New Webcast Skate Talk Online with Tony Wheeler

[mysticchic]

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/youtube-outage-access-issues-today-2018-10-16-live-updates/

"YouTube, the second most visited website in the world, was experiencing an outage across its various platforms Tuesday night for more than an hour... CNET reports users who tried to access videos or upload content were greeted with an error message. The outage apparently began at 9 p.m. ET and services seemed to have restored after 10:30 p.m. ET."

I had been doing all kinds of troubleshooting on my computer thinking it was a problem only I was experiencing.

I will try again. Thanks!

ETA:
And it's working!!!

I was also. Then Tony said something

 

[Foolhardy Ham Lint]

I can only begin to imagine how much Youtube has to pay to their ISP for bandwidth. Yikes!

 

[NinjaTurtles]

Damn, this is a lot of content in a short period of time. Are you planning to keep this rate of posting interviews up throughout the season?

 

[tony]

Damn, this is a lot of content in a short period of time. Are you planning to keep this rate of posting interviews up throughout the season?

The idea this week was to get interviews from skaters competing at Skate America and then get one from the past who has won/had a big story there- and to release one a day right up to the event. We achieved that. We are trying for similar for Skate Canada, and can only hope that everything becomes easier and starts to build.

 

[mysticchic]

I'll let Tony answer. Today you won't want to miss with Karina Manta and Joe Johnson. It will have you laughing and smiling all the way through.

 

[NinjaTurtles]

The idea this week was to get interviews from skaters competing at Skate America and then get one from the past who has won/had a big story there- and to release one a day right up to the event. We achieved that. We are trying for similar for Skate Canada, and can only hope that everything becomes easier and starts to build.

That's ambitious, but a great approach! I hope you two are able to keep it up for the remainder of the GP.

 

[aftershocks]

Thanks again @Tony Wheeler and @mysticchic! Great job with these interviews. P. J. Kwong is so enjoyable to listen to with her breadth of knowledge, experience and professionalism.

I loved the visit with Madi and Zach and their respective doggies! Madi's Pomeranian/Husky Nova is adorable. Nova looked so sweet and satisfied sitting in Madi's lap. Nova obviously loves being the center of attention. She appeared to be flirting through the screen with her pretty blue eyes. Zach was looking very handsome and sexy btw. And Madi seemed a bit tired, as if she'd just awoken. They were cool to share time with us and to be so open. Your questions were good ones, Tony. And it's always nice seeing your handsome face on screen! I think it's quite cool though that you apparently made a conscious decision to vary things by mixing it up with the screen views and also inserting skating videos when relevant. It keeps things moving and engaging, rather than static and boring.

We learned quite a bit about Hub/Don's personalities, training routine, program music selection process, competition preparation and their plans for the future. We even learned about Madi's (and Kaitlin Hawayek's) love for makeup! That's fun for Madi starting a Youtube makeup channel. Tarah Kayne has previously done makeup videos on Youtube. It was also very interesting to find out that Madi's Mom is a skilled seamstress who has made most of Madi's skating outfits. How wonderful that Madi is planning to start an online clothing-related business with her Mom which Madi hopes will help provide funding resources for her to eventually assist Adria Diaz in starting an ice dance training center in Spain! And Zach's interest in developing a fitness center sounds wonderful. I like their laid-back approach to planning but also being open to seeing where life takes them. More power to Hubbell/Donahue!

The interview with Jimmy Ma was very enjoyable as well. It's too bad that he was told at Champs Camp to drop his The Weekend fp choreographed by Joshua Farris. Jimmy seems a bit sad about it, but hopefully he might be able to rework that program and bring it back at some point. It appears that Jimmy has a productive and fruitful relationship with his choreographer Morozov, and that he enjoys training with the Cains in Texas, even despite missing the East Coast.

I can't thank you two enough for taking the plunge and going with your ideas to put this site together for us hardcore fans starved of positive good coverage and entertaining skater interviews. I like how you open with the guests introducing themselves, and making it about them. Still, it would be nice if at some point we got to hear a little about you two, your passion for and involvement in figure skating, and your mission for the site. Obviously, many of us on FSU know about your backgrounds, but casual viewers who come across the site on Youtube will likely be interested in and benefit from learning more about you in some form, even if it's just brief bios written in at the tail end credits. Thanks again, and I look forward to enjoying the site's continued progress!

 

[tony]

Thanks again @Tony Wheeler and @mysticchic!

I think it's quite cool though that you apparently made a conscious decision to vary things by mixing it up with the screen views and also inserting skating videos when relevant. It keeps things moving and engaging, rather than static and boring.

Agreed. I think it's difficult to stare at the exact same thing for a few minutes, let alone 30+.

I can't thank you two enough for taking the plunge and going with your ideas to put this site together for us hardcore fans starved of positive good coverage and entertaining skater interviews. I like how you open with the guests introducing themselves, and making it about them. Still, it would be nice if at some point we got to hear a little about you two, your passion for and involvement in figure skating, and your mission for the site. Obviously, many of us on FSU know about your backgrounds, but casual viewers who come across the site on Youtube will likely be interested in and benefit from learning more about you in some form, even if it's just brief bios written in at the tail end credits. Thanks again, and I look forward to enjoying the site's continued progress!

Thank you! With time, this is something we will do for sure. The website, when it's actually 100% ready, will have little bios about us and eventually we'll fit in our own little video explaining our involvement in skating and our goals.

 

[tony]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JlYcxESo66E

Interview with Karina Manta & Joe Johnson

Watch this. They are SO funny. They also talk about getting Skate America, working with Christopher Dean and Ben Agosto, and Karina talks about her Instagram post from last week. They also discuss other issues that skaters face (weight, physical and mental health) and then there is a hilarious favorite things section at the end.

 

[Enchanted]

@Tony Wheeler and @mysticchic Thanks for starting this!

Have you thought of going international and to interview skating people outside of North-America as well?
I’m selfishly hoping that. For example, I’d like to get to know better what the Japanese skaters think of the skating, competitions etc.

 

[tony]

@Tony Wheeler and @mysticchic Thanks for starting this!

Have you thought of going international and to interview skating people outside of North-America as well?
I’m selfishly hoping that. For example, I’d like to get to know better what the Japanese skaters think of the skating, competitions etc.

The interviews this week are all US skaters, competing at Skate America. This won’t be the case every time— we have some really exciting interviews coming in the next few weeks!

 

[aftershocks]

^^ I'm happy to hear this! Thanks again Tony and Jacque!

Karina and Joe are so delightful. They are so adorable and seem like such fun to be around. I think I must have missed if they spoke about how they ended up working with Chris Dean so regularly, and how the opportunity first came about to be under his tutelage choreographically? When Gilles/Poirier started out together Chris did some fine work for them too. Karina and Joe seem to be like muses for Chris. I enjoyed hearing Karina and Joe describe the personalities of Chris and Ben Agosto, and how great they both still are at executing ice dance moves. Chris is so amazing and a legend in his own time. It's nice to hear how modest and down-to-earth he remains. What is Trina's last name? Was she a competitive skater?

Also btw, do you remember who it was Joe said Michelle Kwan hangs out with (when they were discussing skaters they admire)? I didn't catch the name. I love that Karina and Joe both mentioned looking up to Ryan Bradley! I've always loved Ryan B. He had me at hello in Cleveland at 2000 U.S. Nationals (his senior Nationals debut). Maybe you can get Ryan to come on the show too! That'd be great. Ryan could talk about the challenges of commentating, and reminisce about his competitive career.

 

[Impromptu]

Karina and Joe are so delightful. They are so adorable and seem like such fun to be around. I think I must have missed if they spoke about how they ended up working with Chris Dean so regularly, and how the opportunity first came about to be under his tutelage choreographically? When Gilles/Poirier started out together Chris did some fine work for them too. Karina and Joe seem to be like muses for Chris. I enjoyed hearing Karina and Joe describe the personalities of Chris and Ben Agosto, and how great they both still are at executing ice dance moves. Chris is so amazing and a legend in his own time. It's nice to hear how modest and down-to-earth he remains. What is Trina's last name? Was she a competitive skater?

That would be Trina Pratt, who used to skate with Piper's brother, Todd Gilles.

Pratt/Gilles was one of the first Ice Dance teams, I totally ubered. They had some really strong programs, by both Dean and by Tom Dickson.

I still wish I could find somewhere on Youtube their House of Flying Daggers FD.

 

[mysticchic]

^^ I'm happy to hear this! Thanks again Tony and Jacque!

Karina and Joe are so delightful. They are so adorable and seem like such fun to be around. I think I must have missed if they spoke about how they ended up working with Chris Dean so regularly, and how the opportunity first came about to be under his tutelage choreographically? When Gilles/Poirier started out together Chris did some fine work for them too. Karina and Joe seem to be like muses for Chris. I enjoyed hearing Karina and Joe describe the personalities of Chris and Ben Agosto, and how great they both still are at executing ice dance moves. Chris is so amazing and a legend in his own time. It's nice to hear how modest and down-to-earth he remains. What is Trina's last name? Was she a competitive skater?

Also btw, do you remember who it was Joe said Michelle Kwan hangs out with (when they were discussing skaters they admire)? I didn't catch the name. I love that Karina and Joe both mentioned looking up to Ryan Bradley! I've always loved Ryan B. He had me at hello in Cleveland at 2000 U.S. Nationals (his senior Nationals debut). Maybe you can get Ryan to come on the show too! That'd be great. Ryan could talk about the challenges of commentating, and reminisce about his competitive career.

We would love to get Ryan on. We have a wishlist a mile long! Thank you for the lovely write ups @aftershocks! Right now we are working on Skate Canada, Finland and NHK. Learning to go through the right channels. We want to do things the right way. I loved this interview! Tony did a great job and Karina and Joe are the sweetest, happiest people. I adore them.
Tomorrow is Timothy Goebel! He will talk about his Skate America experiences and about the quads and the future of men's skating.

 

[tony]

https://youtu.be/DdR0dX3BIQE

Retrospective with Tim Goebel.

Lots of interesting stuff here. He talks about 1999 Skate America, the expectations afterwards, why he thinks quads came easy for him, the rule changes for the men and the future of quads, and shares his opinion on IJS vs. 6.0- as someone who competed in both.

 

[bardtoob]

Regardless of which college Tim went to, good for him getting a BA in Mathematics then a Masters in Business Analytics! Those degrees from any accredited school can't be faked, and you could not possibly make it through a technical interview without real competence.

 

[dramagrrl]

Also btw, do you remember who it was Joe said Michelle Kwan hangs out with (when they were discussing skaters they admire)? I didn't catch the name.

It was singer-songwriter Colbie Caillat.

 

[aftershocks]

https://youtu.be/DdR0dX3BIQE

Retrospective with Tim Goebel.

Lots of interesting stuff here. He talks about 1999 Skate America, the expectations afterwards, why he thinks quads came easy for him, the rule changes for the men and the future of quads, and shares his opinion on IJS vs. 6.0- as someone who competed in both.

It's great seeing and hearing from Tim, and catching up with how he's doing. I love his insights and reflections re his career and how he began developing quads: "My coaches, Carol (Heiss) and Glyn (Watts) never made it out to be a big deal. They told me I should try it and that I was capable of doing quads... They never framed it in a way as if doing quads was unobtainable... Having that mentality of nothing is unobtainable; it's just a matter of time and a matter of repetition."

Probably Tim is right about quad-axel not going to be something we see happening too soon in competition. As Tim says the forward take-off, especially under competition pressure will add to the drawbacks and challenges of anyone successfully mastering this jump in the near future. But it appears to be a goal that several skaters are at least working on. I wonder what Tim thinks about the possibility of quad-quad combo happening?

Tim's views on 6.0 vs IJS are interesting, and I would love to hear him elaborate more. In particular, seeing as he prefers the 6.0 brand, why exactly does he thinks IJS' 'latest flavor' may be closer to "getting to what everyone wants and that results will be more reflective of what would have happened under 6.0 than previous iterations of IJS." ?

I agree with Tim that expanding interest in the sport in North America is daunting right now and that more homegrown skaters will need to become international champions more consistently. I also agree with Tim's contention that coupled with that champion drought are the problems casual fans experience in not understanding IJS. This certainly adds to the difficulty of generating more interest in the sport in the U.S., not to mention, competition from big ball sports and X-game sports. In addition, sports such as gymnastics and diving have much more understandable scoring systems, particularly diving.

Thanks for these great interviews! This episode had low audio, which caused a bit of difficulty in hearing for me. But the good articulation from both you (Tony) and Tim did help counter the problem somewhat.

 

[mysticchic]

We are still working some bugs out. Next week we will have some surprises for Skate Canada and PJ will be joining us for the preview of Skate Canada. We have a pretty cool person to review Skate America also. Please share and tweet!

 

[tony]

Thanks for these great interviews! This episode had low audio, which caused a bit of difficulty in hearing for me. But the good articulation from both you (Tony) and Tim did help counter the problem somewhat.

This was actually my fault. There was an echo throughout the video and I tried to reduce it, and it greatly reduced the overall sound level. I was using all new software to record, edit, and publish the videos this previous week but I have it all sorted now. Moving forward, as long as the connections are strong, there should be no problems!

Thanks for watching all of the videos!

 

[Foolhardy Ham Lint]

I wonder what Tim thinks about the possibility of quad-quad combo happening?

The combo has been attempted by Konstantin Menshov in practice!

Shoma Uno attempted a triple axel / quad toe in practice a year or so ago as well.

 

[mysticchic]

The combo has been attempted by Konstantin Menshov in practice!

Shoma Uno attempted a triple axel / quad toe in practice a year or so ago as well.

I remember Shoma trying one. I swear I saw another skater try the quad quad, but he fell.

 

[tony]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BczWSsZzYug

Really exciting- I interviewed Kevin Aymoz ahead of Skate Canada this weekend. He talks about how he became a figure skater, moving to the US, his preparation for the season, the response from his programs, and some of his favorite things. This is his very first English language interview. Enjoy!

 

[Foolhardy Ham Lint]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BczWSsZzYug

Really exciting- I interviewed Kevin Aymoz ahead of Skate Canada this weekend. He talks about how he became a figure skater, moving to the US, his preparation for the season, the response from his programs, and some of his favorite things. This is his very first English language interview. Enjoy!

I love how Kevin pronounces 'hockey', 'ockey'

 

[tony]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BfRLy87F3C8

Double feature today. The first part of our 2018 Skate America review: the pairs and mens competitions. Joining me is former US National Junior Champion and the star influencer in the sport- Doug Mattis. The dance and ladies event reviews are coming shortly.

 

[Foolhardy Ham Lint]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BfRLy87F3C8

Double feature today. The first part of our 2018 Skate America review: the pairs and mens competitions. Joining me is former US National Junior Champion and the star influencer in the sport- Doug Mattis. The dance and ladies event reviews are coming shortly.

Love Doug's review with you. He is diplomatic, but straight down the line.

Great work, Tony!

 

[Foolhardy Ham Lint]

I loved watching Tony Wheeler's interview with Doug Mattis. Especially, how Doug referenced Nathan Chen's solid Grand Prix free skate, with the likelihood of Chen adding more quads with each competition.

My favourite part was when Mattis said, "You open a theme park. Not all the rides are operational. Season by season you add features."

Doug's way with words is so fresh and original.

 

[tony]

Part two of the Skate America review (dance and ladies) is up- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ps9Li_q_08

Tomorrow, PJ Kwong returns to preview Skate Canada.

 

[kittyjake5]

Thank you both! Great interviews!

 

[aftershocks]

I love how Kevin pronounces 'hockey', 'ockey'

Kevin: "I told my parents, I want to do the 'ockey for girls..." Thank God they let 'im!