I learned Team Paradise’s CSS

but I didn’t do it to the music because I left my iPod in the car by accident. It’s fun to do with a lot of speed. It was weird to do a forward outside loop, though - haven’t done one in a while! I did about half of the NHSS, too. My summer goal is definitely to perfect both of these. Does anyone else have plans to learn them? I assume most of you don’t get your programs until August, so if you don’t have your team’s steps to learn, you might as well learn Paradise’s (and then you’ll really be prepared for anything your coach throws at you)!

When coach hands out the itinerary and asks if anyone has any questions

greatdaytobeanathlete:

Long Program Thoughts

Team Sweden 2

Scary lift issue. Overall I liked this program a lot. I’ve never really noticed how nice Team Boomerang’s skating is before now. Their warm-up block was awesome. There were some creative transitions and some that were kind of weird. 

Team Finland 2

My feed kept freezing for this and it made me annoyed. I thought their skate was the slightest bit messy, not shape-wise but individually. It didn’t look like their first wheel configuration rotated enough but I could be wrong. There were feet down on their block step sequence. Overall the skate wasn’t as breathtaking as I usually expect them to be but still a great skate and worthy of winning the LP.

Team Finland 1

I skated to Stardust for my freestyle testing program, I love this music. Really good box intersection at the beginning. Curious if lines covered enough ice. 2 falls in no-point intersection. Bad camera angles!! For some reason I don’t really like this program at all, I don’t like the order of elements or the transitions. Kind of awkward. I thought their score would be a little low but not as low as it was.

Team Canada 2

Dresses threw me off a little at the beginning but then I understood. At first I was like…intense Willy Wonka? Fall in no-point. Their NHSS retrogression was gigantic…is there a limit on how much you can retrogress? Must look this up.

Team Sweden 1

Great circle shape the entire time. Collision in no-point but no fall. Did their lines cover enough ice? Saw feet down throughout program. I had to admit, the music was pretty annoying. And, I hate being that person, but I don’t know how much I liked the different colored dresses. I remember when Starlights Junior had 4 different colored dresses in their LP but they always had a pattern going on, Team Surprise was random the entire time. It would’ve been nice to see patterns. Wasn’t BLOWN AWAY with this performance.

Team Canada 1

Good job skating to a song in 3. Good skate and clean for the most part. Program didn’t blow me away.

Team USA 1

I was too nervous to write much for this. My heart was pounding the entire time. I think this was their best skate of the season. This was the only time at all this season that I really connected with this program. Really fast fall towards the end of the NHSS, I didn’t even really see if her butt hit the ground or if it was just her hand. Overall a really great skate, I thought.

Team Russia 1

Moulin Rouge guuuhhh ew. Fall in circle and took a LONG time for skater to get back in. I didn’t think the performance was great but I was expecting the judges to be generous with GOEs, but they weren’t. For those wondering about the -2.00 deduction, one was for the fall and the other was for “interruption in excess” because it took her too long to get back into the circle.

I think the scores for the LP were way more reasonable than the SP. The results for just the LP went:

1. Finland 1

2. USA 1

3. Sweden 1

4. Canada 1

5. Russia 1

Part of me feels like this should’ve been the results for the overall competition. I don’t want to dwell on anything, but had USA not had that silly fall at the end, they would’ve been 2nd overall (but I know they are still happy with their placement and they’re probably not even thinking about the fall). I think the judges were VERY GENEROUS with Sweden’s PCs. Somebody gave them a 10.00 in Transition/Linking Footwork. Like I said last night, you can always count on Team Surprise to have amazing transitions but I think 10.00 is a little much.

Overall this weekend I thought the judging was weird and inconsistent. The TP seemed to be fine. For example, Nexxice placed 2nd. I think back to their programs. Neither of the programs blew me away. I felt kind of blah after both of them. That’s what we’re saying is the second best in the world? I’m not saying they’re not great skaters, because they are and their technical marks definitely reflected that, but I happen to think that the GOEs they were given were a bit high. I felt nothing the entire program. You know? Usually, with all three teams that medal, I LOVE their programs and performances and I’m usually kind of in awe. Not so this year, at least for me.

Maybe I am just disappointed with the season. When I think about it, very few programs at Worlds made me feel anything. Here’s to more creative programs, more rational judges, and more beautiful skating next season!

Short Program Thoughts

Well THAT was a doozy. Here are just some notes I took while I was watching.

Team Russia 1: “Hallelujah”

Really clean with good transitions. Great MIF. I liked the circle step sequence and I thought it went well with the music. Their NHSS had excellent lines the entire time - best I saw all night. I liked that their skating built along with the music. At first, the music was softer, and the skating was calmer with more modest choreography, and then as the music built, the choreography got bigger and the skating became stronger.

Team Germany: “Just One Last Dance”

Transitions in the beginning could’ve been faster. Great circle shape. The centers of their 2-spoke seemed really far apart…I’d be interested to look up what the rule is on that. NHSS lines could’ve been better. Weird collision (no fall) in the transition from NHSS to MIF.

Team USA 2: “Mercy”

They skated fine. It was clean. Crystallettes don’t always do it for me. In this particular skate I noticed a lot of arms. I’d be watching, and then get distracted by flailing arms. Not surprised by the score.

Team Sweden 2: Some tango song

Fall in warm up block. Fast skating. NHSS lines a little messy. Not sure what their 135 shape was supposed to be…an amoeba, perhaps? They were really excited about their scores.

Team Russia 2: “Algo Puerto”

I’m not sure if I’ve ever seen them skate. Again, NHSS lines could’ve been better but I liked the step sequence a lot. It seems like all the skaters are strong individually. One of the guys is really good (I’m sure they both are, just one stood out more to me than the other). There was one weird transition where one girl had to like skate alone and chase another line.

Team Canada 2: ?

I missed most of this because I was making food. I liked their dresses.

Team Canada 1: “Red Run”

I like this theme, it’s a nice change for Nexxice. AND this is a great example of a coach being creative. There were a few struggling skaters in the spread eagles. Nice transitions. Pivot block kept good flow for the most part.

Team Sweden 1: “Super Mario”

Crowd going crazy. You can always count on Team Surprise for amazing transitions and pencil-straight lines. Forward entry into pivot block, interesting. NHSS good for the most part. Circle breathes nicely. Spiral sequence kind of slow.

Team USA 1: “Dancing with the Muse”

Are my eyes deceiving me or did a skater put her foot down in the pivot block? NHSS was edgy. I haven’t really connected with this program at all this season. I think this skate was good for them but it could’ve been a little better. Not really surprised by the scores and I think they’ll get ahead in the long.

Team Finland 2: Something by Royal Crown Revue

Kind of amazing. I love their opening circle. I like the size. It’s a nice, medium size, allowing them to make it breathe both in AND out. I’ve noticed that most teams keep it really wide and then only shrink in. Surprised by scores. I’m not sure why they haven’t been getting high scores this season.

Team Finland 1: “I Stand Alone”

I like the vine on the back of their dresses. MIU likes green. I liked the intro to their spirals. There was a bobble into the 135s. I thought they’d get a higher score than they did.

I don’t want to say anything before I look at the call sheets and figure out if it was the judges or the TP who gave weird scores, BUT I think I will disagree with a lot of them. I thought Russia was very very good, but I thought Rockettes were better. I was not overly impressed by Nexxice. Team Surprise was very good but messy in spots. I think Rockettes were cleaner. If I were a judge (leaving TP out of this), my order would be:

1. Rockettes

2. Paradise

3. Marigold Ice Unity

4. Team Surprise

5. Haydenettes

6. Nexxice

But these scores are so close, it really really is still anyone’s game! 

LSI Free Skate/Fun with IJS

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Edit: I almost forgot: who is excited for Cape Cod Classic? I am!