2016 Skate America Pairs FS

[QuadThrow]

I like read all the great comments after an event. Thoughts:

1. Almost every pair competition ends with an discussion about the hot pair skaters. 4Everchan: Robin and so many other dudes are hot. But to make it clear. Morgan Cipres is the hottest man on earth!

2. I do not think that T/M's program is so bad. It is better than last year. It was a debut for Alexander Gaszi as a choreographer. But you are right. John Zimmerman and Sylvia Fontana create superb programs. They choreographed S/M too.

3. I do not understand why T/M did not get the 4Tw. The hight is there but her rotation is so slow that she does not get the four rotations. She shouls have a look an Sui.

4. All European pairs skated badly in the Free. The North Americans did better. It seems that they are much more certain in what they are doing.

5. There is always a problem with the BoDs. It is so hard to get level 4. T/M only got level 1. I do not understand why this is such an hard element.

6. No I am a big fan of S/B

7. Maybe Vanessa and Morgan need the conflict. Some people are not made to be friend.

 

[nolangoh]

omg how did Haven and Brandon do that thigh lift?

 

[Sweet Dream]

I like read all the great comments after an event. Thoughts:

1. Almost every pair competition ends with an discussion about the hot pair skaters. 4Everchan: Robin and so many other dudes are hot. But to make it clear. Morgan Cipres is the hottest man on earth!

2. I do not think that T/M's program is so bad. It is better than last year. It was a debut for Alexander Gaszi as a choreographer. But you are right. John Zimmerman and Sylvia Fontana create superb programs. They choreographed S/M too.

3. I do not understand why T/M did not get the 4Tw. The hight is there but her rotation is so slow that she does not get the four rotations. She shouls have a look an Sui.

4. All European pairs skated badly in the Free. The North Americans did better. It seems that they are much more certain in what they are doing.

5. There is always a problem with the BoDs. It is so hard to get level 4. T/M only got level 1. I do not understand why this is such an hard element.

6. No I am a big fan of S/B

7. Maybe Vanessa and Morgan need the conflict. Some people are not made to be friend.

I think T/M's LP is well choreographed, but their performance was just so subpar that you cannot see the beauty out of it.

 

[Blades of Passion]

Astakhova/Rogonov had the best program here for me. They are consistently so interesting. It's too bad about those side-by-side jumps. They landed the 3Loop's too and then she just let go of the edge! Hopefully they can bring it altogether in the next year, like Stolbova/Klimov were able to do (they were similarly underrated as the "4th Russian team" 4-5 years ago, until they suddenly put all the technical elements together in 2014).

 

[gold12345]

That was a really rough event. And with 5 of last year's GPF pairs out with injury or other issues (and V/T being out), it has weakened these GP fields. Tarasova/Morozov didn't skate near their potential-- understandably so after that disruptive quad twist fall that seemed to really shake her confidence. They're still new at being one of the top pairs and the pressures that come with that.

Seguin/Bilodeau had the one strong skate of the night, they were great. I was surprised that Denney/Frazier got virtually the same PCS as them. S/B weren't perfect but they have better quality.

D/F delivered a good performance but it's easier to stay upright when your jumps are limited to a 1A (on Haven's part) and a 3S that's always two-footed on Brandon's part. Hopefully they're at least trying to teach him a clean jump. Their twist & throws could be better, with more amplitude. Their throw sal just skims the ice which keeps the GOE lower. She does get great rideout on the throw loop. Their lifts are one area where they're stronger than S/B.

James/Cipres had a couple hard falls and performed well under their ability level. Hope she is alright. Quads are great when they go well, but obviously very difficult to pull off.

 

[LadyB]

I have to say that there are a lot of very good looking men in figure skating. it's a bit disturbing.

You can say that again. More distracting than disturbing at times, it's one of the reasons why I love it so much :

 

[LadyB]

I'm genuinely happy for Julianne and Charlie on their first Grand Prix win. Maybe their FS music is not the most exciting, but it was very well interpreted on the night.
At the same time, I'm gutted for T/M, but I think they will get there in the end. S/K came fourth at SA last year, so there is hope. I actually find their FS programme matches the music brilliantly. Just a bad day at the office.
Most of all though, with all due respect, but how could J/C finish ahead of A/R??? Seriously! :whack:

 

[noidont]

Really loved S/B. I thought the program was wonderful.

 

[Sugarpova]

TM
AR should be clean & consistent
the judges not gonna love them just b/c they're original & memorable. the mistakes really make the progs shine less

Congrats to SB & DF

 

[Osmond4gold]

it gets worse... she said to her coach.. i worked so hard.... or something like that... honestly, I was disturbed by it. Unhealthy relationship. He was much happier in the KnC at ACI when she almost landed the 4S (two foot) and overall did much better. Vanessa is very sweet. She was truly humbled with the standing ovation they received at ACI. A very kind human being. I feel bad she is skating with this guy for france, considering she's Canadian... Since Mervissa is not working, I would like to have Mervin and Vanessa become Mervanessa and skate for Canada

Funny thing 4everchan, I was thinking the same thing post KnC. Come back and both compete in their home countries. Then again, the Canadian landscape is so competitive at the moment, that "Mervissa" or "Vanvin" could be relegated to a 4/5 placed team.

I felt bad for her last evening, as you could hear her after the short, talk in the KnC about her parents and uncle cheering her from the stands. Just disappointing to see someone be treated so disrespectfully.

 

[4everchan]

I like read all the great comments after an event. Thoughts:

1. Almost every pair competition ends with an discussion about the hot pair skaters. 4Everchan: Robin and so many other dudes are hot. But to make it clear. Morgan Cipres is the hottest man on earth!

2. I do not think that T/M's program is so bad. It is better than last year. It was a debut for Alexander Gaszi as a choreographer. But you are right. John Zimmerman and Sylvia Fontana create superb programs. They choreographed S/M too.

3. I do not understand why T/M did not get the 4Tw. The hight is there but her rotation is so slow that she does not get the four rotations. She shouls have a look an Sui.

4. All European pairs skated badly in the Free. The North Americans did better. It seems that they are much more certain in what they are doing.

5. There is always a problem with the BoDs. It is so hard to get level 4. T/M only got level 1. I do not understand why this is such an hard element.

6. No I am a big fan of S/B

7. Maybe Vanessa and Morgan need the conflict. Some people are not made to be friend.

1) hey!!! I saw Morgan in person... i just didn't like his vibe off ice... sort of too self absorbed... doesn't mean he is not sexy and I am not the only one objectifying men hehehe...
4) I had seen some of these pairs at ACI : it's not like J/C were not ready... they skated brilliantly a few weeks ago in Montreal. Perhaps it has to do with 7)
5) D/R talked about the death spirals and said how important it was to nail them as they are worth just about the same as a 3T.... so I guess some pairs should spend more time on pair elements... oh wait... D/R are single skaters right?
6) I am sorry for you. I quite enjoy them.
7) I disagree. Yup... in life, at work, no need to be friends with colleagues... however, it's clear Vanessa needs more support here... I wouldn't want to be a pair girl, getting thrown by a guy who doesn't treat me like a friend, with respect and compassion.... I have never seen Zhang behave badly in the KnC like Morgan did yesterday, yet he got so much flack on this forum... I am waiting for a thread saying how "bad Morgan is...." but I guess it won't happen... since people find him hot

 

[4everchan]

Funny thing 4everchan, I was thinking the same thing post KnC. Come back and both compete in their home countries. Then again, the Canadian landscape is so competitive at the moment, that "Mervissa" or "Vanvin" could be relegated to a 4/5 placed team.

I felt bad for her last evening, as you could hear her after the short, talk in the KnC about her parents and uncle cheering her from the stands. Just disappointing to see someone be treated so disrespectfully.

oh.. i like Vanvin it's true... she was so excited after the SP... as relatives were there... and then wow... some dude throws her across the ice and ignores her in the KnC, has a tantrum behind the scenes.... leaves her there crying.... I'd be furious if I were in the arena and one of her relatives... well i was furious in my living room ... sigh... poor girl...

GO TEAM VANVIN or MERVANESSA... COME BACK HOME>>> WE LOVE YOU!

 

[Skater Boy]

To be honest James and Cipres are not my cup of tea and after a while like Gold you have seen so much potential you almost don't want them to have one flukey competition especially at the olympics where they win because they got "lucky" and got it together. That's just me I would like to se esome consistency. Gracie has it all plus the world and national backing, good coaching, finances, naturally she has good bone and muscle structure, she is pretty and people love her. But sometimes it may be time to move on - not saying that necessarily with J and C or Gold but this is tiring after a while That being said I think This Canadian team was undermarked in both sp and lp They really are good and I can't wait to see how they develop.

 

[QuadThrow]

1) hey!!! I saw Morgan in person... i just didn't like his vibe off ice... sort of too self absorbed... doesn't mean he is not sexy and I am not the only one objectifying men hehehe...
4) I had seen some of these pairs at ACI : it's not like J/C were not ready... they skated brilliantly a few weeks ago in Montreal. Perhaps it has to do with 7)
5) D/R talked about the death spirals and said how important it was to nail them as they are worth just about the same as a 3T.... so I guess some pairs should spend more time on pair elements... oh wait... D/R are single skaters right?
6) I am sorry for you. I quite enjoy them.
7) I disagree. Yup... in life, at work, no need to be friends with colleagues... however, it's clear Vanessa needs more support here... I wouldn't want to be a pair girl, getting thrown by a guy who doesn't treat me like a friend, with respect and compassion.... I have never seen Zhang behave badly in the KnC like Morgan did yesterday, yet he got so much flack on this forum... I am waiting for a thread saying how "bad Morgan is...." but I guess it won't happen... since people find him hot

Thank you for the well-defined answer.

My intention was to say: NOW I am a big fan of S/B. My smartphons went crazy.

My impression is that espacially Russian pairs have some problems with the levels in the DS. V/T switched from BoDS to FiDS during the olympic season because there were to able to reach level 4.

D/R and S/M do this element very carefuly and properly.

 

[Osmond4gold]

Thanks for clarifying QuadThrow...I read your post re S&B, and thought gees, what more can these 2 do, not be worthy of earning respect from skating fans. Their authentic-ness is so nice to watch. Welcome!

 

[sailormoon]

Julianne Seguin and Charlie Bilodeau from Canada recorded a total score of 197.31 and finished first. Russia's Evgenia Tarasova and Vladimir Morozov dropped to third place (185.94) due to the botched throw jump and I was expecting the duo to win the competition mainly because of their authentic names. I was wondering if Vladimir Morozov and Nikolai Morozov, the famous figure skating coach, are related. In women's competition, Mariah Bell's surprising silver medal was delightful to watch. Mariah Bell switched coaches to John Nicks from this season and it worked. John Nicks currently coaches both Ashley Wagner and Mariah Bell and they may be practising together in California.

John Nicks has not been Ashley Wagner's primary coach in 3 years. Her coach is Raphael Arutunian. While Ashley still takes supplemental lessons from John Nicks, I have no idea if Mariah Bell takes from him. Mariah's coach is now also Raphael Arutunian.

I meant Rafael Arutunian, who was sitting right next to both skaters in the kiss and cry, but I didn't remember his name. Vladimir Morozov was running a high fever of 37.2 degrees, which is cited as the main reason for the pair's poor performance. Vladimir Morozov, acting in tandem with Evgenia Tarasova, said that the reason for their poor performance in the free skate at Skate America was his poor health.

- Today, I felt unwell after a workout. The measure of the temperature was 37.2 °C, a low-grade fever, but I went to the ice rink in a daze. I tried to pull myself together, but starting with a twist that was not received, other errors followed. Somehow it was the chaotic beginning of the program. But after the second jump, I continued to skate normally.

 

[annzee703]

Got it.
Personally I think Katsalapov is one of the most attractive males, but I don't really think I have much of a say as a straight guy.

Katsalapov IMO is the best looking man in figure skating...and the most expressive skater, period! No matter who he skates with, he just stands out, right from the opening pose.

 

[Sweet Dream]

Tarasova/Morozov's quad twist looked solid enough at Nepela, and I saw one in practice here that looked fine. They still need more work on getting a decent catch, but it looks within their capabilities. If they can do the quad okay most of the time, then I understand why they put it in the program here even though they likely would have won by a good margin against this field without it. It would be quite a helpful element for them on the world stage, so they need to do it in less major events to get used to competing it.

But a big twist fall must be very unnerving for a pair team. Skaters experience falls every day on jumps and throws, but major twist falls are uncommon and rarely "practiced". The fact that there are 4 rotations instead of 3 can make a twist fall even more disruptive, and partners may get tangled with each other as they try to recover. The fall definitely seemed to affect T/M's subsequent elements, which was a real shame. But you can't get better technically without taking some risk.

I didn't realize that they were attempting the quad twist in the FS! I will watch the video again later on. Their twist fall at the very beginning of the program had a really negative impact on their pyschology and skating tempo. Yes, if not handled properly, it will definitely result in some fatal harm to both skaters physically. Fortunately that did not happen. :2thumbs:

 

[carriecmu0503]

Julianne Seguin and Charlie Bilodeau from Canada recorded a total score of 197.31 and finished first. Russia's Evgenia Tarasova and Vladimir Morozov dropped to third place (185.94) due to the botched throw jump and I was expecting the duo to win the competition mainly because of their authentic names. I was wondering if Vladimir Morozov and Nikolai Morozov, the famous figure skating coach, are related. In women's competition, Mariah Bell's surprising silver medal was delightful to watch. Mariah Bell switched coaches to John Nicks from this season and it worked. John Nicks currently coaches both Ashley Wagner and Mariah Bell and they may be practising together in California.

John Nicks has not been Ashley Wagner's primary coach in 3 years. Her coach is Raphael Arutunian. While Ashley still takes supplemental lessons from John Nicks, I have no idea if Mariah Bell takes from him. Mariah's coach is now also Raphael Arutunian.

 

[reneerose]

I haven't been able to watch skating for a long while due to not having a TV or Ice Network, but I broke down recently, subscribed to Ice Network... and this weekend I think I find I have a new favorite pair skating couple in Seguin and Bilodeau. Their FS was just beautiful! Cinema Paradiso was really a good choice of music. Great Shae Lynn Bourne choreography. Just wonderful! Saw their short program and the mistake in it, but they recovered well enough in the Free Skate to win. I can't wait to see them on an Olympic rink!