2022 Nationals in Nashville

[jkl]

I have been told that the manager of the Renaissance Hotel had a long very firm talk with Christine Brennan about the article she wrote about the host hotel.?

 

[Debbie S]

The manager should have probably let their PR people, whether on-site or corporate, deal with Brennan. We can talk about whether she was stirring up shite, her motivations, why is she in the club lounge, etc, but unless she doctored those photos or wrote something blatantly false, she/the paper was within their rights to print it. And really, anybody could have posted the photos of the lounge and the lobby singer on social media and gotten thousands of views...it doesn't take much to go viral.

IMO, the club lounge falls under the category of 'if you know the rules and go in, you take the risk'. But I do think her criticism of the singer by the elevators (according to her post) was valid....we know singing spreads more droplets and spreads them further, why would a hotel manager sign off on something like that, in an area people can't avoid? At least put the guy in the bar.

 

[mtnskater]

We were wondering why USFS didn’t have a lounge for skaters only for breakfast, snacks etc., closed to the members of the public staying at the hotel. It seemed odd that potential Olympic team members and all skaters weren’t more protected in that respect.

 

[YukiNieve]

Did everybody who went have a great time and come home safe and sound?
I sure hope so!

 

[mtnskater]

I did have a great time overall but it was by far the most difficult nationals I’ve ever attended from the standpoint of stress and discomfort and inconveniences. So happy I saw friends I haven’t seen for two years. So happy that I saw the men’s and ladies short programs live where so many skaters did their best. So many beautiful dance programs too. Also happy I saw Nathan Chen live at Nationals for possibly the last time. ? And other skaters who may not be back. So happy I saw Ilia Malinin’s senior debut in person too. And Isabeau! Home antigen test negative today…no symptoms. All in all very memorable.

 

[Aceon6]

@mtnskater Thanks for the recap. That likely would have been my experience. I have a dear friend in a Nashville suburb and would have loved seeing her along with the excellent skating, but my head told me that I’d probably be in crud-rage the whole time. Glad I passed on it.

 

[Tahuu]

If that works people need to start thinking about gifting women some drum sets because I'm pretty sure there are even fewer female drummers than guitarists.

Here’s an amazing female drummer. Her “Stereo Hearts” cover got nearly 15 million views in Instagram.

Dr. Krystine on Instagram: "Over 9M views on Tiktok!🤯 ❗️FULL COVER of “Stereo Hearts” NOW ON YOUTUBE (Link in my bio) #drums #drummergirl #femaledrummer #stereohearts #lenanon"

825K likes, 4,983 comments - krystinebejjani on March 20, 2021: "Over 9M views on Tiktok!🤯 ❗️FULL COVER of “Stereo Hearts” NOW ON YOUTUBE (Link in my bio) #drums #drummergirl #femaledrummer #stereohearts #lenanon".

www.instagram.com

 

[Carolla5501]

I actually only felt nervous a couple of times. I went and sat in my seat for the first part of the men’s short and the guy next to me kept taking his mask off to blow his nose - didn’t make me feel real comfortable so at ice make I moved. my new seat was not as good but I felt fine. As I said I chose to not stay at the Renaissance just because I have had to travel a little and I knew what was going to be there and decided that staying at a place with a kitchen and would be safer this time. With the snow it turned out to be an even smarter decision than I expected


Once US figure skating decided the thing to do is cram all the people in the concourse so they could be next to each other with masks off eating and drinking that made me a little nervous to be out there.


I haven’t tested yet, I probably will this evening but I also haven’t had any symptoms or anything.

 

[TanithandBenFan]

Did everybody who went have a great time and come home safe and sound?
I sure hope so!

I had a great time despite the challenges and if I get the crud from it then so be it. It was worth it to see Madi and Evan win, the men's SP (Sinnerman!!), Ashley and Tim's performances, and the top 10 in the dance event (so many great young teams!)

The biggest challenges were the snow day and being able to eat only the limited food at the hotel and the ban on food/drink in the seats. I normally don't eat meals at my seat anyway, but I do need to snack every couple of hours or I get shaky, and it was challenging to time the snack breaks with the ice resurfacing. I only had to eat meals at the arena twice and once I found a very isolated spot in a bar that wasn't open.

I hope Nashville gets another shot at Nationals. The setup was great with lots of food options nearby (provided no epic snow events) and the official hotel being only one block away. The arena was good with a fairly wide concourse and comfortable seats.

It was a bummer not getting to be as social as I usually am at Nationals. I didn't get to talk to @jkl at all and only saw @peibeck once. Normally I'd roam the concourse during breaks and chat with friends, but I stayed mostly at my seat during the breaks. My original seat had a lot of people crammed into the row, so my friend and I moved down three rows into the USFS comp seats and sat there the whole time.

 

[AnnM]

Did everybody who went have a great time and come home safe and sound?
I sure hope so!

Definitely had a great time and I'm staying on until Saturday to sightsee with my family, who flew out at the end of the competition.

We went to the Country Music Museum and National Museum of African American Music yesterday and walked around Broadway a bit. We definitely stood out like sore thumbs with our masks on at all times even outdoors, but we were able to distance very well at the museums. We ate at two restaurants, but were able to sit far away from others. Enjoyed the music on the Honky Tonk Highway from outside the doors! Today we're just lounging and heading to Centennial Park later.

The snow day and day following were definitely the most challenging days, but fortunately there were just enough snacks and Keurig cups at my Air BnB to get me through. And this CA girl learned where the gaps are in my winter wardrobe! If I ate at the arena, I opted to miss a performance or two so I could eat on an emptier concourse. Not having a hot beverage available under the cold air vents wrecked my throat, but it taught me to always keep throat drops in my skating event bag.

 

[Judy]

Definitely had a great time and I'm staying on until Saturday to sightsee with my family, who flew out at the end of the competition.

We went to the Country Music Museum and National Museum of African American Music yesterday and walked around Broadway a bit. We definitely stood out like sore thumbs with our masks on at all times even outdoors, but we were able to distance very well at the museums. We ate at two restaurants, but were able to sit far away from others. Enjoyed the music on the Honky Tonk Highway from outside the doors! Today we're just lounging and heading to Centennial Park later.

The snow day and day following were definitely the most challenging days, but fortunately there were just enough snacks and Keurig cups at my Air BnB to get me through. And this CA girl learned where the gaps are in my winter wardrobe! If I ate at the arena, I opted to miss a performance or two so I could eat on an emptier concourse. Not having a hot beverage available under the cold air vents wrecked my throat, but it taught me to always keep throat drops in my skating event bag.

I always did that with food by sneaking up between skaters to eat .. that was before Covid.

 

[sk9tingfan]

Nathan plays the guitar as well and I believe he has an electric guitar already.

Figure Skater Nathan Chen on How Music Mentally Prepares Him to Compete

Nathan Chen’s first Olympics four years ago did not go so well, but he knows he will arrive in Beijing as one of the favorites in men’s figure skating— not just because of all the hard work he has done on the ice, but because of the way he has learned to relax off of it as well.

www.nbcchicago.com

 

[mtnskater]

@mtnskater Thanks for the recap. That likely would have been my experience. I have a dear friend in a Nashville suburb and would have loved seeing her along with the excellent skating, but my head told me that I’d probably be in crud-rage the whole time. Glad I passed on it.

I was pretty much in crud-rage the whole time and actually surprised I didn’t get it. So good decision for you!

 

[MacMadame]

I was pretty much in crud-rage the whole time and actually surprised I didn’t get it. So good decision for you!

We were wondering why USFS didn’t have a lounge for skaters only for breakfast, snacks etc., closed to the members of the public staying at the hotel. It seemed odd that potential Olympic team members and all skaters weren’t more protected in that respect.

I do think that would have been sensible. They should have bubbled as much as possible in the hotel.

However, based on my experiences eating in the hotel, the Food Hall, several restaurants, and the arena food stands, I suspect that most food consumed in that lounge would be prepared by maskless people and possibly served by maskless people too.

My main complaint with this event is that people all over Nashville were preparing food without being masked. Even after c0vid, I think that should become the norm just like food preparers wear those plastic gloves.

 

[CassAgain]

Mr. Cass and I had a fantastic time at our abbreviated skating weekend. We took off work early and drove to Memphis Friday afternoon. We had planned to eat in a restaurant, but given the Omicron situation and the Women's final, we decided to get takeout to the hotel instead and thoroughly enjoyed the skating and the dinner.

We drove to Nashville Saturday morning and were able to check in the hotel early, got lunch in the room and watched the men's short. We stayed at the Omni, which was fab and two crosswalks away from the arena. Besides the hotel staff, there was no indication of the current health situation until we arrived at the venue for the pairs final. We had to show proof of vax on the Clear app, and everyone was masked--a lot of people (like us) double masked.

The pairs was the first live skating event I have ever seen (McBeath/Bartholomay will always be my first, lol) and we had to wait until the second group to see our first clean jumping pass. Ashley and Timothy were FANTASTIC, the clear class of the field that night. Jessica Calalang had her terrible fall in warm-up almost right in front of us, and she did seem shaken during their skate. Despite their struggles, their lifts were the best of anyone--we were in awe.

I was so nervous leading up to the free dance because my faves, Hawayak and Baker and Hubbell and Donohue had both struggled in the rhythm dance, but I should not have worried. Getting to seem them both have their strongest skates of the season and witnessing the audience reaction made the night.

We slept in Saturday morning and had a great breakfast at the hotel before going to the Men's final. We enjoyed the whole spectacle, including the hall of fame inductions. I tried to keep calm while Jason was skating; failed. I found his basic skating, Nathan's, and Camden's, actually, to be a cut above the rest in quality. That was something much easier observed in person than on TV, IMO. Ilia's jumps were amazing--a star is born truly.

Mr. Cass went from someone who has tolerated skating and occasionally found it amusing to an actual fan. His favorites of the weekend were Ashley and Timothy, Hubbell and Donohue, and Ilia, though he was very gracious when we heard about Jason's assignment on the drive home. He has decided he is going to learn to call the jumps--which I am terrible at.

I don't think we will be sporting matching jackets and attending all events any time soon, but we both can't wait for the next opportunity to go to another skating event. 10/10--would recommend.

 

[overedge]

@CassAgain that is so great that you got to see wonderful skating at your first ever skating event! Reading your post made me happy.

 

[A.H.Black]

Had a great time. Went with skating friends and stayed together which is always a joy. We laugh and talk and do jigsaw puzzles in the off hours. We were careful, but not anxiety ridden. Our hotel had a breakfast every day so food was no problem. The arena staff had their own way of doing things sometimes, but they were friendly and pleasant. We didn't have any unusual difficulties and sometimes they went out of their way to be accomodating.

The skating was some of the best we have ever had at Nationals. This was my 29th Nationals and I don't remember a better men's short. I came to see skating. What else could I ask for. The Olympic Team is great.

I was disappointed to not be able to go to the practice arena but made the adjustment. I was thrilled to be in the arena when Jason showed up for a solo practice session. We saw lots of skating friends and enjoyed their company.

The flight home was challenging, but not a nightmare. All in all, a lovely week.

 

[MacMadame]

The skating was some of the best we have ever had at Nationals. This was my 29th Nationals and I don't remember a better men's short.

Oh, I agree! It's the best I can remember and I've been watching skating for a long time.


Btw, to follow up on my "Close Contact" notification. I finally found a place on my phone that said the contact was "x days ago" and it seems that I was in close contact with someone with c*vid on the Saturday before I left. A DAY I DID NOT LEAVE THE HOUSE.

So the whole thing seems to be some sort of mixup and I had all that anxiety for nothing. And, if you avoided me at Nationals, it was for nothing too. Not that I minded. I would have avoided me too.

 

[peibeck]

Did everybody who went have a great time and come home safe and sound?
I sure hope so!

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times," I believe is how the quote goes.

By far, the senior mens SP was the best competed event I ever attended in many US National Championships I've attended. The senior pairs SP gave me brief hope for US pairs until the free skates (minus Ashley and Tim).

Also, I briefly got to tell Cain-Gribble/Leduc that I was rooting for them to make the Olympic team (they were sitting a few rows behind me during a practice) and they were so appreciative. So luckily I didn't bring the curse of @rfisher to them. I also was routing for Calalang/Johnson but their free skate (imo) sadly seemed to seal their Olympic chances. ?

I did find the venue to be good, except it was really, really really cold and my seat was below vents where cold air was coming down almost continuously. The arena staff, especially manning the entrances, were fast, competent and polite without fault. I only ate a slice of pizza the first day between junior sessions and limited the amount of water I drank. Due to the crud, I just didn't feel comfortable eating at the venue, and on the second day of the competition, which stretched on for 13.5 hours with events and practice, I was more dehydrated than an Eteri girl. I felt so lousy, I missed the junior ladies free just to rest, and get liquids and food in me.

I'm guessing my caution paid off, as I've felt fine (tired, which seems de riguer after an emotional week and traveling), knock on wood.

Sadly the weather was also not very nice, and I'm sure helped keep the arena ventilation so very frosty. The snow day (and icy day after) kept most businesses shuttered, so I was glad I chose an Airbnb and got some groceries. And @jkl was so kind on offering me a ticket to the FOFS breakfast and I hated missing it, but my umbrella broke and the rain on Sunday had me wondering if I needed to ask Uber if they had an ark available to get me to even the men's event several hours later. ?

The sheer number of people in businesses and on the streets without masks ? was truly astonishing to me. My trip to Whole Foods (and in the arena, where most people were decent with complying) was the only local place where I saw customers and employees masked. I know, it's the "south", but Nashville is also a small bastion of blue in a very red state, so I hoped for more sanity, or at least to feel more safe. I'm sure I'm not the only person from the board who got some openly hostile looks from people for wearing a mask while ordering take-away food.

While I appreciate they wanted to inject local color into the event, I could have lived without the many mini country concerts. Once, to replace the opening ceremony, would have sufficed for me. But if they were going to go that route, they could have at least had some diversity. Nashville is also a booming rock and R&B town after all.

I also have to say, maybe because there was no audience last year, or because really f. s. knowledgeable people were in attendance, but the audiences, for all levels of competition (even when there weren't too many of us in the stands) were the most supportive I have ever seen, even to the most unknown, unseen skaters who made their way to Nashville through the most difficult of journeys. I have to admit it melted a bit of the snark from my heart to see these athletes being so appreciated.

And, as I mentioned elsewhere, says the USFSA would like to put a Worlds on in Nashville. Send ? they can negotiate some reasonable hotel room prices if that happens, because you know the ticket prices will be insane.

 

[A.H.Black]

Oh, I agree! It's the best I can remember and I've been watching skating for a long time.


Btw, to follow up on my "Close Contact" notification. I finally found a place on my phone that said the contact was "x days ago" and it seems that I was in close contact with someone with c*vid on the Saturday before I left. A DAY I DID NOT LEAVE THE HOUSE.

So the whole thing seems to be some sort of mixup and I had all that anxiety for nothing. And, if you avoided me at Nationals, it was for nothing too. Not that I minded. I would have avoided me too.

Sounds like your close contact was with yourself.

 

[A.H.Black]

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times," I believe is how the quote goes.

By far, the senior mens SP was the best competed event I ever attended in many US National Championships I've attended. The senior pairs SP gave me brief hope for US pairs until the free skates (minus Ashley and Tim).

Also, I briefly got to tell Cain-Gribble/Leduc that I was rooting for them to make the Olympic team (they were sitting a few rows behind me during a practice) and they were so appreciative. So luckily I didn't bring the curse of @rfisher to them. I also was routing for Calalang/Johnson but their free skate (imo) sadly seemed to seal their Olympic chances. ?

I did find the venue to be good, except it was really, really really cold and my seat was below vents where cold air was coming down almost continuously. The arena staff, especially manning the entrances, were fast, competent and polite without fault. I only ate a slice of pizza the first day between junior sessions and limited the amount of water I drank. Due to the crud, I just didn't feel comfortable eating at the venue, and on the second day of the competition, which stretched on for 13.5 hours with events and practice, I was more dehydrated than an Eteri girl. I felt so lousy, I missed the junior ladies free just to rest, and get liquids and food in me.

I'm guessing my caution paid off, as I've felt fine (tired, which seems de riguer after an emotional week and traveling), knock on wood.

Sadly the weather was also not very nice, and I'm sure helped keep the arena ventilation so very frosty. The snow day (and icy day after) kept most businesses shuttered, so I was glad I chose an Airbnb and got some groceries. And @jkl was so kind on offering me a ticket to the FOFS breakfast and I hated missing it, but my umbrella broke and the rain on Sunday had me wondering if I needed to ask Uber if they had an ark available to get me to even the men's event several hours later. ?

The sheer number of people in businesses and on the streets without masks ? was truly astonishing to me. My trip to Whole Foods (and in the arena, where most people were decent with complying) was the only local place where I saw customers and employees masked. I know, it's the "south", but Nashville is also a small bastion of blue in a very red state, so I hoped for more sanity, or at least to feel more safe. I'm sure I'm not the only person from the board who got some openly hostile looks from people for wearing a mask while ordering take-away food.

While I appreciate they wanted to inject local color into the event, I could have lived without the many mini country concerts. Once, to replace the opening ceremony, would have sufficed for me. But if they were going to go that route, they could have at least had some diversity. Nashville is also a booming rock and R&B town after all.

I also have to say, maybe because there was no audience last year, or because really f. s. knowledgeable people were in attendance, but the audiences, for all levels of competition (even when there weren't too many of us in the stands) were the most supportive I have ever seen, even to the most unknown, unseen skaters who made their way to Nashville through the most difficult of journeys. I have to admit it melted a bit of the snark from my heart to see these athletes being so appreciated.

And, as I mentioned elsewhere, says the USFSA would like to put a Worlds on in Nashville. Send ? they can negotiate some reasonable hotel room prices if that happens, because you know the ticket prices will be insane.

I totally agree about the cold. Jacket, jacket, blanket and gloves were required all week. The last day seemed a bit better but all the layers were still required. I am told that the arena does NOT need to be cold in order to keep the ice in good shape, so the only thing I can think is they keep the temperature down as a cost cutting / energy saving measure.

I could also have done without the country concerts. If they had cut the number of songs that were sung, it would have been better. However, I don't think it was any worse than the DJ, music, games, and exercises that we have had in other years.

 

[Carolla5501]

Keep in mind besides the employees all those other people you saw in downtown Nashville are tourists. Honestly my friends that live in Nashville never go downtown except to work. They are not walking around Broadway listening country music.

 

[livetoskate]

Driving out of Tennessee on Sunday evening in the rain was a little scary, but I made it home in one piece! It was worth the ultra long drive & weather delay to see just the senior men's events in person. I didn't think the arena was cold. So far, no signs of covid, knock on wood. The Residence Inn a couple of blocks from the arena was nice; I brought my own food to eat in the hotel so I didn't try any local cuisine. Parking at the library garage saved a lot of money & forced me to exercise. If another nationals or Worlds are held in Nashville, I would go again. Thanks to all the organizers & volunteers!

 

[MacMadame]

I could also have done without the country concerts. If they had cut the number of songs that were sung, it would have been better. However, I don't think it was any worse than the DJ, music, games, and exercises that we have had in other years.

I agree. I think 2 or 3 songs would have been perfect. I actually enjoyed having performers over the normal stuff. But not for 4 songs.

 

[jlai]

I'm grateful for some live performance for a change, 3, 4, 5 songs, whatever.

 

[skategal]

Oh, I agree! It's the best I can remember and I've been watching skating for a long time.


Btw, to follow up on my "Close Contact" notification. I finally found a place on my phone that said the contact was "x days ago" and it seems that I was in close contact with someone with c*vid on the Saturday before I left. A DAY I DID NOT LEAVE THE HOUSE.

So the whole thing seems to be some sort of mixup and I had all that anxiety for nothing. And, if you avoided me at Nationals, it was for nothing too. Not that I minded. I would have avoided me too.

My SIL lives in California as well and has that app on her phone.

She got a close contact notice the other day as well and has no idea why as she has not been within 6 feet of anyone for the required time length.

All she can figure is maybe her gym bag (with her phone in it) was next to another gym bag (with phone it) of someone who tested positive while she was swimming at the local pool.

Glad you are okay and had fun at Nationals.

 

[Bulletsdad]

I agree. I think 2 or 3 songs would have been perfect. I actually enjoyed having performers over the normal stuff. But not for 4 songs.

MacMadame.... thanks again for the gratis Gala tix!!!
My most serendipitous experience of week: Searching unsuccessfully for food on snowstorm Thursday, and discovering that my suite ticket for the women's short came with a spectacular buffet! The suite concierge expected 79 guests and I was the only show. Unfortunately, I can't eat more than two platefuls of veal ossobucco!

 

[MacMadame]

The suite concierge expected 79 guests and I was the only show.

You should have invited FSU!

 

[2sk8]

MacMadame.... thanks again for the gratis Gala tix!!!
My most serendipitous experience of week: Searching unsuccessfully for food on snowstorm Thursday, and discovering that my suite ticket for the women's short came with a spectacular buffet! The suite concierge expected 79 guests and I was the only show. Unfortunately, I can't eat more than two platefuls of veal ossobucco!

Everything was closed that night. Nashville & snow don't play well together!

 

[A.H.Black]

One last note. We have all checked in with each other since returning home. No sickness among us. I know symptoms can show up as long as 14 days after being exposed but I think if I get sick now it will be because I was exposed since I came home.

Once again we had a great time and I'm glad we went.