Rising from the SkAm Fire: Your Top 5

[Mrs. P]

Needless to say, this was a strange event... But there were still amazing performances!!

1. Shibutanis SD & FD
2. Savchenko/Massot SP& FS
3. Yu/Zhang FS
4. Han Yan SP
5. Satoko Miyahara FS

Honorable mention: Kaori Sakamoto FS (especially K&C moment!) Bradie Tennell SP, Serafima Sakhanovich (her skates and her Plushy K&C moments); Nathan Chen SP, Adam Rippon FS, Sergei Voronov FS, Boyang Jin FS

 

[Anyasnake]

Ashley WD from ankle injury
Samohin's dislocated shoulder
Adam' shoulder too
The whole men event
Every skater who seems to lose it under pressure, but this year no one seems to get up again
....
I'm sorry this event was a bit nuts.
I have a serious question : Was it as intense/crazy years ago ? (I followed just a bit, not like now). I feel like everyone in on the verge of WD for the Olys.

More seriously :

Shibs SD & FD - class of the field
Satoko Miyahara everything
Savchenko/Massot LP - Gorgeous
Nathan Chen SP - suits him so well
The rise of the "others" : Bradie, Kaori, Yu/Zhang, Voronov... how fresh.

 

[removof]

1) Rippon sp

2) savchenko massot lp

3) Nathan Chen sp

4) Sakamoto lp

5) Shibutani Shibutani sd

 

[rain]

Howayek/Baker FD
Gilles/Poirier FD
Rippon's FS
Sakamoto's joy in the FS
Duhamel/Radford SP

 

[mrrice]

1. Bradie Tennell, for saving the day for the US Ladies with her brilliant LP.

2. The Shibs FD. There was a lot of good skating before they took the ice and they stood up to the pressure.

3. Adam Rippon......Guts baby, Guts!!!!

4. Nathan Chen's huge score in his SP.

5. Victoria and Nikita, The Dancers from Russia. A very pleasant surprise for me. It's a shame they won't be at the final because they have a ton promise.

 

[silverfoxes]

Kaori, what a charming and delightful girl. I liked her in juniors but she didn't make such a strong impression until this competition.

Serafima for getting called in at the last moment and skating so well compared to the last couple seasons. And Plushy swooping in to Lake Placid to coach her was pretty special too.

Sergei for giving his all in tough circumstances & for his great reaction to making the final.

Alena for also refusing to be written off & skating so well after struggling for so long

Yu/Zhang's FS for making me almost kind of believe in them as a pair now.

Runner-up would be Adam, although his scores were really too generous.

 

[GGFan]

In no particular order:

1. Shibs SD: they totally owned it and that countdown twizzle is genius.
2. C/L FD: beautiful music and a great story--charming but with depth. Very smart packaging from them this year.
3. Kaori SP/FS: those jumps and ice coverage were beautiful to see. Bright future ahead.
4. Satoko SP/FS: I won't gush but only Kostner is currently in the conversation with her in terms of nuance and depth of interpretation.
5. D/R SP: my favorite program of theirs. They commit to the music more than they ever have.

 

[Eclair]

in no particular order:

1. Kaori and Bradie's SP/FS
2. Boyangs FS
3. Savchenko/Massot's FS
4. Yu/Zhang's FS

 

[meem]

In no particular order:

1. Shibutani's FD
2. Hawayek/Baker's FD
3. Sinitsina/Katsalopov's FD
4. Gilles/Poirier/s FD
5. Savchenko/Massot's LP

 

[Seruleane]

Also in no particular order:

Kaori Sakamoto's SP and FS- I feel like she is still finding her own style, and I wasn't a huge fan of the miming (the Russian ladies do it better )but I love her jumps, and she was probably the biggest revelation for me tonight.

Satoko Miyahara's FS - It's great to see her back in fighting form. I wish the judges/tech callers would appropriately mark her URs, but she deserves highest PCS (Caro level) IMO, because her skating is just exquisite. I think this Madame Butterfly program is actually my favorite Satoko program.

Serafima's SP - so great to see her skating cleanly, and I can tell she has regained some confidence. She seems like a lovely, very genuine young lady. I loved seeing her and Plushy in the K&C, and I'm hoping we will see a lot more of them in these competitions in the future!

Sergei Voronov's FS- great to see him fight through and get into the GPF! I hope he gets one of Russia's 2 Oly spots. He deserves it.

 

[Interspectator]

Han Yan SP
Kaori SP/FS and smile!
Satoko SP
Serafima SP/FS
Nathan SP

 

[Violet Bliss]

Yu/Zhang LP
Yan Han SP

 

[Ylyzybyth]

Chen SP
Adam Rippon SP
Kaori Sakamoto
Satoko miyahara
Karen Chen's SP up until she ate the ice.

 

[Arriba627]

Savchenko / Massot SP & FS
Bradie SP & FS
Shibutani's SP & FS
Muramoto / Reed SP
Nathan SP

Honorable Mention: Duhamel / Radford, Voronov

 

[charlotte14]

Kaori Sakamoto's performances and how she got robbed of the gold she deserves.

 

[Bugs]

I couldn't watch the free dance.
Memorable moments in no particular order
Adam Rippon, not doing what the other guys do but being strategic and owning who he is is very satisfying to watch

Satoko Miyahara SP and FP, every time I watch the programs my appreciation grows. Her quality is like a Japanese gift box, it takes thoughtful study to see her astounding qualities.

Reaction of Kaori after her program and in the Kiss and Cry.for the most part isn't her joy what it's all about?

Yu Zhang SP and FP, their speed and those throws! Zhang has improved a lot, to be realistic I watched his performances over the last years. I rewatched the programs at Skate America programs and just watched him. He has never looked so handsome, in shape, and in character. Xaioyu is so exotic looking and delicate but somehow I feel a force about to be unleashed. I hated the partner swap but now I love them together.
Bradie, a shining light, so easy to watch. So delightful to watch a kid in a candy shop!
Polina, I feel I am watching some kind of royal and mysterious breed that makes me want to watch over time to see the development. Appears so not Eteri school. Hope that continues.
Honorable mentions
Like Polina I think Gabby is an intriguing mix of power and somehow depth of feeling. It's not all there yet, but something tells me when she gets it all in balance our jaws will not close.
That tiny Chinese girl looks like a methodical progression and overwhelmed by the world around her. But somehow makes me interested in seeing her over time.
The event was so unique and interesting. No prefabs in the bunch!

 

[Crossover]

I haven't seen the ice dance and ladies' free yet, but the pair competition was so great that I don't think the free program of the two disciplines can give me more than what I already felt. I was so thrilled about Yu/Zhang's 2nd and their advance to GPF although I also rooted for James/Morgan.

1. Savchenko/Massot FS - marvelous and heartfelt performance

2. Yu/Zhang SP/FS - two great performances with two great programs! :agree: They stole my heart completely.
3. Moore-Towers/Marinano FS - gripping performance that I felt from them for the first time

4. Nathan Chen SP - this program is very exquisite :yay:

5. The return of Tiny Queen - welcome back!

Honorable mention: Kaori Sakamoto's huge jumps, Sergei Voronov's roaring at the KnC, Han Yan's mature SP performance

 

[skylark]

Aliona Savchenko / Bruno Massot - their gorgeous, innovative, emotionally engaging FS

Adam Rippon's poetic "Birds/Story of O" FS -- performance quality, Baby!

Nathan Chen's spectacular, thrilling "Nemesis" SP

Han Yan's SP - technique and flair and powerful emotion, oh my!

And Rising from the SkAm Fire .... Ashley Wagner ....
1) Who's such a great champion because she never, ever gives up.
2) Who's been one of the top ladies in the World for seven years/ seasons now, solely because she's Too Stubborn To Quit; and
3) Who fought through pain the past couple of days and then finally realized that the pain made it non-productive NOT to say, much as it breaks my heart, I have to withdraw, to protect myself from further injury and recovery time, which could count me out of the remainder of the season.

We taught in childbirth classes that Pain is a signal, the body's way of telling you something: to take heed and take measures.

 

[ks777]

Ashley Wagner's thick make up
Ashley Wagner's costumes
Gabrielle's thick make up
Sakamoto's hideous costume
Serafima's telegraphing......

 

[Seren]

I feel like they should give all the competitors a shirt that says "I survived the dumpster fire that was Skate America".

But in seriousness.

1. Shibs. Enough said.

2. Yu/Zhang's FS. Especially Yu, that girl is fierce.

3. Kaori's K&C reaction. Bonus point for Serafima's SP reaction. I love seeing happy skaters.

4. Adam skating well after having to pick bugs off the ice (in one of Skate America's stranger moments).

5. Nathan's SP and Bradie's LP. American skaters at their best.