Jersey on Ice - TLC Premiers Dec 12/12

[manhn]

http://blogs.discovery.com/tlc-new-n...ey-on-ice.html

It’s all about “getting the G” -- that’s "G" for "gold"-- because winning is everything in the world of competitive figure skating. Sisters Deana Sroka and Andrea Storga, with their best friend Michele Barbieri, know how to win; they are the top figure-skating coaches in New Jersey. For them, there is no limit: for starters, they believe if you want to be a serious skater, the ideal age to start training is at 18 months. (Yes, 1-and-a-half years old.) But it’s not all about the competition on the ice for these ladies — wait 'til you see what happens when the drama goes out of the rink!

Watch Jersey on Ice December 12 at 10|9c

I discovered this show on my PVR. My PVR's summary was kinda benign so I thought it was gonna be like that series with Alyssa and Bebe. Or Johnny's show. But then I went on the official website...

Are these coaches at all famous? Never heard of them. Is it gonna be trashy like that Dance Mom show?

Ack, I'm such a completist that I will watch, record and archive the episodes on DVD. This is gonna suck, right?

[overedge]

Isn't Morozov the top figure skating coach in New Jersey? The goings-on at his rink would make a great reality show

But really, manhn - no-name coaches promoting themselves as all that, 1 1/2 year olds being trained as serious skaters, and "drama" out of the rink? Do you really even have to ask if this is going to be trashy like Dance Mom? This sounds like it will scrape the bottom of the trash barrel

[Sylvia]

2 local articles:

http://www.nj.com/entertainment/tv/i...montclair.html

http://www.northjersey.com/arts_ente...html?scpromo=1

Thanks, manhn, for not starting this thread in GSD!

[Simone411]

Thanks for the articles, Sylvia. overedge, it does look like it may scrape the bottom of the trash barrel, but I still plan to watch it.

[GarrAarghHrumph]

Isn't Morozov the top figure skating coach in New Jersey? The goings-on at his rink would make a great reality show

Morozov is in Russia now. Platov, maybe?

[Willowway]

"it does look like it may scrape the bottom of the trash barrel, but I still plan to watch it."

And for the same reason, I don't plan to watch it. Where I skate (two rinks in Westchester) this kind of behavior on the part of coaches just doesn't happen - and I've noticed that the best coaches set a tone and behavior standards for their students. Actually sometimes I wish they'd speak much louder so I could hear their advice on one thing or another - but that doesn't happen except very occasionally.

American TV has trashed up everything else so no reason that training in figure skating should be an exception. That said, I won't give it my support because I don't believe that a loud, in your face "attitude" on ice by the coach is an asset for the student or for skating.

Funny that Ice House in NJ is where I had the good fortune (a while ago) to sit in on some of the Sat. coaching sessions by one of the best, Tamara Moskvina. While she might get impassioned about something there was only energy, not attitude, and always impeccable manners from her. Amazing woman!

[overedge]

Thanks for the articles, Sylvia. overedge, it does look like it may scrape the bottom of the trash barrel, but I still plan to watch it.

Oh, me too. Especially after seeing the skating moms in the preview clips. They make some of the skate moms I've encountered look relaxed and mellow

[yukisnowflake]

Is there a US TLC channel & a Can. TLC channel?

I looked for the show on my PVR but did not find the show listed.

[2sk8]

Good point, Willoway. IIRC, Ice House chose NOT to participate in a show like this. There is a big difference between Training as a skater and training to be the next Snooki. All the best to them, and all that, but ...

[Sylvia]

More publicity for tonight's premiere - "'Jersey on Ice' clip: Fierce figure skating and 'no losers' allowed": http://blog.zap2it.com/frominsidethe...s-allowed.html

[zaphyre14]

I think that the Lake Placid competition they mention as a goal is the ISI winter competition that's schedule for early January, not any of the USFS qualifying competitions. First of all, none of the coaches mentioned have USFS certifications to coach at Regionals. Since the show was taped in September the qualifying competition entry date had already passed anyway. The "Platinum" level the coach mentions in the above clip is definitely an ISI Open Freestyle level. From the required elements for the Platimun test, I'd guess that we're talking about the Equivilent of USFS Juvenile or Intermediate competition level. Most ISI competitions split levels by age, so the competition "on Monday" must be pretty small if it has an 11-year-old and a 17-year-old in the same flight; I'm also guessing that this is probably an "in-house" competition staged for TV, there's nothing in the area on the ISI calendar and nothing at all anywhere on a Monday. The little girl talking about going to the Olympics "someday" is expressing the typical kids' dream but isn't really grounded in reality. Just the fact that the 17-year-old took the summer off to go to Peru tells me that we're not talking serious competitive skaters here.

In the clip, I didn't really hear anything too horrible from the coaches, but, no, they obviously aren't the huggy types and it seems like the show is set up more to showcase the competition between the coaching sisters first and then between the moms who are living through their daughters.

[Sylvia]

Thanks for the additional context, zaphyre.

From the "New Skating Reality Show" thread that popped up in GSD today:

I believe USFS refused to sanction this show, so any parent who signed their kids on for this has no effectively killed any future hopes for anything beyond ISI. I also think those coaches are not USFS recognized. So in short, everyone sold out for a quick buck.

[Sylvia]

I think that the Lake Placid competition they mention as a goal is the ISI winter competition that's schedule for early January, not any of the USFS qualifying competitions.

Here's what I found listed on the Ice Skating Institute's site:

2013 ISI Lake Placid Championships
Dates: January 10,2013 - January 13,2013
Facility: Olympic Arena
Location: Lake Placid, NY

[manhn]

Sorry, can't do it. Can't watch it. I watched the first minute and I got a headache. If someone wants to trade their full coverage of 1968 Olympics for Jersey on Ice, I guess I won't ever get to see Peggy Fleming's compulsories.

[lulu]

Well, so far, I'm bored. Where's Johnny Weir when you need him? I loved his show.

[danceronice]

Well, the KIDS seemed nice...the moms and coaches were all a blond Jersey-accented blur.

So...this is ISI skating, huh? (The programs, I mean.) I've never seen ISI kids before. Huh. Um. Well. (Please tell me this is a bad sample and they're generally better than this.)

[icecat]

There is a place for ISI in the skating world, there really is. It just can't pretend to be more than it is, which is recreational skating where the coaches do the judging. It's rink based and can be like family when kids are just starting. It's figuring out where the real talent is and making the jump to USFS. Some just get stuck. Not everyone belongs in the heavily competitive world of USFS and ISI works for them. Been there done that..got out.

[maatTheViking]

aren't ISI also positioning themselves as more 'friendly' competition than USFS? Or is that just an impression?

I find it interesting that the local rink I used to take LTS lessons in didn't enroll LTS skaters in the club or USFS - I'm not even sure they are a USFS club, but they used all their materials/LTS levels.


This sounds like reality TV terrible. I feel sorry for the 11 year old if she figures out that whatever her mom signed means she can to USFS competitions - regardless of her talent or lack thereof.

[overedge]

It's figuring out where the real talent is and making the jump to USFS.

Well, no, it's not. ISI is also an opportunity for a lot of skating that USFS doesn't accommodate, e.g. all kinds of adult skating, different kinds of interpretives, various team events.

I've been to four ISI Worlds and a lot of regional ISI competitions, and there is a lot of really good skating at all of them. It's not just recreational skaters or people who couldn't make it in USFS.

That being said, I don't think the kids on this show would do very well in either ISI or USFS

[maatTheViking]

I just saw the last 30 min. I should not watch stuff like this is I am to keep my faith in humanity...