BackStage Barbie: Skate Canada: Mens Free Skate LIVE BLOG!

1) Liam Firus (CAN)
Music: The Resistance

For the sake of my fantasy team, this best be good!
Crushed velvet is always a good sign
Oh no you didn't just trip on a crossover boyfriend
No you didn't just fall on your opening jump!
There we go, good one
He has a lovely lyrical quality to his skating, yes he does
He seems unsure of himself, just needs some more seasoning to mature
Liam honey, let's hold it together
Give me some expression on that face, don't just go through the motions
A great deal of traveling on that combination spin to end, and a funky ending pose
He has potential and he's nice to look at
49.51 (TES) + 60.66 (PCS) -1.00 (DED) = 109.17
60.50 (SP) + 109.17 (FS) = 169.67

2) Takahito Mura (JPN)
Music: Shogun

Jumps look very "on" from the beginning
I love this whole Samurai thing we have going on
He has the huge jumps, but he is also very expressive for such a strong athlete
The first popped jump is usually a warning sign of a break in concentration
He lands these jump so low, yet always manages to stand them up; incredible
This program is starting to lose me halfway through, it's a very "one note" performance for me
I'd take that program back to the drawing board and revamp the choreo
72.00 (TES) + 66.64 (PCS) -1.00 (DED) = 137.64
62.10 (SP) + 137.64 (FS) = 199.74

3) Ross Miner (USA)
Music: Captain Blood

Huge jumps!
This music suits him well and that shirt makes him look like a modern Todd Eldredge or Paul Wylie
His jumps look so solid, he looks very sure of himself
He knows he is going to hit all of these elements when he goes into them
This is a solid program for him, this could be his year at US Nationals
73.91 (TES) + 70.28 (PCS) = 144.19
69.41 (SP) + 144.19 (FS) = 213.60

4) Artur Gachinski (RUS)
Music:

What does that spider web tuxedo have to do with anything?
This is an oddly lyrical piece of music for him; we're used to Stravinski and anything dissonant
He totally failed to finish that spin position, whey is he just going through the motions
For a jumper, he is landing too many of them on his hands
I forgot the mention the 2 Quads, I mean that's like old hat for him
Every program of his has that moment where he clenches his fists and seems to shout "aha"
Please straighten out your free leg when you land your jumps dear; Sincerely, the dancer in me
I wonder if Mishin will tell Artur to lose weight to land the jumps?
63.40 (TES) + 67.44 (PCS) = 129.84
69.74 (SP) + 129.84 (FS) = 199.58

5) Elladj Balde (CAN)
Music: Moonlight Sonata Remix & Animal Rights

Is this hair really necessary?
He is like the love child of Surya Bonaly and Philipe Candeloro
Beethoven is rolling over in his grave right now
He should only skate to Michael Jackson, nothing else
The odd musical selection and choreography are distracting from the skating, which is actually quite good tonight
Oddly enough, this won't be the strangest program we see tonight, our good buddy Florent is on the way
61.56 (TES) + 65.92 (PCS) = 127.48
72.46 (SP) + 127.48 (FS) = 199.94

6) Florent Amodio (JPN)
Music: Jumpin Jack, Nothing but Sorrow, & To build a home

Oh heaven help us, what are we about to witness
Very fast rotation in the jumps, little stumbles on landings
Very fast and smooth so far, good ice coverage
Just when I think we'll see a nice, normal program we get something techno with a downbeat that sounds like Nadia's theme
This boy is the king of standing still and posing
He would be right at home in the 90s
Losing that combination will hurt his base value
Why do I feel like he has no concern for scores and just goes out to do whatever he feels like?
69.41 (TES) + 74.70 (PCS) = 144.11
74.61 (SP) + 144.11 (FS) = 218.72

7) Denis Ten (KAZ)
Music: The Artist

This music is gorgeous
Falls on both Quads, A for effort though!
When he hits his jumps, they are textbook
I love this program for him, those little jazzy interludes are fun and they show off personality that I've never seen from him
I like the program, the execution just isn't there today
The sad thing is that we know he can do the jumps, we've seen them before
58.74 (TES) + 72.70 (PCS) -3.00 (DED) = 128.44
75.26 (SP) + 128.44 (FS) = 201.70

8) Nobunari Oda (JPN)
Music: The Sorcerer's Apprentice

9) Patrick Chan (CAN)
Music: La Boheme

Patrick looks so fast today
Very slick opening combo
Hands down on our 2nd quad of the day
I actually like this program for him, it's very regal so it suits his posture and his rigid upper body
He is showing us a new side, it's a little playful which is endearing
Crash on the triple axel, that's his nemesis; I can see how that would've been lovely choreographically with the music
He is always messy at Skate Canada, I feel like that's part of his process, how he builds up over the season
You could never accuse him of peaking too early
I love the use of levels in this last step sequence
He must be a very well trained athlete because he doesn't seem to lose speed throughout the program
Ends slightly after the music
75.13 (TES) + 86.78 (PCS) -1.00 (DED) = 160.91
82.52 (SP) + 160.91 (FS) = 241.43

10) Javier Fernandez (ESP)
Music: Charlie Chaplin

Wow, how charming
I want him to be my boyfriend
Oy that was one hard fall on the first quad, all the weight on the hands
Very tight 2nd Quad
Not one ounce of this music is wasted, ever nuance is accented
He doesn't look fully comfortable yet, this program is sure to be stellar by Worlds
Now he is getting into the program, findin his rhythm
He should receive great PCS for this program; 'should' being the operative word
I think he should win it; that was a gorgeous experience for the audience
85.15 (TES) + 83.92 (PCS) -1.00 (DED) = 168.07
85.87 (SP) + 168.07 (FS) = 253.94

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