2017 Worlds on-site reports

[TT_Fin]

On the train. Iveybird, the trains to my town on sunday were full so I could not change my ticket. I had a nice talk before SD with a security lady. There were only a few people but she had to stand there so she had time. She was fan too and we agreed the announcers on the arena had not done their background work proberly. Sometimes the announcers in Finnish and in english said diffrent things. There really is a door for skaters and their coaches etc. And someof the seats were occupied for them.

In the local train yesterday I had a nice talk with a mother ofa former Finnish ice dancing champion.

I hd a lot of nice talks.thank you.

I did not see lots of skaters outside the ice except Maxim Kovtum. Looked like he was lost.

And Finnish media...I'll critizize it at home later.

 

[Eclair]

On the train. Iveybird, the trains to my town on sunday were full so I could not change my ticket. I had a nice talk before SD with a security lady. There were only a few people but she had to stand there so she had time. She was fan too and we agreed the announcers on the arena had not done their background work proberly. Sometimes the announcers in Finnish and in english said diffrent things. There really is a door for skaters and their coaches etc. And someof the seats were occupied for them.

In the local train yesterday I had a nice talk with a mother ofa former Finnish ice dancing champion.

I hd a lot of nice talks.thank you.

I did not see lots of skaters outside the ice except Maxim Kovtum. Looked like he was lost.

And Finnish media...I'll critizize it at home later.

I thought the announcers did a great job relatively speaking.. They didn't get the pronunciation of all the names perfectly, but at least they didn't loose or add syllables to the names, which almost happens at all competitions.

I still remember one announcer once said Pogolayala. Or Zujin Li. Or Tuktemusheva. Or rika Honga. And poor satoko even once got her name wrongly announced at the medal ceremony.

edit: why is autocorrect doing this to me? Everytime I get shoma corrected into shame, boyang into booing, satoko into stoke, and Zijun into Arjun.

 

[TT_Fin]

Home again. Tired and happy. Train was just that much late, so I missed men's final group which I counted I could see. Well, they were some slightly mistakes, but maybe understanbable. Maybe the biggest one to say Han and Yu was first time in the worlds. As a pair, yes, but they should have mentioned something more about Han's experience. And Finnish announcer told Leona Hendrixx is from Belarus, in Finnish, but fortunately the man said in English Belgium. Fortunately Belarus is in Finnish Valko-Venäjä, so the visitors had no idea about the mistake because it is so different in Finnish. But anyway it is a stressful place and they must know a lot, so if you visitors are pleased I am too.

What about Finnish media: I opened the internetsite of the local evening post. Five first headings was concerning national ice hockey game. Then I scrolled down and the biggest heading of ladies free was Anna's meltdown. Come on, we have a competition with 300 millions viewers and one of the most popular sports in the world. And in local news they hardly notice it. And in the main newspaper Helsingin Sanomat the biggest thing was the Japanese tourists. Marketing has not been successful. I met people who did not even know the games was here. When the Ice Hockey worlds was, everybody knew it.

About interview of the Japanese tourist. The ones who was interviewed belonged to a group about 200 people. They came to Finland because it had been easier to get figure skating tickets here than in Japan any event.

 

[Oreo]

I thought the announcers did a great job relatively speaking.. They didn't get the pronunciation of all the names perfectly, but at least they didn't loose or add syllables to the names, which almost happens at all competitions.

It was far worse in Boston last year!!

 

[Barb]

For people who were in the arena, how was the sound? , I love the FD music of the Shibs and it sound really bad in all the videos

4cc https://youtu.be/89NNWcQBLZs?t=240 (at 4cc the quality of the sound was great)
Worlds https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PUEHYJvbS8

 

[Li'Kitsu]

We just ran into Jason! He was so cute and hugged us for congratulating him. He's so sweet!
And he took a pic with us! And my friend who took the pic was like "look at your face, you look like 'YAAAAS!!!!', you nailed it!". And that's exactly what I look like

Also Mama Tracy just passed us, and we all waved and clapped. And I said "congratulations!", cocktail glass in hand. And she padded my shoulder, smiled and kind of gave me a look like "that is your last glass, okay kid?"

Also Kevin is stuck talking to a few Japanese Ladies since like... an hour. And he signed at least 6 Canadian flags! So much patience

 

[YesWay]

Another EPIC day of competition yesterday... Men and Dance... so many triumphs, and so many tragedies.

What can I say? There's just too much to even begin...!

So I'll just post a few photos that are perhaps less likely to have been caught by others:

Laura Lepisto

Daisuke Takahashi and Takeshi Honda

Ivett Toth (she looks a little melancholy in this photo, and it's the moment she noticed me pointing my camera at her... but I waved and smiled right after, and she smiled back... and she generally seemed cheerful enough, in spite of everything)

Stephane Lambiel

For people who were in the arena, how was the sound? , I love the FD music of the Shibs and it sound really bad in all the videos

4cc https://youtu.be/89NNWcQBLZs?t=240 (at 4cc the quality of the sound was great)
Worlds https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PUEHYJvbS8

Sound quality was excellent, at least from where I was sitting. Occasionally seemed a tiny bit too loud, but no complaints really.

And yes, Shibs FD music (and the whole package) is so beautiful, more so being there in person (on TV/video the music tends to be flat and compressed, much dynamics and impact are lost)...

 

[MaiKatze]

Another EPIC day of competition yesterday... Men and Dance... so many triumphs, and so many tragedies.

What can I say? There's just too much to even begin...!

So I'll just post a few photos that are perhaps less likely to have been caught by others:

Laura Lepisto

Daisuke Takahashi and Takeshi Honda

Ivett Toth (she looks a little melancholy in this photo, and it's the moment she noticed me pointing my camera at her... but I waved and smiled right after, and she smiled back... and she generally seemed cheerful enough, in spite of everything)

Stephane Lambiel


Sound quality was excellent, at least from where I was sitting. Occasionally seemed a tiny bit too loud, but no complaints really.

And yes, Shibs FD music (and the whole package) is so beautiful, more so being there in person (on TV/video the music tends to be flat and compressed, much dynamics and impact are lost)...

Were you sitting next to the commentator area, YesWay?

If British Eurosport were there I wonder if German Eurosport were there as well...they like to sit next to each other.

 

[YesWay]

Were you sitting next to the commentator area, YesWay?

If British Eurosport were there I wonder if German Eurosport were there as well...they like to sit next to each other.

We were sitting near there, yes... and I have a long zoom on my camera. LOUD French commentary team were next to British Eurosport (they didn't need to broadcast, the whole world could hear that guy from there ) and they seemed to be the only ones on that row. Next row down there was Finnish commentary team, and some Chinese commentators I think, but I couldn't identify any others... don't know what the German team looks like...

 

[MaiKatze]

That's them next to Chris at the Europeans 2011. Older, slightly overweight guy is Sigi Heinrich and the one next to him is Hendryk Schamberger a former Ice Dancer. I'm not convinced that they were in the arena, as they didn't mention anything and seemed to comment on the TV pictures. But then I wonder why, as Eurosport should've send them there, too.

 

[YesWay]

That's them next to Chris at the Europeans 2011. Older, slightly overweight guy is Sigi Heinrich and the one next to him is Hendryk Schamberger a former Ice Dancer. I'm not convinced that they were in the arena, as they didn't mention anything and seemed to comment on the TV pictures. But then I wonder why, as Eurosport should've send them there, too.

Ah, well I don't recall seeing them... but that doesn't necessarily mean they weren't there somewhere...

 

[MaiKatze]

Ah, well I don't recall seeing them... but that doesn't necessarily mean they weren't there somewhere...

Nah, don't believe they were. They would've mentioned it, how great Helsinki is and stuff like that. They were probably commenting from Munich.

 

[TT_Fin]

I have forgotten. In ladies SP I was sitting next to a couple of Swedish young ladies. I did not know who there were, but the knowledge of figure skating and judging was obvious (I, as many people in Finland do, speak and understand Swedish). And a little skater girl in the next row turned to stare at them for several times. I googled some Swedish skaters and maybe one of the girls was Isabelle Olsson. I am not sure, but looked the same. I did not stare them but saw sometimes during breaks.

 

[sallycinnamon]

I couldn't go and say hi to Simon and Chris.
I should have gone to them earlier and not on the last day though. I wanted to go to the media sector before Ice Dance FD but I haven't seen them, I guess they already left after the Men's FS.

Oh, well, next time.

 

[YesWay]

I couldn't go and say hi to Simon and Chris.
I should have gone to them earlier and not on the last day though. I wanted to go to the media sector before Ice Dance FD but I haven't seen them, I guess they already left after the Men's FS.

Oh, well, next time.

Pretty sure they were still there for the Ice Dance... and Simon was there commentating for the gala the next day, but seemed to be alone by then...

 

[TMC]

I couldn't go and say hi to Simon and Chris.
I should have gone to them earlier and not on the last day though. I wanted to go to the media sector before Ice Dance FD but I haven't seen them, I guess they already left after the Men's FS.

Oh, well, next time.

I spoke to them every day, and on the very first day I made sure to let them know how much their work is appreciated

 

[TheGrandSophy]

I spoke to them every day, and on the very first day I made sure to let them know how much their work is appreciated

Well done and... ahem, did you slip them a cheat sheet on name pronunciation at any point?

 

[TMC]

Well done and... ahem, did you slip them a cheat sheet on name pronunciation at any point?

Hahaha no, I was too shy

 

[sallycinnamon]

Pretty sure they were still there for the Ice Dance... and Simon was there commentating for the gala the next day, but seemed to be alone by then..

I wasn't there on Sunday and on Saturday it was maybe a bit too late. I should have gone to them earlier in the week...

I spoke to them every day, and on the very first day I made sure to let them know how much their work is appreciated

Nice, thank you also from me. To me it's not only that I like their commentaries and the way they speak - enthusiastic, trying to be positive to everyone, nice British pronuncation - but I grew up listening to them, it's been nearly twenty years now that I listen to them. First I didn't understand the language, but I learned from them a lot too.

---
Anyway I left a little note on PJ's table, I hope she found it later :-D

 

[viennaskater]

Our lovely member kiches is providing some on site report w/ pictures and practice videos https://kichessarjilian.tumblr.com/

She has Osmond and Daleman's run through up.

Looking at that - Shoma Uno as a little boy is just ADORABLE!