This and That: 2015 Skate Canada Recap

[Sugarpova]

Candidly I'm not the biggest fan of this and that, but I do love and deeply appreciate your interviews, so thank you very much for those.

describes my feelings towards TSL 100% my friend

really informative :clapper: thanks D&J.

Best Dressed - Weaver & Poje
Moment of the week - Liza & Yuzu rizing in FS! (hahah the critisisms & hate I read over & over here for them make me even a bigger fan!!:taunt
oh the Shibs :sad46: I cant even answer the humorous Q b/c I really want them to win

 

[TSLDave]

describes my feelings towards TSL 100% my friend

really informative :clapper: thanks D&J.

Best Dressed - Weaver & Poje
Moment of the week - Liza & Yuzu rizing in FS! (hahah the critisisms & hate I read over & over here for them make me even a bigger fan!!:taunt
oh the Shibs :sad46: I cant even answer the humorous Q b/c I really want them to win

Well, you may get your wish regarding interviews. Our interview with Adam Rippon is hopefully going up tomorrow night. If not, it will be posted tomorrow morning. Jenny was trying to upload it from the hair salon, but the internet was too slow. Rest assured, she was getting her roots done. Adam was one of our best, if not the best, interviews we did on the road. We also have a great one with Rafael coming up soon. And, we are filming one over Skype in about an hour.

 

[TheGrandSophy]

Well, you may get your wish regarding interviews. Our interview with Adam Rippon is hopefully going up tomorrow night. If not, it will be posted tomorrow morning. Jenny was trying to upload it from the hair salon, but the internet was too slow. Rest assured, she was getting her roots done. Adam was one of our best, if not the best, interviews we did on the road. We also have a great one with Rafael coming up soon. And, we are filming one over Skype in about an hour.

Ooh, that's great. What have been your top three interviews in your opinion?

 

[TSLDave]

Ooh, that's great. What have been your top three interviews in your opinion?

That's tough to say. Frank Carroll, Ashley Wagner and Kori Ade come to mind, but I am sure I am leaving many out. I thought Gracie Gold gave a great interview when we were in LA. Alexa and Chris were fantastic. Todd, Elvis and Shae Lynn were great last season. Tamara Moskvina and Sandra Bezic were very interesting.

I also interviewed a number of people for print projects or my old blog. I would say that Kathy Johnson Clarke, Vanessa Atler, Jamie Dantzscher, Tara Lipinski, Dominique Moceanu and Stella Umeh stand out. I also interviewed Chloe's mom from Dance Moms during the first season because the moms used to read my recaps and retweet them.

 

[KittenJames]

Hey Dave!

Nice to see the tie in between TSL and GS. Last year you seemed to love Stolbova, this year it appears your opinion has changed. Any chance of you guys eventually getting an interview with S/K or any of your Russian "daughters"?

 

[Ianthe]

Hey, Dave (and Jenny).

Nice to see you on the forums. You two bear the responsibility for the 100% uptick in my usage of the word “portend.”

Will TSL’s level of activity be affected by Jenny going to law school? (I know you’re going to grad school as well—kudos to the both of you!)

Even if you can’t get Emily Tuttle on screen, I hope she’ll be able to write a blog post. This ice dancing amateur really enjoyed her insights.

You mentioned on your FB page that there is a possibility of discussing Debbi Thomas in an upcoming episode. I hope you do, particularly since you've mentioned that you cut out *a lot* of footage during your interview with her.

 

[NorthernDancers]

Glad to be here. I had to chuckle over Patrick. Lee Chandler is always telling me that all of Canada's edges can be credited to Ann from Nexxice and her Annie's Edges seminars.

I think the secret to Chan's great skating is not really a secret - it's Mr. Colson, who wouldn't let Patrick learn to jump until he had mastered skating skills, edges, and "gasp" figures. He was an old school coach, who made sure his protige wasn't just going to be a jumping bean. It's a lesson to today's generation of coaches and skaters...there's a time for learning jumps, and in COP it's easy to focus on training the big tricks. But to be a transcendent skater first start with the basics of skating, and perhaps even figures and skills and moves in the field (whatever it's called in different countries), and once those are thoroughly mastered, then learn the tricks. Patrick doesn't really have competition in the skating skills and basics department because the skating powers threw out figures, so much of the emphasis that was put on the basics went away as well. So we see lots of jumping beans, and not enough PCS.

 

[OS]

Well, you may get your wish regarding interviews. Our interview with Adam Rippon is hopefully going up tomorrow night. If not, it will be posted tomorrow morning. Jenny was trying to upload it from the hair salon, but the internet was too slow. Rest assured, she was getting her roots done. Adam was one of our best, if not the best, interviews we did on the road. We also have a great one with Rafael coming up soon. And, we are filming one over Skype in about an hour.

Hey Dave, love the interviews sessions. It is one of the best things you guys did for fans everywhere...very much appreciated. We learn something fun, something new, get educated in the process on how things came to be.

Have you guys ever thought of creating a series to revisit some of the greatest skating programs/performances/moments in the history of this sport? May be invite some skaters/choreographers/coaches/skating mums past or present to talk through them? Doesn't matter if they are involved directly or indirectly, or even they are just admirers. It may be interesting to know how these programs been conceived, the creative process behind them, challenges met, risk took to eventually became such unforgettable programs (doesn't have to competition winners).

ie/ HEAVY HINT: Get Kwan on skype with Nicols finally?
(if one is to go on a crusade... might as well go after the Holy grail if you know what I mean? :yes

Who knows... it may inspire new interests from upcoming young skaters everywhere to REALLY think about the type of program they want to create and 'make a big impression' in the short span of time they have in the sport, to take more ownership of their work. It will certainly help new generation of fans to appreciate the artistic side of the sport more, beyond the technical side of things. Hopefully result in more variety of programs, something a bit more creative, original, unique and unforgettable instead doing one more Carmen, Swanlake, typical European warhorse because they are TOLD it is the right thing to do? When program standard get better, diverse, gather good receptions, attract anticipation, it can popularize and revitalise the sport. Who knows.. may be the judges can eventually be persuaded to reward these artistic qualities properly if they are being provided with better options.

PS Adam's hair reminded me of Emeli Sande. I think he'd able to skate a wonderful sincere version of Clown.

 

[TSLDave]

Hey, Dave (and Jenny).

Nice to see you on the forums. You two bear the responsibility for the 100% uptick in my usage of the word “portend.”

Will TSL’s level of activity be affected by Jenny going to law school? (I know you’re going to law school as well—kudos to the both of you!)

Even if you can’t get Emily Tuttle on screen, I hope she’ll be able to write a blog post. This ice dancing amateur really enjoyed her insights.

You mentioned on your FB page that there is a possibility of discussing Debbi Thomas in an upcoming episode. I hope you do, particularly since you've mentioned that you cut out *a lot* of footage during your interview with her.

Hi Ian, I'm not in law school. I'm actually doing my MBA part time. I work at a company that pays for my tuition 100% as long as I get As. I take 1-2 courses per quarter.

As for next year, I think if we achieve our goals, it may or may not be put off further. There is a lot in the works. Our website is being redone and you will soon be able to Shop TSL with everything related to skating and the athletic lifestyle.

We may touch on Debi's episode of Iyanla Fix My Life. We will certainly be watching the episode and rooting for her. There is a snipped of the cut footage during a Behind The Scenes video on our youtube channel that was created during the first year of the show. It was an interview I will never forget.

I applaud your usage of the word portend.

 

[TSLDave]

Hey Dave, love the interviews sessions. It is one of the best things you guys did for fans everywhere...very much appreciated. We learn something fun, something new, get educated in the process on how things came to be.

Have you guys ever thought of creating a series to revisit some of the greatest skating programs/performances/moments in the history of this sport? May be invite some skaters/choreographers/coaches/skating mums past or present to talk through them? Doesn't matter if they are involved directly or indirectly, or even they are just admirers. It may be interesting to know how these programs been conceived, the creative process behind them, challenges met, risk took to eventually became such unforgettable programs (doesn't have to competition winners).

ie/ HEAVY HINT: Get Kwan on skype with Nicols finally?
(if one is to go on a crusade... might as well go after the Holy grail if you know what I mean? :yes

Who knows... it may inspire new interests from upcoming young skaters everywhere to REALLY think about the type of program they want to create and 'make a big impression' in the short span of time they have in the sport, to take more ownership of their work. It will certainly help new generation of fans to appreciate the artistic side of the sport more, beyond the technical side of things. Hopefully result in more variety of programs, something a bit more creative, original, unique and unforgettable instead doing one more Carmen, Swanlake, typical European warhorse because they are TOLD it is the right thing to do? When program standard get better, diverse, gather good receptions, attract anticipation, it can popularize and revitalise the sport. Who knows.. may be the judges can eventually be persuaded to reward these artistic qualities properly if they are being provided with better options.

PS Adam's hair reminded me of Emeli Sande. I think he'd able to skate a wonderful sincere version of Clown.

I love your idea about revisiting classic programs. That is one of the reasons we started judging old competitions. I have also thought about doing some sort of TSL's Favorite Things episode for the holidays. (Plus, I really love Oprah.)

We are still going forward with the Michelle Kwan interview. We want to make it extra special and Jenny has plans to come out to film it in person.

 

[TSLDave]

Hey Dave!

Nice to see the tie in between TSL and GS. Last year you seemed to love Stolbova, this year it appears your opinion has changed. Any chance of you guys eventually getting an interview with S/K or any of your Russian "daughters"?

I still enjoy Stolbova, icy or not. She is a great skater when she was on. Unfortunately, she wasn't on at Skate America and didn't do much during the practice session. I haven't suddenly changed my opinion of her. I reported on what I saw. I'm always open to interviewing anyone with an interesting personality.

 

[TSLDave]

As promised, Our Conversation with Adam Rippon
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSosT_CW_8c

 

[KittenJames]

I still enjoy Stolbova, icy or not. She is a great skater when she was on. Unfortunately, she wasn't on at Skate America and didn't do much during the practice session. I haven't suddenly changed my opinion of her. I reported on what I saw. I'm always open to interviewing anyone with an interesting personality.

Thanks for clarifying. I may have misunderstood or read too much into some of the comments that were made during one of your videos. I actually thought she seemed a teeny bit more relaxed (at least towards Fedor!) after both skates. That was my first time seeing them skate live so I don't have much to compare it to, other than what I've seen on TV and YouTube.
I do enjoy the commentary and insight from you both. Also all the behind the scenes tidbits. Thanks for posting in addition to all the other stuff TSL does!!

 

[skateluvr]

Hey Dave I loved Aunt Joyce website. Why did that end? To start TSL? I enjoy the interviews and would like to know the real issues if you know the facts re Debi Thomas. I feel for her.

I loved Ashley's sp. best dressed was -Ashley. Chan over everyone but also am thrilled to see Max Aaron do so well. I like his style too.

Best surprising moment was the balletic Polina looking like. A woman in the Sp. I nearly did not recognize her. Lp dress etc was unfortunate. But Sp was a very nice program and packaging improvement.

Glad you and Jenny will be posting. Keep up the great work. Two lawyers? Oh no please never be pc correct!just kidding.

 

[yuzushenko]

I don't really find Polina balletic to be honest. She doesn't round her elbows at all [insert Gracie's elbow slimming exercise joke on twitter here]. In ballet you don't want to look disjointed by pointing out your elbows and dropping your wrists. You want to keep a line or curve. I don't know, I still think she looks awkward on the ice. Honestly so much of it is the packaging.

 

[karne]

Hey Dave.

Are there any plans to talk a bit about adult skating? I am one too and it's harder than a lot of people would think!

I admit openly that I go hot and cold on TSL - I enjoy the recaps a lot of the time, I especially enjoyed your TSL on the Road during the off-season, but sometimes I feel like you could be a bit heavy-handed with some skaters.

How do you decide when to switch back onto a skater's bandwagon, or when to sink the boot in?

Also, I look forward to you being totally unable to avoid talking about Team Australia in your Four Continents recap


And also, I suck at your Fantasy Skating...

 

[tulosai]

As promised, Our Conversation with Adam Rippon
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSosT_CW_8c

Hi again Dave. Just as a suggestion you might want to post this as its own thread? I think it might get more comments and views that way

 

[TSLDave]

Hey Dave.

Are there any plans to talk a bit about adult skating? I am one too and it's harder than a lot of people would think!

I admit openly that I go hot and cold on TSL - I enjoy the recaps a lot of the time, I especially enjoyed your TSL on the Road during the off-season, but sometimes I feel like you could be a bit heavy-handed with some skaters.

How do you decide when to switch back onto a skater's bandwagon, or when to sink the boot in?

Also, I look forward to you being totally unable to avoid talking about Team Australia in your Four Continents recap


And also, I suck at your Fantasy Skating...

We will definitely talk about Adult Skating at some point. I went skating on Monday for the first time in nine months and will be going later this week. I have a number of friends in the Adult Skating community. It is all about finding the right person to come on and share their story. I do have some ideas.

I hope we talk about Team Australia as well. Unfortunately, we can't talk about everyone per episode. We have to make editorial calls for time reasons. We try to strike a balance with the optimal time lengths.

I don't know if we truly are on bandwagons. If you watch our shows from week to week, we point out the strengths and weaknesses of every skater when they are relevant to what is being discussed and/or what happened on the ice. Even though we jokingly referred to Tuktamysheva and Radionova as our daughters, I debated with Phil Hersh about their inflated components last season. I did think Tuktamysheva was stronger than Radionova last season. Calling her "my daughter" or "my girl" was for entertainment value. She is not my favorite skater of all time, but she was strong and performed with a spark and fire last season that we have not seen this season. Her long at Skate Canada was impressive, though I still didn't see that same look in her eyes that we had grown accustomed to last season. Last season I did talk about thinking Joshua Farris is a beautiful skater, though I also pointed out he has issues with consistency with his training and his performance in competition. Jason Brown is a brilliant performer. He also has issues with his second triple axel and the speed into it. Sometimes, we like programs one year and don't the next. I thought Duhamel and Radford were clearly in a bad head space during the Olympic season and I didn't care for their long program. They didn't like it that I said they at the time, though they later admitted exactly that during our TSL on the Road piece. Gracie admitted she couldn't relate to last year's music during our TSL on the Road piece. Adam admitted he didn't have any steps into the quad lutz. There are a lot of things that fans of skaters don't necessarily want to hear, but we do shoot from the hip.

 

[TSLDave]

Hey Dave I loved Aunt Joyce website. Why did that end? To start TSL? I enjoy the interviews and would like to know the real issues if you know the facts re Debi Thomas. I feel for her.

I loved Ashley's sp. best dressed was -Ashley. Chan over everyone but also am thrilled to see Max Aaron do so well. I like his style too.

Best surprising moment was the balletic Polina looking like. A woman in the Sp. I nearly did not recognize her. Lp dress etc was unfortunate. But Sp was a very nice program and packaging improvement.

Glad you and Jenny will be posting. Keep up the great work. Two lawyers? Oh no please never be pc correct!just kidding.

I stopped Aunt Joyce because I was starting a new job and felt that I had done everything I could do creatively with that medium. I enjoy creating and growing. It felt stunted.

Luckily I'm not going to law school. I'm doing my MBA in Marketing.

 

[Sugarpova]

thnx a lot for the Adam interview!
His hair is fab in any colour
Cant wait for the one with Rafa (tho I find his views on US vs Rus training sometime to be way outdated) Hopefully u asked him about working with Maria S.
I find her SP quite exceptional. the best one this year along with Adelina's SP.

Do you plan commenting on juniours btw?