Nobunari

A tiny update!

Nobu talked about the eartquake in Japan:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jq_V58nczBY
Translated by originallove [livejournal.com]
"I know that you feel so anxious when your family is under a catastrophe, but I want everyone to not lose hope."
Oda experienced the Great Hanshin Earthquake when he was younger.
"My relatives got trapped under the debris then... so I was shocked to see the sites of the disaster, it was just too painful."

Aww, so sad to see him crying over the earthquake victims.

On a happier note, Nobunari graduated Kansai University:
http://www.boom-sports.com/
(Some photos and an interview in Japanese)

originallove translated the interview again

Quote :

Q: Congratulations on your graduation.
A: Thank you. I know I should feel happy but it's difficult under the circumstances.

Q: Were you on the verge of tears?
A: No, I was okay.

Q: Have you planned from before to attend today's graduation ceremony?
A: No, I was supposed to be competing at the World Championships, but I was told it has been postponed and will not be held in April [March?]. So my family, coach and wife are at home today.

Q: What do you remember the most about your college years?
A: Going to the Olympics. Six years...I've been here for such a long time. What I felt during those years is that I have a lot of things to learn. The things I learned here will add to my strength, and I'd like to make use of that strength in my future life.

Q: What is your reason for going into graduate school?
A: I am still undecided about my future. I want to continue skating, study in graduate school, and be able to make a concrete decision. I want to study something related to figure skating.

Q: What are your thoughts about the Worlds being postponed?
A: For the time being, I will continue training in Japan. I am still in touch with my coach in Canada on a regular basis. The competition has been postponed, but I'd like to think about what I can do now and act on it. I do think that the cancellation of the event is inevitable.

Q: Is there anything you plan to do to help the situation caused by the earthquake, such as charity?
A: Of course, I have an idea. All of the skaters want to do something. Once we put those ideas together, we'd like to put them into shape.

Q: You must have had a strong determination to compete since the Worlds were to be held in Tokyo.
A: Yes I did, but I think that it's difficult now to hold the competition in Tokyo.

Q: The staging of the competition is still unclear.
A: My condition was getting better toward the competition and I am able to keep that condition. I'll be ready for it anytime.

Q: If the competition is to be held in October, will it affect your programs?
A: Even if that happens, I will talk to my coaches and adjust myself so that I'll be able to bring my best performance there.

It would be so great to have a figure skating charity event! I hope that the final decision about Worlds is going to be announced soon, because otherwise the skaters can't really plan any event without knowing whether or not it will interfere with Worlds.

A cute photo with Nobu, Satsuki Muramoto, Takeshi Honda and someone that looks like Yamato Tamura collecting funds at the Takatsuki station:
http://twitpic.com/4dslpw/full

Colours & Worlds CM:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uv9POEpAK0Q

Nice, if short, practice clip - how did he land that 3A I don't even know!

Okami wrote:

Colours & Worlds CM:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uv9POEpAK0Q

Nice, if short, practice clip - how did he land that 3A I don't even know!

Nice finds Okami! I love Nobu and his knees... I hope he does well!

Nobu and Shintaro (3:25 -)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PMIVVzlJPrY

I'm so nervous about the competition and Mao. But big smiles of happy daddy and adorable son made me feel really easy and happy too.

Oda was flattered when TV crew agreed that his baby was cuter than other ordinary babies.

Go, go Nobu!! I really hope he will bring back a medal to little Oda.

http://a2.twimg.com/profile_images/1349998447/image.jpg

Cuuuuuuute picture from Nobu's twitter.

He says he's got minor injury and cannot join an ice show to be held in Aomori this week end. I hope he will get better soon.

http://www.nikkei.com/news/headline/article/g=96958A9C81818A9995E2E7E2E38DE3E6E2E7E0E2E3E3E2E2E2E2E2E2

According to this news article, Nobu’s injury is partial tendon tears in his left knee. He felt pain after worlds. Doctor told him 6-week rest and said if he pushes himself hard, he may end up having surgery. Although it’s time for skaters to make new programs for next season, his top priority now is to recover from the injury. He had to cancel ice show to be held this weekend but he will be OK before the start of next season.


I hope he will take enough rest for full recovery. Next season is not so much important than 2014.

Well, I was very worried and checked his twitter. He seems totally fine. He’s enjoying playing a video game! But he didn't know his scores were automatically posted on twitter

Nobu came to my friend's home rink (and where my brother train during the summer) last week to do his new long program with Sebastien Britten (who's also my brother's choreographer, my brother is so proud to have the same choreograph as Nobu ). It seems his long program will be amazing !!

bibi wrote:

Nobu came to my friend's home rink (and where my brother train during the summer) last week to do his new long program with Sebastien Britten (who's also my brother's choreographer, my brother is so proud to have the same choreograph as Nobu ). It seems his long program will be amazing !!

Thank you for the news! Wow, your brother's lucky to work with Sebastien, I love his choreography!

According to an report about the Japanese National Camp on Japanese Figure Skating Magazine "World Figure Skating No.49" (posted by nana7045 @FSU) Nobunari's programs are:

Nobunari Oda
SP: Jazz and Blues (Nobu said he does not remember the music title... )
FS: Les Parapluies de Cherbourg (Jazz arranged)

Both are choreographed by Sebastien Britten.
He plans to try one 4T in SP, and two 4T in FS.

Unfortunately he has a knee surgery after Worlds and could not practice jumps until recently.

Here are a few new videos with Nobunari:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSqW2erO5lY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlQYLm17XyA
It's a program about Yamamoto Souta, a novice champion. Nobu is the special guest and they have some fun together in a fun park. Nobunari also coached Souta to land 3L in the 2nd clip.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bntvRh1Bx68
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vuj-azrfjAE
Shintaro shows up in this program!

Nobunari skated his new EX at Mariposa Charity Gala: http://crystalchandelure.tumblr.com/post/29412385068/nobunari-oda-x-mariposa-gala-this-was-taken
(Not the best quality of the video, but beggars can't be choosers )
According to the reports (http://togetter.com/li/353800) he got the biggest standing ovation and his program lest a lasting impression on the spectators, especially the Sinatra fans. I loved Nobu's A-spin (and I don't usually like those spins) and Rippon 3L (a triple loop with both hands held over the head).

Wow! We finally have a new video of Nobu skating after a long time! Thanks, inskate!

http://hochi.yomiuri.co.jp/osaka/sports/article/news/20130109-OHO1T00037.htm

Congratulation! Oda...his second son, named "信之介", was born on Jan 5th!

Whoa! So fast he now has two sons?

Congrats, Nobu!

Congratulations Tono!

Congratulation, Nobu but... his son and Plushenko's were burn almost simultaneously!

Congrats Nobu my dear adorable zayaking cat foot skater!

Btw, here's a photo of his wife Mayu-chan and his first son.



She seems to have been introduced in a tv show once, and people who saw that program had been saying she's really cute. This photo is a bit small, but her nose is high which is considered as one of the most important elements of beauty in Jpn. (Envy~! )

Nobu had a crush on her throughout junior-high. After he graduated he confessed his feelings to her but was turned down. Later on he tried to capture her heart again and he finally succeeded...This sounds so Nobu to me. Even if he couldn't succeed in his first attempt, he'll keep on trying to achieve what he wants; He's a quad jumper afterall!

Congratulations Tono!

Congartulation Nobu!!!

Mao2012 wrote:

Congratulation, Nobu but... his son and Plushenko's were burn almost simultaneously!

Plushenko has another son?! I thought his wife was due later in the year, man I'm so behind things...

PochinkoPotanko wrote:

Congrats Nobu my dear adorable zayaking cat foot skater!

How I wish he'd learn to count. IMO, he lost a world medal because of this.

The story about how he "conquer" his wife is really cute. Thanks for sharing this, Pochi.

Nobu announced he'll be retiring after next season!

I thought he was just getting back on his feet again after his absence, but maybe seeing Javier's performance at Euros made him feel he'll never be able to get back in the top league anymore...he's been attempting quads throughout most of his career but they still aren't consistant.

And he has a family to support now...I think he should go on for another 2~3 seasons, but under the circumstances, maybe it's the right decision for him.

So we now have Miki, Akiko, Dai and Nobu retiring after next season. It's going to become pretty lonely, and unless the others become real consistant, Mao and Yuzu are going to be the only ones who we can really rely on after then.

PochinkoPotanko wrote:

Nobu announced he'll be retiring after next season!

To be honest, I expected that. He always talked about retiring to ave more time for his family (originally he wanted to retire after 2010 Olympics), and in the recent interviews he talked about retiring and becoming a coach.
Still, it's kind of sad to see the skaters whom I followed since they were juniors retire... In my mind, they are still "babies" to me! I'll always have a special place in my heart for the Mao-Miki-Dai-Nobu-Taka generation (and their contemporaries)!

Quote :

I thought he was just getting back on his feet again after his absence, but maybe seeing Javier's performance at Euros made him feel he'll never be able to get back in the top league anymore...he's been attempting quads throughout most of his career but they still aren't consistant.

And he has a family to support now...I think he should go on for another 2~3 seasons, but under the circumstances, maybe it's the right decision for him.

I hink his body just wouldn't be able to stand the strain of practicing quads daily.

He has one of the best jumping techniques I've ever seen, but his bone and muscle structure is quite delicate for a male skater. His soft knee landing saved him from sustaining an injury on the landing, but the injury that took him out for most of the season (left leg) was caused by repeatedly slamming left leg into the ice on the 4T take-off (and it negatively influenced all the jumps that pur pressure on the left leg: 4&3T, 3A, 3Lz & F). There's just no helping that type of injury, except reducing the time spent on training 4T...

Quote :

So we now have Miki, Akiko, Dai and Nobu retiring after next season. It's going to become pretty lonely, and unless the others become real consistant, Mao and Yuzu are going to be the only ones who we can really rely on after then.

What about Taka? I just read an interview where he talked about what would he like to do in 10 years, but no immediate pland (as in afer the Olympics) were mentioned...

At least Miki and Nobu said they want to move on to coaching, so we'd still have a chance to see them on TV from time to time! I wonder what Dai plans to do, his part is still left untranslate... The translator said it's too depressing to consider and she left to translate at the end.

Here's the part about Nobunari: http://ohheyjamiee.tumblr.com/post/40793226412/10-years-from-now-ill-be-coaching-right-now-i

Quote :

“10 years from now, I’ll be coaching. Right now, I don’t really have a set plan on how to get there, but I’m so grateful for all Canada has done for me. I want to learn all I can about coaching from Canada and from other countries abroad. I don’t just want to study singles coaching but also other disciplines like pairs. Now that there’s a team competition in the Olympics, pairs and ice dance are also important. I don’t know much about ice dance since it’s so different from singles whereas pairs shares common features with singles. I wonder which one would be better to learn.

From my experience, there’s all sorts of coaching techniques out there. I want to bring some of it back to Japan. It would be great to one day pass down what I learned to others. Of course, as a coach, I want to raise Olympic champions. I want to be a coach whose guidance can create Olympic champions from my hometown of Osaka. Again, this plan is still a work-in-progress.”

What will skating be like 10 years from now?

“It will probably be more exciting than it is now! The media will definitely be busy. They’ll be running around all over the place doing interviews left and right. The up-and-comers are amazing! I can’t help but see skating in the future being as bright as ever. 10 years from now, there’s no way skating won’t be even more exciting.”

Thanks for posting Nobu's comments. It was the first time I read it, and honestly I'm overwhelmed about how mature he's become! I'm really happy he has interest in coaching too. Nobu, Miki, Dai and Akiko were the main skaters who created a brilliant era in Jpnse figure skating. They'll all be legends in the future. I wouldn't want to see them leave the skating world altogether after they retire. They have experience, skill and knowledge to participate more in the sport even after they retire.

I especially liked Nobu saying he's interested in coaching pairs and ice dance, too. We really need more people who can coach in those genres, as much as we need competitors in them. Tran and Narumi's break up was such a shock and a waste, but I think that made our Fed become seriously concerned about how weak we are in genres other than singles. Nobu being concerned about such genres shows how much he's grown as a person and an athlete. I was a bit worried about what he was going to do with his life after retiring, but now I have high hopes for his future again! Thanks again for the post, inskate! I think I'll pass the info on to our Jpnse forum; nobody has mentioned it yet.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERtWqiyWJto&feature=youtu.be
Oda represented Osaka and it's his performance today
clean 4T3T,3A and 3Lz with 92

Thanks for the YT link, shikure!
I think this is the best performance from Nobu this season!
His 4-3 and all his jumps were simply fab!
Hope he goes on like this next season so he can end his competing career happily!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQ10q7TMgXM&feature=youtu.be
Oda's FS today clean but he didn't try 4T since he got injury in practice session.
but look at his triples...i think the injury should be not too bad (at least i hope so) and hope he can recover soon.

"Pigeon Post" from twitter did an interview with Oda recently:

http://pigeon-post.net/interviews/Nobu_2013_Mar_jp.html

Oda revealed (part of) the programs of his last season:

FS: William Tell Overture
EX: the last sumerai

Both choreo by Lori

[btw...if anyone know where to initiate the topic "programs 13-14/olympic season", please feel free to move this info around!thanks!!]