Wakaba Higuchi

[JuliaHols]

Wakaba won the Tokyo summer skate easily with 181.38, with a free skate of 120.49. Her layout was : 3Lz3T, 3Lo (singled it), 3S (doubled it), 2A, 3Lz3T, 3F, 2A2T2Lo. I don't know if her Flip had an edge call cause I can't find protocols. But as a start of the season skate, it seems faily okay. But I am worried about the Salchow, she doubled it in her ex Byakuyakou at DOI, and against FaOI. I read that her costume is pastel pink with a hair band? Or something. With silver stones? Anyway sounds exciting and maybe I won't hate the costume

 

[Meoima]

Or they are being super stingy with everyone. I hope she doesn't continue to have problems with the flip this season

The SP for ladies is finished ?

 

[solar]

Hmm, I wonder why the scores are so low. I hope to see videos of her performances soon!

 

[mikaboo]

I went to see Wakaba’s FS yesterday. I was there for over 8 hours and Wakaba’s was one of the first I saw so my memory has almost gone. I didn't particularly like the program because "Scheherazade" is not my favorite but I think she did well for a first competition of the season and the first time ever to show it to an audience. Besides the 2 she popped, the other jumps looked solid. I don't know about the flip edge, but there are reports with “!” besides it.
She wore a pink dress separated at the waist with illusion mesh and rhinestones, and her hair was in a bun with a matching pink head band. I don’t like it but Wakaba’s dresses have never been my favorite so nothing new there. I can deal with the dress but I don’t think the head band suits her.
Protocols should be published after all the competitions are over. There's still one more day of it today.

Just found that somebody had uploaded podium photos.

 

[Interspectator]

I went to see Wakaba’s FS yesterday. I was there for over 8 hours and Wakaba’s was one of the first I saw so my memory has almost gone. I didn't particularly like the program because "Scheherazade" is not my favorite but I think she did well for a first competition of the season and the first time ever to show it to an audience. Besides the 2 she popped, the other jumps looked solid. I don't know about the flip edge, but there are reports with “!” besides it.
She wore a pink dress separated at the waist with illusion mesh and rhinestones, and her hair was in a bun with a matching pink head band. I don’t like it but Wakaba’s dresses have never been my favorite so nothing new there. I can deal with the dress but I don’t think the head band suits her.
Protocols should be published after all the competitions are over. There's still one more day of it today.

Just found that somebody had uploaded podium photos.

Reaction to costume...OH NO!
I think this pink is NOT her color. It's to subdued for her personality. If we must have this kind of dress I'd like a more vibrant shade, maybe dark, dark pink or dark purple.
Thanks for your report and I'm glad that Wakaba's jumps are still there and she's starting strong.

 

[mikaboo]

Reaction to costume...OH NO!
I think this pink is NOT her color. It's to subdued for her personality. If we must have this kind of dress I'd like a more vibrant shade, maybe dark, dark pink or dark purple.

She seems to like pink but I think darker colors suits her more, or even the white dress she's worn at exhibitions was nice on her. She wore a different pink dress for her SP debut last season (at the same competition?) and she changed it at JGP but this pink Scheherazade costume looks like it was made for the theme so she'll probably wear it, at least for the first half of the season hwell:

 

[solar]

Reaction to costume...OH NO!
I think this pink is NOT her color. It's to subdued for her personality. If we must have this kind of dress I'd like a more vibrant shade, maybe dark, dark pink or dark purple.
Thanks for your report and I'm glad that Wakaba's jumps are still there and she's starting strong.

I agree, I'd really like to see a vibrant color on her, but I haven't heard her music cut yet so maybe the pink works better?

(Also off topic, but another girl on the podium has a dress that looks a lot like Mao's FS dress from last year in my eyes )

 

[JuliaHols]

WAKABA!!!! WHY
I did mention I was worried about the costume...and I thought Anna's Scheherezade costume last year was awful. The pink is too bland...I think the sp costume would suit her more but still I can't wait to see both programs! (Low-key but, I'm seriously hoping she'll change that fs dress before the GP. I remember last time Marin had a blue dress for her Beetle Juice free skate but then changed it to the red one when she started the Junior GP) and seriously, THE HEAD BAND HAS GOT TO GO

 

[solar]

WAKABA!!!! WHY
I did mention I was worried about the costume...and I thought Anna's Scheherezade costume last year was awful. The pink is too bland...I think the sp costume would suit her more but still I can't wait to see both programs! (Low-key but, I'm seriously hoping she'll change that fs dress before the GP. I remember last time Marin had a blue dress for her Beetle Juice free skate but then changed it to the red one when she started the Junior GP) and seriously, THE HEAD BAND HAS GOT TO GO

Last year at this competition Wakaba wore a bright pink and super frilly dress for her Mambo SP, and I was not a fan of her costume at ALL. But by the time we got to her first GP, she changed her costume to a much better one. I'm not the biggest fan of her current FS costume; maybe she'll change it as well.

 

[berry8]

I really really like this dress... Nothing to say
Much much better than Pogo's...

 

[anyanka]

Reaction to costume...OH NO!
I think this pink is NOT her color. It's to subdued for her personality. If we must have this kind of dress I'd like a more vibrant shade, maybe dark, dark pink or dark purple.
Thanks for your report and I'm glad that Wakaba's jumps are still there and she's starting strong.

That costume ... oh honey NO.
They went literal. Maybe Mao can lend her that awesome purple pantsuit from 2011/12? Or Meryl could loan her the green dress?

 

[malo42]

I really really like this dress... Nothing to say
Much much better than Pogo's...

Me too! I thought I was the only one! I actually think it's pretty, even the head band.

 

[mikaboo]

Someone did a rough drawing of Wakaba’s SP dress.

I think blue looks good on her. The drawing reminds me of this one from Lena’s 2 seasons ago except for the placement of the yellow. Lombardia Trophy is coming in less than 2 weeks!

I agree, I'd really like to see a vibrant color on her, but I haven't heard her music cut yet so maybe the pink works better?

(Also off topic, but another girl on the podium has a dress that looks a lot like Mao's FS dress from last year in my eyes )

And it was a beautiful costume. She skated to Memoirs of a Geisha though

 

[Sam-Skwantch]

Part of me wonders if the preference for bolder colors like purple or blue are born from the fact that Wakaba isn't herself a delicate and light skater. :think: I actually like the dress and headband but if I were to nitpick it would be on the illusion mesh in the middle area

 

[solar]

I guess it could be considered a bold color, but last season she wore a coral pink/coral orange dress for her Mambo SP and I thought it looked great on her! Although she switched to a bright pink dress by the time Jr. Worlds was held. On a second look, the dress/color isn't so bad for me, but I don't like the head band as much But it does make me really want to watch her programs this season. And I'm curious about the SP dress as well.

 

[mikaboo]

Protocols are out from the local competition.
SP
She received a ! on the 3Lz and the 3T was UR.
FS
And received ! on the 3F as usual.

Part of me wonders if the preference for bolder colors like purple or blue are born from the fact that Wakaba isn't herself a delicate and light skater. :think: I actually like the dress and headband but if I were to nitpick it would be on the illusion mesh in the middle area

That could be true. She looked good in Miki Ando’s costumes and Miki is no delicate and light skater. Although the design of the purple/pink one is questionable, I think the colors suit her.
https://twitter.com/hapink1207/status/754915729200197632
https://twitter.com/kassy7806/status/757173008758743040

 

[ioanna]

Protocols are out from the local competition.
SP
She received a ! on the 3Lz and the 3T was UR.
FS
And received ! on the 3F as usual.

Uh oh. ! on both her flip and lutz? And an UR... her jumps in the shows didn't look great either but I wasn't worried about them. Until now.

 

[mikaboo]

Uh oh. ! on both her flip and lutz? And an UR... her jumps in the shows didn't look great either but I wasn't worried about them. Until now.

I’m not worried yet, but I’ll take the ! on the Flip over the Lutz please and she can keep the headband too.

 

[ioanna]

I’m not worried yet, but I’ll take the ! on the Flip over the Lutz please and she can keep the headband too.

She also seems to be having problems with the salchow and the loop. 2Lo<< is a bit

 

[JuliaHols]

She also seems to be having problems with the salchow and the loop. 2Lo<< is a bit

Also the underotation on the back end 3T of the 3Lz3T...has she ever had underotation calls before? I don't recall but the Salchow is worrying considering she doubled it in both DOI and FaOI in Byakuyakou. I think the Loop isn't to worrying yet cause she does pop it occasionally along with the Lutz in comps, but the unclear edge call is shocking. Maybe her trying to improve her Flip edge has impacted her Lutz edge? Either way, I hope it's just the beginning of the season that's why, and perhaps she'll have better performances later.