30 Days of [Figure] Skating: Day Twenty-Seven

Day 27: Favorite figure skating moment of all time

Well considering today was an amazing day for US men's figure skating I'm riding on such a high that I have to say today was the best moment. For two reasons.

First off, Ryan Bradley winning the National title. It wasn't his best performance, but he never gave up. The fact that he skated lights out for the short program and then came back after wonky quads in the long really showed that he wanted this like no other championship. Let me preface by saying I was not a Ryan Bradley fan when it was cool to be one. I remember hearing all the girls our age gush about how cute he was and how awesome his skating was back in 2000/01. I didn't get it. He was a nice looking face but that was it to me.

Then he found his niche as a performer and suddenly I was taking an interest. Seeing him at nationals in 2006 sealed the deal. I became one of his fangirls from that moment on (it didn't hurt when I met him with a friend that it was more like just a few young people hanging out and not fangirls meeting their dreamboat ha ha!). Fast forward to tonight when Bradley won after wanting to quit after last season and I was a ball of emotion. Nervous, heart broken when he fell, and elated when he still managed to win. No one deserves it more. It was a bittersweet Galindo moment, but one that still deserves its place in hearts and memories. The bashing has already started elsewhere, but for me - yes a fan girl- I can honestly say I couldn't be more proud. I want to thank Ryan from the bottom of my heart for not giving into the naysayers, and for giving us this moment. Is it too early to beg for a repeat next season?

My second favorite moment also comes from this night of skating. Keegan Messing not only made the final flight of skaters, but he had a fantastic nationals from start to finish. I got really choked up for some reason as I listened to Scott Hamilton commentate his long program. Keegan reminds me a lot of Scotty in skating style (maybe it's the shortness thing) and Scott's energy in the mic translated to what we were seeing on the ice. I've watched Keegan and known he was special since 2004. He was just a little guy, then, but he loved to entertain and he was quick... and light on his feet and in the air. He started making waves at nationals that year, and has been climbing steadily up the ranks ever since. I have high hopes from our Alaskan skater, and want so badly for him to have his own Ryan Bradley moment (or better yet, lets have him be the next Scott. 4 time world champ, olympic champ, and biggest male skating personality in the US).

US Nationals: Who I'm Watching For...

I haven't done much talking on this season's skating. I've been hit with the Olympic slump, spending more time watching football and other things than I have with skating. But it's nationals week for the US, and that always gets me excited. Ever since attending my first nationals in 2005, this event has become my favorite. I'm hoping that this time next year I will be in San Jose with my friends catching all of the action.

So, which senior skaters have me excited for this week? Let's take a look.

Ryan Bradley, Men's. After a disappointing fourth place finish last year, Ryan was on the verge of quitting. Then he got all of us excited when he started tweeting this fall that he was back in action and nationals was on his mind. He's making a "comeback" and I'm really hoping that this is HIS year. Ryan Bradley National Champion, has been on teh lips of many since 2000 (or earlier!) and this would be the perfect season to prove us all right! He's skating to Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy for his short, and he's reusing last year's Mozart LP.

Keegan Messing, Men's. He's our Alaskan boy! Second year senior, it's time to make his mark. He's had an up and down season so far, but nationals is where he normally puts it down. I've loved watching this kid grow up on the ice, and I'm proud that he represents Alaska in such a powerhouse type way. I wish Alaskans knew about one of our awesome up-and-comer athletes. Guess I'll just keep shouting his name from the rooftops! He's one of the top ten from last year, here's hoping he makes a larger leap this season!

Caitlyn Yankowskas & John Coughlin, Pairs. They've had a great opening season, and are ready to make that jump onto the top of the US podium. They're not completely polished, but they're getting there. I have really enjoyed their programs so far, and with over a month of training under their belt, I expect the programs to be refined. I don't think we have any US pairs that are going to wow the judges and make top five at worlds any time soon, but with Caitlyn & John - along with Caydee & Jeremy and Amanda & Mark - we are certainly on our way up.

Maia & Alex Shibutani, Ice Dance. Ice dance is the main reason I need to get back to US nationals, I just don't know enough about the up and comers. But I've been a fan of the Shibutanis since seeing them as Juniors in 2008. They were adorable then, and they are seamless now. Igor and Marina just keep producing the highest quality of Ice Dancers America has ever seen. The Shibs are where it's at!

Ashley Wagner, Ladies. Maybe I'm not *excited* but I'm still hoping for Ashley to pull one out of her hat and get on the top teir of the podium. Who doesn't want this girl to do well? She may not be Alissa Czisny on the ice as far as artistry goes, but she's a powerhouse with a restrained elegance about her. I'm all for her finally getting the gold... if she can nail it down. GO ASHLEY!

Mirai Nagasu, Ladies. I, sadly, do not believe Ashley has a real shot even if she does skate lights out of winning. Especially if Mirai has another nationals like last year (she should be National champion for that competition). Mirai is another skater I've enjoyed watching since 2008 (where she won her first national title). If the two go one and two in either order (deservingly) I will be a happy girl.

30 Days of [Figure] Skating: Day Seven

Day 7: Favorite Men's Program

You really want to hurt me, don't you? How am I supposed to choose just one program? It's pretty close to impossible. The Men's dicipline is my favorite in figure skating, no surprise there, and I have a lot of favorite programs. So I'm going to narrow it down to two, favorite show program and favorite competitive program... at least I hope by the time I'm done I can have one. It'd be easier to just ask for favorite body of work of a figure skater! LOL

I'm still having a hard time deciding, I've had this blog open pretty much since I got home two hours ago and I'm still watching Youtube trying to decide just which program I want to use. It's come down to Kurt Browning, but that just narrows it down to A skater... not a program. I have so many favorites for so many reasons. And just when I think I have decided my heart comes up with another love.

But I think I'm going to go with Serenade to Sonia on this one. Not because it's technically difficult, or mindblowingly artistic (that'd be Nyah and Summertime) but because of the heart in it. It is, after all, a program dedicated to and about his relationship with his (then) new bride. And it's the program that made me fall in love with the Canadian skater whom most of the skating world already loved.



So there, whew, I picked my favorite show program... now to decide on my favorite competitive program... oh dear. This didn't seem to be so difficult. Originally I was going to go with Kurt's 1994 SP to St. Louis Blues (even if it was a disaster in Lillehammer), then I remembered I liked Evan Lysacek's Carmen, and then I wanted to pick Ryan Bradley's 2010 LP, and then I remembered I love several of Alexei Yagudin's programs. So many fantastic programs. And I do enjoy watching Johnny Weir's Otonal program... oy...

Alright I went with Ryan Bradley's 2010 Free Program. I dedicated a whole blog post about it last year, so why not. It's a fantastic program. It's everything I enjoy about the sport - in a COMPETITIVE program! It's just freaking awesome. I cannot wait to see what he does at nationals this year (so glad you've come back, Ryan!)

Ryan Bradley at US Nationals?

Bradley during practice at Worlds in 2010
Photo (c) Rueters

Rumors began circulating in late November that Ryan Bradley was going to make his way to the US Figure Skating national championships when he added some suggestive tweets on Twitter. This week several fans on skating message boards reported on his strong skates in a Dallas exhibition in which he hit triple axels and quads in practice and the shows.

Bradley has been the talk of many skating fans as far back as 2000 when his charm and skating ability was noticed as a junior. His boy next door looks didn't hurt his fandom either. Still, his journey into the senior ranks was rocky, filled with inconsistency and "lack of polish." What made Bradley unique was also hurting his chances for climbing the ranks - he was all about showmanship at - apparently - the expense of the technical difficulty.

That all seemed to change during the last quadrennial with Bradley taking the silver medal at the US National Championships in 2007 - right out from under former US Champion Johnny Weir (who barely hung on to third). Still, it was an up and down end to the season when Ryan reached Worlds, and he did not make the team in 2008 when he finished fifth. 2009 he was, again, fourth, and during the Olympic season his short program kept him from the Olympic team even though he had the second best long program (he once again came fourth).

But with his tweeting at the end of October asking "Is it possible to make a comeback if you don't take a season off?" and then a few days later updating his twitter with "Almost done with the short. Contemplating a new long" fans began to get excited at the prospect of Ryan making a bid for US Nationals. He tweeted closer to sectionals that he would be "coaching at my own event." And then nothing on the subject. Bradley went on to participate in several shows (Scott CARES and Improv on Ice) during the fall, while living life (he tweeted from football games, and family events).

The rumors began flying again this weekend when reports from a Christmas show in Dallas, TX had Ryan Bradley looking more fit than he had before hitting his triple Axel and attempting quads. One fan reported on FSU that she had heard "from sources" that Ryan had said he would be competing at nationals.

So, will Bradley be at nationals? With the US men's team failing to make the Grand Prix final, and basically having a lackluster season, it's quite possibly Ryan could see himself on the podium. While he doesn't get the high PCS, he can normally make up for it with his quads - and if his triple Axel is truly back he might win on that alone. With audiences bemoaning the lack of individuality, Bradley's "return" could give viewers what they want.

The 2011 US National Championships are just a month or so away, guess we'll wait and see.

Weird resemblances...

While working to get my figure skating tapes transferred to DVD (I have a lot of hours of coverage I am happy to say) I keep coming back to how weird/spooky it is that I've finding similiarities in some of my favorite figure skaters with some of the Iditarod dog mushers.

Now, mind you, I wouldn't take this entirely seriously, as I'm a little bit weird to begin with. But just hear me out and maybe you can reassure me that I'm not as crazy as I seem.

The first ones I've paired are 1992 Olympic Mens Figure Skating Champion Viktor Petrenko and four-time Iditarod Champion Martin Buser. Both would probably with the Mr. Congeniality awards for their sport. They're fun loving guys who may not be the best looking but they are so adorable with personality that you can't help but fall in love with them. They are serious about their sport, but also serious about having fun within it. Petrenko is dedicated to get people to laugh and smile these days as he skates in shows as a professional (when not coaching) and Buser is known for caring for his dogs and making sure that every mile of the Iditarod trail is a fun one.

Martin is one of my favorite mushers though I typically have other mushers I cheer for more. He is not a native Alaskan, but we've adopted him as one of our own. Definitely one of the most loved champions of the last great race on Earth even if he hasn't kept up with the pack in the most recent years. He runs Happy Trails Kennel out of his home in the Big Lake area, and continues to be a champion for the sport. Watch a video of Martin here.

Petrenko has always been one of the skaters who I've found to be entertaining, whether he's skating to the Twist in some really outlandish costume, trying to be the Ukraine version of Michael Jackson, or skating with a doll strapped to his front doing the Mambo #5, he's always in it for the fans. A great champion (he was the main rival of my all time favorite skater back in the day, though Kurt saw more success at Worlds and as a professional). Watch a video of Viktor here.

Most recently, while working at Wildride, I have noticed a similiarity between Iditarod musher Dallas Seavey and US Figure Skater Ryan Bradley. Both men are entertaining, so much so that they're more known - I think - for that than their athletic accomplishments. Seavey is a third generation Iditarod musher who has just recently becoming incredibly competitive within the sport (he beat his dad, 2004 Iditarod Champion Mitch Seavey, for the first time in the 2010 Iditarod!), and it was only the last three years that Ryan Bradley became a contender on the national and international scene (he is most likely retiring from competition). However, they both have been hyped as the next big thing, and they both get a lot of attention from the opposite gender. ha ha.

Dallas Seavey is one of the most fun people I know. He's very passionate about what he does, and he loves to have a good time. He's a great friend to all, and is very 'giving' to his fans (or guests of his show). He's his own musher, not just a shadow of his dad or grandfather in style. He's personable and I think it's his personality that not only sells people on the show but on the sport of mushing. Watching him interact with the tourists and locals alike that come to our show is a sight. Watch a video of him with his dogs here.

I met Ryan Bradley, briefly, in 2008 at the US figure skating national Championships and I was instantly drawn to how genuine he seemed with his fans. He doesn't just treat them like outsiders, he engages them as if they were every day friends. He LOVES to put on a show on the ice, and has been considered one of the best things for skating in a long time. In the years of the code of points where it's all about numbers, and so few really take the time to be creative, Bradley stands alone with his programs (though Takahashi comes close, he's still mathmatical in the process). His presense will most definitely be missed if this does turn out to be his retirement year. Watch a video of his 2010 Long Program.

My Nationals Highlight

There were quite a few fantastic moments, but only ONE program/skater keeps calling out for multiple viewings. That is, of course, Ryan Bradley's Long Program.

One of the reasons I went and looked it up on YouTube Tonight was due to my wonderful best friend who has no clue about figure skating other than some of the men are extremely hot (to give you an idea of her knowledge, she asks every year if Tim Goebel is skating in this event or another). Tonight we were talking and one of her final comments while watching the finale of the US Skating Spectacular was that she couldn't figure out WHY I liked skating. That she found it dull.

Well, yeah, when she listed the skaters she'd actually seen I could understand. But, for ever basic skating competitive program, there are is an equal ratio of those that are more than placements and points (though they won't refuse them if they're good!). Ryan Bradley has always been that type of skater.

So, before I sign off for bed, I leave you with this:



The more I watch the more I wish he and Weir'd been reversed. But, what's done is done.

No Surprise For Men's Olympic Team

Yesterday afternoon was one heck of a men's event. Yes, there were some falls, yes there were some tears. Mainly from Ryan Bradley's fans as we realized his dreams of the Olympics will probably never be realized.

The little things really started adding up for all of the men in Spokane Sunday afternoon. Jeremy Abbot was the sole skater who rose to the occasion and nailed everything. He rightly deserved his placement and his score. It was pretty inspired. The question this blogger has is: will this be a repeat of last season? Will Nationals be his shining moment and then the rest is downhill? We'll see next month.

The biggest shock, possibly, was Evan Lysacek actually going for the quad. To be honest, no one was going to touch Jeremy with the long program he had, but it was still a risky move on Evan's part. He fell, not completing the rotation. Interestingly enough this US Nationals has had the most fair judging that skating's seen in a very long while - and I think EVER in the history of a National Championship (in any country!).

For Sandra Besic to come out and say that Evan deserved the title (this was prior to Jeremy taking the ice) based on the "magic of the program" was laughable. Evan made simple, basic, mistakes in both the Short and Long program; he practically gave the title away.

This should not concern those who believe Evan to be the best shot at a medal. He typically does not skate lights out at nationals - Spokane 2007 being the major exception since Evan became one of the Elite - and seems to save it for Worlds. With the Olympics being the main prize and goal, it should not come as a surprise that he was merely attempting to tick off the elements. This has worked in the past for Evan - he is World Champion the same year he barely made the World Team - so why think it won't continue to work.

Johnny Weir was the spoiler. No one knew WHICH Weir would show up. The confident ready to win avante garde skater with nothing to lose, or the scared to death he's going to fail skater who just hopes he stands upright for four-plus minutes. It seems that both came to the table. Johnny was on fire in the Short Program, he was sassy and completely his own skater. And it worked. He nearly tied Evan, and had their skating orders been reversed, their scores/placements might have been as well. But, the long program brought out the ball of nerves. It was incredibly evident that the pressure was beinging to take its toll on Johnny. The USFSA made it clear last season that they weren't going to give out favors for him, and he knew it going into the Long Program.

The one downer was - there aren't four spots on the Men's team. Ryan Bradley made costly errors in the Short Program only to completely rebound in his Long Program with two quads and more personality than the rest of the top skaters COMBINED. Such is the trademark of Ryan Bradley, and if SOI doesn't sign him up they'll make the biggest mistake - and they can't afford that right now.

So half of the US Figure Skating Team for Vancouver has been decided.
Pairs are Caydee Denney & Jeremy Barrett, and Amanda Evora & Mark Ladwig
Men are Jeremy Abbott, Evan Lysacek, and Johnny Weir.

Can't wait for the rest of the events, it's a great year for USFigure Skating!

Photos (c) Getty Images & The Associated Press c/o DayLife.com