Remember that last year at this comp her performance
was no where NEAR what she did at Nationals and Worlds
(sheesh, that whole event was a SPLATFEST! Did anyone
stay on thier feet?), even the choreography was
completely different. It's early in the season and
there's nothing on the line here except some TV time
and their pride.
--- Louis DiCesari <louis917@...> wrote:
> To: SkateFans@yahoogroups.com
> From: Louis DiCesari <louis917@...>
> Date: Sat, 4 Oct 2003 17:55:06 -0700 (PDT)
> Subject: [SkateFans] USFSA cheesefest (long)
>
> After missing Mid-Atlantics, I decided to go the
> cheesefest partially to see the debut of new
> programs
> and partially to see all of the NYC-area 'netters I
> typically get to see at Mid-Atlantics. Even with
> the
> steep ($75) ticket prices, there were enough
> spectactors to fill almost the entire lower bowl and
> part of
> the 200-level of Madison Square Garden -- easily,
> the
> biggest crowd I've seen at a cheesefest in the U.S.
> I don't know what the ROI will be because renting
> out
> the Garden is very steep, but I wouldn't mind if
> this
> became a permanent fixture.
>
> Sandra, Lorrie, Sylvia, Jen, and I were sitting next
> to the commentary booth, and the big news of the
> season
> is that Dick Button has shaved off his beard! It
> looks like Peggy Fleming has blonde highlights.
> Because
> the commentary booth was not very protected, Peggy,
> Dick, and Terry were besieged by autograph seekers,
> and
> to their credit, they didn't turn anyone away until
> it
> was showtime.
>
> When the judges were introduced, we were horrified
> to
> hear Sviatoslav Babenko's name announced. What on
> earth
> is the USFSA doing allowing a known cheater to judge
> at their event? We booed!
>
> Men, in order of skate....
>
> Tim Goebel (USA) - horrible, barely-recognizable
> muzak
> versions of "Bohemian Rhapsody," "We are the
> Champions,"
> and "Who Wants to Live Forever." Quite seriously,
> the
> friend of mine who never says anything negative
> about
> anyone (guess who!) muttered "God, this is SO
> boring!"
> about 2/3 of the way through the program. I concur
> --
> this is about a 9.75 on a 10-scale of boring.
> 3axel/2toe/3loop(step out), 3salchow/3toe, 3toe,
> stars
> into butterfly 8/upright 3/scratch 4, sit 6/back sit
> 6/upright 4, 2axel, spirals, 3salchow, lunge, 2axel
> from standstill, straight-line footwork with
> rotating
> lunges, twizzles, and I think half-walleys, 3flutz,
> outside spread eagles, 3flip, circular footwork,
> butterfly into back scratch, camel 4/sit 5 - back
> came
> 3/back sit 4/scratch 9. I really have no idea how
> any
> judge could have gone up on presentation given how
> disturbingly bad the music was. Oy. (2nd place.)
>
> Ryan Jahnke (USA) - Chamada/Cosa Nostra/Candyell
> Beat
> (Brazilian selections, with a particularly hypnotic
> extended middle slow section that has been stuck in
> my
> head ever since I first saw the program on video a
> month ago). Splatted on his stomach on a 3axel
> attempt (arrrgh... he did two huge, clean ones in
> warmup), shaky 3toe (he warmed up a very
> underrotated
> 4toe, and I guess this was an attempt at that),
> twisted sit spin 9, 3lutz-double three-2loop, back
> spiral to forward spiral intentionally touching the
> ice, lunge, then steps all done in a serpentine,
> outside camel 8/sit 3/back sit 3/inside back sit
> 3/twist 3 (whee -- a spin on both edges! Level 3 in
> COP!), 2axel, outside spread eagle
> with a flick of his head perfectly suited to the
> music, 'tano 3lutz, outside camel 6 to driscoll 4,
> 3lip(turnout), 3salchow, straight-line footwork
> with
> a neat slide on his hands, 2loop(step out),
> butterfly
> to back sit 6. When I first saw this program on
> tape,
> it reminded me a lot of Krylova and Ovsiannikov's
> jungle dance in the sense that it was mentally
> stimulating but didn't produce the same kind of
> visceral reaction as last year's Cinderella program.
>
> Now that I've watched it a few times, and now that
> Ryan has put some more miles on the program, I find
> the program intense and
> exciting. If he can just replicate what he did on
> warmup.... Even though many of Ryan's ardent fans
> are
> anti-COP, I think COP might actually benefit him.
> I
> think it was a joke that he received lower
> presentation marks than Goebel here, so I'm open to
> seeing how COP might reward the qualities that were
> apparently overlooked here. (tied 4th place.)
>
> Michael Weiss (USA) - When Johnny Comes Marching
> Home
> Again/Amazing Grace/Glory Glory Hallelujah.
> Big, predictable SPLAT on a two-footed quad toe,
> 3toe,
> upright spin into a back upright spin that went onto
> an inside edge (if COP does nothing else, I'll be
> grateful for the number of inside edge spins it's
> producing), predictable awful skidding takeoff into
> 2axel with a stumble out, 3loop, flying *axel* camel
> not held long but still impressive, walley right
> into
> 3axel (where the heck did that come from?!?)
> circular
> footwork with a 1.5 rotational move that might count
> as a jump element in COP, 3salchow, 3lutz, camel
> 6/jump sit 6, "Mike Pike" (I couldn't resist letting
> out a cheer :p) into 3flip, straight-line ftk,
> flying
> camel to inside edge/jump sit/scratch wobbling and
> traveling all over the place throughout. (3rd
> place.)
>
> Takeshi Honda (JPN) - Warsaw Concerto. (A more
> sophisticated look for him, but still lacking fit
> and
> finish on many of his moves.) Big popped 2toe,
> 3salchow, 3axel(fell out), camel 6, 4toe(splat),
> 3flutz, butterfly to back sit 7, 2loop,
> 3flip(leaning
> forward), outside spread eagle to inside spread
> eagle,
> death drop 8, totally out of place toe-stomping
> footwork, camel 4/sit 2/attitude 3 - back camel
> 2/back
> sit 4/scratch 4. (tied 4th place.)
>
> Evgeny Plushenko (RUS) - St. Petersburg 300 (last's
> year program). Two-footed 4toe, 4toe/3toe swung
> around but clean, upright spin, posing, 3axel,
> 3lutz,
> 3axel(step out)/2toe, 3lip, 3loop, sit 6/twisted
> back
> sit 6, Biellmann spiral, 3salchow, camel 3/upright
> in
> a semi-layback position 6, straight-line steps that
> began at least 1/4 of the way down the rink, flying
> camel 7, camel 3/sit 3/layback to Biellmann 5 - back
> sit 3/scratch 6 with some travel. This was light
> years ahead of anyone else, but there are still too
> many nitpicks (spins, posing, incomplete patterns)
> that aren't up to World Champion quality. (1st
> place.)
>
> Scott Smith (USA) - Concerto for Saxophone. Halfway
> through the program, a smile broke out on my face as
> I
> realized he was actually DOING SOMETHING with the
> music! (He gets it! He gets it!) The presentation
> marks either stayed the same or went up, which was
> thrilling for me as a viewer, so I imagine it must
> have been equally thrilling for Scott and his
> coaches.
> 3axel/3toe, 3toe, fell on a 4salchow that was
> leaning
> badly, flying camel 6/crouch 2, outside spread eagle
> to
> 3lutz(step out), straight-line footwork with a
> portion
> on one foot, 3loop off-balance but clean, inside
> spread eagle, outside camel 6, 3axel(two-footed),
> brief inside Ina Bauer, 3flip, deathdrop 8,
> serpentine
> moves of outside spread eagle - inside Ina Bauer -
> outside spread eagle, 3salchow with a double three,
> camel 3 then going into stars into a
> butterfly/sloppy
> back sit/scratch. Last year, I knew he had no hope
> of
> making the World Team regardless of how many jumps
> he
> landed because there was very little relation to the
> music or knee bend in his stroking. I see good
> progress in both of these areas. (tied 4th place.)
>
> Exhibition of Pairs and Dance....
>
> Scott and Dulebohn skated their new short program to
> "Farandole" without much of a warmup. Back press
> lift
> to one hand into a sideway star lift, throw 3salchow
> (she saved), SBS 3toes (she doubled), SBS camels 7
> into deathdrops 3, 2twist, straight-line footwork,
> BO
> death spiral (she lost her edge and fell over), pair
> combination spin. This is definitely a more
> sophisticated look for them. And, on a trivial but
> nevertheless happy note, Tiffany has grown out her
> hair. :)
>
> Belbin and Agosto skated their free dance, but I
> think
> they must have left off the first minute. If not,
> the
> music opens with a slow section, which seems odd.
> Like the first incarnation of their Elvis free
> dance,
> there is a music cut every 15-20 seconds. What they
> did was fairly good technically -- several
> one-footed
> lifts, both footwork sequence with close closed
> holds,
> complicated twizzles in both directions, and
> interesting section of holds where Tanith pulls
> herself from low to high -- but it wasn't skated
> with
> much speed or flair. I'm withholding any opinions
> until I see the full dance at Skate America.
>
> Ladies, also in order of skate....
>
> Ann Patrice McDonough (USA) - Swan Lake, in a
> costume
> that was much less hideous than what I was expecting
> (I thought the "swan head" everyone was talking
> about
> would be 3D). 2axel, 3lutz, fall on 3toe, 3loop,
> flying camel to donut 13, 3lip(off balance),
> 3salchow,
> nice LFO spiral to LFO Kerrigan spiral (maybe one
> was
> an RFO?), 3lutz with no combo, layback 8, Russian
> split to 2lip, deathdrop 5/attitude 5, totally out
> of
> place stomping straight-line footwork,
> camel/sit/layback-back camel/back sit/Y/scratch.
> The
> lack of relation to the music was startling. Again,
> this is a case where I did not understand the
> presentation marks going up, even though she was hit
> with a Zayak deduction on the technical mark.
> Incidentally, she has one too many jumping passes in
> her program for COP. (3rd place.)
>
> Jenny Kirk (USA) - Die Fledermaus, last year's
> program
> but without any smiling (what happened?). 3loop,
> crash
> into boards on 3flutz, layback 7, serpentine
> spirals,
> 3toe/2toe, 3flip/2toe, camel 3/sit 3/layback 2 -
> back
> camel to catchfoot 4, camel 4/layback 2 - back sit
> 2/Y
> 4, outside spread eagle, fell on 3flip, 3salchow,
> straight-line ftk, 2axel, "flying" camel to scratch.
>
> (4th place.)
>
> Michelle Kwan (USA) - Tosca, with very similar edits
> to Slutskaya's 2002 free skate. 3toe, 3flutz(put
> her
> foot down a little early), 3flip, 2axel, flying
> camel
> 6, inside Ina Bauer to inside spread eagle,
> 3salchow,
> layback 6, camel 4/sit 4 - back sit 5/twist 5,
> inside
> to outside spiral, 3toe/2toe, outside spread eagle,
> popped flutz, hand-to-ice spiral, Morozov-style
> straight-line footwork, split falling leaf,
> deathdrop
> 4 to scratch 5.
> Clearly, she's not yet at her physical peak with no
> attempt at a 3loop, spins that weren't up to the
> level
> of last year's, and skating wasn't that nearly as
> fast
> as what she produced at Nationals and Worlds. But
> Kwan is Kwan, and her level of skating in October is
> never a concern come March. The stranger thing is
> that there are very few musical highlights in this
> program (even
> the change-edge spiral comes at a half-hearted
> crescendo), and it does very little to differentiate
> itself from Slutskaya's 2002 Worlds-winning program.
>
> Well, she has three full months to fix it. :) (2nd
> place.)
>
> Fumie Suguri (JPN) - Mozart selections. Fall on
> 3flutz, 3flip followed by many steps into
> 2.25salchow
> underrotated and landed on two feet, deathdrop 5,
> layback 8, two-footed and cheated 3loop with both
> hands down, two-footed 3flutz, RFI spiral to RBO
> Kerrigan
> spiral, 2axel, flying camel to inside edge 6,
> 3flip/2toe, straight-line footwork which was really
> nice (with NO TOE STOMPS! Yay!) until she tripped,
> camel 5/layback 4 - back sit 4/scratch too many to
> count. Odd that there wasn't a triple toe in this
> program. Maybe
> Fumie is leaving out the toe in favor of a second
> flip
> in order to get more points under COP. It remains
> to
> be seen whether that warrants a hit on the
> well-balanced program components. (5th place.)
>
> Elena Sokolova (RUS) - some extremely boring Russian
> piano piece (again, the friend who never says
> anything
> negative about anyone sighed "we're only at the
> three-minute mark?" during this travesty of a
> program.
> Messy 2lutz(turned out), 2flip(step out), 2salchow,
> flying camel 6, 3loop(two-footed and turn out),
> layback 7, 3toe, camel 3/upright 3/layback 3 - back
> camel to catchfoot 3, 2toe/2toe, spirals, circular
> footwork, 2axel, butterfly to scratch 8. What an
> embarrassment to show up so under-trained to be
> missing DOUBLE jumps.
> Without any exaggeration, I saw no less than six
> NOVICE programs that could have beaten this one --
> on
> overall skating as well as jumps -- at a club
> competition two weeks ago. For her sake, I hope
> she's
> left off the TV broadcast. (6th place, though the
> corrupt Russian judge
> amazingly put ahead of Suguri.)
>
> Sasha Cohen (USA) - Swan Lake. Now, THIS costume I
> thought was hideous. On the back of her black
> skirt,
> there is a white swan wing looks amazing like her
> costumer lifted an eagle's wing off an Aerosmith CD!
>
> I wonder if this was "THE" dress? 3flutz/2toe,
> connecting steps to 3flip/2toe, 3loop, flying camel
> to
> inside edge changing to back sit and then a Y,
> footwork right up
> into 2axel (held on), LFO "Bobek" spiral, fan
> spiral,
> skid spiral, outside camel 6 to an upright spin 6
> with
> a twisty arm variation that might garner her an
> "originality" bonus under COP, half-Biellmann
> spiral,
> outside spread eagle, 3toe, steps into
> 3flip(two-footed)
> at the exact spot on the ice as the first one,
> 3salchow, layback 10, more stomping straight-line
> footwork, though with a flexi-move or two thrown in
> for good measure, camel/sit/layback all with her
> hands
> clasped behind her back - back sit into back
> catch-foot camel. It was nice
> to see her win, but it was even nicer to skate a
> PROGRAM with solid construction and evenly
> distributed
> elements. And her mistakes were, as Lorrie put it,
> "normal-people mistakes," not the disasters we're
> accustomed to seeing. The program isn't unbeatable,
> nor is it "one for the ages," but it's well-designed
> and obviously had a lot of thought put into it
> regarding Code of Points (e.g., every spin except
> the
> layback is new, and she's doing two flips instead of
> two flutzes, presumably to avoid GOEs in the -
> range).
> (1st place.)
>
> Ah, it'll be an interesting season. Can't wait for
> Skate America and Skate Canada.
>
> Louis
>
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