Weaver and Poje their time is now

[martyross]

Tiers - art. Smile - not art. Yuk!

[martyross]

Btw, funny face has three different sections,which means three different smiles.Actually the variety is even bigger. But i understand that people prefers grieving rather than smiling

[Proustable]

How is smiling inartistic?

[skatingfan04]

I adore W/P as much as anyone, but saying they're better than V/M is just silly. And Tessa didn't smile through Farracus. Or Mahler. Or Hip Hip Chin Chin.

[walei]

Also I don't get why people think D/W surpassed V/M technically when three out of three competitions they lost to V/M in TES. Ability to appear skating fast is not really technically superior.

[Golightly]

Btw, funny face has three different sections,which means three different smiles.

It's three different characters, too, much like, say, Anna Torv in Fringe. That from the chin up, from the chin down, there are also arms which move and finger groupings and free leg extensions, etc. I am sure Tessa has nothing to do with any of this. They move on their own while she's merely there, smiling.

[skatingfan04]

Also I don't get why people think D/W surpassed V/M technically when three out of three competitions they lost to V/M in TES. Ability to appear skating fast is not really technically superior.

Lol it has it's benefits, though. Sometimes D/W skate so fast it's almost impossible to tell how sloppy they are. It's a good thing the judges in Nice saw through that one.

[maggylyn]

This is a Weaver/Poje thread.

Getting back to W/P. I like them a lot! Every year they've shown great improvement and I would love for them to be on the podium at Worlds 2013.

[Twilight1]

Was listening to the soundtrack of Love Never Dies and heard this and immediately thought of Weaver & Poje.

It is the 'Coney Island Waltz' and would be pretty cool used with a polka for their SD.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgSQDBrDbKk

I rewatched the FD's from World's and W&P's FD is definitely my favourite of this season, followed by P&B.

I really hope they are on the podium in London. I am so there for the FD. Gotta get in touch with my best friend's family to stay at their place but so excited that I will finally be able to see a World Championship live.

Would love to see W&P & V&M on the podium together there.

[pingu]

Today is Kaitlyn's birthday, Happy Birthday Kaitlyn!!!!

[aftershocks]

Also I don't get why people think D/W surpassed V/M technically when three out of three competitions they lost to V/M in TES. Ability to appear skating fast is not really technically superior.

Lol it has it's benefits, though. Sometimes D/W skate so fast it's almost impossible to tell how sloppy they are. It's a good thing the judges in Nice saw through that one.

Why so necessary to dump on D&W if you love Weaver & Poje? I think D&W skate fast with excellent precision. Skating fast with technical precision is very hard to do -- and not many can accomplish what D&W are able to with such consistency.

Weaver & Poje are excellent ice dancers in their own right, and they are not in need of fans tearing down other ice dance teams, IMHO.

I really enjoy Weaver & Poje and I look forward to seeing what they will be dancing to next season. I was recently introduced to the music of the amazing Jeff Buckley. I'd love to see W&P skate to Buckley's Last Goodbye -- perhaps for an exhibition.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HvVfA...feature=fvwrel

[skatingfan04]

Why so necessary to dump on D&W if you love Weaver & Poje? I think D&W skate fast with excellent precision. Skating fast with technical precision is very hard to do -- and not many can accomplish what D&W are able to with such consistency.

Weaver & Poje are excellent ice dancers in their own right, and they are not in need of fans tearing down other ice dance teams, IMHO.

I really enjoy Weaver & Poje and I look forward to seeing what they will be dancing to next season. I was recently introduced to the music of the amazing Jeff Buckley. I'd love to see W&P skate to Buckley's Last Goodbye -- perhaps for an exhibition.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HvVfA...feature=fvwrel

My criticism of D/W has nothing to do with my love of W/P ( realize it's a little misplaced in this thread). I've had issues with their skating since long before W/P were even together. And I never claimed that D/W lacked percision (though the technical pannel at most comeptitions seems to) or speed. It is their level of execution that I feel is not up to par with others, V/M in particular.

[Bournekraatzfan]

Was listening to the soundtrack of Love Never Dies and heard this and immediately thought of Weaver & Poje.

It is the 'Coney Island Waltz' and would be pretty cool used with a polka for their SD.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgSQDBrDbKk

I rewatched the FD's from World's and W&P's FD is definitely my favourite of this season, followed by P&B.

I really hope they are on the podium in London. I am so there for the FD. Gotta get in touch with my best friend's family to stay at their place but so excited that I will finally be able to see a World Championship live.

Would love to see W&P & V&M on the podium together there.

You are so lucky to be attending worlds! I am sure it will be a wonderful experience!

maybe you should tweet Kaitlyn your choice of music. It worked for that man in Riga. I wonder when we will hear news about their music selections for next season.

I think they waltz beautifully. I was just re-watching their Dr Zhivago FD the other day, and I especially love the waltz sections in that dance. and with the improvements they have made since that time...one can only imagine

can't wait to get more news on these two!

and happy belated bday, Kaitlyn!

[zilam98]

I have mixed feelings. W/P had much better programs this year than last and have boosted their musical interpretation a lot. They have gotten their levels up and are maxing them out so they are good there. Plus they are so freakin hot, how can you not root for 'em?

But two things concern me:
1. I don't find them to be as adept on the blade as some other pairs in terms of handling complex footwork and choreo. Their edges are deep but they seem to be careful skaters to me. Their twizzles are careful and slow compared to others. They have compensated by upping their musical interpretation.
2. The top 8 or so entries are bunching up in the marks and I'm not 100% sure why. The devil in me thinks it's the gradual process to create a changing of the guard in dance. I say that diplomatically. I don't think we'll see 3 NA teams on the podium in Sochi so something's going to give. I just have a feeling that W/P will be passed and likely by a Russian team if not also by others.

i think the better word for this is tentantive--they look too calculated and not as sure on their blades as teams with stronger skating skills do.

[beebee]

i think the better word for this is tentantive--they look too calculated and not as sure on their blades as teams with stronger skating skills do.

Couldn't disagree with you more (same goes for Rock2's concerns).

[pani]

i think the better word for this is tentantive--they look too calculated and not as sure on their blades as teams with stronger skating skills do.

I agree with you. And for me H-D FD and W-P have a lot off common things.
But W-P really improved a lot. Maybe there next step will be show more freedom in there skating.

[nuge]

i think the better word for this is tentantive--they look too calculated and not as sure on their blades as teams with stronger skating skills do.

This is why I don't think they are suddenly going to leap in front of P/B as some people have said .P/B are smooth and better skaters .

[zilam98]

Chris on Eurosport was in awe of their performance tonight. He said that one day they will be "unbeatable". And the Eurosport guys have a good history of picking future champions - I remember when they said the same about Scott and Tessa!

it's uncanny how they foresee future champions. i remember their comments about gordeeva/grinkov and anissina/peizerat early in their careers.

[aftershocks]

My criticism of D/W has nothing to do with my love of W/P ( realize it's a little misplaced in this thread). I've had issues with their skating since long before W/P were even together. And I never claimed that D/W lacked percision (though the technical pannel at most comeptitions seems to) or speed. It is their level of execution that I feel is not up to par with others, V/M in particular.

Meryl Davis and Charlie White are the first ice dancing team to earn level 4s on all their elements. You may not like them or their style of skating, but to characterize them as "sloppy" is pretty "sloppy" and disrespectful of you. Obviously, D/W's "level of execution" (despite being an "issue" for you) is quite excellent. If it were not, there is no way they would have won Worlds last year or challenged for gold again this year. If you ever meet V/M or W/P try telling them about how you think they are more "up to par" than D/W.

I have mixed feelings. W/P had much better programs this year than last and have boosted their musical interpretation a lot. They have gotten their levels up and are maxing them out so they are good there. Plus they are so freakin hot, how can you not root for 'em?

But two things concern me:
1. I don't find them to be as adept on the blade as some other pairs in terms of handling complex footwork and choreo. Their edges are deep but they seem to be careful skaters to me. Their twizzles are careful and slow compared to others. They have compensated by upping their musical interpretation.
2. The top 8 or so entries are bunching up in the marks and I'm not 100% sure why. The devil in me thinks it's the gradual process to create a changing of the guard in dance. I say that diplomatically. I don't think we'll see 3 NA teams on the podium in Sochi so something's going to give. I just have a feeling that W/P will be passed and likely by a Russian team if not also by others.

Interesting assessment. I agree that W/P have greatly improved this season, but have more to do before they surpass V/M and D/W, especially in terms of technical skills. Definitely, they are smokin' hot. Politics, sadly, is always a deciding factor.

I actually think it is Davis & White they are preparing to give the shaft too. I could see D&W experience what Belbin & Agosto did at their 2nd Olympics. I see W&P and 1 or 2 Russian teams passing them by Sochi.

Who knows? That may be the buzz, since D/W were dissed in the marks at Worlds 2012. Being that D/W skated great in both sd and fd, obviously politics was a factor in their marks. V/M were wonderful as well, particularly in the sd, but V/M's fd even with its improvements I did not think was up to the level of their abilities, plus as noted by Eurosport commentators, Scott stumbled very slightly in the beginning of fd and V/M's twizzles were not as fast or as strong as D/W's.

D/W really should not be "shafted" because 3 NA teams swept Worlds last year, due to P/B making an uncharacteristic mistake and losing the bronze to the Shibs. The Shibs also should not have to pay, but they are paying, and will have to work even harder likely just to make top five next year. S/S probably won't get back into the top 5 due to the politics as well as the depth in ice dance, not to mention the Russians' push to recapture the ice dance podium.

You mentioned something about the judges not "allowing" anymore NA sweeps of the podium. Likely the judges were just as surprised as everyone else about the outcome at last year's Worlds in ice dance. It was not planned. P/B were set for bronze, and W/P were not as strong last year as they have since become. The Shibs are very strong technically and performed very well to good programs last season. S/S were targeted politically this season to be marked down, plus their immaturity showed more in the Latin sd (although S/S worked very hard to improve all season -- in the end their focus on improving their Latin expression led to uncharacteristic technical mistakes in Nice).

Next season will likely be a toss-up, based on what kind of programs the top teams develop, how they each perform throughout the season, how much W/P continue to improve over the summer, what happens to P/B in terms of program development and training/ injury issues (hopefully they are finally rid of the "bandages" routine).

IMO, V/M and D/W are at the top of their respective "games" and if both teams stay with Z/S and continue to push each other and come up with unique programs that highlight their strengths and challenge themselves to reach further heights, I don't see other teams beating them. Of course, politics is always the deciding factor in the end. Plus, the "coming up with unique programs" as well as many other factors can affect what might happen. Until we see new programs for all the teams at the start of next season, we can continue speculating.

Luckily, Weaver and Poje are under the "own the podium" program... they are getting financial assistance from the government to help them excel further. (virtue/moir, duhamel/radford, and chan are also under otp)

How wonderful for the Canadians to be supported by their fed and their government. The Canadians with their "own the podium" venture are backing up their politiking with money, and I guess that money helps the U.S. economy since Chan and V/M (their cream of the crop) train in the U.S.

[maggylyn]

Politics, sadly, is always a deciding factor.

Likely the judges were just as surprised as everyone else about the outcome at last year's Worlds in ice dance. It was not planned.

I think if politics were such a deciding factor the judges wouldn't have been surprised at the outcome of last year's Worlds.

True, politics may sometimes be a factor, but as someone who remembers very well the egregious politiking in ice dance under 6.0, I'm very appreciative of the new judging system. It's not perfect, but so much better and a lot less political.