Once More With The Skating
Jan. 17th, 2006 04:35 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
desoto_hia873Really, I will shut up about this soon.
Senior Original Dance
Once again, only the briefest of notes on the dance because I am a clod when it comes to saying anything intelligent about it. I'm not even sure what the theme of the OD was, though it was something Latin.
1. Dubreil and Lauzon seemed surprisingly slow in their footwork sections. My comment to my cousin was, "They're going to have to step it up if they want to medal at the Olympics." Later, we read in the paper that they'd completely reworked their footwork sequences just the week before and this was the first time they'd skated the new stuff in public. That would account for the slowness. Marks: 62.47 for a total of 104.34.
2. Wing and Lowe, somewhat curiously, skated in the second last flight instead of the last one. I thought they seeded skaters based on their Compulsory Dance for the OD? Everyone else seemed to be properly sorted. I have "nice footwork, good flow" written in my notes. Marks: 56.38 for a total of 93.15.
3. Virtue and Moir's taste in costume dipped a little compared to their CD - she was wearing a violent shade of hot pink. They were a trifle slow, but had good expression and nice unison in their footwork. The crowd loved them - they got a standing ovation. Marks: 57.39 for a total of 90.35. Note that they actually scored higher than Wing and Lowe in this round.
4. Lefebvre and Markov were making a bid for the bronze medal in this competition. Just before they started to skate their CD, Chantal said "Don't worry" to Count Markov. Maybe she was just trying to calm his nerves or maybe she thought they had it in the bag. Who knows? Either way, Markov is not as good a skater as Lefebvre - it's just not a good sign when you're distracted from the dance by how much snow the man's blades are throwing around. He's rather heavy on his feet and his strokes are quite short and choppy compared to hers. Marks: 51.02 for a total of 83.44, leaving them well behind Virtue and Moir.
Thus endeth my intelligent(?) comments on the Original Dance.
Senior Pair Free
The pairs got slammed by the local paper the day after the free skate - they declared the winning program to be "extremely dull" and generally didn't have a very good opinion of anyone. It wasn't exactly a brilliantly skated competition, but it wasn't that bad.
1. Marcoux and Buntin weren't clean, but were good enough to win. Buntin stepped out of the triple toe in their planned 3T-2T combination and didn't do attempt the double toe at all. He also had a hand down on a 2A later in the program. Marcoux had a hand down on their second throw, though the first one was clean. The rest of the program was good and included a lift with an exit that made the audience go "Oooo!" Marks: 112.32 for a total of 175.48.
2. Dubé and Davison had the best skate of the night. Their jumps were two 2A's in sequence and, later on, a 3S - all were clean. One of their lifts looked like it ended a little sooner than it was supposed to have done. Their throws were good, they had reasonably good unison in their side-by-side spin, and a nice one-handed lift that turned into an adagio lift. They were very happy with their performance and got a standing ovation. Marks: 112.28 for a total of 167.80 - good enough to get that coveted second Olympic berth. They must both have been utterly exhausted by the end of the week as both were competing in singles as well as pairs.
3. Wakamatsu and Fecteau squeaked into third place ahead of Langlois and Hay by a margin of just over one point. Wakamatsu put a hand down on the first throw and fell on their sbs 3T's. The rest of the program was clean and included lots of moves that showed off her flexibility. Marks: 105.03 for a total of 159.65.
Obligatory Wirtz mention because Wirtzes are mandatory by law in Canadian competitions: I really like Putnam and Wirtz. They're well matched in appearance and always fun to watch - he has such energy. Again, it's too bad that they don't grow Wirtzes a little bigger. My sister thinks this pair should go into dance.
Senior Men Long
Back to the men - yay! I do love me the men.
The local paper was stressing the supposed bitter rivalry between Emanuel and Jeff all week - I guess if you keep asking each one about the other over and over, eventually you'll get less than flattering quotes out of them. The articles made both of them sound snitty and mean-spirited. This kind of bothered me - we Canadians are supposed to be so nice and polite, doncha know. Jeff always seems to have a smile on his face and I met Emanuel once, briefly - he was quite sweet and drew me a little picture to go along with my autograph. So I was relieved to see them chatting and laughing with each other during and after the medal ceremony and again at the Gala on Sunday afternoon. I'm sure there is a rivalry between them - how could there not be? They're competing against one another! But they certainly don't seem to hate one another. And so I am happy once more.
1. Jeff Buttle. He looked tense when he came out in the warm-up and looked tense at the start of his program. I was a bit worried for him. Somehow, I managed not to see any Senior Men practices at this Canadians and so I had no clue whatsoever THAT JEFF WAS PLANNING A QUAD. I didn't even know he'd been practicing them - my eyes just about fell out of my head. He didn't land it - I think this was the first time he'd tried one in competition, so I'm not surprised - but it was quite a decent attempt. His other jumps were 3F-3T, 3A-2T, 3A with a turn out, 2Lo (popped), 3L-2T-2Lo, 3S, and 3L. So, not a perfect skate, but still a good one and he got a standing ovation. Jeff had quite a lead after the short program and the quad attempt helped him keep it as he got partial credit for it (so to speak). Marks: 151.38 for a total of 266.90, which is a new Canadian record.
2. Emanuel Sandhu. Watching Emanuel compete gives me ulcers. He gives me heart arrhythmia. He gives me bunions. Jeff's tenseness was nothing compared to mine when Emanuel came out on the ice. I'm surprised I didn't pop a blood vessel. But Emanuel doesn't seem to flame out the way he once did (though he's not yet the model of consistency) and thank heaven for that. One day I might even be able to watch him without having paramedics standing by.
Emanuel landed a perfect 4T-3T in the warm-up. Sadly, he didn't repeat that in his program. His jumps: 4T with a step out -2T, 3A, 3L, 3S, 2A (popped), 3Lo-3T with a wobble on the toe loop, 3T, and 3F. So, not a perfect skate for him either, but still a very good one. He got a partial standing ovation while I dissolved into a puddle of goo with relief. I think he must have been pretty tense himself because he skated over to his coach and gave her a hug before returning to centre ice to take his bows. His marks: 139.15 for a total of 247.08.
3. Shawn Sawyer. Came out and laid it down. My notes read "Holy cats! That was a thing of beauty!" His jumps: 3F-3T, 3A (slightly two-footed), 3L, 2A, 3Lo in sequence with 3T, 3S-2T-2Lo, and 3F. The two foot landing was the only error in the program - everything else was perfect. The audience exploded into a standing ovation. And, like Joannie before him, Shawn scooped himself a medal and a trip to the Olympics on his birthday. We all sang again. :-) His marks: 132.53 for a total of 232.90.
4. Christopher Mabee had the only skate of the night that was better than Shawn Sawyer's. There are just no words for how well he skated. Christopher came onto the scene in a big way as a Junior in 1999 - he was a wee little guy then and won the bronze by popping off one triple after another. Then he had a growth spurt - he's now 5'10" - and it's taken him a few years to get his jumps back. This was very likely the best program he's skated in his life. His jumps: 3Lo, 3A-2T, 3L-3T with a step out of the toe loop but a big smile nevertheless, 2A-3T, 3F, 3L, 3S, and another 2A. Huge standing ovation. Christopher skated to our end of the rink, knelt on the ice in front of the section his family was sitting in, and put his hand over his heart in salute to them before taking his bows. Sweet kid. His marks: 134.75 for a total of 225.22. He actually beat Shawn Sawyer in this segment of the competition, but wound up in fourth place by virtue of falling on his 3L in the short. I was hoping maybe Skate Canada would send Shawn to the Olympics and Christopher to Worlds, but they aren't - Shawn is going to both. Christopher's going to Four Continents, though, so that's good.
Random notes on other skaters: Nicholas Young two-footed both of his 3A's, but was otherwise clean and had fun choreography when he relaxed between jumps. Patrick Chan, who was brilliant in the short program, had a tough night - he fell on a 2A, stepped out of a 3L and a 3T-3T combination, and slipped off his blade while setting up a Lutz. He's only 15 - as in, just turned fifteen on New Year's Eve - so he's got lots of time. Kevin Reynolds, another fifteen year-old (he looks like he's twelve) two-footed his 4S but was otherwise clean and got a well-deserved standing ovation.
And Ben Ferreira made us all cry. He's been a staple in Canadian figure skating for such a long time - he was the little kid in one of Kurt Browning's TV specials eons ago. They skated a clown routine together. In 1996, when Worlds were in Edmonton, Kurt was supposed to skate in the opening ceremonies, but then the ISU stepped in and said he couldn't because he was a pro. So Kurt came out and waved to everyone (Edmonton is close to being his hometown) and watched as Ben skated in his place to the national anthem. Ben's never been a huge success on the international scene, but he's collected a few medals at Canadians and he's just a really, really nice guy. He's probably one of the best-loved skaters in the country. He took to the ice for the last time at these Canadians and it wasn't a great competition for him. He wound up in eighth place, but that didn't stop him from getting a thundering standing ovation because Canada Loves Ben. He stood out on the ice and waved goodbye and I cried. I passed him in the hall the next morning - people kept stopping him and saying nice things as he made his way from one end of the building to the other. We're gonna miss you, Ben.
Senior Free Dance
Lord, I think my fingers are going to fall off! In brief, then:
1. Dubreil and Lauzon. I'm not crazy about their music - I find the "Is it really you?" and "Yessss" annoying in the extreme - but their free dance is a nice program. It was much better skated than their OD, presumably partly because they haven't changed all the footwork. They always have great lifts. Standing ovation from the audience. Marks: 107.76 for a total of 212.10, miles ahead of everyone else.
2. Wing and Lowe. I rather wish they hadn't done a tango for their free dance. Tangos aren't their strength - I like them best when they're skating something more original. Like their Coppelia program (yes, I know that was an OD) where she skated with her eyes closed for half the program when she was the doll that hadn't yet come to life. Nevertheless, it was a good skate that kept them in second place and earned them a trip to the Olympics. I'm glad of that - they've been around forever, this is their last year in competition, and it's nice that they're going out with a bit of a bang. Marks: 94.43 for a total of 187.58.
3. Virtue and Moir. I must say, I am very impressed with these two. Every time I see them, I like them more. And they're so young! What a future they have. Especially considering that D&L and W&L are retiring this year - this could be the start of a dynasty. Their footwork was a little slow, but the rest of the program was very nice. I was apparently impressed with their twizzles and pair spin as I remarked on them specifically in my notes. They also got a standing ovation. Marks: 94.53 for a total of 184.88.
4. Lefebvre and Markov. He was still making alot of snow with his blades, but their free dance was much better than their OD. Marks: 86.10 for a total of 169.54.
Random dance comments: Girard and Yaeger skated to Janis Joplin's rendition of Summertime, though I can't imagine why. It's not a very dancey song. I quite liked Senft and Gislason's free dance (yet another tango) - I wonder if she's Jean Senft's daughter?
And there you have it - Canadians 2006. A great week, if a very tiring one. It was very nice being home yesterday and not having to stand in endless line-ups for the washroom. :-)
Senior Original Dance
Once again, only the briefest of notes on the dance because I am a clod when it comes to saying anything intelligent about it. I'm not even sure what the theme of the OD was, though it was something Latin.
1. Dubreil and Lauzon seemed surprisingly slow in their footwork sections. My comment to my cousin was, "They're going to have to step it up if they want to medal at the Olympics." Later, we read in the paper that they'd completely reworked their footwork sequences just the week before and this was the first time they'd skated the new stuff in public. That would account for the slowness. Marks: 62.47 for a total of 104.34.
2. Wing and Lowe, somewhat curiously, skated in the second last flight instead of the last one. I thought they seeded skaters based on their Compulsory Dance for the OD? Everyone else seemed to be properly sorted. I have "nice footwork, good flow" written in my notes. Marks: 56.38 for a total of 93.15.
3. Virtue and Moir's taste in costume dipped a little compared to their CD - she was wearing a violent shade of hot pink. They were a trifle slow, but had good expression and nice unison in their footwork. The crowd loved them - they got a standing ovation. Marks: 57.39 for a total of 90.35. Note that they actually scored higher than Wing and Lowe in this round.
4. Lefebvre and Markov were making a bid for the bronze medal in this competition. Just before they started to skate their CD, Chantal said "Don't worry" to Count Markov. Maybe she was just trying to calm his nerves or maybe she thought they had it in the bag. Who knows? Either way, Markov is not as good a skater as Lefebvre - it's just not a good sign when you're distracted from the dance by how much snow the man's blades are throwing around. He's rather heavy on his feet and his strokes are quite short and choppy compared to hers. Marks: 51.02 for a total of 83.44, leaving them well behind Virtue and Moir.
Thus endeth my intelligent(?) comments on the Original Dance.
Senior Pair Free
The pairs got slammed by the local paper the day after the free skate - they declared the winning program to be "extremely dull" and generally didn't have a very good opinion of anyone. It wasn't exactly a brilliantly skated competition, but it wasn't that bad.
1. Marcoux and Buntin weren't clean, but were good enough to win. Buntin stepped out of the triple toe in their planned 3T-2T combination and didn't do attempt the double toe at all. He also had a hand down on a 2A later in the program. Marcoux had a hand down on their second throw, though the first one was clean. The rest of the program was good and included a lift with an exit that made the audience go "Oooo!" Marks: 112.32 for a total of 175.48.
2. Dubé and Davison had the best skate of the night. Their jumps were two 2A's in sequence and, later on, a 3S - all were clean. One of their lifts looked like it ended a little sooner than it was supposed to have done. Their throws were good, they had reasonably good unison in their side-by-side spin, and a nice one-handed lift that turned into an adagio lift. They were very happy with their performance and got a standing ovation. Marks: 112.28 for a total of 167.80 - good enough to get that coveted second Olympic berth. They must both have been utterly exhausted by the end of the week as both were competing in singles as well as pairs.
3. Wakamatsu and Fecteau squeaked into third place ahead of Langlois and Hay by a margin of just over one point. Wakamatsu put a hand down on the first throw and fell on their sbs 3T's. The rest of the program was clean and included lots of moves that showed off her flexibility. Marks: 105.03 for a total of 159.65.
Obligatory Wirtz mention because Wirtzes are mandatory by law in Canadian competitions: I really like Putnam and Wirtz. They're well matched in appearance and always fun to watch - he has such energy. Again, it's too bad that they don't grow Wirtzes a little bigger. My sister thinks this pair should go into dance.
Senior Men Long
Back to the men - yay! I do love me the men.
The local paper was stressing the supposed bitter rivalry between Emanuel and Jeff all week - I guess if you keep asking each one about the other over and over, eventually you'll get less than flattering quotes out of them. The articles made both of them sound snitty and mean-spirited. This kind of bothered me - we Canadians are supposed to be so nice and polite, doncha know. Jeff always seems to have a smile on his face and I met Emanuel once, briefly - he was quite sweet and drew me a little picture to go along with my autograph. So I was relieved to see them chatting and laughing with each other during and after the medal ceremony and again at the Gala on Sunday afternoon. I'm sure there is a rivalry between them - how could there not be? They're competing against one another! But they certainly don't seem to hate one another. And so I am happy once more.
1. Jeff Buttle. He looked tense when he came out in the warm-up and looked tense at the start of his program. I was a bit worried for him. Somehow, I managed not to see any Senior Men practices at this Canadians and so I had no clue whatsoever THAT JEFF WAS PLANNING A QUAD. I didn't even know he'd been practicing them - my eyes just about fell out of my head. He didn't land it - I think this was the first time he'd tried one in competition, so I'm not surprised - but it was quite a decent attempt. His other jumps were 3F-3T, 3A-2T, 3A with a turn out, 2Lo (popped), 3L-2T-2Lo, 3S, and 3L. So, not a perfect skate, but still a good one and he got a standing ovation. Jeff had quite a lead after the short program and the quad attempt helped him keep it as he got partial credit for it (so to speak). Marks: 151.38 for a total of 266.90, which is a new Canadian record.
2. Emanuel Sandhu. Watching Emanuel compete gives me ulcers. He gives me heart arrhythmia. He gives me bunions. Jeff's tenseness was nothing compared to mine when Emanuel came out on the ice. I'm surprised I didn't pop a blood vessel. But Emanuel doesn't seem to flame out the way he once did (though he's not yet the model of consistency) and thank heaven for that. One day I might even be able to watch him without having paramedics standing by.
Emanuel landed a perfect 4T-3T in the warm-up. Sadly, he didn't repeat that in his program. His jumps: 4T with a step out -2T, 3A, 3L, 3S, 2A (popped), 3Lo-3T with a wobble on the toe loop, 3T, and 3F. So, not a perfect skate for him either, but still a very good one. He got a partial standing ovation while I dissolved into a puddle of goo with relief. I think he must have been pretty tense himself because he skated over to his coach and gave her a hug before returning to centre ice to take his bows. His marks: 139.15 for a total of 247.08.
3. Shawn Sawyer. Came out and laid it down. My notes read "Holy cats! That was a thing of beauty!" His jumps: 3F-3T, 3A (slightly two-footed), 3L, 2A, 3Lo in sequence with 3T, 3S-2T-2Lo, and 3F. The two foot landing was the only error in the program - everything else was perfect. The audience exploded into a standing ovation. And, like Joannie before him, Shawn scooped himself a medal and a trip to the Olympics on his birthday. We all sang again. :-) His marks: 132.53 for a total of 232.90.
4. Christopher Mabee had the only skate of the night that was better than Shawn Sawyer's. There are just no words for how well he skated. Christopher came onto the scene in a big way as a Junior in 1999 - he was a wee little guy then and won the bronze by popping off one triple after another. Then he had a growth spurt - he's now 5'10" - and it's taken him a few years to get his jumps back. This was very likely the best program he's skated in his life. His jumps: 3Lo, 3A-2T, 3L-3T with a step out of the toe loop but a big smile nevertheless, 2A-3T, 3F, 3L, 3S, and another 2A. Huge standing ovation. Christopher skated to our end of the rink, knelt on the ice in front of the section his family was sitting in, and put his hand over his heart in salute to them before taking his bows. Sweet kid. His marks: 134.75 for a total of 225.22. He actually beat Shawn Sawyer in this segment of the competition, but wound up in fourth place by virtue of falling on his 3L in the short. I was hoping maybe Skate Canada would send Shawn to the Olympics and Christopher to Worlds, but they aren't - Shawn is going to both. Christopher's going to Four Continents, though, so that's good.
Random notes on other skaters: Nicholas Young two-footed both of his 3A's, but was otherwise clean and had fun choreography when he relaxed between jumps. Patrick Chan, who was brilliant in the short program, had a tough night - he fell on a 2A, stepped out of a 3L and a 3T-3T combination, and slipped off his blade while setting up a Lutz. He's only 15 - as in, just turned fifteen on New Year's Eve - so he's got lots of time. Kevin Reynolds, another fifteen year-old (he looks like he's twelve) two-footed his 4S but was otherwise clean and got a well-deserved standing ovation.
And Ben Ferreira made us all cry. He's been a staple in Canadian figure skating for such a long time - he was the little kid in one of Kurt Browning's TV specials eons ago. They skated a clown routine together. In 1996, when Worlds were in Edmonton, Kurt was supposed to skate in the opening ceremonies, but then the ISU stepped in and said he couldn't because he was a pro. So Kurt came out and waved to everyone (Edmonton is close to being his hometown) and watched as Ben skated in his place to the national anthem. Ben's never been a huge success on the international scene, but he's collected a few medals at Canadians and he's just a really, really nice guy. He's probably one of the best-loved skaters in the country. He took to the ice for the last time at these Canadians and it wasn't a great competition for him. He wound up in eighth place, but that didn't stop him from getting a thundering standing ovation because Canada Loves Ben. He stood out on the ice and waved goodbye and I cried. I passed him in the hall the next morning - people kept stopping him and saying nice things as he made his way from one end of the building to the other. We're gonna miss you, Ben.
Senior Free Dance
Lord, I think my fingers are going to fall off! In brief, then:
1. Dubreil and Lauzon. I'm not crazy about their music - I find the "Is it really you?" and "Yessss" annoying in the extreme - but their free dance is a nice program. It was much better skated than their OD, presumably partly because they haven't changed all the footwork. They always have great lifts. Standing ovation from the audience. Marks: 107.76 for a total of 212.10, miles ahead of everyone else.
2. Wing and Lowe. I rather wish they hadn't done a tango for their free dance. Tangos aren't their strength - I like them best when they're skating something more original. Like their Coppelia program (yes, I know that was an OD) where she skated with her eyes closed for half the program when she was the doll that hadn't yet come to life. Nevertheless, it was a good skate that kept them in second place and earned them a trip to the Olympics. I'm glad of that - they've been around forever, this is their last year in competition, and it's nice that they're going out with a bit of a bang. Marks: 94.43 for a total of 187.58.
3. Virtue and Moir. I must say, I am very impressed with these two. Every time I see them, I like them more. And they're so young! What a future they have. Especially considering that D&L and W&L are retiring this year - this could be the start of a dynasty. Their footwork was a little slow, but the rest of the program was very nice. I was apparently impressed with their twizzles and pair spin as I remarked on them specifically in my notes. They also got a standing ovation. Marks: 94.53 for a total of 184.88.
4. Lefebvre and Markov. He was still making alot of snow with his blades, but their free dance was much better than their OD. Marks: 86.10 for a total of 169.54.
Random dance comments: Girard and Yaeger skated to Janis Joplin's rendition of Summertime, though I can't imagine why. It's not a very dancey song. I quite liked Senft and Gislason's free dance (yet another tango) - I wonder if she's Jean Senft's daughter?
And there you have it - Canadians 2006. A great week, if a very tiring one. It was very nice being home yesterday and not having to stand in endless line-ups for the washroom. :-)
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no subject
Date: 2006-01-17 11:50 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-18 01:35 am (UTC)More importantly, they should fix the ceiling. The Citizen said that one of the Junior Women was so distracted by a clump of insulation falling right into her path that she fell on her Lutz. That sucks!
no subject
Date: 2006-01-18 01:46 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-18 12:27 am (UTC)I wish the OD's had been shown on tv as well, too bad. And also Chris Mabee's routine - I've seen him skate many times and it sounds like that routine was amazing.
And Jeff has tried a number of quads, but I don't think he has this season. Rod said that the last one he landed in competition was at 4CC's in 2002 or 2003.
And I teared up for the 3 seconds of Ben that made it on tv, must have been great there in person!
You can't hear the words in D&L's FD at all on tv... strange! And good to hear all the great stuff about V&M. They also were debuting part of their program (which may have accounted for some slow parts) because Juniors skate a shorter FD.
And yes she is Jean Senft's daughter.
(wow that was an absurdly long comment... but thanks again! It was great to read!)
no subject
Date: 2006-01-18 01:37 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-20 01:01 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-21 02:56 am (UTC):-)