2024-25 Canadian Figure Skating | Page 63 | Golden Skate

2024-25 Canadian Figure Skating

all hail Mysterion the Canadian Mentalist & Mind Reader, who has the best technical arsenal in the nation since the mid-90s :bow: (he is also a "magician, collector, comedic writer and occasional wrestling manager" according to Wikipedia)


sorry, it was a really funny typo lol
I prefer the Australian mentalist played by Simon Baker on TV
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I mentioned it in one of the event threads in the Canadian nationals section, but thought I'd mention it here as well: it was really nice to see the excellent attendance at this year's national championships. It was pretty dire last year and must have been a big disappointment to the skaters. Here the crowd was big and enthusiastic, and very supportive of all of the skaters.

The organizers rightfully took it on the chin last season when nationals was disappointing, so I thought I'd give them the praise this year for turning it around and putting on a great successful event.

Also, having the TV lights really made a difference in the quality of the video. I definitely appreciated the effort last year, but this year was much better. Thanks CBC...keep your sticky hands off my CBC Poilievre. This (among many other excellent reasons) is why we need our national broadcaster!
 
Also, having the TV lights really made a difference in the quality of the video. I definitely appreciated the effort last year, but this year was much better. Thanks CBC...keep your sticky hands off my CBC Poilievre. This (among many other excellent reasons) is why we need our national broadcaster!
Anybody who was there know if there was a red light over the gate where the skaters exited to the K&C? Everyone who stepped through that gate briefly had bright pink faces (and hands and any body skin that was showing -- it wasn't just the flush of exertion).
 
I mentioned it in one of the event threads in the Canadian nationals section, but thought I'd mention it here as well: it was really nice to see the excellent attendance at this year's national championships. It was pretty dire last year and must have been a big disappointment to the skaters. Here the crowd was big and enthusiastic, and very supportive of all of the skaters.

The organizers rightfully took it on the chin last season when nationals was disappointing, so I thought I'd give them the praise this year for turning it around and putting on a great successful event.

Also, having the TV lights really made a difference in the quality of the video. I definitely appreciated the effort last year, but this year was much better. Thanks CBC...keep your sticky hands off my CBC Poilievre. This (among many other excellent reasons) is why we need our national broadcaster!
It definitely was a great improvement. It was a small arena though (one tier of stands) which is fine
 
Couldn't agree more. What I see is not a pair, not yet anyway, although I don't buy the "still a new team" line. They've had enough time together to gel more than that. After what, a year? Still just a reasonably good singles skater (although not as good as her mother was) with a too-tall skater of lesser skill sharing the same ice, looming over her and lending a hand with pairs moves. Mismatched.
I kinda know what you mean. She may elevate him a bit with her upbeat personality. I know this won’t happen but skill wise/ body she might be better with Luca ethier and Kelly with him. The lines would be better
 
Final recaps from Robert Brodie
Senior Women
Senior Ice Dance

And he ends with this about the championship assignments:
Skate Canada is expected to announce its team selections for Four Continents, Worlds and Junior Worlds on Monday morning. Canada has three entries in each discipline for the former event, while the Worlds team will consist of one man, one woman, three pair and three ice dance teams.

As we’ve reported here previously, no decision will be made on the men’s World team berth until after Four Continents.
 
Better to have it in a smaller arena and sell it out than in a great, cavernous venue that echoes with emptiness.
For the home audience, yes. For the in-person audience (also known as the paying customers), it depends. Skate Canada in Kelowna was so crowded that we never went near the first floor corridors, where the food and booths were, after the first session. Fortunately we were on the end (above the kiss'n'cry) and there was an empty corridor-like area at the top of the stands. We also had that most precious of amenities - a restroom. My daughter met someone in our restroom on the last day who was sitting near ice level but had heard a rumour that there was another restroom at the top. She felt it was worth climbing up (maybe 25 rows?) instead of waiting forever. On the other hand, 4CC in Colorado Springs was eerily empty. It was nice (especially so soon after COVID) but a little spooky.

Some arenas with the same number of seats have very different "public areas". It also depends on how much of the regular public areas are used for the skaters backstage area. It's because of the crowded ones that I insist on sitting on the aisle, so I can nip out to the washroom before the Zamboni and the crowds appear.

One nice feature of Thunderbird Arena in Vancouver is that audience members can walk all the way around the rink. We could make it twice around during a Zamboni break! The backstage area is under the main corridor level.
 
Overall, this was a much better venue than last year. The crowds was much bigger and very supportive of all skaters. My only complaint, however, was the very small amount of public space. It was also very difficult to get to and from my front row aisle seat due to a blocked access at the top of the stairs.
 
Team Assignments are out:

Worlds

W Madeline Schizas
M: TBA
P: Kelly Ann Laurin/Loucas Ethier, Lia Pereira/Trennt Michaud, Deanna Stellato-Dudek/Maxime Dechamps
D: Alicia Fabbri/Paul Ayer, Piper Gilles/Paul Poirier, Marjorie Lajoie/Zachary Lagha

Junior Worlds

W: Lulu Lin, Kara Yun
M: David Bondar, Anthony Paradis
P: Kent/Laliberte-Laurent, Desrochers/Thrasher, Kemp/Elizarov
D: Gauthier/Thieren, Nguyen/Giang

4CC

W: Sara-Maude Dupuis, Katherine Medland Spence, Madeline Schizas
M: Wesley Chiu, Aleksa Rakic, Roman Sadovsky
P: Laurin/Ethier, Pereira/Michaud, Stellato-Dudek/Dechamps
D: Fabbri/Ayer, Gilles/Poirier, Lajoie/Lagha
 
Lee Barkell and Kevin Dawe are going to be busy at Junior Worlds.

Very happy for Kara to get Junior Worlds. She had a great Challenge and first Senior Nationals. The move to Lee Barkell has been good for her.
 
Overall, this was a much better venue than last year. The crowds was much bigger and very supportive of all skaters. My only complaint, however, was the very small amount of public space. It was also very difficult to get to and from my front row aisle seat due to a blocked access at the top of the stairs.
Yeah... that was probably even a safety hazard... the snack bar shouldn't be located right at the entrance/exit point where also people needed to go for toilets... the person who designed this should be fired.

I got stuck a couple times in a going-nowhere-line-up and it was very annoying... and then I learned my lesson... Do not wait for scores, just leave right away. I didn't miss any skating because of being stuck in a line. I missed a couple victory ceremonies though.
 
Team Assignments are out:

Worlds

W Madeline Schizas
M: TBA
P: Kelly Ann Laurin/Loucas Ethier, Lia Pereira/Trennt Michaud, Deanna Stellato-Dudek/Maxime Dechamps
D: Alicia Fabbri/Paul Ayer, Piper Gilles/Paul Poirier, Marjorie Lajoie/Zachary Lagha

Junior Worlds

W: Lulu Lin, Kara Yun
M: David Bondar, Anthony Paradis
P: Kent/Laliberte-Laurent, Desrochers/Thrasher, Kemp/Elizarov
D: Gauthier/Thieren, Nguyen/Giang

4CC

W: Sara-Maude Dupuis, Katherine Medland Spence, Madeline Schizas
M: Wesley Chiu, Aleksa Rakic, Roman Sadovsky
P: Laurin/Ethier, Pereira/Michaud, Stellato-Dudek/Dechamps
D: Fabbri/Ayer, Gilles/Poirier, Lajoie/Lagha
that's good and interesting. Skate Canada decided not to share the wealth (4CC spot to their 4th place, and worlds to their 3rd place in pairs and dance) which is actually the way it should be if you want the younger teams to get ahead in the pecking order in time for worlds. I don't think the selections are that surprising or controversial and that's also another good point.

Alternates will keep working anyway as they are developing (in pairs) and just hitting their groove (in dance)
I am happy.

I will see if we should share the press release in the edge... as it is worth sharing to those who don't visit the skate of the nations.
 
Couldn't agree more. What I see is not a pair, not yet anyway, although I don't buy the "still a new team" line. They've had enough time together to gel more than that. After what, a year? Still just a reasonably good singles skater (although not as good as her mother was) with a too-tall skater of lesser skill sharing the same ice, looming over her and lending a hand with pairs moves. Mismatched.
I kinda know what you mean. She may elevate him a bit with her upbeat personality. I know this won’t happen but skill wise/ body she might be better with Luca ethier and Kelly with him. The lines would be better
Better to have it in a smaller arena and sell it out than in a great, cavernous venue that echoes with emptiness.
For sure. They might have been able to fill a larger area there I think
 
Some interesting actions by Skate Canada. The winners are Madi and Fabri/Ayer in dance. The losers are Roman, the fourth place team in dance (from France). Wesley and Aleksa were given life lines. Neither completed Nationals this year and Aleksa was lesss than stellar. Considering how close the battle at Nats ffor third I was surprised they didn't split the opportunities but perhaps Skate Canada is saying a lot about dance and their thoughts on Roman. They trusted Madi but not Roman who dominated the men this year. Now let's see if Aleksa and Wesley make it to 4CC's
 
I mentioned it in one of the event threads in the Canadian nationals section, but thought I'd mention it here as well: it was really nice to see the excellent attendance at this year's national championships. It was pretty dire last year and must have been a big disappointment to the skaters. Here the crowd was big and enthusiastic, and very supportive of all of the skaters.

The organizers rightfully took it on the chin last season when nationals was disappointing, so I thought I'd give them the praise this year for turning it around and putting on a great successful event.

Also, having the TV lights really made a difference in the quality of the video. I definitely appreciated the effort last year, but this year was much better. Thanks CBC...keep your sticky hands off my CBC Poilievre. This (among many other excellent reasons) is why we need our national broadcaster!
As much as I like Nam his laugh was annoying as he hosted the event. Now seeing hmm and Keegan together is always a hoot but his attempt to encourage the fans was super annoying with his over the top laughs. Poor Madi had to deal with him. Awkward - he just didn't have the magic with the fans. But it was good to see the fans back and vocal.
 
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