love skating
Clueless American
- Messages
- 2,998
Lots of lovely photos... from icedance.com https://photos.ice-dance.com/2017-18/17GM/
Kristi Yamaguchi's 2017 "Golden Moment" shows in San Jose, CA (Sept. 3) & Hawaii (Sept. 9-10)
- Thread starter Sylvia
- Start date
CantALoop
keeper of Rinka's isopod plushies
- Messages
- 2,991
Sorry for the late report everyone, I just finished writing exams for my students' upcoming midterm, so I finally have time to write about something fun and put my notes into words!
This year, I was less wishy-washy about attending and managed to grab first-row seats early on for the Saturday performance (first of two nights). I was right at the corner where skaters entered and left the ice, so I could see their reactions before and after their performances. One important note - the ice they set up at the Neal Blaisdell Center is much, much narrower than an Olympic-sized rink, and probably shorter in terms of length. Just like last time, I refused to take pictures because I wanted to enjoy the performances with my own eyes as they happened. This also means that I wrote all my notes without looking at my notebook, but unfortunately, most of my lyrics/songs notes were illegible, so I apologize for the lack of song IDs.
Brian Boitano didn't perform any numbers due to his injury recovery, but he did skate onto the ice between performances to announce skaters. He just did enough to stroke and glide back and forth - no tricks.
The opening number started with Jeremy Abbott, who opened with a 3F across the length of the rink (note: he fell on this at the last show in 2015). Then Ryan Bradley did a flip with a crescent kick (like the 540 kick/revoltade in a recent forum topic). Daisuke Takahashi was next with one of his magnificent spreadeagles. All three men then went on to do side-by-side 2As.
Shizuka Arakawa came out next, then Davis & White, who did their signature rotational lift with Meryl in a full split on Charlie's shoulder. At this point, it was hard to keep tabs because there were so many skaters, but at some point Yuka Sato and Katia Gordeeva came out, and it looked like Yuka & Jeremy and Katia Gordeeva & Ryan were doing side-by-side back outside death spirals together.
Carrie Ann Inaba (who is originally from Hawai'i) came on stage to welcome everyone and introduce herself as emcee. She mentioned how she got to know Kristi through DWTS, and also Meryl Davis and Charlie White. It seems like they've kept in contact and become good friends since.
The local synchronized skating team, Island Artistry, was next. They skated to "How Far I'll Go" from the Moana soundtrack. The team did intersections, wheels, and MITF in holds. The current squad is much better than how they were two years ago - a lot less fist pumping, and none of the skaters fell.
Kristi Yamaguchi then came on to greet and thank her sponsors and tell everyone about her Always Dream Foundation, which promotes early childhood literacy, and she was able to expand her program to a total of 7 underserved schools in socioeconomically poor districts in Hawai'i. Brian Boitano came on to join her, but unfortunately, he announced that he had recent knee surgery.
Lea Salonga came out in a bold red dress to thunderous applause and was next along with Shizuka Arakawa. Together, they sang/skated to "Let It Go" from the Frozen soundtrack. Shizuka was also wearing a very beautiful and flattering matching costume like Elsa's post-transformation gown in the movie. Shizuka opened with a 2A, did her trademark camel-to-donut spin, change edge spiral, 3S, a back upright crossover spin, her hyperflexible Ina Bauer, and ended with a combination spin. Lea's voice was flawless, and so was Shizuka's skating. It seemed like this performance was the most memorable of the night based on the overall buzz from my friends and audience leaving the arena.
Ryan Bradley was next with a country music number (sorry, I didn't take enough notes on the lyrics to find the song), but he came out in a sleeveless country outfit. As Brian was announcing Ryan, Ryan gave a pat on Brian's butt which made Brian jump up a little and genuinely by surprise. Both of them laughed as Ryan got into starting position. Ryan did a 3T, the 540-ish 1F he opened with, another 3T, and ended with a backflip to raucous applause. The audience seemed kind of confused with the music at first (Hawai'i isn't a big country scene), but they seemed to warm up to Ryan's charisma and performance skills by the end.
Katia Gordeeva skated to "Hometown Glory" by Adele. Katia still has amazing speed over the ice and landed a 2F, 1A, and another 2F with tons of footwork between her elements. She also performed a combination spin, spiral to spread eagle, and traveling back camel to scratch spins. For that matter, there were a lot of fast, blurry scratch spins that night, and the audience would go crazy every time someone did one. I guess maybe since scratch spins are so rare in competition these days, seeing an excellently performed one is a rare visual treat.
Jeremy Abbott was next with a very unique sleeveless white costume - it looked like two white satin panels draped over his front and back (the back panel was a little longer and draped past his buttocks), and held together by pairs of cords knotted along the sides. My friend described it like a cheongsam crossed with Mormon underwear (sorry Jeremy). I forgot to ask Jeremy what the song was, but it was a mix between electronic and ambient with lyrics. There was a lot of interpretive dance-like moves in the choreography to match the mood throughout, which seemed to confuse the audience a bit. Nevertheless, Jeremy opened with a HUGE 3A with fast rotations and a clean landing, which I almost didn't believe because the ice at the arena is very narrow and significantly smaller than an Olympic rink. That would also be the most difficult jump attempted and landed that night. He then went on to complete a death drop, 3Lz, popped a 2T, lots of footwork between elements, and ended with a combination spin with a final scratch spin.
Yuka Sato then came out, with Brian saying that she still looks like she did when she won her 1994 World title (true), and that she has some of the best skating skills in the world (also true). One thing even my non-skating fan husband noted is that Yuka's skates are almost completely silent as she flies across the rink. Yuka performed a 2Lo, 1A, and a flying camel spin held for so many revolutions, it seemed like she could've kept spinning for the whole performance if she wanted to. Yuka ended with a forward outside spiral also held for an impressive amount of time, and a layback spin.
Davis & White were next, and they had the honor of the next Lea Salonga performance, to which they skated to "Somewhere" from West Side Story. The footwork wasn't as complex as they did during their competitive years, but the more adagio style of skating fit the music much, much, better, and their lifts flew across the rink.
Carrie Ann then came on to announce that the Governor of Hawai'i, David Ige, was sitting in the audience. It was awkward because he didn't get boos, but he got more murmurs than applause...probably because he has a low approval rating for a governor in our state. Luckily he wasn't fazed, and he and the First Lady expressed their thanks to Kristi and the foundation for helping our schools and emphasized their support for education, which seemed to defrost the initial reception.
Daisuke Takahashi was next in a costume that looked like a cross between a greaser outfit and sparkly black jumpsuit, and the SCREAMS were crazy. This was my first time seeing Daisuke, and I noticed two things - he's surprisingly short in stature (reportedly 1.65m/5'5), but he's also much more handsome in person. Before he started, there was a shriek of "Dai-chan!!!", which caused him and the audience to chuckle before his performance. Daisuke performed a 3Lz, layback spin, 3F that he stepped out from, but recovered well with an inside Besti squat sort of maneuver, and ended with a combination spin.
Emma Hedican, Kristi's daughter, came out for the third Lea Salonga number, in which Lea reprised "Reflection" from Disney's Mulan (in which she was Mulan's singing voice). Emma performed a spiral and landed a 1A, after which Kristi came out to join her and started off with a flying camel spin. Kristi and Emma did SBS footwork with mirrored skating, and then landed SBS 2Los. Emma landed a 2S before exiting the ice, after which Kristi performed a 2T, spiral sequence, and then Emma stepped back onto the ice where mother and daughter finished with SBS layback spins.
Brian and Carrie finished the first act and dismissed the audience for the intermission by holding up "10" paddles DWTS styles after Kristi and Emma's performance, which got a lot of laughs from the audience.
This year, I was less wishy-washy about attending and managed to grab first-row seats early on for the Saturday performance (first of two nights). I was right at the corner where skaters entered and left the ice, so I could see their reactions before and after their performances. One important note - the ice they set up at the Neal Blaisdell Center is much, much narrower than an Olympic-sized rink, and probably shorter in terms of length. Just like last time, I refused to take pictures because I wanted to enjoy the performances with my own eyes as they happened. This also means that I wrote all my notes without looking at my notebook, but unfortunately, most of my lyrics/songs notes were illegible, so I apologize for the lack of song IDs.
Brian Boitano didn't perform any numbers due to his injury recovery, but he did skate onto the ice between performances to announce skaters. He just did enough to stroke and glide back and forth - no tricks.
The opening number started with Jeremy Abbott, who opened with a 3F across the length of the rink (note: he fell on this at the last show in 2015). Then Ryan Bradley did a flip with a crescent kick (like the 540 kick/revoltade in a recent forum topic). Daisuke Takahashi was next with one of his magnificent spreadeagles. All three men then went on to do side-by-side 2As.
Shizuka Arakawa came out next, then Davis & White, who did their signature rotational lift with Meryl in a full split on Charlie's shoulder. At this point, it was hard to keep tabs because there were so many skaters, but at some point Yuka Sato and Katia Gordeeva came out, and it looked like Yuka & Jeremy and Katia Gordeeva & Ryan were doing side-by-side back outside death spirals together.
Carrie Ann Inaba (who is originally from Hawai'i) came on stage to welcome everyone and introduce herself as emcee. She mentioned how she got to know Kristi through DWTS, and also Meryl Davis and Charlie White. It seems like they've kept in contact and become good friends since.
The local synchronized skating team, Island Artistry, was next. They skated to "How Far I'll Go" from the Moana soundtrack. The team did intersections, wheels, and MITF in holds. The current squad is much better than how they were two years ago - a lot less fist pumping, and none of the skaters fell.
Kristi Yamaguchi then came on to greet and thank her sponsors and tell everyone about her Always Dream Foundation, which promotes early childhood literacy, and she was able to expand her program to a total of 7 underserved schools in socioeconomically poor districts in Hawai'i. Brian Boitano came on to join her, but unfortunately, he announced that he had recent knee surgery.
Lea Salonga came out in a bold red dress to thunderous applause and was next along with Shizuka Arakawa. Together, they sang/skated to "Let It Go" from the Frozen soundtrack. Shizuka was also wearing a very beautiful and flattering matching costume like Elsa's post-transformation gown in the movie. Shizuka opened with a 2A, did her trademark camel-to-donut spin, change edge spiral, 3S, a back upright crossover spin, her hyperflexible Ina Bauer, and ended with a combination spin. Lea's voice was flawless, and so was Shizuka's skating. It seemed like this performance was the most memorable of the night based on the overall buzz from my friends and audience leaving the arena.
Ryan Bradley was next with a country music number (sorry, I didn't take enough notes on the lyrics to find the song), but he came out in a sleeveless country outfit. As Brian was announcing Ryan, Ryan gave a pat on Brian's butt which made Brian jump up a little and genuinely by surprise. Both of them laughed as Ryan got into starting position. Ryan did a 3T, the 540-ish 1F he opened with, another 3T, and ended with a backflip to raucous applause. The audience seemed kind of confused with the music at first (Hawai'i isn't a big country scene), but they seemed to warm up to Ryan's charisma and performance skills by the end.
Katia Gordeeva skated to "Hometown Glory" by Adele. Katia still has amazing speed over the ice and landed a 2F, 1A, and another 2F with tons of footwork between her elements. She also performed a combination spin, spiral to spread eagle, and traveling back camel to scratch spins. For that matter, there were a lot of fast, blurry scratch spins that night, and the audience would go crazy every time someone did one. I guess maybe since scratch spins are so rare in competition these days, seeing an excellently performed one is a rare visual treat.
Jeremy Abbott was next with a very unique sleeveless white costume - it looked like two white satin panels draped over his front and back (the back panel was a little longer and draped past his buttocks), and held together by pairs of cords knotted along the sides. My friend described it like a cheongsam crossed with Mormon underwear (sorry Jeremy). I forgot to ask Jeremy what the song was, but it was a mix between electronic and ambient with lyrics. There was a lot of interpretive dance-like moves in the choreography to match the mood throughout, which seemed to confuse the audience a bit. Nevertheless, Jeremy opened with a HUGE 3A with fast rotations and a clean landing, which I almost didn't believe because the ice at the arena is very narrow and significantly smaller than an Olympic rink. That would also be the most difficult jump attempted and landed that night. He then went on to complete a death drop, 3Lz, popped a 2T, lots of footwork between elements, and ended with a combination spin with a final scratch spin.
Yuka Sato then came out, with Brian saying that she still looks like she did when she won her 1994 World title (true), and that she has some of the best skating skills in the world (also true). One thing even my non-skating fan husband noted is that Yuka's skates are almost completely silent as she flies across the rink. Yuka performed a 2Lo, 1A, and a flying camel spin held for so many revolutions, it seemed like she could've kept spinning for the whole performance if she wanted to. Yuka ended with a forward outside spiral also held for an impressive amount of time, and a layback spin.
Davis & White were next, and they had the honor of the next Lea Salonga performance, to which they skated to "Somewhere" from West Side Story. The footwork wasn't as complex as they did during their competitive years, but the more adagio style of skating fit the music much, much, better, and their lifts flew across the rink.
Carrie Ann then came on to announce that the Governor of Hawai'i, David Ige, was sitting in the audience. It was awkward because he didn't get boos, but he got more murmurs than applause...probably because he has a low approval rating for a governor in our state. Luckily he wasn't fazed, and he and the First Lady expressed their thanks to Kristi and the foundation for helping our schools and emphasized their support for education, which seemed to defrost the initial reception.
Daisuke Takahashi was next in a costume that looked like a cross between a greaser outfit and sparkly black jumpsuit, and the SCREAMS were crazy. This was my first time seeing Daisuke, and I noticed two things - he's surprisingly short in stature (reportedly 1.65m/5'5), but he's also much more handsome in person. Before he started, there was a shriek of "Dai-chan!!!", which caused him and the audience to chuckle before his performance. Daisuke performed a 3Lz, layback spin, 3F that he stepped out from, but recovered well with an inside Besti squat sort of maneuver, and ended with a combination spin.
Emma Hedican, Kristi's daughter, came out for the third Lea Salonga number, in which Lea reprised "Reflection" from Disney's Mulan (in which she was Mulan's singing voice). Emma performed a spiral and landed a 1A, after which Kristi came out to join her and started off with a flying camel spin. Kristi and Emma did SBS footwork with mirrored skating, and then landed SBS 2Los. Emma landed a 2S before exiting the ice, after which Kristi performed a 2T, spiral sequence, and then Emma stepped back onto the ice where mother and daughter finished with SBS layback spins.
Brian and Carrie finished the first act and dismissed the audience for the intermission by holding up "10" paddles DWTS styles after Kristi and Emma's performance, which got a lot of laughs from the audience.
Spun Silver
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 12,130
What a fabulous report. Thank you!
icie
Keeping up appearances
- Messages
- 1,403
Thanks for the reports. I thought Kurt Browning was going to do one of the shows. Did he get injured or sick or did I just imagine it?
kittyjake5
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 5,541
Great report! Thank you.
CantALoop
keeper of Rinka's isopod plushies
- Messages
- 2,991
He was in the program last year, but there was no mention this year. However, it looks like Denney & Coughlin were initially announced for Hawai'i? They didn't show up though.
Part 2 of Kristi Yamaguchi's Golden Moment 2017 (September 9th)
A local skater from Hawai'i, Kyra Fukumoto, opened up the second half with an exhibition number to Israel Kamakawiwoʻole's ukulele rendition of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow". Kyra started with a layback to a Biellmann and then proceeded to land a 1S or 1Lo (it looked like she was going for a double both times). She then unfurled a rainbow-colored rhythmic gymnastics ribbon and did spirals, a 1A-1A sequence, and a layback spin with a really cool effect of the ribbon swirling around her.
Lea Salonga's fourth number was with Katia Gordeeva, and together they performed to "I Dreamed a Dream" from Les Miserables. Katia landed a 2Lo with beautiful flow out of the jump - it was like the 2Lo itself was a transition. Katia also went for a 2A but stumbled out, which is pretty amazing considering that was one of the harder jumps she ever did in her career. She then went on to do a camel-sit combo spin, 2Lz, and layback spin. It was one of those elegant and lyrical performances that showed that a program doesn't need to be filled with transitions to be effective.
Yuka Sato and Jeremy Abbott then did a duet together to a solo male version of Imagine, with some dance-style lifts, SBS 2Lo (Yuka) & 3Lo (Jeremy), a rotational dance lift, SBS 1A & 2A, a curved dance lift, and a side-by-side step sequence with mirrored steps. What I liked best about their performance is that you could sense a genuine friendship between them and not that of a typical coach/student or mentor/mentee relationship.
Ryan Bradley's second number was more dramatic, to X Ambassador's "Unsteady". He was wearing something more dressy with suspenders that looked like shoulder holsters. He landed a 3S, the 540-like flip variation, 3T, a backflip, and a combination spin with an excellent scratch spin.
Kira Hedican and her friend (sorry, I couldn't catch their name) from the same halau (similar to a troupe/school) did the hula for the next performance. I didn't catch the title either, but it's supposedly a classic hula routine and song. Kira seems to genuinely enjoy the hula, so it's really nice that she gets a spot in Kristi's show to perform in a style she loves.
Jeremy Abbott's second solo number to Galantis' "Peanut Butter Jelly" had him dressed in a disco-era outfit, reminiscent of John Curry or Toller Cranston's inner shirt/outer bellbottom jumpsuit combo with rhinestones. Jeremy completed a 2A and 3T for his opening jumps. Then he did a sort of reverse-stag jump where instead of his leading leg's knee being bent, the leading leg was extended and the trailing leg was bent. He also did a back outside fan spiral (pretty good extension for a man), stars into a flying camel, 2F, and finished with a backflip (which I didn't know he could do!)
Shizuka Arakawa's second number was a lyrical piece to a female vocalist that was singing in what sounded like Italian? The melody was very familiar - I'm sure I've heard it in skating before. Shizuka performed a split upright spin, what I think was a 2F (she was on the opposite side of the rink), 2A, combination spin, spiral sequence, and ended with a layback to Biellmann spin.
Daisuke Takahashi's second number was with Lea Salonga, who sang One Direction's "Story of My Life". Lea sang the hell out of it as much as she could, but I have to admit by the second chorus, even Daisuke's theatricality and Lea's powerful vocals together couldn't save the song from its repetitive boy band lyrics (believe me, they tried everything they could). Nevertheless, their performances were great, and Daisuke landed a 3Lz, flying combination spin, split single flip, knee slide into a 3F (really cool transition!), and a death drop to a headless scratch spin.
Kristi introduced Katia and Yuka and remarked how coming back to Hawai'i and producing this skating show brought back memories of them touring and becoming friends while skating together in Stars on Ice. They showed remarkable synchronicity in all their elements, including SBSBS 1As,
spirals in tandem, and ended with layback spins in a triangle formation. The most endearing part was actually after the program, as they skated offstage with arms on each other's shoulders. It was a sweet #squadgoals moment.
Davis & White's second number was more athletic in terms of lifts. I couldn't ID the music, but they did a combination rotational lift, and an intricate straight line lift with at least three different positions. After they were done, they remained on the ice and Ryan and Jeremy came out to join them, which transitioned into...
the group finale, for which Lea Salonga came out and then proceeded to sing Sara Bareille's "Brave" . Meryl & Charlie, Ryan, and Jeremy did a group lift with Meryl in a full split. Daisuke and Shizuka then came on to do side-by-side death drops, then Yuka and Katia came out with side-by-side 1As (not sure, it was on the far side of the rink again). Kristi and Emma then joined them for the choreographed group number, and they ended with everyone doing the steps as a group. It was a nice number to close the evening and send off everyone feeling good.
In closing, family seemed to be the main theme for the first Golden Moment in 2015, and it still was to an extent, but this time it seemed like friendship was the stronger theme this year. I really hope Kristi and her foundation continue their work here in the future.
BONUS: I got the opportunity to have dinner with Jeremy. I'm asking what's okay to share or not out of respect for his privacy, but stay tuned!
Last edited:
Kecasyl
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 946
@CantALoop The program Jeremy skates in the white costume is called "In This Shirt." by The Irreplaceables
D/W's second program is "Sax" by Fleur East
Ryan's Country Medley contains at least "Friends in Low Places" by Garth Brooks and "Boot Scoot Boogie" by Brooks and Dunn.
D/W's second program is "Sax" by Fleur East
Ryan's Country Medley contains at least "Friends in Low Places" by Garth Brooks and "Boot Scoot Boogie" by Brooks and Dunn.
Last edited:
Spun Silver
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 12,130
Thank you again, @CantALoop. You should be a professional skating journalist, if you're not already.
So, if you are friends with Jeremy, please beg him from this fan to stop doing the backflip! I want him to live a long, happy life.
He did a very chancy one in SOI or some such not long ago and it terrified me.
So, if you are friends with Jeremy, please beg him from this fan to stop doing the backflip! I want him to live a long, happy life.
He did a very chancy one in SOI or some such not long ago and it terrified me.
CantALoop
keeper of Rinka's isopod plushies
- Messages
- 2,991
Thank you again, @CantALoop. You should be a professional skating journalist, if you're not already.
So, if you are friends with Jeremy, please beg him from this fan to stop doing the backflip! I want him to live a long, happy life.
Maybe he had an off night? I did ask him about when he started doing the backflip, and he said he thinks the backflip is easier than the triple jumps in the program. He also knew how to do a off ice backflip before he started doing it on ice.
Kecasyl
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 946
Abbott did gymnastics as a kid. He has been doing backflips for about a year and a half now on ice and learned from Ashley Clark.
CantALoop
keeper of Rinka's isopod plushies
- Messages
- 2,991
So Jeremy explained the concept behind that program, since it did leave me and some of us feeling a bit
. That program is half of a two-part program based on a concept of contrasting "black" & "white" 
. The program we saw was the "white" program. Edit: Jeremy also had dyed his hair towhead blond, which was also part of the look for the "white" program.
He felt that the theme and music of the "black" program might have been too dark and inappropriate for a light-hearted family event, which is why he went with the fun, disco-themed Peanut Butter Jelly program instead of continuing the second "black" part. I think he mentioned that someone else designed the costume for him.
Last edited:
WanderlustTO
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 1,079
Thanks for all the great content in this thread - Kristi's long been my fave US skater (with all due respect to the many other greats from the US!).
I was at the San Jose show, and I think Melissa described it very well. A few more observations:
Katia is jumping better now than she was when she started skating solo 20 years ago. It's astonishing, and speaks volumes for both her incredible talent and her perfect technique.
Karen Chen needs to go home, look at video of herself next to Kristi, Katia and Yuka and realize how much work she needs to do on her carriage and basic skating. She looked positively juniorish next to those ladies.
I'm not sure Polina is ever going to come all the way back from her battle with the puberty monster. She's gorgeous (we said "who is that stunning blonde? OMG it's Polina!"), but she's gotten very tall and although she's slender she's "big" for a skater. Too bad, because she really is lovely.
I wish Jeremy would stop trying to be an artiste. The audience clearly didn't know what to make of that "white" program. On the other hand, the duet he did with Yuka was a joy to watch -- pure skating that showed off both their musicality. He's so watchable when he's focused on skating instead of emoting!
The trio with Kristi, Yuka and Katia was also lovely. I could watch them skate all day.
As Melissa noted, Mirai is looking very fit, and the 3As look promising. I'd love to see her shine this year and make the Olympic team after being left off last time.
It was fun that Brian Boitano picked out and interviewed some of the other notables in the audience, including Rudy Galindo (expected), Charlie Tickner, and Rosalyn Sumners (looking lovely).
I had a VIP package through Mileage Plus (best 7,500 miles I ever spent!), which was one of the event sponsors, and there was a meet-and-greet just for our group after the show. I told the Shibutanis that I was looking forward to seeing them in January (we bought tickets to Nationals they day they went on pre-sale). They were surprised and pleased that I was coming (I guess most people who come to shows aren't interested in competitions), and when I said I was even bringing my mom and my sister for the free dance final Maia beamed at me and thanked me for coming. It's always gratifying when people are just as sweet in person as you've always thought they were!
Katia is jumping better now than she was when she started skating solo 20 years ago. It's astonishing, and speaks volumes for both her incredible talent and her perfect technique.
Karen Chen needs to go home, look at video of herself next to Kristi, Katia and Yuka and realize how much work she needs to do on her carriage and basic skating. She looked positively juniorish next to those ladies.
I'm not sure Polina is ever going to come all the way back from her battle with the puberty monster. She's gorgeous (we said "who is that stunning blonde? OMG it's Polina!"), but she's gotten very tall and although she's slender she's "big" for a skater. Too bad, because she really is lovely.
I wish Jeremy would stop trying to be an artiste. The audience clearly didn't know what to make of that "white" program. On the other hand, the duet he did with Yuka was a joy to watch -- pure skating that showed off both their musicality. He's so watchable when he's focused on skating instead of emoting!
The trio with Kristi, Yuka and Katia was also lovely. I could watch them skate all day.
As Melissa noted, Mirai is looking very fit, and the 3As look promising. I'd love to see her shine this year and make the Olympic team after being left off last time.
It was fun that Brian Boitano picked out and interviewed some of the other notables in the audience, including Rudy Galindo (expected), Charlie Tickner, and Rosalyn Sumners (looking lovely).
I had a VIP package through Mileage Plus (best 7,500 miles I ever spent!), which was one of the event sponsors, and there was a meet-and-greet just for our group after the show. I told the Shibutanis that I was looking forward to seeing them in January (we bought tickets to Nationals they day they went on pre-sale). They were surprised and pleased that I was coming (I guess most people who come to shows aren't interested in competitions), and when I said I was even bringing my mom and my sister for the free dance final Maia beamed at me and thanked me for coming. It's always gratifying when people are just as sweet in person as you've always thought they were!
kittyjake5
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 5,541
Golden Moment Hawaii Show Act I. Video takes awhile to start
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=121&v=PWtfhuOSxNY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=121&v=PWtfhuOSxNY
mollymgr
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 4,052
Awesome! Thank you.
Act II from Saturday and Sunday shows have also been posted by the same poster.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhzR_0D4xOs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cA_dWnpr02Q