The Ladies of the Grand Prix season were fascinating to watch, but the Men brought just as much juice to the whole meal, if not more!
What an interesting climate in Men’s Figure Skating at the moment.
Nathan Chen of America has dominated this season. He’s really something to see!
A living, breathing “Quad Machine”, to quote Tara Lipinski.
Nathan took Gold at Rostelecom Cup in Russia this season and another Gold at Skate America in Lake Placid, NY. Amazing! He lead the pack heading into the Grand Prix Final.
And it’s not like he’s a big fish in a small pond either! The Men’s field is rammed with contenders this season.
Everyone’s favorite Ice God Yuzuru Hanyu from Japan is back for the 2017/2018 season! He took Silver at Rostelecom Cup after a tremendously exciting (and difficult) Long Program performance.
It’s remarkable how beloved Yuzuru is to Figure Skating fans. He makes the audience in Russia seem like a hometown crowd, as Kurt Browning pointed out.
Watch that Free Skate here:
How Hanyu saved that opening Quad is beyond me!!? The guy’s an animal, a tank and a revolutionary!
This Free Skate is a piece Hanyu is recycling from seasons past. It’s such a good program that I don’t mind seeing it again. How about you?
Unfortunately, Yuzuru sustained a serious ankle injury while training his Quad Lutz at NHK Trophy in Japan, and was unable to finish the Grand Prix series.
The news of this incident was upsetting to all Figure Skating fans. The Grand Prix Final was not the same without him.
GET WELL SOON YUZURU HANYU!
On a more positive note, another fan favorite from Japan is the amazing Shoma Uno, who was kicking butt all over the Grand Prix circuit this year!
This athletic showman took Gold at Skate Canada and Silver at Internationaux de France and made the Final in his usual authoritative fashion. Could you believe that bizarre fall on the Triple Axle at the end of his Short Program!? It really seemed like he had that one!!! *sigh* It’s still ice right? Poor Shoma!
Even with all that talent we just discussed, there’s still more amazing competitors on the scene though!
Mikhail Kolyada of Russia created some waves this year…Hello to another great Quad Lutz!!
Mikhail won Bronze at Rostelecom Cup in Russia and took the Gold in Cup of China, also making the Final Group.
Mikhail is a typical Cheese Ball-Russian-Jump Machine, but there’s something about him I like. The drama he brings is palpable, in spite of his general sloppiness.
But not everyone is dark and dangerous.
Adam Rippon of the USA is up-beat and playful! He won two Silver medals this season, one at NHK Trophy in Japan and the other at Skate America in NY.
Adam was out last season with a broken foot, so it’s particularly heart warming to see this artistic and entertaining athlete back in action.
He represented the USA at the Grand Prix Final as a result of his wins this season. Go Adam!
Check out his fun Short Program from the Final here:
Call me crazy…but it’s nice to hear some variety in the music at these competitions! Watching someone have fun while they skate is a surprisingly rare commodity too! Sadly, Adam doesn’t stand a chance in terms of the jumps in his field of competitors, and took a real nasty spill on a Lutz in the Free Skate, but still, I loved watching him. This Short Program particularly. GO ADAM!!!!!
Shout out to Adam’s Long Program look at this event as well! Fierce. We love you Adam!
Javier Fernández of Spain was a face (and butt) I majorly missed at the Final this year.
Javi won Gold at Internationaux de France, but struggled at Cup of China placing 6th over all and missing out on a spot at the Final. Such a shame.
Here’s hoping we see Javier skate better in the future!
Jin Boyang of China isn’t the only guy doing a Quad Lutz anymore, and that fact has hurt his status on the Grand Prix scene, it would appear. He managed to win a Silver at Cup of China, but faltered at Skate America, ending up fourth there.
Jin qualified for the Final but ultimately withdrew due to ankle injuries. I can’t say I missed seeing him there, sorry!!!! Even though his skating has improved since last season, Boyang still needs a tremendous amount of work on his presentation, skills and spins. Wishing him a speedy recovery though, of course. GET WELL SOON JIN BOYANG!!
The absence of Jin however, opened the door for Jason Brown of the USA to compete in the Final…
Now this is a skater I was happy to see represented in that group!
Jason is passionate and expressive with pretty lines, beautiful spins and admirable skating skills. He’s not the best jumper in the world, but I’m of the opinion that there’s more to Figure Skating than jumps! Brown brings a multitude of wonderful components with every performance.
But what do you think? Is Jason Brown worthy, even without an arsenal of Quadruple jumps?
In the end it would seem the Quad jumps DO matter though, because Brown ended up dead last in the Grand Prix Final, with USA team mate Adam Rippon ahead of him by one point in fifth position and Sergei Voronov of Russia taking the fourth place spot.
The medalist were as follows :
GOLD:Nathan Chen-USA
SILVER: Shoma Uno-Japan
BRONZE: Mikhail Kolyada-Russia
Nathan Chen of America earned that top spot!
Check it out:
From the Quad Lutz/Triple Toe combo off the top, to the wild but landed Quad Flip…it was all very ambitious!
Even with a few mistakes, like a planned Quad Salchow turned double or fumbles on his second Quadruple Lutz, Nathan still gives everyone in the field a reason to sweat. He left the door open for Shoma Uno at this event, but lucky for him, Uno had a few issues and so Chen hung onto first.
Congrats Nathan!!!! You did America proud.
To wrap it up I’d like to leave you with the Long Program of Shoma Uno from Japan:
It may have won Silver this time, but Uno is the ideal male skater to me.
Why? Well…he’s got a variety of Quadruple jumps, a rock solid Triple Axle, strong skating skills, exceptional Spins and a flair for performance. What more does a person need!?
How about the fight he put up on the Quad Flip in the second half of this Free Skate huh? Pretty awesome.
Shoma may have left a point or two on the table in this showing, but there’s just something about him isn’t there? He’s definitely one to watch.
We love you Shoma! Congrats on your Grand Prix Final medal. A big hand to all the winners from this years show down.
THAT is the Grand Prix Final, for the Men, for another year!!!!
What were your impressions? Who did you love? Who did you hate?
All thoughts are valued in the comments section of this blog. Don’t be shy! Pipe in.
Until the next time my arena dwelling friends: bend your knee’s and keep your back straight!
Our collective love of prancing and Swarovski crystals brings us together today.
I welcome you.
Can we talk about The Grand Prix Final?
The Grand Prix season has been a fascinating build to begin with.
The Ladies event is so rich. It’s like the 1990’s all over again. But instead of a just a couple Russian girls…they’re legion.
We’ve got the 2016 and 2017 World Champ Evgenia Medvedeva..on the Grand Prix scene..
2015 World Champ Elizaveta Tuktamysheva is back and trying Triple Axles…
Anna “Torture Porn” Pogorilaya…who’s lived up to her name in legendary fashion during this Grand Prix season, is also back in town.
Elena Radionova, who still can’t seem to find a costume that covers her butt, is once again terrorizing the ice..
Maria Sotskova is hot, taking names and crushing jump combinations this season…
Pretty Alina Zagitova, is winning ALL HER events….
Oh and don’t forget about Polina Tsurskaya! Another Russian threatening podiums on the Grand Prix track this season.
Russian girls have dominated Figure Skating for the last several years. There’s no denying it. Now, I know there’s a LOT MORE TO SAY ABOUT RUSSIA right now than that. I have an entire article in the works about doping, Sochi, competitive skating and the Olympics…all focused around Russia….but let’s leave that aside for now, at least for this particular Grand Prix series. Russia is Russia, and I take their remarkable athletes at face value…at least for this article.
But in spite of all that…. there’s still room for a few more standout talents! Amazing.
The likes of Kaetlyn Osmond and Gabrielle Daleman of Canada to be exact.
If you’d asked me from my seat at Skate America in 2016, who I figured would be challenging Russians as we head into an Olympic year? Well, I just wouldn’t have thought of my own, dear CANADA as a possibility. Our Ladies have never been our big thing in Skating….until NOW.
Canadian Ladies skated to a whole new potential at Worlds in Finland this year.
Kaetlyn Osmond took Silver…
and sexy, sassy Gabrielle Daleman took Bronze!
It was a proud day for Canada!
The girls have had a pretty mixed bag of performances throughout the Grand Prix season this year however, with only Kaitlyn making the final.
Better luck at Nationals Gabby! We love you.
Carolina Kostner of Italy is back, to everyone’s delight, and winning medals!
Carolina took Silver at both Rostelecom Cup and NHK Trophy this season!
At 30 years of age, competing against teenagers… well, they don’t make ’em like Carolina very often do they?
Carolina made it to the Grand Prix Final this year! Don’t you just love her even more for that!?
But speaking of older skaters still on the scene….
Ashley Wagner finally tired herself out!
We’re all sick of her Moulin Rogue Long Program anyhow, right? This is the THIRD TIME we’re seeing it in competition since it’s debut.
Watch Ashley’s season come to a sudden, unfortunate end (all while wearing a stunning dress) in this link from Skate America 2017, the last event in the Grand Prix series. Ashley did not make the final.
One of my favorite ladies, Satoko Miyahara of Japan, is also competing this season.
Satoko had an unfortunate showing at her first Grand Prix event this season, but fought back hard to win Skate America! It’s always a delight for me to watch this flexible, little pixie do her programs.
Satoko was actually called up from the alternate list for the Grand Prix Final this year! Russia’s Evgenia Medvedeva withdrew, due to a stress fracture in her foot.
It was sad to hear about Medvedeva’s condition. She was the odds-on favorite to win the Grand Prix Final. The event wasn’t the same without her…..but it sure did mix things up in a way that only happens in Figure Skating!
Satoko Miyahara of Japan was third after the Short Program..
Satoko skated well at the Final to my eyes. The judges seem hell bent on being hard on her though. What do you think? Does Satoko deserve to be punished for her low jumps? They’re fully rotated!!! Doesn’t she have so much more than jumps anyway?
That’s another discussion.
How about the Free Skate though? Those ladies skated hard didn’t they. I really enjoyed watching the event.
SPOILER ALERT! Here’s who won over all:
FIRST: Alina Zagitova-Russia
SECOND: Maria Sotskova-Russia
THIRD: Kaetlyn Osmond-Canada
Kaetlyn was phenomenal in the Short Program. Really impressive. I love how her Lutz matches the music, don’t you? Her costume really flatters her as well.
Kaetlyn charm’s the crowd, jumps huge, skates fast and spins at a blinding pace in this video of her Short Program.
She took first place in that component of the event:
Alina Zagitova of Russia skates to Swan Lake for her Short Program (like SO MANY OTHER’S this season)..
The program was well skated, if not a bit generic.
You can’t take Alina’s Triple Lutz/Triple Loop combo (in the second half no less) away from her though. Her Triple Flip with arms in fifth position was gorgeous too.
The other girls flailing their arms over head in every jump could learn from Zagitova. Her arms in general are very elegant.
Alina ended up second in the Short Program.
Watch her skate a near-flawless performance here:
Carolina Kostner of Italy took third place in the Short Program.
Watch her mesmerize the audience in this clip:
Carolina used some old school Celine Dion for her performance, and though I’m not even a closeted Celine Dion fan, Carolina is so passionate I got teary eyed by the end of her skate anyway! I love that song now!
Carolina messed up her Triple Toe/Triple Toe combination, unfortunately. But managed a beautiful Triple Loop, Double Axle and Spins.
Easier jumps compared to the field, sure, but Carolina is so damn good I didn’t care. It’s just nice to see her skate.
The Free Skate seals the deal though, doesn’t it?
This Free Skate was as psychologically rich and exciting an event as I’ve come to expect from my beloved sport.
OK……let’s just talk about the 10 000 pound gorilla in the room and get it out of the way:
Kaetlyn Osmond of Canada, what happened!?
First of all….why Swan Lake?
Kaetlyn is graceful definitely, but she doesn’t have the physique of a ballet dancer. Also, it’s PLAYED OUT! There’s at least 2 other Swan Lakes in the field this season alone!! Kaetlyn has the chops to take on something more unique. Her Short Program flatters her much more in my opinion.
Any thoughts on this Ice Friends? What would you like to see Kaetlyn Osmond skate to?
Anyhow, in spite of her “silly mistake’s” (her words) in the Long Program (she doubled the Triple Loop and had a full-on wipe out doing her Triple Salchow) this is the most I’ve liked her Free Skate all season. It was fantastic off the top. So commanding, and graceful! And those jump combo’s!? Wow.
Kaetlyn managed to hang onto the Bronze at this Final. Check it out here:
Maria Sotskova of Russia really impressed me in the Long Program. See:
Don’t you just love her music?
She was really feeling those beautiful melodies in her performance too, don’t you think? Very solid skate in the Short and the Long, but the Free Program had my heart.
Shout out to Maria Sotskova’s periwinkle dress too. So pretty on this gorgeous and talented blonde skater!
Congrats on your Silver Grand Prix Final medal Maria!
The over all winner of the Grand Prix Final was Alina Zagitova of Russia.
See her performance here:
This win isn’t too surprising, I suppose. Zagitova won both her Grand Prix assignments. She sailed through to the Final and captured it too! This skate was very impressive and worthy of a champion.
Congratulations Alina!
Russian Nationals are going to be very, VERY interesting. I wonder if Evgenia Medvedeva will be competing again by that time?
So that’s The Grand Prix of Figure Skating for the 2017/2018 Season! The ladies have settled the score for another year.
What did you think of the women in the Grand Prix Final this year?
Who wowed you? Who stunk up the joint?
Comments are always welcome.
There’s a ton going on for Figure Skating maniacs like us right now…..I, Tonya is in theater’s, the Olympics are around the corner and the Russian competition scandal is all over the news….we’ll be talking again very soon!
Until then my arena dwelling friends…bend your knee’s and keep your back straight!
My God, I have forsaken you. I abandoned everyone for an entire SEASON. No hilarious analogies, clever nicknames. No love!
For shame.
Well…let me tell you. I apologize. I promise you, even though I was lost, I never once stopped loving Figure Skating.
Of that I can be sure.
Now. Y’all don’t know much about me…
…but I’ve been busy crawling up high things and hanging on them. (I have an Instagram page devoted to these pursuits: @haley_shannon_.…..but I know you’re like “..enough about you, I’m here to read about FIGURE SKATING..!” )
So, about the skating…
As I said, even though there hasn’t been a post in ages, I still watched the entire 2016 season, and I have opinions baby! I attended Skate America in Illinois for the second time. Took a LOT of pictures. Some with thoughtful, artistic titles.
Zamboni and Girl.
Things are coming along nicely now in 2017…
..and we’re coming up on a….*trembling hands, eyes misting over*…an Olympic Season.
This is everything.
This is why we all watch.
This is the ONLY event that truly matters.
This is just a quick note to say hi and to reassure you…I’ve not abandoned you now!
Eeeeeeeeeee! I’m seriously already SO PUMPED.
See you soon my little ice babies. Feels good to be back.
Me? I’m still high from what I saw, from the impact of all that happened….and of course from the drugs still in my system. In my world, an international skating event is a great reason to party, and it was a whooooole weekend people.
In short, I’m feeling good.
This years World Figure Skating Championship was full of shocking failures, not-so-shocking failures, triumph, redemption and of course drama. Oooooh we got some juice didn’t we? From Gracie Gold of the USA’s raw interview after her disappointing Long Program……..
to the rumours of Canadian Patrick Chan’s frustrated sobs echoing melodramatically through The Boston Garden at the conclusion of the Men’s event…
…this World Championship was exciting, ridiculous and outrageous. Everything a Figure Skating competition should be. And how bout that attendance huh? To quote Christine Brennan..“that was a 1990’s crowd..” It was great to see that kind of interest in the sport here in North America!
The Kiss and Cry alone was a vivid gallery of raw human emotion.
Figure Skating, as we all know, is the original reality TV and the ‘Kiss and Cry’ is legendary for its authentic drama. This years footage was not disappointing.
Did you catch Shoma Una of Japan’s reaction to his LP scores?
Poor little dude….
Anyway, before we really get into it I want to add this disclaimer for any new readers:
I have little interest in the Pairs and Ice Dance event. It wasn’t always so, and it may change in the future, but if you’re looking for extensive coverage on those events you are in the wrong place.
Can we talk about the Ladies first? What a final flight! Everyone came tearing out of the gate focused and skating to win.It’s exciting to watch an event like that! And so wonderful to see that many clean performances in one competition.
Let’s just get to the elephant in the room and get it out of the way…
Poor Gracie. Poor, poor Gracie Gold. That was tough to watch. On home ice, in 1st place after a great Short Program!! Wilting under the spotlight and end up 4th. Tragic!!! And she has the goods too! Gracie earned the placement she had going into the Free Skate. Gracie should be a legitimate threat to anyone in the field right now. But she lost control of her head game and in Figure Skating your head game matters more than almost anything else.
I wish her the best of luck in overcoming her psychological challenges in competition, and to leave it on a positive note here are some images from her fantastic Short Program at this event.
The choreography, the dress and the smooth execution of it all was athletic, sexy and a highlight of the competition. We love you Gracie!!!
Moving on to the new Ladies Champion of the World… Evgenia Medvedeva from Russia!
This victory was a surprise to no one. Evgenia did here what she’s been doing all season. She dominated.
There’s nothing to say about her that hasn’t already been said. Her jump technique is flawless. She spins fast and skates faster. She’s a rock solid competitor. A charismatic performer. Evgenia’s got it all. My only other thought is…..I wonder what new Russian girl will be on the scene next year? Will she be over shadowed like the last 3 were? Or will she endure? Only time will tell…
But for today….congratulations Evgenia!!!! You are a true champion.
And before we move on….I think it’s worth mentioning that I was especially blown away by Evgenia in the Short Program. How about you? To add that Triple Toe to the Triple Loop on the fly…and with such ease and grace too…..well that says it all doesn’t it? She’s got mad skills.
Speaking of madness….
We can’t forget our Silver medalist this year can we? She would never let us.
Oh Ashley Wagner from the USA, how complicated my feelings are toward thee…
Her Short Program was fantastic. Really it was. Canadian Choreographer Shae-Lynn Bourne made something special there, and Ashley skated the shit out of it.
You have to hand it to Wagner for being an aggressive competitor. She’s hungry and she doesn’t try to hide it. I loved watching her shimmy and shake in that Short Program, she was really strong.
And there was her gutsy skate in the Long Program. Gracie left the door open and Ashley sailed on through. She was obviously….very happy. Good for her.
The Moulin Rouge program suits her strengths beautifully, and she put out a strong performance. That dress is fantastic too. Woot!
For the sake of the audience I was glad Ashley did what she did out there. It must have been so fun to witness an American woman throw down on home ice, skate aggressively and end the medal drought for their country. Ashley is not my favourite skater, but I respect what she was able accomplish. Way to go Ashley!! Second in the whole, wide world! Bravo.
And what about Satoko Miyahara of Japan? 5th place!?! What an insult. That is not representative of what she did in my mind.
Is Satoko too harshly penalized for her low jumps? Why is it such a big deal? She gets them done. Plus she’s graceful and consistent with exceptional spins, skating skills and showmanship. That’s not enough!? I don’t know what the judges were watching, but I loved both her programs and felt she should have been on the podium.
Bronze medalist Anna Pogorilaya from Russia had the skate of her life. I can’t be calling her “Torture Porn Russian” on this blog anymore! Instead of a series of brutal wipe outs Anna landed all her jumps with authority and fought for every moment of her programs.
Congratulations on a fantastic showing Anna!
Next year I hope to see more original programs and simpler, more elegant costumes for this talented skater. I also want to see Anna get going on her modelling career. Seriously, though. She could be making a lot of extra money, she has it! Look at her:
I don’t know what she’s waiting for!
Who else rounded out the top 10? Well, legendary Mao Asada of Japan was 7th. Kind of shocking for a 3 time World Champion, but she’s had a tough season and this event was no picnic either.
Even when she’s struggling you still notice how incredible a skater Mao is though. I love the footwork sequence in the Short Program, and there were some impressive jumping passes in the Long as well…..I wonder if she will bother coming back next year? She says she loves to compete so who knows!
Elena Radionova of Russia ended up 6th. All I can say is thank God the season is over so I don’t ever have to watch those horrific programs again. The voice over in her Titanic LP….ugh….Leonardo DiCaprio drowning and freezing to death while Elena grins with joy, heart open and arms reaching to the heavens….that shit ain’t right.
I wonder what she’ll come up with next season? It couldn’t possibly be worse. In closing, I’d like to say that she needs to fire her costume person. Her dresses continue to not cover her butt properly…it’s really distracting. That is under age Russian girl booty right there! Jesus. But hey, let’s get real, it’s probably good for ratings so…..maybe she should keep it? Ha! I’m kiiiiiiiding. Those dresses are terrible.
And that was the ladies event, more or less.
So now it’s time to discuss the Men. And what a discussion it is!!! This was another great competition with many memorable performances.
Lets just start with the cream of the crop. The luscious, the delicious, the incredible Javier Fernandez of Spain! Taking the Gold for another year in a row.
Javi struggled a bit in the Short program and went down on the Quad Salchow, but he didn’t let that mess with his head and skated really strong otherwise. His Long Program on the other hand….it was masterful to say the least. Athletic, sexy, smooth and clean, clean, clean. He really blew the roof off the place and skated like a true Champion. Go Javi!
Yuzuru Hanyu of Japan came second, and that was a bit of a shocker. This Olympic Champion and legend-in-the-making has been winning events and breaking world records all season. Everyone expected him to take the Gold here.
His breath taking Short Program to Chopin’s Ballade No. 1 in G Minor was one of my favourite skates in the whole competition. Yuzu is a rockstar. He makes me cry, gives me goosebumps and amps me up all at the same time. I absolutely love this program and he skated it beautifully here.
I especially enjoyed his intense, celebratory yell at the end. Very athletic and very fierce.
His Long Program on the other hand was a struggle, and it seemed to just get worse as it went along.
He never stopped fighting for it though and he’s a pleasure to watch, even when a program gets away from him. I can’t wait to see what this truly amazing athlete and performer has in store for us next season! I’m not sure how he will be able to top the quality of this seasons programs, but it’s going to be fun to watch him try.
OK…..can we talk about Patrick Chan from Canada? Have you calmed down yet? That was some frustrating shit to watch huh? What the hell? Pchiddy (that’s his Twitter handle) hasnever been much of a competitor, which is sad because he’s one of the all time great skaters, but I honestly don’t understand what the issue is. It was really hard to watch him bomb so badly here….especially in the Long Program….5th place….yikes!
I can only imagine how frustrating this whole season has been for Pchiddy. Do you think he’ll come back next year? Goodness knows he’s got the skills, but will he ever have the head game? I guess we’ll see…. Good luck Patrick, hope to see you again next year! You are always exquisite.
Boyang Jin from China got 3rd place here.
I didn’t much like his programs and he still has a lot of work to do on his skating skills….but DAMN can he jump! So much air, it’s amazing.
I just can’t believe we live in a world where Boyang Jinbeat Patrick Chan…
Pchiddy can’t believe it either.
Rounding out the top 10 we also have the charismatic and exciting Shoma Uno of Japan. He had a few more troubles than he’s been used to lately, with a particularly vicious fall in the Long Program, and ended up 7th. He really showed how tough a competitor he is though, and in spite of his obvious devastation over his performance in the Kiss and Cry, I loved watching him and thought he was great.
Shoma is one to watch. He’s a well rounded skater with a reputation that’s growing fast. Definitely a crowd favourite too. Love you Shoma.
The US men came out to play right? It was inspiring to see.
Super good-looking gay rockstar type Adam Rippon of the USA placed 6th, busting out some Queen for the Short Program and The Beatles in the Free Skate. Adam performed both with a ton of athleticism and style. He represented his country very well and should be proud. Go Adam!!!
His sensitive, yet sexy American team mate Max Aaron placed 8th. Fun fact, Aaron used to be a hockey player and played U16 AAA hockey in his teens!
You can definitely see that competitive nature in Max’s style. It’s cool. He’s really athletic overall. His Short Program was nicely done and presented with classy confidence. I especially appreciated how he sorted out that botched combination last minute too.
His Free Skate was even better! Gutsy and fun to watch. I’ve heard a few bitchy queens criticizing Max for his “lack of costume”, but I completely disagree. The simplicity of the costume suits his style. He’s not a fussy skater! Why should his costume be? It totally went with the dark, dramatic sections of Swan Lake he chose too. Max skated like a pro and did the USA proud. It was a pleasure to watch him.
And what about that cocky Russian jumping machine Mikhail Kolyada!?!? He placed 4th here, at his first Senior Worlds, and really left an impression.
He was so classically Russian too, am I right? Good looking, cocky swagger, tough-as-nails competitor, bad leotard and gigantic jumps. And don’t get me wrong, I loved it! He had me at The Nightmare Before Christmas Long Program. This kid looks like Ilia Kulik and jumps like Evgeny Plushanko….watch out! With some better choreography and costumes who knows what he could do. Great skate here, anyway. Congratulations Mikhail! Looking forward to seeing you next season.
And that was more or less the Men’s event!
What a World Championship it was. I haven’t had that much fun since 1997.
Was it as good for you as it was for me?
Until next time my ice lovelies…. remember to sell your program and go for every single thing you do with every little thing you’ve got! That is what makes a champion.
The second greatest achievement in the competitive Figure Skating universe is becoming World Champion. The greatest achievement is becoming Olympic Champion, obviously, but World Champion is a huge credit too. It totally is! It’s big time guys, and the 2016 World Championships is almost here! Eeeeeeeee! Who will be crowned? You think that you know, but you don’t know!! It’s Figure Skating, anything could happen.
Are you old like me? Do you actually remember Katarina Witt? If you’re young and ignorant you should make some time to look into Katarina because she was a great champion. Really.
This 1987 Long Program is a nice place to start. It won her the gold. And she was dressed for it too, am I right? So feminine and sexy. Damn. Katarina holds up! Love the sleeves.
Next up in the World Figure Skating memory banks is this classic Free Dance from 1998 by Shae-Lynn Bourne and Viktor Kraatz of Canada.
River dance! It’s a memorable program. Shae and Vik were ahead of their time in terms of athleticism and style and have been copied by anyone who is everyone since.
They were robbed of this 1998 World title, by the way. Bronze!?! What an insult. But that’s Figure Skating. It’s often rigged at these events and that’s part of the game.
I loved the Bourne and Kratz energy as a pair. So consistent and they never feel forced. The edges they get too, wow…luscious. They make skating look so cool.
Speaking of ahead of the times…… how about the great Tara Lipinski at the 1997 Worlds! Tara was the champion at age 14 with a program that would be competitive today. (skip the fluff piece and get right to the skating at the 4:00 min mark 🙂
Tara was unreal. I feel sorry for skaters who had to compete against her…she was a monster. You gotta love it.
World Figure Skating nostalgia continues with Kurt Browning of Canada in 1993. His Casablanca Long Program is the signature piece of his competitive career, and my holy grail in terms of choreography in this silly sport.
Enjoy!
That was a different time. The game has changed, and not necessarily for the better either. Very few athletes are able to make what is expected of them look halfway decent aesthetically.
Yuzuru Hanyu of Japan is of that few. By any standard he is mind-blowing and THIS Long Program is what we have to look forward to at Worlds this year:
This program inspired me to buy a plane ticket to Boston and watch him skate it live. This is the most memorable piece from a skater in many years.
Guys like Yuzuru keep me interested.
What do you think is going to happen at Worlds? Does Patrick really have any shot at all?
Another day, another look at the fascinating world of Figure Skating costumes! I could write 50 volumes on this subject, the fodder for discussion is endless, but we’ll just take our time.
This is the bottom line….if you dress like a winner, the judges are more likely to see you as a winner. That’s just the way it goes in Figure Skating! That pressure makes for some real hits and misses though, doesn’t it? Every competition is like another Oscar red carpet!
Can we talk about Michelle Kwan?
Michelle is basically the Michael Jordan of Figure Skating. She is one of very few competitors that is a house hold name, and she became rich from her efforts as well! Not very common in our beloved sport, sadly.
Obviously, Michelle was a powerful athlete, a rock solid competitor and a beautiful performer…..but she was also consistently dressed great, often by Figure Skating design royalty Vera Wang. There is no question that her beautiful dresses contributed meaningfully to her success.
One thing about Michelle Kwan is that she never looks dated. Even her dresses from 15 years ago come across fresh when I look at them today.
Vera Wang created many beautiful looks for great Champions over the years. Like two time Olympic medalist Nancy Kerrigan of the USA.
Carolina Kostner of Italy wore incredible dresses at the Sochi Olympics in 2014 didn’t she? Carolina skated to her potential at this event, which means she was mind blowing, and those fantastic dresses took it to the next level. What a classy lady! I’d bring her home to mom and take her to bed too. Rrrrreow!
Another stand out dress from the Sochi Olympics was from Kaetlyn Osmond of Canada. This Long Program Cleopatra gown was truly fabulous!
Her Short Program look was cute too.
Ashley Wagner of the USA wore a sassy frock for her Short Program in Sochi as well, set to Pink Floyd’s “Shine On You Crazy Diamond”
Queen Yuna Kim of South Korea has always kept her look glamorous, which I appreciate, and she has had many incredible outfits. This one from 2013 might be my favourite though.
Johnny Weir of the USA brought a bold look to the ice, and love him or hate him, there’s no denying he was memorable! (Oh and side rant: Johnny deserved a Bronze medal at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver! 5th place was a shockingly low result for what he did there…for shame)
Some costumes are just so bad they get good to me. Russian men particularly have that effect. Remember Russian hottie Ilia Kulik? He won Gold in the 1998 Olympics in Nagano wearing this…
A puffy vinyl shirt, in a Giraff print, with a vest. Yep. That’s all I have to say about that.
See also: living legend Evgeni Plushenko of Russia!
He toned it down a bit for the Team Event at the Sochi Olympics in 2014…
But we’re more accustom to seeing him in stuff like this…
Or this..
Mmmmmm and this…my personal favourite…
There’s no missing Plushenko on the ice! God love him for that.
Elvis Stojko of Canada is another legendary skater who wasn’t afraid to have his own unique image..
The judges may not have loved it but there’s no doubt Elvis was a fan favourite!
Olympic Ice Dance Champions Meryl Davis and Charlie White of the USA have always stood out to me in terms of wardrobe.
I love their attention to detail and use of colour.
So many sparkles…I’m half blind.
Let’s leave it here for today.
Any costume related content you’d like to see in future editions of “FASHION baby!” please let me know in the comments section! I’d love to hear from you.
Until the next time my beloved arena pals….bend your knees, keep your back straight and wear the hell out of your costume. It’s the only reason to even have one.
Russian Nationals happened over Christmas! Was that ladies event good or what!? I haven’t seen a competition so fierce and so well skated in a long time. And what happens when you get a whole lot of talented young skaters going head to head in a competition? Drama people! You get drama, and it’s delightful.
Can we talk about Yulia Lipnitskaya first?
The haters are gonna hate, I know, they’re gonna rag on her for being tentative and slow in the Long Program, for the lack of jump combos and the sketchy spins. Whatever. Did you see that Loop off the top of her LP? How bout that first Lutz? We’ve never seen her jump like that, not ever. It’s very encouraging. Her new team is already working for her, and it’s only been 3 weeks! No falls, and her posture is so much better.
And the SP…well….it was delightful! (loved her hairstyle here too by the way, it was perfect for the program FINALLY)
The sobbing at the end really got me too. Great drama. We don’t usually see that from her!
Yulia’s starting to develop, and most importantly correct her bad habits.
Oh and by the way, did you happen to catch the look exchanged by Lipnitskaya and Radionova during the press conference after the SP?
YES! Get mean girls, get those claws out! It’s what the people want. This kind of thing but BIGGER…. I won’t be happy until someone tries to take another girls knee out with a crow bar! Mwahahahahahah! (I’m kidding, relax)
So Evgenia Medvedeva won this thing by a landslide, as we all knew she would.
Evgenia politely feigned surprise after each perfect skate here though, which was classy! Her coach on the other hand was just openly horny about it all. Look at Eteri Tutberidze‘s mouth in that clip! She’s wet.
Anyway, I love Evgenia’s dresses and I love her jumps.
Is she going to win Worlds? Probably. But this IS Figure Skating, and there are no sure things….I guess we’ll see huh?
Elena Radionova…she came second and that’s fine.
Elena’s a fantastic competitor, I’ll give her that…but those programs this season..ugh..they are God awful aren’t they?
Also…what was going on with her make up? The bronzer was all blotchy and over done…There was a lot of bad make up at this event in general, but Elena’s was the worst. Whaa happened?!
The super-beautiful Anna Pogorilaya, known playfully on this blog as Torture Porn Russian, surprised everyone and turned her season around! Anna defied her nickname and nabbed the Bronze! Way to go girl!!
Anna went from writhing in pain on the ice at NHK Trophy to skating two super clean programs at Russian Nationals.
It was really nice to see and I hope she can keep it up for the remainder of the season.
Can she just quit skating a become a model though? Seriously…she’d probably make more money!
SO pretty this girl, whew!
Adelina Sotnikova…What can you say? Her controversial win over Queen Yuna Kim in the Sochi 2014 Olympicsdidn’t help her career AT ALL. Many people predicted this outcome.
It’s too bad, because Adelina has a lot of good qualities…huge elevation on her jumps, speed and ice coverage, it’s all nice stuff. Unfortunately though, her jumps were just not around at this event and there were some falls as well.
I really don’t see it getting any better for her, do you? I wonder if she’ll bother coming back next season..?
On a fashion note, I quite liked both her dresses this year! Especially the LP gown. I preferred it in black over the blue she chose for this event though. How about you?
Anyway, the saddest showing of the event was from reigning World Champion Elizaveta Tuktamysheva.
Lord have mercy! It’s been a rough season for her. The SP switch back to Bolero didn’t help her here unfortunately, and her presentation quality is at an all time low.
Liza needs to rest, that’s my opinion. Her body must be completely over worked at this point, and obviously that has its consequences. I hope she comes back strong at Worlds (if they even send her). Good luck Elizaveta!
The last image I’ll leave you with is these adorable BFF’s at the Exhibition Gala after the event.
Do you think they’re genuine friends these girls…these rivals?
Maybe more like frenemies, right? *sigh* We can only hope! Keep that drama coming ladies, your sport needs you.
What were your thoughts on this event anyway? What did it for you and who made your skin crawl?
Until the next time my ice buddies…bend your knees and keep your back straight!
The Grand Prix series is completed for another year and I’m still coming down from the high of having a skating event to watch every single weekend for almost 2 months! As I recall the whole series all I’m really left with is a vague, monotonous parade of programs, all more or less the same, with only a few stand out impressions. It’s those stand out memories that really mean something to me in this sport. They are why we all keep watching.
Be honest. If you’re a figure skating nerd and you watched most of the Grand Prix series, what do you actually remember? Now that it’s all over can you even recall what went down?
Well I’m here to help with this little re-cap.
WARNING: if you follow this blog you know I couldn’t care less for Pairs or Ice Dance right now. In the 1990’s I kept up, but anything beyond 2002 I’m more or less out….go to The Blade Boys, The Skating Lesson or The Rinkside Cafe if you want quality musings on those events 🙂
So lets do it! First up…
Skate America
Well, obviously Evgenia Medvedeva of Russiastood out big time.
What can you say? Another incredible Russian girl. Breath taking jumps…the flow through them, the confidence going in, the arm over head, all so lovely. Great dresses too. The way Russia cranks out ladies contenders these days however, it’s hard to say where she’ll be next season, but that’s beside the point. It’s worth mentioning that some of the choreography in her Long Program was straight up laughable.
Anyhow, the reality is that Evgenia Medvedeva has the potential to be devastating in any competition points-wise and seems to have excellent focus to boot. I predict she will be a contender at Worlds 2016.
Gracie Gold
The USA’s most promising lady came out of the gate swinging this season. Her short program is stand out, I love it. She still can’t do a Triple Flip, but everything else was spot on elements wise. Loved the elegant, sexy dress she wore for it too. It looks great on her.
But I just cannot deal with her Long Program this year. Is it me?? I hate it!
I hate the try-hard “artistic” choreo:
I hate the gloves…
Oh, and I think I hate “Firebird” by Stravinsky. It’s stressful music isn’t it? And you hear it so frequently at skating competitions too. Boring.
Gracie should just stick to being an ice princess. She kills that style and it showcases her best.
Yulia Lipnitskaya
My poor little sweetie. What an awkward phase of her career….it was tough to watch her at Skate America. It was the worst I’ve seen her skate in many respects, and that’s bad because last season was a nightmare.
That Short Program dress was one of the most epic fails I’ve ever seen on the ice EVER. And such a shock coming from Yulia, who has been impeccably costumed historically! Ugh…
The poor girl has a women’s body now and her unreliable (see also: terrible) jumping technique is now completely failing her. Talk about an ego crushing start to her season…not the come-back we Yuliacs…(copyright “Yuliacs”) were hoping for.
The Long Program has potential and the dress is cool conceptually, but it needs a sharper design…she has to get her shit together.
All you could really say at the end of Skate America in regards to her was….. poor Yulia….poor, poor Yulia….
Should we count her out for good though? Absolutely not. This girl is a fighter, she has tremendous potential and a brand new coach now….Im very curious to see how she fairs at the ultra competitive Russian Nationals over Christmas. I predict a pleasant surprise…but I’m, like, insanely biased. I love her.
Shoma Uno of Japan.
Wow.
All i can say is wow, this kid is compelling. His showmanship, the skating skills, his original style. Shoma left me impressed and wanting more. Fantastic addition to the Senior Men’s field and the most exciting take away from Skate America for me.
SKATE CANADA
My most vivid impression of this event was poor Kaitlyn Osmond of Canada’s vicious fall in the Short Program. It was awful to see and I hope she wasn’t too badly hurt. It shook her up badly and she bombed the rest of the competition. Such a pity because she really does have potential.
Ashley Wagner managed to win this thing.
It was annoying to me as i find her skating underwhelming technically and I’m pretty tired of that Long Program by now….the Short Program on the other hand I absolutely love, and my hat tips to her teamforthe choreography. Both her dresses were fabulous as well.
Elizaveta Tuktamysheva bombed her Short Program, surprising everyone, and then came back hard in the Long Program to win and pulled up to 2nd place over all.
She busted out the kind of jumps in the LP we expect from this reigning World Champion and it was cool to see her fight back. Her programs are beyond terrible though and she has horrendous spins, no transitions either…I like her, I’m not sure why, but it has to be said…she is not a complete skater.
Patrick Chan.
Another surprising Short Program bomb at this event from our boy PChan. He came back strong in the Long Program though, reminding us why he’s capable of being one of the most complete skaters in history, and managed to pull up to first place over all. I was proud of him…but I’m also worried about his head game….when Yuzuru Hanyu is your main competition you can’t afford to give ANY points away.
Speaking of the great Yuzuru Hanyu of Japan…
Tough Short Program for him here too. He had some problems at this event in general and only managed to hang on to 2nd place. Yuzuru leaves a lasting impression anyway though with the quality of his routines. Last years Short Program to Chopin is so beautiful, I’m happy to see it again! And the Long….ugh….he kills me, I love it. The exciting music that steadily builds to a finale, the way he gives the judges sass, his commitment to the choreography….first rate.
He’s going to win Worlds in 2016…obviously.
Cup of China
Mao Asada of Japan is clearly struggling to get her competitive head screwed on after being away.
I was expecting her to really throw down here but she struggled the whole event. The surprise of that, and then watching how she handled it, is what made her stand out to me over all. She took Gold, but it wasn’t her best.
The programs are OK, maybe not my favourite from her…but i am curious to see where she goes with them theatrically later in the season.
Bronze medalist Elena Radionova of Russia has terrible shoulders, flailing arms and favours embarrassing theatrics.
I cannot express how awful i think her programs are this season either. I hate them. This fierce dislike of her skating keeps her fresh in my mind though, even after the event is long past! They better send her to Ballet class soon because I can’t stand to look at those shoulders anymore!
Speaking of car crash Russians…Anna Pogorilaya was a stand out at Cup of China due to her usual series of brutal falls.
I’m convinced she’s trying to take herself out in these programs and I affectionately call her “Torture Porn Russian”….
But you can’t mention her without also mentioning how beautiful she is….
The girl could be a model. Just stunning….I can’t imagine the season is going to get better for her….but i guess you never can tell in this sport.
Javier Fernandez from Spain, the Gold medalist here, was skating like the World Champion he is and I was proud to see him deliver two strong programs. Go Javi!!!! Great start to the season.
Boyang Jin from Chinatook the Silver and hestands out in my mind only because he can do a Quad Lutz.
It’s an amazingly difficult element and he crushes it. Props. The rest of his skating needs MAJOR work though. Like, major.
Trophée Éric Bompard
The main take way from this competition was of course the horrifying tragedy in France. So scary and so sad…God rest the souls of all those affected by those truly awful terrorist attacks.
The final placement at this event was based on the Short Program standings only, as it was cancelled immediately after that component due to the crisis and no one skated their Long.
So Miss Gracie Gold…she dominated in the Short and even got the Flip done! One can only assume she would have been pretty unbeatable in the Long in this field. A 1st place finish for her sits OK with me.
Yulia Lipnitskaya
My baby girl was looking MUCH better here than at Skate America, that’s for sure, and I love her so she gets another shout out.
Yulia changed up her Short Program dress (and threw that rainbow debacle in the incinerator I hope)
She actually looked happy too.
Yulia skated a basically solid Short Program ending up 2nd. Would she have been able to hang onto that spot? Ehhh, probably not, but whatever. I was happy to see her end the Grand Prix on a positive note and head off to her new coach Alexi Urmanov in Sochi, inspired to get to work. Good luck Yulia!
On a side note, everyone needs to stop shitting on her Short Program musical choice. I applaud her for trying something outside her comfort zone! That’s how you get better people.
ANY-way…
So, like it happened at Skate Canada Elizaveta Tuktamysheva had a really rough Short Program here and ended up 7th.
I’m sure she would have pulled up in the Long…..but I’m not positive..y’know? It seems the pressure of last seasons success is getting to her. I’m very curious to see what she pulls out at Russian Nationals in a few days though! Don’t get too obsessed with the Triple Axle Liza….it’s not everything!!
Shoma Uno of Japan.
This kid is one to watch, no doubt, and I bring him up again for this reason.
Shoma ended up 1st after the short and I’m fine with him having that title. His skating is very exciting to me and I hope to see him on the World team in 2016.
Patrick Chan
Oh Patrick…..what is the fucking problem here!?! Why can’t you get a Short Program done???? Much like at Skate Canada PChan also struggled in the Short at Trophee Eric Bombard, but without the chance to make it up in the Long, he ended up 5th.
There was a time when I thought of Patrick as a threat to any Men’s podium, but after this Grand Prix season…..I just don’t know. Not with the likes of Javier Fernandez, Yuzuru Hanyu and Shoma Uno on the scene. He needs a sports psychologist, and at this point he’s not too good for a jump coach either.
Rostelecom Cup
Elena Radionova won this thing by being gross.
Elena skates with a similar “passion”to every piece of music, no matter the theme, and that dated Titanic LP is no different. It seems like she doesn’t fully understand it, like she doesn’t know what the movie was about. And the voice over of Leonardo DiCaprio drowning during the finale spin!?!?! The fuck?! Tough to watch.
And of course we had super hottie Adelina Sotnikova at this event too.
The controversial Olympic Ladies Champion from Sochi 2014 was nowhere near her best at this event, and she sobbed at the end of her Long Program like she…I don’t know what….like she managed to escape execution??? Something like that. Anyway, her dress was pretty and she has interesting spins, great speed/ice coverage…but unfortunately those jumps were just not around….not at all. But Rostelecom Cup is in Russia and…well….they took care of it and she ended up with the Bronze here. Good for her I guess?
Adian Pitkeev of Russiatook Gold in the Men’s event.
This handsome young man has come so far from last season.
He’s sleek and quick with a beautiful body line and I enjoy watching him more and more as he goes along in the sport. His landings on the jumps remind me a little of Russian Olympic Champion Ilia Kulik and in general he stood out to me here because he has developed so much in just one season. Nice job Adian!
NHK Trophy
Satoko Miyrahara of Japanwas the winner here and you have to stand up and applaud her consistency. She’s un-real that way.
This girl really knows how to focus and do her job. I love her spins (especially the Layback) and I love her confident, authentic showmanship too. And OK sure, there is no height what-so-ever on those jumps, and if she gains even 1 pound she’ll never rotate them again, but who cares right? She’s getting the job done now and I always enjoy her programs. Total little cutie!
Mao Asada…
I’m bringing her up again because I was slightly shocked to see how much trouble she was continuing to have on the Grand Prix circuit this year. It just goes to show you, even the most talented and capable skaters can be plagued in competition if they lose their head game. I hope to see her rise above these problems and do what she is capable at Worlds 2016….I guess we’ll see.
Anna Pogorilaya aka “Torture Porn Russian”
Wow! The falls at this event were truly spectacular. Note worthy. Anna was literally writhing in pain on the ice like a stab wound victim around fall number 3 in the Long Program….
I wouldn’t have believed it unless I saw it with my own eyes. Jesus…..hope Anna is OK. That was rough as HELL. And she’s just so pretty too!
The Grand Prix Final 2015
So after all that here’s how it shook out in the Grand Prix Final this year!
Men:
Yuzuru Hanyu
Javier Fernandez
Shoma Uno
Ladies:
Evgenia Medvedeva
Satoko Miyrahara
Elena Radionova
Closing thoughts:
If you weren’t a die hard Yuzuru Hanyu fan before, I don’t see how you couldn’t be now. It brought a tear to my eye to watch Yuzu skate with such technical mastery and authority. I love that Long Program artistically as well, and he deserves every World record in the book.
Re-live that feat here:
Evgenia Medvedeva is a very exciting jumper. I really stand in awe of the flow and elegance she achieves. She has a lot of other good qualities too. Her Sasha Cohen skid is really dope, love that.
Check out her super clean LP here:
Russian Nationals is going to be absolutely stacked in the Ladies event this year! I’m looking forward to the showdown!
And finally, just to stir the pot a bit, I’d like to mention that at the Grand Prix Final this year I was once again reminded of Ashley Wagner and her uncanny ability to throw down and show us what she’s made of……..once she’s in last place, the pressure is off and there’s nothing to lose.
Ashley sure is proud of herself huh? God love her for that drama (and the dresses) But seriously, I’d like to see her get her head game together already and deliver the SP under pressure.
US Nationals will be very interesting in the Ladies event this year as well.
And there we have it! The 2015 Grand Prix Experience.
At a dinner party the other night, figure skating helped me look smart.
The host of this party was playing classical music. As the night wore on everyone began trying to guess the composers of each piece we heard. The group was impressed because I called Carmen instantly. Honestly, it was within two notes. Everyone was like…”Wow!!!!!” I smiled modestly, and let them think I’m up on all the classical recordings. It was fun.
But now that i think about it, due to my long standing addiction to Figure Skating, I actually am up on a lot of classical recordings!? But none do i know as intimately as Carmen. Ahhhhhh, Carmen. Even just hearing the word, my body has this physical reaction. Its a combination of “Ugh…here we go again. I hate you” mixed with a “Ahhhhh…..here we go again. I love this”. If you know Figure Skating, even just a little, you know Carmen. It is BY FAR the most used, over-used and beloved piece of music found in the sport for the last 30 years. Why is it so popular? Who knows! It just is.
So…..as yet another Figure Skating season begins to unfold, and no doubt bringing with it several (likely 3rd rate) renditions of Carmen. I thought it would be nice to honour the all time greatest.
Behold……The Top 5 Carmen programs!!!
NUMBER 5
SASHA COHEN-2002-LP
Sasha Cohen was a sassy competitor. Just sassy enough to get away with the ballsy move of using this music for her Olympic and International debut! Love her or hate her, you have to admit she did a good job filling those giant, black and red lace shoes. She was appropriately dramatic and dangerously sexy, as Carmen should be. I liked her dress too. A bit more understated than some other looks we’ve seen for this in the past, which was classy, plus it contrasted nicely with the ice.
NUMBER 4
MICHELLE KWAN-1999-SP
Oh Michelle Kwan. There was never one like you, and there never will be. This SP, skated the season after her devastating loss to prodigy Tara Lipinski at the Nagano Olympics, reminded us all of Michelle’s breath taking charisma, originality and smooth, elegant skating skills. Michelle is always so fresh, even when using Carmen!!! Does she wear red? Nope. Does she use Habanera, the most famous section of that score? Uh Uh. Michelle found a way to make even Carmen her own, and it was a beautiful piece. One of the lesser known Kwan programs, but definitely up there among my personal favourites of hers.
NUMBER 3
VICTOR PETRENKO-1991-SP
Victor Petrenko commands your attention when he steps onto the ice. Not just with his ridiculously huge jumps and perfect spins, but with his fierce commitment to every piece of choreography in his routine. Carmen is a good choice for him and i thought he did it a great service with this piece. Sure, some of the moves are a little silly, but it’s figure skating OK, not the ballet, and Victor sells that shit like its going out of style. And when everyone else’s Mantador outfit is always red, Viktor was like…“No, no. Make it….PURPLE!” God love him.
NUMBER 2
KATARINA WITT-1988-LP
Now I know this is a controversial move, putting Katarina Witt in second place. The one who made Carmen famous, the one who started the conversation….but…..I’m standing by this. Katarina’s performance was ground breaking, yes. It was theatrical and sexy. I love the choreo, I love her skating skills. And her death at the end? Fantastic. I even love the dress! People like to hate on it now I’ve noticed, but c’mon! It was the 80’s. Everything she has going on there, right down to the scrunchie, was stylish at that time and I think she looks great. The piece is legendary, and for good reason. But it doesn’t have my heart. I respect Katarina, the original Figure Skating Carmen, but I still have to put her on this list as a very close second.
NUMBER 1
EVNGENI PLUSHENKO-2002-LP
Evngeni Plushenko might very well be the greatest Figure Skater of all time. I mean it. He doesn’t shy away from any part of the sports culture, he is a master of every part of it, actually. Who’s more theatrical than Evngeni? Nobody. Who jumps bigger than Evngeni? NOBODY. Who gets their cheese-ball antics on harder than Evngeni Fucking Plushenko?? There is no parallel. He’ll give you jazz hands, top notch prancing, unbelievable jump combinations, pretend to stab a bitch and then spin at a dazzling speed, Swarovski crystals gleaming, to a triumphant finale. BOOM. He often takes the ice more like a UFC fighter than a figure skater. Super intense is what I’m saying. There has never been anyone else to care that much about figure skating. Not ever. To quote Dick Button…“He has a passionate intensity, an exuberance that just WILL NOT STOP”. I couldn’t agree more, and that is why his Carmen is Number 1 to me. As sexy as Katarina Witt was, she never gave us this much. And even though this next point has nothing to do with Carmen, how bout that Triple Axle/Triple Flip combo!?!?!? What the hell is that? How is that even possible? Who is doing that combination in competition today? NOBODY. Anyway, from the classic Bull Fighter leotard, to the heavy eye contact with the judges when hip grinding, to the joyful, energy filled ending that comes immediately after a dramatic murder scene, this Carmen has it ALL.
What Carmen routines do you like? Do you agree with this list? Feel free to put your thoughts in the comments section and please, be as catty and mean spirited as you think necessary. This is a figure skating blog, after all.
Ice Geeks! The 2015/2016 figure skating season is gearing up to begin. The announcement of the competitors for the Grand Prix Series, which kicks off in October, really got me excited. How bout you? Mao Asada of Japan is back!!!!!
And Patrick Chan too!?
Two serious big wigs in the sport.
The Figure Skating nerd in me totally freaked out when i saw those names officially in the mix. I have heard a LOT of rumours about Evgeni Plushenko of Russia competing this season too, as I’m sure you have…..but I won’t believe it until I see it. That would just be TOO GOOD wouldn’t it? Oh baby. Nobody brings the drama, passion and jumps to a competition like Evgeni Plushenko.
My fingers are crossed that his older-than-dirt ass will indeed be a part of this competitive season. He is a living legend!!!….I guess we’ll see.
So besides Patrick Chan, in the Mens event we have Yuzuru Hanyu of Japan,Nam Nguyen fromCanada,Javier Fernandez representing Spain, Denis Ten of KazakstanSergei Voronov from Russia, Jason Brown for the USA….and a slew of other really strong skaters. Competition is steep. I’m as excited as anyone else for another show down between Yuzu and Patrick, but a part of me wonders if Patrick will be able to keep his focus and beat all these really strong teenagers.
Anyway, the Ladies event is looking very competitive too.Our steely nerved, big jumping Russian squad is back with a vengeance, no doubt. We have reigning World Champion Elizaveta Tuktamysheva,
plus Elena Radionova, Anna Pogorilaya, Evgenia Medvedeva and my personal favourite Yulia Lipnitskaya, who is returning after a horrific season last year.
The USA has a lot of girls right now too. Gracie Gold, Ashley Wagner, Polina Edmunds and new comer Karen Chen are the most notable. But I’m seeing some new names up on the board in addition to those gals too, which is sure to keep things lively.
Canada’s most promising lady in ages Kaetlyn Osmond is back after missing last season with a serious leg injury,
All the promise in the world lies with Finlands super babe Kiira Korpi, and she’s back to try and better her standing from last year.
Don’t forget about the awesome Satoko Miyahara of Japan, So Youn Park of Korea….the list goes on and on. Obviously it’s too soon to make any predictions…..but it’s going to be an exciting Grand Prix this year, that is for sure! I’m really looking forward.
If you read this blog you know I don’t really follow the Pairs or Ice Dance event as of the last few years (I was an avid fan in the 90’s, and of course I love Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir of Canada, but the sport has changed in that time…. but we can talk about that in another post)
If there are any teams I really should be aware of though… please let me know in the comments section! I’d love to be drawn back into that side of the sport by a truly great team.
Who are you excited to see this season? Any early predictions?
Edgy 
