U.S. Men in 2017 - articles & latest news

[misskarne]

Wonder why they felt the need to blur out the names of other champions with banners?

Maybe Vincent decided to because the names on those banners were possibly "Joshua Farris" and "Max Aaron" and he didn't want to remind people that there are skaters out there who can actually rotate their quads?

Max is so supermodel cute in this spinning clip. Is that just a fan at the rink at the end?: "I love you sooo much!"

I think it's one of his bobsled friends from the OTC, who he hangs out with a lot. He's in quite a few of her instagram pictures/videos.

 

[Willin]

@misskarne Considering what I've heard, that's actually (sadly) a very plausible reason for why he blurred the names out... (minus the part about rotating quads)

I'm wondering where Vincent is training. He's a SCSF member apparently, but I know he can't skate anywhere in the south bay (maybe just certain rinks?). I wonder why he put banners at two rinks. Usually you do it at your club's home rink, or at the rink you train at most. So is it Colorado Springs or LA right now? Or perhaps the problems he's been having keeping a coach continue?

 

[ilovepaydays]

Hmm - could it be that he does a bit of training in Colorado Spring for the altitude? Or is skating not like running? I know that most elite runners do at least some (and some even live full time) in places like Boulder, CO, Flagstaff, AZ, or Albuquerque, NM.

 

[aftershocks]

BTW guys, re the previous page of posts arguing about OTT 'Max Luv,' etc., it's so silly to squabble about a dearth of figure skating opportunities for top figure skaters. Uh, ... wait a minute. I guess that's what we end up being here for? Or, it's what it all ends up devolving into, sadly.

 

[Willin]

Hmm - could it be that he does a bit of training in Colorado Spring for the altitude? Or is skating not like running? I know that most elite runners do at least some (and some even live full time) in places like Boulder, CO, Flagstaff, AZ, or Albuquerque, NM.

Nope - not like running. Skaters generally have a rink or two in the same area that they use based on who their coach is. For example, Artunyan's team used to train at Artesia (I believe they've moved to Anaheim if my info's up to date), Kori Ade's skaters only really train at Monument's Rink, Tom Z's skaters train at the World Arena, and Frank Carroll's skaters train(ed?) at the Toyota center in El Segundo. Some days, if there's no freestyle ice at their rink, they'll go to another local rink.

Generally skaters will only go out of their local area to train if there's a specialist they want to work with or as part of scheduled training retreats. There used to be a month-long one down in Lake Arrowhead California every June/July, but due to the problems with that rink, it hasn't happened recently. The only times I've heard of going out of the local area specifically for altitude training was during seasons in which Worlds/Nationals/Olympics took place at high altitude (like Colorado).

 

[Sylvia]

Maybe Vincent decided to because the names on those banners were possibly "Joshua Farris" and "Max Aaron" and he didn't want to remind people that there are skaters out there who can actually rotate their quads?

To be fair, Zhou's 4Lz, 4S+3T & 4S were all called rotated in his Junior Worlds winning FS: http://www.isuresults.com/results/season1617/wjc2017/wjc2017_JuniorMen_FS_Scores.pdf

 

[vesperholly]

IMO it's more silly to think that when a poster writes "I lurve Skater A!" that it also means "and, fcuk Skater B!". Insisting that all fans respect Your Favorite Skater is futile, and attempting to read between the lines on an internet forum is asking for frustration.

 

[Vagabond]

Speaking common sense to silliness is a wonderful thing, but it seldom has the desired effect.

 

[aftershocks]

Insisting that all fans respect Your Favorite Skater is futile,

Ah yes, quite true, as is @Vagabond's observation. I was commenting on the tiresome, oft-occurring bust-up from a different angle, more in terms of: 'I personally like all U.S. men, and I wish they all had more opportunities to compete internationally.' Max is definitely cool and loveable. At the same time, fan obsession and conspiracy theories can be taken too far.

Oh well, like Bill Maher said on Real Time earlier this evening: "I need a break, so I'm taking July off... It used to be summer was a fun, lighthearted time. Now we have stupid season all year round..." Of course, Bill is referencing current political climate in the U.S., and anxious Trump-infected malaise. But what is figure skating if not full of unsettling politics?

Actually, though checking out what's happening with skaters during the off-season and learning about their new programs is much more fun and relaxing than arguing over shizz about who loves which skater better.

 

[wickedwitch]

Wonder why they felt the need to blur out the names of other champions with banners?

I thought that was super bizarre too.

 

[olympic]

Does the U.S. possibly rival the best for depth in Men? JPN has Yuzu and Shoma as big stars, but I'm talking about no. of men w/ potential to score high. The highest scores for nine of the US men this cycle are Chen (300+), Brown (270+), Rippon and Farris (260+), Zhou and Aaron (250+). Miner (240+), Hochstein (230+), Dolensky (225+)

 

[Jammers]

Does the U.S. possibly rival the best for depth in Men? JPN has Yuzu and Shoma as big stars, but I'm talking about no. of men w/ potential to score high. The highest scores for nine of the US men this cycle are Chen (300+), Brown (270+), Rippon and Farris (260+), Zhou and Aaron (250+). Miner (240+), Hochstein (230+), Dolensky (225+)

No other country has the depth the US has in Mens and that's with Jeremy now retired and Richard Dornbush taking time off too. And with the likes of Alex K and Andrew Torgashev coming up it will stay that way for awhile too i think.

 

[Sylvia]

ISU Personal Best scores (since 2015) for the top 12 U.S. men still competing:

307.46 Nathan CHEN USA ISU Four Continents Championships 2017 19.02.2017 S #4 on list
273.67 Jason BROWN USA ISU World Team Trophy 2017 20.04.2017 S #11
267.53 Adam RIPPON USA ISU GP Trophee de France 2016 12.11.2016 S #14
260.01 Joshua FARRIS USA ISU Four Continents Championships 2015 14.02.2015 S #18
258.95 Max AARON USA ISU GP 2015 Progressive Skate America 24.10.2015 S #19
258.11 Vincent ZHOU USA ISU World Junior Championships 2017 16.03.2017 J #21
248.92 Ross MINER USA ISU GP Rostelecom Cup 2015 21.11.2015 S #29
237.25 Grant HOCHSTEIN USA ISU World Championships 2016 01.04.2016 S #52
226.53 Timothy DOLENSKY USA ISU GP 2016 Progressive Skate America 23.10.2016 S #64
223.60 Alexei KRASNOZHON USA ISU JGP Czech Skate 2016 03.09.2016 J #67
222.52 Tomoki HIWATASHI USA ISU World Junior Championships 2016 18.03.2016 J #71
212.85 Alexander JOHNSON USA ISU CS Golden Spin of Zagreb 2015 04.12.2015 S #87

ETA:

Does the U.S. possibly rival the best for depth in Men?

Yes, which is why there is among fans over which 3 will/should make the Olympic team... https://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/th...-you-want-to-see-at-the-2018-olympics.101445/

 

[misskarne]

Brooklee's article about the Aerial Challenge is up and has quotes from various people.

Sounds like Max's strategy has been to make sure what he can do, he does very well, going GOE hunting no doubt. Could be something like this maybe:

4S-3T
4T-2T
4S
4T
3A-1Lo-3S (this was a great combo in the singles round of the AC)
3Lz
3Lo
3F/2A depending I guess on if he's reworked the flip as part of his technique cleanup.

That would be a highly competitive layout.

 

[Sylvia]

Article #2 in the Creating the Program series focuses on Charlie White choreographing Vincent Zhou's FS: http://web.icenetwork.com/news/2017/07/06/240774436
It includes the sentence: "If all goes as planned, Zhou will have four different quads in his free skate next season."

Zhou also went to Canton to work with Marina Zoueva on "execution and emotion" and was a late addition to Skate Detroit "in order to fine-tune the program with Zoueva" there. The article ends as follows:

Zhou's longtime coach, Tammy Gambill, is overjoyed with how the free skate looks.
"I thought it was fabulous," Gambill said. "I thought it made Vincent look more mature. I was a little bit leery about the music because it has been used a lot, but after I saw Vincent skate the program, I saw that he had great passion for it and he loved it. I felt that he could make it his own."

ETA: https://twitter.com/icenetwork/status/883061797925908481

Extra nugget: Zhou's short program is to Cinematic Pop's cover of the Snow Patrol song “Chasing Cars” and is choreographed by Jeff Buttle.

 

[Sylvia]

A Lake Placid FS competition summary article (I posted the link in the U.S. Club Competitions thread in Kiss & Cry) stated that "Ross Miner of the Skating Club of Boston earned a score of 149.86." This was his FS score (eta: he was the only competitor) and I've been informed that he scored 84.21 in his SP (43.07 TES/41.14 PCS) but have no other details to share. Although the scores are not combined for this competition, Miner's combined total of 234.07 now becomes the high score among the U.S. men who've competed so far this summer (that I know of).

 

[Sylvia]

Max Aaron answers 3 (written) questions on USFS' Instagram (7 images total): https://www.instagram.com/p/BWSdy24Fbls/?taken-by=usfigureskating

 

[kwanfan1818]

He's such a smart and thoughtful guy.

 

[danafan]

I want Max Aaron on the Olympic team so bad.

 

[Bellanca]

I want Max Aaron on the Olympic team so bad.

Many posters often comment about sentimental favorites, i.e. Adam and Jason, etc., but I think Max is right up there, or at the very least gaining steam in a BIG way! There is a great desire by many to see him have that Olympic dream.

 

[misskarne]

Max Aaron answers 3 (written) questions on USFS' Instagram (7 images total): https://www.instagram.com/p/BWSdy24Fbls/?taken-by=usfigureskating

And now we know. Now we know why the imperious performance from SkAm was not repeated at TEB that season. He was called all sorts of names here, a headcase, accused of giving up, but they had had to replace his blade right before. Of course, he would never say anything, never make excuses, so it's only now, two years later, that we find out.

 

[Firedancer]

According to this retweet by Icenetwork Josh Farris can't travel & be part of Skate Dance Dream's camp in OH due to medical reasons. That does not sound good. https://twitter.com/icenetwork/status/884851983647203329

 

[semogal]

According to this retweet by Icenetwork Josh Farris can't travel & be part of Skate Dance Dream's camp in OH due to medical reasons. That does not sound good. https://twitter.com/icenetwork/status/884851983647203329

I saw that too. Combined with his pull out from the Aerial challenge this doesn't sound good at all.

 

[Tavi]

Oh, no.

 

[misskarne]

According to this retweet by Icenetwork Josh Farris can't travel & be part of Skate Dance Dream's camp in OH due to medical reasons. That does not sound good. https://twitter.com/icenetwork/status/884851983647203329

Nonononono. Maybe it's just the flu. Or maybe he accidentally had some dairy again. Or maybe he rolled his ankle or something. Just...anything, anything but a return to that dark place. Please, skategods, please...

 

[Willin]

Hopefully it's just some sort of quick thing! I was so excited to see him skate!

 

[Firedancer]

I really hope so! I was too.

 

[olympic]

UGH. I really hope it's nothing serious. "Medical Reasons" is a frightening word for me. C'mon Josh. I have you in my fantasy making the team!

 

[Karpenko]

Ted Flett just got back from a trip to Colorado last week... and here is a new (52 minutes) Golden Skate interview with Jason Brown.

https://youtu.be/lXGMXan3ieI

Both program choices are revealed, and he is very animated and . He also plans on two quads in the short and long.

 

[misskarne]

A specially composed piece for Jason's FS! I can't wait to hear it!