Figure Skating

[Bonny]

The ice skating exposition or gala was fantastic. The person that really left a mark was Ashley. She truly is an artistic & athletic skater. She just blew it away for me. I was watching the ladies contest the other night & fell asleep when Sasha was about to skate so missed her. In between the advertising, letting dogs in & out & phone calls it is hard to catch everyone. I loved to see all the former gold medal winners. What a line up & they all looked to be in good shape. Maybe they still get out there on their blades & scratch up the ice. when know one is looking.

[Momto4FemaleFelines]

Did you see the 10-year-old Novice Mens Champion skate in the gala? He was marvelous!!!

I really enjoyed seeing our past Olympic Gold Medalists come out to be honored. (I shook Kristy's hand in 2004 I think it was)

I so enjoy a beautiful skate done with the music over a technically perfect skate any day. I like Ashley's style, as well as Mirai's, over Rachel Flatt's. I also enjoy Alyssa Cizny and hoped she'd do better in the comp.

If you have Universal Sports channel, keep an eye out for repeats of the competition. I caught the ladies I missed during Sat. nights airing on Sunday evening on that channel. I re-watched Rachel and Mirai skate as well to try to see just why they placed the way they did. The announcers pointed at that many of Mirai's jumps were "cheated"...she was either partially rotated before she left the ice or she landed before making a complete revolution, which downgrades her technical scores.

Like Dick Button said at the top of the comp when asked what would make the winner...He said it wouldn't be who we think should win because they skate a beautiful program, but the person who racks up all the technical points. I'm kind of sick of hearing about points, extra points for jumps after half-way through, level of difficulty, etc.

[RICHARD]

What's the deal with the Kerrigan Family?

Heard that her brother hit the dad and died of a H attack?

[Momto4FemaleFelines]

Richard,
Believe me, if there is any skater I don't follow, it's Kerrigan. I have never been fond of her on the ice or off the ice.
I have no idea what is up with her these days.

[Karen]

She lives not too far from here, in Lynnfield, MA, she's a married mom of 3. I have never had anything against her, thought I thought the media sometimes went to far in portraying her as the "ice princess" as opposed to Tanya Harding's "bad girl." She didn't grow up wealthy, just a normal working class family. The incident with her brother and father sounds like alcoholism at work, and nothing to do with the skater.

[Momto4FemaleFelines]

I've never wished anything ill-will towards Nancy, she just isn't someone I get a real warm & fuzzy feeling about.
I was thrilled for her that she finally had a successful 3rd pregnancy and baby, though. She had a lot of heart break in that part of her life.

[cassiesmom]

I thought that 10-year-old Nathan Chen was amazing! I hope he will have a very bright future as a skater.

I didn't know Dick Button was the first to complete a double Axel in competition. He IS mellowing with age! I wonder what he thinks of today's competitors doing triple and quad jumps?!

I thought it was very neat that all the Olympic winners were introduced from Dick Button to Sarah Hughes. Very cool. The girls who won weren't even born yet when Scott Hamilton and Brian Boitano were Olympic competitors. I remember those two Olympics so well.

And I thought Mirai Nagasu's program was more artistic and Rachael Flatt's more athletic. I wish 3 women could go. I thought Mirai Nagasu should have won, but then they showed the problem with her jumps in very slow motion and I understood why she finished second.

[Momto4FemaleFelines]

Hi Elyse,

Sometimes the ones you hope will have a great future somehow don't make it, for whatever reason. It's fun to watch over the years and see how things pan out.

Seeing the past Olympic Gold Medalists was really cool.

My BIL took my sister, my Mom and me to see Peggy Fleming in the Ice Capades (or maybe the Follies, I forget which) after she had won the Gold medal. I'd had a tooth pulled that day and the next thing I knew I was being shaken awake in my seat to get up and go home, the show was over. I MISSED seeing Peggy skate! All I have to show for it is the program from the show!

The cheated jumps is nothing new. It's so hard to see it without the slow-mo. The cheated Lutz jump, too, is kind of hard to see...many women skaters especially take off on the wrong edge, making it a "flutz", which isn't as difficult a jump as a Lutz. They shouldn't get full credit if they don't do a true Lutz. I guess this new judging system makes sure that gets checked more so than the old system.

[Bonny]

The novice mens champion was a powerhouse out there on the ice. He has great charisma & oh what a future he has.

Mirai has to work on her jumps before the olympics. She better get them down pat. They did show her foot work & uncompleted turns in slow motion last night. Uncle Dick put his two cents in there. He is mellowing out with age. LOL! I guess I never cared for his lack of tact.

My dear Scotti was asked about the chances of the US women placing. Scotti mentioned the Japanese skaters & we really haven't seen the world skaters yet so watch out US women skaters. Practice! Practice! Practice!

Just heard about Nancy Karrigans father died over the weekend. He got into a struggle with his son over using the telephone. The old fella was 70 years old. The son was arrested. I guess he grabbed his dad around the throat. Not good.

You were so lucky to shake hands with Kristys MOMto. The closest I got to Scotti was up in row Z with no binoc's either at the Target Center in Minneapolis. Scott & Kristy was my all time favorites.

[Momto4FemaleFelines]

Bonny,
Nathan, that's the 10 year old novice champ, hopefully DOES have a marvelous future. It will depend on if life and growth spurts gets in the way or not. He won't be eligible for Oly's until 2018!

There have been a lot of jump-cheaters in the past but the old scoring system didn't have as much an impact on it as the new one does, and I don't know how much reviewing of jumps they did with the 6.0 system.

I've always enjoyed "Uncle Dick" as Dick Buttons is known in the thick of the figure skating fan world. I always laughed, and agreed, when he pointed out ugly leg positions of a layback spin...and the fanny sticking out too much on the descent into a death spiral!

This year, not being able to see Stars On Ice due to it not coming close enough for us to be willing to travel to it as well as put out the cost, I realise how lucky I have been in the past to have gone to all the different shows and competitions I've been to!