Jason Brown

[Mrs. P]

I don't know if a rink was involved, but his pics surrounding the Joshua Tree NP pic from a year ago definitely look like the greater Palm Springs area, which isn't that far away from the park. I love Palm Springs, btw. Not the newer places being built on the outskirts, but older seedy Palm Springs. It has a great history and cool mid-century architecture.

I've heard super awesome things about Palm Springs Modernism Week (which is actually happening right now). I'm not a architecture freak, but it just sounds like such a cool event!

I watched Jason's Riverdance FS today. It's been a few years. Anyway, I am struck at how much he's improved since then, namely in skating skill (speed and flow) and even his spins and flexibility. He's always had strong performance ability, but I think he's able to take that ability much farther in improving his overall skating quality. Riverdance is definitely special, the energy he brought was undeniable -- but I'm glad that was a starting point, not his peak.

 

[Tavi...]

I've heard super awesome things about Palm Springs Modernism Week (which is actually happening right now). I'm not a architecture freak, but it just sounds like such a cool event!

I watched Jason's Riverdance FS today. It's been a few years. Anyway, I am struck at how much he's improved since then, namely in skating skill (speed and flow) and even his spins and flexibility. He's always had strong performance ability, but I think he's able to take that ability much farther in improving his overall skating quality. Riverdance is definitely special, the energy he brought was undeniable -- but I'm glad that was a starting point, not his peak.

How funny, I did the same thing recently, and noticed the same thing. His skating is so much better now than it was in 2014, and watching Riverdance makes that clear. Even at 4CCs where he was not nearly at his best, there was a speed, power, and flow over the ice that was not there in 2014. And his jumps - especially his 3A - are so much better. What remains the same is his amazing ability to connect with the audience.

If y'all read that New York Times article about the making of Riverdance, you probably remember Kori mentioning that the program was choreographed to build and get the audience involved and the judges to "reward, reward, reward." I'm sure they will have a similar goal next year, and I'm really curious to see how they achieve it.

I do think that the current FS is incredibly beautiful, and I hope they don't fully abandon the beauty for crowd pleasing performance - but I have a feeling that next year whatever he does will be far less reflective. I liked what I saw of Hamilton, and since he did not use it as his gala program at 4CCs, I'm thinking it really may be early work toward one of his programs - just not sure which one, though it looks appropriate for a SP.

https://mobile.nytimes.com/2014/02/...a-disciplined-approach-yields-joy-on-ice.html

 

[Arriba627]

Riverdance was so amazing, but I can't wait to see what they have up their sleeves for this upcoming Olympic year. Knowing Team KoRo + Jason, it will be something equally amazing!

 

[TMC]

Oh please let him be with Frank for a few weeks before Worlds, pretty please! It was amazing what they achieved together in the couple of weeks last summer.

I agree with everybody re: Riverdance and progress. I watched it a couple of weeks ago after a long time, and there's definitely been a huge improvement in skating skills.

I've seen Jorik in person, and he is an absolutely fabulous skater. A real performer and an amazing interpreter of music. I think I said he has the X factor when I wrote about him at Finlandia last year. He has that quality where he kind of forces you to watch, no matter what he does. He can just do some crossovers right before his performance, and your eyes are immediately just glued to him. I haven't seen Jason in person - yet - but I imagine he is the same. He has a fascinating fluidity and plasticity that works like a magnet for the eyes.

Does anybody else think that doing Hamilton for both SP and FS would work? I haven't heard enough of it so I can't say, but I think it's definitely a very interesting choice for a short programme.

 

[Arriba627]

Spending time with Frank would be great. I thought in the TSL interview Kori did awhile back she said she would send him to Anthony Liu. Guess that never happened.

Jorik is so awesome. I've seen him in person and saw him at a Sk Amer practice too . I was listening to him talk to the people announcing because they had the skating order for playing skaters' music mixed up. He was so cute and so polite. Hope he continues to grow. Such a talented family!

 

[Tavi...]

Spending time with Frank would be great. I thought in the TSL interview Kori did while back she said she would send him to Anthony Liu. Guess that never happened.

Jorik is so awesome. I've seen him in person and saw him at a Sk Amer practice too . I was listening to him talk to the people announcing because they had the skating order for playing skaters' music mixed up. He was so cute and so polite. Hope he continues to grow. Such a talented family!

Kori had him work on his jumps with Anthony Liu when he was younger, and she herself apprenticed with him. You can see him towards the end of this clip:

https://instagram.com/p/BNqaZrWB7n9/

 

[Mrs. P]

How funny, I did the same thing recently, and noticed the same thing. His skating is so much better now than it was in 2014, and watching Riverdance makes that clear. Even at 4CCs where he was not nearly at his best, there was a speed, power, and flow over the ice that was not there in 2014. And his jumps - especially his 3A - are so much better. What remains the same is his amazing ability to connect with the audience.

What's interesting to hear is how much people like Jason's free skate based on his 4CC performance. The consternation over scores and technical content has been so loud, but I've definitely seen people comment about how much they connected with his performance this time around.

Here's hoping that the technical content will come with it come Worlds.

 

[Tavi...]

What's interesting to hear is how much people like Jason's free skate based on his 4CC performance. The consternation over scores and technical content has been so loud, but I've definitely seen people comment about how much they connected with his performance this time around.

Here's hoping that the technical content will come with it come Worlds.

I'm not surprised to hear that people loved that performance - and in the face of all the consternation and criticism, it's good to be reminded of that. For me, even with the errors, it was really special. His line and movement are not quite as pure and beautiful as they were at SA, but I felt like he gave more emotionally and that his movements grew out of the emotion. For me, 4CC ranks right behind the Rostelecom FS that way.

And yes, really hoping the technical content comes at Worlds. It just occurred to me that unless he does WTT, it may be the last time we see it.

 

[Mrs. P]

I bet Jason will end up at WTT! But yeah, I guess we'll see.

 

[karne]

I bet Jason will end up at WTT! But yeah, I guess we'll see.

How cute would a Jason/Max WTT team be again!

 

[Tavi...]

The ISU announcement is really confusing, but it sounds like Team is the top two men in World Standings after Worlds 2017. Assuming Adam is ready to compete: If Nathan wins and Jason places 9th or lower, the team is Adam and Nathan; if Nathan wins and Jason places 8th or higher, the team is Nathan and Jason; if Nathan doesn't win, the team is Adam and Jason. Max has the next highest World Standing, so he could go if there is a withdrawal.

 

[karne]

The ISU announcement is really confusing, but it sounds like Team is the top two men in World Standings after Worlds 2017. Assuming Adam is ready to compete: If Nathan wins and Jason places 9th or lower, the team is Adam and Nathan; if Nathan wins and Jason places 8th or higher, the team is Nathan and Jason; if Nathan doesn't win, the team is Adam and Jason. Max has the next highest World Standing, so he could go if there is a withdrawal.

I'm writing Adam off completely from WTT - in the worst-case scenario he'll have only been back on the ice for three weeks by the time of WTT, and he's down for SOI shows. I don't think he's going.

 

[Tavi...]

I'm writing Adam off completely from WTT - in the worst-case scenario he'll have only been back on the ice for three weeks by the time of WTT, and he's down for SOI shows. I don't think he's going.

You may well be right, but I am kind of assuming the opposite. His first show is mid-April and there's a break in the schedule that would allow him to fit it in. And it's a lot of money. Still, seeing how long it's taking Jason to get back to full strength, I can imagine that possibly Adam would be recovered enough to do shows but not two full competitive programs. I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

And it would be great to see Max again - the Toreador program should have a lot more mileage on it by then.

 

[jacky]

lets hope Jason stays healthy, and continues inprove and gain his strength so he will continue too compete and hopefully metal I would love too see him quifly and go too the 2018 olylimpics:thumbsup::agree2::hap93:

 

[ice coverage]

How cute would a Jason/Max WTT team be again!

Although I would love :luv17: for Jason and Max to return to WTT together, my two cents are that I don't think that Adam should be counted out of the mix.

As mentioned in the U.S. Men thread, Adam will be out of the boot this coming week (per Ashley). Best-case scenario, he would have up to two months to train for WTT.
Similar duration to the timeline proposed by Team Jason for him to be ready for 2016 Worlds after returning to the ice in early Feb.
(They had different types of injuries, but I think the general idea is comparable.)

When Adam announced his withdrawal from Nats, he (understandably) said he hoped that he would not be forgotten. WTT would be a good way to get back on an international stage as quickly as possible. And if (before his injury) Adam was hoping to earn some prize money at 2017 Four Continents and/or 2017 Worlds, the WTT prize money would be another incentive.

As recently discussed also in the other thread, it would not be unprecedented for someone from a country's top two in the world standings to not compete at WTT -- without citing injury and without (as far as we know) the country being penalized by the ISU. The absence of D/W of the U.S. and V/M of Canada from 2013 WTT being prominent examples of same.

I also have become a broken record in noting that when announcing 2015 WTT assignments, USFS said:

U.S. skaters qualified for World Team Trophy based on results of the most recent World Championships, the ISU Grand Prix and Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating Series and Final, the Four Continents Championships and the ISU World Standings.
http://usfigureskating.org/Story?id=61943&type=news​

Depending on Jason's results at Worlds, I think Adam and he potentially could be considered neck and neck according to those criteria.

Way too many variables in play here for me to predict who will go to WTT .
IIRC, Max said he will be graduating from college this spring. Although he absolutely loves WTT, if he perhaps is in the midst of completing a final academic project for his degree, maybe it even could be a blessing in disguise if it turns out he were free right after Worlds to briefly scale his training back a little???
Or ... or ... or ... ???
All just my speculation.

 

[Mrs. P]

So random flashback. I remember that Jason had competed in Gangneung before! He was there for the 2011 Jr. World Figure Skating Championships. This was however, in the Gangneung Arena, different venue (obviously the Olympic rink had not been built yet....I think Pyeongchang JUST got the bid not too long before this competition.)

Anyway enjoy:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMhRdPAu5HE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPhNx8-mJp4

Ashley Cain and Timothy Leduc were also there (you can see Ashley at the end of the FS video), albeit with different partners.

 

[Ross74]

So random flashback. I remember that Jason had competed in Gangneung before! He was there for the 2011 Jr. World Figure Skating Championships. This was however, in the Gangneung Arena, different venue (obviously the Olympic rink had not been built yet....I think Pyeongchang JUST got the bid not too long before this competition.)

Anyway enjoy:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMhRdPAu5HE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPhNx8-mJp4

Ashley Cain and Timothy Leduc were also there (you can see Ashley at the end of the FS video), albeit with different partners.

Thanks for the links! I love this short program and I don't think I've seen this Jr Worlds video before.

 

[musicfan80]

I'm writing Adam off completely from WTT - in the worst-case scenario he'll have only been back on the ice for three weeks by the time of WTT, and he's down for SOI shows. I don't think he's going.

Isn't Adam's foot still in the boot - right now? I don't how soon he would be able to train a program back, but I don't think he has enough time to get ready.

 

[StitchMonkey]

The other issue for Adam is... do you go back to training your old programs, or do you focus only on your Olympic season programs? Would it be worth the mental distraction to retrain an old program like this for a comp like this? Or would it be better to just start fresh with all of your focus on the new Olympic season programs? It is not crazy to think he will want to focus on his new stuff... and that may not be ready yet on top of getting back on the ice and getting back in shape.

Now if he keeps his bird program... it could make it simpler, but who knows. I could see Adam wanting to start fresh.

 

[Yatagarasu]

WTT is too far away, I'm still fretting about Helsinki.

I just can't decide what I think would be the best tactic. Play it safe, and leave the quad for the FS alone, playing catch up or just do it in both, considering the current situation with the GOEs and PCS. It's a tough call.