2023 Skate Canada Practice Reports

[Sai Bon]

My sources say, Kaori having a rough practice. Two different sources independently reporting that Kaiya R is looking great

(Gosh, it’s just like being in the newsroom again, as I once was, eons ago. The thrill of being the first to know the breaking news! )

Apparently Kaori was practising her LP, fell on the first 2A and crashed into the boards...but she's still targeting scores of 75 in the SP and 149.59 (Japan Open score) in the LP.

https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/197ad9bc24d76713c6a06fea65e3a19d980496bf

 

[rain]

Just saw practice footage of Piper/Paul's FD and......I LOVE IT!!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMsL3O53y4w

 

[TontoK]

I don't generally care a bit about costumes, but I did happen to notice Piper and Paul's following all the discussion.

They're fine, although I think that shirt makes Paul look blocky and fat, which is quite an achievement considering the fantastic shape the man is in. He should change to a fitted T.

 

[4everchan]

HAHA I loved the shirt the pants are not well fitted... the colour, I agree, is nice. I think the pants will change later on ..

Okay.. i retract my comment that was my impression with the pictures.. now that i am looking at the video, i like the pants and the shirt indeed, needs to be inserted better into the pants or tighter or flowy or whatever

 

[4everchan]

Just saw practice footage of Piper/Paul's FD and......I LOVE IT!!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMsL3O53y4w

OMG.. this is amazing !!!! that one foot step sequence, the twizzles, the choreographic details. I cannot wait to see it in full !!!!!!!!!!

 

[Sai Bon]

I don't generally care a bit about costumes, but I did happen to notice Piper and Paul's following all the discussion.

They're fine, although I think that shirt makes Paul look blocky and fat, which is quite an achievement considering the fantastic shape the man is in. He should change to a fitted T.

I'm not sure about the colour of their costumes, and Paul's top definitely makes him look a bit strange. Great music!

 

[rain]

I'm not sure about the colour of their costumes, and Paul's top definitely makes him look a bit strange. Great music!

The music is absolutely the perfect choice for them; quirky but sophisticated.

 

[tsuyoboogie]

I only have one thing to report...the rink is way too narrow for Kao
I didn't attend the Women's practice but I'm assuming the same goes for Kaori
I know the Japanese skaters anticipated this and practiced accordingly but Kao seems to be struggling with the curve into his 4S and the 4Lo (he may have to ditch the 4Lo for this competition)
Noriko-sensei recorded him and they were trying to figure it out
Kazuki and Sota don't seem as bothered by the rink size since they don't get as close to the boards with their jumps

 

[Jumping_Bean]

I only have one thing to report...the rink is way too narrow for Kao
I didn't attend the Women's practice but I'm assuming the same goes for Kaori
I know the Japanese skaters anticipated this and practiced accordingly but Kao seems to be struggling with the curve into his 4S and the 4Lo (he may have to ditch the 4Lo for this competition)
Noriko-sensei recorded him and they were trying to figure it out
Kazuki and Sota don't seem as bothered by the rink size since they don't get as close to the boards with their jumps

It's pretty frustrating that GP events don't have to be held on Olympic-size rinks. Skate America was also held on a NHL-size rink and there were a number of almost-run-ins with the boards, particularly among the dancers.

I get that some skaters don't even train on Olympic-size rinks, but it's much easier and safer for skaters to adjust to a bigger rink than to a smaller rink than they are used to.

 

[Ruthypegs]

OMG.. this is amazing !!!! that one foot step sequence, the twizzles, the choreographic details. I cannot wait to see it in full !!!!!!!!!!

I'm so envious - I'd have loved to get to Montreal for the Worlds to see these two, but unless I have a lotto win between now and then, it's not going to happen.....

 

[Ruthypegs]

The music is absolutely the perfect choice for them; quirky but sophisticated.

I might be in a minority here, but I love the colour of the costumes!

 

[NoNameFace]

Just saw practice footage of Piper/Paul's FD and......I LOVE IT!!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMsL3O53y4w

Okay, after night of sleep Negative Nancy may transform into Positive Polly
I have to say...I've imagined the FD differently. Yet after watching this snippet from practice it falls perfectly into place of mind actually. The whole aura around the music, theme AND their intensity radiating from expressions reminds me so much of Hitchcock FD, that suspense/intense vibe buzzing around the whole thing. And from this short part of what they performed I'm also quite surprised how choreography seems to be - it's way more 'edgy' (can't really find the right word...) than I expected, I.e. the music is accentuated much more sharply than I envisioned.
And after looking at Instagram photos published from the practice (accounts of photographers have a lot: fsphoto_syo, maoyanzheng, danielleearlphotography), the paleness of that pink bothers me way less than initially. Actually, one of skating friends said upon seeing the photos that the pink and grey sort of make the colour of heather growing on those wuthering heights...
Plus...all of this REALLY majes me book/buy everything for at least Fri/Sat in Montreal. I NEED to see this FD in person. Maybe I really can delude myself enough to treat it as belated birthday present...

 

[TallyT]

It's pretty frustrating that GP events don't have to be held on Olympic-size rinks. Skate America was also held on a NHL-size rink and there were a number of almost-run-ins with the boards, particularly among the dancers.

I get that some skaters don't even train on Olympic-size rinks, but it's much easier and safer for skaters to adjust to a bigger rink than to a smaller rink than they are used to.

Could be cost, especially in countries where even a small rink is unlikely to sell out.

 

[lileychristie]

Kaori's pre-competition training sessions fairly often look quite chaotic and usually, she's able to pull it back together when it actually matters. Rion apparently looked pretty good apart from a Waxel, and Rinka is Rinka. She's struggled the whole season so far and in the second half of last season, and it's not looking to be getting better

Late reply but I think you meant Rino instead of Rion right?
Japanese skaters somehow managed to have very similar names ey - we have Rino (not Rion) replacing Rika, and Rinka is there in Vancouver too

Anyway I'm glad Rino looked pretty good. I'm rooting so hard for her I'm afraid I'm gonna turn into a tree

 

[lariko]

Nice! Mom made it, but was too tired once she got back home to tell me everything, but I hope to chat with her soon. So excited for her!

 

[lariko]

Mom made it to see Sakamoto and Watanabe, she absolutely loved Sakamoto I am happy she got to see Sakamoto!

She loved the dances, particularly the usual suspects, plus Lanaghan/Razgulyaev. They had an Irish dance in costumes, so Mom loved it. She also liked the German duo.

From pairs, S-D amazed her by how slim and tiny she was. She liked Australians and Hungarians, and wasn't impressed by Guarise's new partnership.

She saw Yamamoto stretch and was amazed how flexible he is. In practice, she felt that Miura, Rizzo and Shaidorov looked strong, Cha wasn't jumping at all, and the Canadian men were Canadian men. Selevko seemed okay, and everyone else didn't really look strong in practice.

 

[4everchan]

Mom made it to see Sakamoto and Watanabe, she absolutely loved Sakamoto I am happy she got to see Sakamoto!

She loved the dances, particularly the usual suspects, plus Lanaghan/Razgulyaev. They had an Irish dance in costumes, so Mom loved it. She also liked the German duo.

From pairs, S-D amazed her by how slim and tiny she was. She liked Australians and Hungarians, and wasn't impressed by Guarise's new partnership.

She say Yamamoto stretch and was amazed how flexible he is. In practice, she felt that Miura, Rizzo and Shaidorov looked strong, Cha wasn't jumping at all, and the Canadian men were Canadian men. Selevko seemed okay, and everyone else didn't really look strong in practice.

So Canadian men were like Orser, Browning, Stojko, Buttle and Chan? Amazing
I am also guilty of not being super excited about the current crop of men in Canada right now, but since the 80s we have have podium contenders at worlds and olympics. Many titles were earned by our Canadian men. I think we can all do better in giving space to these kids who are aspiring to be the next great skater from Canada... This is not directed just to you : we (well many of us ) all do it... I guess I am having a weird morning.

So glad your mom has made it and could see Sakamoto : I am still not over the fact that I got tickets for ACI to see Sakamoto and that they changed the schedule around and I didn't see her at all... Will see her at worlds hopefully.

 

[labgoat]

Practice videos found here

https://youtube.com/@Haleys-uy2dk?si=VAlcUzCEPQobIxOJ

 

[throw_triple_flip]

G/GM looking a bit rough during the FS run-through, but they landed a few gorgeous 3LoTh before it.

They had such a rough skate at the Shanghai Trophy, now I'm worried for them!

 

[lariko]

So Canadian men were like Orser, Browning, Stojko, Buttle and Chan? Amazing
I am also guilty of not being super excited about the current crop of men in Canada right now, but since the 80s we have have podium contenders at worlds and olympics. Many titles were earned by our Canadian men. I think we can all do better in giving space to these kids who are aspiring to be the next great skater from Canada... This is not directed just to you : we (well many of us ) all do it... I guess I am having a weird morning.

So glad your mom has made it and could see Sakamoto : I am still not over the fact that I got tickets for ACI to see Sakamoto and that they changed the schedule around and I didn't see her at all... Will see her at worlds hopefully.

The one I saw as a great Canadian man was Messing. I also liked Nguyen. It is weird, because there is quite a lot of men who skate in Canada, but is it that Dance and Hockey draft the strongest ones/take up most of ice time, or the attitudes are just not serious enough now, but the field feels almost too relaxed to produce the likes of Messing.