Skate Canada 2011

I think we can start this since it will be on this weekend.
Skate Canada provides official live stream for you to watching those practice.
I watched Akiko yesterday and she is in good shape and when she did her runthru for FS, the commentator can't stop praising her
she did look amazing last night (morning in Canada?) and with smile on her face.
She also tried some 3-3-2 or 3-2-2 last night and she looks stable for jumps and she always has most amazing steps.
she was MVP last night to me

Male practice is too late for me, so I have no idea how they are.

Thanks shikure for starting the thread! I saw a little bit of men practice, only full Adan Rippon's long program run through. His jumps were OK but not too spectacular, he popped both 3A attempts in his program, but I think did the rest. They showed Dai attempting quad toe several times and falling on all on them Rather than that he seemed to be in a good shape.

By the way, here is a link to a small piece of ladies practice and there other practice videos there as well: http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/18142676

Any free live streams so that we can watch the actual competition?

Anyone has a practice link of Akiko? :O
I can't seem to find one!

Alokya wrote:

Any free live streams so that we can watch the actual competition?

Yeah im interested in that too, Eurosport again dont do what they promised!

I know there is going to be a russian stream that will show it and skate buzz is going to show it on saturday

Yes a live stream would be great. My boyfriend is being cheap, and has decided to stop paying for cable, and as luck would have it, RIGHT BEFORE figure skating season started! . We will apparently get some stations till the end of the month. For now, universal sports is one of the stations we're NOT getting, and dvr is not working any more either, so I can't even record what little they do play an nbc. For skate america I had to work when it came on nbc, and looks like I may have to again this weekend. But I will probably have time to catch some of it if there is a live stream.

Yay! Go Mirai and Akiko!

It feels very weird cheering for Mirai knowing she was in the same building as me in SA and now she's competing in Canada.

Star85 wrote:

Yes a live stream would be great. My boyfriend is being cheap, and has decided to stop paying for cable, and as luck would have it, RIGHT BEFORE figure skating season started! . We will apparently get some stations till the end of the month. For now, universal sports is one of the stations we're NOT getting, and dvr is not working any more either, so I can't even record what little they do play an nbc. For skate america I had to work when it came on nbc, and looks like I may have to again this weekend. But I will probably have time to catch some of it if there is a live stream.

Sucks...

On GS, people are using this (http://www.parom.tv/sport2) and seems to be streaming all of the events live. I used it last week for SA. Down side is it is awfully choppy and pixelly, and that seemed to be the case for everyone in North America. But if you follow the thread on GS during the competition, someone might post another link at some point. Last week, someone posted a link to British Eurosport for the ladies FS. The feed was great, much better than the russian one. And commentary, of course, was top-notch, as usual.

As for me, I am thanking CTV for bying the rights to SC from CBC! Especially since I got TSN HD and TSN2 (HD as well) this summer during Wimbledon (I can't stand the tennis commentators on the Canadian French channels lol... I'd rather pay extra for TSN than have to listen to them prattle on). Turns out it was a wonderful investment. 2$ more a month and a very nice tennis and skating season for me! This afternoon, we got the entire broadcast of the ladies and pairs SP... 3 whole hours of skating on HD TV!!!! And there's more tonight and tomorrow. I've got 2 Halloween parties planned this weekend but I think my costume will look just as good next year, providing that there's no skating on

Are those channels that some of you in the US might get? Maybe on the East coast? TSN2 is broadcasting the men's free and the short dance tonight at 7:30.

http://www.isuresults.com/results/gpcan2011/SEG003.HTM
http://www.isuresults.com/results/gpcan2011/gpcan2011_Ladies_SP_Scores.pdf

Elizaveta is in first which isn't much of a surprise. She has such presence on the ice and her jumps, wow...the way she lifts off the ice. But I really don't like her sit-spin

Mirai fell on her lutz and didn't do the combo. Akiko singled her double loop, but she got the highest PCS.

The user NikaQuest has all the ladies and pairs video already up on YT.

I liked how pissed off Mirai looked at the end- I think there's going to be some fire in her Spartacus program.
Also, I think Akiko looks really good with her stocking inside her boots.

The men's sp results are in:
http://www.isuresults.com/results/gpcan2011/SEG001.HTM
http://www.isuresults.com/results/gpcan2011/gpcan2011_Men_SP_Scores.pdf

P-Chiddy...bobble going into the 4T, hand down and opening up on his 3A making it a double, but still manages to get scores of 9's in the PCS department. Great job to Javier (too bad Orser is his coach).

Daisuke didn't do a quad but he still skated strong. I didn't like his music, however. I didn't know what it was trying to express.

Woah! I am impressed... Pchan is rightfully in 3rd after some mistakes, though slightly held up by his PCS. However since the mistakes were not as disruptive as usual, I was expecting the judges to hand him a 90 so I'm happy! And Javi is first!! What a gorgeous SP he delivered too. That quad...

Dai-chan was his fantastic self as well, though he did not go for the quad. He would probably lead too if it wasn't for that level 1 on his camel spin... I don't get that call... it looked fine to me. Can someone explain why that was DG to a level 1? I thought he had a tiny wobble on the first camel position, but nothing really noticeable. Maybe he did not hold that position long enough?

Anyway, I am thrilled for both Javi and Dai and I hope they can deliver tomorrow too and keep Pchan on his toes. Afterall, they want to be among the skaters who are working hard to somewhat be at his level.. (Pchan's latest foot-in-the-mouth/I-swear-I-am-not-full-of-myself call)

Short dance was great as well. My favorites were Capellini/Lanotte and Weaver/Poje (though I very much disliked the dress she borrowed from Flo)... I don't know why, there's something I don't like about Virtue/Moir in this dance. I can't look at her, she looks so frenetic to me. The smoothness was evident in the compulsory part but that was all, and the strange transition of the music that went with the compulsory bothered me. Last year's free dance was much better, IMO. As I listened to Tracy Wilson go on and on about how fantastic it was, all I could do was . Yeah it was good, but THAT good? Apparently, the judges saw it too (the thing I missed), because they gave out some whooping scores...

ETA: some judges gave Pchan a lower score on transitions than on everything else... 7.75. I am impressed! The trip up leading to the quad maybe? Tripping over his step sequence didn't use to have much of an effect. Maybe the judges were handed stricter guides to follow this year? I like that while his PCS are high, they're not through the roof even though this is skate Chanada (sorry... been hanging at _skating lately...). They're barely higher than Daisuke. I'm glad that Dai's less than glorious 2010-11 season does not seem to be affecting his position in the judges eyes. They still have him right up there behind Chan, and possibly ahead if he can up his game and show consistency (the latter of which Chan somewhat lacks).

Patric always get high PCS no matter what. He don't deserve this time too. But I don't know should I be mad at more? Chan or judges. I watch video and since this is Skate Canada he get lot of support and maybe judges become intimidated. I never liked Take 5 is boring then and still boring.

For women, I like Akiko and her program very much. She made mistake in combo, but still good. She use nice folk music.

chiyori wrote:

Dai-chan was his fantastic self as well, though he did not go for the quad. He would probably lead too if it wasn't for that level 1 on his camel spin... I don't get that call... it looked fine to me. Can someone explain why that was DG to a level 1? I thought he had a tiny wobble on the first camel position, but nothing really noticeable. Maybe he did not hold that position long enough?

The only reasons I can come up with are A) the tech caller didn't buy the layover/catchfoot variations as difficult positions or B) decided that Dai didn't have six rotations on each foot for the change-foot camel, which results in an automatic level one. It's still an iffy call either way for me, but I suppose it won't hurt to try and go for seven rotations on each foot next time just to be safe. The judging for the spins for the men felt weird all around to me, especially when a handful of judges were giving +1s and +2s to Javier who literally didn't have any of his spin axises centered and was traveling all over the place. Yes, Javier skated the SP of his career and it was darn great, but sheesh. This is exactly why I would prefer that GOEs are handed out on a relative scale against the rest of the competition and not on an individual basis.

Oh, and I was really happy with Adam today. The entry to his 3A is still cautious and long, and there's still that weird bobble going on in his crossovers (it's getting better though), but it was wonderful to not see his programs bogged down with the "here-I-am-ticking-off-the-required-turns-and-steps" type footwork that David Wilson has a habit of doing when the skater he's choreographing for isn't named Jeff or Jeremy or Dai or Kozu.

clovera wrote:

...but it was wonderful to not see his programs bogged down with the "here-I-am-ticking-off-the-required-turns-and-steps" type footwork that David Wilson has a habit of doing when the skater he's choreographing for isn't named Jeff or Jeremy or Dai or Kozu.

OMG I love Liza's short. She was rocking it! This might sound strange, but I'm happy that Mirai isn't in 1st place, so she won't be too nervous today in the long, and we might see some magic.

And eurosport is broadcasting the ladies and pairs today. So happy!

Go Mirai, Liza and V/T!

It was my first time seeing Liza on TV, and not on a youtube video. The quality of her jumps is just. . . wow. Steps are amazing for someone her age. Plus, she's got that little something that gives her star power. The girl is awesome. Spins are pretty terrible though, hopefully she'll work on them.
Too bad Mirai fell. But maybe it's a good thing, because whenever she delivered a great lp she was a little down in the sp. She looked pissed off, hopefully it will give her fire. So far I'm not that crazy about her sp but I love her lp this season, so I hope she'll deliver. Go Mirai!!!
I don't like Alena's interpretation of Pirates of the caribbean, am I the only one? (Because the commentator was raving about it. . .)

dangerous_angel_face wrote:

I don't like Alena's interpretation of Pirates of the caribbean, am I the only one? (Because the commentator was raving about it. . .)

No you're not the only one, I absolutely hate it. I couldn't believe my ears, when commentator said that this was a great choreography. Seriously?! Half of her step sequence consisted of hip shaking and posing. Typically Morozov. But you have to give it to her, she was selling it.

I so hope that V/T (or someone in their team) will wake up and go to some other choreographer.

OMG Akiko The commentators were in love with her skating and rightfully so! She was awesome. When she'll skate clean, she'll bring the house down.

Yeah, I read Akiko did great. She got 1st in the free and 2nd overall. And she got level 4 for her straightline ss! Congrats to her and Liza for her first senior grand prix win. Good job to Ashley too.

http://www.isuresults.com/results/gpcan2011/SEG004.HTM
http://www.isuresults.com/results/gpcan2011/gpcan2011_Ladies_FS_Scores.pdf

Oh wow, Akiko did 1A+3T?? I gotta see this.

Rachael and Mirai didn't do so well. But Mirai's got Cup of China next, so hopefully she'll show better results. She ur her jumps, 2fted her lutz and messed up on her last spin.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSAMlDUTipg

I'm pretty sure that Liza just made Grand Prix history as the first person to win a Grand Prix title in her first Grand Prix competition.

maowataiyo wrote:

Rachael and Mirai didn't do so well. But Mirai's got Cup of China next, so hopefully she'll show better results. She ur her jumps, 2fted her lutz and messed up on her last spin.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSAMlDUTipg

Rachael was a mess, and Mirai skated like she didn't want to be there, or she was bored with her program. No emotions, she seemed really slow, I don't know what's wrong with her. She has to step it up if she wants to go to worlds, especially since it looks like Alissa has found her mojo with her coaching team and Ashley looked really good today.

And Akiko has won the free.!

This was Liza's event through and through. Congratulations!!
(can someone check the record books if she is the first singles skater to win a GP event on their senior circuit debut?)

Very strong skate from Akiko who won the LP - she's still a legitimate threat, no doubt. Not very sunny for the American girls though save for Ashley, who always shows up prepared for competition early on in the season and is clearly tired from being off the Worlds roster. She just might be able to, as Mirai is as on/off as ever and Rachael is looking very Emily Hughes-like in her rapid fall from a final-flight skater to someone who can no longer break the top 10 at Worlds. Skating on the international stage and juggling a top tier university course load just doesn't work.

The judges were mighty stingy with the ladies' PCS this event, weren't they? Only Akiko and Ashley received 7.00s on their PCS and it was just for two out of the five components for their FS.

glad that akiko finally got the scores she deserved and if it wasn't for elizvetas lead in the sp akiko would have won. and I am soo happy for akiko I really crossed my fingers when she had to skate and her program, and was awesome, I hope this has given her more motivation and confidence for the nationals, I sincerly hope she makes the world team this year...

elizveta had to clean skates, and delieved what she had and I am really happy with the results since once in a while, I really think the scores reflected what all the skaters delievered.. and ashley really surprised me by giving to clean programmes... I just feel really dissapointed for mirai, since this was her time to show what she get... overall I have to say it's been a while since I have been this satisfied with the result!! BUT NOW I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE MAO SKATE NEXT TIME, AND SHOW WHAT REAL BRILLIANCE ON ICE IS!!!

Someone on twitter made an excellent point: "Patrick Chan and the Judging System are like sleeping together. #Skating"

OMFG at the scores. . .

I'd like to see what happens if Chan just sits on the ice for 4 minutes. He'd probably still get at least bronze.