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

• I love how catlike he is on those landings, he has the softest knees around
• I missed this from him last season; loving the huge jumps!
• He looks extremely thin, that's probably how he's jumping so high
• Yay, this is lovely, this is what we want from him
• Oo, not a butt spin, never a butt spin
• Yay Nobu, very good
• 78.48 (TES) + 77.72 (PCS) = 156.20
• 82.14 (SP) + 156.20 (FS) = 238.34

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

Skate Canada: Ladies Free Skate LIVE BLOG!

1) Polina Shelepen (RUS)
 Music: Gone With The Wind

• 36.37 (TES) + 43.74 (PCS) -2.00 (DED) = 78.11
• 46.18 (SP) + 78.11 (FS) = 124.29

2) Gracie Gold (USA)
 Music: Life Is Beautiful

• Here's to hoping she can recover from this
• From what I can see on my feed she is looking confidant
• Lovely Bielman
• Squirrely landing on that axel
• This is a very senior program, she will do well as she grows with this over the season
• Does this costume remind anybody else of Tara Lipinski when she won her Olympic gold?
• She is a little taller this season, let's hope this is all that she'll do in terms of growing so there is no re-learning of jump technique
• 48.02 (TES) + 51.36 (PCS) = 99.38
• 52.19 (SP) + 99.38 (FS) = 151.57

3) Caroline Zhang (USA)
 Music: Nessun Dorma

• Not much height on these jumps, she is looking winded
• Not a lot of speed on the spins or steps either
• The feed is frozen to the extend where I really can't assess the quality of the skating
• I'm glad she stuk with this program, it definitely still has growing room
• Her spiral position has improved, I like the extension there
• Definitely not the disaster that she usually starts out with, this is really a new Caroline
• 46.96 (TES) + 49.94 (PCS) = 96.90
• 52.97 (SP) + 96.90 (FS) = 149.87 

4) Amelie Lacoste (CAN)
 Music: Rhapsody in Blue & Concerto in F

• My feed is totally froze but I hear she did a lovely 3flip and 3lutz
• Maybe the new blonde did her some good!
• I love nuance in the little footwork section on the part of Rhapsody that we all know!
• She looks so light this year, like a little fairy
• I like her much better this season, great adjustments!
• 45.05 (TES) + 52.58 (PCS) = 97.63
• 53.81 (SP) + 97.63 (FS) = 151.44

5) Elizaveta Tuktamysheva (RUS)
 Music: Black Eyes

• Is it just me or is Liza starting to look like Sasha Cohen?
• She is definitely taller, but from what I've seen in this small sample size, the jumps havent been affected
• Uh oh, little slip, not enough pop caused that fall
• This music choice suits her very well
• Very zippy spins
• Her performance quality is much improved, she is interacting with the audience
• Her upper body is more expressive as well
• The middle of the program is a little dull, the choreographer may need to tweak a few things here in the middle
• 58.14 (TES) + 53.76 (PCS) - 1.00 (DED) = 112.90
• 55.10 (SP) + 112.90 (FS) = 168.00

6) Akiko Suzuki (JPN)
 Music: O

• That opening is charming, it's so musical
• Girlfriend si still doing her thing at age 28, major props to her for that
• I hate that bent leg camel, just not my cup of tea
• I love this music, it's whimsical, yet very post moder as well
• She loks so comfortable in this piece; not that I know her but I believe this suits what I believe her personality to be
• She just keeps ticking off those jumps and elements
• This seems like a championships caliber program; I can see this looking outstanding by worlds
• I love that beautiful open position on the stretched out camel; she looks like a star hanging from the sky and spinning in midair
• That was lovely, that was the most enjoyable of all of the ladies programs I've seen this year aside from Ashley Wagner's
• 60.22 (TES) + 59.82 (PCS) = 120.04
• 55.12 (SP) + 120.04 (FS) = 175.16 

7) Kanako Murakami (JPN)
 Music: Oblivion, Fuego Lento

• Oh no, all my commentary was deleted
• Basically, I said that this is a step in the right direction for her and she has a lot of room to grow in this program
• 53.49 (TES) + 58.34 (PCS) = 111.82
• 56.21 (SP) + 111.82 (FS) = 168.04

8) Ksenia Makarova (RUS)
 Music: Megapolis

• Oh no, I miss my little Russian blonde
• I love her expressive upper body
• This music is a little odd, I can't decide if I like it or not
• She has such a fluid upper body, but then the lower body seems so rigid
• When she falls, it's always dramatic
• This isn't really holding my interest, I'm not so sure why
• The music is interesting and I love the choreography, but it's not a complete piece yet
• 40.43 (TES) + 56.12 (PCS) -1.00 (DED) = 95.55
• 58.56 (SP) + 95.55 (FS) = 154.11

9) Kaetlyn Osmond (CAN)
 Music: Carmen Ballet

• This is interesting, a Canadian lady with amazing potential; something we haven't seen in about 3-4 years
• She is a firecracker, loving her already
• Skate Canada has been the poster child for Carmen thus far
• Uh oh, feed going wonky, but I hear applause so I assume things are still on the up and up
• She has a lot of things to clean up, but she is landing the jumps and she is exciting which is what the Canadian ladies have lacked since Rochette
• This is starting to get pretty messy toward the end, but those are all things that can be fixed with better conditioning and more experience
• 57.28 (TES) + 59.61 (PCS) -1.00 (DED) = 115.81
• 60.56 (SP) + 115.81 (FS) = 176.45 

10) Elene Gedevanishvili (GEO)
 Music: Don Quixote

• Hard fall on opening jump, she is a very heady skater, the beginning always sets the tone for the whole program
• She is looking like such an elegant diva out there on the ice
• She is going so fast, can she hang onto this speed for the whole program??
• I love her intensity, through the good and the bad she never loses that quality about her
• Definitely losing speed here at the end
• She is running out of steam, but I love that little ode to a fouette in the footwork sequence
• 42.83 (TES) + 57.89 (PCS) -1.00 (DED) = 99.72
• 60.80 (SP) + 99.72 (FS) = 1160.52 

Skate Canada: Pairs Short Program LIVE BLOG!

2) Tiffany Vise & Don Baldwin (USA)
     Music: Open Arms

• They look like they feel awkward doing that opening sequence
• I really like the pairs that jump opposite of one another, but it's better when they land them
• She really must point that foot
• Feed cutting in and out terribly
• You know it's bad when the man's foot is pointed more than the woman's
• They should stick to more athletic programs as the artistry isn't their strongest suit
• She looks most at home in the lifts because she is such an athlete
• 24.41 (TES) + 23.06 (PCS) -1.00 (DED) = 46.47

3) Daria Popova & Bruno Massot (FRA)

     Music: La Belle Historie

• They are intense,  love it!
• This team looks slick
• The entrance into that throw was long and labored, the throw was very crashy
• Oy vey, so let's take back what I said about this team looking slick, they are falling apart at the seems
• Early season pairs events are usually a travesty and this one is certainly living up
• 25.53 (TES) + 23.90 (PCS) -1.00 (DED) = 48.43 

4) Paige Lawrence & Rudi Swiegers (CAN)

 Music: Robin and Marion

• This opening is gorgeous
• They look so smooth and fast
• Paige is such a precious little pixie
• Really tight SBS jumps
• This is really the best I've ever seen them
• That was divine-like a breath of fresh air
• 25.90 (TES) + 26.98 (PCS) = 52.88

5) Meagan Duhamel & Eric Radford (CAN)

 Music: La Boheme

• Odd costuming, I don't like it at all
• I kind of like Eric's long hair flapping in the wind, but it looks more like Ice Dance hair
• These lifts are going to be very slick by the end of the season' they are choppy now but they'll get there
• They are telegraphing those jumps, they can do better
• That throw looked doomed from the takeoff, how did she land it?
• He is much more enjoyable to watch now; she is stiff but he is so fluid
• She needs to mimic his reckless abandon 
• 35.35 (TES) + 29.14 (PCS) = 64.49

6) Stefania Berton & Ondrej Hotarek (ITA)

 Music: Paint it Black

• Wow this is smooth
• The lines are wonderful in all black, though I could do without her Morticia Addams spiderweb detail
• Spins a little off
• The are lacking in the fine details, but they kill it in their strength areas, the athletic jumps and throws 
• 31.13 (TES) + 28.66 (PCS) = 59.79

7) Aliona Savchenko & Robin Szolkowy (GER)

 Music: Kismet

•  Here come the disco animals from Lady Gaga's bathhouse
• Awesome speed, impeccable body lines
• Poor Robin, you know he just goes along with Aliona's every whim
• This has to be old hat to them, I just love how they keep it fresh every year
• These costumes are very Merce Cunningham
• Very cool entrance into the press lift and a very unique ending
• 38.63 (TES) + 33.63 (PCS) = 72.26