I thought it would be fun to go back through the years and rewatch these amazing programs, when they could be found. So here are the Men's award winning programs.
Which of these programs did you love and remember?
Which choice made no sense to you?
I would love to know!
The PSA awatds are interesting awards since they are awarded for the best program at US Nationals. Quite often, the winner was not the winner of the event. One year, a junior skater even won! They have been awarded every year since 1999.
Here are the formal criteria:
https://skatepsa.com/best-performance-awards
They were recently announced for this season on Facebook.
https://www.facebook.com/135977363114767/posts/2885778941467915/?substory_index=0
2020 - Jason Brown – Championship Men’s Short Program
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=naEncCHKeLc
PSA Coaches – Tracy Wilson, Karen Preston
Choreographer – Rohene Ward
Music Selection – “I Can’t Go On Without You” by Kaleo
Costume Designer – Elena Pollack
The step sequence is just everything, followed by the 3Lz3T where not one, but both jumps land on the beat
2019 Nathan Chen – Championship Men Free Skate Program
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4q9GFtiSrYc
PSA Coach – Rafael Arutunian
Support Coaches – Nadia Kanaeva, Vera Arutunian
Choreographer – Marie-France Dubreuil
Music Selection – “Land of All” by Woodkid
Costume Designer – Vera Wang
My favorite Nathan Chen performance ever. I even like the costume.
2018 - Ross Miner – Championship Men Free Skate Program
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOUm0_BdJ7U
PSA Coaches – Mark Mitchell, Peter Johansson
Choreographer – Jamie Isley
Music Selection – Queen
Costume Designer – Alicia Jackson
It still hurts that Ross did not get to go to the Olympics based on this performance and an almost equally as good a performance in the SP. At least the PSA gave Ross credit for this great program!
2017 - Nathan Chen – Championship Men Free Skate Program
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0W5XCWvYBA
PSA Coach – Rafael Arutyunyan
Choreographer – Nadezda Kanaeva
Music Selection – “The Polovtsian Dances” by Aleksandr Borodin
Costume Designers – Ladu Designs– Elena Pollack and Jamie Dollhopf
It is nice to see Nathan in the top notch costume this music demands! He skated brilliantly, too.
2016 - Nathan Chen – Championship Free Skate
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ToSaEPNJLM0
PSA Coaches – Rafael Arutyunyan, Vera Arutyunyan, Nadezda Kanaeva
Choreographer – Nikolai Morozov
Music selection – "Symphony No.3" by Camille Saint–Saens
Costume designer – Elena Pollack
I would maybe have give the EDI to Grant Hochstein this year. He did a very good Les Miserables to pull up to finish fourth. Unfortunately NBC lost a chunk of the video, but the stream comes back later. Nathan had an outstanding skate, but not much choreo. He finished third here. Adam won, Max was second.
https://youtu.be/sv6Uu0JC6J4
2015 - Adam Rippon – Championship Free Skate
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgQdnYpdBcE
PSA Coaches – Rafael Arutyunyan, Vera Arutyunyan, Denys Petrov
Choreographer – Tom Dickson
Music selection – Piano concerto No. 1 by Franz List
Costume designer – Braden Overett
I wish there were not so many butt eagles in this program, but the "use of the power of stillness" is excellent. Adam pulled up from fifth place to win the silver based on this performance.
I presume this SP by Jason won second most votes. Not everyone loves "Juke' but I do.
https://youtu.be/LeVixnx5D5E
2014 - Jason Brown – Championship Free Skating Program
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vib4fl8N9jY
Coach – Kori Ade
Choreographer – Rohene Ward
Music – “Reel Around the Sun” from River Dance by Bill Whelan
Costume Design – Rohene Ward
I was there in Boston. I will never forget this performance, and the audience standing before it was finished.
2013 - Max Aaron – Championship Men’s Free Skate
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBCCjgMG9LI
Coach – Tom Zakrajsek
Choreographer – Pasquale Camerlengo
Music – “West Side Story” by Leonard Bernstein
2012 - Jeremy Abbott – Championship Men’s Free Skate
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHbADOamI3s
Coach – Yuka Sato, Jason Dungjen
Choreographer – Yuka Sato, Jeremy Abbott, Roberto Campanella, Buddy & Benji Schwimmer
Music – “Exogenesis Symphony Part 3”
Jeremy skated very well and deservedly won the event, but I found this program choreographically lacking, especially because the music is all at one level, no "light and shade" as the British Eurosport guys used to say. OTOH it was not a great season for memorable US men's choreography, other than maybe Keegan Messing's Robin Hood SP. He skated it perfectly at US Nationals, but there is no video up any more. The steps were one of the best representations of a fight and flight scene ever. Plus great spins. He was just up from Juniors at the time. Here it is from Liberty at the beginning of the season. Picture it with the jumps landed.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2YYESMS6Gc
2011 - Ryan Bradley – Short Program
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_-FiufTjd8
Coach – Tom Zakrajsek
Choreographer – Tom Dickson, Catarina Lindgren
Music – “Dark Eyes” performed by Nika Leoni and Sergei Trofanov?
Ryan skated to an instrumental version of "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" in 2011. Dark Eyes was his SP music in 2010, but apparently his bio did not get updated correctly.
Even the TV had it wrong, but you would think the PSA would have corrected it .
2010 - Jeremy Abbott – Short Program
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jljuph8ISAQ
Coaches – Yuka Sato, Jason Dungjen
Choreographer – Tom Dickson
Music – The Beatles’ “A Day in the Life” performed by Jeff Beck
Dickson was not the original choreographer for this piece. It was Shae-Lynn Bourne, as the TV commentators say. The step sequence has that ice dancer's touch and is wonderful. This is my favorite Jeremy Abbott program ever. I just love it.
2009 - Brandon Mroz – Short Program
4cc version
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdM4old6JqE
Coach – Tom Zakrajsek
Choreographer – Lori Nichol and Tom Dickson
Music – “Till Eulenspiegel’s Merry Pranks”
A unique choice of music for this one, in a not great year for US men's choreo.
2008 - Adam Rippon – Junior Long Program
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NhRaAPv-e4
Coaches – Yelena Sergeeva
Choreographer – Yelena Sergeeva
Music – “Moonlight Sonata” by Beethoven
A junior won the EDI! Adam won junior Worlds with this program.
2007 - Evan Lysacek – Long Program
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wI9JR3UWlSY
Coaches – Frank Carroll, Ken Congemi
Choreographer – Lori Nichol
Music – “Carmen Suite” by Bizet and “Carmen” by Rodion Shedrin
Yes, it's Carmen. But he did a great job with it. Still. Carmen? For the EDI?
More fun was Ryan Bradley's SP as a hapless clown at a kid's birthday party, skated to "The Happy Birthday Variations." Ryan finished second to Lysacek at US Nationals.
His Skate America performance of his SP still exists:
https://youtu.be/cw98myVGjNU
2006 - Matt Savoie – Long Program
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4hJx65KiuDc
Coaches – Linda Branon, Gene Heffron
Choreographer – Tom Dickson
Music – “Journey of Man,” “The Mission,” “Once Upon a Time in America”
This is a great and interesting program. Matt got too little credit for his transitions. He was third at US Nationals in this season.
But Johnny Weir had his "The Swan" SP this season...I could go either way.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lnWNgXkKgw
His Olympic performance of it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3frkW4f7ok
2005 - Performance– Jordan Wilson
No video available
Coaches – Russ Scott
Choreographer – Russ Scott
Music – "Phantom of the Opera"
I have no idea what this program looked like. Jordan was 12th at this competition. There are no youtube videos of him. I would love to know!
Here is a photo of Jordan in 2006.
https://images.app.goo.gl/rszMntSLLsaSvRDK6
2004 - Ryan Jahnke – Long Program
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbzfIXTm0Mw
Coaches – Diana Ronayne, Hoon Kim
Choreographer – Tom Dickson
Music – “Danse Brazil”
I liked Johnny Weir's SP to "Valse Triste" better, but as he had won the EDI the last year, perhaps they wanted someone else to win.
https://youtu.be/k2x9RfuxLsQ
2003 - Johnny Weir – Short Program
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7jLgPIv4pI
Coach – Priscilla Hill
Choreographer – Michelle Poley
Music – “Innocence & Zydeko” from Quidam
Johnny was second in the SP but WD from the LP due to injury.
2002 - Matt Savoie - Short Program
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wr39_MaZ6v4
Coaches – Linda Branon, Gene Heffron
Choreographer – Tom Dickson
Music – “Reveil” by Cirque du Soleil
Matt is always a good choice.
2001 - Michael Weiss
Four Continents version
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmIyPZm-r1w
Coaches – Audrey Weisiger
Choreographer – Lisa Weiss, Matthew Gates
Music – “William Tell Overture”
2000 - Michael Weiss – Long Program
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykHutVwFSMQ
Coaches – Audrey Weisiger
Choreographer – Brian Wright, Lisa Thornton–Weiss
Music – “Carmen”
1999 - Trifun Zivanovic - Long Program
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHR876GEwr8
Coaches – Gary Visconti
Choreographer – Scott Williams
Music – “West Side Story”
from k9henrydog, why we should be interested in this program:
Which of these programs did you love and remember?
Which choice made no sense to you?
I would love to know!
The PSA awatds are interesting awards since they are awarded for the best program at US Nationals. Quite often, the winner was not the winner of the event. One year, a junior skater even won! They have been awarded every year since 1999.
Here are the formal criteria:
https://skatepsa.com/best-performance-awards
One winner is chosen from each category in men’s, ladies, pairs, dance, and synchronized skating. Selection will be based on performance, not placement and will not necessarily reflect the best technical skater. Elements considered include artistry, charisma/appeal, balance, originality, drama/emotion, music, costuming, humor, showmanship, quality, theme, and technical ability. Votes are tabulated by the executive director’s office and determined by a majority vote.
They were recently announced for this season on Facebook.
https://www.facebook.com/135977363114767/posts/2885778941467915/?substory_index=0
2020 - Jason Brown – Championship Men’s Short Program
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=naEncCHKeLc
PSA Coaches – Tracy Wilson, Karen Preston
Choreographer – Rohene Ward
Music Selection – “I Can’t Go On Without You” by Kaleo
Costume Designer – Elena Pollack
The step sequence is just everything, followed by the 3Lz3T where not one, but both jumps land on the beat
2019 Nathan Chen – Championship Men Free Skate Program
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4q9GFtiSrYc
PSA Coach – Rafael Arutunian
Support Coaches – Nadia Kanaeva, Vera Arutunian
Choreographer – Marie-France Dubreuil
Music Selection – “Land of All” by Woodkid
Costume Designer – Vera Wang
My favorite Nathan Chen performance ever. I even like the costume.
2018 - Ross Miner – Championship Men Free Skate Program
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOUm0_BdJ7U
PSA Coaches – Mark Mitchell, Peter Johansson
Choreographer – Jamie Isley
Music Selection – Queen
Costume Designer – Alicia Jackson
It still hurts that Ross did not get to go to the Olympics based on this performance and an almost equally as good a performance in the SP. At least the PSA gave Ross credit for this great program!
2017 - Nathan Chen – Championship Men Free Skate Program
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0W5XCWvYBA
PSA Coach – Rafael Arutyunyan
Choreographer – Nadezda Kanaeva
Music Selection – “The Polovtsian Dances” by Aleksandr Borodin
Costume Designers – Ladu Designs– Elena Pollack and Jamie Dollhopf
It is nice to see Nathan in the top notch costume this music demands! He skated brilliantly, too.
2016 - Nathan Chen – Championship Free Skate
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ToSaEPNJLM0
PSA Coaches – Rafael Arutyunyan, Vera Arutyunyan, Nadezda Kanaeva
Choreographer – Nikolai Morozov
Music selection – "Symphony No.3" by Camille Saint–Saens
Costume designer – Elena Pollack
I would maybe have give the EDI to Grant Hochstein this year. He did a very good Les Miserables to pull up to finish fourth. Unfortunately NBC lost a chunk of the video, but the stream comes back later. Nathan had an outstanding skate, but not much choreo. He finished third here. Adam won, Max was second.
https://youtu.be/sv6Uu0JC6J4
2015 - Adam Rippon – Championship Free Skate
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgQdnYpdBcE
PSA Coaches – Rafael Arutyunyan, Vera Arutyunyan, Denys Petrov
Choreographer – Tom Dickson
Music selection – Piano concerto No. 1 by Franz List
Costume designer – Braden Overett
I wish there were not so many butt eagles in this program, but the "use of the power of stillness" is excellent. Adam pulled up from fifth place to win the silver based on this performance.
I presume this SP by Jason won second most votes. Not everyone loves "Juke' but I do.
https://youtu.be/LeVixnx5D5E
2014 - Jason Brown – Championship Free Skating Program
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vib4fl8N9jY
Coach – Kori Ade
Choreographer – Rohene Ward
Music – “Reel Around the Sun” from River Dance by Bill Whelan
Costume Design – Rohene Ward
I was there in Boston. I will never forget this performance, and the audience standing before it was finished.
2013 - Max Aaron – Championship Men’s Free Skate
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBCCjgMG9LI
Coach – Tom Zakrajsek
Choreographer – Pasquale Camerlengo
Music – “West Side Story” by Leonard Bernstein
It may surprise you all that Max won an EDI, but he did for this program. He deserved it, too.
2012 - Jeremy Abbott – Championship Men’s Free Skate
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHbADOamI3s
Coach – Yuka Sato, Jason Dungjen
Choreographer – Yuka Sato, Jeremy Abbott, Roberto Campanella, Buddy & Benji Schwimmer
Music – “Exogenesis Symphony Part 3”
Jeremy skated very well and deservedly won the event, but I found this program choreographically lacking, especially because the music is all at one level, no "light and shade" as the British Eurosport guys used to say. OTOH it was not a great season for memorable US men's choreography, other than maybe Keegan Messing's Robin Hood SP. He skated it perfectly at US Nationals, but there is no video up any more. The steps were one of the best representations of a fight and flight scene ever. Plus great spins. He was just up from Juniors at the time. Here it is from Liberty at the beginning of the season. Picture it with the jumps landed.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2YYESMS6Gc
2011 - Ryan Bradley – Short Program
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_-FiufTjd8
Coach – Tom Zakrajsek
Choreographer – Tom Dickson, Catarina Lindgren
Music – “Dark Eyes” performed by Nika Leoni and Sergei Trofanov?
Ryan skated to an instrumental version of "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" in 2011. Dark Eyes was his SP music in 2010, but apparently his bio did not get updated correctly.
Even the TV had it wrong, but you would think the PSA would have corrected it .
2010 - Jeremy Abbott – Short Program
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jljuph8ISAQ
Coaches – Yuka Sato, Jason Dungjen
Choreographer – Tom Dickson
Music – The Beatles’ “A Day in the Life” performed by Jeff Beck
Dickson was not the original choreographer for this piece. It was Shae-Lynn Bourne, as the TV commentators say. The step sequence has that ice dancer's touch and is wonderful. This is my favorite Jeremy Abbott program ever. I just love it.
2009 - Brandon Mroz – Short Program
4cc version
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdM4old6JqE
Coach – Tom Zakrajsek
Choreographer – Lori Nichol and Tom Dickson
Music – “Till Eulenspiegel’s Merry Pranks”
A unique choice of music for this one, in a not great year for US men's choreo.
2008 - Adam Rippon – Junior Long Program
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NhRaAPv-e4
Coaches – Yelena Sergeeva
Choreographer – Yelena Sergeeva
Music – “Moonlight Sonata” by Beethoven
A junior won the EDI! Adam won junior Worlds with this program.
2007 - Evan Lysacek – Long Program
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wI9JR3UWlSY
Coaches – Frank Carroll, Ken Congemi
Choreographer – Lori Nichol
Music – “Carmen Suite” by Bizet and “Carmen” by Rodion Shedrin
Yes, it's Carmen. But he did a great job with it. Still. Carmen? For the EDI?
More fun was Ryan Bradley's SP as a hapless clown at a kid's birthday party, skated to "The Happy Birthday Variations." Ryan finished second to Lysacek at US Nationals.
His Skate America performance of his SP still exists:
https://youtu.be/cw98myVGjNU
2006 - Matt Savoie – Long Program
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4hJx65KiuDc
Coaches – Linda Branon, Gene Heffron
Choreographer – Tom Dickson
Music – “Journey of Man,” “The Mission,” “Once Upon a Time in America”
This is a great and interesting program. Matt got too little credit for his transitions. He was third at US Nationals in this season.
But Johnny Weir had his "The Swan" SP this season...I could go either way.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lnWNgXkKgw
His Olympic performance of it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3frkW4f7ok
2005 - Performance– Jordan Wilson
No video available
Coaches – Russ Scott
Choreographer – Russ Scott
Music – "Phantom of the Opera"
I have no idea what this program looked like. Jordan was 12th at this competition. There are no youtube videos of him. I would love to know!
Here is a photo of Jordan in 2006.
https://images.app.goo.gl/rszMntSLLsaSvRDK6
2004 - Ryan Jahnke – Long Program
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbzfIXTm0Mw
Coaches – Diana Ronayne, Hoon Kim
Choreographer – Tom Dickson
Music – “Danse Brazil”
I liked Johnny Weir's SP to "Valse Triste" better, but as he had won the EDI the last year, perhaps they wanted someone else to win.
https://youtu.be/k2x9RfuxLsQ
2003 - Johnny Weir – Short Program
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7jLgPIv4pI
Coach – Priscilla Hill
Choreographer – Michelle Poley
Music – “Innocence & Zydeko” from Quidam
Johnny was second in the SP but WD from the LP due to injury.
2002 - Matt Savoie - Short Program
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wr39_MaZ6v4
Coaches – Linda Branon, Gene Heffron
Choreographer – Tom Dickson
Music – “Reveil” by Cirque du Soleil
Matt is always a good choice.
2001 - Michael Weiss
Four Continents version
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmIyPZm-r1w
Coaches – Audrey Weisiger
Choreographer – Lisa Weiss, Matthew Gates
Music – “William Tell Overture”
2000 - Michael Weiss – Long Program
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykHutVwFSMQ
Coaches – Audrey Weisiger
Choreographer – Brian Wright, Lisa Thornton–Weiss
Music – “Carmen”
1999 - Trifun Zivanovic - Long Program
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHR876GEwr8
Coaches – Gary Visconti
Choreographer – Scott Williams
Music – “West Side Story”
from k9henrydog, why we should be interested in this program:
Ordinarily, when I hear "West Side Story" at a skating event, I roll my eyes, and dig out reading material from my support bag. But, with an exotic sounding name like Trifon Zivanovic, I thought I should invest a few minutes of my time.....and I am sure glad I did.
Trifon focused on the character of George, the most emotional and troubled member of the Sharks, and the resulting portrayal was quite interesting and fascinating. The program contained lots of varied connecting moves, and he really seemed to listen to the music. The crowd was quite captivated, and audiences would continue to be so for Trifon throughout his career. Injuries hurt his chances at a 2002 Olympic bid, and he faded from competitive view in the US.
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