2025 Skate America Pairs Free - Slay Something (I'm Giving Up On You)

[Allen]

I feel like I expect lake placid to be a place where the ushers would be knowledgeable enough not to let people walk down mid program, but I am disappointed.

I would too...in Greensboro they were yanking people right out of the aisles.

 

[skatingguy]

Olivia Flores/Luke Wang
Rank after SP: 8
Coach: Natalia Mishkutenkok, Drew Meekins
Music: Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

Triple Twist 3
3S+2A<+2A+SEQ - distance, timing issues
2T
Reverse Lasso Lift 3
Throw 3Lo
Hand-to-Hand Lift B
Hand-to-Hip Lift 3
Throw 3S
Back Outside Death Spiral 2 (1 after review)
Pair Combo Spin 4
Choreo Sequence

Overall better than the short program, but still the lifts are challenging with lack of ice coverage, flow, and general ease from beginning to end.

105.61 = 1st Place
161.44 = 1st Place

 

[LilJen]

Flores/Wang (how many Flores skating kids are there?) First lift was an effort. She needs a better cartwheel! But cute pair couple that will be better with more cooking.

Nice costumes.

 

[peibeck]

Flores may be considered by some to be too tall for Wang but at least she can land her triple throws.

Lifts weren't great, but for a Sr. GP debut it wasn't terrible.

 

[Theatregirl1122]

Lifts made me nervous but they managed

 

[slicekw]

Seeing a team that isn’t skating for a medal, but is really jazzed at the end of their skate is one of the best reasons to watch.

 

[beckab81]

They have great throws and decent SBS, but I struggle to see how they will be successful with their lifts. They’re slow, have awkward transitions, and overall look like a fight. They’re slow have a great presence and love what they’re doing, I’m just not convinced about their long term potential.

 

[my little pony]

skating right after the RDs was a good look for Flores wang

 

[Kateri]

Yeah, back to thinking they've just outgrown each other as a team.

From the ISU bios, Starr is a fair bit shorter than Olivia. Am I crazy, or could it work? Obviously, back to basics on pair elements, but if they're already dating...

 

[Sarah]

I love F/W but I think they’ve just outgrown each other height wise. They’re both charming. I’d love to see them both succeed with other partners. She could use a taller partner (lifts scare me now), but growth is common coming out of juniors.

 

[~tapdancer~]

FlorWang - 3tw - low; SBS 3s+2a+2a - bit rough on the landing of the last 2a; SBS 2t - okay then; first lift - slow & careful it seemed; throw 3lo - landed; second lift - her position in the air isn't all that confident - base level; last lift - just underwhelming; throw 3s - nice; BODS - alright; combo spin - slow; choreo seq - alright.

Yeah, back to thinking they've just outgrown each other as a team.

In what way? Can you clarify?

 

[Braulio]

SBS 2 Salchows and it can't even get the base value

 

[Hanna]

Lion King One of the best pieces of music! Still the best Fear/Gibson program ever.

That lift coverage

 

[rfisher]

Plazas/Fernandez scared Simba home.

 

[Kasey]

Plazas/Hernandez…shame about the jumps. They look good together and nice lifts

 

[MacMadame]

Jumps just not there today. Though the 1X were intentional. But messy.

 

[beckab81]

P/F and F/W have such opposite strengths it’s really fascinating to watch them back to back. The throws of F/W and the lifts of P/F would be a great combo.

 

[Belsornia]

If we could somehow merge Flores/Wang and Plazas/Fernandez and add a SBS triple jump, we’d have a pretty great pairs team.

 

[Sarah]

Can P/F just not jump? Just do lifts and twists? Their lifts are amazing!

 

[Theatregirl1122]

Are these old costumes for Pla/Fern? I would have assumed the Disney movie was Coco, not lion King.

 

[Braulio]

Liked the final lift and linking into the pair spin combo

 

[Karen-W]

PlaFern - 3tw - very nice; throw 3f - looks like her hand managed to stay off the ice; SBS 3t+A - messy; SBS 2s - also messy; first lift - nice; choreo seq - meh; throw 3lo - and she falls ; second lift - love it; BODS - good; last lift - decent with a really unique exit into their combo spin. Overall the program lacks spark and I'm not sure it would be much better even when skated cleanly. Definitely not in the mix for the 2 Oly spots.

 

[JoannaLouise]

Alas, the amazing lifts and messy jumps/throws are the usual story with this team

 

[skatingguy]

Valentina Plazas/Maximiliano Fernandez
Rank after SP: 7
Coach: Jim Petersen, Amanda Evora Will
Music: The Lion King (soundtrack)

Triple Twist 4
Throw 3F - hand down
3T<+SEQ+A* - both stepped out
2S - Valentina over-rotated
Axel Lasso Lift 4
Choreo Sequence
Throw 3Lo - fall
Reverse Lasso Lift 4
Back Outside Death Spiral 3
Hand-to-Hip Lift 4
Pair Combo Spin 4

So the side-by-side jumps are messy, but I don't care. They get that reverse lasso lift up on one hand, and then he goes to one foot, and I'm in 100%.

-1.00 = Falls
106.41 = 1st Place
163.26 = 1st Place

 

[Theatregirl1122]

Alas, the amazing lifts and messy jumps/throws are the usual story with this team

Tale as old as time for Peterson teams.

 

[tangerine dream]

Lion King One of the best pieces of music! Still the best Fear/Gibson program ever.

That lift coverage

Yes! It's about time for my annual rewatch of this one

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[Theatregirl1122]

I hate these post skate interviews. There’s a reason this is not a thing.

 

[peibeck]

Plazas/Fernandez have been at this same decent but not outstanding level for forever. Even this soaring Lion King music doesn't help them.

 

[Former Lurve Goddess]

Can P/F just not jump? Just do lifts and twists? Their lifts are amazing!

I sometimes wish that pairs were allowed to concentrate on the skills they're actually good at in the free program. The required elects can stay in the short program.

 

[Sally1214]

Go, Kelly Ann and Loucas!