2016 Team Challenge Cup - Day 2

[Li'Kitsu]

So...what did the team captains actually do?

Feeling like the pope up there and looking pretty

Shoma obviously does have to work on the quality of his jumps. However, it does bear remembering that this was:

1) an incredibly difficult layout;
2) the first time he has done this layout;
3) at the end of the season;
4) his first senior season.

He has said he will be working hard on improvements in the summer.

I think it's also worth remembering that we're talking about the young man here who for a long time didn't seem to get his 3A. Not even talking about a quad, let alone a 4F. He's improved tons and I still can't fathom where this is all coming from in the last 2 years! It's going to be great to see how much more he can improve until next season.

What I personally hope is that he gets his jump landings less 'scary', because I think quite a few of his landings are looking like they are putting a great strain on his knees (obviously, jumps always do, but I mean more than usual). But maybe this is also just my imagination, and GOE or scores aside, I mostly want him so stay healthy.

 

[alskling]

So...what did the team captains actually do?

Christopher Dean was happy to be a captain. Cuddling and kissing with attracive girls, and ... again cuddling and kissing.
I think he was ok.

 

[Violet Bliss]

The guaranteed money is very nice for the TCC participants, especially those haven't earned so much this past season.

 

[TMC]

The TCC I think is too much for the skaters. Most of these skaters have been going non stop since worlds. To ask them to do two competition level programs is too exhausting for them. Remember back in the 90's when we had a ll these sort of made up "competitions" Pro Ams, cheesefests and so forth, The skaters usually skated watered down programs. A cross between competition level and exhibitions. They usually did about 4 jumps.
I think that is what they should do at TCC.
The skaters on the SOI tour were practicing the SOI numbers 12 hours a day and that left them only 1 hour to practice their competition programs for TCC.

Besides TCC being confusing as all get up, I think it is too much. Overall I think it needs to be revamped and reworked.
And we need a lot more reliable Livestreams, I mean really.

- The food at this place is really terrible!
- Yeah I know - and such small portions!

 

[Alexz]

She's portraying deaf girl trying to embrace our "normal" world: the whole idea is based on sign language, which she trained before the season under supervision of professional translator of people with hearing disorders. The girl is curious of surrounding world, world she can't hear, but also the world she's not afraid and is trying to explore. The beginning: ear covering gestures express her disability, but also instantly the smile indicates the youthful zeal and openess, then the curtains she makes with her hands at the rink side are symbols of barriers between her world of silence and ours; she is bypassing them, pushing through to the touching end, when she "says" in sign language: "I can't hear you, but get goosebumps feeling you deep in my heart. I'm not afraid of you, I open up to you".

Nice wording. :cheers:

 

[Alexz]

lets just all agree on Averbukh genius

Agree. Elijah Averbukh is indeed one hecka genius choreographer. I call him a gray Cardinal of Russian Figure skating. It was him who actually started the whole TV hysteria in Russia about FS. It was him who gave kinda rock-star status in Russia to all Russian figure skaters of the past and present. Now he is running profitable ( like around $10 mils profitable ) and successful ice show company and throwing few great choreography programs to his fellow FS compatriots for the sake of his own image and status of Russian figure skating in general. I watched few of his interviews, my Russian is very good, but I gotta watched his interviews several times. He is incredibly deep, thoughtful and strategically-minded person. No wonder he is very successful business as well, naturally a lot of ex-athletes like to participate in his shows.

 

[LadyB]

As much as I liked seeing them again, I hope they won't repeat the event next year. Worlds should be the ultimate climax of the season, and if you had an event like the one in Boston, it just can't be matched and should stick in everybody's memory. I think team events can be great fun. Why not having the World Team Trophy or the Olympic variation as an afterthought at Worlds? It can be mixed nationalities as they had it at Youth Olympics. Why not? Winners are in great party mood, others would love another chance to redeem themselves. The audience, I'm absolutely sure, would love it.
After all that, skaters deserve a proper break as they have to start practising their new programme and going on tour. Thanks, boys 'n' girls for a great season :clapper:

 

[TMC]

As much as I liked seeing them again, I hope they won't repeat the event next year. Worlds should be the ultimate climax of the season, and if you had an event like the one in Boston, it just can't be matched and should stick in everybody's memory. I think team events can be great fun. Why not having the World Team Trophy or the Olympic variation as an afterthought at Worlds? It can be mixed nationalities as they had it at Youth Olympics. Why not? Winners are in great party mood, others would love another chance to redeem themselves. The audience, I'm absolutely sure, would love it.
After all that, skaters deserve a proper break as they have to start practising their new programme and going on tour. Thanks, boys 'n' girls for a great season :clapper:

Well, it looks like this is going to become a regular event happening every other year. WTT will also be organised every other year.

The skaters are free to decline if they don't feel up to it. Javier and Hanyu did. It's not compulsory to take part, but some skaters probably do want to for various reasons, one of those being the prize money.

The easy way to make sure that Worlds sticks in one's mind as the ultimate climax of the season: do not watch TCC.

 

[blue_idealist]

As much as I liked seeing them again, I hope they won't repeat the event next year. Worlds should be the ultimate climax of the season, and if you had an event like the one in Boston, it just can't be matched and should stick in everybody's memory. I think team events can be great fun. Why not having the World Team Trophy or the Olympic variation as an afterthought at Worlds? It can be mixed nationalities as they had it at Youth Olympics. Why not? Winners are in great party mood, others would love another chance to redeem themselves. The audience, I'm absolutely sure, would love it.
After all that, skaters deserve a proper break as they have to start practising their new programme and going on tour. Thanks, boys 'n' girls for a great season :clapper:

I think the skaters would be too tired from Worlds to skate again in that short a time. Plus, if teams want athletes to participate who aren't at Worlds, they'll need to be flown in quickly (which I guess wouldn't be that much of a problem, but the first point still stands).

 

[MaxSwagg]

Radio's FS score was kind of fair. Satoko, Ashley, Medvedeva, Gracie were GROSSLY inflated...

 

[alskling]

Radio's FS score was kind of fair. Satoko, Ashley, Medvedeva, Gracie were GROSSLY inflated...

Cool. We must to do something with that.
Ok, i will start crying first.

 

[KwanIsALegend]

As much as I liked seeing them again, I hope they won't repeat the event next year. Worlds should be the ultimate climax of the season, and if you had an event like the one in Boston, it just can't be matched and should stick in everybody's memory. I think team events can be great fun. Why not having the World Team Trophy or the Olympic variation as an afterthought at Worlds? It can be mixed nationalities as they had it at Youth Olympics. Why not? Winners are in great party mood, others would love another chance to redeem themselves. The audience, I'm absolutely sure, would love it.
After all that, skaters deserve a proper break as they have to start practising their new programme and going on tour. Thanks, boys 'n' girls for a great season :clapper:

I agree that worlds should be the climactic event of the season.
For TCC they should have the skaters do one watered down program. An exhibition type program with a few jumps. Just make it fun for the skaters and the fans.But to ask them to do two worlds level skates is too much and it showed in the skating we saw.
I hope they take that into consideration in 2018.

 

[KwanIsALegend]

- The food at this place is really terrible!
- Yeah I know - and such small portions!

Annie Hall or Manhattan? I can't remember.

 

[LadyB]

I think the skaters would be too tired from Worlds to skate again in that short a time. Plus, if teams want athletes to participate who aren't at Worlds, they'll need to be flown in quickly (which I guess wouldn't be that much of a problem, but the first point still stands).

Your first point is defo very valid. However, it's what they do at WTT and Olympics and skaters are just as tired. Anyway, they can decline if they don't want to come along. Not a biggy. By the end of the day, I came to see Fedor again, so I really shouldn't be complaining too much

 

[TMC]

Annie Hall or Manhattan? I can't remember.

Annie Hall

 

[Mathman]

All in all, I thought the competition was fine. The only two negatives, for me, were (a) the fan vote thing didn't work out, and (b) Ice Network did itself more harm than good.

The endlessly convoluted rules were OK. Trying to figure tham all out kept me out of mischief for a couple on months.

Some of the skating was excellent. A couple of skaters wish they had a do-over or two. C'est la vie. The judging was satisfactory and the outcomes were fair over all.

Maybe Coyote Chris will be able to report on the live gate and on whether the promoters made any money or not.

 

[WeakAnkles]

I'm just sitting on my hands and biting my tongue over here :handw:

Why? If you disagree feel free to do so. It makes for an interesting conversation. And I most certainly respect your opinion even when I don't totally agree with it.

 

[WeakAnkles]

- The food at this place is really terrible!
- Yeah I know - and such small portions!

Closing monologue of Annie Hall. Though Manhattan has one of my favorite Woody Allen quips: Don't knock masturbation...it's sex with someone I love!

 

[Skater Boy]

Uh.... Jason was about 19 points off of bronze.

It was great to see more skating though it maybe anticlimatic to worlds or takes away. But if you love skating you have to love another competition. Some teams still had it. The big disappointment for lack of words well Boi showed the weakness or humanity of his programs and his skating and Nam what a mess. I am not sure he will recover just as not all Russian ladies I mean girls will recover from puberty. Nam has skating skill issue and now with the growth huge technical issues and he can't get away with being cute - oky granted he might actually have a good 4 years if Hanyu can get away with being "cute". AT least Nam has more of an engaging smile but sadly not the technical or skating skill prowess of Hanyu. The judging was perhaps the worse - even worse than the Morodorovian Ornament. The easiest comparison is Gold's freeskate - this program with less lustre scored better than her nationals. Yes this competition was more for the sponsors and such so a NA win would be helpful but the scoring was absolutely horrific. It made Sochi look like they were against the Russians. I mean they gave points to Jason Brown just for the flick of a hair. Disgraceful. I know there is at least one supporter of Jason who thinks he has the best skating skills on these posts but look at the lack of speed, lack of ice coverage and in particular the shallowness of his edge and lack of security compared to seeral other top skaters and in particular Chan or former greats Lambiel and Buttle. He just isn't there and technically he isn't quite there either. But they scored him here so so so generously. More scandalous than Salt Lake City and Sochi combined!!!! Bravo though for Rippon for staying as top American. he is gaining consistency. Weaver and Poje showed the world they aren't dead yet. Kudos to Gracie and Ashley though overmarked did skate consistently but Ashley has way to many UR's really to be one ofthe top ladies in the world. I do agree the american ladies have the best skating skills other than Mao maybe and Carolina when she comes back but they are no Yuna Kim or even Joannie Rochette. Good to see Duhamel and Radford and Evgenia not let down why they won world gold - good on both of them. Both S and K teams in pairs were disappointments though. Team Asia though really shouldn't almost be there with nothing really in dance or pairs. It is kind of almost like at the WTT that they don't deserve to be on the podium especially gold with such insignificant pairs and dance teams. Worse when one considers most of their teams are at least in part a formation of other teams from other nations.

 

[Layback11]

A TCC recap: https://salchowsandswarovskis.wordpress.com/2016/04/25/this-thing-is-nuts-a-highlight-reel-of-tcc/