Novice Pairs

[Matryeshka]

Thanks, I was so confused. I was trying to reconcile Divette/Utah with Zaitsev/Stevens and was just not getting there. As soon as I posted, I got Divette=little diva. These novice pairs have terrified my poor brain cells.

[rfisher]

Well, that was an interesting variation on a twist.

[my little pony]

i hope there will be suspenderography, + 3 if there is

[oleada]

There just aren't that many pairs ANYWHERE. Some sections will not have 4 good ones, or 4 teams at all.

But that's what I don't think is fair. There were 11 teams at Midwesterns, 2 at Pacifics, and 3 at Easterns. All of the Midwestern teams (and I remember Midwesterns having really high scoring some years, and I know you can't compare) scored higher than Donahoe/Rappold.

Sometimes I think that the Russians have the right idea with their Russian Cup series, which involves the best competing against each other without it being geographically linked. But obviously some competitions are always stronger than others. Anyway, that would require the changing of the whole structure of US Figure Skating, so I know it's not possible.

I also think Novice should mean the same thing internationally as it does in the US, but again, I know it's not possible. I just think it would make far more sense.

And I thought 8.xx was bad for a TES, here's a 7...

[shan]

i hope there will be suspenderography, + 3 if there is

and an extra +1 for the suspenders being hot pink!!

[shan]

Okay I just aged 10 years when I saw that lift dismount. I thought she was falling backwards. I wouldn't have expected a team of their level to do a dismount like that.

[rfisher]

Karen must have jumped on a plane this morning. She doesn't look too hung over.

Zaitsev/Stephens should lead if for no other reason that they actually have a future and Budd/Cheban really don't. Grumble. Grumble.

[Matryeshka]

She has an expression like a forgetful squirrel--where am I? Why am I...oh yeah, I'm a SKATER. Let me do some plinky hand movements cause I'm at NATIONALS!

I miss ordinals sometimes--I liked seeing 1-12 pop up because you know those judges tuned out halfway through for their own sanity. (((judges)))

[operagirl]

Zaitsev/Stevens have a beautiful leg line, reminds me of G&G's. Very rare. Love them. Might she skate for Russia?

[oleada]

Okay I just aged 10 years when I saw that lift dismount. I thought she was falling backwards. I wouldn't have expected a team of their level to do a dismount like that.

Right before that, I was thinking how we hadn't had a really skary drop/fall yet and then I saw that and I was like "Oh, CRAP".

[Sylvia]

But that's what I don't think is fair. There were 11 teams at Midwesterns, 2 at Pacifics, and 3 at Easterns. All of the Midwestern teams (and I remember Midwesterns having really high scoring some years, and I know you can't compare) scored higher than Donahoe/Rappold.

Sometimes I think that the Russians have the right idea with their Russian Cup series, which involves the best competing against each other without it being geographically linked. But obviously some competitions are always stronger than others. Anyway, that would require the changing of the whole structure of US Figure Skating, so I know it's not possible.

Yes, the current qualifying system is the problem because it is placement-based and not score-based.

There were 3 Novice pairs at Pacifics that advanced (2 competed), 5 at Easterns (all advanced) and 11 at Mids (ETA: 5 advanced, not 6). As sammyf posted, it was a very uneven distribution of teams this year and many higher scoring teams did not advance from Mids (Egbers/Simon 6th had a higher total score than all the Easterns teams!).

[oleada]

Zaitsev/Stevens have a beautiful leg line, reminds me of G&G's. Very rare. Love them. Might she skate for Russia?

Don't see why she would. The Russians have a strong senior pairs field, and just swept the JGPF. She has much bigger chances of making it internationally if she competes for the US.

[shan]

Do they not go score based b/c of varying judging panels? Too bad they couldn't send the same panel to each sectional, but then that's not practical either. I don't know what the answer is, but to me the current system doesn't work when you have pairs scoring in the 7's for TES.

[oleada]

Which Russian do rfisher and I have to bribe to come to America and teach our teams twists?

[rfisher]

Not Moskovina

[shan]

sparkly plaid, wow....

It's the Beef music!! I love Copeland.

[my little pony]

yay for dog food commercial music!

or am i old and misremembering?

[shan]

Isn't it Rodeo?

This team is very perky! And we'll get Jim Peterson in the Kiss and Cry!

[oleada]

sparkly makes me like most things
(this is no exception)

[Sylvia]

Knoop/Chinault are coached by Jim Peterson et al. (including Amanda Evora) in Florida.