Recent content by panda42

I had forgotten about that dreadful and icky Petrenko program!

Berezhnaya/Sikharulidze's medley to Charlie Chaplin was pretty weak and unmemorable compared to the real thing. There were also some professional programs by Scott Hamilton and Kurt Browning that were hammy and OTT.

Yes, he was indeed a tortured genius. It was sad to read how much he was abused by his father and also his struggles with mental illness and substance abuse. I wasn't a huge fan of the Beach Boys when younger, but I have come to appreciate their music in recent years.

I think that Alysa got first pick being world champion but it is interesting that she is up against Amber. Maybe Maxim could be a substitute or also get Skate America in the host slot, but I was surprised that Jacob only got one assignment.

It was tough! I figured it out in four but did get clues from another site. 🤨

I liked Adam's skating but agree that he can be rather harsh and tactless at times.

They might be fairly evenly balanced in their skills, with Nathan getting higher PCS and Ilia having greater technical content. I was just wondering who the top US man would be now if Nathan were still in the mix.

That does make sense in an Olympic year. Nothing against Rocketman, Nathan did a great job. My personal preference is for more classical and expressive programs.

I had forgotten how good that program was, I like it much better than his 2022 FS. I wonder how he would score against Ilia if he were still competing now.

Both very good role models! If Ilia is a generational jumper, we might say the same for Jason's artistry. I could see him transitioning to dance and having success as Daisuke Takahashi has.

Ilia has come a long way artistically in a short time. He isn't at the level of Jason (and may never be), but I appreciate that he is making the effort to expand his skills and be viewed as more than just a jumper.

That makes total sense, I didn't realize that it was no longer rewarded by judges.

Interesting, does it make it easier when learning the jumps? I always thought that arms up was more difficult but a way to earn more points.

I agree, it was so impressive and original with Boitano but much less so with some of the more recent skaters.

I also hope that Lucas will be able to compete again, if not next season then very soon.