On the scene with Anna Kondakova

[gsk8]

Enjoy the articles!

 

[CoyoteChris]

Thanks! But I have a question...are the stands as empty as they look on the computer? I watched Caydee and John and some sections looked 3/4 empty. I had to about kill someone to get row 15 at Worlds London 2013 13 months out.....

 

[Olympia]

Thanks so much for the reports! They give so much detail.

I look forward to seeing the reports on ladies' and men's singles short programs...if I can get my heart out of my mouth. I'm so nervous I might as well be one of the skaters myself!

 

[Anna]

The venue is indeed quite empty so far. Today for the Ladies SP the attendance is up, but even so it is still at best half full. The stands at both short sides of the rink are nearly empty, especially their upper bowls, but it might be due to the fact that security seem to be rather lax here and people are moving around a lot.

There are however a lot of Canadian fans and they are very loud. The response Weaver/Poje got yesterday for their short dance was at least as loud as the one for Pechalat/Bourzat. Lot of Canadian flags too. Virtue/Moir got a partial standing ovation.

 

[CoyoteChris]

Thanks! Also, there seems to be a very tall picketed railing that appears to be obstructing the view of at least three lower rows of seats???? Am I seeing this correctly? Are those VIP boxes next to the ice?

 

[Anna]

Yeah, there is a railing in front on the seats along the short sides of the rink and an equally tall plexiglas wall with rather thick metal frame in front of the seats on the long sides. I'd say it obstruct the view for the first two rows. Funny thing is that they are now putting an IKEA-like cushions on the front row seats. Since these are the only seats on which they put those cushions, I assume they got a lot of complains from ticket holders and are now trying to rectify the situation (personally, I doubt it helps, the cushions are at best a couple of inches thick).

And there are VIP boxes next to the ice. Mostly for skating VIPs (Marina Anissina has been following several events, as did Surya Bonaly and, ocassionally, Gwendal Peizerat, Isabelle Delobel and Olivier Schoenfelder attended ice dancing finals yesterday), but we had some real life VIPs as well. On Tuesday Prince Albert of Monaco attended the Men Qualifying Round to watch Kim Lucine compete. The Prince turned out to be either a better skating fan or simple a more polite person than Ottavio Cinquanta, for he stayed for the rest of the event, while the ISU President never returned from whenever they both went to during a warm up

A pity no one though to bring him today (I guess whoever was planning his visit was worried that Lucine would not qualify), the SP was much more interesting event and Lucine did a pretty good job.

 

[CoyoteChris]

Thanks again! Interesting arena setup.... I got a great screen shot of a guy beating a huge drum for the German pair....the people in front of him are holding their ears.....did he bring that drum every day?
Many events I go to the skating folk with credentials have to sit in back or in their own section.....but then tend to ignore the rules...at SkateAmerica Ontario, I had a front row seat but I also had on my USFSA credentials...
an usher tried to make me sit in the last five rows....till I showed her my ticket....we both laughed....hope you are enjoying all that good French food......

 

[La Rhumba]

Thanks! But I have a question...are the stands as empty as they look on the computer? I watched Caydee and John and some sections looked 3/4 empty. I had to about kill someone to get row 15 at Worlds London 2013 13 months out.....

OMG!!!!! LOL! You nearly gave me a heart attack!
I was thinking 'how have I missed the news that Worlds are being held in London next year? Have I still got time to buy tickets?????'

So I googled..........London, Ontario, Canada.......:disapp:

 

[CoyoteChris]

Sorry, all you get are the summer olympics.....