2019 Nebelhorn Trophy Thoughts and Highlights

[dorispulaski]

I can tell you my biggest pet peeve...having the livestream drop during Yelim Kim's and Mariah Bell's programs not just in the SP, but in the FS too
:dumb:

I was so glad to hear, (even if I could only see the FS) that Mariah skated two lovely programs to win!

And Nicole Schott was the first German lady to medal at Nebelhorn in a long time by winning bronze.

And great to see Min & Eaton KOR get the TES scores for Worlds! Congratulations guys!

What made you happy! What was thrilling? What did you really love or hate?

In short, what were your thoughts and highlights for this event?

 

[mrrice]

I can tell you my biggest pet peeve...having the livestream drop during Yelim Kim's and Mariah Bell's programs not just in the SP,but in the FS too
:dumb:

I was so glad to hear, (even if I could only see tbe FS) that Mariah skated two lovely programs to win!

And Nicole Schott was the first German lady to medal at Nebelhorn in a long time by winning bronze.

And great to see Min & Eaton KOR get the TES scores for Worlds! Congratulations guys!

What made you happy! What was thrilling? What did you really love or hate?

In short, what were your thoughts on this event?

I was absolutely delighted by Mariah Bell. So glad she has a 3/3 that works for her. I loved the joy she showed at the end of her LP as it truly fit the music. What an amazing debut to her season.

 

[Colonel Green]

Men
- Three of the four disciplines had a really good event. The exception being the men, who were totally shown up by the junior guys over in Zagreb.
- Respect to Alexei Bychenko for the bionic knee upgrades that Israeli got to extent his service life.

Ladies
- Ladies, I really enjoyed. I got up at 5 AM to record the first flight, and was pleasantly surprised that the whole thing wasn't a disaster, which it can often be. A lot of low scores, of course, from low-TES skaters, but people mostly skated at least capably.
- I was very happy for Nicole Schott, who I thought could have been given a few more SP points (and she continues the Beth Hart-ification of figure skating).
- Mariah Bell, sure wish I could have seen that short program, but the free skate was very good indeed.
- Marin Honda did what she usually does, tease you with her potential and then fumble it away, but there were lots of very nice moments in her program, so I'll keep hoping she puts it together eventually.
- I was absolutely delighted to have Choi Da-bin back, though the judges' stingy PCS was irritating to see. The tech is clearly going to take more work for her.

Pairs
- And finally, a truly great and genuinely international pairs event for the season (and I'm not just saying that because our team won, though of course that can't help but colour things). The JGP is so dominated by one country that it minimizes the thrill of competition to some extent, and with Mishina/Galliamov moved up and Kostiukovich/Ialin sitting it out, Panfilova/Rylov are so above everybody else even in their own delegation that it's not been all that interesting to watch from a sport perspective. And of the U.S. Classic, the less said the better.
- Here, going into the final flight we had four teams from four different nations, any of which could plausibly have won (okay, maybe a bit less plausible for the Germans).
- KMT/Marinaro had what was probably their best-ever event from a technical perspective, and I quite like both programs.
- The Knierims also won silver here last year, but there are different kinds of silver medal, and this year's was definitely a better one; their free, especially, I love, even if they still can't jump.
- The Supreme Leader finally let Ryom/Kim get new programs, which was terrific.
- Hase/Seegert deserved a few more points in the short program, I thought (much like Schott; seems like the German fed should be able to get more favourable scoring for their teams at a home event). The new short program is no "Say Something", but I liked it a lot still. They need more stamina in the free, but hopefully that will come.
- RusFed, why were Efimova/Korovin the only Russian team at one of the three pairs Challengers pre-Grand Prix? That makes no sense.

Ice dance
- Fournier Beaudry/Sorensen cement their rise, doing even better in the RD than at Lombardia and no freak fall in the free dance. I knew these two were going to rise, but even I'm a bit taken aback by the speed of it.
- Hawayek/Baker, meanwhile, got a pretty ominous result here. They won silver in the end with help from Anthony's twizzles, but that RD placement for a program that had no visible errors or invalid elements is a problem for them.
- Carreira/Ponomarenko couldn't quite make the push above Hawayek/Baker here, but this was another good Challenger result for them.
- Fear/Gibson, improved RD score is good. They were fourth here last year, but they closed the gap between them and third to almost nothing, so also progress.
- Still love Smart/Diaz's RD, and don't get their FD at all.
- Min/Eaton are showing a lot of promise, though I wish their FD was just "Love is a *****", because that part is much stronger.

 

[chanchan]

Mariah Bell got a new 3/3 combination at age 23. Bravo!!!

 

[russell30]

Mariah Bell got a new 3/3 combination at age 23. Bravo!!!

Pairs: The highlights for me were Moore/Towers & Marinaro both programs, also like Alexa and Chris FS to an arranged piece of Experience. (I think that was Maxime Rodriguez's work!) also liked the Korean pair who really look like they enjoy there ice time together! and loved there FS to Korean Music (such a joy!)

Men Not many highlights for me sorry!! BUT did enjoy Chris Caluza (glad he is back) and Ignatov (his FS is a delight this year - reminds me a bit of Josh Farris!....Have to say D Samohin's SP the music is dreadful how you can skate to that is beyond belief I think he needs to change his SP was surprised with the marking there to be honest!

Ladies Highlight for me was Eva Lotta Kiibus her FS to 'Amor' such a delight and loved her reaction with A Levandi in the K&K, Marin needs to change her SP to something more softer!!, Good to see Dabin Choi back a good crossroads for her!! on her way back, her 'Love Story' FS to me was better than YeLim's, Mariah sorry did not like her FS, I preferred last years but it may grow on me, like many would have liked to have seen her SP, like many so glad for Nicole Schott, but I did prefer her programs from last year, but her SP was good.

Ice Dance I will be watching that soon!, but the Ice Dance for me this year has been a bit demotivating..it might be the RD I dont know, but some of the Free Dances seem to be disjointed. with a few exceptions!! mainly the top teams

 

[readernick]

Highlights for me included:
MT/M . I have always loved her and they have really improved as a team. I liked both of their programs and their throws were really high quality. Sk/K really demonstrated why they are still definitely in the conversation for the top US pair. Their pair elements are stunning. Their twist got almost +5 across the board from all judges in both programs. The lifts are beautiful, the throws are nice. Their Achilles heel is obviously the SBS jumps. I do think that they are showing improvement this season. I honestly enjoyed most of the pairs competing here. The SBS jumps were, as usual, a mess but a lot of these pairs have nice pairs elements.

In ice dance, Laurence Fournier Beaudry / Nikolaj Sørensen were wonderful in their RD. Their FD is not that interesting but they perform it beautifully. H/B were unimpressive in the RD but I really enjoy their FD. It was weird, unique, and well-performed. Of course, the disco brits were delightful, as always.

Ladies, Mariah Bell was way ahead here. She obviously deserved to be based on her technical content and (with the possible exception of Marin) presentation. I like the FS and I think the SP probably suits here very well but we will have to wait until next competition to see it. (the worst thing about this competition was the stream). Yelim does not have my favorite programs this season but her dresses are absolutely stunning. That girl has a sense of fashion!

I don't have a lot of positive things to say about the men. I do really like Koshiro Shimada and I hope his next performance is better. Alexei is still keeping Isreali figure skating alive at 31. I think he may not retire until he is fourty given the instability of his fellow Isreali figure skaters.

 

[sailormoon]

- Mariah Bell, sure wish I could have seen that short program, but the free skate was very good indeed.
- Marin Honda did what she usually does, tease you with her potential and then fumble it away, but there were lots of very nice moments in her program, so I'll keep hoping she puts it together eventually.

They are working under the same coach in America but Mariah Bell was the runaway winner. It was her first international victory. Mariah Bell reminds me of Gracie Gold when she was representing the country with Ashley Wagner. Marin Honda doubled a triple jump in the short (no point) and missed another one in the free, after which she made a face. But she was only three points short of getting on the podium.

 

[noskates]

Highlights for me were Mariah Bell's winning the gold and watching the Knierem's programs.

 

[TontoK]

Ladies, Mariah Bell was way ahead here. She obviously deserved to be based on her technical content and (with the possible exception of Marin) presentation. I like the FS and I think the SP probably suits here very well but we will have to wait until next competition to see it. (the worst thing about this competition was the stream).

To me, the big takeaway was that she was in a position to win, and delivered two very good programs. Not perfect, but she didn't squander her opportunity.

Mental strength is a habit. I hope she keeps it up.

 

[WeakAnkles]

Well I'm still playing catchup here with the ID. But I just watched H/B's Saturday Night Fever RD and I wanna know one thing (actually more than one thing, but we have to start somewhere): who did you tick off in Montreal that this program and costumes were foisted on you?

First off Kaitlyn, that hair is 1987, not 1977. The iconic hairstyles of the 70s are really Farah Fawcett Feathered Flip, the ironed long and straight boho hippie look, the Carol Brady shag, and the Dorothy Hamill wedge. You'll notice that Big Hair is not on that list. It's an Eighties thang, not a disco thang.

But they have committed the unpardonable sin of an upbeat disco program: they blanded it out. Even the costumes. Who would have even thought that possible with discowear??? It's not tasteless, it's worse: it's taste free. I was actually bored watching them...and that has NEVER happened before. I'm heartbroken. Absolutely heartbroken.

The best part of the program? The bows, which were actually far more fun than the actual program.

H/B actually won their Junior World title because they built up a significant lead in the Short Dance, where the required rhythm was quickstep. It's a far more traditional, ballroomy style of dance, and it was absolutely bloody marvelous. I have been waiting since then for the pair to do more classic, Brit-inspired Ballroom dances. In a world of lyrically lyrical mush, I really think it would make them stand out. Someone should kidnap them and hie them as quickly as possible to Christopher Dean.

 

[skylark]

Someone should kidnap them and hie them as quickly as possible to Christopher Dean.

I am just so freakingly happy to see someone else, besides myself and crossword puzzle writers, using the word "hie." :hap93:

To me, the big takeaway was that she was in a position to win, and delivered two very good programs. Not perfect, but she didn't squander her opportunity.

Mental strength is a habit. I hope she keeps it up.

I found Mariah's recent interview very illuminating on that subject. She talked about how the experience she endured at Worlds was so much worse than anything she'd had before; she got through that and now nothing could be more difficult. Like it gave her something to push against, too.

- I was very happy for Nicole Schott, who I thought could have been given a few more SP points (and she continues the Beth Hart-ification of figure skating).

Excuse my ignorance, but what is the Beth Hart-ification?

 

[dorispulaski]

Skating to Beth Hart's music, with Beth performing either with or without Joe Bonamassa, has become very popular in all four skating disciplines in the last couple seasons.

 

[Colonel Green]

Marin Honda doubled a triple jump in the short (no point) and missed another one in the free, after which she made a face. But she was only three points short of getting on the podium.

In the free she popped a jump and underrotated three more, one of which she fell on. Yes, she ended up not far off the podium, but Honda has more natural talent than anybody else here (give or take Mariah Bell). She shouldn't be losing to Nicole Schott or Alexandra Feigin.

And if this was just a bad event for her, I wouldn't be saying this, because everybody has bad showings. But this isn't that, this is what Honda does every time she competes. I don't think there's anybody else in the current ladies field who so consistently underperforms her potential.

 

[readernick]

In the free she popped a jump and underrotated three more, one of which she fell on. Yes, she ended up not far off the podium, but Honda has more natural talent than anybody else here (give or take Mariah Bell). She shouldn't be losing to Nicole Schott or Alexandra Feigin.

And if this was just a bad event for her, I wouldn't be saying this, because everybody has bad showings. But this isn't that, this is what Honda does every time she competes. I don't think there's anybody else in the current ladies field who so consistently underperforms her potential.

I think Marin doesn’t like competition or practice. I think she loves to skate and be beautiful but she doesn’t care very much about winning and doesn’t enjoy the hard work required. Thankfully, she is Japanese which is the only country in the world were being a beautiful skater might allow you to have good career despite lack of competition results.

 

[alexaa]

I think Marin doesn’t like competition or practice. I think she loves to skate and be beautiful but she doesn’t care very much about winning and doesn’t enjoy the hard work required. Thankfully, she is Japanese which is the only country in the world were being a beautiful skater might allow you to have good career despite lack of competition results.

Raf never complained Marin not working hard, he complained about having communication issues, not knowing if she totally understood what he said. In the most recent interview with Raf, he stated that she looks to be in good form after she retuned from Japan. He said she would work very very hard if jumps work that day, and then it ended up it would take her several days to recover. He hope she would have better/consistent stabilized training habits, not exhausting herself like that. Takeshi Honda, her coach while she is in Japan said in an interview that Marin suffered some mental issues when she is attempting jumps. She was afraid of falls and then it would end up more falls.

Marin stated in Nikkei Daily's interview that Nathan was often helping her with jumps when they were practicing together, and Raf was lamenting about the inconsistencies. Her perspectives and training attitude has changed. She state that now she would try very hard repetitive practices.