2016 NHK Trophy Pairs FS

[solani]

Really? I'm shocked. I never would've guessed that.

I guess there is a ten years difference in most of those Chinese pairs ... the guys look young though.

 

[glorybox6]

I wish they'd bring this a little more voids.

 

[ruffledgrouse]

We are a greek chorus without the doom and gloom

WithOUT the doom and gloom? Do you even goldenskate?

 

[friedbanana]

Yikes

 

[Giselle]

My take is not that there are not tall Japanese boys, rather that they choose other sports.
Shibutani was born in the US, where there is a more varied tradition (lately, at any rate), and I think he and his sister chose skating together - I mean they skated together since they were children?

IIRC they started skating at 4 and 7 (singles) but decided to switch to ice dance and skate together after watching the ice dancing competition live at Worlds in 2003 in DC!

This is them in 2006 about 2 years after they teamed up.

 

[SarahSynchro]

Jumps... is not a strong point for the German, is it?

Or throws.

Or SBS spins

But music selection is

Well, unless you're Aliona and Bruno...

Though she always two foots her throws... and they have the odd splat... and sometimes have oddball music choices (last years free program, anyone? Though their Caro Emerald short for this season makes up for it)

 

[auser]

Were those spins out of sync, or meant to be mirrored, and I am too turkey hazed to tell the difference .

 

[MIM]

It is about energy and environment and....
Muse
Wow the lift position

I am confused I think so is the crowd...

 

[ancientpeas]

And I hate that last lift position. So gynecological. *sigh* Sorry nice german team. I'm sure you are lovely people.

 

[glorybox6]

Already lowest TES of the event so far, yikes.

I feel like they need to really commit to the gloomy, spooky vibes of the program, it just doesn't feel fully cooked yet.

 

[Violet Bliss]

A little bit of Mari falling on the ice;
A little bit of V/B screwing up their sbs spin.

 

[draqq]

Vartmann / Bolmmaert: Slight crash on the triple twist. Completed 3T+3T sequence but shaky. Only a 1S from Vartmann in the side by side. Long setup and fall for the throw 3Lz, likely a new element. Very off in the unison for the side-by-side spins (and I have no idea what the words the narrator are saying and what it has to do with the program). Strong bent-leg lift, but a light turn-out on the rather low ending throw 3S. That said, they have interesting transitional elements at times, but they had a very rough time in the technical and might end up losing a place or two. I didn't really "get" the program.

 

[rain]

That was a rough outing.

 

[blue_idealist]

Vartmann is so elegant, I'm disappointed that she and both of her partners (that I know of, I'm only familiar with her with Blommaert and Van Cleave) have seemed to struggle with jump consistency.

 

[text_skate]

V/B need to work on their jumps amongst other things. I was hoping for a better skate. Probably they end in last

Maybe they should change coaches. The Wendes also had all the time problems with jumps and throws.

 

[SarahSynchro]

It is about energy and environment and....
Muse.

I really wish someone would skate to Muse's Starlight. Enough with the Exogenesis.

 

[nolangoh]

This program looks messy to me, the jumps and throws are just rough.

 

[ruffledgrouse]

Mari VARTMANN / Ruben BLOMMAERT

So I'm the only one feeling this music, huh? Oh well.

109.47/170.70 3/5 Honestly, better than I was expecting

 

[lady_bee]

Sorry for being shallow.　I miss Meagan's short hair.

 

[SarahSynchro]

Bam! 3Lz!