CBC Revives Battle of the Blades Skating Show!

skategal

Bunny mama
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11,866
How about Joe Middle Aged, Teetotaler, Hetero, ex girlfriend was a skater Canadian who realized as a child that pro wrestling and figure skating are obverse sides of the same coin, highly athletic performance art. :)

All I can tell you is that "Joe Middle Aged, Beer occasionally, Hetero, wife is a skating fan, loved wrestling as a child" (aka my husband) is not watching it this season. :lol:

Although he did watch the first two seasons and has been to CSOI more than once. :lol:
 

rdavies

Active Member
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181
But per Desperado's point earlier, CBC didn't do her any favours showing that Olympic goal. Women's hockey is no joke in Canada. I hated hockey growing up, but found a way to enjoy the game watching women play. Not to be a controversial prick, but I think it's better hockey to watch, and they're better players in so many ways. I say all this to wonder if any rogue Canadians made her feel MORE uncomfortable competing here, on such an unabashed Canadian show. I mean, if I can still be bitter about Canada's bullshit silver in Nagano... I can only imagine. I'm just speculating, but Amanda Kessel isn't a name too many Canadians would seek out for a trading card...
None of that stuff hurt her, this show isn't just about skating it's about likeability and personality and that team was found wanting. And that's not something that can be faked so they weren't likely to progress.

I enjoy women's hockey as well, not meaning to be patronizing but it is simpler, purer, none of the offensively stifling systems have really crept into the game. I wish they would go back to the first world championship where hitting was legal, that was great. I hadn't seen open ice checks like that in years.
 

MacMadame

Doing all the things
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58,281
I don't understand why they went out first either. They were doing a lot harder stuff than a few of the other teams and it's not like either of them hasn't got a big following.

Still crazy about Sheldon and Kaitlyn though. I love that they started their routine with him out on the ice by himself instead of her. He has some really good skating skills. Posture was better this week too.
 

Anemone

Well-Known Member
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2,349
Overall, I enjoyed last night's performances, and I think the hockey players seem to get better every season. There were pair skills on last night's show that I think they would not have allowed even in the later episodes of earlier seasons. I remember some of the fluff pieces from those early seasons where they talked about not allowing lifts where the male partner was rotating, not alowing one-handed lifts etc.
 

Japanfan

Well-Known Member
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25,532
Kurt's aaaaactually probably one of few single skaters who could understand it to some degree, I think. I actually saw it as him being harder on the dancers because he understood their tricks better (as in could do them) than the big pair ones.

Kurt has been around the sport for a long time and done a lot of commentating. I'm sure he has a solid understanding of ice dance.

That said, I'm super over Kurt as a judge, and I'm disappointed in myself for doing a 180 on that. I was thrilled when he joined after the Sandra/etc. show, but I'm ready for a fresh regular judge. Barb Underhill for example. :lol:

I'm fully aware that Kurt is a national treasure in Canada, but would really like to see CBC give someone else a shot at commentating. Kurt has this annoying habit (to me) of always managing to bring 'I' or 'Me' into the conversation.
 

karmena

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316
Kurt has been around the sport for a long time and done a lot of commentating. I'm sure he has a solid understanding of ice dance.



I'm fully aware that Kurt is a national treasure in Canada, but would really like to see CBC give someone else a shot at commentating. Kurt has this annoying habit (to me) of always managing to bring 'I' or 'Me' into the conversation.


… to bring 'I' or 'ME', imho, is North American "tradition' so a typical North American feature. When I first time came to/visited Canada, it struck me a lot because in my culture it is sort of taboo ever to bring oneself, one's achievements or experiences into conversation unless, of course, one is talking with a very close friend ( where a friend really is a friend not an acquittance). But I do not have anything against bringing I and Me into conversations, quite opposite, I think it is nice and spicy way to enliven conversation or comments. I like Kurt's comments.

P.S .In my native language there is also no an equivalent word for the English word "anxiety"... it took for me two long years finally to grasp the meaning what anxiety is... sorry, it's off topic...
 

cheremary

Well-Known Member
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402
Finally watched the show and apparently I had a lot of thoughts! ;)

-I’d love more behind the scenes on how they came up with the choreography, which choreographers were working with whom, and the process in learning the skills. Perhaps this can be incorporated more as there are fewer couples remaining. Also, how were they initially paired?

-The judges with coaching experience seem the most helpful with constructive comments. Last week, I liked seeing Kurt and Scott demonstrate use of the upper body and finishing off the line, respectively. Would be great to have more judges that know both figure skating and hockey, like Colby, or someone like David Pelletier who worked on skating skills with hockey players. Kristi Yamaguchi and Brett Hedican were judges at one point – anyone remember if they were effective?

-An idea for the producers: it’d be fun to see the eliminated figure skaters pair up with each other and switch disciplines in an exhibition later on. If Eric Radford and Amanda Evora are the first eliminated (just using them as an example since they were the bottom two), what would they look like doing ice dance together? (Dance and freestyle blades are also different, so it’d be a different kind of battle of the blades!) I’d imagine there’s a lot of cross training and all the skaters would be somewhat proficient, but one thing I really like about this show is seeing the dynamic skaters have with different partners.

-Speaking of the previous point, it’s so nice to see Weaver and Poje do lighter, upbeat numbers with their partners! (I haven’t followed their career very closely but feel like I often see them in very dramatic and emotional pieces.) Andrew in particular looks happy and re-energized with Natalie!

-Performance ability seems extremely important in this show, based on the comments from both the viewers and judges, and it’s something that can’t be taught so easily. Take Sheldon, for example. I appreciate that he did the Yankee polka last week and twizzles this week, but truth be told, his posture isn’t great and he lifts Kaitlyn somewhat awkwardly. However, he makes up for that with his enthusiasm and ability to engage the audience. Natalie also makes up for a slight lack of finesse with her ability to project to the audience. In contrast, Amanda Kessel seems unsure and doesn’t emote as well, and people can sense that. This is also Bruno’s issue – he has a fun personality based on interviews, but on the ice it doesn’t always come across when he’s concentrating. As the guy in the pair though, this is perhaps less obvious since most people would pay more attention to the woman during lifts and tricks, so Amanda K and Natalie are both at a disadvantage there.

-I agreed with the bottom two this week, though I honestly felt Amanda and Eric should’ve stayed. Amanda did a true death spiral last week and really held her own in some of those lifts that Eric does with Meagan. Her arms and hands were a bit stiff, but she had decent posture and did project in some instances (though it came in and out); overall I thought she had the potential to really improve. In some ways, I wish the format was just a tally of points and votes through all the weeks so that we get to see everyone’s trajectory from beginning to end – there could just be a final ranking to determine the winners.

-Nice to see Isabelle Brasseur in the audience. Did I also spot Dylan Moscovitch? There was a panned shot after Amanda and Colton’s skate before the commercial break where I thought I saw him in the front row.
 

Satellizer

existing
Messages
160
-I’d love more behind the scenes on how they came up with the choreography, which choreographers were working with whom, and the process in learning the skills. Perhaps this can be incorporated more as there are fewer couples remaining. Also, how were they initially paired?

This is what I missed the most in contrast with the previous seasons where between performances they showed clips of teams working with their coaches and choreographers each week.
 

Scrufflet

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,207
Kurt has been around the sport for a long time and done a lot of commentating. I'm sure he has a solid understanding of ice dance.



I'm fully aware that Kurt is a national treasure in Canada, but would really like to see CBC give someone else a shot at commentating. Kurt has this annoying habit (to me) of always managing to bring 'I' or 'Me' into the conversation.
Kurt has toned down the "me" comments a lot. A few seasons ago, he was so bad with it that I was ready to throw something at the TV. Somebody must have told him to tone it down and he has. Irony: I remember when he won his first world championship and was being interviewed by Toller. Much to Kurt's dismay, Toller talked about himself at length and finally got around to asking Kurt something!
 

Skate Talker

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8,138
Kurt has been around the sport for a long time and done a lot of commentating. I'm sure he has a solid understanding of ice dance.
I so wish I could remember the specifics but right now they elude me. Last season during Kurt's CBC commentary he totally gave us all incorrect information about a specific rule as it pertained to a particular performance. I'm pretty sure it was men's singles competition, but whatever, it showed that he does NOT do his homework for his job as he should and I was very disappointed. I am afraid I am no longer willing to believe he has a solid understanding of any skating beyond his own competitive days and ice dance skills have changed exponentially since then.
 

KatieC

Well-Known Member
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6,059
Having attended the first two shows, I got the impression judges gave their scores after taking listening to previous scores and then deciding on their own. I would prefer they record their scores without knowing what their colleagues thought.
 

Anemone

Well-Known Member
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2,349
I agree - I'd rather they spend less time airing Rod's & the judges commentary, and more time airing some of the work done during the week.
I'm also disappointed that they keep talking about/promoting these mini-Blades on twitter, but we have yet to see even a clip of them on the show.
 

starrynight

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,234
Interview with Kaitlyn and Sheldon for IFS magazine


Interesting article - particularly where both Kaitlyn and Sheldon spoke about the importance of Kaitlyn taking time out to look after her health.

I wonder if there have been niggling injuries in the background that we didn’t know about?
 

Colonel Green

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13,930
Performance #1: Amanda & Colton
Music: "Old Town Road" by Lil Nas X

It's...fine, I guess? Colton is enthusiastic about the song, but none of the pairs tricks in this one rise to the level of memorable.

ETA:

Grades - 5.6, 5.6, 5.5.
 
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Colonel Green

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13,930
Performance #2: Kaitlyn & Sheldon
Music: "Jolene" by Dolly Parton

After the first two weeks going with the humorous approach, they go for the more sincere story this time. Sheldon's maybe not as good at being romantic as he is at being fun, but his skating is still really good, and the lifts are nicely integrated. None of the ice dance elements are quite as eye-catching as what they've done before, but that probably wouldn't fit the tone of the program anyway.

Scores: 5.8, 5.8, 5.7.
 

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