I tell you life does not get any better than this. A beautiful,
crisp, sunny morning walking to the arena to see my favorite skaters
with my baby boy babbling away. I am in Heaven.
This morning I caught a practice of one group of ladies. They only
have one practice session a day here, with both free and short program
music. Usually the skaters get one practice for the short and then
another practice later in the day for free. Having to do a run through
for both programs in one practice session is tough and I only saw one
full run through, everyone else was only doing partial run-throughs. I
could see the altitude was effecting everyone. I can’t blame them, it
certainly is killing me and I am not doing any triple jumps. Even
Michelle was being affected by the altitude and I bet she is wishing she
was still training at Arrowhead.
Okay here is what I saw. I only took notes of peoples run-throughs,
because of the format of the practice there was almost always a
run-through going on so I didn’t get a chance to really tell who was
landing what jumps overall in the session.
Short Program Practice
Siyin Sun – China
She wore a green dress. Started with a double
axel and had a bad fall, slow recovery. A change edge spiral, a layback
with an awful freeleg position, but very lovely arm movements. In fact
her arm movements in general are very pretty and graceful. Triple out of
steps was fine, combo spin included a pancake position with one of the
worst hunched over backs I have ever seen. She did some cool deep knee
stuff in her footwork sequence, she bent on one knee all the way down to
the ice, very cool effect, and I am sure it is tough.
Chisato Shiina – Japan
She wore a blue dress. She didn’t do the
jumps, just kind of did little half turns in the air where the jumps
would be. She was very slow. Did a Button Camel and had a lot of
traveling in her spins. She looked like she wasn’t going all out, just
warming up and getting used to the lack of air.
Alisa Yamasaki – Japan
Pink dress. She was also just doing little
turns where the jumps would be. Skated to swing music, did a lot of
slinky dance moves, good expression. She did a Button Camel with an
illusion exit. Good speed in her combo spin.
Sarah Hughes – USA
Skated to a very familiar piece of classical
music, which I could not quite place. She was wearing a brown dress with
sheer sleeves. Opened with a double axel and held the landing edge
after, I love that move. Triple lutz/double toe, her usual wobbly take
off on that lutz, I love this girl, I really do, but her lutz take off
needs work and that is all there is to it. Then she kind of skated
around, not doing all the elements, she did the steps into where that
solo triple would go, but not the jump. Serpentine step sequence,
serpentine footwork. Very pretty inside edge spiral with beautiful
extension, and a back spiral where she bends forward almost into a
Charlotte. Ends with a combo spin that ends in the Y position.
Michelle Kwan – USA
She was wearing leggings and a stretch tank top.
Very unusual I have never seen a lady skater at a major event practice
who wasn’t wearing a dress. But she is The Kwan! Very jazzy music, she
did a lot of dance moves. Started with a double axel, then her triple
lutz/double toe, very interesting too in that she did her short entrance
into the lutz combo that makes it look like a flip. She usually doesn’t
use that entrance in her short program. Then her signature layback with
crossed arms. Fast footwork into a triple flip, fell. Circular steps,
flying sit spin, with very good height. The Kwan sprial, two back
sprials, then a combo spin. She was kind of huffing at the end of the
program, the only skater to do a full run through and that lack of air
got to her. Before the Salt Lake Olympics she should spend a month at
Arrowhead.
Angela Nikodinov – USA
Also didn’t wear a dress, she was wearing a
black catsuit that really emphasizes how much weight she has lost, too
much I think. Her arms were so thin she could get a job on the cast of
Friends. She didn’t do a lot of elements. Tried the triple lutz, but it
was so tilted in the air she was practically parallel to the ice, fell.
Did Circular footwork, and a very pretty spiral with her foot held to
her side. She ended with what is unquestionably the best layback spin on
the ice.
Free Skate Practice
Siyin Sun – China
As I said she has very pretty arm movements,
skated to pretty music I don’t recognize. (Over on the USFSA’s official
Skate America site they have the music for all the international skaters
on their bio page, but not the Americans L ) She has a beautiful layback spin but one
of the ugliest sit spins I have ever seen, which is very sad because
other than that her skating is lovely with excellent positions except
that sit spin. I saw her do a triple sal and a triple toe or flip (I
can’t tell flip from toe)
Chisato Shiina – Japan
Again she seemed more like she was warming
up,, just getting the feel of the ice, she tried jumps, some were
successful, I deffinitely saw her land a triple sal. It looked toward
the end as if she we were really tiring and just trying to get some air.
Hopefully she will adjust and do better in competition.
Alisa Yamasaki – Japan
She didn’t try her jumps. She doesn’t have a
good layback spin, she did do a Charlotte spiral.
Sarah Hughes – USA
Skating to Don Quixote. Someone sedate my friend
Nina who hates this music. Okay she did her opening pose, very Quixote
with one arm raised high in the air, then she just skated around. Then
she did a double lutz/double toe, I didn’t pay attention to the take off
edge. Glided around, then did a triple loop. Some nice ballet steps in
her step sequence, different arm movements in her layback spin, came out
of the layback with an illusion. Ended the program with a combo spin,
ending in a Y spin into a scratch spin. Ends down on one knee with one
hand in the air, big flourish.
(At this point Marshall took my pen from me and bad reporter that I am
I only have the one pen! So I had to write down my notes about Michelle
and Angela after they skated and the notes are not complete and the
elements are not in order.)
Michelle Kwan – USA
Grim piano music. Ariane was tragic and Red
Violin was sad, but this is Grim. I think Michelle needs to return to
the Lyra sort of skating. Her presentation marks were not kicking but
last season. Look Michelle fans don’t kill me for saying this, I ADORE
this woman, have for years. And that is just the thing, I want her to
win, and this is not the way to do it. The judges like their lady
skater’s smiling, and Slutie smiles a bunch. Michelle moves better to
the music, her edges are the BEST in eligible skating, her back is so
straight you could use it as a ruler, she had dead on technique in all
her jumps, and her programs are filled with connecting steps and the
best feet in skating, BUT in this program she is grim and I don’t think
the judges will like it. Ah but the way this girl moves is a poem. She
does this big circle in the center of the ice a back spiral, falling
leaf into split jump into a spread eagle that is incredible. She is
doing her reverse Camel again. Ends the program with a scratch spin.
Angela Nikodinov – USA
Skating to Swan Lake. A very different style
for Angela. More spirals, and very different positions in the spirals.
She does this one footed glide, with her knee bent close to the ice, I
think it is supposed to be a swan kind of move. Seemed to be having
trouble with her jumps, but really didn’t see a lot of her jumps.
