Icy Trails Favorite Performances of the 2016/2017 Season- Part 3: Men

Alright, alright, alright! Still cranking these out! For our next post:

"It's raining men! Hallelujah! It's raining men! Amen!"

Seriously though, this one is gonna be a big post. For the past several years, the men's competition has been arguably the most exciting competition to watch because you never know who's going to show up prepared to win. There is an excellent field with such an array of talent. No one can ever predict who is going to win! Another thing I'm very excited about is that there are more and more new countries getting involved with the sport every day. I love the variety that each of the newcomers bring to the sport.

We will start out with the Super Short Programs!

Yuzuru Hanyu (JPN)- "Let's Go Crazy"

The second Prince program for the post! This one had to be included! Yuzu is probably my favorite skater right now, although I have discovered a new one which we will get to in a minute! This program is a departure from his usual programs, but he can skate to any style. He always gives 110% to every performance, and it shows. He's got it all: the jumps, and more importantly, the artistry. He just keeps getting better and better. And the lunge and slide is the coolest thing ever OMG! Someone did this cool flag for him at the beginning of the video too. He is interacting with the audience in such an awesome way here, and everyone is loving it! And the triple axel practically went into the stratosphere...amazing! The ending of this video is hilarious. They're highlighting all the tossies he got out there, and there's a lot!

Misha Ge (UZB)- "Liebestraum"

Another gent in lavender, and from a country newer to the sport! Misha may not have a quad, but he has beautiful artistry in this short program. What is fascinating about him is that he can skate a beautiful classical-type program like this, then transform into a completely different skater for exhibitions. You will see what I mean. Misha is one of my new favorites! He has been competing for a few seasons now, but I have unfortunately just recently discovered him. He has a flair for drama; I love it!

Michael Christian Martinez (PHI)- "Emeral Tiger"

Another somewhat newcomer on the scene from a different country. This is just great to see. Is this the most refined performance? Not necessarily. But his Biellman is the best I've ever seen from the men, and it's better than a lot of the ladies as well. Just amazing. He also starts off the program with an interesting step sequence, which is and interesting opening we do not seen often. The choreography here is dynamic and entertaining, and he has a few dance type sequences that look really cool. He's playing to his strengths.

Now on to some Fantastic Free Skates! This is where championships are often won!

Yuzuru Hanyu (JPN)- "Hope and Legacy"

This program is so legendary, beautiful and amazing. Pretty much anything Yuzu skates to is going to be one of my favorites. This program is an Olympic-worthy program, but then again, his program last season to "Seimei" was too. It will be interesting what he brings out next season. He's got the difficult jumps here, to include the quad loop. He's got a lot more great skating too, with all the transition steps and great line. This program is mesmerizing and you can't look away.

Nathan Chen (USA)- "The Polovtsian Dances"

It's our "Quad Bae" Nathan Chen! He is nothing like we have ever seen in US Figure Skating. This program was an unbelievable feat in athleticism, but also had good presentation. 5 quads for the first time ever at Nats! The stadium explodes in applause! He pulled off this performance after being out for several months with a serious injury. Not only that, but he also performs well in international competitions! Consistency has been an issue across the board for American skaters, except in the area of ice dance, for years. Skaters come to kick ass and take names at Nationals but then succumb to pressure at big international events. Johnny dubbed him "America's hope". Kind of dramatic, but also kind of truthful. The best thing about Nathan Chen is that he is just getting started. He's got potential to get better and better. You can already see how the competition is steep here, and I haven't even finished posting all my free skates for the men yet.

Adam Rippon (USA)- "Arrival of the Birds"

This program is absolutely gorgeous. It's really unique and has a lot of cool artistry to it. Adam becomes one with the birds. Even his jumps are birdlike with soft, light landings. He has a really nice layback spin too. I'm pretty bummed that he got injured and we can't see this at Worlds. Adam also made the Grand Prix Final for the first time this year, as the program was well received by both the audience and the judges.

Maxim Kovtun (RUS)- "Iron Sky"

I have Maxim Kovtun in here because I like this program, and also because it seems like he always gets the short end of the stick. He won Russian Nationals in 2014 but got left off the Olympic team when Plushenko came sweeping in and took his spot. Then he pours his heart into this performance at Europeans, and still comes in second to Javier Fernandez, even though Javi's performance was riddled with mistakes. This is a really cool song too, and suits him well. He's knocking out the quads too! I love the passion and drama he brought into the performance. Keep on fighing Maxim!

More on my thoughts on Kovtun:

Now, who's ready for some Excellent Exhibitions?

Yuzuru Hanyu (JPN)- "Notte Stellata"

This is beautiful, amazing, and iconic. Just like Yuzu himself, which is why he's a favorite. He has such grace and poise here. The performance is birdlike with vulnerability to it.

Shoma Uno (JPN)- "See You Again"

Shoma is someone I have enjoyed watching the past couple of years. He's got a lot of energy and focus in his skating and is crazy talented. From what I have seen, he's had at least 3 exhibition programs for this season. This one was my favorite, as it shows a different side from what we have seen in his competitive programs. I particularly enjoyed the hip-hop section of the program. He finished the program strong with a huge triple axel and then that cool slidey-thing (I don't know the actual name for it).

Misha Ge (UZB)- "Baby/Let Me Love You"

I thought his short program from Four Continents was beautiful, then he comes out with something completely different with this exhibition. This will be the first of about 10 of his exhibitions...just kidding! But there will be another. Then I found a ton more of his exhibitions and they are all so amazing! How am I just now discovering the wonder that is Misha? I'm glad I started my blog and got on Twitter because now I'm on the "up and up" with figure skating and a lot of other cool stuff. So, back to this program. It is so fun and he has some killer dance steps in here. Also, the music choice. I'm pretty open to most types of music, but Justin Bieber does not fall into that realm. However, like any great performance, this program made me enjoy it. Break it down, Misha! Seriously though, in the quest for quads, great skating like this is often overlooked. Those dance moves are every bit as complicated as a jump!

Jason Brown (USA)- "Canned Heat"

Jason Brown is always an amazing entertainer. There's all sorts of cool dances here, and the split jumps are killer!

And our last one, as promised:

Misha Ge (UZB)- "Great Balls of Fire/Juicy Wiggle"

Gosh, he has so many different skating personalities! Who is this man? He's definitely intriguing. It's funny how there's always a lady skater sitting up on the boards too. He's working the audience and blowing kisses before the music even starts! I enjoy that he's often singing along while he skates too. No one can entertain like this! I love when he breaks out in full hip-hop mode! Those step sequences are no joke! I've got another special exhibition I'm saving for my super awesome bonus content post, coming soon!

So, here's the programs to watch for at Worlds. I hope you have enjoyed these, and don't forget about the super awesome bonus content coming up! I'll be watching next week and I know y'all will too!

Icy Trails Favorite Performances of the 2016/2017 Season- Part 2: Ladies

We are on to the second part of this post. I planned to just do one but there were way too many programs. Better to break it into smaller pieces, no?

Ladies skating this season was an interesting ride, as always. Evgenia Medveva continued to dominate everything, but there were some other beautiful skaters as well. One highlight of the season to me was Carolina Kostner's return. I have always loved her style of skating. There were a lot of cool exhibitions for the ladies this year as well. 

We'll start with some notable short programs:

Evgenia Medveva (RUS)- "River Flows in You"

I will admit, when I first heard about Evgenia, I thought she would be just another Russian skater with good jumps. Luckily, that is not the case. She is the complete package, technically, artistically, and emotionally. She's got the potential to dominate for a long time, like a modern day Michelle Kwan. The costume is great, and I like the gloves with it. Why be cold on the ice? This video also shows her getting the Victuri figurines at the end, which is adorable. 

Karen Chen (USA)- "On Golden Pond"

This one, for the element of surprise alone, had to make the list. Here's a quick summary of the thoughts at Nats: "What the what?" Who's leading after the short? Not Ashley? Not Gracie? Ooo! Karen Chen! Wow, she was really good!" Way to make a comeback! This is your moment. Congrats on your win!

A side note: I CANNOT with this commentary. Where are the British dudes when you need them? Johnny and Terry are quite insightful but there is too much chatter, OMG! Be warned, this will not be my last ranting on this!

Carolina Kostner (ITA)- "God of Thunder/Bonzo's Montreux"

This is some really interesting music, and a departure from Carolina's usual choices. She is back in top form and I am so happy! Her skating has a different type of refinement from everyone out there. Also, the still for this video is hilarious. Carolina is all happy and making heart motions, and Alexei Mishin is not amused. 

On to the free skates!

Satoko Miyahara (JPN)- "The Planets"

This is Satoko's performance from the Grand Prix Final. Unfortunately, some time after this, she got injured and missed Four Continents and also will not be at Worlds 🙁. The costume is gorgeous, and her skating has such beautiful flow. She lands her jumps quietly too. Her position on the layback spin is so beautiful, and transitions so nicely to the haircutter and Biellman spins. She also has a lovely spiral, which you don't see as often these days, and I really enjoy that. Her expressions and skating really did fill the arena, as Johnny mentioned. That is always a good goal to strive for, regardless of skating level, but one that is often overlooked.

She also started skating in Houston (representing H-town!), and guess what? I did too! Can the Houston area claim her? She would be a nice contrast to the commentator and former skater who can't stop talking...I have suffered in silence long enough.

Ok, ranting is over, who's next?

Carolina Kostner (ITA)- "Les Autres Existent"

I'll say it again: I'm so happy Carolina's back! Such beautiful posture and elegance. This free skate has a lot more jumps, especially in the second half, than I have seen her to before. She looks like she never took a break. There are many skaters that should take note.

Another side note: Do you guys remember in the 90s when the fans had cowbells at Europeans? What happened with that? That was one thing I really enjoyed about the European skaters and fans.

Thank you Christopher Walken. You understand.

The ladies also brought out some impressive exhibitions this season too. Here's some of my faves:

Ashley Wagner (USA)- "Dangerous Woman"

I wish I had this confidence on the ice...or in life. She is on fire here! She looks fabulous, as usual, and I love how she appears to look the audience in the eye. The commentators actually had a point here about how this program needs to be performed by someone with Ashley's womanly charisma. It would appear a bit off with many other skaters.

Karen Chen (USA)- "House of Flying Daggers"

This was really cool and unique. Also, skating with those sleeves and avoiding a catastrophe is a rare and commendable skill. This is a program only Karen can do. Those sleeves make everything really beautiful and dramatic.

I'm sure most of you have seen Evgenia's "Vogue" exhibition, and have varying opinions on it. I may feature that program in a later post, but there is another Russian lady who had a great exhibition program this season:

Elena Radionova (RUS)- "Worth It"

This was fun and sassy! Most of what I have seen her skate so far have been more on the serious side. She looks like she's having fun and being silly here. You point at that audience and flip your ponytail, Elena!

I got caught up watching a lot of programs from the All That Skate, and this show looked like a blast!

I found another awesome exhibition of hers I was going to feature, but it was from last season. Drat! I'll find a way to post it somewhere!

That's it for the ladies! Stay tuned for the men's post, coming soon. There will be a lot of ground to cover in that one!

Icy Trails Favorite Programs of the 2016/2017 Season- Part 1: Pairs and Dance

Hi Everyone! I've got a very special post for you just in time for Worlds! I've spent the past several days watching videos and going over some really cool ones. Every time I think I'm done, I find more and more! I've got competition and exhibition programs from all the disciplines, plus some super awesome bonus content! These are in no particular order...

Let's kick it off with pairs!

Wenjing Sui and Cong Han (CHN)- Free Skate: "Bridge Over Troubled Water"

This program is so beautiful. They said they were skating their story, and it really showed. This performance made everyone feel what they were feeling. One of the best performances this season, no question. Their musical interpretation is superb, and they have many beautiful positions. It just goes to show that if you stay true to yourself and your story, the performance comes much more naturally, and more importantly, the audience will believe it.

Liubov Ilyushechkina and Dylan Moscovitch (CAN)- Free Skate: "When You Say You Love Me"

This program has so much potential to be great. You really can't go wrong picking Josh Groban for your program, and there is such beautiful choreography here too. I wanted them to skate this cleanly the whole season because I could see its potential. Their performance at Four Continents was their best one yet, and is finally starting to tap into that. They also have great musical timing, with a fantastic lift right at the crescendo of the music.

Vanessa James and Morgan Cipres (FRA)- Free Skate: "The Sound of Silence"

I love these British commentators! They often have insightful comments, with witty phrases thrown in like "they have got to skate a blinder here". I find their commentary just enough, as I can't stand when commentators talk through the whole damn program. Anyway, on to this program. I featured this in my Top Ten Favorite Pairs Performances. I won't rehash all of my commentary from that post, but this program is a standout. It revolutionizes how figure skating is performed by pushing the envelope. We have seen much more creativity in competitive performances that was previously saved for exhibition and show performances. This is a great development. This program has the perfect combination of technical elements and artistry, and they really get into the performance. This is their music. I can't think of another pairs team that could pull this off. I would love it if they made the podium at Worlds!

And now....shall we dance?

This year, the ISU added hip-hop to the short dances. I think this addition is one of the best things to happen to ice dance. This was also the first year I remember disco being included. The short dances have typically been restricted to ballroom dances but this new change incorporates new forms of dance. Usually, I am all about the free dances with ice dance, but I have to say that the short dances were what drew me in this time around. Here's some I have been really into, and will be excited to see again at Worlds:

Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue (USA)- Short Dance: "Feelin' Good/Hip-hop medley"

OMG all the jams are in here! "Feelin' Good" is a good standard ice dance song. A funky transition song...what's next? Push It! Can't Touch This! Ice Ice Baby/Baby Got Back mix! Turn Down for What! The ending twerk! This is iconic. If you aren't singing and dancing with this, something's wrong. Next we have another epic jazz and hip-hop mashup:

Maia Shibutani and Alex Shibutani (USA)- Short Dance: "That's Life"

The US national champions in ice dance! Because this is freakin' cool! They can do it all, dancing to Frank Sinatra with ease, then breakin' it down to Jay-Z. Epic. The transition part is my favorite! They transition so easily between the jazz and hip-hop parts. It's just unbelievable. The choreography here is stellar.

I also mentioned disco earlier, so here it is:

Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier (CAN)- Short Dance: "Oh, What a Night for Dancing/Disco Inferno"

This performance was quite enjoyable! You can't be in a bad mood listening to disco. I also love that Paul has a total throwback look. He looks like an extra off the Saturday Night Fever set with the hair and mustache. It is giving me life. I have also been humming singing "Disco Inferno" a lot. Walking down the hall at work, cooking dinner, doing chores around the house...it's an earworm, but in a good way. I thought this performance from Canadian Nationals was their best one. I want to get out there and dance with them! We need to have a disco night at the rink! 🎵Burn baby burn! 🔥🔥🔥 Disco Inferno!🎵

On that note, there is another Canadian dance duo that made their return to competition this season:

Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir (CAN)- Short Dance: Prince Medley

This is the first appearance of a Prince program in this post. This is another development I enjoy. I also loved watching this short dance because it brought out a different side for Tessa and Scott. Most of their programs are quite dramatic and emotional, and this program brought out a sassy side. This dance also showcases why they are the top in the world. They make this look so easy!

As I mentioned before, I was all about the short dances this season. However, there was one free dance I really enjoyed. Here it is:

Gabriella Papadakis and Guillame Cizeron (FRA)- Free Dance: "Stillness"

This one stood out to me as a beautiful program, and they had interesting positions that no one else was doing. These costumes are absolutely beautiful too. I love this team's flow and emotion in their dances.

Now on to some notable exhibitions:

Maia Shibutani and Alex Shibutani (USA)- Exhibition: "Do You Remember"

In this performance, we see a completely different side of the Shib Sibs. This program was choreographed by Stephane Lambiel, and as we have established, Stephane is awesome. This program definitely has the flair he is known for. The music has this really cool groove to it, and their dance complements it well.

Madison Chock and Evan Bates (USA)- Exhibition: "Everybody's Free To Wear Sunscreen"

A little anecdote on this one...this song came out the year I graduated from high school. My first thought on this was "What the hell? This is weird". Then the song grew on me and I came to appreciate its sage wisdom. I felt the same way watching this dance. Overall, it was an interesting and new idea. It had to be challenging to dance to something without a defined rhythm for most of the song.

Alrighty, y'all. This is the first of at least 3 installments on the 2016/2017 season. I'm working diligently to bang these out before Worlds starts! Hope everyone enjoys this!

Icy Trails Top Ten All Time Favorite Pairs Performances

Hey guys! Hope you're all having a good week. Our competition season has kicked off here and I'm pretty stoked.

As you may recall, I posted my Top Ten All Time Favorite Ice Dance Performances quite a while ago. It was one of my earlier posts. If you haven't seen it, I definitely recommend checking it out. These posts take a while for me to do because I watch programs I know I love, then continue researching to see what else is out there. Then, the hardest part is only choosing 10!

I'm going to lay out what I look for and enjoy in pairs programs, similar to what I did with the ice dance post. I pull from both competitive and exhibition performances, and programs from any time period are allowed. Technical execution is looked at, but it isn't the be-all and end-all. How the program moves to the music, and the artistry and passion are most important. I'm an artistry junkie and always have been. I also look at programs that revolutionize the sport in some way, either by offering a different type of music, or with daring choreography. I also have a few pet peeves with pairs, which are 1) a lack of unison, and 2) half-assed death spirals. I CAN'T with crappy death spirals!!

As always, these are just the favorites from my perspective. I don't pay a great deal of attention to what the judges say about it, and my opinion isn't the only right one. I would love to hear about the programs you have enjoyed too!

Without any further introduction, here we go!

10. Wenjing Sui and Cong Han (CHN)- "Samson and Delilah"

They start out strong in this performance! Great musical interpretation, then BAM! The quad twist was perfection.There is some more cool choreography with the slide. It was not technically perfect, but their daring and passion more than made up for that. They got into their characters very well. One thing that really stands out with this team is their innovative lifts. They are able to pull off some really difficult positions, and I love how they ended. I'm glad Sui and Han are back in competition. I look forward to what they are going to do at Worlds.

9. Ekaterina Gordeeva and Sergei Grinkov (RUS)- "The Man I Love"

This program makes you feel all the feels. So much emotion! Their passion for skating and each other is so evident in every move they make. I don't think there could have been a more perfect song to capture that. What I loved about them is that they paid attention to every last detail. The costumes work perfectly, and every look and glance is part of the performance, but it never looks fake or put on. I could have easily filled my Top Ten with all G&G programs, but there were a few others I wanted to feature too. It's hard to believe it's been almost 22 years since Sergei has been gone. His mark on the sport will certainly never be forgotten.

8. Ekaterina Gordeeva and Sergei Grinkov (RUS)- "Vocalise"

Well, what do you know, I have another G&G program here! This is beautiful skating to a beautiful piece of music. It was interesting to hear this program was inspired by the Rodin sculpture "The Kiss", seen here:

I must say, they nailed it in that regard. Beautiful choreography by Marina Zueva. They are even wearing valentine colors! Even though this piece of music by Rachmaninoff has been around for a long time, G&G brought new life into it. Every time they skate to something, it seems as though the music was created just for them. The skating quality is superb here. They have such great speed, but everything is so quiet, and the landings are so soft and perfect. This pairs team is one of dreams that we are lucky to have witnessed in the time they were together.

7. Barbara Underhill and Paul Martini (CAN)- "Why'd You Lie?"

As the commentator (I think this is Verne Lundquist) states: this is a "different kind of love". This program's simmering sex appeal is supported with daring moves, the pair losing themselves to the music, and a complete commitment in every element. All those things working together brings the impact to this performance. Underhill and Martini's signature move, the "Leap of Faith", would be enough to secure them a spot on this list. But they didn't stop there. All the lifts were so dramatic. The way she positioned herself really showed a commitment to the character and flow with the music. All his lifts were over the head, and she looked like she was in the stratosphere! Another element of note was their death spiral. It was phenomenal, with her hair touching the ice! This is how it's done, folks.

6. Tatiana Voloshozar and Maxim Trankov (RUS)- "Masquerade Waltz"

This is an example of a traditional piece executed very well. There is no doubt that the roars of the hometown crowd fueled their enthusiastic performance. I also enjoyed their death spiral, where he switches hands! They were able to incorporate some dance elements into this pairs program, which made it more elegant. A waltz has specific timing, and they stayed in time with the music, executing the step sequences with great precision. I was glad to see this piece performed as a pair's program, as this may have been a little more boring and predictable as an ice dance performance. In this program, their dance-like footwork was embellished by huge lifts, twists, throws, and side by side jumps and spins. Truly a treat to watch.

5. Megan Duhamel and Eric Radford (CAN)- "Hometown Glory"

I'm gonna go ahead and get my unpopular opinion out of the way before commenting on this program. I'm not a big Adele fan (please don't come after me with pitchforks), but that did not matter at all with this amazing performance. Sometimes it is just your day to win, and this was their day. Everything was so flawlessly executed and in time with the music. They looked amazing out there, and the crowd exploded. I'm super jealous of my friends that got to go see Worlds last year! What really made my day with this performance was the look of complete joy at the end. They knew they gave this performance everything they could. I also noticed that while Megan was beaming ear to ear for over half of the program, Eric continued to look serious until the end. I also love that they are in their 30s and still competing at the level they are. Don't ever let age limit you, and don't let anyone tell you that you need to quit! As a bonus, did you guys see that guy in the audience? It's at the 5:32 mark in the video...he's coming down the stairs in all the Canadian flag garb!!! The hat, the jacket, everything!!! OMG! So, um, yeah, I had to throw this in there...

4. Ludmilla Belousova and Oleg Protopopov (RUS)- "Beethoven Medley"

Here we have the team that kicked off the long line of Russian dominance in pairs skating. Right off the bat, I'm noticing a lot of differences between pairs skating of the 60s and now. Obviously, there are now more difficult jumps and throws, but they don't have quite the beautiful lines of Oleg and Ludmilla. They always moved together in unison. In their time, there used to be a lot more time spent in hold during the program, and longer step sequences. Their spiral sequence was really a thing of beauty. It looked so effortless like they could go on forever, as they merged into one being gliding across the ice. I also love their classy elegance and the way they carry themselves. They knew they were at the Olympics and took this special occasion very seriously. I also need to point out another audience member in this one: there's a very stylish lady standing at the 2:40 mark with a red coat and hat, with crossed arms and resting bitch face. She looks fabulous! You don't see people quite as dressed up in the stands anymore at these events. All the ladies on the pairs podium are serving up 60s beehive realness, but only Ludmilla is wearing a tiara. Apparently she showed up dressed to win that day!

3. Elena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharulidze (RUS)- "The Dinner from La Califfa"

Ok, I'm about to spout off another controversial opinion: I preferred Berezhnaya and Sikharulidze's skating style over Sale and Pelletier. Don't get me wrong, they were both great. While Sale and Pelletier delivered more on the technical front, Berezhnaya and Sikharulidze delivered more on the artistry and emotional domains. I don't see anything wrong with them both getting gold medals. That being said, the block judging, bribery, and collusion are still completely screwed up. I had a tough time deciding between this program and their free skate. I went with the short program because 1) there were no mistakes, and 2) "Meditation", their music for the free skate is in the realm of overplayed skating music, whereas as this music is unique. Plus, it has a harpsichord in it, which reminds me of a great friend who plays the instrument. I love that their skating has delicateness and vulnerability, and of course Elena's accident and recovery really tears at the heartstrings...😭😭😭. Their program is about a first kiss, and their ending pose looks like it's about to happen, the Elena gives Anton the "not now" look. Still, it was a great performance.

2. Vanessa James and Morgan Cipres (FRA)- "The Sound of Silence"

Remember at the beginning when I mentioned revolutionizing the sport? Well, this is it! The ISU's decision several years ago to allow lyrics in competitive programs has led to a myriad of creative possibilities. I cannot say I have agreed with everything they have decided, but this was one of the best changes to come to the sport. We have never seen anything like this before! I am so excited about different types of music coming into the realm of figure skating, especially when it's one of my favorite bands, Disturbed! This song has been the metal band's big crossover hit, and the song has been featured on Dancing With The Stars. What is great about the song is that it allows the band to reach a new audience, but it still has the gripping vocals they are known for. They are not selling out in any way. James and Cipres' performance perfectly captures the essence of the song. Their costuming is simple, and it's all that's really needed for this program. The music doesn't call for a lot of bling and frippery. Their coach is pairs skater John Zimmerman, and his influence is definitely present in the program as well, with the cool rock and roll edge.

You wanna know something else? This wasn't the first figure skating performance to this song either. On the 2016 Stars On Ice tour, Ryan Bradley, Jeremy Abbott, and Adam Rippon performed a trio to it as well. It's really cool, and you need to see it, so here you go:

1. Ekaterina Gordeeva and Sergei Grinkov (RUS)- "Moonlight Sonata"

Wow. This is breathtaking and amazing. I don't have many other words for it. Again, they make anything they skate seem like the music was created just for them. I found it interesting to compare this performance to Belousova and Protopov's Beethoven Medley. There are a lot of similarities between both pairs, how they interpret the music, and how they relate to each other. It is a way of passing the torch, similar what I had mentioned with Torvill and Dean passing the torch to Davis and White. G&G is just the best team to ever take the ice!

I hope you all enjoyed this, and there are so many more awesome pairs programs out there too!

💖 Icy Trails

Figure Skating Costumes Through the Years: The 2000s

Hi everyone! It's been a while since we have done a Costumes Through the Years post, and we are now on the tail end. I just thought of something mind-blowing. Some of today's top skaters were infants at the beginning of this decade. Just let that sink in for a minute...

Ok anyway, I have looked through some costumes I have collected throughout the decade and there are not really any recurring themes like we have seen throughout the 80s and 90s. The 2000s costume motto seemed to fit 2 themes: 1) Suiting the program, or 2) Suiting the skaters' personal style. I'm going to break this one out by discipline, and you can see what I'm talking about.

In some of my previous posts, I wrote about how skating costumes reflected popular styles of the time period. I suppose we should be grateful this wasn't really the case here. There are no trucker hats or super low rise jeans out there!

Ice Dance

Some of the most cool and creative costumes of the decade came from ice dance.

This team has some cool costumes. It looks like it may be for a tango. I like the design on it. The hair, however, has room for improvement.

Anissina and Peizerat were a French dance team to watch in the late 90s and early 2000s. They always seemed to pick costumes that complemented her fiery red hair and gave him a romantic look.

This yin and yang costume is really unique. I might have to go find this program! It looks pretty cool. And of course, when I look for the program, this has disappeared from the internet forever. Thanks...

Here we have the German dance team Winkler and Lohse on fire! 🔥

Ladies

For the ladies, we see a variety of both classic and modern skating dresses, better suited to the skater and the program. We will start with the podium from the 2002 Olympics:

This was certainly an interesting night. I don't think anyone would have anticipated Sarah Hughes winning the gold. She had a beautiful and perfect free skate, but she was in 4th after the short program. There was a bit of grumbling about the judging and scores, but nothing like other Olympic events (hmm...1998? 2014? yeah, those were much more contested. I will leave out my personal opinions on these for now...😉).

Costume wise, the '00s are when we start seeing sleeveless dresses becoming more of the norm in ladies skating. For this reason, Irina's long sleeve dress stands out a bit more. Here's a closer look at Sarah's dress for her winning free skate.

We also have another dress from another one of Irina's programs:

Well, this is interesting, whatever it is. I like how the skirt is either removable or adjustable. I will have to find this program! It would be super cool if the music was "Ace of Spades" by Motorhead, but somehow I doubt that's the case.

Another noteworthy difference with the ladies of all disciplines in this decade is the much greater usage of over the boot tights. There are skaters and non-skaters alike who either love or hate these tights. I'm much more of a "live and let live" type of person with the tights. I will say over the boot tights are helpful for keeping laces tucked in, and also covering up less-than-perfect boots (as mine are at the moment...once I get new skates I will be showing those babies off though!).

Back to the dresses...

After the 2002 Olympics, some new skaters to came into play. Team USA's biggest medal contender in ladies' figure skating was Sasha Cohen. Sasha had a dramatic flair, and she could pull off costumes and programs of all different styles.

We also have this costume from one of her exhibitions, and it's one of the prettiest costumes ever:

She won the silver at the 2006 Olympics, and the gold went to Shizuka Arakawa of Japan.

Her dress is really pretty and unique, with the sleeves of different colors, neckline, and skirt cut. After the 2006 Olympics, several of the skaters did not compete at the world championships. This was when Kimmie Meissner stepped in and won Worlds seemingly out of nowhere.

Red and gold is a nice combination, as we are seeing on Nathan Chen's costume this season.

To sum up the ladies, there were a lot of pretty dresses, nothing crazy, but nothing that really says, wow! The one exception would be Sasha's winged costume, which was for an exhibition. Here it is. You have to see the wings move!

This is just gorgeous, especially on the spirals, OMG!!!

Pairs

Here we have the 2006 Olympic Silver Medalists Zhang Dan and Zhang Hao. Their costumes are somewhat similar to one of the the dance teams above.

Next, we have Kyoko Ina and John Zimmerman in matching pale blue ensembles.

And finally, I must feature both pairs from the 2002 Olympic Showdown and judging scandal:

First is Sale and Pelletier of Canada:

Fairly simple costuming, so more focus goes on their skating.

And we have their opponents, Berezhnaya and Sikharulidze of Russia:

A little more elaborate, but still fairly simple costuming. I'm only focusing on costumes for this post, but I have addressed this judging scandal in a recent post on the state of our sport. It may even come up again once I nail down my favorite pairs programs for the Top Ten Pairs' post.

Moving on to our final category...

Men

To start off, we have a few more traditional offerings from Timothy Goebel and Michael Weiss:

We also have Johnny Weir looking  unlike his usual fabulous self:

This looks to be earlier in his career, but it's so unusual to see him without the flash and frippery.

We also have an interesting and striking choice from Brian Joubert:

Now things are really gonna get interesting...The huge rivalry in men's figure skating in the '00s was between two Russian men: Alexei Yagudin and Evgeny Plushenko. It was not just a friendly skating rivalry either. They really did not like each other and everyone knew it. Alexei especially got ugly after Plushenko got injured at the 2014 Olympics and withdrew before the short program. Yikes! Anyway, here they are, so let's talk costumes!

Here's Plushenko. He won the gold in 2006. The detailing here kind of reminds me of Yuri's Eros costume from Yuri on Ice:

And here's Alexei Yagudin. He won the gold in 2002.

Seeing these immediately brings this to mind:

I'm so very sorry to do this to you again. I know many of you were just now recovering from seeing this the first time. Anyway, Alexei's first costume is a hot mess, though still an improvement on our poor violin girl. It could have been featured in my Worst Costumes post. I might need to do a Part 2 on that one. Anyway, Alexei's second costume is much more classy and refined.

Speaking of worst costumes, I have had several people comment on this one from Stephane Lambiel:

Many think it's up there with Ilia's 1998 "Rhapsody in Blue" costume. Here are my thoughts.
1) I like animal print.
2) Stephane is awesome.
3) The zebra print looked really cool with the spins.

It appears we all have our blind spots with certain costumes, skaters and designs. This was one of mine.

Come to think of it, isn't "The More You Know" an '00s thing as well?

Anyway y'all, we are almost at the end of this series! There is but one more from the 2010s, which I keep tweaking from recent competitions. There is a lot more cool stuff coming you way too!

Thank you from Icy Trails ⛸

Some Really Weird Skating Valentines

Ah, love is in the air....

What better way to show it than with some romantic skating pictures...

Aww, isn't that nice? Well, that's all you're getting of those. We will now enter the crazy section! I have collected some pictures of vintage skating valentines to share with you. Bring on the cheese, and bring on the laughter!

We will start with the obligatory "falling for you" valentines:

 He kinda looks like Charlie from "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory".

You can roll your eyes, it's ok. I'm just warming up now. They will get progressively funnier and weirder.

Ok, these are actually kind of cute...

This dude is the Casanova of the ice right here!

This girl is pretty forward. She's going after what she wants. Get it girl!

She just wants someone to melt her cold heart. Someone please help her!

Also, why are there so many "Danger" and "Thin Ice" things out there. This is concerning. Does no one have any damn sense in these cards?

This dude's about to fall in the lake...

It's another Danger Zone. You know what that means!

The gratuitous Archer clip. Sorry not sorry.

And what is probably the most WTF set of valentines of all...

Miss Tonya may have gotten her inspiration from this valentine here:

Lord, I apologize.

And for the grand finale, and valentine to end all valentines. A culmination of all that is awesome in my world...

Figure skating cats! Can this be real! I had only dreamed to find a picture of skating cats, and now, here it is...

Happy Valentine's Days from Icy Trails! Much love to all!

So, who else is tired of hearing figure skating is dying?

I have heard all the laments, and I'm sure you have too, starting in the late 2000s. Naysayers saying that figure skating is dying and on the decline. Of course, when I mention this, I am referring to US Figure Skating. Figure skating is booming in other areas of the world, particularly in Russia and Japan. Most articles I find on the topic say the same old crap. No one is coming, no one is watching on TV, blah blah blah....

Given my analytical nature, I wanted to dig a little deeper on this issue. I wanted to explore some things that might have led to this opinion, and what exactly the problem is. Here are my speculations on what has happened, and where we can go from here.

Back in the day...

In the 90s, figure skating was in its heyday. This was when I became a diehard fan, and there were many others like me. I think the catalyst for figure skating popularity came from the scandal with Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan. It was like reality TV before there was such a thing. The entire scandal caused everyone to pay more attention to the 1994 Olympics in Lillehammer. However, that was not the only draw of the event. A lot of different things were happening. The International Skating Union, or ISU, changed the rules to allow professional skaters to compete in the Olympics, something that was forbidden in the past. So, you had some legends such as Katarina Witt, Brian Boitano, Viktor Petrenko, and Gordeeva & Grinkov competing with several newcomers. There were some new names and faces that came out of this event. After the Olympics, several more skaters went professional, and there were several professional competitions on TV as well as exhibition shows. There were several shows that toured around the country, most notably Stars on Ice, and the Tour of World Figure Skating Champions (later Champions on Ice). I went to every Champions on Ice show until I went to college in 2001 (they ended soon after that anyway). I plan to post all of my programs of the shows sometime. This was a special time for me and my mom. We would go to dinner and Olive Garden and then go see the show. I will never forget these cherished memories. And I have to give credit to my parents, brother, and sister for watching EVERY SINGLE skating thing that came on, just because I loved it.

With so many skaters going professional after the 1994 Olympics, this left a gap for new stars to rise for the latter part of the 90s. This is where you see the rise of skaters such as Ilia Kulik, Elvis Stojko, Todd Eldredge, and the now legendary Michelle Kwan. Kwan was the perfect combination of technical ability and artistry, dominating for nearly a decade. She had challengers, such as Tara Lipinksi and Irina Slutskaya, but everyone gravitated toward Michelle. She was the new American Ice Princess. The ladies event always drew greater attention than the other events in figure skating.

The Great Shift of 2002

In figure skating history, there are 3 major historical events that have completely transformed the sport and art of figure skating. Here's a breakdown of the 3 major shifts:

1) Figure skating competitions were separated into men's, ladies, and pairs events for the 1912 Olympics after Madge Syers held her own against several men in the 1908 Olympics, almost winning.

2) In July 1990, compulsory figures were eliminated from competitions. Some of the major rationale behind this decision were that it held back otherwise talented free skaters, such as Janet Lynn. They were also not as interesting to watch as free skating, with all the jumps and spins, and music. The debate on the relevance of figures continues to this day.

3) During the 2002 Olympics, there was a huge judging scandal in the pairs event. Block judging was rumored to happen at several competitions leading up to this, but those scores could usually be rationalized. The coercion by judges was blatantly obvious in this case. This video can explain the situation much better than I can.

Long story short, this grand scandal of judging led the ISU to give birth to the International Judging System, or IJS.

A Run-down on IJS and Comparisons to the 6.0 Judging System

Under the previous 6.0 judging system, there were two separate score categories of scores: technical merit and artistic impression. The technical merit was fairly straighforward; you either got the element or you didn't. The artistic impression was more subjective.

Under IJS, things are a little more detailed. There is still a technical score, and the artistic impression is replaced with the component score. In the technical score, each element is assigned a points value. There is also a grade of execution score, in which an element can gain, or lose, up to 3 points. A perfect landing would give a skater a +3 on the grade of execution, whereas under or over rotation on a jump, or poor spin position, could cause the skater to lose points. The component score is based on musical interpretation, flow of the program, and overall presentation. It is still subjective like the artistic impression scores were, but there is an attempt to quantify certain performance elements.

Under the 6.0 judging system, you know what country each judge is from and the score they gave. Under IJS, the judging has been anonymous. I will touch more on that later. As of June 8, 2016, anonymous judging has been abolished.

Opposition to the IJS System

Several skaters and former commentators have spoken out in strong opposition to the IJS system. Critics of this system state that the scoring makes it confusing for the audience to know what's going on. It can be disheartening to the audience to see someone fall and still win a gold medal. Another criticism of IJS is that it causes all programs to look the same to maximize points. At the beginning of IJS implementation, that point could be argued. You would repeatedly see the same types of jumps in the same order in each program, with spins and step sequences peppered throughout the performance. One thing many people think is that in an effort to quantify figure skating as more of a sport (via IJS), it has taken away from skating as an art. And finally, the biggest rub with IJS was the anonymous judging. There are many who disagree with some of the results from the last Winter Olympics in Sochi and believe it to be caused by colluding judges, knowing they would not be caught. Now that judges are no longer anonymous, it would be interesting to see how this changes.

Contributing factors to the "Death of Figure Skating As We Know It"

I'm going to lay out a little list here of some criticisms of modern figure skating. Some I will acknowledge, and some I will refute.

1) "No one understands the International Judging System"
- This has been true in the recent past, but efforts are now being made to better explain what is happening, both by the commentators and visual aids. At the 2017 US Nationals, there was a color code indicating the grade of execution on various technical elements. This is a positive development that I hope we see more of. Yes, it may seem unfair that someone can fall and still win. However, any skater knows that sometimes you fall when you're really going for it. This has led the sport to push to new boundaries with jumps, since they get credit for the rotations. The days of playing it safe to win are over, which has made figure skating exciting to watch. Not only that, but there is no way to please everyone.

2) "Constant overexposure to figure skating in the 90s and early 2000s burnt everyone out. There were cheesy TV specials on all the time!"
- This one may have some truth to it. I enjoyed watching all the professional skating competitions in the 90s, because they seemed to have more fun out there than the serious "amateur" competitors. Now, those lines have blurred and skaters have more freedom, and there is not a place for many of those competitions now. One thing that irritated me to no end in the '00s was that many skaters began skating to popular songs just to garner an audience. I thought a lot of skaters were selling out in that regard. It did not help that the TV specials continued to progress to epic levels of cheesiness. I remember seeing one called "Fashion on Ice". I was thinking, "hmm, this is 2 things I like, this should be great"! WRONG. So very wrong. The music sucked, the skating was not great, and the costumes were ugly. I'd say this turned people off in the lull from 2002 to about 2010. And honestly, we would have to have another Tonya Harding moment to draw the crowd of the 90s, which no one wants.

3) The absence of the "American Ice Princess"
- We had Kristy. We had Nancy. We had Michelle and Tara, and then Sasha. Who is left to carry the torch now? Gracie Gold? Too inconsistent and not a lot of personality. Ashley Wagner? Not "princessy" enough. Because God forbid a woman have an opinion on anything... I like Gracie and Ashley though.

Also, there are 3 OTHER DISCIPLINES in this freaking sport. American ice dance has been dominating since 2010. Davis and White won the gold in 2014. Their performance was phenomenal. We have new talent in Men's skating, which I personally have enjoyed watching more than the other events in the past several years.

4) "IJS takes away from the artistry of figure skating. Skaters are too focused on earning points."
- I will say that for skaters just breaking into senior competitions, this is true. Later on, I have to disagree on this. Any look at performances by Yuzuru Hanyu, Javier Fernandez, Evgenia Medvedeva, or Ashley Wagner, and you will see that is not the case. There are also many others that I did not mention that would fall into this category as well. One thing that IJS does is push skaters both technically and artistically. It is difficult to make the podium if you are a great jumper with a lackluster presentation, or an artistically gifted skater who messes up on technical elements.

5) "No one watches skating on TV anymore and it's hardly ever on."
- If this metric is comparing viewership to numbers from the 90s, that is an unfair comparison. Now, it is more common for someone to DVR an event and watch it later. I do this all the time. It is much more convenient to do this now than in the 90s where I had competitions recorded on VHS tapes. Not only that, but there are several more channels on TV, as well as internet channels. Have viewer numbers from Ice Network been factored into this equation?

6) "There are a lot of empty seats at competitions held in the US."
- Ok, they got us on this one. I know some friends who have attended Skate America, and several attend Nationals every year. Some friends of mine even got to see the World Championships in Boston last year! Anyway, we can do better. I just looked up information for Skate America this fall. It is in Lake Placid, one of my favorite places ever! Tickets range from $125-$250. Not everyone can swing it, but that's not too bad considering it's a Grand Prix event. However, it is during Thanksgiving week and weekend. I will check out some info on the 2018 Nationals once that becomes available. Bottom line is that we as skaters have to lead the way in increasing the audience at these events. I know I have not done it either.

So what's next?

The US Figure Skating Team is growing stronger every year leading up to the 2018 Olympic Games, and the talent has been great. We are seeing some newcomers on the scene that are making a name on the international circuit, particularly Nathan Chen and the Shibutanis. There is a lot to be optimistic about.

Additionally, I call on everyone to embrace the changes to the sport. You can lament how it's not the same. I had my own period of lamentation too. The fact of the matter is, it's not going back to how it used to be, and that's ok. The IJS has brought some questionable judging calls with it, and few deny that. That has gone on since the history of figure skating though. I could come of with a laundry list of calls I disagree with on both the IJS and the 6.0 systems. We can cherish the memories of the past and look forward to where the future is headed, all while enjoying the sport in its present state. We must be ambassadors of our sport. Get excited about it, and share your enthusiasm with others!

However, there are some changes that would be beneficial. In Dick Button's autobiography "Push Dick's Button", he mentions that the ISU has not had a figure skater as president for 40 years. I do agree with his recommendation of splitting the ISU into figure skating and speed skating components. It would be good to have someone at the top that both knows and cares about figure skating. I am also a big proponent of figures and would like to see more skaters learn them. The discipline you learn from figures translates into better control, body position and edges. I'm only beginning and can already see the benefits.

One more closing thought. The skaters we see on TV are just a tiny tip of the iceberg of other skaters out there. Every day, there are skaters at rinks all across the country of all ages and abilities, practicing elements and programs. We may gain some inspiration from the skaters on TV but each skater becomes their own force. The dream is still alive, every day. Look at the child who got a ribbon in their first competition. The excitement someone gets when they learn something new. To my kindred spirit adult skaters who get out there, work and do amazing things in spite of our age, those who skate because they love it and the great friends and memories it holds, I salute you. All of us, the kids, the adults, and the teens, are what keeps skating alive.

With love from Icy Trails