Pj Kwong's Blog

[shine]

Is there something intrinsically wrong with saying Tessa can improve her skating more? I am a fan but I am probably in the minority here: not that they are not talented skaters, but I have always thought that V/M's success (and also D/W for that matter) at such an young age has a lot do with them happening to be competing in a time when the field is pretty weak compared to how ice dance has traditionally been. Achieving the OGM means they are the best in the current field but it doesn't mean they don't have a lot of room for improvement. They are only 21 and 23 afterall.

[Aussie Willy]

Is there something intrinsically wrong with saying Tessa can improve her skating more? I am a fan but I am probably in the minority here: not that they are not talented skaters, but I have always thought that V/M's success (and also D/W for that matter) at such an young age has a lot do with them happening to be competing in a time when the field is pretty weak compared to how ice dance has traditionally been. Achieving the OGM means they are the best in the current field but it doesn't mean they don't have a lot of room for improvement. They are only 21 and 23 afterall.

When judges rave about them, as well as the general public who are not normally into ice dance but thought they were the best thing since T&D at the Olympics, then there is something more than just that the rest of the field isn't very good.

[shirley]

Tessa needs to improve her skating more. The basicness of her skating, steep edge, positioning is really good already, she needs to do MORE, more power, more of everything, like Domnina does have.

More of what? I wasn’t completely in love with the romantic sentimental choices they always used each year, but I have eyes. And they are the last team in the world that needs to improve, skating-wise. Technique, skating ability, tricks, lifts, lines, speed,emotions are all there. Unless you can go deeper in what you mean, because I am more than willing to hear different opinions.

Just don't provide the same rebuttle by quoting other posters, using their words in order to twist it in a way that makes you happy. Next, using a combination of smiley faces and big capital letters to accentuate these same half-arsed explanations, then talking about something completely unrelated, I assume, makes it ok? Just saying.

[judgejudy27]

When judges rave about them, as well as the general public who are not normally into ice dance but thought they were the best thing since T&D at the Olympics, then there is something more than just that the rest of the field isn't very good.

I agree, but for the record I dont think the overall field at the moment in ice dancing is very good. One just has to look at the huge points gaps amongst the field, as well as the quality of the performances of the bronze medalists in the major competitions this year. I think V&M would have won with their performances in Vancouver especialy even vs a strong field though.

[skatingpj]

Just want to say think you for the support of my blog! Have gotten almost 30,000 hits this summer which has been a thrill as I was writing for practice and for fun! I am going to try and keep it up over the skating season in addition to anything else that comes my way and I want to let you know that I have a blog about Kevin Reynolds and Scott Moir still to come over this coming week! Thanks again everyone Pj

[The Accordion]

No! Thank YOU PJ!

[Mevrouw]

It's not that the field of ice dance is "relatively weak at this time" but that ice dance is changing and moving away from the style which was so strongly performed by many Russian trained ice dancers. That was never my favourite style but many adored it.

That V & M won over some of the last of that style speaks volumes about where the sport is going. (And yes, I know that Shabalin was injured and nowhere near his best possible, but that team weren't the only ones still competing, and not all were Russian.)

[pani]

Just want to say think you for the support of my blog! Have gotten almost 30,000 hits this summer which has been a thrill as I was writing for practice and for fun! I am going to try and keep it up over the skating season in addition to anything else that comes my way and I want to let you know that I have a blog about Kevin Reynolds and Scott Moir still to come over this coming week! Thanks again everyone Pj

Thank you!
Did you saw V-M programs?

[alilou]

Thank you!
Did you saw V-M programs?

pani - Pj was the arena announcer at the Olympics. So yes, I think she saw their programs

And Thank you Pj - I love your blog, and really looking forward to your book.

[pani]

pani - Pj was the arena announcer at the Olympics. So yes, I think she saw their programs

And Thank you Pj - I love your blog, and really looking forward to your book.

Sorry, i ask about new V-M programs

[alilou]

Sorry, i ask about new V-M programs

Oh! Silly me. Of course you asked about the new programs. I wasn't even thinking of them yet. I'm a bad fan

[piano18]

More of what? I wasn’t completely in love with the romantic sentimental choices they always used each year, but I have eyes. And they are the last team in the world that needs to improve, skating-wise. Technique, skating ability, tricks, lifts, lines, speed,emotions are all there. Unless you can go deeper in what you mean, because I am more than willing to hear different opinions.

Just don't provide the same rebuttle by quoting other posters, using their words in order to twist it in a way that makes you happy. Next, using a combination of smiley faces and big capital letters to accentuate these same half-arsed explanations, then talking about something completely unrelated, I assume, makes it ok? Just saying.

This seems like a very similar poster on these threads.
Btw, did I say she's got a problem with her basic skating skills?
Did I say she needs to improve because she sucky ?
I think she can skate with more power and robustliness. She can get better at this aspect, everyone can. Then their CDs can be the best.
It's not wrong to say she can and should and needs to get better as an athlete. And like someone here mentioned, she's only 21 afterall, improvement is natural.

[shirley]

This seems like a very similar poster on these threads.
Btw, did I say she's got a problem with her basic skating skills?
Did I say she needs to improve because she sucky ?
I think she can skate with more power and robustliness. She can get better at this aspect, everyone can. Then their CDs can be the best.
It's not wrong to say she can and should and needs to get better as an athlete. And like someone here mentioned, she's only 21 afterall, improvement is natural.

Sorry if I did manage to break your heart with the previous post. Discussion of all sorts is awesome. But if you have no clear idea of what you are talking about, then posting bits of unrelated topics here and there and quoting other posters out of context in order to downplay your contradictory arguments-might not be such a good idea. It would be more worthwhile taking notes than seeing everything with tunnel vision, going around in circles trying to prove a point. My opinion? Up until now, V/M are two great skaters who have had the misfortune of having to skate to drab and tasteless programmes that involve a love theme. I don't fully appreciate what their choreographers have done but that is only explained by personal taste. I do, however appreciate what they put out onto the ice, based on what they are given. Maybe being robust doesn't come off to you on television, but it sure does when you see them skate in person, trust me. I saw them practice live at Worlds in LA, and the speed and energy they exude doesn't even compare to that seen on TV.

[piano18]

Sorry for the rambling and sounding jumbly and posting bits of unrelated topics here and there as I have so many thoughts to put down I can't think straight!
and I agree that I don't enjoy their choreography either!
I still think she can further work a bit more on the skating in which i mentioned twelve dozen times in this thread lol and that's JMO.

[shirley]

Well you could have just said that in the first place, couldn't you?

Before you make such closed-minded comments about so-and-so, do your homework before making unjustified criticisms.

[Mevrouw]

Perhaps detailed discussion of a particular skater or team could be taken out to an appropriate thread? This one is about PJ Kwong's blog.

[Bailey_]

Another who just wants to say thank you to PJ for all the work she has done on her blog this summer. Keep them coming!!

[skatesindreams]

Another who just wants to say thank you to PJ for all the work she has done on her blog this summer. Keep them coming!!

Adding my

[oakl0008]

I'm also loving Pj's blogs.

I wonder if we will have one on Shawn Sawyer sometime??

[aaron]

Adding my

One more and
Her blog about non-canadian skaters are interesting as well. I'm hoping to see B. Joubert