Mid-Season Report: U.S. Ladies, R.D. Style

[silverlake22]

The only thing that makes sense to me is that her injury wasn't fully healed at Skate Canada, or it messed up her training and she wasn't back in shape yet. I am hoping she can be back in top form come Nationals.

EDIT : There is another growth spurt of sorts. Comparing videos of Caroline from last year to this year, I really believe her shoulders have gotten broader. This will make rotating jumps harder. She needs to really hit the gym to increase her strength.

I feel like broad shoulders would help not hurt, it would move your center of gravity up rather than down. Caroline does seem to have filled out though, but if you look at Mirai, her shoulders are much broader than Caroline's. Ashley and Joannie have broad shoulder and even Yuna has pretty broad shoulders for someone her size, so if anything I'd say it's a good thing rather than bad. Better to have broad shoulders than broad hips.

 

[R.D.]

This latest tweet from Ashley Wagner probably says it all

My brother described [all the] US ladies including me as "grasshoppers" and the rest of the competitive skating [world] as "Mr. Miyagis"..

Hehe, she really is a good one to follow...

 

[silverlake22]

This latest tweet from Ashley Wagner probably says it all



Hehe, she really is a good one to follow...

What is that analogy supposed to mean?

 

[R.D.]

What is that analogy supposed to mean?

It wasn't clear to me at first, I actually had to look it up...I assumed posters here would get it and I was just out of the loop

But anyway, here's the Wikipedia entry (apparently he is a fictional martial arts teacher)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kesuke_Miyagi

 

[MKFSfan]

I don't really get it...Mr Miyagi was a karate teacher and mentor to his student Daniel. He called Daniel "grasshopper." So, in essence she is saying the rest of the skating world are mentors for the US Ladies???

 

[Mathman]

I think Ashley’s brother got his martial arts teachers mixed up. The original Grasshopper was Caine (played by David Carradine in a 1970s TV series.) Master Po was a blind Buddhist monk who instructed the young Kwai Chang Caine in martial arts and Buddhist philosophy in China before Caine came to the United States for his adventures. Master Po was so good that even though he was blind he could beat everybody else in fighting with quarterstaffs because he could hear the swish of the staff through the air.

He always called Caine “Grasshopper,” by which he meant (endearingly) something like a little insignificant bug The lead-in to the opening credits always ended with Master Po saying to Caine, “When you can snatch this pebble from my hand, Grasshopper, you will be ready to leave the monestary and enter into the world.”

The phrase came to mean, you are a little twerp and I am the all-knowing master, especially in matters of arcane mystic knowledge.

 

[silverlake22]

I think Ashley’s brother got his martial arts teachers mixed up. The original Grasshopper was Caine (played by David Carradine in a 1970s TV series.) Master Po was a blind Buddhist monk who instructed the young Kwai Chang Caine in martial arts and Buddhist philosophy in China before Caine came to the United States for his adventures. Master Po was so good that even though he was blind he could beat everybody else in fighting with quarterstaffs because he could hear the swish of the staff through the air.

He always called Caine “Grasshopper,” by which he meant (endearingly) something like a little insignificant bug The lead-in to the opening credits always ended with Master Po saying to Caine, “When you can snatch this pebble from my hand, Grasshopper, you will be ready to leave the monestary and enter into the world.”

The phrase came to mean, you are a little twerp and I am the all-knowing master, especially in matters of arcane mystic knowledge.

Haha nice

 

[Layfan]

I think Ashley’s brother got his martial arts teachers mixed up. The original Grasshopper was Caine (played by David Carradine in a 1970s TV series.) Master Po was a blind Buddhist monk who instructed the young Kwai Chang Caine in martial arts and Buddhist philosophy in China before Caine came to the United States for his adventures. Master Po was so good that even though he was blind he could beat everybody else in fighting with quarterstaffs because he could hear the swish of the staff through the air.

He always called Caine “Grasshopper,” by which he meant (endearingly) something like a little insignificant bug The lead-in to the opening credits always ended with Master Po saying to Caine, “When you can snatch this pebble from my hand, Grasshopper, you will be ready to leave the monestary and enter into the world.”

The phrase came to mean, you are a little twerp and I am the all-knowing master, especially in matters of arcane mystic knowledge.

Thanks! I THOUGHT Mr. Miyagi never called Daniel-boy grasshopper. That would have driven me crazy. I might have had to go rent the movie just to make sure.

How down-to-earth of Ashley to tweet that, though. I'm impressed.

 

[PolymerBob]

He always called Caine “Grasshopper,” by which he meant (endearingly) something like a little insignificant bug The lead-in to the opening credits always ended with Master Po saying to Caine, “When you can snatch this pebble from my hand, Grasshopper, you will be ready to leave the monestary and enter into the world.”

It's rare that anything gets by me related to the Kung Fu series. Master Po was the blind man. But the guy the pebble was Master Kahn.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_iaamkUEF_A

 

[R.D.]

Another Wagner article (this one not so much related to skating as it is her life, so it's slightly OT)

http://www.nbcolympics.com/news-features/news/newsid=374071.html?_source=rss&cid=&dst=nbcsp

Like Nagasu, I like her candor and honesty. It's badly needed IMHO in a sport full of "pretty princesses".

 

[silverlake22]

Another Wagner article (this one not so much related to skating as it is her life, so it's slightly OT)

http://www.nbcolympics.com/news-features/news/newsid=374071.html?_source=rss&cid=&dst=nbcsp

Like Nagasu, I like her candor and honesty. It's badly needed IMHO in a sport full of "pretty princesses".

I agree, she seems very normal which is refreshing. On Mirai's Olympic bio she talks about how she's a nerd-so cute. Rachael and Alissa seem fairly normal too, although I've heard in person they aren't as lovely as they seem on TV. Caroline seems more like the typical ice skater, but maybe it's just because she's from a rich area of SoCal. It's nice how so many elite skaters go to real school, as in many other sports it seems as though everyone is home-schooled.

 

[R.D.]

I agree, she seems very normal which is refreshing. On Mirai's Olympic bio she talks about how she's a nerd-so cute. Rachael and Alissa seem fairly normal too, although I've heard in person they aren't as lovely as they seem on TV.

In terms of looks or behavior? I don't think it's quite clear to me in this context

Caroline seems more like the typical ice skater, but maybe it's just because she's from a rich area of SoCal. It's nice how so many elite skaters go to real school, as in many other sports it seems as though everyone is home-schooled.

Yes, Zhang seems like the "typical ice skater"- but so do most of the other ladies out there, ha! The one who seems a stark contrast to the mold is Meissner- I haven't heard any bad things about her but I don't know her personally (nor have I met her) so I can't vouch for those folks.

 

[silverlake22]

In terms of looks or behavior? I don't think it's quite clear to me in this context



Yes, Zhang seems like the "typical ice skater"- but so do most of the other ladies out there, ha! The one who seems a stark contrast to the mold is Meissner- I haven't heard any bad things about her but I don't know her personally (nor have I met her) so I can't vouch for those folks.

I meant in behavior, Rachael and Alissa are both very pretty in person. Meissner is different in that she's a big jock, really athletic and loves to run and lift weights. She advertised for underarmor and I remember reading articles about how she liked to go to the gym each day after she skated. My good friend went to nationals a few times though and said Kimmie only really talked to adults at the nationals parties haha.

I wouldn't say Mirai or Ashley seem like typical figure skaters.Sasha yes, Caroline yes, Alissa sort of, Rachael not really. A lot of the ladies from other areas don't seem typical either- Joannie and Mao seem really focused on the athletic aspects of skating and aren't into all that girly stuff. Yuna doesn't really seem like the pretty princess type either. As for the Europeans....yeah, they pretty much fit the mold

 

[R.D.]

I think for Wagner at least, she fits the mold- at least on the surface. But then she seems to actually appreciate the support of her fans by reaching out to them through Twitter and Youtube- number of other skaters doing that: zero.

She's really put herself out there in the open and I like it. She also stands out from the other US ladies by doing that- I'm guessing she likes the attention

My good friend went to nationals a few times though and said Kimmie only really talked to adults at the nationals parties haha.

I'm surprised by how grounded she seems to be, especially with her accomplishments (world & national champ). I hope she joins SOI next year so I can see her live again...I was really surprised last year because she was so boring on TV

 

[silverlake22]

I think for Wagner at least, she fits the mold- at least on the surface. But then she seems to actually appreciate the support of her fans by reaching out to them through Twitter and Youtube- number of other skaters doing that: zero.

She's really put herself out there in the open and I like it. She also stands out from the other US ladies by doing that- I'm guessing she likes the attention



I'm surprised by how grounded she seems to be, especially with her accomplishments (world & national champ). I hope she joins SOI next year so I can see her live again...I was really surprised last year because she was so boring on TV

I've never seen her in a show but I hear she is actually a great show skater!

 

[Tonichelle]

Kimmie is way better to watch Live.

 

[silverlake22]

Kimmie is way better to watch Live.

Does anyone know what she's up to now?

 

[PolymerBob]

I think for Wagner at least, she fits the mold- at least on the surface. But then she seems to actually appreciate the support of her fans by reaching out to them through Twitter and Youtube- number of other skaters doing that: zero.

I was at a show in Massachusetts back in June. Caroline and Brittney Rizo were at the meet-and-greet afterward. Fans were filing past them with stuff to sign; paper, skates, sweatshirts, things I couldn't identify. They all sat at the table and greeted their fans, chatted with them, signed whatever was shoved in front of their faces. Later, they walked around and posed for pictures. They seemed to appreciate their fans.

Maybe pretty princess is not a bad thing.

 

[Trewyn]

Yeah, it's a good thing they appreciate/like having fans! I still can't get over how Voronov raised his eyebrows at the fans that asked for his autograph and just ignored them. Adam Rippon otoh, posed and signed for ages! (but that is slightly ot because this is Ladies thread.. but I've never met any of them, let alone asked for an autograph; Ashley answered a facebook message of mine within 10 minutes, so that was cool ^^)
It's true that Ashley enjoys the 'glamorous' side of figure skating; but she doesn't come across as snotty or conceited.

 

[R.D.]

I've never seen her in a show but I hear she is actually a great show skater!

Toni is right. There is a joy to her skating that's infectious...you can tell she genuinely loves to skate...that's a major part of her appeal to me...it enables her to really connect with the audience and it's great entertainment. It also does not translate very well onto a TV screen...you really have to be there live to get the full experience. Wow, never thought I'd ever say that about kimmie of all folks

Cohen was the opposite (that year); her showy moves are showcased on TV, but live, it was clear she was just fulfilling an obligation to skate and didn't really want to do it.

I enjoy performers that enjoy what they're doing (or look like it, at least). Emily Hughes' joy comes across even on TV; I wonder what it's like to see her live and if I'll ever get the chance...