2018-19 Canadian figure skating

[Ice Dance]

Gilles and Poirier (barely) defeated Weaver and Poje at Canadian Nationals last year. Andrew fell right at the start of the twizzles in the short dance and they got 0 points for the element. I don't know if I'd call it sloppy or incredibly unlucky, but there it was. It happened.

Yes, I saw it. And Internationaux de France also. In both cases, I would call it a disaster; but they came back strong at Nationals and didn't let it hold them back throughout the post season, which is really something I admire about the more experienced teams. Perspective.

In general, though, that's about worst-case scenario for a twizzle sequence. And not what I worry about. I watched Skate Canada practices live last season, and W&P had mistakes on about every set of twizzles other than the ones in the competition. Always smaller mistakes, but they've been batting about 50% hitting them the last two seasons so I kind of figure on them losing a level in either the SD or FD. It's their Achilles' Heel.

But it's not like Gilles & Poirier, Papadakis & Cizeron, Hubbell & Donohue, or Chock & Bates never lose levels on their twizzle sequences either. This is what I mean when I say that Worlds will likely come down to the performances. The technical demands in dance are so hard right now. More often than not, steps on the podium really come down to execution on the day.

 

[NoNameFace]

As for the discussion on Piper and Paul: I think people forget that they went through the 2015-16 season with two very unusual programs. They changed one and had big success with it. They didn't change the other and were firmly put back into their place. The following season they played it much safer and had success. They tried to do their own thing again in the Olympic season and once again were given the cold shoulder. So they changed their FD and it was a success. They are capable of doing well. They just need to tick the appropriate boxes.

I think that the fact that they are one (if not the only) of the most original, repertoire-wise unusual teams out there is a double-sided sword: people are usually appreciative towards originality and individual style/aesthetic they represent (even in SDs being way more restricted in terms of theme), whereas they have no universal sympathy of judges. And if they are making errors, it's way easier for judges to pick them apart.

Looking back at them in past quad, I do see them getting more 'wiser' in terms of self-expression, putting more stress on balancing out individuality and universal appeal. Actually, past season was the closest to perfection in my opinion, if they've only decided on FD change after first GP/at the beginning of the season...SD was a perfect blend between technical/rhythms' requirements and their signature 'quirk'/originality and Bond FD posed more mass appeal and made coherent program from technical/presentation standpoints.

I do believe that a change to Rhythm Dance could be beneficiary for them and their original style - they can pair Tango with other rhythm by their choice to voice out their aesthetic louder without being too 'out of place'. As for FD, they simply need to find material they feel comfortable with and that will be believable and convincing for audiences from the very start - the 'experiment period' costs them too much, results-wise especially. But I am generally biased with them, they are the team I root for the most, the team that wins me over with their unusual approach towards SDs and creative imagination expressed in FDs. They may not be the smoothest, most technically gifted and judge-acclaimed team out there, but they always bring something new on the table that make quickly very 'theirs', recognizable even in its variety. They may not have always the best tech score, but I always see them equally engaged into performances - it's always like a play on stage or a spectacle in theatre, a complex unity of visuals and emotions.

 

[Tanager]

I find it difficult to multi-quote on Golden Skate Also. What I do is press, "Reply," then copy & paste the whole message so I always have at least one whole extra copy below. Then I go up to the original quote, delete what I don't want to reply to immediately. And then answer the question. (As long as you keep the opening info inside the brackets and the closing info inside the brackets, you're golden).

Hmm trying this...

Then if I only want one more quote, I do the same with full message I posted below: delete the info I don't want & keep the brackets. If I want more than one more quote, I copy the full message again and paste it below first. Not sure if that helps, but basically as long as you copy & paste the original message, you always have an extra one available to recopy & tinker with until you are done replying to the post. There is probably an easier way to do this.

...to see if it...

There's a little icon to the right of the "reply with quote" that is multi-quote. If you want to quote three posts, just click on the little box on all three posts, then do reply to thread, and voila, all the posts will be there! Or click the multi-quote box for two of the posts and "reply with quote" for the third. The same thing will happen; all the posts will show in your reply.

Now for the downside.... Those posts you multi-quoted (which should now show a check mark by the multi-quote icon) will appear in every post you make until you clear them up. You need to go back and find them all and click again to make the check marks go away.

...works!! Thanks for the quoting help, Ice Dance and NanaPat!

I have loved reading all the discussion that has flowed about Canadian ice dance over the next quad. Thanks all for taking the time to answer my original (and subsequent!) questions and then going well beyond with great thoughts and analyses and discussion. It's exciting to think how this quad will begin to take shape with its mix of veterans and newer teams vying for international assignments and, ultimately, 2022.

Speaking of 2022: If WeaPo do decide to commit to another four years, I've decided that the only fair thing is for Team Event duties to be shared between WeaPo and G/P, both teams then retiring in a blaze of Olympic medal glory. :luv17:

 

[Mango]

Tanager make sure to click on the same boxes again to get rid of the multi-quote. Or else they'll pop up every time you want to reply.

Tessa's feature article in Vogue Japan is up: https://www.vogue.co.jp/celebrity/interview/tessavirtue

 

[Ladskater]

I hope Alaine has a better season ahead, if she decides to continue competing. I think with Kaetlyn Osmond sitting the next season out, Alaine will have a chance to get back on track. Wishing her all the best.

 

[TGee]

Speaking of kicking butt, it looks like Keegan is ready to do just that. Beast mode has been activated.

https://www.facebook.com/lancevipondchoreography/videos/1152734154868996/

With all the great ice dance discussion here, not to mention bagged milk and civic "big things" on the Medvedeva arrival in Toronto thread, we all seem to have missed this interesting feature on Keegan from Inside Skating last week...

http://www.insideskating.net/2018/06/13/features/canadas-keegan-messing-has-his-eye-on-the-quad-axel

Who knew he had his eye on the quad axel?

Sounds like 4Lz combos are just a foundation...

And it's nice to see them underscoring that Keegan is a direct descendant on his mum's side of Canada's first immigrant who landed from Japan in the 19th Century.

 

[Tanager]

Good for Keegan! It's wonderful to see him shine at a later stage in his career. I hope the momentum he's built can carry him to a Canadian title this season and more international success.

 

[4everchan]

yup... unless Nam gets his act together.... we will have a brand new, champion.... i was almost hoping Kevin would stay for that title, if he felt fit... but yeah...

it's exciting... one day, my brain tells me to put my money (figuratively speaking ) on Keegan

the next day, i want Joseph to slay... and get into mini-chiddy mode for the next 10 seasons....

and then... well... sometimes i root for Nic just because he is exciting to watch and has huge jumps.... oh well.. the one who is going to be the next Canadian champion has big skates to fill.

 

[Colonel Green]

Good for Keegan! It's wonderful to see him shine at a later stage in his career. I hope the momentum he's built can carry him to a Canadian title this season and more international success.

While it's always difficult to predict where the various younger guys will be by the time of the national championships, since junior skaters regularly show huge improvements in ability over relatively short spans, Keegan's skating skills and performance quality are such that he should win the title this season unless he gets completely blown out of the water technically.

 

[Ice Dance]

With Keegan, it's usually mental. Random mistakes that aren't necessarily on the same elements.

He's come so far this past season, gaining experience & confidence. It was great to see him qualify for Worlds this year. And it has always been a joy to watch someone who truly enjoys performing for the audience. Best wishes to him this coming season. May he enjoy the season and grow into the leadership role.

 

[Mango]

I've heard Keegan discuss his own skating and it's about stamina. His FS last year was giving him trouble for this reason. But he looks more fit and ready to go, as Lance mentions.

TGee are you still having difficulty viewing that video? I can upload it somewhere else for you, if you like.

Update on the list of skaters for Championnats: https://patinage.qc.ca/wp-content/u...s-List-of-registered-skaters-18-juin-2018.pdf

Our first Brasseur/Bardei sighting. :thumbsup: L/L staying in juniors, as expected.

 

[TGee]

TGee are you still having difficulty viewing that video? I can upload it somewhere else for you, if you like.

Yes, please do make it available.

It may just be this device, but Facebook is not letting me look at public content on individuals' sites.

 

[4everchan]

about the CQE.. good to see some of the new junior dance teams/pairs competing as well. Nic Nadeau... is that worth the trip Junior ladies will be intense... interesting that Bausback is competing in quebec.

i am still waiting for one of my sons to sign up to decide whether or not i am going

 

[Haleth]

Spot the Canadians in this new clip of a Team Cricket stroking class posted by Paige Aistrop: https://www.instagram.com/p/BkLcO2YjihS/?taken-by=paistrop

I spy Conrad, Stephen, and Bruce for sure. Also present may be Alison, Natalie, Corey? Gabby may be still on vacation?

Anyone else?

ETA: Joey's face

 

[Mango]

Joey

Here you go TGee: https://streamable.com/hzabm

Claudio is once again looking for a partner: http://www.icepartnersearch.com/showbio.php?i=6307

Steven Lapointe is looking as well: http://www.icepartnersearch.com/showbio.php?i=5099

 

[mrrice]

yup... unless Nam gets his act together.... we will have a brand new, champion.... i was almost hoping Kevin would stay for that title, if he felt fit... but yeah...

it's exciting... one day, my brain tells me to put my money (figuratively speaking ) on Keegan

the next day, i want Joseph to slay... and get into mini-chiddy mode for the next 10 seasons....

and then... well... sometimes i root for Nic just because he is exciting to watch and has huge jumps.... oh well.. the one who is going to be the next Canadian champion has big skates to fill.

This is exactly how I feel. I know that Keegan has waited a long time to be Champion. Patrick was a huge roadblock for so many Canadian Men...Of course, it made me happy but, I imagine Keegan has waited long enough. I do love Joseph and may the best skater win.

 

[TGee]

Joey [emoji3]

Here you go TGee: https://streamable.com/hzabm

Wow, that's a fairly well laid down chunk of choreography and high BV elements for this point in the year.

No question that he's looking to be a contender this season.

 

[Knebli]

This is exactly how I feel. I know that Keegan has waited a long time to be Champion. Patrick was a huge roadblock for so many Canadian Men...Of course, it made me happy but, I imagine Keegan has waited long enough. I do love Joseph and may the best skater win.

Roman Sadovsky is on the radar for sure. A couple of years to get used to his height and now has awesome quads - sal. And toe...... And speed and power evident too. And those edges he is able to carve. It's going to be an exciting year for Canadian men's category!

 

[4everchan]

Roman Sadovsky is on the radar for sure. A couple of years to get used to his height and now has awesome quads - sal. And toe...... And speed and power evident too. And those edges he is able to carve. It's going to be an exciting year for Canadian men's category!

his issue though has also been the triple axel.... i love roman's skating so i do hope he gets where he needs to be to contend. I am just thinking that he is in the same box as Nam in terms of landing elements.... inconsistent... though he does had many other qualities Nam doesn't have.

 

[Haleth]

I just checked the updated list for the ON Sectionals Series (as of June 14) and saw that not only Conrad had been added, but also Joseph Phan. I checked for Joesph because I saw he wasn't on the entry list for the summer competition in QU this year (unlike last year).

Double-checked Joseph's updated NextGen entry and he's still listed as representing a rink in QU. I did hear a rumour that he might be coming to the Cricket Club for an audition. Could this be tied to that? Or are there other reasons he might be eligible for the ON over the QU series?