Canadian Ice Dance 2018-19 season news & updates

[Colonel Green]

The slightest mistep will be crucified while being totally blind to Piper's skating skills and min deductions for anything else they do.

Piper’s skating skills are more than enough to justify their marks. They don’t get anything beyond the standard domestic inflation.

Your conviction that the judges don’t like Kaitlyn and Andrew because they lost one time due to a serious error from Andrew is enormously misguided. The same results would have happened with international judges (if anything, the gap would probably have been larger because the international judges wouldn’t likely have given W/P such an enormous FD score to try to pump them back up).

 

[barbarafan]

Piper’s skating skills are more than enough to justify their marks. They don’t get anything beyond the standard domestic inflation.

Your conviction that the judges don’t like Kaitlyn and Andrew because they lost one time due to a serious error from Andrew is enormously misguided. The same results would have happened with international judges (if anything, the gap would probably have been larger because the international judges wouldn’t likely have given W/P such an enormous FD score to try to pump them back up).

They deserved the marks in the FD but were undermarked in the PCS in the short. They should have won overrall.

 

[Colonel Green]

They deserved the marks in the FD but were undermarked in the PCS in the short. They should have won overrall.

When you fall, your PCS goes down. It would have gone down more had that happened internationally.

And the judges in the FD put them within four points of Virtue and Moir, who got what was effectively a perfect score. The judges were not looking to cut them down.

 

[barbarafan]

When you fall, your PCS goes down. It would have gone down more had that happened internationally.

And the judges in the FD put them within four points of Virtue and Moir, who got what was effectively a perfect score. The judges were not looking to cut them down.

wrong....their performance PCS should have dropped....not their skating skills, choreo,interpetation,transitions.

 

[Sylvia]

2019 Skate Canada Challenge replay videos are all uploaded on SC's DM account:

Senior RD replay video: https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x6y6z16
Order of skate: Cipriano/Richardson, Fournier Beaudry/Sorensen, Lanaghan/Razgulajevs, Campbell/Granger, Sales/Wamsteeker.
Fournier Beaudry/Sorensen RD video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVKAMDDiDyY

Senior FD replay video from today: https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x6y88yt
Order of skate: Campbell/Granger, Cipriano/Richardson, Lanaghan/Razgulajevs, Sales/Wamsteeker, FB/S.

 

[Sylvia]

I'll say it again, but I love Bronsard/Bouaraguia's FD. My favourite Gadbois FDs are in junior it seems

@levineismine (ICYMI) Jordan Cowan shared this practice clip of them from when he filmed in Gadbois: https://www.instagram.com/p/Bqo4Dx7HY4i/

 

[Aceon6]

I really enjoyed the non-jarring music cuts for FBSor’s free. Note to other teams... it’s possible.
The program was very enjoyable to watch and went by quickly. Other than Nik’s twizzles, it looked sharp and competition ready.

 

[yurokis40]

Unfortunately Gilles and Poirier did not make enough of an impact on the gp circuit to knock off Weaver and Poje at nationals unless they make a big mistake like last year, Pipers skating skills are problematic and the pressure seems to get to them when their is really something on the line. I think they need a coaching change because their current coaches seem unable to fix their technical issues but Paul really like Carol lane so I don't see them changing.

 

[Skate Talker]

If you are partially referring to Piper's "fall" in the RD at Skate Canada, Paul has said that was his fault as he made a sudden sharp move to avoid running into the boards without warning. Perhaps he was not completely to blame but even so, sounds like Piper shouldn't get full blame.
Of course you may just mean her skating skills in general (*shrugs*).

 

[yurokis40]

Yes anyway no matter what they do this team is stagnating, Piper can make mistakes at the wrong time like falling on her twizzles when a gp final spot is on the line, or falling at a step sequence at 4CC, or that big error at skate Canada blaming it on the boards is silly since no other ice dance team fell on the pattern at skate Canada they also never trained with other top team a disadvantage in my book.

 

[yurokis40]

They should be worried because when Lajoie and Lagha turn senior they will be on their tail very quickly in fact it would not surprise me one bit that Lajoie and Lagha will be Canada's top ice dance team when Beijing rolls around.

 

[Colonel Green]

or that big error at skate Canada blaming it on the boards is silly since no other ice dance team fell on the pattern at skate Canada

No team other than Soucisse/Firus fell on the midline step at Skate Canada, and no team other than Skoptcova/Aleshin fell on a lift at Skate Canada. So what?

 

[euterpe]

They should be worried because when Lajoie and Lagha turn senior they will be on their tail very quickly in fact it would not surprise me one bit that Lajoie and Lagha will be Canada's top ice dance team when Beijing rolls around.

Teams do not zoom to the top the minute they turn senior. They have to adjust to a new level of expectation they didn't have in the junior ranks. Look how many JGPF and JW champions have struggled once they hit the Senior circuit: Yanovskaya / Mozgov laid a gigantic egg their first (and last) senior season. Hawayek / Baker are still working their way up the ranks. The Parsons finished last at Skate America in their first senior season. Skoptcova / Aleshin slayed on the JGP but aren't doing well at all this year.

 

[4rkidz]

I think this will be a very interesting nationals in Canada for ice dance this year. Having watched both Gilles & Pourier and Weaver and Poje live this year I believe the gap will be the closest yet. I'm not sure if W&P have helped their cause by not doing the GP circuit although I appreciate from a financial point of view the opportunity they had touring. From an emotional perspective (nothing to do with the apparent power of CL) I really like G&P this year with their Free. I'm usually in the corner for W&P but not sure about this year, certainly no room at all for any errors.
I don't agree with all the judging conspiracy theories, I believe either team will get nailed for a relevant error. I would have loved to have seen G&P in the Grand Prix final but the judges correctly deducted for errors in their short program at Skate Canada, so certainly not blind there. I'm not loyal to specific skaters, but loyal to the programs they present.

 

[barbarafan]

Piper and Paul 1st place in RD at Golden spin
here is third group G/P are at
18:15
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AF680NzgM4U

 

[puglover]

So I guess they had to change the twizzels, Boo!

 

[nimi]

With their Golden Spin win and the set of SBs they got there, Piper&Paul have won the Challenger series (S/F placed 9th): http://www.isuresults.com/events/cs2018/csdance.htm

Pretty nice consolation prize IMO, and they get some ISU CS prize money as well. Congrats!

 

[Skate Talker]

Pretty nice consolation prize IMO, and they get some ISU CS prize money as well. Congrats!

Pardon my ignorance, but are CHF Swiss Francs? I'm pretty sure that's correct but not positive.

 

[cygnus]

Pardon my ignorance, but are CHF Swiss Francs? I'm pretty sure that's correct but not positive.

Yes.

 

[The Observer]

International judges yes. But Cdn domestic judges...Monkey see Monkey do. Carol Lane has a lot of power in ID.GP's faults get glossed over (ie lack of chemistry plus Piper's skating skills)while the slightest error for W/P will get totally slammed by the judges. Fingers crossed

I agree that Piper's posture on the ice could use improvement, but I think you're a bit too critical of G&P.

I also have to disagree with you that G&P have a "lack of chemistry". I actually think G&P have had good chemistry since Day 1. That's one of the things that has made them successful in becoming a Top 10 team, plus popular with audiences.

I've been watching Paul Poirier skate since he was a teenager, and I think Piper & Paul have much better chemistry than Paul did with Vanessa Crone. Vanessa & Paul skated well together for a number of years, and Vanessa was a strong technical skater and probably had better line & posture than Piper, but she didn't have the great chemistry with him that Piper has.

 

[puglover]

This seems like such a weird year in ice dance to me anyway, I wonder what Canadian Nationals will look like. It would seem that getting mileage in front of the judges would be very helpful but maybe not. It is easy for me - I am a fan of W&P and G&P and just want them to all skate great - but this year I am leaning towards G&P. I love their programs. Also, I am not too sure about taking most of the season off to make money and then return for nationals (here is where I duck). I know, they have earned a break, I guess I just would have liked it better if they just took the year off. I know that would not be good for Canada though.

 

[Dobre]

It could certainly be an interesting competition between Gilles & Poirier and Weaver & Poje. Our first chance to see how W&P's programs have developed since Autumn Classic. I do believe both teams will have to skate well in order to make their argument for the Canadian title. Having said that, though, I do think it's clear that G&P haven't done enough to make the argument that they can medal at Worlds. (Having finished behind Hubbell & Donohue, Sinitsina & Katsalapov twice, and Papadakis & Cizeron). As far as the politics go, therefore, I'd say the advantage lies in W&P's favor until proven otherwise, as they ended last season with a World medal.

 

[barbarafan]

I agree that Piper's posture on the ice could use improvement, but I think you're a bit too critical of G&P.

I also have to disagree with you that G&P have a "lack of chemistry". I actually think G&P have had good chemistry since Day 1. That's one of the things that has made them successful in becoming a Top 10 team, plus popular with audiences.

I've been watching Paul Poirier skate since he was a teenager, and I think Piper & Paul have much better chemistry than Paul did with Vanessa Crone. Vanessa & Paul skated well together for a number of years, and Vanessa was a strong technical skater and probably had better line & posture than Piper, but she didn't have the great chemistry with him that Piper has.

I mentioned Piper's skating skills not her posture. I have never noticed anything wrong with her posture

 

[Erin]

Vanessa was a strong technical skater and probably had better line & posture than Piper

I'm not sure about that last part. My biggest complaint about Vanessa was her posture. The first time I saw her compete was as a singles skater and I was shocked that in a group of other singles skaters on the warm-up, the ice dancer stood out as having worse posture than most of the other singles skaters, when you would normally expect an ice dancer to have superior posture. The costumes she wore often did nothing to help mask it either.

 

[Andora]

I don't find Piper & Paul to have good chemistry, but it doesn't matter because Piper can sell the hell out of anything they do. I have very little issue with Piper - I really think their issues are lack of "next level" coaching, and that Paul doesn't partner well on the ice, imvho. I don't think anyone could fix that for him, and Piper is as good as it gets in terms of hiding that.

But their results haven't improved much over the years, certainly not relative to their (Piper's) skating. This year they had a really great opportunity to step forward with truly great programs and W&P away from the international scene, but they couldn't capitalize in a meaningful way. I don't think they've made up enough ground to give W&P a real run for their title.

That said, Canadian ice dance is super fun this year - I can't wait for Canadians! L&L are really engaging and I love their programs this season. I hope they compete senior. Maybe S&F will have sorted themselves out, and set up a great rivalry with L&L going forward. Then there's the Danadians! They're so good! I joke that they seem like the adults in the room in terms of ice dance - they make me happy in a way I haven't been since Dubreuil & Lauzon competed. How will they stack up? Could they shake things up even more than expected, especially if one of the top two don't perform well? But then the top two teams have the best programs of their career, imho.

 

[chantilly]

^
I think you have to take into consideration their fields were way harder in GP and they had that disastrous skate Canada RD.
They were also tight in France because something was very much on the line.

I think their biggest issue is their competition skills. They are prone to errors. Both of them.

This constant talk about Piper’s skills and their lack of chemistry I find baffling.

Everyone says she has poor skating skills Or is lacking, but yet she can get high levels in the footwork sections as high as many other teams which is supposed to demonstrate ice dancers skating skills the most.

I’d like someone, anyone to offer a comprehensive argument or discussion about her lack of skating skills rather then just making statements.

As for their chemistry, I thought it was fine in their tango last season.

And in their film noir piece a couple of seasons ago.

They don’t always do romantic programmes. Does it match say V and M, no. But then I don’t think most dancers now do.

They have chemistry, it’s just different.

Paul may be a bit too reserved sometimes, and I find they sometimes like power and abandon. But that’s where I find they have issues.

 

[levineismine]

@Andora re Lajoie/Lagha, they will be going senior nexr year.

 

[Andora]

They don’t always do romantic programmes. Does it match say V and M, no. But then I don’t think most dancers now do.

They have chemistry, it’s just different.

Paul may be a bit too reserved sometimes, and I find they sometimes like power and abandon. But that’s where I find they have issues.

They do have different chemistry, and really interesting programs that reflect that. No question. It's more about Paul being reserved. They get great material that is super suited to them - especially this year and last. It's more in performance, and yes, their errors. But that contributes to not being able to make the strong push for first they undoubtedly wanted to.

@Andora re Lajoie/Lagha, they will be going senior nexr year.

Thanks!

 

[yurokis40]

Gilles and Poirier seem to do very well at the end of the season though when their programs are polished and there tech issues fixed.

 

[The Observer]

I'm not sure about that last part. My biggest complaint about Vanessa was her posture. The first time I saw her compete was as a singles skater and I was shocked that in a group of other singles skaters on the warm-up, the ice dancer stood out as having worse posture than most of the other singles skaters, when you would normally expect an ice dancer to have superior posture. The costumes she wore often did nothing to help mask it either.

I thought Vanessa worked very hard and was a strong technical skater overall.

But Paul was probably the stronger skater, and Vanessa tended to make more errors than him (eg. at 2010 Nationals and 2011 Worlds).

They worked well together for a while, and they had skated together since they were kids like Tessa & Scott, but I think Piper & Paul have a better chemistry than Vanessa & Paul.