2023 NHK Trophy Free Dance - Hello Rocky

[Tak]

CONGRATULATIONS FEAR AND GIBSON!!!

The only FD that didn't put me to sleep. (Well, that and the Corpse Bride).

Good Luck in the GPF!

 

[LeafOnTheWind]

Welcome to the That’s Entertainment (tm) era of ice dance. Haters of lyrical programs should be happy. Maybe ice dance skills might even survive this era. Could happen.

I don't hate lyrical programs. I do hate 25 million in a row. They need to diversify out their programs and try to stand out instead of the same lyrical snot over and over and over and over and over........

 

[Matryeshka]

If I were a good skating fan, I'd be mad. But I'm not. And Jolly the dog has just popped up after coverage ended--I guess Peacock decided, well, instead of going to the ladies skating next, it makes way more sense to switch, mid-broadcast, of the Westminster Dog Show. Though the dachshund is kind of adorable.

Ah. Now I know why they switched--the commentators are just as terrible and the WRONG DOG WAS PICKED. Now I'm mad for TWO SPECIES. Now there's a new designer dogs--Biewer terriers? WHERE WILL THIS MADNESS END. OK. I'm DONE. But now....there's the non-sporting groups. And there's a huge chow-chow. And a Dalmatians. And a Bichon.

DAMN YOU PEACKOCK DAMN YOU.

ETA OMG a SLEEPING BULLDOG. That is the most adorable thing I've ever seen. He's so sweet. I NEEDS HIM.

ETA. MY FAITH IS RESTORED, THE BULLDOG WINTER WON. I swear, this is my last edit.

 

[LeafOnTheWind]

I feel like this is a repeat of when all the dancers got stuck in super depressing program mode and the ISU told them to happy it up. Except it's lyrical snot program mode.

 

[Pastilage]

And why do I the Italians keep getting screwed over? They should have won Worlds last year and now this?

 

[swissskate]

I can understand people being upset for Marco and Charlene but Fear/Gibson have a real efficient FD and a crowd pleaser, I think ice dance has seen worse judges decisions in the past (Domnina Shabalin at the end of their career, Bobrova Soloviev being frequently overrated by the judges, Sinitsina Katsalapov, just to name a few…). Well done to all athletes, was pleasant to follow this FD today!

 

[her grace]

Welcome to the That’s Entertainment (tm) era of ice dance. Haters of lyrical programs should be happy. Maybe ice dance skills might even survive this era. Could happen.

There’s been dark ages before like when Grushina/Goncharov were medaling over the D/S trio. Here we are again.

 

[Cachoo]

Why did this happen?

 

[skatingguy]

I haven't watched the Free Dance yet - will do that tomorrow - but wow - I guess the medals at the Grand Prix Final are not settled.

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

Oh my gosh, Ice dance always seemed the most divisive.

I think some people get out of their comfort zone if teams one through 10 after the rhythm dance don’t finish that exact same way in the free.

Charlene and Marco were only .3 of a point ahead after the rhythm dance so it’s not like it was completely unexpected that they barely lose the gold medal here…

after digesting comments, it seems like it’s the same kind of unsettledness when Isabelle and Lloyd winning one time over a classic Russian pair.

I thought both teams were brilliant and I would not really have cared who came out on top. It’s funny in the past two or three years. I’ve always kind of preferred Charlene and Marco. This time around I prefer the Brits

 

[swissskate]

And why do I the Italians keep getting screwed over? They should have won Worlds last year and now this?

I think it unfortunately has to do with the lack of height difference between her and him, just like Denkova/Staviski had to fight this bias in the past too and be so undeniably stronger than their competitors to at last win titles.
I unfortunately think that a certain superficiality plays quite a role in some judges mind.

 

[Pastilage]

Seriously Papadakis & Cizeron, please come back and save Ice Dance.

Sadly, they might not win at this rate.

 

[thvu]

CAN & USA judges gave Guignard & Fabri the lowest scores of the panel. Again, no shame from big fed ice dance judges.

Australian judge gave the Finns’ choreo step only +2 and had them 7th in the FD.

The Lithuanian judge gave Reed & Ambrulevicius 123.79 for the FD.

 

[Karen-W]

I like GuiFab and their FD is quite lovely, but when 8 out of 9 programs are all in a similar contemporary wheelhouse of either lyrical snot or modern edge, that makes the one program that isn't, and just happens to be crowd-pleasing and ends on an energetic, high, triumphant note stand out all the more.

As it is, even just compared to GilPoir and ChoBat, who both have concepts or storylines for their FDs, the lyrical snot program from GuiFab is going to come up short. And I suspect it will come up even more short next March in Montreal.

We all know the GPF is no real predictor of what will happen at Worlds, so it wouldn't necessarily surprise me if GuiFab pull back ahead of FearGib in Shanghai. It also wouldn't surprise me if they lose to them either.

 

[sk8nlizard]

So, F/G win is due to Lilah's level 4 on the diagonal steps and 9,14 in skating skills

Also, the Diagonal steps have a higher base value than the Circular steps that the Italians did, also contributing to it.

I don’t really understand ice dance scoring and don’t enjoy more than the top few teams however, I just cannot get on board with the Italians. I don’t know what it is. I think it’s that they just don’t present as well as some of the other teams. F/G, C/B, even G/P, FS/B, L/L I find them all so much more watchable. This has nothing to do with actual skating skills, just how they come across when I watch them.

 

[caseyedwards]

Enough with this dubreul

 

[skatingguy]

Enough with this dubreul

What's a dubreul? Did you mean duvet?

 

[skatingguy]

delete

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

Maybe a small consolation for the all the people here who wanted Charlene and Marco to win this of the 6 teams headed to the Grand Prix final they have the highest points total of all 6 teams

 

[SHARPIE]

Patriotic hat on! Haters gonna hate but

 

[Jarrett]

I don't like Fear and Gibson's first music choice because honestly it starts like a program if SNL was making a parody of ice dancing but it ends very well. This is the first time watching it because I was so worried I wouldn't like it but it was fine by me overall.

 

[topaz]

Euros. They're not top dogs at IAM yet until ChoBat retire.

Worlds, I'm predicting a podium of ChoBat & GilPoir 1-2 in some order, with FBSoer as a surprise bronze (farewell gift), FearGib 4th and GuiFab dropping to 5th.

Your comments sometimes are straight loco. Having the best technical skaters with the most difficult programs in 5th means you really are a hater and do not want the best skaters to win.

You just like "teams" and not actual figure skating.

 

[skatingguy]

Your comments sometimes are straight loco. Having the best technical skaters with the most difficult programs in 5th means you really are a hater and do not want the best skaters to win.

You just like "teams" and not actual figure skating.

I don't think that's fair - that was a prediction not a wish list.

 

[topaz]

Yea, I agree with everything @thvu and @tony said. I guess were back to "block" judging. I noticed the protocol scores in the SP; 4 judges had F/G first in TES and two of those judges had them 1st in PCS.

 

[topaz]

I don't think that's fair - that was a prediction not a wish list.

I'm pretty sure it was @Karen-W wish list. Her comments regarding the Italians in past indicate that.

 

[Karen-W]

Your comments sometimes are straight loco. Having the best technical skaters with the most difficult programs in 5th means you really are a hater and do not want the best skaters to win.

You just like "teams" and not actual figure skating.

Dude, take a chill pill and see below.

I don't think that's fair - that was a prediction not a wish list.

I've made it abundantly clear since Lombardia that I love GuiFab's FD - it's probably their best program yet. But I also don't believe, based on what the other teams have put out there, in addition to the fact that Montreal is the training town for 3 of the top 5 teams and that GilPoir are Canadian, that GuiFab are going to be on the podium at Worlds.

It has become very clear that the judges determine the placements based off of GOE & PCS and that levels or skating skills are of little importance as long as the teams remain upright during their elements.

 

[Karen-W]

I'm pretty sure it was @Karen-W wish list. Her comments regarding the Italians in past indicate that.

You would be wrong. If I had my druthers, neither GilPoir nor FBSoer would be on the podium. I just don't think that's likely based on what we've seen on the GP so far this season. Skate Canada is gunning hard for both to medal in Montreal and I expect it to happen.

I loathe FearGib's program (did you miss my comments about it tonight?) and can't believe that dreck is winning anything. But that is irrelevant to how hard Marie-France and IAM are working to position them as gold medal favorites by the Olympic season. If that means pushing GuiFab down, that's what is going to happen, and it's clear that's what's happening.

 

[topaz]

Dude, take a chill pill and see below.

I've made it abundantly clear since Lombardia that I love GuiFab's FD - it's probably their best program yet. But I also don't believe, based on what the other teams have put out there, in addition to the fact that Montreal is the training town for 3 of the top 5 teams and that GilPoir are Canadian, that GuiFab are going to be on the podium at Worlds.

It has become very clear that the judges determine the placements based off of GOE & PCS and that levels or skating skills are of little importance as long as the teams remain upright during their elements.

First off, I'm a woman hence my username. Secondly, your past comments show your distain for the Italians whether or not you state "You love GuiFab's FD". Also, levels do matter. If a team gets +3/4 GOE on a level 2 element it is not going to outscore level 3 element with +GOE of 3/4. Olympic and worlds medals have been determined on LEVELS as of late.

We've both been on this forum long enough to know that I understand where teams train, the politics behind scoring and that Ice Dance is my jam. But thanks for letting me know that IAM have many teams in the top 5 let alone top 10.

 

[Karen-W]

First off, I'm a woman hence my username. Secondly, your past comments show your distain for the Italians whether or not you state "You love GuiFab's FD".

So...

1) my use of "dude" was not gender-specific - sort of like saying "you guys..." to a group of people, even a group consisting of only females.

2) I make no assumptions about gender based on a user name that is a precious gemstone. Sort of similar to how I wouldn't make an assumption about gender of anyone with a gender-neutral user name like Bailey or Chandler or Jordan/Jorden/Jordon/Jordyn. Maybe you need to examine your own preconceived notions about gender and step the f*ck off your high horse.

3) I'm not usually a fan of GuiFab's programs. They're usually missing that intangible quality that makes me enjoy ice dance. But, really, you are completely exaggerating my dislike of them. The truth of it is, I don't uber any of the top teams and I wish that all of them (ChoBat, GilPoir, GuiFab, and FBSoer) would all retire so that some of the younger teams will get more opportunities and not have to fight for scraps just to finish in the top 10.

 

[skatingguy]

Komatsubara, Misato/Koleto, Tim Japan
Coach: M.-F. Dubreuil, P. Lauzon, R. Haguenauer
Music: Loving You, Love Grows, Loving You

SyTwW4+SyTwM4
OFTW2+OFTM1
CiStW2+CiStM2
Dance Spin 4
Choreo Spin Move
Curve Lift 4 + Curve Lift 4
Choreo Slide Move
Rotational Lift 4
Choreo Dance Lift

That was really nice. They made good use of the music, and though the skating was quite open they were smooth, and fluid throughout the program, and kept the feel of the music.

103.49 = 1st Place
167.61 = 1st Place