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!)

30 Days of [Figure] Skating: Day Six

Day 6: Predict - gold medalists at 2011 Worlds

I am a horrible predictor. Chances are if I name someone as the winner they bomb. I am unlucky. This is not just in figure skating but in mushing and football as well. If I cheer too loudly or have too much faith in even the heavy favorite, they lose. It's so bad that I've had to promise several athletes that I won't cheer for them at all! LOL

But since I have promised to do this stupid 30 day thing I will go ahead and jinx six skaters and ruin their year.

Ladies - Miki Ando, pretty sure she's being set up as the winner. Would love to see Alissa Cizny just have a monster year and take it all, though.

Men - Daisuke Takahashi. Granted he didn't have a good nationals, and he will be defending his world title at home and yadda yadda yadda, but I think he can do it (Kurt Browning's season the year he defended his first World's title was crappy too).

Pairs - Savchenko and Szolkowy. I know most have given this to Pang & Tong, but I'm giving it to the Germans. Because they're awesome.

Dance - Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir will win this thing, if they compete. If not Meryl Davis & Charlie White.

30 Days of [Figure] Skating: Day Five

Day 5: Your favourite Dance program

Oh goodness this is tough. Growing up I didn't "get" the ice dance side of the sport, it didn't have jumps or throws so it just didn't interest me. Then in 1999 I attended a show in Anchorage that Scott Hamilton (shocking, I know) brought up partnering with Tesoro. Renee Roca & Gorsha Sur were the token dance team in the show and they totally blew me away. Who knew ice dance could be so amazing? They skated to their program titled "Ghost". It sent shivers through me at 14.

Fast forward a few years to 2005 when I went to my first US National Championships. I met up with Melissa Gregory & Denis Petukhov and Melissa's mom and grandparents (who are all amazing). It was the first time I'd met them face to face, though we'd communicated by email prior to my making the trek to an actual event. I learned so much by sitting with Dale that week as she explained the basics of the dances. She was just your regular skater mom, but it was through her that I fell in love with the sport her daughter was a part of.

In 2007, Melissa and Denis had the free dance of a lifetime. It was one of the most beautiful programs I have ever seen, and I'm still so bummed that I did not get to see them skate it live. It was their Adam and Eve program - which would later become "Fallen Angels" a program they skated with US Men's Champion Johnny Weir.

I know I've already featured them before, and I'm incredibly biased, but Adam & Eve/Fallen Angels was just spectacular. I was tempted to go with Belbin & Agosto's Gypsy Free Dance from 2005, or Torvill & Dean's Take Five, but I've gotta go with MelDen once again. That program was everything a free dance should be.




And, of course, I gotta give some love to Gorsha Sur and that chick he skated with... so amazing.

30 Days of [Figure] Skating: Day Four

Day 4: Up and Comer you're most excited to see...

No question, that goes to Alaska's own Keegan Messing. I've watched him climb the ranks for the last six years or so, and couldn't be more proud of all he's accomplished. While others see some of the results and think him mediocre, I'd like to point out that Alaska's figure skating scene is... well... nearly non existant. They get very little support from teh state, very little notice from the USFSA, and their expenses are multiplied due to the lack of training rinks, general airfare to get to competitions, and the inflated local economy.

Keegan is a techinical wizard who is slowly working on his artistry. He's got a lot of energy and flair... and I love his sense of humor. He made a lot of buzz in 2008 and I heard a few remarks about how much he reminded others of a young Scott Hamilton (the height probably has a lot to do with it).

He's skating as a Junior internationally, and a senior at nationals. He's part of the next generation, and I have no doubt he'll be in the mix in no time. Definitely my top pick for most exciting up and comer.

30 Days of [Figure] Skating: Day Three

Day 3: Favorite Spectatorship Moment

I have so many. I've been fortunate enough to watch Keegan Messing over the years skate in local events, I saw some wonderful Fairbanks talent this summer both of which makes my heart swell with pride seeing Alaskans excel in the sport I have loved watching for most of my life (and certainly all of my adult life, which I know is only five or so years but still. It sounds cool when I say it).

However I think the one that stands out as my favorite is watching two very special people take to the Olympic ice for the first time in 2006. Melissa and Denis were so deserving of their spot on the US team, and I was so happy for them! I was able to see them make the team at the 2006 Nationals and the butterflies still come just thinking about it. I ended up having to sit away from their family during the free dance because it was so well attended that we had to sneak seats elsewhere, but we were still front and center to see them skate to silver.

Then February came and I sat in front of the TV watching every moment of the US Olympic Figure Skating Team's moment... and when Melissa and Denis took to the ice for their Compulsary Dance there was a lot of joy. Nerves were gone, because for them it wasn't about a podium placement, it was about the moment. I don't think I've ever seen them skate freer (though their Free Dance the next season is their best ever IMO).

So that's my favorite moment as a spectator... it's all summed up in that one skate.

What I did on Christmas Vacation

Christmas was spent in Anchorage. After working all day on Thursday I drove my truck behind my dad. Duane rode with me as I was incredibly nervous driving in the dark on winter roads. It wasn't too bad, but we were definitely driving on ice in parts where I hated it.

Christmas was great. The family was all together and we had a lot of laughs and food. I love getting together with the whole gang. Louisa and Jim came down and Louisa's mom was up visiting from Washington so it was crowded, which made it even better. Christmas Eve Haille and Juanita came into town so it was one big happy family in Judy and Gaylord's small little house. Couldn't have been happier.

Christmas day was at the G'parents. It was great, and once again it was full! Carolyn and her friend came by so it was just like old times. Lots of new memories for the kids, and lots more laughter for the rest of us.

Then the day after Christmas the fun ended. We were on our way out of town, going to stop by the g'parents to say good bye and I ended up wrecking the truck. Duane, Yuka and I are all fine, no worries there. I hit a patch of ice going way slower than the speedlimit and I was able to correct the car out of the spin but not out of the slide and I ended up crunching the driver's front fender... and the tire blew... and now they're finding tons more wrong with it so it looks like the truck will be totalled and I'll be out of a vehicle. Because my life sucks like that right now.

So the four of us plus three dogs rode home in Dad's truck. Monday mom drove her van over and so I am driving that for the time being, but we can't have that forever. So who knows what's going to happen with that. More expenses just keep piling up and I have no way to pay for any of them! UGH! Tuesday mom's car wouldn't start so my boss had to come rescue me and take me into work... and my best friend found out she needed surgery. To say this week has been a crapfest would be an understatement.

So that's how I spent the last week. How was yours?

Finally back among the digital!

It's been a battle trying to get internet set up at my house, but we finally have it. Oh, how I've missed the information highway! I have felt incredibly disconnected - especially when it comes to figure skating. I've missed several huge events (Japanese nationals sounds like it was awesome. So bummed I couldn't read up on it as it happened!)

Anyway, I'm catching up on my photography pages and what not, but I will be updating on here, soon! This week has been horrible and I will be expanding on that in posts coming soon.