion about Adam's short is the same as last years: That's an awesome, perfect exhibition piece for him!! (he can use this for the Hamilton on Ice audition, lol)

The person I was responding to criticized Jason’s performance as “cartoonish,” “cheesy,” and missing the inherent “pathos” in Hamilton; he also dissed him as “a 5-year old having fun.” The fact that Lin Manuel - the author - has seen and retweeted clips of Jason’s program doesn’t mean it’s a well-constructed program, but it does suggest to me that those criticisms are off base.

As to the program and choreo itself, IMO, the reason the judges like it is because it ticks all the PCS boxes very well. The footwork in particular - at the end of the program - demonstrates how well he’s able to maintain speed while doing edge changes on one foot and through changes of position like the knee slide. So leaving aside whether the choreo is hip hop enough - and I happen to think this song at this point in the show is more big Broadway production number than hip hop - I think it’s very well choreographed to impress the judges. And as you say, that’s what counts.

 

[noskates]

Nothing should ever surprise me on a message board anymore but it just really makes me wonder why people feel the need to tear skaters down over minutiae. Jason did not skate his program well. Most of the skaters did not skate their programs well. This is the SP people - a lot can happen in the LP so don't write anybody off yet. But to say his shout out to a fellow competitor is pejorative - wow, blows me away. He genuinely likes Yuzuru and I do believe Yuzuru deserves the respect he's getting from Jason and from any other man that steps on the ice.

There's sure a lot of meanness in this thread today. Why not just enjoy the fact that several skaters did the best they've done in awhile, the US is sitting at 3 and 4 going into the LP, Adam had high PCS for his first time out on the Grand Prix circuit, Satoko is back on the ice, etc. etc. Can't we just concentrate on the positives and save the negatives for the privacy of your own homes?

 

[skylark]

Sorry for this interruption, but can anyone tell me how to find the link for NHK so that I can see the protocols? All I'm getting is the page that lists TES, then breaks down PCS into categories.

 

[Fruitpie]

Sorry for this interruption, but can anyone tell me how to find the link for NHK so that I can see the protocols? All I'm getting is the page that lists TES, then breaks down PCS into categories.

Protocols http://www.isuresults.com/results/season1718/gpjpn2017/data0103.pdf

 

[ice coverage]

Nov 10 - Nov 12, 2017
Osaka, Japan


Friday, 10 November 2017, 19:05 UTC +9

• Detailed Results and Protocols

Sorry for this interruption, but can anyone tell me how to find the link for NHK so that I can see the protocols? All I'm getting is the page that lists TES, then breaks down PCS into categories.

skylark, you should always check the OPs of the competition threads.

Doris makes it her standard operating procedure to include the link to Detailed Results and Protocols.

Thank you, Doris .
And thanks for including a zillion other useful links in the OPs as well.

 

[TontoK]

Nothing should ever surprise me on a message board anymore but it just really makes me wonder why people feel the need to tear skaters down over minutiae. Jason did not skate his program well. Most of the skaters did not skate their programs well. This is the SP people - a lot can happen in the LP so don't write anybody off yet. But to say his shout out to a fellow competitor is pejorative - wow, blows me away. He genuinely likes Yuzuru and I do believe Yuzuru deserves the respect he's getting from Jason and from any other man that steps on the ice.

There's sure a lot of meanness in this thread today. Why not just enjoy the fact that several skaters did the best they've done in awhile, the US is sitting at 3 and 4 going into the LP, Adam had high PCS for his first time out on the Grand Prix circuit, Satoko is back on the ice, etc. etc. Can't we just concentrate on the positives and save the negatives for the privacy of your own homes?

I agree that the off-ice stuff is nonsense, bordering on middle school chit-chat.

I disagree that the on-ice performance of any skater, including Jason, is out of bounds for discussion. Program critiques are not "tearing skaters down."

 

[JustMe]

It's quite odd that in 2017 two men have a realistic chance of winning a grand prix event without at least 1 clean quad... (assuming neither Jason not Adam lands one in the free).
Who was the last man to win a grand prix event without a quad? :think:

 

[skylark]

Protocols http://www.isuresults.com/results/season1718/gpjpn2017/data0103.pdf

very much!

 

[noskates]

Tonto - was not referring to the performances.

 

[TontoK]

skylark, you should always check the OPs of the competition threads.

Doris makes it her standard operating procedure to include the link to Detailed Results and Protocols.

Thank you, Doris .
And thanks for including a zillion other useful links in the OPs as well.

Doris is an absolute HERO, and she deserves a medal for her unbelievable work to make this forum a better place to discuss the sport we all love.

 

[TontoK]

Tonto - was not referring to the performances.

Thanks. I think I understand your post better on second read.

 

[skylark]

skylark, you should always check the OPs of the competition threads.

Doris makes it her standard operating procedure to include the link to Detailed Results and Protocols.

Thank you, Doris .
And thanks for including a zillion other useful links in the OPs as well.

Well, actually I did, earlier (way earlier ). I just hadn't found the "judges' scores" link underneath and kept getting the first page that gave the partial breakdown. I think I've got it now.

 

[skylark]

i think for the people who cant seem to 'get' jason's skating you should try and put yourself in the shoes of someone watching him skate live. the power to capture the audience and the incredibly bright bubbly personality that he projects almost 24/7 is a huge weapon for him. it translates well on ice IRL but not through tv where it can seem gimmicky or fake

This is also what I think when people complain about some skaters' particular kind of expression being OTT. I've never seen that term applied to Jason, but his very extroverted mode might be seen that way, by some. Just as Wagner's very dramatic approach, Osmond's emphatic styling, Medvedeva's facial acting at selected points in the programs. And many more. I like Kovtun best when he skates humorous... but many don't.

I think it's been said that TV (and this would apply to internet) is a "hot" medium. So things get overheated. What's interesting to me is that once I've appreciated a style I previously had resistance to, I then "get" that skater and what he/she is doing. It can happen in the arena, as you said. But it also is possible to finally "get" a skater by video ... and when this has happened to me (I'm thinking Med here), I then see and appreciate all of that skater's past and subsequent efforts in a new light.

Actually, now that I'm talking it through, I can understand a little better some of the "reputation" judging and why/how it happens.

 

[Mathman]

Jason Brown did his thing, but I am still starting to get worried. If he doesn't try a quad he just can't flub his triple Axel and do a triple/double, hoping for his spins, skating skills and personality to bail him out. Meanwhile Max Aaron is combining multiple quads with with steadily improving presentation.

Also, American theater-goers a couple of years ago liked the play Hamilton about U.S. historical figures, but does it mean anything to international figure skating audiences and judges? Not to mention, The Room Where it Happens is perhaps one of its weaker moments -- no one leaves the theater whistling the "tune".

Oh well. On to the long program.

 

[Mrs. P]

^ I wouldn't read too much into it. I think the unusual circumstances surrounding Hanyu's withdrawal probably contributed to some nervy errors.

Also FWIW, The Room Where It Happens is actually Lin-Manuel Miranda's favorite songs of the whole musical. I'll admit I'm not full board, but I think a strong performance, it will be more compelling.

We'll see if he improves in the FS.