Japanese skater/skating news & updates

[spikydurian]

Didn't know that Kuzo is injured. Disappointed that he didn't make it 2013 Worlds. I hope he trains well and will make it to Sochi. I really want to see him compete there.

[midori]

Shizuka skated a program on a floating ice on the Ocean.

Picture on her twitter post: https://twitter.com/tiramisu11/statu...991744/photo/1
The rink: https://twitter.com/tiramisu11/statu...545408/photo/1

Last year they tried the same, but faced so many troubles and all she could do was walking and posing on the half-melted ice. This year the weather helped and she managed to skate, spin and even do a double jump.

She once did a 37 double toe-loop's combination, and now this. Shizuka's the queen of extreme skating!

[Loves_Shizuka]

^WOW thanks so much for that!

Ahhh, Shiz She is BADASS.

[peibeck]

Wow that's cool and kind of scary looking at the same time. Looks like the somehow got a flat surface on an iceberg.

[jjane45]

thanks midori for posting, OMG that was impressive! was it for a TV program?

[midori]

Before skating, Shizuka said "I had never thought I'd do Ina-Bauer with risking my life." yet

was it for a TV program?

Yes it is for a TV program and it was aired today. Hope it gets online.

Looks like the somehow got a flat surface on an iceberg.

That was the original idea but that'd be simply too dangerous so they made a float filled with huge ice cubes, then smoothened the surface, battling with leaking sea water, waves, and coldness. Last year real icebergs was one of the major obstacles.

[Meredith]

What a stunning photo! Thanks for posting it, midori.

[Suze]

Thank you Midori! I'm blown away too. How did they... I can't even... Japanese tv programs are awesome.

[pinky166]

Shizuka's ina bauer is the best ever IMO

[jjane45]

still in awe of the ice surface. was there a mini zamboni? ;P

[Akira Andrea]

There was not zamboni, it made a surface smooth by the manpower while arranging many block ices on the barge type platform　which had moored at the entrance of a bay.
While making the rink, they were griped in the heavy snowfall in previous day and, on that day, they were griped by the melting of the rink with the sun shine.

Shizuka Arakawa was skating to "Turandot" on floating ice rink at Siretoko Sea in Hokkaido in Japan.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3YRdr5306g

[Loves_Shizuka]

^Thank you!

Just...crazy.

She looks BEAUITFUL!

[jjane45]

Thanks Akira Andrea! And the youtube video you posted also linked to another video from last year on rink construction (approx. last third of the video)
http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XMzY3OTI5MzI0.html

[ioana]

What is going on with the man in a bird costume?! Shizuka did really well considering her blades kept getting stuck in gaps between the blocks of ice

[midori]

Shizuka Arakawa was skating to "Turandot" on floating ice rink at Siretoko Sea in Hokkaido in Japan.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3YRdr5306g

That video is from last year, when the rink was built on a boat, kept within a bay, and the ice was half-melt.

There was another attempt this year and it went much better.

[jjane45]

What is going on with the man in a bird costume?! Shizuka did really well considering her blades kept getting stuck in gaps between the blocks of ice

She is awesome! I wondered too what is the sad story he told in that youtube video. Then I glanced at the longer youku video, the organizers got so unlucky last year, I'd have cried if I were in his place!

[Akira Andrea]

Shizuka Arakawa was skating to "Turandot" on floating ice rink at Siretoko Sea in Hokkaido in Japan.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3YRdr5306g

Translating to English from Japanese.
0:00
Eagle: I'm sorry having become such a situation.
0:05
Arakawa: Not at all, because no one will be able to estimate that it becomes such situation. And many people cooperated to make the rink.
0:10
Arakawa: I, too, would like to do to the last what I can do.
0:13
Eagle: Thank you. I’m regrettable.
0:21
Arakawa: Anyway, let's try! I may be able to do it if it's the still image.
0:26
Eagle: Is it true?!
0:28
Arakawa: That’s right. Because it’s the photograph.
0:32
She puts on the skates anyway, but, perhaps, this is the worst skating rink in her life for Arakawa. No, it is in the condition which it is difficult even to say that it is a rink to no longer.

0:44
Arakawa: I'm scared!
0:46
The edge of the skates is sinking into the ice as if it cuts the sherbet with the knife.
0:53
Eagle: Please, take it easy！
0:56
Even Arakawa who had thought that it can somehow work out is fully in situation of giving up.
1:02
Arakawa: I'm scared!
1:03
Eagle: I, too, think that you will feel so.
1:06
Eagle: Arakawa! I ask you although I'm fearful of your reply. Can you perform the Ina Bauer on this?
1:16
Arakawa: This may be fairly severe. Because it is fairly difficult to skate straight.
1:25
Eagle: Please speak definitely. Can you perform the Ina Bauer?
1:32
Arakawa: I can’t do it.
1:34
Eagle: I see!

1:36
Arakawa: I don't say that I can't do as for most cases, but I can't do as for this case.
1:41
Eagle: Everybody! Thank you very much for coming here today. This rink had been arranged cleanly in this morning, but the rink has become the sherbet condition by the cause of sunshine although I don't know whether the sunshine is a friend or an enemy. Therefore, the rink has become the condition which it is difficult even to skate in. Because Shizuka Arakawa said that she can't perform the Ina Bauer in this condition, we think that we would like to be businesslike as the calendar photography, while adopting 'this especial floating ice' and 'the rink which we prepared with affection' as the back ground.
02:40
Eagle began to weep.
02:44
Audience: Fight! Don’t cry!
The applause to encourage the eagle
02:57
Audience: Fight!
03:03
Eagle: On this floating ice type rink which was filled with a lot of love which was prepared by the cooperation of people at Rausu town, we would like to photograph the pose of Ina Bauer for the calendar of February.
03:29
Eagle: Please, begin.
03:35
There was the proposal from Arakawa who listened to the great speech of eagle.

03:40
Arakawa: Because the ice is the condition like this, I can't do anything, but because I am wearing the skates especially, I would like to study for about one minute whether I can't show the mere form of the movement of skating.
03:56
Eagle: Really!!
03:58
Arakawa: Because I lose my balance in the ice like a sherbet even for skating forward, I think that I may skate looking down, but...
04:04
Eagle: But, please don’t overdo it really!
04:06
Eagle: Please be careful really!
(Because he spoke in the local dialect of west Japan, audience laughed pleasantly.)

04:09
The Turandot resounds to the sea in Shiretoko-peninsula!
04:14
Eagle: Well, everybody! Thank you for waiting!
04:21
Eagle: Music, start!
04:25
♪Turandot
04:50
Audience: The best!　The best!　The best!
05:50
Eagle: You skated excellently like that for us to the surprising degree.　 It is incredible already! It is awesome in this condition!
05:58
Arakawa: I am surprised at myself, too. It is the first experience for me.
06:03
Eagle: You watched the Ina Bauer, don't you? You watched the Ina Bauer certainly, don't you?
06:10
Arakawa: Because the true Ina Bauer isn't the thing like that although it is the Ina Bauer, I am ashamed of it.
06:15
Eagle: What will you be speaking? All people understand that you have performed it in the condition like this.
06:19
Arakawa: It may be the next subject for the future, mayn't it?
06:21:
Eagle: Soh! (What?)
06:24
Eagle: Do you perform the Ina Bauer for us again, if we said that we make the rink like this once more?
06:28
Arakawa: I would like to do it. After completing it because the idea came out especially here, I would like to go to the next step. Because my feelings is regret somewhat now.
06:37
Eagle: Thank you very much really!
06:38
Arakawa: Not at all. Thank you very much. You did your best for this.
06:43
Eagle: Please be sure to come when we challenge it next.
06:45
Arakawa: Yes.
06:47
Eagle: Thank you very much.
06:48
The calendar of February, 2013 “The Ina Bauer on the floating ice type rink”

End


Reference:
Rause town on wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rausu,_Hokkaido

[Loves_Shizuka]

Sincere apologies if this has been posted before? A friend sent me these links of Shizuka interviewing Dai:

Part One: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipyBdxtCriA
Part Two: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZ5jAacJgBE
Part Three: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFSK1C4V3cU
Part Four: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCR9mi-a0Hw

BUT my Japanese is not good enough to fully translate this; I can pick up on a few things; he is working harder this year than he was last season??? I think he calls himself an Uncle! (??? I think )

Shizuka mentions that she knew she had to change her programmes before Torino. Dai says that Turandot was very special for her.

I get the impression Dai loved Vancouver and likes Sochi but didn't like Torino (Can't really work out what they said about that)

I think he wanted to retire after Moscow worlds?? But didn't do well there so carried on.

Asks Shizuka if she's coming back for Sochi??

Hanyu motivates him. Shizuka said Mao had the same effect on her.

Something about dancing, singing, karaoke, drinking....

And more... someone much better than I else needs to correct me and help us translate. Sorry for my bad Japanese

[homura]

Part One: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipyBdxtCriA
Part Two: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZ5jAacJgBE
Part Three: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFSK1C4V3cU
Part Four: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCR9mi-a0Hw

The English translation of Shizuka's interview with Dai was posted on Golden skate forum.

[lauravvv]

Sincere apologies if this has been posted before? A friend sent me these links of Shizuka interviewing Dai:

Part One: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipyBdxtCriA
Part Two: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZ5jAacJgBE
Part Three: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFSK1C4V3cU
Part Four: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCR9mi-a0Hw

Thanks a lot.

The English translation of Shizuka's interview with Dai was posted on Golden skate forum.

Thank you !