U.S. Ladies [#26]: Bell, Boots, and Camel

[Jammers]

I think Work B*** is a bad choice because that song does not have a clear melody, not much change in tempo, it's just blaring, blaring, blaring throughout the whole track. How can jumps, spins and steps be judged as being on the music... it will be hard to judge.

Britney has songs that would be more skatable. Everytime is a lovely song and melody that enables skater to glide to it.

Plus, I really dislike a bragging songs. I just find them trashy. I hate 7 rings for the same reason.

If Mariah wanted more bad-ass Britney song... there is Till the World Ends (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzU9OrZlKb8) (imho songs about dancing make good skating songs

Overprotected would be a better choice too https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZYSiWHW8V0

Why a classy skater like Mariah would want to skate to such a tacky song from a tacky artist like Britney is beyond me but hearing that Adam had something to do with it makes sense since he has a bit of a tacky side to him as well. The song isn't badass it's just trash.

 

[ZilphaK]

Also, I'm not a fan of skating to a song where the title has to be bleeped out/deleted from every TV broadcast, especially when the title is like half the words of the song's chorus.

Well...at least it's not Hollaback Girl.

 

[Spun Silver]

The other day Adam posted on Facebook asking for questions for some show he was going to host or be on (sorry, I didn't pay attention). So I asked why he chose this song for Mariah. If anyone hears the answer, please share!

 

[aftershocks]

While it is a tad bit sleepy, I'd like to see Mariah skate to idon'twanttobeyouanymore by Billie Eilish. It has a quality to it that I'd like to see her try - sultry yet vulnerable.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tn2S3kJlyU ITA, it could be a good vehicle for Mariah

 

[Sylvia]

The other day Adam posted on Facebook asking for questions for some show he was going to host or be on (sorry, I didn't pay attention). So I asked why he chose this song for Mariah. If anyone hears the answer, please share!

If it was the chat he did from BookExpo in NYC, he didn't get around to answering that particular question (his FB video is linked from his fan thread: https://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/threads/the-adam-rippon-good-news-thread.90289/page-32#post-5592829 ).

According to their IG stories today, Bradie Tennell currently is in Courchevel, France to work with Benoit Richaud. She had worked with him in Chicago last month on her new FS to Cinema Paradiso: https://www.instagram.com/p/BxS7FawFxlx/

 

[Tinami Amori]

According to their IG stories today, Bradie Tennell currently is in Courchevel, France to work with Benoit Richaud. She had worked with him in Chicago last month on her new FS to Cinema Paradiso: https://www.instagram.com/p/BxS7FawFxlx/

made my day!

 

[Ka3sha]

According to their IG stories today, Bradie Tennell currently is in Courchevel, France to work with Benoit Richaud. She had worked with him in Chicago last month on her new FS to Cinema Paradiso: https://www.instagram.com/p/BxS7FawFxlx/

Alexei Mishin mentioned in his recent interview that Bradie will also join Mishin’s group and spend two weeks working with them at the camp in Courchavel

 

[AxelAnnie]

Well...that is kinda odd.

 

[Sylvia]

Alexei Mishin mentioned in his recent interview that Bradie will also join Mishin’s group and spend two weeks working with them at the camp in Courchavel

Thanks! Relevant (machine translated) excerpt:

- You just already have experience working with foreigners.
- Yes. At various times these were Stephane Lambiel, Carolina Kostner, Javier Fernandez, Kiira Korpi, Sarah Meier. Now we are in Riga, from where we fly to Geneva, and from there to the French city of Courchevel. We were sent a video from our camp, where the champion of America Bradie Tennell is already skating. She will train in our group, our specialists - Mishina and Prokofieva.

- How did it happen? Whose initiative was it?
“It’s hers, Tennell.”

Coach Mishin's camp runs from June 4-16 in Courchevel: https://www.mishincamps.com/courchevel-2019

ETA another excerpt from the Mishin interview:

- Is she [Tennell] the only foreign figure skater or will there be someone else?
- There will be more, of course. Last year, for example, the silver medalist of the World Championship 2018, the Japanese Wakaba Higuchi, trained with us. Unfortunately, she will not be in this - she is ill. Many foreigners have always trained with us. Now a simplified understanding of patriotism. We have two hard weeks ahead in Courchevel, where we will deal with our and foreign athletes.

John Wilson Blades' IG photo of Tennell & Richaud at the rink in Courchevel: https://www.instagram.com/p/BySwUSWFy4c/

 

[natsulian]

Wow... was NOT expecting that. I’m happy for Bradie though, she’s really taking the initiating this off season.

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

Well...that is kinda odd.

Veryyyyy odd. But ok.... send me updates please

 

[Debbie S]

Is this a permanent switch or just for the summer? A lot of skaters will train elsewhere/with diff coaches for the summer and then go back to their regular coaches for comp season.

 

[AJ Skatefan]

Well...that is kinda odd.

Why is that odd? Lots of skaters work with other coaches during the summer.

 

[rfisher]

I think that's excellent. Bradie has always been consistent until last season and she wants to improve her jump technique. I wonder if she's working on a 3A? But, even if not, good for her.

 

[skatfan]

Why is that odd? Lots of skaters work with other coaches during the summer.

Agreed. Braddie has a small training center where she is the big kahuna skater. Very good for her to go train with other elites and get some specialized coaching.

 

[VGThuy]

It's very clear how hungry Bradie is to hit the next tier.

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

Why is that odd? Lots of skaters work with other coaches during the summer.

whats odd is that Russian coaches MOSTLY work with their own.. yes, he worked with Caro and Kiira and others..... but its still rather rare to see an American skater go to a Russian top notch coach.

Ash and Tim see Nina part time. Sasha saw Tats...but still kind of rare.

@rfisher My first thought, too, was will he be working with her on the 3 axel.. I mean she lost her title to a 3 axel machine... so to stay competitive in the top 3 of the world tier... she will probably need.... or more consistent with the 3lutz/3 loop!

 

[rfisher]

Well, I do believe that Raf counts as Russian even if he's technically Armenian, and certainly Zoueva is Russian....

 

[Tinami Amori]

TCoach Mishin's camp runs from June 4-16 in Courchevel: https://www.mishincamps.com/courchevel-2019

Mishin was asked who initiated the idea of Bradie training with him (in one of russian interviews) and he (seemed to be "proudly") said "it was Bradie".
Bradie's foto from the camp: https://i6.imageban.ru/out/2019/06/04/f229a0e59fb97327f8cbeb513e3c227a.jpgzen

Well, I do believe that Raf counts as Russian even if he's technically Armenian, and certainly Zoueva is Russian....

"Russian citizen" if he lived in Russia, but "Armenian" in the "nationality" section, if he had to fill out some kind of "form". Technically, he is best described professionally as "from the school of Soviet/Russian figure skating".

 

[natsulian]

I very much admire athletes such as Bradie Tennell who may not be the most gifted nor well versed, but more than make up for their short comings through pure determination and grit. Bradie has the mentality for a sport like figure skating where mental fortitude and grit almost always overcome talent that is not well honed. People often ask me why I have such a proclivity for Bradie and they go on to list her lack of artistry, flow, and her under-rotations, but at the end of the day, it all boils down to that fire and fight she has inside of her. Here's to Bradie having a stellar upcoming season.

Also, since Mariah is allegedly training the 3A again for the umpteenth time, Bradie might very well train the 3A too. Bradie's 2A is actually very nice and if she got a little bit more height and rotated a smidge faster, she could very well land a 3A. As for Mariah, if we're basing off our calculations on the data we received from the jump tracker used in Japanese competitions, she has one of the best 2A in the business right now. I would, however, work on a consistent jump layout with a 3-3, 2A-3, and 3-2-2.

 

[AxelAnnie]

Why is that odd? Lots of skaters work with other coaches during the summer.

I know a lot of skaters train with other coaches. I had a sense that Bradie was solely committed to her coach. And, goodness, that is a long way to go. I am thrilled that she is doing it. It will be great for her. And, a great year for her to do it.

 

[VGThuy]

Count me in among the Bradie Admiration Society. She seems that she doesn’t live in her head too much and whatever setbacks she has she takes it as learning opportunities and knows if she keeps working, she’ll at least skate the way she wants (minimizing URs/maximizing GOEs).

 

[natsulian]

Jackie said that Mariah is skating to a Britney Spears selection, not solely “Work B**h”, so I’m hoping it’s like a 3 second sample...

I LOVE it when we have variety and originality, but when the music selection is bad... not so much. Mariah is a lyrical skater and if she wants to expand her repertoire and try something new, I think there are SO many songs that are just as quick rhythmically and angsty as “Work B***h”, but are MILES better sonically.

 

[VGThuy]

Actually, that can work. I think "Work Bitch" may give her music edit a nice edge and beat while other pieces will make it more fitting for the glide that comes with skating, even if they're all dance tunes. Like everybody, it'll be down to the music edit and if the choreography/performance quality can match the vision.

 

[Tinami Amori]

I very much admire athletes such as Bradie Tennell who may not be the most gifted nor well versed, but more than make up for their short comings through pure determination and grit. Bradie has the mentality for a sport like figure skating where mental fortitude and grit almost always overcome talent that is not well honed.

Count me in among the Bradie Admiration Society. She seems that she doesn’t live in her head too much and whatever setbacks she has she takes it as learning opportunities and knows if she keeps working, she’ll at least skate the way she wants (minimizing URs/maximizing GOEs).

Count me into Bradie Admiration Society too. In additional to all her qualities listed, i appreciate that she does not do or say stupid provocative stuff, does not engage in cheap PR tricks, just works, works, works, improving herself, not watching the other for what they do wrong; best yet, she does not make movies about herself to compensate for what she is lacking, and does not make grand announcements how "she is learning quads, every one fall down from excitement". Go Bradie!

 

[natsulian]

An interesting thing to note is how willingly the judges rewarded Bradie after she removed the 3Lz-3Lo and “gained back” her consistency. If she had kept the two 3Lz-3T layout in the Free, I wonder how much farther she could have gone last season. Food for thought.

Also interesting to note is how based on her latter events where the 3Lz-3Lo was removed, Bradie was either in the top 3 or 4 scoring wise. Moreover, she was only one of four ladies to pass the 150 mark in the Free Skate and the 225 mark in total scores.

 

[VGThuy]

But I do wonder if Bradie's stubborness with the 3Lutz/3Loop will pay off in the long-run. She seems like she seriously does NOT want to give it up because she knows if she can get it consistently called rotated and feels more confident with it, she'll have a lot more credibility. Plus, I like that she's doing it for herself as she seems like someone who thinks that element is NOT above her skill level. It's a matter of degrees now rather than crashing on it.

 

[Dobre]

But I do wonder if Bradie's stubborness with the 3Lutz/3Loop will pay off in the long-run. She seems like she seriously does NOT want to give it up because she knows if she can get it consistently called rotated and feels more confident with it, she'll have a lot more credibility.

All the signs point to the likelihood that she's going to need it. Or something else with a comparable point value. Credibility or not.

 

[VGThuy]

I think she could get a similar point value if she decided to forego a Loop ending combo since there are skaters who are beating her without having one themselves as it's historically been a very risky combo for most top skaters and with the UR rules as they are (especially now), it makes skaters even more averse to try it unless they really have it down. I think having a 3Lutz/3Loop does add something for her though and will open up more opportunities to maximize her BV rather than not having one would.

 

[natsulian]

If Bradie wants to seriously contend for gold at Nationals in 2020, she will need the 3Lz-3Lo. Alysa has a 3A-3T and a 4Lz-3T. Ting MIGHT have the 4T, but she’s still a maturing flower. Hanna is hungry to prove herself and if Mariah continues to blaze through and find a consistent rhythm, her PCS will soar.