Skaters are in Vegas already for the 2020 Skate America, competition begins Friday. The USFSA started sharing pictures and video yesterday. I'm in such a funk, but I'm also just thankful that a competition is happening. Skate Canada and the Internationaux de France have both been officially canceled. We won't be getting a Four Continents Championship next year. Right now Skate America seems to be the only thing we've got... so I'll take it.
The Gala last year was a great finale to a wonderful whirlwind weekend (yay alliteration). I think it was the bestie's favorite part just for the entertainment value. There were emotional moments as well as some great laughs. The extras were cheesy (they had a magician and a contortionist and the skating dog came back) but over all it was one of the better gala's I've attended.
Keegan Messing had everyone on their feet with a moving tribute to his brother who passed in a motorcycle accident just weeks before. Some skaters used previous years competitive programs as their exhibitions. Some had Vegas themed programs. Others debuted their show program for the season. A great collection of skates. Something for everyone.
As I did with my practice photos blog post, this is just going to be a photo dump with no commentary or captions. You can see all of the Skate America 2019 photos in my gallery. Thanks for reading along. I'm hoping to live tweet a bit of the competition this weekend so if you want to chat all things figure skating find me on twitter!
The final installment of today's blog posts (annoyed yet? probably). It's a good thing, too, because I'm running out of things to write.
The ladies were fireworks and sparkles and fun. I would have preferred the men or the dance to close out the competition, but it was still a decent competition to end with. Quads and costume "changes" were what won the day, but it was nice to see the US hold their own and the "elder" Russian make a stand.
Overall the outcome wasn't all that surprising, though it was weird to see USA and not Japan on the podium. I want to be as flexible as these ladies, that's for sure. Some of the positions they are able to contort themselves into still make me hurt just thinking about it.
As with the other blog posts (Pairs Free, Mens Free, Free Dance) I'll keep to the two photos per skater and you can view all of my photos from Skate America 2019 in my gallery. There's just one more day of photos and I'll probably just do like I did with the practice post and do a huge photo dump. You've been warned. Then we'll get back to mushing.
Confession: I am a Short Dance fan... I'd rather we still have the three components of Compulsaries, Original Dance, and Free Dance... but I love the Short Dance (when it isn't a latin dance). Seeing the patterns get integrated into the program is just fun. I'm still waiting for the Yankee Polka! Haha!
This event was pretty "normal", I have to say I wasn't impressed with the top two teams, but overall the judging wasn't terrible. The team from Spain was my favorite, and I also really liked what I saw from the French and Chinese. Overall just a well skated competition.
As for the earlier blog posts (Pairs Free Program, Mens Free Program), I'm going to stick with two photos per team (try to) and you can view all of my photos from Skate America 2019 in my gallery.
I'll be honest, this competition didn't end the way I wanted. I had really hoped Keegan could make it onto the podium. He deserves to. He is an incredibly talented skater and often comes close. Still, that afternoon event was a lot of fun to watch (I mean, Nathan Chen tried to do hip hop. That in and of itself was worth the price of admission.) We sat next to a lady (who was not our fan in any way, especially once she found my best friend was NOT a fan of the sport so how dare she even exist) who was a huge Jason Brown fan so it was nice to see her guy skate well. I mean, it's hard not to want Jason to do well, he's just one of those guys you want to cheer for.
Not surprisingly Nathan Chen was leaps above the rest of the competition and he wasn't even completely on his game (he stood up though). His tech is incredible and I like that he keeps trying things to keep the sport interesting. It was a well skated event for being the first big competition of the season, and once again we had a blast cheering them all on. I did not get photos of the medal ceremony for the men or the pairs because it went longer than expected and so I had to hoof it to make our reservation for dinner.
As with my blog post earlier (Pairs Free Program) I'll keep it to two photos per skater and you can view all of the photos from Skate America in my gallery.
A year ago today. We were all sitting close together sharing snacks and laughs. A year ago today we were planning to visit some resorts and the pop up FRIENDS anniversary event. A year ago today we visited the M&M store and the World of Hershey's. A year ago today the Free Programs for the competitors happened and we were there to watch. A year ago today Covid wasn't a concern. A year ago today was a lot more fun than it is today as I deal with a mountain of Monday issues.
Yes, another series of posts brought on by a whine is happening. I'd apologize for my privilege of having been able to travel at all in the good times much less the less than good, but I want to validate my feelings on my blog, so I will. I don't expect many -if any- to even read these, maybe if I did my attitude would be different.
The Pairs competition held some surprises with Team USA (who'd've thought Cain and Le Duc would have SO many issues that night, and that Jessica and Brian would have the start of a stellar season that would be cut short just a few months later when the world came to a screeching halt) and even a year later I'm surprised by the overall outcome of the event. It was a great way to start off the day of competition.
Just like with the last couple of days worth of posts on this subject, I will try to keep to 2 pics of each team. You can view all of my photos from Skate America 2019 in my gallery.
Cheat sheet for the camera man to identify the skater.
In the US it's all about the Ladies even though lately our ladies haven't really been the most competitive of our team. Doesn't mean the powers that be don't continue to make them the headlining event of a competition (though US Nationals now closes out with Ice Dance). Skate America was buzzing with talk of the Russian Jumping Queens that were sure to show off on the ice. We watched the girls in both practice and warm up attack quad jump after quad jump. A lot of falls. A lot of grumpy looks from Coach Eteri. A lot of hype.
Okay, not too much hype, they delivered. But so did Team USA as best they could without the quads and the triple axel. Japan also delivered and the Russian ladies quickly learned that it's not just about the jumps, because if you don't hit your tech you need to at least have some presentation marks to help hold you up. Not that they wiped the ice - far from it - but there was a glaring difference between the Japanese and US ladies vs Team Russia (though they did have one "mature" lady who does her best to have some semblance of artistry in her programs).
I was excited to see some of the ladies I only ever see on TV, and they all made for some great photos. Just as I have with the other blog posts in today's series (Pairs Short, Mens Short, Short Dance) I'll keep to two photos per lady and you can view the rest in my Skate America photo gallery.
Okay, while Men's will always be my "official" favorite discipline for figure skating... in all honesty Ice Dance probably is. I mean, it's Ice Dance. It's technical and entertaining all in one. That there aren't any jumps does not matter, there's as much if not more danger in this sport. The personalities are bold. The costumes are stellar. THE DRAMA OF IT ALL. How can you not love Ice Dance?
Right now, North American teams are killing it on the World Stage - though Russia is starting to push its way into the mix again - and I feel sometimes the other countries are overlooked. Getting to see some of the other teams live was a real treat and I came away with some new favorites (I really adored Olivia Smart and Adrian Diaz's Short Dance and their Free... and their gala... okay I just love them).
As with the other two blog posts in today's series (Pairs Short, Mens Short), I'll try my darndest to keep to two photos per team (so hard!) and you can view all of my photos from Skate America in the gallery.
Continuing with this weekend of whining - today's blog post will be a series of four so that I don't completely go over kill in one giant blog post. Kudos to anyone who is reading, at this point I'm not doing much with content other than just photo dumping and I do apologize. I should have posted these photos a year ago and I never got around to it (to be fair I didn't finish editing these photos until mid 2020).
The great thing about Skate America is it's a quick weekend event. Two days of competition bookended with an official practice and an exhibition gala. I had never been to an international event - the only other skating competitions I've been to are US Nationals in 2005, 06, 08, and 18 - so it was a new and very enjoyable experience. The arena was smaller than what I'm used to for events, but the staff were incredibly friendly. The seats were great for spectating. We met some awesome fans (and one not so awesome one, but it ended up being highly entertaining anyway). Made some new friends.
And the skating was amazing. I don't shoot photos for any reason other than for my own enjoyment. I like to challenge myself into getting the right shot. The lighting in the arena worked really well for cameras and of course once the TV lights come on it's perfect.
The first discipline was pairs. It was a small field and not many of the big names were there other than those from the US (which if you're a figure skating fan you know it's the weak link for Team USA). Didn't matter to me as it was still a great event and I found some new pairs to follow. I'll try to keep the photos to 1-2 per pair, but I make no promises. It's like choosing between your children... ya just shouldn't! (As always, click the "read more" to see all the photos under the cut, and check out my gallery for all of my photos from Skate America 2019.)
A year ago today I was in Las Vegas for the first time to attend my first International Figure Skating competition (as a spectator). I, of course, brought along my camera. We had great seats (front row behind and to the right of the judges table!) and I managed to get a ridiculous amount of photos of all of the skaters.
A year ago today my best friend Erin sat alongside me and watched a sport she only occasionally puts on the TV (and only really when we can chat together while watching) because we rarely see each other due to her finding a great guy to marry and that solidified her staying in Montana while I stay here in Alaska. It was a girls trip where we were also hanging out with my skating fan friends whom I've known for at least 15 years (in person, longer online and I'm not saying how long bc we're already too old).
A year ago today there were barely even rumblings of an upcoming pandemic. A year ago today we were barely talking about the upcoming election. A year ago today we weren't preoccupied with masks and civil war and red and blue and purple and green. Sure those problems existed and some of us even did care an awful lot... but life was relatively - what we thought as - normal.
Today, I'm not packing for Vegas and Skate America - which was supposed to take place in the same arena as last year because it was such a great venue those of us who attended made sure to let the USFS know how much we wanted to return. Today, I'm counting down to watching Skate America 2020 stream online. Today skaters are probably doing their final covid test in prep for the event, and hoping the event takes place. There won't be an audience. We don't know what to expect in this age of Covid.
Yes, I'm being whiny. I really wanted to be there. I really wanted to see my friends and watch amazing skaters. So instead I'm just going to relive that weekend in October last year. Today - some of my favorite photos from the official practice... a year ago today. Yeah, another photo dump. If you want to see all of my Skate America 2019 photos you can visit my gallery.
This is just really for me as I will be attending Skate America next month (first time for me to attend an international competition AND my first trip to Vegas). I like to have an idea of what the programs look like, especially since I hope to snap quite a few pictures. I can't help it, I love the challenge of shooting sports! I know people say to make sure to enjoy the moment and not just live through the camera, but I really do enjoy it so much more when I'm also trying to get the shot. I'm weird.
Here's hoping the lists don't change much due to injury. I've got 28 days till I'm in Vegas!
Ladies
Bradie Tennell skates her Long Program. 2018 US National Championships San Jose, CA / January 5, 2018
With the announcement this week that Grant Hochstein was retiring from competitive figure skating and would focus on coaching, I thought I'd go ahead and show off some of my photos I took of him back in January when I attended the US Figure Skating National Championships. (How's that for a run on sentence?!) This short program was perfection. So glad I got to see his final skates at Nationals.
I get that the US Media is trying to be "progressive" by being so positive and obsessed with Adam Rippon being the "first openly gay US athlete" at the Olympics, but they're acting like this also somehow makes what he's doing on the ice that much more impressive. However, there have been many incredible men in figure skating history who were gay who had AMAZING Olympic Moments. Adam is not doing anything *new* other than coming out BEFORE his career is over. He's doing what he feels he needs to do, and more power to him, but I feel it ignores some of the other fantastic athletes in this sport, and it's overshadowing other amazing athletes at these games (Mirai Nagasu, anyone?)
This is not a knock on Adam - he had an amazing skate last night (judging issues aside). I just can't help but go to youtube and watch some of the ones that came before Adam. They in many ways paved the way. Point being: without the ones that came before, Adam most likely could not have broken down that final barrier. I don't think we'd be seeing him stick his tongue out suggestively at the judges in an Olympic season without the likes of Boitano, Galindo (who did not make it to the Olympics, but certainly deserves credit), Goebel, Savoie, and of course Weir.
I'm not going to list all of them, and since the media is focused on him being the first US man, I'll just share a few of my favorite Olympic moments by known (out) gay men because I think they need a shout out.
Probably most notable is our 1988 Olympic Champion Brian Boitano. If you grew up with skating in the 90's you know who Brian is. Brian only came out in 2014, but I'm fairly certain most fans "knew". It just wasn't something we cared about. As Brian said in a recent interview it is a part of who he is, but it's only a part. He's also a figure skater, chef, etc. The incredibly private Boitano just did not feel the need to share it with the world - until the Olympics were in Russia and President Obama asked him to be a part of the delegation from the US. Brian Boitano's 1988 Olympic Winning Long Program is one of the most iconic programs in modern figure skating. Everything from the music and choreography, to the costume and the permed mullet thing he had going on. It's one of the first images I have whenever Boitano is mentioned.
Boitano would also represent the USA in 1994 and was the only gay skater in US Men's skating on any Olympic team in the 90s.
Team USA's made up for it lately though. In 2002, Timothy Goebel (who would not come out until he announced his engagement just a few years ago), was our "quad king" going into the Salt Lake City games. Like Boitano, Timothy kept his life very private, but unlike Boitano was considered one of the heartthrobs of the Winter Olympics that year (I admit to crushing hard for Timmy!). Goebel would win a bronze medal in those games, and continued through 2006 before retiring and heading full time into university (he majored in mathmatics, what a nerd).
Oh the frosted tip look most guys my age had when we were high school age. What were they thinking. And those curls! Again - leading the way for Adam Rippon who when he was around the same age embraced his crazy curly mop hair (until coach Nikolai Morosov made him use a hair straightener, so much irony there... look at the puns!).
2006 saw Johnny Weir and Matt Savoie represent the rainbow at the Olympics (though "closeted"). The two could not have been more different in style and personality. Savoie was seemingly shy, quiet, and smooth... Johnny Weir was... well.. chances are you know who Johnny Weir has always been. Savoie was robbed by the judges thanks to skaters exploiting loopholes in the [at the time] new judging system. Add to the fact that he was the third ranked US skater and wasn't really known for his consistency and the judges just didn't hold him in the same caliber, but he was and is well loved by fans world-wide. I definitely miss his skating.
I was fortunate enough to see him skate his programs and make the team at the US Nationals in 2006. The night of the exhibition after it was all over we must have been getting ready to head for the airport at the same time because we found ourselves at the hotel baggage hold together. I congratulated him on making the team, he seemed surprised I recognized him, but thanked me. Such a great skater.
Johnny had a rough season going into the Olympics, and then had a rough Olympics. Even though his LP wasn't his best showing, I chose it over The Swan because I couldn't stand the Swan, but Otonal is really the only program of his that I like. So you get it instead of anything better because I can.
Johnny would make the team again in 2010, though he was pretty much on his way out in most fans' minds by then. His main rival for over 4 years had been Evan Lysacek and while Johnny was struggling, Evan was becoming a World Champion and eventual Olympic Champion. Johnny was on the verge of being eclipsed by skaters like teammate Jeremy Abbott (who recently came out as well). Still, he put up a good showing, but it was clear that International Judges were done with his perceived attitude. He went on to commentate the 2014 and 2018 Olympic Games when NBC decided he was a better choice than Scott Hamilton.
Johnny got in trouble with animal rights groups leading up to the 2010 games because he dared to wear fur on his costumes. He gave in to pressure and removed the fur before the competition.
A little less controversial, his fellow teammate Jeremy Abbott also skated in Vancouver and did fairly well for himself, though it was the Evan and Plushenko show, Jeremy set himself up to be the leading man for the next Olympic Cycle with his showings in Canada.
Not many options for Olympic footage of Jeremy, probably due to how NBC plays ball, but his short was pretty decent, so we'll go with it.
2014 would see Jeremy lead the US Team, and he didn't have the BEST of times but they weren't really the worst either, and he did manage to help get the team the bronze medal in the first ever team event.
Jeremy was one of two skaters that made the US team that year. The other, Jason Brown, has not come out and confirmed his sexuality one way or the other. Many have speculated, but out of respect for his choice I won't count him among the number that I think he belongs to.
So that brings us to the present. Adam is the first one to actually come out (several years) before competing in the Olympics. Without the US Men that came before him (and this is only those who were in the Olympics in the last 30 years in Men's skating. There are men who skated Ice Dance and Pairs that were not listed...) Adam might not have been able to come out now and be his "true self". That's not to say that the other men were not true to themselves. None of them ever said that they weren't gay, they just never entertained the question. They all had their own styles, some more "flamboyant" than others. That's what's always been so great about this sport. Sure, the judges can favor one style over the other, but at the end of the day - the skater who does their job and pushes the sport wins.
And because I can and I feel that it would be wrong NOT to include him... Here's Rudy Galindo's magical Free Skate in 1996 when he won his US Title.
Hopefully that little earworm is making its happy little home in your head right now. It's been stuck in mine for months. Why? Because I made the decision early this year that I would attend the 2018 US Figure Skating National Championships hosted this year in San Jose, CA.
I know, you're confused. For over five years, this blog has been mainly mushing/Iditarod news and Alaska photography. I've not given up on my second favorite sport, I just haven't followed as I used to (thanks to NBC having the two worst commentators EVER on the mics these days). Niche sports are hard to follow, and others follow skating better, so I focus on mushing.
But! Instead of sitting on my butt all weekend refreshing the GPS tracker for the first race of the season in January, I'll be sitting in an arena hanging out with friends and cheering on the skaters trying to make Team USA. I haven't been to a championship (or any skating event) in ten years! I haven't seen some of my friends in ten years. I cannot WAIT for this trip!
While I'll really only be there for the senior skating events (the championship begins in December, but I just couldn't swing that), I'll be gone from January 1-13 (of course if I'm in California I've gotta visit Disney, too!). I'm working on itineraries and everything. I'm so out of the loop as to what these competitions are like. Waiting for the practice schedule to come out. Have we always had to wait this late for info?! Ugh!
But so far, here's what I have.
January 1, 2018 Drive up to Anchorage @ 8:00am January 2, 2018 Fly out @ 6:45am Land in Seattle @ 11:21am (10:21am AKST) Leave Seattle @ 1:00pm (Noon AKST) Land in San Jose @ 3:14pm (2:14pm AKST) *Possibly attending the Junior Ladies Free Skate @ 7:15pm (6:15pm AKST)
January 3, 2018 Junior Men Free Skate @ 10:15am (9:15am AKST) Senior Ladies Short Probram @ 6:00pm (5:00pm AKST)
January 4, 2018 Junior Free Dance @ 10:00am (9:00am AKST) Senior Pairs Short Program @ 12:50pm (11:50am AKST) Senior Men Short Program @ 5:30pm (4:30pm AKST)
January 5, 2018 Senior Ice Dance Short Dance @ 1:10pm (12:10pm AKST) Senior Ladies Free Skate @ 3:45pm (2:45pm AKST)
January 6, 2018 Senior Pairs Free Skate @ 11:45am (10:45am AKST) Senior Mens Free Skate @ 3:45pm (2:45pm AKST)
My hotel is supposed to have wifi, so maybe I'll check in... but we all know I most likely won't blog much - so follow me on twitter for anything I might say about the competition (if you're so inclined).
