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SkateyGirl.ComParker Pennington
Shaun Rogers
Shepherd Clark
Kurt Fromknecht
Evan Lysacek
Ryan Bradley
Ryan Jahnke Photos
Braden Overett
Nicholas LaRoche
Michael Villarreal
Danny Clausen
Jordan Wilson
Timothy Goebel Photos
Michael Weiss Photos
Matthew Savoie
Johnny Weir
Derrick Delmore
Todd Eldredge
Ben Miller
Scott Smith Photos
Just some quick comments on the short - gotta run off to more events early today. Michael Weiss was NOT robbed. In addition to the not-an-axel and the 2 footed quad, his spins were extremely slow for this field. Savoie wasn't tidy - some of his landings were ...swingy (so Were some of Tim's by the way). And I heard a quote from Weiss that some of these guys were doing what they were doing as Juniors. Hm.... LOL. I remember Matt as a Jr. He looks like a much better all around skater now than he did then. He has grown tremendously stylistically and in terms of speed and in his overall skating ability. As have most of the rest of the Sr. Men. Some times that 4th revolution isn't all it takes. And Johnny Wier's skate was spectacular. In addition to the cleanest landings of anyone he really laid his soul out there. It was very enjoyable to watch. I feel extremely sorry for Ryan Bradley and Jordan Wilson. Both of then really convey a great joy when they skate and have quite charming styles. They both had awful rough skates. I am seeing reports that Derrick Delmore has withdrawn with an injured hip Flexor. I am sorry he is injured, but glad to see there is a physical reason for his short program. Evan. Nick, Ryan J., Michael V. Danny and Ben all had really memorable programs. Different styles completely, but great expression and overall skating -interesting choreography. Very complete. I love to see the men all assembled so well. Many of the names I haven't mentioned were put together very well too, but these programs stuck out in my mind as I scanned the list this AM.
Ok - you have all seen the train wreck of the free skate by now. let me tell you - First Shep pulled out. Then, as Tim's warm up was waiting to go on they start displaying Weiss's program from last year on the overhead jumbotron. (This replay of past skates was going on all the time. I think they should only use footage of people who are no longer competing on those - to be playing Sasha or Sarah while Michelle warms up of Michael while Tims does is just ...unecessary. Why not show some nice Linda Frattianne footage or Janet Lynn or Dick Button or ....whatever.) Then the whole mess you saw on TV started to play itself out. Boy did I need the Hotel bar when this was over. It is like the technical content was rolled back to 1994 or something. Paging Michael Chack.....Come get yourself another medal....By the way - every year there is a set of boys that I have trouble telling apart visually on the ice- This year it is Parker Penninton, Kurt Fromknecht and Shaun Rogers. They all appear as the same boy to me.
Short - Stumbled in Footwork. Wide swingy landing to 3 axel. 3 lutz- 2 toe also wingly. 3 flip tilted but landed. Parker gets some difficult elements done, but it is very difficult for me to get involved in his programs.
Piano concerto in plod flat. 3 axel. 3 axel - 3 toe. (this may have been sal
instead of axel) 3 flip. 3 axel (again - threre are too many axels in my notes).
3 loop. 3 sal. no passion here yet. blank face. 3 lutz - Ok - now his face and
the program comes alive. Boy - if he could put 1/2 that passion into the rest
of the program I'd be on my feet for this boy.
Short - looked like a double toe combo with a step in between but that seems unlikely ...probably 3 toe - 2 toe with step in between. Fell on 3 axel. and I missed the lutz attempt. Also not a skater that grabbed me. So to speak.
Fell on 3 flip. stepped out of 3 axel - 2 toe. small step out on 3 axel. 3
loop. 2 ? lutz. 2 flip. Wally and reverse wally (yippee - I loved this bit).
3 toe. 2 sal. slow footwork. slow at end. Has Tim's head on Nick LaRoche's body.
Short - Not crazy about this sort of techno music ...think it was last year's short. Fell on the axel. 3 lutz - 1 or 2 loop combo. fell on 3 flip.
Free - Withdrew . Too bad. I had seen Shep do a partial run-through of the
"memories" program in practice - looked like it was going to be a
Norma Desmond tearjerker moment. I was really looking forward to him pulling
out all the stops on this one. He had sequined claws on his black gloves to
portray the cat and everything. That sort of thing is one of the reasons I love
the men's event. Oh well. maybe next year.
Short - Did a number to jazzy blues. I liked it better than the techno stuff the guys eems to be drawn towards. 3 axel with a hand down and a flip out. Hmm... next note says 3 -2 out. Not sure what that meant. Something about the combo. 3 lutz. Odd positions on the combo spin (a good thing - not a bad).
Free - Matrix soundtrack not Music. Cranky Ann. Slow. 3 loop. 3??? axel???
3 lutz. 3 loop-2 toe. 3 flip. 3 sal. Interesting footwork.
Short - 3lutz-2? toe. 3 axel was two footed and short of rotation. and other triple - probably the flip. Nice drama and tension in his skating. But this was a latin theme. I like the free flowing free skate better on him.
Free - Well - I like the gauzy costume and flowing arm movements. But the "music"
was all electric guitar solo. And (as we all know) that makes Ann cranky. So
we wind up a neutral here. Fell on 3 axel (feet stayed crossed). 3 lutz-2 toe
(both 2 footed). 3 loop. 3 sal - 3 loop. 3 lutz. 2 axel.
Short - Too regretable to be endured. Popped that dang-blasted axel. fell on the lutz. Landed a 3 flip.
Free - Popped the axel (aieeee). 3 toe - 2 toe (forward) 3 loop. 3 lutz - 3
toe. 3 sal 2 axel. 3 flip - 2 toe. 3 lutz.
Short - 3 lutz-3toe. Fell on 3 axel. 3 flip. Great program. Fun to watch. In other years I would have said that the dang 3 axel would have kept him out of the final flight. He would be one of my artistic hard luck boys without a 3 axel. This year he could have taken gold without a 3 axel. Nice to see I am not bitter at all.
Free - 3 axel. 3 flip- 3 toe (hand down). 3 lutz ( 2 footed)-3 toe. 3 axel
(fall). tano 3 lutz. 2 axel. I like Ryan - He has nice line and style. But for
these elements to be enough to get him a medal. Wow. What in the world.
Short - 3 axel was short of rotation and landed on two feet. 2 lutz with a fall right on a drum beat. other jump was a flip - not sure he got 3 rotations. Braden didn't seem as "on" to me as I remember him. The concept of the program was cute, but he seemed reserved.
3 axel? 2 flip. 3 sal. 3 lutz (2 footed) 3 axel (step out) 3 loop (hand down)
2 lutz - step out -hand dwon - 2 toe. 3 toe. 2 axel. Epic soundtrack - Gettsyburg
costume with "Freedom" as the music again. What the heck is this??
Short - Stepped out of the 3 axel. 3 flip - 2 toe. 3 lutz. Zorro. Nice to see Nick looking so good- He has kept the speed and tension and gained the control. I have high hopes for him.
Free - JFK. 3 axel. 3 lutz - 2 toe. 3 loop. 3 flip. 3 sal. 3 lutz (hand down)
3 toe (step out). Lost a little steam at the end.
Short - 3 lutz - 3 toe. 2 axel. 2? flip. Really nice program to a jazz piece. Great style for him. I like it better than the heavy look of the programs he has had in the past. Looks like Scott Williams is working with him and Sashi Kuchiki.
Free - Epic Soundtrack - 3 lutz- 3 toe.2 axel. 3 loop. 3 flip (skid) 3 lutz.
3 sal (hand down) 3 toe -3 toe. 2 axel. Program seemed weak - cautious.
Short - I liked how Danny was skating earlier in the year, but he didn't come on as strong here. 2 axel. 3 flip-3toe (hand down) 3 lutz (hand down)
Free - Brilliant Choreography by Phillip Mills. Very fred Astaire. 2 axel.
2 flip. 3 sal. 3 lutz- 3toe (2 footed) 3 loop (fall). I hope Danny keeps this
program as it was very enjoyable.
3 axel - step - toe. 2 ? flip 2 ? lutz. My notes are so scrawled here. Trust whatever Luis and Sandra say about his content. I was trying to take a lot of photos. LOL. Jodan was skating his Shaft program - very nice for him. He has some stunning pieces to his skating - height on jumps - stretch on the spread Eagle and the best Ina Bauer in the men's field by far. His spread Eagle is even more impressive thatn Shepherd Clark's (and that is something coming from me). He just needs to hold the body positions for the whole program to have it all seem complete and to sell it better. His shoulders seem to get away from him at times - both in the air and when he is on his feet. He is such an exciting skater to watch. Another one I am anxious to see as he develops.
Free - Grand Canyon Suite is a great choice for Jordan. 3 axel - 3 toe Huge
- a real "wow" combo. 3 flip. 3 lutz - 2 loop. little slow in slow
section. fell on 3 axel. 3 toe. 3 sal.
Short - Romeo and Juliet. Well, he fought for this one. He got everything landed, but the ending of all the jumps had me worried. Looked very pleased at the end. Phew.
Free -.American in Paris. 3 lutz. 4 sal (fall) 3 axel. 4 toe (fall) 4 toe (2
foot step out) 3 flip - 3 toe (step out). 3 loop. Sigh.
Short - Some electric guitar thing. 2 footed the quad toe - 3 toe. Did a portion of an axel and landed forward in a lunge. This would actually be a cool move in footwork - a flying lunge. 3 lutz. Spins were v e r y slow.
Free - fell on lutz. 2 footed the 4 toe (but it was closer than the short)
- 3 toe. 2 axel. 3 loop. 3 flip. 3 sal (forward)-2toe. 3 lutz.
Short - 3 axel. 3 flip - 2 toe (a problem with this combo). 3 lutz. I like Matt's skating and this program is ok. I am sort of over Cirque at this point.(ok - the original Cirque music is in my "banned for life" pile with Malaguena and Carmen and Don Quixote) But he was struggling and we knew it. Glad he was able to get the elements in.
Free - Ragtime. 1 axel. 3 axel. 3 sal (fall) 2 axel. 2 loop. 3 flip - 3 toe
into the boards. boot strap broke. Lutz. Whistle. reskated 3 lutz (step out)
- 2 toe.
Short - Brilliant skate in a very odd costume to one of the newer Cirque pieces. Definitely marching to his own drummer artistically (a la Rudy or Sandhu). Very nice to watch. 3 axel. 3 lutz-2 toe. 3 flip.
Free - Dr Zhivago. Hit boards on back cross overs. Restarted. 3 axel (step out) 3 toe. 3 sal. 3 axel - bad fall and he is out.
Short - Well, he has toned down the wild Russian look from last year. 3 axel. 3 lutz (hand down) 2 toe. 3 flip. Spins travelled a bunch.
Free - Cirque. (Ann's head officially explodes). fall on 3 axel. hand down
on 3 lutz. very low landing on some jump. I had camera issues and looked away
for a bit. When I returned to viewing he seemed much happier - so I assume some
landings occured.
Short - Yes - He has music and style and tension throughout the program. Yippee!!!! I love it when a skater makes themselves over like this. 3 axel. 4 sal-2toe. 3 loop. Very enjoyable to watch. He looks like a stretched out version of Paul Wylie. He has an odd positioning of his hands - especially as he jumps - sort of hyper-extended and flattened. Must be a technique to keep his arms/shoulders in position. You can see it in the stuff they had on television.
Free - Wow. That sure is orange on that costume isn't it. My My. 3 axel. 3 sal (2 footed) 3 lutz. 3 loop. 3 axel - 3 toe. (both 2 footed). 3 flip (2 footed) another jump. 3 toe.
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Last updated: January 26, 2003 3:58 PM