Patrick Uber Thread - road to Sochi

[luckiest1]

I will use my iPhone to post from practice, but I don't take very good pictures with it. The part about the placement of the jumps is interesting, mainly because his mom mentioned to me at Skate Canada that he found it difficult to adjust to using a new choreographer as they placed the jumps differently than he was used to.

[spikydurian]

I will use my iPhone to post from practice, but I don't take very good pictures with it. The part about the placement of the jumps is interesting, mainly because his mom mentioned to me at Skate Canada that he found it difficult to adjust to using a new choreographer as they placed the jumps differently than he was used to.

Thanks luckiest1. Do you have an i-Pad? It can take great pictures. I have a friend who was taking pictures with his i-Pad when we were on group holiday. Of course, it's not as convenient as i-Phone.
He will have another season to polish La Boheme with Wilson. I guess he will be still using LB as his FB next season. I hope he won't use Elegie again next season. Whilst it's a beautiful Ex piece, I think it's a challenge to turn it into a very competitive SP. And I still hope that Patrick can work with Lori again next season. Hoping to see something similar to 'Tango de Exilados'.

[ali_dorate]

Good to hear he changed the layout of the jumps, presumably in FS. It seems the 3A in the second half in FS didn't work for him.
Bit anxious the worlds will be the first performance of the new version. If he feels comfortable, it will come along.

He will have another season to polish La Boheme with Wilson. I guess he will be still using LB as his FB next season. I hope he won't use Elegie again next season. Whilst it's a beautiful Ex piece, I think it's a challenge to turn it into a very competitive SP. And I still hope that Patrick can work with Lori again next season.

To early to talk about the next season, but if he really has to choose one program for Sochi, I prefer Elegie. As much as I love La Boheme and appreciate Wilson for opening a new window for Patrick, I'm afraid La Boheme is not so strong as an Olympic program. May be I just miss Lori.

Back to this year.
I'm so happy he finds the place where he feels really comfortable. Looking forward to seeing his smile in London.

[clarie]

Very happy to hear he changed his jump layout that was bothering him so much. I'm sure it will make a difference. BTW, I hope to run into others from this thread and the V/M thread at Worlds. My SO will be taking photos and we will be the very handsome older couple sitting in section G with white and orange jackets

GO PATRICK !!!!!!

[spikydurian]

Coriana, emdee, luckiest1 .... Look Out for a handsome couple in white and orange jackets! Wee... take a group photo! BTW, anyone has got the hat for Patrick in case a hat trick happens?

[Corianna]

Will do. I'm going to shop for the hat Tues.

[The Accordion]

Ooo! Any kind of hat or is there some kind of plan? A hat with underwear on it?

[spikydurian]

Ooo! Any kind of hat or is there some kind of plan? A hat with underwear on it?

TA, you are naughty! Behave yourself.
I could still recall Patrick's reaction when he saw panties on ice! Mind you, I can't imagine the hats being collected and presented to him, and Patrick finding an underwear inside the hat. That would be bizarre.

[luckiest1]

Unfortunately no, I do not have an iPad, just an iPhone. But I am sure there will be others taking pictures that will be shared. Today I happened upon a Worlds billboard here in town with Patrick on it (and the text was all in French). I will attempt to upload a photo of it this evening to share with you all. I also had lunch at Covent Garden market across from the Budweiser Gardens and took a photo of the empty square. They are supposed to start building the vendor's village this week in that space.

[clarie]

OMG, I nearly forgot about the hat.......must find one soon

[VarBar]

To early to talk about the next season, but if he really has to choose one program for Sochi, I prefer Elegie. As much as I love La Boheme and appreciate Wilson for opening a new window for Patrick, I'm afraid La Boheme is not so strong as an Olympic program. May be I just miss Lori.

My sentiments exactly. I too miss Lori in Patrick's team but I don't think Patrick is considering going back to her for the Olympic season because it seems he has received a lot of compliments for Elegy and La Boheme. And anyways, I feel it's absolutely irrelevant at this point in Patrick's competitive career whether his programs are choreographed by Lori or David or Jeffrey or anyone else who knows a few things about how CoP works. If Patrick can raise his base value next season and land most of his jumps (especially the harder ones) cleany when it counts, the PCS will follow. No rocket science here.

I agree. He has all the .goods.. It's just delivering them at right place right time. He seems very comfortable with Johnson though people may think she may not be the right coach. But what is right and what is wrong and only the skater knows and chooses.

I totally agree with you and I hope that Patrick does know what he is doing with all the goods he has and that skaters can never make wrong choices or that if some of them can, none of them is Patrick Chan.

clarie, don't forget to wave to us from your section in the audience at Worlds so that we can recognize you immediately.

Good luck to Patrick in London.

[spikydurian]

Thanks luckiest1. Looking forward to the pictures.

VarBar, can sport clarie from across the rink? Maybe you all should wear something unusual so that you can be easily identified.

Do you all think Patrick will move to Detroit next season? Sounds like it will be just his and his family decision since Johnson is flexible either way. Interesting. And wonder whether he will end up getting a technical coach who is based in Detroit? Who are the technical coaches in Detroit?

[luckiest1]

I really hope if Patrick keeps one program for next season, it's Elegy. La Boheme is probably my least favourite program of the last few seasons. It just doesn't have that moment towards the end that builds, you know? I rewatched Phantom and Aranjuez yesterday and I really loved both of those programs. I can tell you that early on this season, when I sat with his mother at Skate Canada, she talked about possibly keeping Elegy for Olympics. But that was months ago and things could have changed.

Here are the photos I took yesterday, the Patrick billboard downtown and the view of the empty square in front of Bud Gardens from Covent Garden Market:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...ce/patrick.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...ice/square.jpg

[spikydurian]

Thanks luckiest1 for taking the trouble to upload these pictures. How many billboards are there? So they have a billboard for every skater?

I do like La Boheme and I think the music cut is brilliantly done though I think some parts are not as well developed. Maybe it's a bit different when you watch it? Yes, I LOVE Aranjuez too. My two favourite programs are Aranjuez and Tang E. Elegie is my favourite Ex. I just think that Elegy is overused by Olympics season. OK, maybe my problem is that I watched the you-tubes and not the real thing. I would rather trust those who watched it live!

[luckiest1]

I have only seen billboards for V/M & Patrick. There are quite a few scattered around town. I'll try to get a picture of one of the V/M ones too.

[clarie]

I'm glad London is gearing up for Worlds. I don't have a banner, but will have a big flag........I know, it will clash with my orange jacket , but must make that sacrifice for the good of fandom .

[Corianna]

It will be easy to recognise me, Spikydurian. If I notice the camera, I'll be the one with my hands over my face.

[VarBar]

VarBar, can sport clarie from across the rink? Maybe you all should wear something unusual so that you can be easily identified.

I am not going to Worlds myself, I was just kindly asking clarie to wave to the camera for those of us who can't be in London to watch the competition live to be able to identify her easily on TV or in videos.

Do you all think Patrick will move to Detroit next season? Sounds like it will be just his and his family decision since Johnson is flexible either way. Interesting. And wonder whether he will end up getting a technical coach who is based in Detroit? Who are the technical coaches in Detroit?

I would first need to know why Patrick would ever want to move to Detroit of all places. Just because Weaver and Poje are there? As well as Balde? And a few other skaters he can crack jokes with during breaks? Or would there be more to it?

Here is the coaching staff at the Detroit Skating Club per their own site.

http://dscclub.com/coaches/index.php

I suppose we can safely strike off Krylova and Camerlengo as an option for Patrick unless he plans on switching to ice dancing. I didn't get the feeling from reading the icenetwork article that Patrick was looking for a technical coach in Detroit because he said (quote) "I didn't think about taking from anyone else." Wonder if Eddie Shipstad joined Patrick for his two or three-week stay in Detroit or if Patrick had to find a local "man with a pole." Is Eddie as mobile as Kathy Johnson?

O'Brien, who also works with hockey star Sidney Crosby, reviewed Chan's diet and off-ice workout routine, down to his breakfast and post warm-up supplements, and provided guidance on other matters.

This reminds me of a little "incident" I read about during a competition in Canada last season - can't remember now if it was the Grand Prix Final or Canadians. Anyways, someone reported that Patrick had been seen carrying bacon and eggs on a plate to his hotel room in the hosting city and it got me wondering if bacon&eggs was the right diet for a competitive figure skater.

Thank you for your photos, luckiest1.

[Corianna]

Yes, thanks for the pics, Luckiest1. Besides Patrick, I was delighted to see so little snow on the ground. I think Patrick finds something to love wherever he is, and always speaks with uncensored enthusiasm. I'm sure there'll be lots of considerations, and he'll have to sort out the order of importance, but it may also be a toss up between Elaje et. al and the mountain bike trails. I hope he'll return to Lori as well, but he'll set his own course. I imaginehis results in London will be the deciding factor in his next choices.

[luckiest1]

There isn't much snow except in areas that aren't walked upon often, and of course the inevitable snow banks along the side of the roads. The "square" in front of the market held an ice rink until one week ago, when they removed it to make room for the vendor's village.