2016 US Figure Skating Championships: Mens Recap

I was less excited about the Senior men than any other event in this competition. Did you feel me? However, after so many relatively clean shorts, I was actually looking forward to this free! Though the judging left us asking questions, the competitors were at their best! 

1. Without Jason Brown or even Joshua Farris in the competition, any win almost seems…..less than. Nevertheless:
1. Boy was I wrong! Adam won this event, but he had heavy competition, from his training mate Nathan Chen in particular.
2. Can Max Aaron, the clear favorite, land his jumps and win outright?
1. He landed the jumps and had some semblance of performance quality, but with so much two-foot skating his program didn't hold a candle to Adam. Adam leads in artistry and Chen leads in athleticism, which leaves Max Aaron just hanging out in the middle. 
3. Will Nathan Chen, the once novice and junior phenom, improve upon last year’s 8th place finish in his Senior debut and threaten for the podium?
1. Did he ever! In my opinion, he should have won. I am a dance teacher and theatre nerd, so I of all people appreciate performance quality, but this is in fact a sport and athleticism should prevail.
4. Can dark horse candidate and twitter-verse favorite Grant Hochstein make a statement after his impressive 4th place finishes at Cup of China and NHK Trophy?
1. Johnny and Tara would not agree, but Grant pulled at the heart strings in his free and earned the fabulous pewter. With Chen's health uncertain, he has a strong shot at the world team.
5. If Hochstein skates cleanly, will he have a moment with his Les Miz free skate and bring the crowd to its feet?
1. He did indeed! Dell Pelligrini also had a moment when he skated over to her after the skate. Again, Johnny and Tara threw shade, but the real skating fans know better and appreciate a true "Nationals moment" when we see one.
6. Is Ross Miner still relevant?
1. He was indeed relevant in the short program, but without the quad or the unmatched artistry of Rippon, he will have difficulty making a world team. 
7. Will Adam Rippon’s jumps fail him yet again, but wow us with his artistry?
1. Yes and yes!
8. Who will be the surprise member of the final group in the free?
1. Ladies and gentlemen, meet Tim Dolensky! I hated how Tara called him a "practice skater" just because he doesn't train at a big fancy rink. This kid has talent and I don't think this showing was a fluke. 
9. Who will make the biggest jump from the short to the free?
1. He only jumped from 7th to 6th, but Alexander Johnson gave the free performance of the event for me after forgettable short. He is a true artist. His edge work is stellar and he makes this incredibly difficult sport look effortless.
10. And finally, the question is not if, but who, will the selection committee screw out of an International assignment?
1. The answer as of now is "nobody".  However, if Chen cannot attend Worlds, I wouldn't be surprised in the least if USFS reconsiders Brown's petition over 1st alternate Hochstein. 

2016 US Figure Skating Championships: Ladies Recap

Ashley vs. Gracie: Part 4

1. Does anyone else matter to the skating faithful?
1. I feel that as a skating community, we have taken to Hannah Miller at this competition. Bradie Tennell is another one to watch. 
2. Does Ashley come from behind in the short to win in the free as has become commonplace?
1. Well, she was behind and she did so well until that pop, but it wasn't a true Ashley Wagner comeback, clearly, as she took third.
3. Does my girl Ashley, an old broad by skating standards, have any gas left in the tank to take another US title and have a prayer of a World medal?
1. I hate to say it because I love her, but I don't think she has a shot at a world medal unless others falter. She had her shot several times when she couldn't nail a short program. 
4. Does Gracie live up to her word of “no more doubles”?
1. After popping in the short, Gracie just threw it down in the free. She certainly lived up to her promise. 
5. Does Gracie, clearly the more talented of the two, get out of her head and put up the points we know she can?
1. Finally, yes, Gracie got out of her own head and threw down a fantastic performance. That was a "Nationals" performance and she clearly owned that free!
6. More importantly, which of these two will give us the best Side Eye?
1. Oddly enough, Polina was giving us some great face when she realized that Gracie had beaten her.
7. Can Polina finally perform like a mature young woman?
1. I'm just going to say it, because the free skate hair didn't help. It was more Pollyanna than Polina. She had the jumps, but she needs to learn how to perform and needs to be packaged differently.
8. Does Karen Chen make the Gracie vs. Ashley debate moot by wiping the floor with all of them?
1. She did not wipe the floor with them, but her free skate did make an impression aside from the fall. She has the potential to be great, but let's not crown her yet. 
9. Can Courtney Hicks’ jump propel her back into the conversation?
1. Unfortunately for Courtney, her jumps are what failed her. In my opinion, she needs to back off the speed and master her jumps again before she can put together a full program again. 
10. Where does Carly Gold factor in, and more importantly, how does her presence affect Gracie?
1. If she didn't have a famous sister, we wouldn't be talking about her and NBC certainly wouldn't be showing her short before the pairs free.
11. What chance does Mirai Nagasu have after all these years, particularly where International assignments are concerned?
1. She still has the skills, clearly, after nailing 2 clean programs, but that does not guarantee the "committee's" faith in her. She finished behind Ashley Wagner who popped a jump, so that doesn't demonstrate how much faith the international committee has in her. 
12. Will any one performance make me cry or stand up and cheer?
1. I certainly didn't cry, but I did cheer for Gracie because she had a true "Nationals moment".
13. Can anyone from last year’s top ten trio of Bell, Pierce, or Miller surprise us and make the podium?
1. Miller gave us a true performance. Pierce had that phenomenal short, but she really needed to go clean if she wanted to make to get to the program. She did show some fire at the end of the free so I'm very excited about her going forward! Bell showed us that she has the potential but she needs some smoothing out and just more experience. Unfortunately, not counting her combinations killed her. Fortunately, Kori Ade is her coach and in my opinion, she is the best in the business. 
14. How will last year’s Junior winner by a mile, Bradie Tennell, handle the pressure of the Senior event?
1. Bradie Tennell put on a show! She proved that her junior win was not a fluke and that she could handle the pressure. She held onto first until Wagner skated.
15. Finally, will the dreaded “committee” have to step in when it comes to International assignments or will they let the competition play out?
1. This should be pretty straightforward--Gracie, Polina, and Ashley will go to Worlds.

2016 US Figure Skating Championships: Pairs Recap

The Senior Pairs event was supposed to be a slam dunk for Alexa Scimeca and Chris Knierim, based on their International season, but when has a US Pairs event even been that simple? They made mistakes in both programs which opened the door for Tarah Kayne and Danny O'Shea, who were not only clean, but gave transcendent performances that could make a splash at Worlds if performed in that manner. 

Let's revisit the questions I posed before the event and recap how these things shook down.

1. Will Scimeca & Knierim allow their Skate America and NHK medals and GPF qualification to propel them to a 2nd consecutive US Title?
1. Not so much...I think they were way too confident coming in and they did not perform up to the best of their abilities. They will get a chance to redeem themselves at Worlds.
2. Looking forward, can Delilah Sappenfield coach a World Medalist?
1. This is to be determined, but in my opinion, the best pairs coaches are in Florida.
3. Will Kayne & O’Shea or Aaron & Settlage, or Castelli & Tran perform in a way that establishes a clear 2nd place US Team?
1. Kayne & O'Shea and Scimeca & Knierim are clearly the top 2 in the US, but 4 Continents and Worlds should give us a clearer picture of who is the 1 and who is the 2. 
4. Will Calalang & Sidhu be able to factor in? 
1. They led until the top group took the ice and that's about it, though they did top Aaron & Settlage in the free skate.
5. Can Mervin Tran ever achieve the success he once had with Narumi Takahashi again, and with Marissa Castelli? Will they stay together long enough for any of this to matter?
1. She looks so much happier skating with him than Simon and they seem to be a good match. If they spend another year together and they could make some noise. 
6. Which junior medalists from last year will sneak onto the podium? 
1. Fields & Utah Stevens unfortunately did not even come close. They finished 11th overall after an extremely messy free.
7. Who will give us that classic great half of a free skate and then crumble in the second?
1. Unfortunately this was Castelli and Tran. They started so strong and then we had Mervin's fall, the fall on the throw, and the loss of synchronization on the spins.
8. And last but not least, how many of these teams will still be together next season?
1. To be determined....

Barbie's Friday Thoughts

Dance:

1. We should have Charlie & Tanith together doing commentary
2. Daniel Eaton has beautiful posture
3. Aldridge and Blackmer have potential once he masters the techniques...they clearly love skating together
4. I am thoroughly impressed by Hawayek & Baker; they truly look like seniors this year and their program was beautifully composed
5. The Shibutanis were 100% precise which I would say is a hallmark of Zoueva's teams, not one limb, one finger, one hair out of place
6. I'm living for all of this ballet today! Happy birthday Balanchine! 
7. Madison Chock is a star as long as you don't look at her feet 
8. The top 2 teams should be reversed and everybody else on twitter agrees...Chock/Bates are more dramatic but the Shibutanis are more precise
9. I completely agree with Charlie White...Hubbell & Donohue's short has the feeling of a free dance with the emotional storytelling
10. One team actually DANCED today and that was Hubbell & Donohue....you don't see the elements, just the movement

Men:

1. Nathan Chen knows how to compete-he did not skate perfectly, but he did not fall apart either
2. Jimmy Ma can rock a sheer top
3. Few skaters are more lyrical than Grant Hochstein-it's a shame that he couldn't go clean
4. Vincent Zhou has some guts-at least with the jumps-the spins and footwork will come and he will compete with Chen before too long
5. Ross Miner made me weep...his program was just so easy to watch and for the first time tonight I didn't feel anxious
6. Sean Rabbit's Samson & Delilah was artistic, energetic, and so fast! 
7. Tim Dolensky has an artist's soul and he showed that tonight
8. Max Aaron make jumping look so easy when he's on with those springy knees and he's developing some performance skills
9. Adam's footwork was the one element that stood out above everything else for me tonight
10. This event was infinitely better than the ladies short...these guys showed up to COMPETE

Barbie's Thursday Thoughts

Pairs

1. A new program can transform your season-"Take Me To Church" clearly elevated Kayne & O'Shea's level of skating
2. An emotional song will pull in the crowd over a rock song any day of the week
3. You can never rely on US Pairs to perform the way you expect
4. Too much confidence is always a cause for concern (I learned this from Ann Jensen)
5. Castelli & Tran have a future if they can.....eh hem.....stay together!
6. Never underestimate the power of real ballet training-Aaron & Settlage show us that in their posture and extension through each limb
7. If Denney and Frazier had not been injured, this would have truly been a 4-way race and the most competitive US Pairs event in years
8. A purple unitard is something we all think about wearing but most of us leave it in the back of the closet with the gold lame hot pants
9. Todd Sand still looks as fabulous as ever......like a real life Ken doll
10. I love Jimmy Morgan for his skating, but also because I met him in real life and he tweets with me

Ladies

1. I want Kori Ade to be my coach when I go back in time and become an elite figure skater; the respect between pedagogue and pupil is palpable 
2. Heidi Munger's costume was far and away my favorite
3. Mirai Nagasu has done some living and that showed in her performance in a great way; her struggles have taught her to skate like a woman
4. Karen Chen has "it" but "it" just wasn't her night, don't freak out people, she will come along
5. Tyler Pierce blew me away with how effortless her program looked
6. Ashley Cain should stop fighting the urge to skate to Frozen, she clearly already has the dress
7. Abbott & Rippon are a breath of fresh air as choreographers
8. Polina may not wow me as a performer, but she knows how to COMPETE at Nationals
9. Ashley Wagner...well that broad sure knows how to put on a show
10. Gracie Gold, you had one job and you singled a lutz?
11. We had our moments, but I just wanted some clean skating; too much to ask?

2014 US Figure Skating Championships: NBC & Ice Network Viewing Times

As per usual, NBC is giving is very sparse coverage of the US Figure Skating Championships. The rest of the events will be shown live on Ice Network. Enjoy watching and be sure to follow @barbiebackstage for all of my live updates, thoughts, and opinions. Cant want to watch with you all! 

2014 Prudential U.S. Figure Skating Championships NBC Broadcast Schedule (all times Eastern, subject to change, check local listing) BROADCAST DATE EVENT TIME (ET) Saturday, Jan. 11 LIVE pairs free skate and free dance 3-6 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 11 LIVE Ladies free skate 8-11 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 12 LIVE Men's free skate 3-5 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 18 Smucker's Skating Spectacular 4-6 p.m.

2014 Prudential U.S. Figure Skating Championships Icenetwork Broadcast Schedule (all times Eastern, subject to change, all events live unless noted) BROADCAST DATE EVENT TIME (ET) Sunday, Jan. 5 Novice pattern dance Novice ladies short program Novice pairs short program Novice men's short program 9:15 a.m. 12:20 p.m. 4:15 p.m. 6:15 p.m. Monday, Jan. 6 Novice free dance Novice ladies free skate Novice pairs free skate Novice men's free skate 9:40 a.m. 11:50 a.m. 1:35 p.m. 3:35 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 7 Juvenile pattern dance Juvenile pairs free skate Junior short dance Junior men's short program 8:30 a.m. 11:10 a.m. 3:25 p.m. 6 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 8 Juvenile boys free skate Juvenile free dance Juvenile girls free skate Intermediate pattern dance Junior pairs short program Junior ladies short program 8:30 a.m. 9:55 a.m. 11:30 a.m. 1 p.m. 4:10 p.m. 6:20 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 9 Intermediate ladies short program Intermediate free dance Junior men's free skate Intermediate pairs short program Junior free dance Intermediate men's short program Senior pairs short program Senior ladies short program 8:10 a.m. 9:40 a.m. 10:45 a.m. 1 p.m. 1:05 p.m. 2:35 p.m. 4:15 p.m. 7:45 p.m. Friday, Jan. 10 Intermediate pairs free skate Junior ladies free skate Junior pairs free skate Intermediate ladies free skate Intermediate men's free skate Senior short dance Senior men's short program 8:30 a.m. 8:45 a.m. 10:50 a.m. 12:10 p.m. 1:45 p.m. 1:45 p.m. 8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 11 Senior pairs free skate (early groups) Senior free skate (early groups) Senior pairs free skate (late groups)** Senior free dance (late groups)** Senior ladies free skate (early groups) Senior ladies free skate (late groups)** 11:30 a.m. 12:45 p.m. On-demand On-demand 6:45 p.m. On-demand Sunday, Jan. 12 Senior men's free skate (early groups) Senior men's free skate (late groups)** 12:50 a.m. On-demand

Team Canton has a new Diva: Dean Copely

Lichtman & Copely's Austin Powers: The 2011-2012 version of Chock & Zuerlein's Cabaret