2025 Skate Canada: General Info and Pregame Chat

[4everchan]

tell him, he's doing everything he can to stay home

I cannot blame him... he loves my terrace

 

[FlossieH]

Too bad because I really love Memola

I think Memola has a chance. I expect one of the Italian olympic spots to go to Daniel Grassl. The other I think is probably between Memola and Rizzo.

 

[labgoat]

I think Memola has a chance. I expect one of the Italian olympic spots to go to Daniel Grassl. The other I think is probably between Memola and Rizzo.

I love both - super hard choice, will depend on who skates the best

 

[CoyoteChris]

Forgive an old fart for taking a trip down memory lane. Skate Canadas in Saskatoon are as rare (at this point) as Blue Jays World Series titles. The first one, 24 years ago in 2001, was also in an Olympic year. Standout memories: Sarah Hughes beating Michelle Kwan and Irina Slutskaya for the women’s title (presaging the Olympic result), Sale and Pelletier’s Orchid, Johnny Weir’s first Grand Prix appearance.

The last Canadian championship in Saskatoon was in 2009, and Paul Poirier skated at that one too!

This competition, I am especially going to enjoy my 2023 Junior Worlds babies: Ami, Kao, Rakic, Memola, Mrazkovi, Lim/Quan, Nes/Mar, and Oxana V. (Hope I’m not missing any.) Wish the Aussie pair could have been here also.

As I am writing this, my partner is beside me on the laptop, trying to book tickets for the Rush concert in December 2026. Dueling obsessions! Apparently the laptop is not cutting it, I so gotta go, bye for now.

It looks like a great arena...but It also looks like PaulE is right...not much right around it.

 

[SubRosa]

Yeah, it’s out on the edge of town, unfortunately for those in town for multi-day events.

I cashed in some AirMiles points to stay at the Bessborough. It’s the official hotel, so have been able to see a few skaters and officials come and go.

 

[CoyoteChris]

Yeah, it’s out on the edge of town, unfortunately for those in town for multi-day events.

I cashed in some AirMiles points to stay at the Bessborough. It’s the official hotel, so have been able to see a few skaters and officials come and go.

Kind of curious. PaulE tells me not alot of our regular friends are at the comp. Mostly just Andy and Ev, the flag coat people. I suspect that with all the geo political and job market insecurity, people are cutting back on their spending a bit. Flights RT from Spokane are at least $1000 and there is the hotel, food, etc. Driving for me would be a day and a half. But then again, people seem to be OK with paying big bucks to travel to see games of the ball so I dont know.....There seems to be a descent crowd, but not a stellar one.

 

[SubRosa]

Kind of curious. PaulE tells me not alot of our regular friends are at the comp. Mostly just Andy and Ev, the flag coat people. I suspect that with all the geo political and job market insecurity, people are cutting back on their spending a bit. Flights RT from Spokane are at least $1000 and there is the hotel, food, etc. Driving for me would be a day and a half. But then again, people seem to be OK with paying big bucks to travel to see games of the ball so I dont know.....There seems to be a descent crowd, but not a stellar one.

We are trying to make up in noise what we lack in crowd size. Not gonna lie, though, I think the best energy I felt was Thursday morning when several bus loads of school children joined us for practices. They were very impressed by the pairs.

I have seen licence plates from Alberta, Manitoba, BC and Montana, and the people sitting in front of us flew in from Ontario.

 

[Ziotic]

Wild predictions for 2030, the three teams that will be on the podium are at this competition.