On Site Reports @ Worlds 2016

[Mrs. P]

So I'll post my impressions of the competition in those threads, but there was a LOT of fun stuff I want to highlight during my trip to Worlds that didn't involve competition.

* I just want to thank all of you who attended Golden Skate's two meetups. The people at Boston Beer Works were extremely gracious and super easy to work with and they made it easy for all of us to enjoy our pizza and mingle. The same flexibility goes for the people at North Street Grille, who gave us excellent service and wonderful food. It was great to finally meet people I've talked to on here for many years!
* Karne was very generous with the Australian candy. Those who sat near her during competition got a good supply! My husband tried a piece I didn't get to eat and he enjoyed it!
* Princessroja was a great roommate. I wasn't planning on having one, but it turned out great (also didn't hurt that she help pay for the hotel).
* Running Boston! It is so fun to see so many runners. I got to run more of the Charles River than I did the last time and saw MIT, the Museum of Science and other sites.
* Spontaneous walking night tour of Boston after the men's FS --- AKA GETTING TOTALLY LOST getting from TD Arena to the hotel--- That said, it was fun to see the city at night and chatting up with my walking companions. @Cleopatrica20042004 @sabinfire @itzme
* Eating Vietnamese food with the awesome Golden Skate crew in Chinatown including @bonesfan @Caliblue, @jenaj and @lilahozi
* Oceanle's awesome walking tour of Colonial Boston. He did great considering he's not even American! Also enjoyed time with @Seralune, @sweetsuger1613 @waxel @TheGrandSophy @Bag of Goldfish @winky97 @nancela
* Eating Shake Shack. I love that place.
* Eating delicious pork belly sandwich and fries at Saus with my friend from Boston.
* Drinking wine from my region in Cambridge with my friend who is from there!
* Meeting Alissa Czisny. She is the most gracious and nice person. She has a beautiful smile.
* Meeting Miki Ando. She is so sweet and so supportive of Javi. I love it!
* Talking to Doris during the SD and FD. Our seats were close so we got to do PBP discussion the whole time. Her husband purchased a cute bear for Baby P!
* Seeing CoyoteChris again! Aside from Skate America near Seattle, we have yet to meet up in Washington state, when we live three hours apart, LOL.
* Meeting the cooler OG version of me (nguyhm!) She promised me Pho if I ever in her neck of the woods.
* Night caps with @sabinfire, @waxel @cleopatrica20042004 @Seralune @princessroja! Great way to process the competition and wind down after a long day.
* And speaking of Sabinfire, I got to send him a shoutout cause he was my Worlds drinking buddy and even kept me company when I decided to stay up all night after the men's FS because I had an early flight the next day. We got to probably the only place in Boston that's open after 2 a.m: South Street Dinner. It was pretty good. And sabin's a cool cat.
* Cute selfies with @pitterpatter and meeting her super cute mom!
* Fun ice resurface walk during the men's FS with @shirokj and @pitterpatter!
*Meeting RD! RD is an OG here on Golden Skate, so it was great seeing him and I'm thrilled that hte U.S. Ladies came through for him! Let's hope that means more posts from him!
* And just meeting many of you during competitions and our meetups in general. @samson was a great companion during the loooonnngg Ladies SP. @lyverbird and @karne had such cute accents which I enjoyed @Charmblade was of great help as a local @babyskate gave me a nice box of chocolates. @Heleng and I had fun with the cute Chinese skating fans who sat next to us. And it was good to meet @apgold, who told me I would not regret taking time away from my daughter to see "Fix You" live (she was right), at the brunch !
* And thanks to @Sjs5572 for honoring a bet and giving everyone free wine at his dinner. Great seeing you again.

Tl;dr: Good food and amazing people. Thank you for a wonderful time!

 

[yyyskate]

what does "OG" mean olympic game?

 

[Mrs. P]

what does "OG" mean olympic game?

Sorry, OG = Original Gangsta. It's in reference to someone who has been around for a while or really skilled/experienced.

 

[rosacotton]

Your highlight post is awesome Mrs. P! Looking forward to hearing your impressions of the competition!

 

[Seruleane]

* I just want to thank all of you who attended Golden Skate's two meetups.

Mrs. P- thank you so much for organizing the meetups!! I had such a lovely time meeting you and many of the other posters. Not knowing anyone else who enjoys figure skating IRL, it was just nice to meet fellow figure skating fans and discuss the performances we liked, and commiserate when the skaters we were rooting for had less than stellar skates. We will have to do this again

 

[Mrs. P]

Mrs. P- thank you so much for organizing the meetups!! I had such a lovely time meeting you and many of the other posters. Not knowing anyone else who enjoys figure skating IRL, it was just nice to meet fellow figure skating fans and discuss the performances we liked, and commiserate when the skaters we were rooting for had less than stellar skates. We will have to do this again

Yes! I really enjoyed meeting you! I will definitely stay in touch!

 

[rollerblade]

I'm so jelly of Mrs P's entire post.

 

[jeff goldblum]

My one and only skater sighting (outside of the rink) came yesterday while doing some window shopping on Newbury Street. I was heading into All Saints when this tall, beautiful man was walking out and my first thought was just "where have I seen this tall, beautiful man before?" but then quickly realized it was Guillaume. Of course I was so awestruck that he was already halfway down the block before I would have been able to say anything. Glad others got a chance to meet their favorites and offer congratulations and encouragement.

 

[charmblade]

All right, have time to post some favorite moments. I won't point out specific programs, because there were so, so many of them. It was a fantastic competition all around.

The two GS meet-ups I went to were so much fun and I loved having people to talk. I live in Boston but was attending the events by myself so you guys gave me someone to actually interact with, thank you so much. Everyone was absolutely lovely.

Having the chance to meet and talk to skaters was awesome. I was sitting in the balcony but the section only three over from mine was the designated "Skater section" so I saw many, many skaters walking around on the concourse. I only spoke to a few. I congratulated Jorik Hendrickx, he seems very sweet. I also spoke to Danny O'Shea and he was also very gracious and sweet. I randomly ran into Ashley Wagner in the little park next to the arena and talked to her for a minute. I got super lucky and while standing around during the small medal ceremony for the pairs free I happened to be near where the skaters were entering and Satoko and Evgenia were early for their ceremony. They are both itty bitty but were very nice to fans and signed autographs and took many pictures. At one point something brushed against my sleeve and I realized it was Evgenia's jacket so I basically made contact with her.

I was up in the balcony but one of the best things about my seat was I was right above where the skaters waited before taking the ice. Some of the best little behind-the-scenes moments I caught: Weaver and Poje having a very sweet and long hug while waiting for their turn. Misha on his phone right up until getting on the ice. Nikita having his arms around Viktoria's waist while waiting for a warm-up group and then taking them away when they flashed the video of the waiting skaters on the screen. Eugenia plugged her ears while Elena's score was being announced.

I loved getting this extra little sneak peek at the skaters off-ice.

That's a wrap! I'm totally exhausted and just hanging out on my couch now but this was a fabulous event all around!

 

[Heleng]

Great to meet you Mrs. P, and Doris and Princessroja too! Thanks for the shoutout, it was so much fun sharing the excitement of the men's short with the adorable Chinese Yuzuru fans we sat next to

https://twitter.com/worlds2016/status/715364225661681665

 

[altuixde]

Did anyone else see Yulia Lipnitskaya at the TD Garden today? I think I passed her in the hallway during the intermission. Could've been someone who looked a lot like her, though.

 

[Lipea]

Did anyone else see Yulia Lipnitskaya at the TD Garden today? I think I passed her in the hallway during the intermission. Could've been someone who looked a lot like her, though.

I am pretty sure she is in Sochi right now. There was one girl (with mom) yesterday who looked JUST like Lipnitskaia now, but she was like 12 or 13. I wished to take a picture of her, but was to shy to do that. She was simply a copy.

 

[nguyhm]

Sorry, OG = Original Gangsta. It's in reference to someone who has been around for a while or really skilled/experienced.

It also stands for Old(er) Gangsta

 

[nguyhm]

Thank you @Mrs. P for organizing the meet ups and gathered us together before, in between and after the events. You were the leader of the pack, a big shout out!. It was a pleasure meeting everyone and I look forward to having a repeat in a very near future.

 

[sabinfire]

At one point something brushed against my sleeve and I realized it was Evgenia's jacket so I basically made contact with her.

I get you on this part. Laurine touched me on the hand and I about died and went to heaven!

 

[CoyoteChris]

I get you on this part. Laurine touched me on the hand and I about died and went to heaven!

LOL! First time I shook hands with Katia Gordeeva when my wife and I used to sit in the front row for ice shows in the last century, I swore I would never wash my hand again!!!

Thanks to Mrs. P, Doris and all the wonderful GSers I meet at the rink and especially at those three great get togethers. I have some pics I will share here but with no names so If you were there with your lover and not your spouse, no worries.
(fun fact. Mrs. P can sing any song very well if it has the word "Happy" in it.

 

[Bonesfan]

So many fun experiences! It was a marathon week of meet ups, watching practices, sitting nervously through events, waiting in long lines, sneaking in snacks and water bottles. And I do mean marathon, practices started 7am, then 4-6 hour competition sessions, then decompressing/gabbing until wee hours.

Thanks to Mrs P for organizing several meet ups and @Sjs5572 setting up the Italian meal before the Ladies FS. In addition to the larger meet ups mentioned in previous posts, Caliblue and I had dinner with Kansai PJ, an American living in Japan, who has attended many shows and comps (including NHK and CoC). I recognized banners that PJ and Karne brought for their favs. Special thanks to Karne for bringing the yummy Australian treats. In addition to GSers, I met some lovely people in my section (most had all-event tickets so were together all week).

I'm not a skater so don't have technical/skating observations to add. I did find the practices very interesting. You can see more of the skaters "process" for how they work though things, interact with coaches, etc. Also, since far fewer people attend practices, you can get very close to the ice. Seeing all these skaters whiz by was a special thrill for this first timer.

Helsinki next year might be too hard to fit in, but I'm already thinking about GPF in Marseille!

 

[R.D.]

*Meeting RD! RD is an OG here on Golden Skate, so it was great seeing him and I'm thrilled that hte [sic] U.S. Ladies came through for him! Let's hope that means more posts from him!

Thanks for the S/O! It was good to meet you (and others) as well.

And yes - how about those US ladies

Some highlights for me (I'll try not to be too long-winded):

- Watching practices. I mainly focused on catching the ladies' sessions (at least the ones that took place after my arrival last Tuesday). But on Saturday morning, I did catch the final group of pairs before the ladies came on. It was very interesting to watch the skaters in a non-tense environment just do their thing...and some amazing stuff happened - Asada rattled off several 3As, Medvedeva did 3-3-3's (!!!) and Gold was just hitting jump after jump. Wagner took a more methodical approach to her practices, not jumping as much as those three, but she still looked trained and ready. To be honest, they all did. I knew it would be one heck of a competition.

- Seeing the city of Boston. I know this is not skating-related, but I think it's still important to try to take in a city (as time permits) that you visit. Walked the harbor, Harvard Square, MIT, Charles River, Chinatown, North End...and it's SO easy to get around. The caveat was that doing this meant I had to miss most practices and many of the earlier groups of the short programs (mostly the ones that did not qualify for the free skate)...but I was ok with that. I made sure to make time for the ladies practices, though. The competition schedule was jam-packed and you could literally have spent the ENTIRE time in the ice rink watching each and every single skater. That's probably a bit much for me, though.

My hotel even had a "T" stop (Boston's subway system) literally right in front of the entrance, which made getting to/from the arena a cinch. It was basically door-to-door service via the Green Line which was REALLY nice, especially when it got quite cold towards week's end, and (Almost!!) makes up for not being able to get a room at the official hotel...don't think I ever had to wait more than a couple minutes for a train to the Garden, and several times I just hopped right on upon entering!!

- Socializing with other skating fans. Mrs. P gets a lot of credit for organizing on-site meetups and creating the Slack channel for us attendees to communicate amongst ourselves. Going into this, I underestimated just how much socializing with other skating fans would enhance the overall competition experience. :thumbsup: So a big thank you to Mrs. P, and this comes from the heart. I also got to make connections with a few other fans as well that are not affiliated with GS.

- The competition itself. Of course, this one is a given - but the level of skating was just phenomenal - across all four disciplines. I will always first and foremost be a ladies fan, but I actually enjoyed watching the other disciplines more than I expected to. This was my first competition after only going to shows beforehand, and seeing all the action enabled me to develop a new appreciation for just how much work and effort all of these competitors go through, AND also the intense pressure they're under when they compete. It was surreal hearing a skater's name announced, the cheers of the crowd, the clicks of the photographers' cameras, the video cameras following their every move around the ice...it takes a lot of guts to get out there and skate in front of such a huge crowd. Watching the skaters practice for 40+ min and then a 6 min. warmup before their skate also drove home how unforgiving FS is - you get ONE shot and that's it. No do overs, no second chances, no "averaging" the best of multiple attempts as in some other sports. The tension was quite intense at times, probably greatest during the final group of ladies - I swear the entire arena was packed. Even the attendance for the other events was very strong - the short dance I think was the least attended, but still, more people were there than at the vast majority of (US) shows I've been to.

Also, the crowd was very supportive of all the skaters...the Canadians enjoyed a boost, as did the Japanese skaters - several of their respective fans were in attendance. But the biggest cheers were reserved for the US skaters :yes: On the ladies event, all 3 US ladies brought the house down during their SPs. During the free skate, the crowd roared for Gold as she came on the ice, and even when she landed her first jump of the 3-3 opening combo. Then when she fell on the 2nd one, there was a MASSIVE "OH" sigh from the audience - and it almost felt like the air was taken out of the building. I think we all WANTED a reason to go crazy and were just waiting for that "moment" which we did not get from her. Gold still got a good cheer for her skate, some people stood. (I did not.) Then Wagner took the ice, also to a nice roar (if not maybe QUITE as enthusiastic as the one initially given to Gold). As Wagner successfully hit her opening combo, the energy was back in full force and man, I knew that if she sold this program the place was going to explode. With every jump she hit, the moment built and built. The roars grew louder every time. When she finished her last jump the atmosphere was electric. It's unlike anything I've ever experienced or have been a part of. We were all on our feet before she even finished. You couldn't even hear her music at the end, the place was THAT loud. I actually got a little bit emotional , it was a very special moment not just for her, but I think for all of us as US fans as well. As in, FINALLY a US lady delivered when it counted most. This was gonna be it. The drought was going to end and we're witnessing a part of history. The only thing we didn't know was what color her medal would be (although it almost certainly wasn't going to be gold after Med's record-setting effort a moment earlier). The look on Wagner's face, and the reaction of the crowd, the rush of energy we all felt when it was announced she was in 2nd place, I'll NEVER forget that moment. That one will stay with me for the rest of my "skatefan" life. :yes:

To think I very nearly didn't go. In fact, even on the day I departed for Boston, I must say a part of me was questioning whether the decision to go was the right one and I began second-guessing. Most of you know I have been losing interest in skating, in part due to the US ladies drought (which is thankfully over - for now), but also due to disgust with the judging, particularly after Sochi. I had never been to a competition before and had absolutely NO idea what the experience was going to be like, or whether it would be for me. But the moment I stepped into the Garden to watch the first practice, all those feelings went away and I was in awe at what was unfolding before my eyes. Stuff like 3-3s that I've only seen on TV prior, and other high-level skating that you don't get to see in shows. I may have been won over again...for the moment.

- Skater sightings off the ice. Now, some (it seems like a lot of!!) people were luckier than I was in getting to see, meet or even mingle with skaters...but whenever I did see one, it was kind of a cool experience in itself. To not only see them on the ice, but off it as well, doing whatever.

Let's see:

Arena Concourse: Czisny, saw her manning a booth on the arena concourse and approached her for a pic and to talk briefly. Ashley Cain, saw her and worked up the effort to say something and get a pic. Kurt Browning, saw him greet another fan and then take off. Later in the ladies SP, spotted the Austrian skater (think Kirsten Frank?) on the concourse in conversation. Savchenko & Massot, saw them walking the concourse during the intermission at the exhibition gala. Think I might have seen a couple of the lower-level ladies skaters walking the concourse/talking to friends as well during various parts of the competition. Michael Weiss, near the Ice Network set up desk. Actually AT the desk - Tanith Belbin, Tonia K. (ice network commentator), Ekaterina Gordeeva, The Shibs, Charlie White, Christopher Dean. Caught 3 of the 4 small medal ceremonies for the free skate (missed dance), so saw those skaters in the area they had set up (and roped off) to host. I think it was around section 19? Memory is already fading...

Broadcast Booth In Arena: Weir and Lipinski sighting on several occasions. Tom Hammond was there at times as well. Shizuka Arakawa for Japanese TV. At one point she even waved at us (after some folks around me worked tirelessly to get her attention ).

Hotel Lobby: Ah, so I tried but did not get to see or meet who I wanted to see/meet. Oh well. BUT...on Sunday night, the night of the closing banquet, a few of us Golden Skaters were sitting in the 1st floor lobby discussing the competition, hoping to spot skaters heading back to their rooms afterward, etc. And it was very quiet, most were upstairs I believe. There was a moment when Javier Fernandez came down...think there were a couple others as well...but other than that, it was quiet...we were talking...about an hour and a half goes by, and then all of a sudden, we started seeing people all dressed up coming down and walking about, filling up the many other seats in the lounge we were in...and then before we knew it, we were suddenly RIGHT in the middle of a MASSIVE skater contingent!! Mostly international skaters though, no Americans except for the Shibs. Radionova & Pogorilaya were spotted. Helgesson, Niki Wories (the Dutch skater), and several of the guys as well were among the crowd. We did not approach any of them, but it was just one heck of an experience to people watch in this atmosphere.

Also, at other times walking the hotel area think I might have seen Raf (Wagner's coach) a couple of times but didn't approach as I wasn't 100% sure whether it was him or not. Also, someone that reminded me a lot of Gracie Gold's sister Carly Gold? Again, wasn't sure so didn't approach. Copley Place Mall, saw a few young people wearing credentials walking around on many occasions, think they might have been skaters too. No one I recognized/really cared about, though. Lastly, this morning, saw the Shibs again with suitcases heading out of the hotel as I was heading to catch my train back home. A couple of folks approached them but I hung back because they seemed like they were in a hurry.

_____________

Now, would I do this again? I don't know, it was a major financial and time commitment. I would not travel overseas or even across the country to see an event, even after this experience. However, if a major event came back to Boston (or better yet, NYC or Washington, DC...come on!!) it would at least be on my radar.

What I DO know is that this trip was worth all the effort and also worth EVERY PENNY.

 

[LKR]

Recently did a blog about my experience attending Worlds on the final day of competition. This is about the ladies FS practice the morning of the long program and it includes video I shot of the some of the jumping passes. I almost have part 2 finished (pairs LP review) done so I will try to have that up tomorrow. Part 3 will be a review of ladies FS. Haven't blogged about skating in so long; it was so nice to write again!

https://gymntalk.wordpress.com/2016/04/12/my-worlds2016-part-i/

 

[chloepoco]

Recently did a blog about my experience attending Worlds on the final day of competition. This is about the ladies FS practice the morning of the long program and it includes video I shot of the some of the jumping passes. I almost have part 2 finished (pairs LP review) done so I will try to have that up tomorrow. Part 3 will be a review of ladies FS. Haven't blogged about skating in so long; it was so nice to write again!

https://gymntalk.wordpress.com/2016/04/12/my-worlds2016-part-i/

Really enjoyed your blog! Thank you! :thumbsup: