2018 Skate Canada Rhythm Dance

[NoNameFace]

Oh no P iper and Gilles and I had such hope for them. Canada just when they show a bit of hope in men this happens. Michael Slipchuk must be panicking.

It is funny how Canadians here are not panicking and causing drama over what happened. Looking into Piper and Paul's competition trajectory it was not totally unexpected to happen and Soucisse/Firus have issues with execution since the beginning of the season. It is rather just sad to see this amount of issues happening at once to both Canadian teams. With new GOE scale and quite a few teams improving technically, it is no longer playing the distance game, having strict differenciation of 'good' and 'bad' teams, execution is really the key and Gilles/Poirier in particular experienced how important focus and control over execution are. Aside of that, it was not that every other team got stellar levels, especially on step sequence and pattern, their slip on the pattern was one thing, but it spooked them going forward impacting other levels too.

Like TontoK said earlier, this is a bit of defining moment for them, this FD, going into it in the position they are. And it is hard to predict at this point what will happen.

 

[WeakAnkles]

They blew two parts of the pattern. Splatted at the end of the first and missed the start of the second. What do you expect the judges to do? That's 2 out of only 5 elements. Completely cracked under pressure. Dang, because this should have been a great battle.

Gives me that "lumberjack" feeling due to the white longjohn shirt underneath.

Of course I expected them to be heavily penalized for the fall. But when the judges are giving the same GOEs to the Chinese as to G/P for twizzles, yes, I do think they are being judged more harshly. They didn't "completely crack under pressure" either. That's really a gross exaggeration. They picked themselves up and continued the program. Later, in the K&C you could hear Paul say that they got too close together and essentially, Oh well, it happened. And Carol Lane joking about how they need to make ice rinks bigger. They made a major mistake at the worst possible time, and decided to move on. Pretty good response for a team "completely crack(ing) under the pressure."

And the Henley isn't a longjohn. It's essentially a workingman's t-shirt. Been around since the early 1800s. Own several of them myself. They're great for layering. But they've always been identified as a specifically "working class" item of male clothing, which I suppose is the "look" these teams are going on.

 

[Lester]

Of course I expected them to be penalized for the fall. But when the judges are giving the same GOEs to the Chinese as to G/P for twizzles, yes, I do think they are being judged more harshly. They didn't "completely crack under pressure either." That's really a gross exaggeration. They picked themselves up and continued the program. Later, in the K&C you could hear Paul say that they got too close together and essentially, Oh well, it happened. And Carol Lane joking about how they need to make ice rinks bigger. They made a major mistake at the worst possible time, and decided to move on. Pretty good response for a team "completely crack(ing) under the pressure."

Yeah, you could see how he curved too much because they were too close to the boards and then Piper ran into his boot and tripped. I am not sure if you could say it was a case of nerves or just a general misfortune.
And they held it together so well after that, without breaking character. I mean when I first saw the scores, I expected to see a complete meltdown on the ice.

I really do hope the judges are not intentionally holding them down and that this outing won't make a terrible first impression. I mean I would like them to be able to challenge H/D for the podium this year.

 

[Ice Dance]

Of course I expected them to be penalized for the fall. But when the judges are giving the same GOEs to the Chinese as to G/P for twizzles, yes, I do think they are being judged more harshly.

Think what you like. The new twizzles are slow and unaesthetic. I'm fine with the GOE. They are trying something different as many teams are doing this season in the quest to add features, but these aren't particularly well done or eye-appealing as of now. Good for them for trying, and the new twizzles may be confident and well executed in the future (if never aesthetic); but they aren't there yet.

I like G&P's FD very much, BTW. This SD I do not love, but it could have given S&K's performance today a run for its money. The judges left plenty of room. G&P didn't execute. So they'll go out and try again. Tomorrow is another day.

This wasn't an easy tech panel. But it wasn't easy on anyone.

 

[WeakAnkles]

Think what you like. The new twizzles are slow and unaesthetic. I'm fine with the GOE. They are trying something different as many teams are doing this season in the quest to add features, but these aren't particularly well done or eye-appealing as of now. Good for them for trying, and the new twizzles may be confident and well executed in the future (if never aesthetic); but they aren't there yet.

I like G&P's FD very much, BTW. This SD I do not love, but it could have given S&K's performance today a run for its money. The judges left plenty of room. G&P didn't execute. So they'll go out and try again. Tomorrow is another day.

This wasn't an easy tech panel. But it wasn't easy on anyone.

And I find them quirkily appealing. De gustibus non est disputandum.

 

[WeakAnkles]

Well, I can do the costume replay....

Sales/Wamsteeker:
She's in a green yay backless tango dress, he's in a matching hairdo. They don't fall. Nice, but lifts aren't as impressive as I've seen this season.

Bravo! You definitely should do the FD PBP!

 

[WeakAnkles]

Noooooo I need you WeakAnkles

Awww, thank you for the lovely compliment. I enjoy reading your comments too!

:thumbsup:

 

[Ruthypegs]

A warhorse drinking game would be a nice way to die. Drink every time Libertango plays, die of liver failure.

Call the game Livertango?

 

[Mrs. P]

Can I retroactively play that game.at brunch today? Might do that for all the level 1 and 2 patterns. And all the level 2 steps and spins in singles too.

 

[4everchan]

my two cents from being at the rink for this...

well... well... i am a tango lover... and thought that after hip hop and latine, i would get in for a treat watching so many tangos... but other than Smart -Diaz who were stellar and in style, with the edge and power of tango, it was MEH. Doesn't help that my second favourite was Piper and Paul.... and of course, they ran out of ice and fell.

The keypoints are really low for everyone which is not surprising...the ice rink being of hockey width , i would be thinking many teams were adjusting their patterms.

I am up after only a few hours of sleep : sore throat.. so maybe i am harsher than usual but i was very disappointed by the lack of tango in pretty much everyone's dance..


going back to bed having throat coated with medicinal herbs

 

[Ichatdelune]

Can I retroactively play that game.at brunch today? Might do that for all the level 1 and 2 patterns. And all the level 2 steps and spins in singles too.

Will your liver be okay after all that?

 

[BillNeal]

The fall was unfortunate but TBH, I have no problem with G/P’s scoring. Some teams that beat them may not be at their skill level yet but G/P rightfully lost points for a big mistake on an element which being the first one, also affected the rest of the performance. Remember W/P lost to S/B and the podium at TEB last season, mainly due to their RD twizzles, and also the silver at Nats to G/P for the RD twizzles again. However, they slayed at Worlds. Similarly, G/P will learn from this experience. No doubt they will be hungry to nail the free today.

 

[NoNameFace]

The fall was unfortunate but TBH, I have no problem with G/P’s scoring. Some teams that beat them may not be at their skill level yet but G/P rightfully lost points for a big mistake on an element which being the first one, also affected the rest of the performance. Remember W/P lost to S/B and the podium at TEB last season, mainly due to their RD twizzles, and also the silver at Nats to G/P for the RD twizzles again. However, they slayed at Worlds. Similarly, G/P will learn from this experience. No doubt they will be hungry to nail the free today.

I have no problem with their score either, it is a result of what happened, not sugar-coated version of reality. I do think that putting it into other teams' scores perspective it can only show them that everything counts and they have to be extra in control regarding execution. The small consolation for me is that their material is such a great fit and something to look forward to be honest, it just just an issue of hitting technicalities in it. And I see there is discussion on their twizzles - call me stupid or uneducated, but I found this tempo change throughout the element briliantly refreshing and maching music so well; it is another proof that they adapt their skating to the musical aesthetic required by RD or other equivalent, reflecting nuance, specifics in it, not pushing one style of movement blindly. Yes, this challenge imposed on themselves season after season often bites them back, but I would rather enjoy the journey like this than be bored to death by blandness, even perfectly executed. And taking Sinitsina/Katsalapov twizzles in comparison - they also do fit within the music with this speed, rush added to it, it is just another styling of movement, I don't see any problem with Gilles/Poirier's ones if they want to differentiate speed in them to match musical accents.

 

[litenkyckling]

I'm (obviously) devastated for G/P and I really hope that they have a better night tonight but I have to say that considering how strong this entire group of skaters is, none of them that amazing? Considering they're in the 80s I think its surprising that H/D still aren't hitting level 4s on the TR? And in fact, no one managed it at all, on either of the sections, yesterday.

 

[dorispulaski]

Belated to McNamara & Carpenter for managing the level 4's at SkAm!

 

[NoNameFace]

Belated to McNamara & Carpenter for managing the level 4's at SkAm!

They SNAPPED that pattern last week, period. And for me, they have a better RD than Hubbell/Donohue: with more concept and structure, variety in expression added.

 

[Skater Boy]

I really hope G and P bring it tonight. I am still devastated their SD went so badly. But this is a team in the vein of the Duchasney's so innovative and worthy of at some point a world medal. Especially in light of history where a lot of teams got a one time bronze. G and P need to skate without error though and for some reason they are prone to errors unlike many other teams.

H and D must feel confident. I honestly wasn't that impressed with the Chinese and S and K still have consistency/level issues. I wonder who will win bronze. Unlike men's freeskate I am not sure there is enough room for G and P to come back. That is the difference. In men's skating the quads are worth somuch and so many can do them or not do them that there is room for a lot of movement. But in the ladies you don't have (at least yet) all those quads so it is hard to make up huge differences like Nathan did at the olympics.

 

[LadyB]

B

Imagine some anthropologist 200 years from now trying to decipher that sentence...

:rofl2:

 

[LadyB]

I had so much hope for this team but really this is devastating. They aren't even in the last group I believe. And instead of challenging Hubbel and Donahue they are fighting for fifth not even a medal. It sounds bad but they needed to really skate well with high levels to impress judges. But they have been up and down like a yoyo Showing signs of brilliance and then wham. The fall from grace. I really thought this was their moment. And now this... We can hope for a comeback but they are so far behind.

This might sound stupid, but I feel really down. Hope they redeem themselves with a killer dance!