SOI in Wenatchee WA

[mylifeback]

So any reports from the Seattle or Wenatchee shows this past weekend?

I was at the Seattle show and loved it, had a fabulous time. Most of the skaters put on wonderful performances, but as has been noted here, Gracie really labored throughout her performance and only did singles and maybe one double between both programs? She also fell doing some sort of flying leap into a spin.

My favorites were Nathan's first program, Karen's program with the butterfly fans, and Chock/Bates tango. Any other questions?

 

[apgold]

I'm not going to worry until the end of September. I remember seeing Elaine Zayak at a show during the early 80's. She was clearly overweight and looked exhausted by the end of very short program that she skated to "Fame." She was so bad that I actually felt sorry for her. Fortunately, she was in much better shape by the time the season came around and took 3rd at Nationals and 6th at the Olympics. When I look at her bio from that season, it appears she may have been injured as she skipped the GP and only skated at Nat, Worlds, and the OG's. Maybe that's path that Gracie will follow.

I remember when Michelle did it and she did very well that season.

I think skipping the GP would be a good idea for Gracie to give her extra time to get in fighting shape for Nationals.

ETA: Courtesy of Sylvia from FSU - here are some fancams from Seattle's show.

“24K Magic” - Bruno Mars - Group
“Diamonds” Josef Salvat - Adam Rippon
“Land of All” Woodkid - Jeremy Abbott
"Rise" Katy Perry - Karen Chen
“Handclap” Fitz and the Tantrums - Ashley Wagner
"Parachute" Otto Knows - Nathan Chen
"Butterfly Lovers" - Karen Chen
“Sax” Fleur East - Meryl Davis & Charlie White
“Can't Stop the Feeling!” Justin Timberlake - Group

 

[mrrice]

I think skipping the GP would be a good idea for Gracie to give her extra time to get in fighting shape for Nationals.

ETA: Courtesy of Sylvia from FSU - here are some fancams from Seattle's show.

“24K Magic” - Bruno Mars - Group
“Diamonds” Josef Salvat - Adam Rippon
“Land of All” Woodkid - Jeremy Abbott
"Rise" Katy Perry - Karen Chen
“Handclap” Fitz and the Tantrums - Ashley Wagner
"Parachute" Otto Knows - Nathan Chen
"Butterfly Lovers" - Karen Chen
“Sax” Fleur East - Meryl Davis & Charlie White
“Can't Stop the Feeling!” Justin Timberlake - Group

The rest of the US Men need to keep an eye on Nathan. He looks fantastic and he is much faster in that clip than he looks on TV. He also has great ice coverage. Wow!

 

[solar]

The Seattle show of Stars on Ice was fabulous! My favorite Stars On Ice that I've been to so far I loved the variety of music choices and programs. I was able to go with my mom and a very good family friend. They enjoyed it very much! They appreciated that the skaters could let loose and do fun programs beyond their competitive programs. Particularly impressed with the use of props in programs, like Karen's fans and the chair in Chock/Bates tango!

 

[Tallorder]

Do we think SOI makes a profit in the US? How much do they need to pay the skaters? What do we think of their ticket pricing strategy given the attendance levels?

 

[Ic3Rabbit]

Do we think SOI makes a profit in the US? How much do they need to pay the skaters? What do we think of their ticket pricing strategy given the attendance levels?

They do make a profit.
Their ticket pricing strategy is more set by each individual venue than by SOI themselves.

 

[apgold]

Michelle Kennedy reviewed the Seattle Show on her blog.

Her assessment of Gracie was similar to others.

Gracie Gold’s Stability Remains Unknown

I was anticipating seeing a renewed Gracie Gold at Stars on Ice since she has not competed since the U.S. Championships in January. Gold had a difficult season and did not qualify for the world team and she was not a part of the World Team Trophy. She has recently made a big change in her life and has moved out on her own and training with Marina Zueva. Maybe my expectations were too high, but Gold was not in the best shape. Gracie only performed one jump in each of her programs and it was a double toe loop in both programs. In her second performance to “Golden” Gracie fell on a spin.

I was hoping that all of these life changes would be good for Gracie, but I left wondering if they had an opposite effect on her. Karen Chen was performing triple lutz jumps in her programs and yet Gracie didn’t attempt one triple. The double toes did not seem like a fluke, they seemed planned, which makes me wonder if she’s injured. There’s not an official report of injury, I was just surprised not to see any triples from her or even a double axel. Fingers crossed, this is all part of the transition for her and she will find her footing once she is settled and had more training time in her new home.