#tbt Brian Orser, the Dapper Stepper

In honor of Skate Canada coming up this weekend...

We usually only ever hear about the two-time Olympic silver medalist and 1987 World Champ in the context of the famous "Battle of the Brians," as the losing Brian in his red and gold body suit, with his popped flip jump.

It is usually forgotten that the Canadian skater won the short program (then, the "original program") in Calgary in '88, with a fan-freaking-tastic performance. Dick Button called him a "dapper stepper," and for once, I completely agree with Dick's estimation. Orser's footwork pass was as good and as intricate as any today, and his jumps and spins were fantastic.

He really was a dynamic skater, truly a match for Boitano and more than capable of beating him. In fact, I believe if the Brian Orser of 1988 were to compete in today's men's field, he'd still be a formidable competitor.

Now he's in his 50's, but dontcha know, he's the coach of not one, but TWO Olympic gold medalists: Japan's Yuzuru Hanyu and South Korea's Yuna Kim (although he and the latter ended up splitting quite bitterly after Vancouver).

So in honor of #tbt, here's Brian Orser's short program at the Calgary Olympics. What a great skate.

Skate Canada Preview

Ok so when I said in my Skate America Recap that I thought I would get a better handle on the competition at the second Grand Prix event, Skate Canada, I lied. I only recognize a handful of skaters competing in Kelowna this weekend.

I completely guessed in the ice dance and pairs events. For the ladies and mens events I have more confidence. I think Russia's Anna Pogorilaya will be terrific, and I adore Javier Fernandez of Spain. He's a fantastic skater. I thought he got a little screwed at the Olympics and Worlds, so I'm eager to see him do well this year.

Here are my fantasy team picks:

Skate Canada Event

Ladies A
Anna Pogorilaya (RUS)

Ladies B
Rika Hongo (JPN)

Ladies C
Brooklee Han (AUS)

Men's A
Javier Fernandez (ESP)

Men's B
Michal Brezina (CZE)

Men's C
Florent Amodio (FRA)

Pairs A
Meagan Duhamel/Eric Radford (CAN)

Pairs B
Maddie Aaron/Max Settlage (USA)

Pairs C
Mari Vartmann/Aaron Van Cleave (GER)

Ice Dancing A
Madison Hubbell/Zachary Donohue (USA)

Ice Dancing B
Piper Gilles/Paul Poirier (CAN)

Ice Dancing C
Elisabeth Paradis/Francois-Xavier Ouellette (CAN)

Wednesday Recap: Hey, Axel

There comes a point in most skater's experiences when they finally nail something they've been working really hard at, and the feeling is exuberant. For many skaters, that comes with finally getting the axel jump. It's a 1.5-rotation jump, an extra half rotation above the other single jumps, and is often considered a "gateway" jump. That is, once you land your axel, it's only a matter of time before you get the gist of double jumps. The axel sets you up with that sense of the snap-and-rotate that it takes to make double jumps seem like no-brainers.

I landed my axel for the first time when I was 10. I recall the pure elation I felt at the achievement as if it were yesterday. I also remember the first time I landed a 2axel. I was 15, and I felt on top of the world.

That feeling is euphoric, and part of the reason why I skate.

On my practice session tonight, one of the younger girls landed her axel for the first time. I was watching her attempt them. She went from not even close to nailed it in a split second. She and her coach shrieked with joy, and I felt myself grinning ear to ear. I don't even know this girl's name, never exchanged two words with her, yet I was over the moon about her accomplishment. I know that feeling, it feels so good.

I had my own mini-moment during the session too. If you've been following my skating career over the years, you know the jump that has vexed me most is the 2axel. I had it perfect for some years, but then lost it for reasons I don't quite understand. Part puberty, part fear, I suspect. Tonight I tried out a few on the harness we have set up at the rink. It's kind of like a safety net. You can try out big jumps without fear of falling, so you can focus on the technique. Well, I tried a few 2axels and I am happy to say I made some headway. I didn't try any off it, but hopefully the experience will benefit my next attempts.

Here's an attempt, caught on video (featuring my awesome coach on the other end of the wires):

2axel on harness - take 2

A video posted by Jessica Marshall (@jess_on_ice) on Oct 10, 2014 at 6:43pm PDT

Pop Music to the Rescue

I meant to comment on this as part of my Skate America Recap, but thought it deserved its own post. And then the Washington Post took the words right out of my mouth.

At first, when the announcement came down from the ISU that they were allowing singles and pairs skaters to use music with lyrics for their competitive programs, I was a naysayer. I shook my cane at this new idea, clinging to the old ways. Lyrics will be too distracting, and could cheapen the sport, depending on how skaters used it.

But after watching Skate America, and the classy choices skaters made with their music, I am not ashamed to admit I've had a change of heart. It was the opposite of distracting, it was enthralling. You could tell the skaters were much more at ease on the ice because they were really connecting to the music.

Some argue that adding the lyrics makes it more likely that skaters will be passionate about their programs, which translates to higher presentation marks and make it more TV audience-friendly. I say both were proven at Skate America.

My personal faves were Jeremy Abbott's choice of  Sam Smith's "Lay Me Down" for his short program, and Mae Berenice Meite's choice of medley to the Soweto Gospel Choir's "Hosanna" and Savanj Rooms "The Groove You Like" for her short.

Finding the Right Skates

Kevin Reynolds, the Canadian National silver medalist and reigning quad king (he landed two quads in a short program and three in a long program in one competition, srsly), has withdrawn from Skate Canada because of "ill-fitting" skates.

Your skates are like your spirit animal or your Harry Potter wand, they mold and guide you as much as you mold and guide them. One can't just slap on any pair of skates and expect that your feet will feel the same underneath you. It doesn't work like that.

Getting a new pair of skates is no walk skate in the park. It's something every skater has to do. Skates take a beating and wear down, and eventually become unsafe to use if they deteriorate too much. New skates are often extremely expensive, stiff as a board, and painful to wear. When you try them out for the first time on the ice, it can be like learning how to skate all over again. So I can understand why this guy, who does dangerous high-level stuff, might be picky about his skates.

On the other hand, it seems like he may be too picky about his skates. According to the Globe & Mail piece, he went through 9 pairs last year and 4 this year, many of them custom-fit (which runs thousands of dollars per pair, btw). I think I've only ever had 5 pairs of skates in my entire life. I've been through the breaking-in process, endured weeks of painful and stunted skating. And I survived. So part of me just wants to grab this kid by the shoulders and say, "suck it up, cupcake!"

I hope Cinderella here finds the "right" pair of skates soon.

Skate America Recap: The Disco Club Bed Sheet Dress

The absolute best part about the televised coverage of Skate America was Johnny Weir's estimation of Elizaveta Tuktamysheva's competitive outfit, as a "disco club bedsheet dress." Spot on, Johnny, spot on.

Jokes at that poor girl's expense aside, it was harder to predict the outcome of the first Grand Prix event of the season, not having been familiar with many of the up and coming skaters. But I think I have a better handle on how the season will pan out based on the results.

Peruse the score sheets for each Skate America event here.

If you didn't catch my live-Tweeting of the NBC broadcast on Sunday, you can see it here.

Here's a quick summary of my feelings on the outcome.

Overall, it's important to note that it may seem like the Americans got a lot of medals and are so hot right now, but because it's Skate America, we got to enter three skaters/teams in each event, whereas other countries got at most, two. It's a host country thing. So we had strength in numbers to dilute the field. I have a feeling that once we lump all the skaters together at Worlds, we'll see them start to rank lower. Not that I'm not rooting for them though (go Team USA!).

Men
Speaking of Americans, I was actually super-duper impressed with both American men competing. They stand head and shoulders above the rest of the competitive field in terms of presentation and artistry. They really connect every movement in their programs. Everything is nuanced, intricate and expertly done. The technical bobbles leave a bit to be desired, and is what really keep them from securing gold.

Ladies
I have complicated feelings about this event. I think in the end, the top two skaters were right based solely on hard technical scores (number of jumps completed, quality of jumps etc), and I don't think anything was rigged. But no offense to Gracie Gold or Elena Radionova, who are both legit great skaters, but the last thing skating needs is another little blond waif to dub the "it girl." The ladies event needs, to put it in the immortal words of the great Tim "the Tool Man" Taylor, more power. I want to see women on that podium who are built more like gymnasts and swimmers than ballet dancers and stick figures. Women like Elizaveta Tuktamysheva or  Elene Gedevanishvili or Mae Berenice Meite, who in my humble opinion, got toally screwed over by the judges in the short program. That girl is getting continually screwed by the judges, now that I mention it.

Pairs

I gotta say, I completely forgot about Yuko Kavaguti and Alexander Smirnov, because they had to sit out last year (and the Olympics, OUCH) due to an injury. But they're back, and they ran away with the gold. They whipped off a throw quad like it was nothing.

Their technical merit is so high, I don't think Olympic Champs Tatiana Volosozhar and Maxim Trankov can catch them. They'll surely be the pair to beat. And did I mention, they're 32 and 30? Ancient in the skating world, yet kicking butt and taking names. And even though the American pairs did well, I continue to think them underwhelming.

Dance
I am thrilled an American dance pair other than Meryl/Charlie is taking the gold. It's good to know that new legacy may have taken hold. I don't know much about the rest of the dance field, so I'll have to study up before Skate Canada next week!

Skate America: Mens Short

I managed to catch the second and final flight of skaters last night in the Mens Short. You never want to call a competition based solely on short program results, but it can often be a good indicator of a skater's ability to deliver under pressure.

For the uninitiated, the short program is graded on the performance of a series of required elements--simplified, it's notably one jump combo, one solo jump and an axel of some kind (for men it's a 3axel), a series of combo and flying spins, and an epic footwork pass. You get serious deductions for not performing elements. This is distinct from the long program, which has looser requirements and presentation takes on more importance.

Anyway, here are my reflections on the last six skaters, who (SPOILER ALERT AHEAD) essentially comprised the top six.

Chafik Bessighier, France - He's bringing back cargo pants (were they ever a thing on ice?) with his sequened, graffitied costume. He's a solid technical skater, but not polished. I appreciated the spot of breakdancing he did though.

Michael Christian Martinez, Philippines - His spins are amazing. His Bielmann spin is better than most ladies'! If he were more consistent with the jumps, his spins would help give him scores to contend with.

Jeremy Abbott - This was the first time I'd seen a skater use music with lyrics. It took me a good minute to get used to it! I'm just in love with Jeremy Abbott's skating (and maybe with him a little too, haha). His performance stands out beyond all other skaters because it is so intricate and nuanced. His jumps are great when he lands them, but it's his performance that is spellbinding. He's got the best footwork in the competition, imho.

Jason Brown - He doesn't really have the high technical merit (no quad), but like Jeremy Abbott, his presentation scores were through the roof. He's got so much character. He's always smiling and upbeat, and makes you really excited to watch him. You aren't punched in the gut when he falls, because you just know he's like "no biggie, I'm just love to skate!"

Dennis Ten, Kazakhstan - I was disappointed with his skating. He's not looking so confident, but I'm not counting him out just yet, because he has a history of vaulting up to the podium with a stellar freeskate after disastrous short programs.

Tatsuki Machida, Japan - He's the reiging Skate America Champ, and must be giving Yuzuru Hanyu a run for his money in their home country. He's got stellar technical merit, especially with jumps. But he lacks the refinement I've seen in other skaters.  You can tell he's trying to beef up his artistry, but it just doesn't come naturally. His technical score was so high though that it didn't matter. He sits in first place after the short.

Overall it's not looking too good for my Fantasy Skating team. But I'm pleased to find myself really impressed with the American men. (They stand in second and third after the short.) It has been a while since I've gotten truly excited about American singles skaters. Moving into the Long Program, I suspect they'll do just as well.