U.S. Ladies [#17]: Heading to Helsinki in a Handbasket

[ilovepaydays]

Frank Carroll was right. Shouldn't try to have a boyfriend while skating.

I think just like any other life thing (a move, going to college, doing shows, getting a part-time job, etc.), dating is good for some skaters and distracting for others. No one was complaining about Ashley dating him the season she (EDIT for brainfart: Got silver at) worlds...

Ashley skated pretty well the years that they were dating (after Sochi -> this season). It's probably just harder for teenagers than mid-20s women to handle having a relationship with their skating. I also don't read "heartbreak" as him dumping her. Perhaps they mutually broke up because they could never see each other.

Actually, I wonder if a lot of the strain is from his career than hers. Baseball's system is probably the most brutal of the major four sports. I see that Alvarez is playing for the Birmingham Barons (AA league for Chicago White Sox). Unless you are INSANELY good out of school, it is really competitive and grueling to go through the A/AA/AAA minor leagues and make a major league 40 man roster. And the pay for the minors is horrible.

Gracie probably could have used a boyfriend the last few years to ground her and not make her think winning was life or death and also it might have given her some life experience that could have translated to the ice. Nothing like a good heartbreak to make you reach deep inside yourself on the ice.

Disagree - not about the idea but the means. I think that taking a college course last summer, especially if it was a general education course, could have been really positive for Gracie.

 

[Sylvia]

FSO published this article today: New season brings changes for Paige Rydberg

Rydberg told Figure Skaters Online that her short program for next season will be a tango called “The Gaucho’s Pain” by Tango Jointz, choreographed by Rohene Ward, and that Tom Dickson choreographed her free skate to the selections “Gladiator Rhapsody” (from Gladiator) performed by the pianist, Lang Lang, and “Pegasus” by Two Steps from Hell.

In the article, Rydberg addresses her decision to switch from her longtime coach in Chicago, Mary Alice Antensteiner, to Tom Zakrajsek in Colorado Springs.

 

[Coco]

Yes for a Gladiator program by a female skater!!

 

[Sasha'sSpins]

4CC Gala lol

Random request: I want a U.S. lady to skate to Tara's 98 SP music with vocals. I can't get them out of my HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAD.

"Little Women". I'll never forget the 1998 Olympic Fluffy intro to that tune LOL! 'Each is the very best. Each is the most talented. Each is the JEWEL of her country, these lady figure skaters." I tried so hard not to get spoiled since they weren't showing the Olympics live in the U.S. IIRC. I was visiting my late aunt in Miami. My uncle was changing channels hours before the Olympic broadcast and briefly I saw a shot of Michelle Kwan in tears as she was hugging her coach Frank Carroll. I thought that she'd done HORRIBLE for some reason just from that shot! I left the room quickly so that I wouldn't hear the results. Later I saw Kwan had done just fine and Lipinski had skated lights out.

 

[Sasha'sSpins]

Yes for a Gladiator program by a female skater!!

I wish Mirai had chosen something like that instead of "Winner Takes It All" for the Olympic season. Alas.

 

[Jessica]

"Little Women"

Actually "Little Women" was Tara's SP from '97 (I love that music). Her olympic SP was music from "Anastasia."

 

[Sasha'sSpins]

Actually "Little Women" was Tara's SP from '97 (I love that music). Her olympic SP was music from "Anastasia."

Yes I know! But the music fluffy intro of the '98 Ladies Olympic FS and warmup (in the U.S. broadcast) were from Tara's "Little Women" SP music of the season before: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AhsGOaX0_hs

I love Tara's '97 ("Little Women") and '98 (Anastasia) SPs. I thought they were charming and suited her tiny figure and style perfectly. I remember I especially loved Tara's simple black "Little Women" SP costumes from 1997 with the simple white collar.

I checked back at my post - it was Jarrett who thought "Little Women" was from Tara's '98 SP.

 

[VGThuy]

I wish Mirai had chosen something like that instead of "Winner Takes It All" for the Olympic season. Alas.

I wish Mirai would skate to this "ABBA" instead:

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2t5cif_french-saunders-c-est-la-vie_fun

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

Actually "Little Women" was Tara's SP from '97 (I love that music). Her olympic SP was music from "Anastasia."

Yea, Once Upon A December.. that has lyrics that someone could do today.

Actually I liked all of Tara's music choices!!

No war horses in her arsenal..

The Rainbow, Little Women, etc... originality..I love!!!!

 

[Jarrett]

Yes I know! But the music fluffy intro of the '98 Ladies Olympic FS and warmup (in the U.S. broadcast) were from Tara's "Little Women" SP music of the season before: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AhsGOaX0_hs

I love Tara's '97 ("Little Women") and '98 (Anastasia) SPs. I thought they were charming and suited her tiny figure and style perfectly. I remember I especially loved Tara's simple black "Little Women" SP costumes from 199 with the simple white collar.

I checked back at my post - it was Jarrett who thought "Little Women" was from Tara's '98 SP.

Ha what? I didnt say anything about Little Women. I was referring to Anastasia like someone else said but now they can skate to it with the lyrics. Once upon a December in particular is great. Journey to the past is just alright, a bit cheesy at least with the lyrics.

 

[berthesghost]

Tara's "little women" costume was green. Anyways, back in the day a girl in my club was skating an ex to "Anastasia" with lyrics and I hope that's exactly where that music choice stays: at a junior level local show. Do you hear me polina edmunds, if you're reading this, do not skate an LP to Anastasia with lyrics in the Oly year, I don't care how many "whatever happened to baby Jane" curls you put in your hair.

 

[VGThuy]

Tara's "little women" costume was green. Anyways, back in the day a girl in my club was skating an ex to "Anastasia" with lyrics and I hope that's exactly where that music choice stays: at a junior level local show. Do you hear me polina edmunds, if you're reading this, do not skate an LP to Anastasia with lyrics in the Oly year, I don't care how many "whatever happened to baby Jane" curls you put in your hair.

I agree completely, though just seeing Polina do anything skating related right now would be nice. Anastasia can stay back in 1997-1998 as far as I'm concerned. But then, I didn't even like the movie or music as a kid.

 

[Sasha'sSpins]

Ha what? I didnt say anything about Little Women. I was referring to Anastasia like someone else said but now they can skate to it with the lyrics. Once upon a December in particular is great. Journey to the past is just alright, a bit cheesy at least with the lyrics.

Oh dear! Confusion all around! My bad again sorry!

 

[Sasha'sSpins]

Tara's "little women" costume was green. Anyways, back in the day a girl in my club was skating an ex to "Anastasia" with lyrics and I hope that's exactly where that music choice stays: at a junior level local show. Do you hear me polina edmunds, if you're reading this, do not skate an LP to Anastasia with lyrics in the Oly year, I don't care how many "whatever happened to baby Jane" curls you put in your hair.

Ok, either I must be color blind, because it sure looked black to me at Nationals that year (1997): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRfuwxCiaMw and at Worlds:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-Vqo4EHKJ8 or it was a very deep dark green and my apparent color blindness couldn't catch the green hues LOL! In any event, I remember the styling reminded me a little bit of Gordeeva and Grinkov's simple black "Moonlight Sonata" FS outfits from the 1994 Olympics.

 

[berthesghost]

It's a deep forest green. It reminds me of lulu's ink blue sp costume from 95 worlds, except that the puff sleeves, row of small cap buttons and lace collar make it "victorian" and thus LW appropriate.

 

[Xela M]

Ok, either I must be color blind, because it sure looked black to me at Nationals that year (1997): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRfuwxCiaMw and at Worlds:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-Vqo4EHKJ8 or it was a very deep dark green and my apparent color blindness couldn't catch the green hues LOL! In any event, I remember the styling reminded me a little bit of Gordeeva and Grinkov's simple black "Moonlight Sonata" FS outfits from the 1994 Olympics.

It's green

 

[Sasha'sSpins]

Like I said I must have some color blindness! Even now as I watch her SP, her costume looks black to me!

 

[Xela M]

Like I said I must have some color blindness! Even now as I watch her SP, her costume looks black to me!

Maybe a bad quality screen?

 

[Sasha'sSpins]

Maybe a bad quality screen?

Perhaps. But this is a new laptop. I can see everything else just fine (I think...).

 

[Vagabond]

Try this:

https://www.bellazon.com/main/uploads/monthly_12_2010/post-44476-1292124623_thumb.jpg

I don't see how anyone except someone with red-green colorblindness would think that it's anything but green.

 

[AxelAnnie]

^^^ It is green now, and it was green when she wore it

 

[Yazmeen]

Definitely green, saw her skate that program live. Very pretty dress and appropriate for the music and theme.

 

[berthesghost]

Somehow, the fact that we've spent the last 3 days talking about the color of a 20 year old costume says all there is to say about the current state of us ladies skating

 

[Sylvia]

Another 3A in practice by Mirai Nagasu (including in slo-mo):

https://www.instagram.com/p/BSxXZEKBIEa/?taken-by=mirainagasu another triple axel, she posted this on her instagram earlier and had it said tribute to Mao.

 

[olympic]

Another 3A in practice by Mirai Nagasu (including in slo-mo):

Watching in slo-mo, it looked around but always hard to tell with Mirai's toes

 

[mag]

Watching in slo-mo, it looked around but always hard to tell with Mirai's toes

That is how I feel. At first look I thought it looked good, then I watched the slow mo a few times and it looks like her toe pick goes in at just over 1/4. I just hope they figure out the camera angles and place it in her program to give her the best advantage.

 

[Fiero425]

"Little Women". I'll never forget the 1998 Olympic Fluffy intro to that tune LOL! 'Each is the very best. Each is the most talented. Each is the JEWEL of her country, these lady figure skaters." I tried so hard not to get spoiled since they weren't showing the Olympics live in the U.S. IIRC. I was visiting my late aunt in Miami. My uncle was changing channels hours before the Olympic broadcast and briefly I saw a shot of Michelle Kwan in tears as she was hugging her coach Frank Carroll. I thought that she'd done HORRIBLE for some reason just from that shot! I left the room quickly so that I wouldn't hear the results. Later I saw Kwan had done just fine and Lipinski had skated lights out.

Thinking back I just remember going to bed at 5 am in California hearing MK's ethereal music on the radio and thinking she must have won, but the sport's report "laid me out" saying Tara snatched the OG from her! Supposedly MK's coach Carroll told her the truth; "Tara won it!" MK was restrained compared to her US Nat'l performance and even as a layman you could see the abandon Tara was flying around the ice nailing her signature 3L/3L! She had a Bonaly favorite combo at the end of her performance she had to fight for; 3T/.5L/3S! After seeing the tape delay, I concurred "she won it!"

 

[Fiero425]

Another 3A in practice by Mirai Nagasu (including in slo-mo):

OMG, early success just does little to nothing for some skaters it seems! I remember when she won Nat'ls, but was too young to go for Worlds to compete for medal like Kimmie Meissner in '06! When Mirai won in '07, Kimmie wouldn't have even qualified for Worlds falling to 7th at Nat'ls IIRC! 4 of the top 7 skaters were too young! What happened to all those girls?

 

[Yazmeen]

That was actually 2008, 3 were too young, and Meissner got named because Katrina Hacker was a "nobody" in the minds of USFS compared to Kimmie and who had no senior international medals. And what happened to those girls? Growth spurts, being taught lousy jump technique to just get the triples around and then getting hammered when the IJS took over. Or in the case of Flatt, simply just not being a great package.

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

^^^ And Ash Wagner (her first senior appearance too) went to Junior worlds because of her age.. She had a good Senior outing at Nats too.