Campbell's Cup.. scheduled when and where?

[sorcerer]

Would someone kindly tell me..?

It is reported here in Japan that Mao starts her competition season with the "International Counter Match Competition" on 29 - 30 Sept., in Sapporo, Japan.
Is this the Campbell's Cup that was initially said to be held alternately between USA and Japan?

Or has the Campbell's become "US Figure Skating International Challenge" on 10 - 14 Oct. somewhereTBD, USA ?

http://www.isu.org/vsite/vnavsite/page/directory/0,10853,4844-182501-199719-nav-list,00.html

BTW, "Japan Open" is again on this list of schedule on 29 Apr.'08....Three similar formats though each bit different doesn't look neat nor tidy to me. Same format held in North America, Europe, and Asia, in rotation, changing members, limitting to eligible skaters, would be more reasonable and worthwhile, IMO.

PS There's been some articles about Mao in sports-newspapers here since late March, which I might translate and post their excerpts on morninglight's thread "fascinations with a quad", when (and if) I have time .

 

[Tinymavy15]

seems like there will be no Campells Cup this year... Maybe somthing pretty much the same but a diffrenet name and will be on NBC vs. ABC.

 

[Hsuhs]

Is this the Campbell's Cup that was initially said to be held alternately between USA and Japan?

Or has the Campbell's become "US Figure Skating International Challenge" on 10 - 14 Oct. somewhereTBD, USA ?

I think the latter. Isn't the Campbell's thing usually in October?

 

[Kypma]

I think so, but the "International Challenge" is usually Marshalls, isn't it? The names I remember are
Campbell's Cup in October, to start off the season (well, it's before the SGP, so it pretty much starts the senior season!)
Marshalls Challenge in December (?), with only the US skaters, although it has had international skaters in the past, such as in 2004, I think.


Kypma

 

[Mathman]

I believe that in the past the various cheesefests have been given different names, depending on the whim of the sponsor. The "Campbell's Cup" was called the "Campbell's Figure Skating Classic" from 2002 to 2005. The events sponsored by Marshall's Department stores have been called the Marshall's F.S. Challenge, the Marshall's World cup of F.S., etc.

When the schedule is first announced, they usually don't have a commetment from the sponsor yet. I am pretty sure that the "US Figure Skating International Challenge" scheduled for October is the same as last years "Campbell's Cup." Once the Campbell's Soup Co. signs on the dotted line, they will change the name to reflect the sponsorship.

Is Campbell's Soup a sponsor of ice skating events in Japan? I can't quite make out what the words "International Counter Match Competition" is supposed to mean.

Anyway, I think the team format used in the Japan Open for the last two years, and in the 2006 Campbell's Cup is promising. The Japan Open had teams from Japan, North America and Europe, and the American version had U.S., Japan and Canada.

It would be cool if there really were a "Challenge Cup," like the Stanley Cup in Hockey or the Rider Cup in Golf and different nations or regions could put together a team and challenge for it.

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

This is another Wait And See.

What these cheesefests are good for is that they enable skaters to a "dress rehearsal' for the upcoming seasons and particularly the GPs.

I'm never overwhelmed with the result but I do like to have a peek at what is planned for the upcoming more serious events. I will never forget Sasha Cohen's Swan Lake in Cambells 2003 and the high expectation it gave me for 2004 Worlds.

Joe

 

[chuckm]

Yes, Sasha's Campbell's "Swan Lake" was a great performance. Unfortunately, it was the only time she skated it perfectly. By the December of that year, she had won 3 GP gold medals, despite never having a clean performance of that FS, but lost the GPF to Suguri, split with Tarasova, signed on Robin Wagner, and lost Nationals once again to Kwan (who she'd beaten at Campbell's). Sasha was well on her way to winning Worlds, but skated a frozen Wagner Lake and once again let it all slip away.

 

[Mathman]

I will never forget Sasha Cohen's Swan Lake in Cambells 2003 and the high expectation it gave me for 2004 Worlds.

I agree, that was a great competition. The first time Sasha beat Michelle and finally established herself as a force on the International scene.

What I like about the cheesefests is the strength of the fields. They really do (or did, anyway) attract the best talent. That 2003 Campbell's Classic featured Kwan, Cohen, Slutskaya, Sokolova (world silver medalist at the time), Suguri, and AP McDonough (reigning world junior champion).

This was a stronger field than, for instance, the Grand Prix Final, with Suguri (winner), Cohen, Arakawa, Liashenko, Onda and Sebestyen

The men's field at Campbell's had both Yagudin and Plushenko.

And at 2004 Campbell's we saw Kwan, Cohen, Arakawa, Ando, Kostner and Sebestyen.

Last year's Campbell's Cup was strong, too. The Japanese team alone brought Asada, Ando, Takahashi and Oda -- a combination that we didn't see on the ice together again until Worlds.

Not only that, but the purse for the cheesefests is bigger than for the Grand Prix events. Plus, although the ISU "sanctions" the cheesefests, really they are organized and presented by major players (sponsors and TV networks) that are not under the ISU's thumb. A little competition never hurt anyone -- they keep Speedy on his toes.

 

[SeaniBu]

....but skated a frozen Wagner Lake and ...

funny.

 

[Mathman]

Yes, Sasha's Campbell's "Swan Lake" was a great performance. Unfortunately, it was the only time she skated it perfectly. By the December of that year, she had won 3 GP gold medals, despite never having a clean performance of that FS, but lost the GPF to Suguri, split with Tarasova, signed on Robin Wagner, and lost Nationals once again to Kwan (who she'd beaten at Campbell's). Sasha was well on her way to winning Worlds, but skated a frozen Wagner Lake and once again let it all slip away.

I don't blame Sasha, though. She gave some excellent performances, but had the misfortune to go up against two of the most astonishing displays ever of heart, soul and eat-my-ice-chips, suckers -- Michelle's Tosca at 2004 Nationals and Shizuka's Turandot at Worlds.

 

[R.D.]

Excellent performances? I can't name even one great one of hers.

As for the Campbell's Cup, AFAIK the USFS hasn't announced anything about it, yet it's on the ISU calendar. Doesn't that seem a bit strange? Shouldn't they have announced something by now?

 

[Mathman]

Excellent performances? I can't name even one great one of hers.

Well, she tore the roof off the CoP that year, scoring 197 points at Skate Canada and 130 in the LP at Skate America. She stomped everyone so bad that the ISU had to revised the point scale for the next year because Sasha was scoring too high.

Then came that unfortunate Marshall's show in December, at which she skated against the wishes of her coach and despite being sick, and her season never reached the same heights afterward. Peaked too soon, I guess.

As for the Campbell's Cup, AFAIK the USFS hasn't announced anything about it, yet it's on the ISU calendar. Doesn't that seem a bit strange? Shouldn't they have announced something by now?

No, I think this is common. They can't come out with an official announcement until the ink is on the contract with the sponsor.

Last year, IIRC, both the "State Farm U.S. Championships" and the "Mastercard Canadian Championships" went unnamed until right up to the end. I presume that the national federations were working out the details of sponsorship.

This year, especially, Campbell's is up in the air because the television deal hasn't been completely worked out yet.

 

[MKFSfan]

^^Not to rehash old arguments, but many who attended SA 2003 will say Jenny Kirk stole the show in the LP and many believed she was so robbed. I don't even recall Sasha's LP that competition. I saw her live 3 times that year-Campbell's Fall and Spring as well as SA. Spring was the cleanest, but I felt it had more of a "Yes, I stayed upright!" victory type of performance, but not really a WOW that was great! Campbell's fall was my fave, even with two small bobbles and that skate had the air more of an exciting, promising debut, not really a muscle memory kind of easy flow skate.

 

[R.D.]

There is not one Cohen performance I remember then...not even one.

 

[sorcerer]

Thank you everyone for the info.

Are the plural dates cited as
"International Counter Match Competition" on 29 - 30 Sept.
"US Figure Skating International Challenge" on 10 - 14 Oct.
especially the latter extending to 5 days altogether seems VERY long to me as a "cheesefest".

Did the Campbell's have such a long schedule in the past?

BTW, we can buy Campbell's soup cans imported here but they don't seem to sell much. Once a Japanese food company manufactured them under license but not now (as far as I know). So the September event won't be sponsored by Campbell, I imagine.

 

[Mathman]

Are the plural dates cited as
"International Counter Match Competition" on 29 - 30 Sept.
"US Figure Skating International Challenge" on 10 - 14 Oct.
especially the latter extending to 5 days altogether seems VERY long to me as a "cheesefest".

I'm pretty sure Campbell's will just be one day. I think USFS just wanted to reserve that block of time on the ISU calendar while it tries to find a venue and negotiates for television coverage.

I wonder if the language "counter match" means something like a rematch or counter-coup. As in, Team Japan crushed you guys last year, here is your chance to get even!

 

[SeaniBu]

I wonder if the language "counter match" means something like a rematch or counter-coup. As in, Team Japan crushed you guys last year, here is your chance to get even!

It is a win win for me, who ever wins.

 

[sorcerer]

I'm pretty sure Campbell's will just be one day. I think USFS just wanted to reserve that block of time on the ISU calendar while it tries to find a venue and negotiates for television coverage.

Thank you Mathman.

I really don't like that off-season date on which the Japan Open is held, it seems too much of a burden for the skaters already very tired by the long competition circuit, especially the Worlds.

Later on TV, Miki declared that she couldn't get out of her bed for several days in heavy fatigue when her game-season finally came to its end.

Though the JO's prize money was quite an amount for each skater, such consequence isn't nice. :no:
I wish the producer (IMG?) would relocate the event on a pre-season date.
Or maybe that Sapporo event is a TBD alternative date for JO, just for reservation purpose similar to that of Campbell's as MM says.

 

[satorare]

So called "Counter Match Competition" would be exactly the same format with Campbell's Cup of last year (but no pairs and dance).

Hughes will not go to Japan for an academic reason.
Maybe Mirai Nagasu joins the US team.

Mao Asada doesn't participate Skate America.
She can be invited to the mid-October event in the US instead.