USFS ISP Points Challenge- Sep and Oct 2020

skylark

Well-Known Member
Messages
339
I was pleasantly surprised at how sharp US pairs looked!

- In the long term, SK/F will probably outscore SK/K due to higher probabilities on the SBS jumps and also their SBS spins are little stronger if anyone noticed

Yes, I noticed! I don't know how Alexa and Brandon could have better unison after 4 months than A/C had after many years, but it is so. Maybe it's more of a priority. Alexa and Chris often seemed to me to depend on their better elements to make up for deficiencies elsewhere. Maybe being new together gave A&B motivation to pay attention to each element; or maybe their SBS spins just came together fortuitously. Alexa and Brandon look so happy and relieved to be skating together. (Side note: In Alexa's IG photos, Chris looks noticeably happier and more like himself! I really hope that Haven is getting fresh inspiration, love for skating & competing, and her possibilities in fs.)

Ashley and Timothy - Not only did she land the Throw 3Z twice, but she added a beautiful long ride-out on the landing in the FS. In both programs, I noticed that they returned to more steps and movements that show off their unison and beautiful lines. Doing steps in parallel and side-by-side )), rather than in opposition to each other like this )(. I'm so happy to see more of this in-synch movement, because it's really one of their strengths and very unusual to see these days in pairs, to that degree. I think they've worked hard to incorporate new moves and steps, and for that reason their FS isn't as dramatic as usual; their musical awareness and commitment to every movement really make them stand out usually and give their skating a quality of strength, power, and something intangible no other US pair has. I think those qualities will be more evident as the season progresses.

I love Jessica and Brian's new FS; and I also love their GoT repeat SP from last year. I've always enjoyed Jessica's artistry, and I think skating with Brian frees her up a bit. Their quiet confidence in each other is just beautiful.

I agree that Tarah and Danny's 'Carmen' is very watchable. A little camp IMO in the beginning, but they do it well and it creates a surprise moment. Someone said last year that Danny pulls Tarah around the rink ... and since I heard that comment, I can't 'Not See' it when they skate. Shae-Lynne's choreo for Swan Lake made it less obvious, I think. And oh yes, shout-out to Charlie White for his choreo of their SP Claire de Lune. He observes first, 'what makes this pair unique?' and highlights that.

I'm going to have to wait and see if Audrey Lu/Misha Mitrofanov's new FS grows on me. Olivia and Mervin look much the same as last year to me, but they may develop as the season goes.

Kate Finster and Balazs Nagy skated their SP, and they looked very good. Such a promising pair, and there's something special about their relationship on the ice. I don't know why their SP was taken out of the video, but I'm glad I got to see it and will look forward to watching both their programs next time.

It's really amazing how US pairs have developed in the past several years. Amazing, exciting and thrilling, to me :cheer2:
 
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skylark

Well-Known Member
Messages
339
Is this a Bourne program?Very weird cuts and not at all what I would expect from a Bourne program.

I thought so too at first, and I dislike figure skating programs to 'Winner Takes It All,' so this program already had two strikes against it. But Mariah's beautiful, smooth, emotionally pitch-perfect skating carries me through the transitions. She skates it as a journey, about romantic love or about self-love and confidence. Take your pick. Shae-Lynne knew what she was doing. And she knows her skater. She looks first for what's unique, and plays to that.

I wouldn't have believed it, but Mariah even made me love the Winner Takes It segment. That part is a valid step along the journey. Mariah shows the yearning and emotion of it, plus she shows the joy and fun of Dancing Queen and Mamma Mia. Then, the final, jubilant piece of the story. Thank You for the Music. Mariah's face and bodily expression are completely transformed for this. Even the first time I watched this program, I immediately got chills, and by the end, I was in tears.

This free skate is a show-stopper! 🥰 I dearly hope she'll get to skate it for a live audience; if not, it could be a great Olympic year FS. If anyone is a Mariah fan (or simply curious), I hope you'll watch the program again, shifting your thinking and your perception. I even came to like the suddenness of the music cuts, because it was less like 'okay, now we're going to shift mood' and more 'this is all one and the same.' Unity.

This program proves that you can have two strikes and a triumphant home run in the same at-bat. :)
 
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jenny12

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8,239
Is this a Bourne program?Very weird cuts and not at all what I would expect from a Bourne program. Maybe there will be some changes to it over the season because I am really enjoying Mariah as a skater now and would love her to have a program that makes her stand out a little from all the younger jumping beans. But then, I suppose it will be difficult to top her LP from last season that was really Olympic material.

Agreed. Her Hallelujah at Nationals was my favorite moment of the season and that program just brought out the best in her. While I think an ABBA program could work, the music cuts are very distracting and don't build to anything. Or perhaps she just should have done Dancing Queen for her short program.
 

Frau Muller

From Puerto Rico…With Love! Not LatinX!
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22,098
......While I think an ABBA program could work, the music cuts are very distracting and don't build to anything. ....

For me, it was quite the opposite...building up grandly to Thank You for the Music. Perfection. So emotional.
 

AxelAnnie

Like a small boat on the ocean...
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14,463
Yes you are being rude and aggressive. If you don't like the question - don't answer it. If you don't like the content of the post that is about feeling of an individual - then pass it, or argue with the "issue" or a "subject". You can't shut up all the people whose thinking/feeling/speaking is not to your liking.
Right. On!
 

alchemy void

Post-its for the win.
Messages
27,291
Agreed. Her Hallelujah at Nationals was my favorite moment of the season and that program just brought out the best in her. While I think an ABBA program could work, the music cuts are very distracting and don't build to anything. Or perhaps she just should have done Dancing Queen for her short program.

The music cuts are baaaaaad. And using three ABBA songs and one godawful cover doesn't make sense. I think something like Winner Takes it All (original version) into Dancing Queen into Thank You for the Music would make more sense. The Mama Mia section does nothing.

There are some good moments in the choreography, but the overall quality of the program just seems to be far below last year's Hallelujah. Maybe it will grow on me.
 

Theoreticalgirl

your faves are problematic
Messages
1,345
After a season where she had 2 programs with a very distinct point-of-view, Mariah's programs this season feel like the exact opposite.

The SP is bleh (and that's one of Pink's stronger songs), the FS doesn't need FOUR ABBA songs poorly edited together. Even as an ABBA diehard, I'm perfectly fine with a skating program sticking to "the hits." Just do the hits well!
 

loopey

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,598
I finally had time to watch the Senior Pairs Short and Long. Best couple of hours I have spent in weeks, if not months! First, I have to say it is great to see skating again, seems like forever!

C/H - I had not seen them skate before, and I loved them. So much potential, and they skated to one of my favorite songs ever!

S-K/F - Wow. They seemed to have gelled very quickly! I like their look together very much. Love the music, and watching Alexa with a new partner solidifies my belief that to me, she is the strongest girl pair partner in the US for as far back as I can remember, and I've been watching for decades. So excited to see them grow together in the weeks/months ahead.

C/J - Breathtaking skating. Love the choreography, music selection, and costumes. The lifts were gorgeous and her positions stunning. They seem to have improved so much since Nationals and 4CC!

Can't wait for more skating!
 

haribobo

Why is summer so hot omg
Messages
9,011
Probably they are in a financially motivated competition with ISU GP assignments for the most aggravating delay of information. The winner takes it all, the loser standing small, whatever that means, but half of all skaters use that song, so they must know...
 

maureenfarone

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2,819
I was hoping the new videos would be up by now but they aren't. I was looking forward to seeing the second opportunity but maybe they will be posted tomorrow.
 

Sylvia

TBD
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79,989
I noticed the Fan Zone cover photo for the Points Challenge now features a Junior man (Daniel Martynov) instead of Mariah Bell.

Madison Hubbell's Instagram story earlier this morning was captioned "First competition of the season!"
 

dancing_on_ice

Well-Known Member
Messages
244
It looks like Hubbell/Donohue and Hawayek/Baker will both be participating in the second opportunity, with Jordan from OnIcePerspectives recording their routines (OIP posted about it in Instagram stories). This seems to confirm that Chock/Bates will not be taking part, which isn't too surprising, considering they didn't skate at the IAM Live three weeks ago due to injury. At the IAM Live, they said that they had returned to the ice, so it makes sense that they don't feel competition ready just three weeks after returning.
 

natsulian

Well-Known Member
Messages
601
Videos are up (just as soon as I got done studying, too) --> https://usfigureskatingfanzone.com/watch/?Archive=1736&category=102&type=Archive

Although I haven't watched all of the performances yet, Haley Scott caught my attention; she has powerful jumps, amazing artistry for her age, and stunning skating skills but struggles with consistency. Hopefully she can piece things together as she matures because she is a wow factor!
 

Frau Muller

From Puerto Rico…With Love! Not LatinX!
Messages
22,098
Kicking this up because the next ISP Points Challenge Seniors reveal — or, as I call it, “Points Schmoints”— is quickly approaching...in just two days!
 
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Sylvia

TBD
Messages
79,989
Although I haven't watched all of the performances yet, Haley Scott caught my attention; she has powerful jumps, amazing artistry for her age, and stunning skating skills but struggles with consistency. Hopefully she can piece things together as she matures because she is a wow factor!
Haley's been one of my faves to follow ever since I watched her compete live at the Philadelphia Summer club comp. in July 2017. :) She's the only ISP skater who has recorded videos in 2 disciplines (also Junior Pairs - a new venture for her this season).

For those interested in watching the 2nd opportunity Junior Ladies & Men, 2 withdrawals in each were not noted in the linked Starting Orders PDF:

#3 Violeta Ushakova
#7 Elsa Cheng

#4 Will Annis
#9 Joseph Klein
 

Frau Muller

From Puerto Rico…With Love! Not LatinX!
Messages
22,098
I hope that all of the Senior Round 2 videos will be smoothly uploaded at midnight, unlike at Round 1 & the mysterious deletions (Gracie)...remember?
Reminder of the website to be bookmarked:
Scroll all the way down for the Round 2 Seniors. Midnight is approaching...woohoo! Prayin’ for more camera zooms this time!
 

Sylvia

TBD
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79,989
Is Haley related to former pairs skater Tiffany Scott (Scott/Dulbon (sp))?
Not that I know of (it's Scott/Dulebohn). An article I found online said that the mother of Haley Scott and her younger skating sister, Jordan, "was an All-American and SEC title-winning gymnast at the University of Georgia [and in] 1987, then Julie Klick closed out her senior year and collegiate career as a member of the first gymnastics National Championship winning team at Georgia."
 

Frau Muller

From Puerto Rico…With Love! Not LatinX!
Messages
22,098
It looks like USFS is still working on uploading the Senior-Round2 films, starting order lists and results of all disciplines...so they didn’t come at midnight. Maybe today during the day (US time zones)?
 

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