Major VCR Alert (Ice Wars)

[dlkksk8fan]

Am I the only one that like Brian's second # with the coat rack!? Fred Astaire does a similiar dance with a coat rack in one of his movies and I love it.

I believe the trouble with Kurt's #'s is there were to many starts and stops with his skating. His technique though is first rate and I marvel at how he just goes into a jump with ease.

As much as I like Alexei's skating I thought that Todd blew him away with his second skate especially with his SPINS!

When Oksana took off her duck costume and all those feathers fell to the ice the only thing I was thinking of is she's going down when she skates over one of them. Luckily she didn't. Will someone please tell me why she was smacking her leg right before she was to skate her first program? Was this part of the choreography? I felt a little embarrassed for her.

I just don't see Yuka as sexy. I'd rather see her leave the sexy skating to Katarina Witt.

 

[Mathman]

I thought the last competition between Kurt and Brian was the most interesting. To me, Kurt is a natural dancer and Brian is not. With Brian, you can see what he is doing and the effort that goes into doing it. With Kurt, it just seems to happen.

Mathman

 

[SingAlto]

RG-Brian's program recalled Scott's comment in his book: they called Brian "Odie the Roadie" because he was obsessed with props! I thought the program was OK-but I think the dramatic programs suit him better.

They called him Odie the Roadie because he was very helpful with setting up props for other skaters' numbers (he didn't use any himself) and with helping the crew to set up for the show.

 

[SingAlto]

Am I the only one that like Brian's second # with the coat rack!? Fred Astaire does a similiar dance with a coat rack in one of his movies and I love it.

No, you're not. I thoroughly enjoyed it, as did my friends and my mom.

 

[ChrisC]

I loved Brian's second # with the coat rack! Excellent use of props and excellent attitude. Liked it when he lay down and made a move on the coat rack. "Sogno" was skated better at the Bocelli Tribute. Kurt's second # had more content than the technical, but I think the judges didn't like the rests - you know, head in the toybox. I'll say the same thing I said last year about Brian's two-part concept numbers: "didn't work".

Overall, I thought the skating was pretty good - not too many oops's. Nicole skated well despite the lack of triples (but you know, the jumps aren't supposed to count. yeah right). Oksana was funny but a little odd. Kristi and Yuka were lovely and classy. It was good to see some new blood and big jumps from Alexei and Todd, doing what they are supposed to do as newbies, keeping the technical level high. I love Ice Wars - love the team concept, love the way it's laid out, love the Boitano/Browning battle at the end. It's always fun.

What do you think Kurt said to Brian behind the Fireman hat?

ChrisC

 

[RealtorGal]

What do you think Kurt said to Brian behind the Fireman hat?

"Do you think that anyone is watching this show just to see Nicole's new tatas?"

 

[Grgranny]

I am wondering why they have Nilcole on.She loses it for them every time. As much as I usually like her skating, you can count on her losing it for them every time.
Brian's program was ok, it's the elephant one I really disliked. I really liked Yuka's programs. It was a surprise! I thought this Ice Wars was probably the better of them for a while. Could have done without Oksana. She's just downright weird any more.

 

[IDLERACER]

I am wondering why they have Nilcole on.She loses it for them every time. As much as I usually like her skating, you can count on her losing it for them every time.

I think RealtorGal's post (directly above yours) pretty much answers that question. ​

 

[Mathman]

Doesn't Yuka Sato have dual citizenship? Maybe she could skate for the U.S. team next time.

If not, we could go with U.S. citizen Surya Bonaly.

MM

 

[sk8fanconvert]

I found Ice Wars really disappointing.

I actually thought Nicole's program to "what lola wants..." was one of the best choreographed program of the night. Everything was spectacular except for doubled jumps. And I'm so not into 'ta-tas'!

I'm getting really tired of Kurt's comedy and prop routines- way overdone this time to me. Liked it best when he was skating jazzy numbers- Gene Kelley on ice.

I've always been a fan of Alexei, but I thought Alexei's skate, particularly the second, was atrocious- really overdone, trying to hard, didn't relate to the music.

The other bright spot (besides Nicole) was Todd Eldredge, esp. his 2nd skate. Really classy, emotional and powerful skating.

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

How many here are actually interested in the Teams? Do you honestly wish that either the Worlds or the US would win this thing? Wasn't this scheme devised during the Kerrigan/Harding debacle to keep the Sunday afternoon interest in figure skating at an all time high? That is, until the SLC debacle when the interest went tumbling.

Anyway, it kept Summers in quite a bit of money during all that period.

Joe

 

[iluvtodd]

I loved Todd & Kristi's performances the most.

I love Yuka, but I don't think the music is that well suited to her. However I give her lots of credit for "branching out."

I am not crazy about props, but I think Brian skated well with that coat rack. I love Kurt's skating, but I guess I want to see him do more serious programs for a change.

I'm glad Oksana is getting her life back on track, but I'm tired of her "diva"- like behavior. Her make-up was overdone, and the duck costume was ridiculous.

I like Nicole artistically, but she has lost it technically. I wish Caryn Kadavy could have been part of this competition.

 

[Tereza]

I think next year they should have:

Team USA

Kristi Yamaguchi
Nicole Bobek
Todd Eldredge
Brian Boitano (again!)

Team World:

Alexander Abt
Ilia Kulik
Midori Ito
Katarina Witt

 

[sk8fanconvert]

Her make-up was overdone.

And THAT is an understatement! Atrocious! And I love Oksana, but that makeup was very paint-by-numbers.

 

[mhu714]

I'm glad to see that I wasn't alone in disliking Kurt's programs. Sometimes it seems that whatever he does is fawned over bec his skating is so good and pure. To do the same theme for both programs was lazy, and I don't really enjoy the comedy routines that much. It seems like that's what he does most of the time now. Perhaps the relatively low scores given him by some judges was a reflection of standing around for long stretches at a time? With so much rest, what's the big deal about doing triple jumps from a standing start. Re: other skaters, I am happy that Baiul seems more emotionally stable, but otherwise I find her whole personna annoying. At least she can kinda do a triple jump again (though most were 2 footed). I loved Kristi and thought she looked great after such a long layoff :yes: . Yuka was lovely as always but I agree sexy isn't the way for her to go. I guess Bobek was there bec nobody else would commit. If she can't even attempt a triple jump I'm not sure if she should be there, though she does still have a presence on the ice. Is it me or has Boitano has gotten a bit, er, heavy? He couldn't even get off the ground on his tano lutz, and was smart to double it in the 2nd skate. Todd was excellent and deserved to have the highest scores IMO (though "scoring" for these events needs to be taken with a ton of salt). Yags looked pretty buff in his 1st program and probably wishes he could still skate in Oly eligible events. Frankly if they lost this competition entirely I wouldn't cry about it.

 

[WildRose]

I'm glad to see that I wasn't alone in disliking Kurt's programs. Sometimes it seems that whatever he does is fawned over bec his skating is so good and pure. To do the same theme for both programs was lazy, and I don't really enjoy the comedy routines that much. It seems like that's what he does most of the time now.

To dislike the programs Kurt did at Ice Wars is one thing, but to say that he is lazy is totally unfair. Browning has done at least 7 new programs already this season,
most of which have been taped for television but not aired yet. And no, he does not just do comedy routines, there are serious programs in there too - there always have been - in fact I doubt there's a skater out there that has performed a more varied repetoire than Kurt.

His jumps are almost always done out of difficult footwork, spread eagles and other skating moves, and they are far harder to do that way than after spending half the program building up speed as some skaters do. Just because he makes it look easy - doesn't mean it is.

Kurt's 2 part-program at Ice Wars was obviously a work in progess. He as much as said he didn't feel he'd had enough time to work on it. Blame him for that if you want - and if you don't like comedy or props that's fine too. But the man isn't lazy and has performed enough great programs over the course of his career to more than prove it.

 

[mhu714]

Hey Rose,

You must be one of the Browning fans I was speaking of in my post. Sorry if I struck a nerve but you don't have to be so defensive about Kurt. After all I did say he's a great, pure skater. These 2 programs weren't my cup of tea, what can I tell you? I know he's done many serious programs but it seems like the past several on tv have been of the ilk shown the other night.

 

[show 42]

I was so excited to see a pro skating program, they could have just stroked around the ice and I would have been satisfied. That said, I too dlk, liked Brian's "skating with the coatrack" routine. I enjoy him skating to props much more than watching his usual stroke, spread eagle, stroke, tano lutz, stroke, death drop routine he usually does.

GrGranny, I have to agree. As much as I like Nicole, she seems to sink her teams when she skates. She is so thin and emaciated-looking and her "only double jumps" seem to be the norm for her.

I loved the way Yuka relates to the audience when she skated. So much more personal and "connected". Oksana was Oksana.......out there, emotionally involved......she is her biggest fan!

I will always love Kurt's skating, no matter what he does, but I didn't care for his routines this night. Way too many props.

Alexi is always amazing, and I loved his first number. I agree witht the poster who said it looked like he was making up his second routine as he went along. Maybe he was working on choreography for another skating at the same time he was performing....

Kristi and Todd were just about perfect........and why is Todd not skating at Nationals anymore. He'd be right in there.......42

 

[WildRose]

Hey Rose,

You must be one of the Browning fans I was speaking of in my post. Sorry if I struck a nerve but you don't have to be so defensive about Kurt. After all I did say he's a great, pure skater. These 2 programs weren't my cup of tea, what can I tell you? I know he's done many serious programs but it seems like the past several on tv have been of the ilk shown the other night.

Sorry if I sounded defensive, I don't have a problem with anyone not liking his programs, it was the lazy comment that got me!

(I'm also guessing you didn't catch Kristi's show last week, where Kurt did skate a serious program - "Time in a Bottle"

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

It seems that when a skater hits 40 or thereabouts and they continue to compete in albeit 'silly' competitions, they resort to props to cover up what once was their incredible technical prowess, and serious artistry.

No matter, I understand and enjoy the comedy and couldn't care less about who wins the thing. It's fun and harmless. (some of those competitors are still looking good.)

Joe

Joe