As the final Grand Prix event (aside from the Grand Prix Final itself, of course) of the 2017 Grand Prix of Figure Skating season, Skate America 2017 in charming Lake Placid, NY proved to be a fitting ending to an unpredictable and generally weird Grand Prix season: withdrawals galore, on-ice injuries, insects lurking about, surprising podium results, system malfunctions . . . never let it be said that figure skating is staid and predictable! For in this brave new world where even Evgenia Medvedeva falters during a competition--there is no certitude, nor peace, nor help for pain . . .
Anyway, here are twenty questions that came to mind during Skate America 2017:
20. Is Skate America YOUR pick for the worst men's event of the 2017 Grand Prix season?
19. Did anyone else recoil at the terrible, key-smashing "version" (to use that word loosely!) of Moonlight Sonata Kaori Sakamoto used for her short program?
18. Which program did Lori Nichol spend less time choreographing, Boyang Jin's Darth Vader Goes to a Cantina LP or Gabrielle Daleman's Gladiator Lite LP?
17. Given Bradie Tennell's consistency so far, is she the new Anointed Savior of US Ladies Skating to fans of US ladies figure skating this season?
16. Does anyone else feel old seeing all those skaters you watched compete years ago now sit in the kiss-and-cry as coaches? O hai Plushenko . . .
15. How much did Kaori Sakamoto's stellar performances at Skate America this weekend throw a proverbial monkey wrench into the Japanese ladies' Olympic team selection process?
14. Before this weekend, when was the last time a ladies Grand Prix event didn't have at least one Russian on the podium?
13. Does anyone's eyes also start rolling when the USFS PR machine goes into overdrive and feeds us yet another mention of Nathan Chen's ballet prowess? It's like we have to be constantly told that NATHAN CHEN DID BALLET AND IS TOTALLY ARTISTIC the same way we were constantly reminded that MICHAEL WEISS IS NOT GAY; HAS WIFE AND KIDS or EVAN LYSACEK IS A 'WELL-ROUNDED' SKATER UNLIKE THAT 6.0 FOSSIL PLUSHENKO.
12. Is anyone else sort of disappointed by Satoko Miyahara's programs this season?
11. Is Sinitsina/Katsalapov's free dance supposed to be a tribute to Mishkutenok/Dmitriev's legendary LP from the 1993-1994 season? Blasphemous!
10. How would Edward Said have reacted to Satoko Miyahara's music choices this season?
9. Whose untapped potential frustrates you more, Han Yan or Karen Chen?
8. Has Sergei Voronov successfully cemented his spot on the Russian men's Olympic team with his bronze medal here at Skate America? As a former (doomed) member of #TeamMenshovforSochi, I can't help but amused.
7. Is it a good idea for Savchenko/Massot to continue working to incorporate the throw 3A into their LP?
6. Which is preferable, birds flitting around in the stands (à la Trophée Éric Bompards of days past) or insects on the ice?
5. Did the ladies' technical panel mistakenly assume they were at US Nationals instead of Skate America?
4. Should Duhamel/Radford have repeated their Adele program instead of their Muse program this season?
3. Does Karen Chen need a coaching change?
2. How does Ashley Wagner's withdrawal here at Skate America affect the calculus behind the USFS' "body of work" criteria for choosing the US Olympic team?
1. Is anyone else thrilled that we're going to see Wakaba Higuchi's excellent Skyfall LP at the Grand Prix Final?
#20 - I was going to give worst men’s event to China but Skate America outdid itself.
ReplyDelete#18 - Both should go to Lori and demand a refund.
#14 - Skate America 2016?
#13 - OMG yes. I am sick of it. I thought maybe it’s just because I’m American but it’s like every mention of Nathan has to include his history in ballet.
#12 - Like Satoko’s SP, but am lukewarm about her free skate. I wish she hadn’t chosen to do two geisha themed programs.
#8 - I hope so, I have a soft spot for Voronov.
#5 - maybe the tech panel were fed too much Turkey on Thursday. That or they were tired of judging an event so late on a Sunday when other Grand Prix’s would’ve been done and over.
#1 - So excited that Wakaba made the final! Judging by her tweet she’s just as pleasantly surprised.
#12 – Satoko's Madame Butterfly is tasteful (which puts it ahead of much of what is out there this season), but it looks vaguely recycled from Un Sospiro, in spirit and mood if not precise choreography.
ReplyDelete20. An event where the only performance I would revisit includes a dislocated shoulder? Yep.
ReplyDelete18. Gladiator. At least Boyang's fs is very fun and Boyang. Why do people insist on giving a power skater like Gabby such muted music?
15. I think technically Kaori now has better body of work than Mai Mihara, at least as far as this season goes -skull emoji-
12. A little bit yeah. She made me a believer through the wonderfulness of her skating but would I have prefered source materials not so warhorsey and orientalizing? Absolutely.
6. Birds. At least skaters weren't whistle called to pick feathers off the ice!
5. Polina T.'s score would agree.
1. ME!!!!!!
20. Is Skate America YOUR pick for the worst men's event of the 2017 Grand Prix season?
ReplyDeleteYes, but CoC and TDF were equally bad...
19. Did anyone else recoil at the terrible, key-smashing "version" (to use that word loosely!) of Moonlight Sonata Kaori Sakamoto used for her short program?
I am more scared at Gabrielle Daleman's Carmen.
18. Which program did Lori Nichol spend less time choreographing, Boyang Jin's Darth Vader Goes to a Cantina LP or Gabrielle Daleman's Gladiator Lite LP?
Boyang Jin's version.
17. Given Bradie Tennell's consistency so far, is she the new Anointed Savior of US Ladies Skating to fans of US ladies figure skating this season?
No. We do not know how she will cope up with the media hype.
16. Does anyone else feel old seeing all those skaters you watched compete years ago now sit in the kiss-and-cry as coaches? O hai Plushenko . . .
I feel VERY OLD and I am only 30.
15. How much did Kaori Sakamoto's stellar performances at Skate America this weekend throw a proverbial monkey wrench into the Japanese ladies' Olympic team selection process?
I feel bad that Kaori Sakamoto and Mai Mihara will be robbed at Japan Nationals. Now that JSF has their miss Under-rotation + Pre-rotation but Consistency back.
14. Before this weekend, when was the last time a ladies Grand Prix event didn't have at least one Russian on the podium?
I don't really remember.
13. Does anyone's eyes also start rolling when the USFS PR machine goes into overdrive and feeds us yet another mention of Nathan Chen's ballet prowess? It's like we have to be constantly told that NATHAN CHEN DID BALLET AND IS TOTALLY ARTISTIC the same way we were constantly reminded that MICHAEL WEISS IS NOT GAY; HAS WIFE AND KIDS or EVAN LYSACEK IS A 'WELL-ROUNDED' SKATER UNLIKE THAT 6.0 FOSSIL PLUSHENKO.
I remember it. Been there, done that. The thing is, all these hypes will never help skating in US back to the golden day. They need some stars in ladies, not men.
12. Is anyone else sort of disappointed by Satoko Miyahara's programs this season?
I AM.
11. Is Sinitsina/Katsalapov's free dance supposed to be a tribute to Mishkutenok/Dmitriev's legendary LP from the 1993-1994 season? Blasphemous!
NOOOOOOOOOOO.
10. How would Edward Said have reacted to Satoko Miyahara's music choices this season?
Yawn.
9. Whose untapped potential frustrates you more, Han Yan or Karen Chen?
Both.
8. Has Sergei Voronov successfully cemented his spot on the Russian men's Olympic team with his bronze medal here at Skate America? As a former (doomed) member of #TeamMenshovforSochi, I can't help but amused.
#TeamUNCLE
7. Is it a good idea for Savchenko/Massot to continue working to incorporate the throw 3A into their LP?
NOPE. She should drop it.
6. Which is preferable, birds flitting around in the stands (à la Trophée Éric Bompards of days past) or insects on the ice?
PLASTIC STARS AS MEDALS
5. Did the ladies' technical panel mistakenly assume they were at US Nationals instead of Skate America?
I think they were just taking some nap.
4. Should Duhamel/Radford have repeated their Adele program instead of their Muse program this season?
They're all the same boring anyway.
3. Does Karen Chen need a coaching change?
Yes. She should stop changing her programs like changing costumes. Someone should do something with her 3-3/
2. How does Ashley Wagner's withdrawal here at Skate America affect the calculus behind the USFS' "body of work" criteria for choosing the US Olympic team?
I think they will still choose her for the Olympic team if she does well at US Nationals.
1. Is anyone else thrilled that we're going to see Wakaba Higuchi's excellent Skyfall LP at the Grand Prix Final?
YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
A MILLION YESSSS