The 2014 Cup Of China

After Skate America and Skate Canada, the ISU Grand Prix made its third stop in Shanghai, China with the LEXUS Cup Of China. In this event which was organized by the Chinese Skating Federation, skaters from all over the globe put their axels on the line in an effort to earn points that would potentially qualify them a spot in the Grand Prix Final in Barcelona, Spain this December. A little disclaimer before we get down to it. Please keep in mind with all the "coverage" of any competition on Skate Guard as always I'll post videos of some of the most standout performances. Many of them might be geoblocked in your country, and for that I apologize. Around the time of major competitions, videos go up every minute and come down and get geoblocked just as fast. If you're unable to watch videos in your country, I've got some great advice for you. Go to YouTube, and under your search settings you can select 'Upload Date'. If you type in keywords for the competition or skater you want to see, you can narrow it down to 'Today' or 'This Week' and usually find just what you're looking for in minutes! And now, on to the event at hand... which had more than a few surprises.

To briefly recap for those who haven't watched the event yet, the biggest news that came out of the Cup Of China was the collision between Yuzuru Hanyu and Han Yan during the warmup for the final group in the men's free skate. Both skaters collided at high speed and were clearly badly injured. Han Yan, who was hit on the shoulder and chin was incorrectly rumored to have withdrawn from the men's event and Hanyu (who by accounts passed out because of a concussion) appeared in the later second warmup with a bandage on his head. Rather than withdraw when he was clearly in pain, he was allowed to continue... as was Yan.

Russian Champion Maxim Kovtun was expected to be Hanyu's biggest competition at the event, what with finishing fourth at Worlds last year and winning the silver at this same event last year. I wanted to be able to say that his programs to "Bolero" and Muse were certainly a huge improvement on what we saw from him last season and whatever this was, but both programs left me uninspired. One thing I think Kovtun DOES really have going for him is his strong basic skating skills but to be honest, things like jump technique and the delivery of his footwork for instance just leave me thinking more about what could improve about his skating than about the jumps he's ticking off. Although he won the short program with two quads, I think it was clear that Kovtun was as shocked by the events of the men's free skate as anyone and his win here with a score of 243.34 might have been with a program with a quad toe and a triple axel, but it certainly wasn't with an inspired or flawless skate.

Japan's Yuzuru Hanyu entered this event as the reigning Olympic and World Champion and the overwhelming favourite to take the title. That said, he withdrew from the Finlandia Trophy citing back pain so who was to say just what to expect from him at this event? Although his music choices to Chopin and "Phantom Of The Opera" looked sleepier than a free dance event at Russian Nationals on paper, the short program choreography was quite lovely but a step out on a triple lutz and omission of a combination left Hanyu trailing after the short program with a score of 82.95. The collision in the warmup left Hanyu clearly injured and while I admire his determination to get up and fight, when you do your warmup with a bandaged head, fall five times, cry your eyes out and have to be carried away from the kiss and cry... you probably didn't make the safest choice. So many questions here... and I think the biggest one is if medical staff should not have intervened and said no. I get the determination to go for it and applaud it (I probably would have done the same in his boots because that's what skaters do) but yeah... Safety has to be considered and he was clearly NOT OKAY during that program. With five points deducted for the falls, Hanyu still finished second with a score of 237.55... raising more important questions. I almost feel like the respectful thing to do here is not to argue about the usual calculus lesson at hand but to wish him well instead. I think that's the ONLY right thing to be doing in the here and now of things.

With a quad toe and two triple axels, Richard Dornbush delivered one of the few strongish free skates in this bizarre men's event to claim the bronze medal behind Hanyu. His free skate might not have been perfect, but considering the events of the day and the presentation of Kovtun's program, I think there's a very real argument for Dornbush placing higher in this event. His total score in Shanghai was 226.73.

Canada's Nam Nguyen was fresh off playing spoiler at Skate America and nabbing the bronze medal unexpectedly with two clean skates (not to mention a beautiful quad) when he came to Shanghai. Working with incredibly talented people like Brian Orser, David Wilson and Jeffrey Buttle has clearly paid off dividends and you can SEE in his skating what they have done for him. The improvement from last season to this one is definitely marked and the programs themselves - "Sinnerman" and "La Strada" - are skated with maturity beyond his years. Although he looked a bit more tentative than he did in Chicago and speed remains an area that he could work on, he pulled off a fine effort here, even if he did pop his first of two triple axel attempts in the free skate. He finished fourth with 221.85 and like Dornbush, I'm not so sure why.

Misha Ge is a joy to watch. He choreographed his own programs this season to "Ave Maria" and "The Umbrellas Of Cherbourg" and brought his own distinctive style and fresh sense of interpretation to both. When I interviewed Misha last year, I really respected the fact that much like Ashley Wagner for instance, he didn't mince words. I feel that holds true in his skating. He's unapologetically musical and while is skating or jumps may not have the power of some of his rivals, what he lacks in athletics he makes up for in artistry. I saw more speed and confidence on the triple axel in his short program, which was one of his finest skates in competition period in my opinion. His free skate was lovely as well, and I really felt that overall, he got screwed here.

Han Yan finished seventh at both the Olympics and World Championships last season and I hate to say it considering the injury he suffered today, but he didn't make a fan out of me at either event. In the short program, I was left scratching my head at "If I Were A Rich Man" from "Fiddler On The Roof". It didn't do it for me. Athletically though, he's great when he's on. I can't say I agreed with his short program scores here though. A PCS score of 39.78 for a program where he didn't successfully land ANY of the four jumps he attempted and the musical interpretation was lacklustre at best doesn't add up in my books, home audience or not. As with Hanyu, I just hope Yan is okay! That crash was scary as anything. He did make it out to perform his free skate and like Hanyu's... it was a disaster. I don't even know... He finished sixth with 206.65.

All in all, my feelings about the men's free skate are so conflicting. Should the ISU have intervened and prevented the injured skaters from participating? What message does the judging given to their gutsy but fatally flawed routines send to other skaters? The bottom line in my mind remains is that this was scary, scary stuff. I just hope they are both truly okay and some lessons were learned today by all involved. A somewhat related/unrelated side note regarding the men's event: one example of judging in the men's SHORT program actually had me shaking my head so much I was this close to whipping my hair back and forth like in that song (and I shave my head) so I decided to actually write a separate blog to revisit the issue of the evaluation of PCS scores. Stay tuned for it in the coming weeks!

Elizaveta Tuktamysheva has been on a ROLL this season! She's already won three events - the Nebelhorn Trophy, Finlandia Trophy and Cup Of Nice and finished a strong second at Skate America (even winning the short program ahead of Elena Radionova). Speaking of Elena Radionova, I'll save my thoughts on her "Queen Of The Night" exhibition from Skate America for a rainy day... maybe a whole rainy season because I've got THAT much to say about that program. Anyway, back to Elizaveta... the technical side of her skating is her obvious strength and a clean short program left her just back of Lipnitskaia with a score of 67.99. Although Elizaveta isn't as developed a skater in terms of PCS as many others, I can't say that Lipnitskaia necessary is either so I'm not sure how I feel about the short program result but hey... with the same jump content and two rather comparable programs, I certainly don't think anyone was robbed here. When Lipnitskaia faltered here in the free skate, Tuktamysheva went out in beast mode and despite a doubled triple lutz attempt skated a flawless program. Of course, her PCS score was suddenly then better than Lipnitskaia's and her total score of 196.60 was enough for the gold medal here.

Russia's Julia Lipnitskaia was last season's "it girl". She won the European Championships, was one of the stars of Russia's Olympic gold winning roster in the team event, showed her humanity in the Olympic ladies event by finishing fifth and rebounded to win the silver medal at last year's World Championships in Japan. The diminutive Muscovite has been dazzling audiences for a couple of years now but with the rest of her fellow Russian ladies already looking on point faces perhaps a bit more competition this season though. Even without the triple lutz in her short program, she managed to go clean when many other ladies faltered and won the first phase of the event with a score of 69.56. The short program choreography - and even costuming - managed to make her look even more 'youthful' and I can't say the "Romeo And Juliet" free skate did her any major favors either. Where she was technically sound in the short, that was not so much the case in the free and several jump errors saw her finish fourth in the free skate and drop to second with a score of 173.57. For all of you Lipnitskaia fans out there... don't fear! This was one performance. The Lipnitsky is not falling. I repeat... The Lipnitsky is not falling. Those PCS scores will ensure that Lipnitsky stays right where it is.

Japan's Kanako Murakami started off strong last season with a silver medal and a performance of a lifetime at the Japanese Championships and a win at the Four Continents Championships but seemed to unravel at both the Olympics and World Championships. With Asada, Suzuki and Ando all out of the picture and Satoko Miyahara being the talk of the town, I was interested to see how Murakami fared in her first Grand Prix event of the season. She arrived with softer programs than some of her competitors and although she stepped out of the triple flip in her short program and missed her first two jumping passes in the free skate, still found herself in third with a score of 60.44. As much as I don't want to ever see anyone skate to "Phantom" again aside from Boitano, Cousins, Hamill and maybe Drobiazko and Vanagas, she did interpret the music competently here and I liked the fact that after the single axel/single toe in the free, she pulled herself together and did four more triples and a double axel like nothing happened. Her total score was 169.39 and enough for bronze.

Polina Edmunds won the U.S. International Classic in Salt Lake City with two strong performances and very good scores, setting her up in the eyes of many to be the dark horse to give the other U.S. ladies a run for their money this season. While she's young, she is the current U.S. Silver Medallist and certainly proved herself at both the Olympics and World Championships last season, where she placed in the top ten in both on her first try. Her programs this season are age appropriate and are really quite elegant and balletic. You can thank Rudy Galindo for that. Her skating is actually really growing on me and I have a hard time warming up to the 'younger skaters' I find. There's just that 'wise beyond her years' thing that's starting to develop and the jumps are great to boot, so how can you not appreciate that really? A fall on the triple lutz in the short program left her in seventh place, but she rallied wonderfully in the free skate with a clean performance to rack up a total score of 161.27 to move up to fourth place.

Canada was represented in this event by Gabby Daleman, who won the Skate Canada Autumn Classic last month and told me in the Canada Month interview I did with her that her goals for her Grand Prix events were top five finishes. In a deep field at this event, she finished fourth in the short program with a score of 58.49 and fought her way through her free skate and despite several mistakes, managed to get in a triple lutz and double axel/triple toe combination. Gabby is definitely a more athletic skater but I'd love to see some more attention to detail in choreography in the free skate. You see it in the short program and just a little more softness in the free skate could go a long way. I don't know though. I like her power in the same way I enjoyed watching a Midori Ito, a Tonya Harding or a Surya Bonaly. These weren't skaters who stylistically I'd imagine I'd enjoy watching as much I did but their skating was exciting, as is Daleman's. Her final score of 161.26 saw her achieve her goal of a top five finish here.

I wasn't quite sure what to expect from Christina Gao at this event but I was crossing my fingers and toes because I think she's just a lovely skater. Her eighth place finish at the U.S. Championships last year must have been a hard pill to swallow and I think it's a testament to the depth of the U.S. ladies field right now. I LOVE her program choices - Emeli Sande is fantastic and I used to perform to Linda Eder all the time when I did drag so I was like HAYYYY when I heard what she was doing this year. Downgrades proved to be her nemesis here unfortunately in the short program and her free skate started with a fall on a triple flip and kind of fell apart after that, although she did manage to land two triples. When she's on, she's just such a lovely skater to watch and let's cross our fingers and toes again and hope she fares better in her second assignment, the NHK Trophy in Osaka, Japan. Her overall score here was 125.04.

Texan Ashley Cain might have finished out of the top ten at last year's U.S. Championships but her bronze medal at the Ondrej Nepela Memorial in Bratislava earlier this season ahead of skaters like Viktoria Helgesson, Haruka Imai and Nathalie Weinzierl certainly turned some heads. Her programs are quite a bit bolder and more dramatic than we've seen from her in the past and I particularly have to say I particularly enjoy her short program to an orchestral arrangement of the "Mission Impossible" theme, which really showcases the quality and "levels" of her spins. This event really didn't go her way though but her total score of 124.81 did manage to move her up one place in the standings at the end of the day.

After claiming the silver at Skate America, Cheng Peng and Hao Zhang were certainly crowd favourites in their home country. They are currently ranked fifth in the world and have a solid quad twist. Their free skate to to the music of Dmitri Shostakovich wisely leaves both throws as the last two jumping passes, and the fact they landed both the loop and salchow nicely in the free skate left a good final impression with both the judges and the audience. Their score of 194.05 won them the pairs event by almost twenty points and certainly threw their name into the conversation about who the teams to watch this year are REALLY going to be. A great job in Shanghai for this pair.

For what World Junior Champions Xiaoyu Yu and Yang Jin of China lack in the presentation department, they make up for in athletics. They remind me a fair bit of a very young Shen and Zhao which makes absolute sense considering the Olympic Gold Medallists are their idols and Zhao coaches them. Like Shen and Zhao, in time they will grow into their programs and this year's pieces are already a vast improvement on what we've seen from them the past few years. A total score of 173.33 left them well back of Peng and Zhang but it was enough for silver. Their teammates Xuehan and Lei Wang made it a Chinese podium sweep in the pairs event by claiming bronze with 172.15 points.

Last year's European Bronze Medallist with former partner Yuri Larionov, Vera Bazarova has teamed up with Andrei Deputat to represent Russia. The duo already won medals at the Lombardia Trophy and Cup Of Nice this season and hoped to make a strong Grand Prix debut at this event. Their rather traditional program choices leave me feeling colder than a Maria Butyrskaya death stare (and that's cold) but what they lack in originality they make up for in good, quality skating skills. Unfortunately, they weren't able to produce programs that were competitive with the three Chinese teams and they finished off the podium in fourth with 166.44 as their total score.

Finishing just off the podium last month at the Skate Canada Autumn Classic, the new team of Natasha Purich and Drew Wolfe made their Grand Prix debut, finishing sixth of the eight pairs competing here with a score of 153.70. Although this team isn't 'there yet', the same can be said for many of the new partnerships that we're seeing in Canadian pairs skating this season and come January the pairs event in Kingston will be VERY interesting to see unfold.

The ice dance event was "names, names, names sweetie!" (totally said in an Edina Monsoon voice). Though the field was sparse with eight entries, many of those who were competing were teams to watch.

After their thirteenth place finish from last year's World Championships, France's Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron won the ice dance event ahead of the reigning World Champions and two other very strong teams. Think about that. That's huge! Their paso doble looked sharp here and while their was an almost flamenco influence it still maintained a distinctly ballroom feel in terms of execution with good closeness in steps and a great build towards a climax at the end. The nineteen year old's free dance to "Adagio from Concerto No. 23" by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart which was choreographed by Marie-France Dubreuil. In contrast, it showed a much softer side and I thought they pulled it off quite well with good expression throughout. Their higher marks in PCS (taking three of the five categories) show the judges clearly gave them the nod here both technically AND otherwise and they finished the event with a score of 160.12.

After settling for silver at Skate America to teammates Madison Chock and Evan Bates, Maia and Alex Shibutani entered this event as the sole U.S. ice dance entry. They hoped to improve upon their score of 160.33 from their first Grand Prix event and laid down solid performances of their paso doble and Strauss waltz free dance... so strong that they beat the reigning World Champions here and actually led after the short dance. Their final score of 157.36 may not have been enough to better their Skate America score or give them the gold, but it showed that in the grand scheme of themes, the judges seem to be rewarding their more traditional programs this season.

The reigning World Champions Anna Cappellini and Luca Lanotte came out looking strong enough with a short dance set to "Cappricio Espagnol" and a free dance to "Danse Macabre". I personally love the music "Danse Macabre" and enjoyed this program much more than the operatic program that won them a world title last year in Saitama, Japan. I noticed a marked improvement in their free dance in terms of attack from their recent performance of it at the 1st Italian Ice Dance Championship in Milan in late October, particularly in the speed area. While I liked the program, it didn't have the same flair or excitement about it that their competitors exhibited and I think this team is going to have its work cut out for them if they hope to return to the podium this March at Worlds. Their score of 149.58 was enough for bronze but was over twenty five points (you read that right) short of their score from the 2014 World Championships. I'm not a math person, but even I know that's not good.

Olympic Gold and Bronze Medallist Elena Ilinykh and her new partner Ruslan Zhiganshin made their international debut at this event and I was as curious as any cat about how they would fare on their first outing. With a very traditional short dance set to Bizet's "Carmen" (yeah, I know) and a free dance to music by Secret Garden and "Anthony And Cleopatra Theme" they did well enough and finished fourth with a score of 144.70. Similarly to the Italians, this score was thirty points shy of Ilinykh and former partner Nikita Katsalapov's score at the 2014 Worlds so it's apparent that from a technical standpoint especially, this team is going to have a fast track their first season together by adding even more difficulty and speed to be competitive.

Canada's Alexandra Paul and Mitchell Islam finished tenth at last year's World Championships and after a fourth place finish with a botched dance spin in the free dance at the Skate Canada Autumn Classic in Barrie last month hoped to make up some serious ground here, no doubt. In my Canada Month interview with the team, Alexandra explained that the team's "main focus will be continuing to progress in the way we train. We have to learn to attack our elements more and look fearless when we compete. We want to make ourselves look more mature and more like we belong in that 'last warm up group'." Of the team's two programs this season, I really think their free dance is going to be their strength. Frank Sinatra is a great vehicle for this classic team and I think this program has some nice highlights and is quite charming. Of the eight teams, Paul and Islam were fifth with a score of 140.46 but again... less than ten points back of the reigning World Champions.

Skate Guard is a blog dedicated to preserving the rich, colourful and fascinating history of figure skating. Over ten years, the blog has featured over a thousand free articles covering all aspects of the sport's history, as well as four compelling in-depth features. To read the latest articles, follow the blog on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and YouTube. If you enjoy Skate Guard, please show your support for this archive by ordering a copy of the figure skating reference books "The Almanac of Canadian Figure Skating", "Technical Merit: A History of Figure Skating Jumps" and "A Bibliography of Figure Skating": https://skateguard1.blogspot.com/p/buy-book.html.

Interview With Daniel Kulenkamp

As we start another quadrennial Olympic cycle, it's all about those fresh faces and skaters stories that we will see unfold in the coming years leading up to the 2018 Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea. One of those skaters is Daniel Kulenkamp, a young and up and coming skater who trains in Arizona and made his Junior Grand Prix debut earlier this season, handily placing in the top ten in his first try. I appreciate so much Daniel taking the time from his busy training schedule to talk to me about his career so far, goals for the future, favourite skaters and much, much more in this Skate Guard interview:

Q: You've had some great successes so far in your competitive career. After finishing fifth on the novice level at the 2013 U.S. Championships, you moved up to the junior ranks this past season and so far this season have won the junior men's events at the Golden West Championships and U.S. Challenge Skate and competed internationally on the Junior Grand Prix circuit. Looking at what you've accomplished in competition, what memories or moments are most precious to you?

A: My fondest moment so far in skating is when I found out I had been assigned the 2014 Croatia Cup. I had just finished a twelve hour drive home from Salt Lake City (this was right after Challenge Skate) and was sitting at home when I got the call. It's been a dream of mine for years to compete for Team USA and when I got the news I started jumping up and down while still talking (which is something I never do). I was so overwhelmed by emotion; my hard work was paying off. 
Another moment that's very close to me is from the 2013 U.S. Championships in Omaha. A good twenty friends drove down from Minnesota just to see me compete at my first national competition. After I finished my short program, they threw so many stuffed animals on the ice; I think it may have been the most I saw all week. That moment means so much to me, because it reminds me how many people I've got behind me. I am so fortunate to have such a great support group. Figure skating isn't an easy sport, but it does make it easier when you've got great friends and supporters. 

Q: You're from Minnesota but currently live and train in Arizona. What first drew you to the sport and when did you first decide that skating was something you wanted to focus your attention on seriously?

A: I started skating when I was very young, at four years old I think. My dad had coached high school hockey for many years, but he wanted me to take some lessons on figure skates before he gave me a hockey stick. After a year or so of taking lessons, my parents asked me if I wanted to try hockey. I seem to remember not liking the feeling of hockey skates as much as figure skates. As I kid, I didn't like change, and I didn't see why I needed to switch to hockey skates, so I stuck with skating. I also had a goal to get all the badges that they had displayed on the wall. In addition to skating, I played soccer and was a pretty good swimmer. Around the age of twelve, I decided to focus mainly on skating. I didn't enjoy swimming too much, but I absolutely loved skating. I loved performing for people and I loved to jump. This is when ideas of making it to the Olympics started entering my head.  However, moving to Arizona last March was the biggest commitment of all. I knew I needed a change in training and I had taken lessons from Doug and other coaches at the Ice Den while on vacation there a year earlier. It just felt right to me. The atmosphere at the rink was so positive, and the coaches are just phenomenal. It's where I wanted, and needed, to be. 

Q: This year, your short program is set to Led Zeppelin's "Black Dog" and your free skate to a Frank Sinatra medley. How did both of these programs come together and what do you love most about performing them?

A: "Black Dog" was actually my show program at the Ice Den's annual show. The theme was 'Britice Invasion,' and I was having trouble coming up with ideas. I asked Doug, and his wife Lara came up with idea for "Black Dog". I thought it was a bit outside my comfort zone, but was excited for it all the same. Steven Cousins choreographed it, and we all fell in love with it. So many people loved it we thought we'd give it a chance as my short program, and so far it's worked out pretty well. As for my long, I've always wanted to skate to Frank Sinatra, but never had the opportunity. I love his music and this seemed to be a perfect time to do it. My long program this year is one of my favorite programs I've done. 

Q: What are your main focuses in training and how do you plan on improving your base value and TES score as well as PCS scores as the season progresses?

A: One of my main focuses in training is pushing the choreography of my programs, both physically and emotionally. Both my short and long are at the point where I can execute them cleanly, so I want to improve the choreography and the emotional connection to the audience and judges. I also continue to focus on keeping jumps consistently clean and well executed, as well as adding more difficult entrances to jumps and spins.

Q: You've worked with some pretty fantastic skaters in their own right - Doug Ladret, Caryn Kadavy, Steven Cousins... What has each brought to your skating?

A: I like to say that Doug has fast-tracked my skating. With his guidance, I've gone from placing thirteenth at the U.S. Championships last January, to competing at a Junior Grand Prix less than a year later. My technique has improved greatly because of him. He really is my rock when it comes to training and competing. Doug knows exactly what to say to keep my head on straight. He also did a fantastic job choreographing my free skate. He and his wife Lara have been such great influences, on and off the ice, and I love working with both of them. Steve is awesome. He has a great personality and a good outlook on skating. He's pushing my choreography to new heights as well as throwing me far outside my comfort zone. He's great to go to for advice about anything; it was great to talk to him about what to expect at my first international competition and I used many of the things he told me when I was in Croatia. It prepared me for the new things I didn't know about or didn't expect. Caryn helped bring my choreography to a new level throughout my last year at novice and first year at junior. At a time when my attitude towards skating wasn't so positive, she helped me fall back in love with the sport. 

Q: On a day when you're NOT skating, where would we find you?

A: You'd most likely find me at home reading a book or somewhere with my family. I'm a big family guy, and I love spending time with my parents, grandparents, and brother. They are my biggest source of support and I’m incredibly lucky to have a family like them. I’m also an avid reader.

Q: Who are your three favorite skaters of all time and why?

A: My three favorite skaters are Scott Hamilton, Ryan Bradley and Evan Lysacek. Scott Hamilton, in my opinion is the best entertainer in skating's history. His show programs are so great and he's an Olympic Champion on top of it. I love his story of perseverance in the face of all the troubles he had. His story truly is inspiring. I like Ryan Bradley because he always stayed true to himself. He's a great entertainer, and his competition programs always reflected that. I like Evan because he worked hard. People said no one ever worked harder than him, which is something I try to emulate every day in training. 

Q: What's one thing most people don't know about you?

A: I speak Spanish. I'm not fluent yet, but I've been speaking it for over a year now and I love it. Arizona is such a great place to practice. 

Q: What is the biggest lesson skating has taught you?

A: Really loving what you do. That's the most important thing. Any goal worth pursuing is not going to be easily attainable. It takes years of perseverance and sacrifice to make it happen. If you don’t love what you’re doing, the hard work and sacrifices necessary feel pointless and painful. There’s been a lot of difficult things that skating has put me through - and I'm sure there will be more in the future - but every situation has been worth it to me, because I know what I'm aiming for. Though it will be difficult, I can't wait for the next challenge. 

Skate Guard is a blog dedicated to preserving the rich, colourful and fascinating history of figure skating. Over ten years, the blog has featured over a thousand free articles covering all aspects of the sport's history, as well as four compelling in-depth features. To read the latest articles, follow the blog on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and YouTube. If you enjoy Skate Guard, please show your support for this archive by ordering a copy of figure skating reference books "The Almanac of Canadian Figure Skating", "Technical Merit: A History of Figure Skating Jumps" and "A Bibliography of Figure Skating": https://skateguard1.blogspot.com/p/buy-book.html.

Bring On The Men: Men Skating Through The Next Ice Age

If you haven't heard of Linda Eder... here, let me help you get that rock you've been living under off of you. There, that's better, isn't it? In all seriousness though, Linda Eder's this powerhouse of a singer and I actually used to perform a lot of her music in my 'past life' as a drag queen. From her stunning cover of "Bridge Over Troubled Water" to her knock-your-socks-off rendition of "I Am What I Am", she's kind of got it going on. She's well known for her killer interpretation of "Bring On The Men" from "Jekyll And Hyde"... a song I actually probably performed myself in well over a hundred shows. I shit you not. At any rate, bringing on the men is ALWAYS a fabulous idea in my opinion... and Nathan Birch and Tim Murphy of The Next Ice Age are doing exactly that in their newest venture Men Skating. Men Skating uniquely brings together an all male cast of exceptional artists for ensemble skating of the first quality. The debut show today in Maryland is a private, invitation only event and will feature the likes of Rohene Ward, Ryan Bradley, John Kerr, Wesley Campbell, Jonathon Hunt and Shaun Rogers. Nathan and Tim were kind enough to open up about the concept behind Men Skating and what to expect from this exceptional meeting of the minds on the ice.

"Years ago when I was focussing on choreography for national and international competitors, I wound up working with a lot of male figure skaters such as Parker Pennington, Scott Smith, Brent Bommentre and Michael Solonoski," explained Nathan. "I used to think how fun it would be to combine their talents together in an ensemble cast. Recently, former students Ryan Bradley, Jonathon Hunt and Shaun Rogers were all available during a specific time window. Wesley Campbell had done some of our master classes, so I was familiar with his elegant skating. I have admired Rohene Ward both as a skater and a choreographer for some time, and I am fascinated as to how easily he can perform difficult maneuvers in both directions. I have also admired John Kerr as a skater and choreographer. He and his sister Sinead are a wonderful dance team, but when he performed a solo at The Michael Weiss Foundation, I was floored by his skills. Each of these athletic artists have partnering and solo skills that can be showcased in formats well beyond the usual four minutes. As we are at the very beginning of Men Skating, it is important to note that there are many more great male skaters we would like to include in the future. I admire all skaters, but considering the positive feedback surrounding this launch, I think others find the concept appealing as well. Choreography for all men is not original, but an entire skating show with only men hasn't been done before to the best of my knowledge, so we're going to give it our best shot!"

Those of you who read the September 2013 Skate Guard interview with Nathan will know that he is a former member of John Curry's Company and The Next Ice Age's work has continued to very much carry on Curry's vision. Nathan explained "John Curry built an all male quartet for The Next Ice Age in the early nineties. It was also his last ensemble dance, which is significant in itself. 'On The Beautiful Blue Danube' was originally performed by John, Tim, myself and Shaun McGill. We presented it a few times with different skaters over the years, so the official first dance of Men Skating is already done! In 1933 'Ted Shawn And His Men Dancers' debuted in Boston, making history, after laying important ground work at Jacob's Pillow in the Berkshires. Tim and I are from the Boston area originally, and we still have many connections there, so it seems we are being handed a baton from above, so to speak. It sounds crazy, but I can hear Ted and John saying 'Go ahead Tim and Nate. Do this for skating.'"

I asked Nathan specifically about 'Javelin', a new piece created specifically for Men Skating. "The music, composed by Michael Torke, is surprising, percussive, strong and really American sounding in the way Bernstein helped define the genre. It is big, sweeping and contemporary, and when I was contemplating Men Skating, I thought the opening had to reflect these attributes." At the time of this interview, Nathan, Tim and the skaters were set to begin rehearsals in a matter of days for today's taping. Nathan expressed that "while things may change, I feel the dance is going to be about brotherhood. The six guys coming to Baltimore have all been friends for well over a decade, so they are a brotherhood already. This idea can be expanded to the larger community of male skaters. Each of us share a kinship, whether we turned out as gypsies, teachers or champions. Each of us share an understanding of what it was like growing up as a figure skater. It is an unspoken respect that requires nothing other than quiet acknowledgement. This bond - this brotherhood - is something we can all share equally without dogma, judgement, or fear. Technically, the dance will reflect the music. Percussive sections will feature quick short steps that will juxtapose with the more lyrical passages that cry out for long glides and extensions. There will also be jumps, spins, lifts and other physical pyrotechnics. None of these skaters have an arsenal of tricks that is half full. They of course wonʼt all go into this one piece, for reasons of balance, but beauty - paired with muscle - should serve 'Javelin' well. We first met Michael Torke in 1997 when he came to the final rehearsal of Timʼs 'Bright Blue Skating' (set to his piece 'Bright Blue Music') at The Kennedy Center. We were huge fans of his music long before we met the man we consider to be a friend today. He also came to my premier of his 'Book Of Proverbs' at The Columbia Festival Of The Arts, and Tim restaged 'Bright Blue' for The American Dance Festival. So this marks the 4th time we have used Michaelʼs glorious, optimistic, and emotional music."

One thing I really was curious about was the long term vision of this project. Nathan sees "this as a commercially viable entity. The title says what it is, so that should help with promotion and advertising. We will probably rotate skaters in and out, depending on scheduling. Also, I want to use other skating choreographers. There are so many good ones! John Curry said many times that the best skating choreography in the future may come from the skaters themselves. With The Next Ice Age, Tim and I have presented our own work with few exceptions, but we want Men Skating to be different. Our vision is for it to present many points of view by choreographers with a skating background." From a long term perspective, Nathan and Tim want to give back: "There will also be a charitable arm to this project focussing on menʼs health issues. I got to share that with Tenley Albright and she got really excited. She said she was at a conference on women's health not long ago, and someone chimed in 'Why does no one ever talk about menʼs health'? I really admire the work Scott Hamilton does in Cleveland with his C.A.R.E.S. initiative. Many other luminaries in skating support similarly deserving causes and I applaud them all. If it takes off, Men Skating can be a platform for men's health, which encompasses so many issues and affects our society in profound ways. So you see, this is much larger to me than an ice show concept."

Personally, I have to say... I think this is just fantastic. It's fresh, it's new and it's exciting. With all of the hype around the Grand Prix events right now, it's refreshing to see something completely different that has nothing to do with upgrades, downgrades, levels or points on the table that is placing the value of skating's artistry as the main dish on the menu. You know, I may be up in Nova Scotia and literally just so geographically removed from all of the incredible things like this that are going on but if there's one thing I've learned from coming back to the sport after so many years away and writing about it, it's that if you can find a voice, use it. The good that will come of that far outweighs the bad. The good that will come from Men Skating is going to be - in my humble opinion - immeasurable.

Skate Guard is a blog dedicated to preserving the rich, colourful and fascinating history of figure skating. Over ten years, the blog has featured over a thousand free articles covering all aspects of the sport's history, as well as four compelling in-depth features. To read the latest articles, follow the blog on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and YouTube. If you enjoy Skate Guard, please show your support for this archive by ordering a copy of figure skating reference books "The Almanac of Canadian Figure Skating", "Technical Merit: A History of Figure Skating Jumps" and "A Bibliography of Figure Skating": https://skateguard1.blogspot.com/p/buy-book.html.

Interview With Ashley Wagner

I want to preface this interview with Olympic Bronze Medallist, Four Continents Champion and two time U.S. Champion Ashley Wagner with a big thank you. Without the support of U.S. Figure Skating, Skate Canada, skaters, agents, clubs, federations and readers alike around the world I wouldn't have the opportunities to interview many of the fabulously talented skaters that I have. From the bottom of my heart, a big thanks for making this blogger from Eastern Canada very happy and giving all of you the chance to hear skaters stories from their own mouths! This interview is really special, I think. There's a wonderful sense of humor and refreshing honesty and candor about Ashley Wagner and I think if you take the time to carefully consider her words here, there might just be a big lesson in this interview as well I think. We talked about everything from the Olympics to her programs this season, focuses in training, love of performance and so much more but I personally think her answers to my last two questions in particular are just wonderfully, wonderfully well said. You know, Ashley is kind of the skater that is just a STAR out there in my eyes and I hope you'll find in getting to know her more in this interview that she's a pretty cool person as well. Grab yourself a hot bevvy, sit back and enjoy reading an interview I have every confidence you're going to love as much as I do:

Q: You've had an incredible career so far - you were part of the U.S. team that won Olympic bronze in Sochi, have won two U.S. titles, the 2012 Four Continents Championships as well as wins at Skate America and the Trophee Eric Bompard and an impressive four trips to the World Championships, including two top five finishes. Looking back on everything you've accomplished so far in your career, what moments or memories stand out above all of the rest as the most special to you?

A: Being chosen to represent the U.S. at the Olympics definitely stood out to me. Although my election in no way shape or form came about the way I had hoped, being placed on the team showed me that my federation believed in me and what I had accomplished in my career. Also, standing on the Olympic podium is a moment in my life I will never be able to forget. The energy and the experience that I'll share with my teammate for the rest of our lives is truly incredible!

Q: I first got to see you skate live at Stars On Ice here in Halifax and was absolutely impressed by your ability to relate to and reach out to an audience which I don't think television or internet coverage of skating really gets across about skaters as much as when you watch them live. Would you say that relating to audiences is something that came natural to you or is it something that you've worked really hard on over time?

A: I LOVE performing! It's the whole reason I skate. I am such a show pony and I thrive on the challenge of making all eyes turn to me. It's a rush! I try to choose pieces of music that I personally relate to and feel inspired by so that when it comes time to perform, the audience can genuinely understand what I'm trying to reach out and say, because it is more natural to me.

Q: As compared to some of the other top U.S. ladies competing right now, you really stand out as a mature presence in U.S. ladies skating. I think some of that obviously as to do with the fact you're older than many of your biggest competitors but there's also just that "it factor" going on too. You've got two new programs this season. What can you share about the creative process for both and what can we expect from you in competition this year that we haven't seen before?

A: This year, my maturity was something that really came into play when trying to choose pieces of music. Some of these girls weren't even alive when I started skating, and they'll keep on getting younger and younger from now on, so it's up to me to find a way around that. I have a lot of experience in the sport and Raf and I decided it was time to showcase that. We chose pieces of music that were very strong and emotional, even passionate. The Adagio from "Spartacus" is a HUGE selection of music and it is easy for the music to take over if you let it. The whole program is about me taking control and reaching out to the audience so they can understand just how desperate of a time my character is going through. The long is to "Moulin Rouge" and I know from the start I wanted a character that I could almost act out the program with. I wanted it to be more for the audience and everyone watching the program at home.

Q: If you were to take on pairs skating, who would be your ultimate partner?

A: I think at this point I would have to say Adam Rippon. He has been my friend for so long and I feel trust is a huge factor in pairs. Also, I wouldn't be afraid to yell at him! On second thought, he's the prettiest person I know, so maybe that wouldn't be a good idea! You can't have your partner be prettier than you, can you?

Q: What are your main focuses in training right now?

A: The triple/triple is a huge part of my training, as well as running programs and getting my endurance up beyond marathon running levels!

Q: Who are your three favourite skaters of all time and why?

A: Michelle Kwan - need I say more? That one is obvious. Katarina Witt! She was so unapologetically sexy and strong and I loved that about her! Max Trankov and Tatiana Volosozhar as well. They were perfection. Everything they did was set to max for stunning.

Q: What's one thing most people don't know about you?

A: (laughing) I just want a big hug! At the end of the day, I think people have really started to see me as this aggressive attention seeking athlete. In reality, beyond the rink I'm a normal person. I love cooking and baking, watching guilty pleasure TV shows, am hopelessly addicted to shoes and love biking to the beach. So be nicer to me on Twitter! I'm actually a nice, normal person!

Q: What is the biggest life lesson that skating has taught you?

A: That it's just skating. At the end of the day, my life will not crumble around me if something goes wrong. I go home, rinse off my makeup and start over the next day. People get so wrapped up in this sport - fans and athletes alike - but I just do it because I love it, and there's nothing wrong with that.

Skate Guard is a blog dedicated to preserving the rich, colourful and fascinating history of figure skating. Over ten years, the blog has featured over a thousand free articles covering all aspects of the sport's history, as well as four compelling in-depth features. To read the latest articles, follow the blog on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and YouTube. If you enjoy Skate Guard, please show your support for this archive by ordering a copy of figure skating reference books "The Almanac of Canadian Figure Skating", "Technical Merit: A History of Figure Skating Jumps" and "A Bibliography of Figure Skating": https://skateguard1.blogspot.com/p/buy-book.html.

2014 Skate Canada International

The second stop on the yellow brick road to the ISU Grand Prix Final in Barcelona was Skate Canada International, right here in Canada, where we don't say "eh" half as much as people think we do (or in my case, at all), most us have never seen an igloo let alone lived in one and figure skating has remained immensely popular for well over a century. I'll start things off with a little disclaimer. Please keep in mind with all the "coverage" of any competition on Skate Guard as always I'll post videos of some of the most standout performances. Many of them might be geoblocked in your country, and for that I apologize. Around the time of major competitions, videos go up every minute and come down and get geoblocked just as fast. If you're unable to watch videos in your country, I've got some great advice for you. Go to YouTube, and under your search settings you can select 'Upload Date'. If you type in keywords for the competition or skater you want to see, you can narrow it down to 'Today' or 'This Week' and usually find just what you're looking for in minutes! And now, on to the event at hand...

The skating in Kelowna was for the most part absolutely EXCEPTIONAL. After the odd 'senior B' international competition, this was the first big outing in front of a sizable audience for the majority of these skaters and they certainly did not disappoint. Before I get to my own thoughts I want to share some of Danielle Earl's. Danielle is a wonderful skating photographer and fan who was in BC for the event. On day one, Danielle commented that she "loved Veronik and Julianne and loved Maddie and Max, Meg and Eric and was impressed with the debut of Kirsten & Mike." She also loved Stephen Carriere and Adam Rippon's performances despite Adam's rough skate in the short program. She also commented on how much she enjoyed the short dances of Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje and Nelli Zhiganshina and Alexander Gaszi "because it was a super outside of the box paso".

With the ultimate double whammy of overused skating music choices of "Carmen" and "Phantom Of The Opera", Japan's Takahito Mura had me upset before I even watched him skate. There's a lot to like about his skating... good jump technique, power and speed, but the reigning Four Continents Champion just lost me with these program choices and sleepy choreography. Although his jumps were anything but average, I just felt like boxes were being checked when I watched both of these programs... which is a real shame considering he really is a very fine skater... his clean free skate featured two quads, two triple axels and five other triples. Like it or lump it, Mura's win and score of 255.81 well rewarded his technical excellence.

Let's talk about Javier Fernandez. His short program to "Black Betty" was entertainment and athleticism perfectly coupled. With a music choice like that and a couple of stopping and posing sections, it would be very easy for skating purists to dismiss a program like this easily... BUT when you land the quad, triple/triple and triple axel and top it off with showmanship and footwork that is nuanced and well edged enough that the IJS structure of it is forgivable and even musically plausible, you win me over, that's for sure. A score of 86.36 set him up well for the free skate but after missing all three quad attempts in his free skate, he unravelled a bit and conceded the title. Fernandez settled for silver and a score of 244.87, ten points back of Mura.

Max Aaron... had some great moments technically but I gotta be honest... "Footloose" doesn't work for me at all. Max has long been criticized for the presentation side of things and I'm pleased to say he really made me eat a little bit of crow when he stepped things up a notch last year. This year, the free skate choreography is suited to his skating style (and two triple axels and a quad are nothing to scoff at) but the short program just doesn't seem to pull him out of his shell enough for a steppy piece of music like that. If you're going to take music like that, you've got to be able to work it out like someone would if they were skating to... I don't know... "Proud Mary". That said, I get that it's not easy doing three triples and a quad in as few minutes, but with such depth in the men's field as there is right now, this short program is going to need some serious attention paid to projecting to the audience and selling the choreography if it's going to be kept. All of this said, a bronze medal and score of 231.77 was a strong result for Aaron.

I was REALLY happy to see Stephen Carriere pull off such a strong result at this event. I'm a big fan of his skating and although he wasn't perfect in this event, he was showing a nice clean quad in his free skate and a quiet confidence that we didn't see from him last season. Carriere finished fourth in both segments of the event and fourth overall with a score of 231.67.

I have a lot of respect for Konstantin Menshov. A "late bloomer" by skating standards, Menshov has soldiered on and stuck with skating despite a deep field of Russian men and never looked long in the tooth for a minute. He reminds me a TAD of Alexei Yagudin, his spins are well centered, his short program music is fantastic and when he does land a quad, you're like "giiiiirl... that was a GOOD one!" The only thing about Menshov is that he also kind of reminds me of Laetitia Hubert, who I just loved but yelled at the television set over more than once. There's a very hit and miss thing going on when it comes to the jumps and I would really just love to see him continue to find success this season. As compared to the rest of the crop of Russian men, he's certainly the most inspired. Menshov finished fifth with a score of 225.03.

With Elladj Balde suffering a concussion and being forced to withdraw last minute, Canada's hopes in the men's event rested on Andrei Rogozine and Liam Firus, both fine skaters but also both placed in a VERY deep field. Liam landed six triples and Andrei landed five in the free skate so despite their bottom rung results, neither skater can walk away from this competition thinking they didn't put in a strong and admirable effort.

Anna Pogorilaya is a very dangerous name if you're a Russian young lady hoping to make this season your breakout one. She might not have the flashy star power of some of her rivals but she's got a seemingly effortless triple lutz/triple toe, nice quality to her spins and a certain understated elegance that defies her sixteen years. I see a little of Maria Butyrskaya in her as well. With lots of positives and very few negatives, I don't want to say "her future is bright" because like Nam Nguyen in the men's event at Skate America, I think her time is now. With a flawless short program and a free skate that featured seven triples (two of them lutzes), she cleaned up at this event and won with a convincing score of 191.81.

Ashley Wagner... how I LOVED it that she went out and skated so brilliantly in this competition. Her skating is adult, mature, sophisticated, fresh and exciting. I saw her skate in Stars On Ice two years ago. Our seats were in the front row right on the ice and what impressed me even more than the gorgeous triple loop she landed literally right in front of me was the twinkle in her eye. There's something so human and so exciting about the way Ashley skates that makes you take notice. This was my first time seeing her "Spartacus" short program and with a nice triple flip/triple toe, triple loop and double axel there was as much to love technically as there was stylistically. Her free skate might not have been perfect but it was pretty damn close and she didn't let up on those jumps one bit. Her total competition score of 186.00 was well ahead of the scores of any of the U.S. ladies competing at Skate America and if Ashley keeps skating like this, she's going to be tough to beat.

In the absence of skaters like Mao Asada, Akiko Suzuki and Miki Ando, one could easily think that the cup of Japanese ladies skating was no longer runneth over. Not so. Satoko Miyahara has stepped in to fill that void and done so marvelously. I'm one of these people who can spot a junior in a senior event a mile away and unlike many of those skaters who really struggle in making the transition from the junior to the senior ranks convincingly, this absolutely isn't the case with Miyahara. For a teenager, she's got this very Michelle Kwan-esque quiet command of the ice and for the most part, she's getting all of the way around on the triples. Her bronze medal at this event with a score of 181.75 tells me that her name is one we are going to be hearing a lot of this season. No doubt!

I make no secret of my admiration of Alena Leonova. Despite missing a trip to the Sochi Olympics last season, her performances last season were anything but poor and this season, she's got that delightful "Chaplin" short program and a nicely contrasting tango free skate to "Asi se baila el Tango" and "Otono Porteno". Alena has always been kind of typecast as a short program skater and again, here she performed very well in the short although she got dinged on spins. After going for the triple flip/triple toe at the beginning of her free skate, things unfortunately unravelled for her bigtime in the free skate, where she only managed one clean triple. I don't think it's back to the drawing board at all though... I think this was a bad skate and the motivation she may need to push even harder to contend with the deep field of Russian dynamos. Her score of 164.15 dropped her from third after the short program down to sixth.

With Kaetlyn Osmond rebounding from a serious injury (to say the least), Canada's hopes in this event rested on Alaine Chartrand, Julianne Seguin and Veronik Mallet. While Seguin didn't fare as well as Chartrand and Mallet, the Canadian ladies made their cases as to why they may each be medal contenders at the Canadian Nationals... and I for one am actually really quite excited about the ladies event in Kingston this year. We're starting to get some very real depth in our ladies field and that's no joke. This is not 1995 anymore... times have changed. Chartrand finished seventh, Mallet tenth and Seguin in twelfth.

I don't have a lot to say about the pairs event other than gushing about Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford. Before this event even started, they already had some strong performances under their belt in early season competitions such as the Skate Canada Autumn Classic and their introduction of the throw quad salchow to their already insane technical repertoire has been serving notice to their competitors that they are going to be a very tough team to beat this season. After a clean short program to "Un peu plus haut" by Ginette Reno, the duo who train in Quebec with Julie Marcotte showed great fight in their free skate, going after and stepping out of the throw quad salchow and landing side by side triple lutzes though making a couple little bobbles. That said, it was a GREAT free skate and a great start to the Grand Prix for this team. Their score of 210.74 kept them way ahead of silver medallists Wenjing Sui and Cong Han of China and bronze medallists Evgenia Tarasova and Vladimir Morozov of Russia.

This was my first time watching the new partnership of Kristen Moore-Towers and Michael Marinaro and I was quite pleasantly surprised as to how well they work together. The triple twist looked good and I think some of the little things I noticed like the death spiral for instance are going to come together quickly for them. For their first competition together, this was a lot better than most and I think their program choices should serve them well. I'm excited to see how their their skating progresses looking forward to Nationals in Kingston.

I thought Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje looked very on point in this event. In winning the short dance with a score of 68.61 (almost ten points higher than their closest rivals), they took a traditional approach to the paso doble - right down to the costumes - and interpreted the music beautifully with excellent unison, clean edges and above all, confidence. In a well done paso, the man should have a back so straight that Dick Button could iron a shirt on it while the lady should exhibit more curve in her posture to show contrast. The paso isn't so much about the hips as it really is about the back and I think this team nailed that. Their free dance to Vivaldi's "The Four Seasons" was artful and flowed beautifully from one movement to the next with clean edges and good speed. I think this program has enormous potential and their win at this event with a score of 171.10 was absolutely deserved.

Speaking of pecking order, Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier made a huge leap from eighteenth in the world to eighth last year (holy ten places, Batman!) but I think a lot of that owed to the fact that their "Hitchcock" free dance last year was just so compelling that it was hard not to give them the marks they deserve. While I'm not entirely sold on their more traditional free dance this year, the little things in this team's skating count for a lot - good edges and carriage and smooth transitions from one thing to the next. Their performance in the free dance was very well received by the judges and a score of 152.60 moved them up from fourth place after the short dance to give them the silver medal.

Madison Hubbell and Zach Donohue were, as always, excellent despite a little problem at the end of their free dance. Their score of 148.23 was well back of Chock and Bates' 171.03 and the Shibutani's 160.33 at Skate America, but the skating to me was a lot more relatable. I think their "The Great Gatsby" free dance is the best free dance they've put out there as a team and the music choices used to illustrate the story of the dance are modern, unorthodox and refreshing. The presentation and package of this team is great and I think with just a little more attack and speed they could really force the judges to reconsider the U.S. ice dance pecking order. As for the Helen Lovejoy "Won't someone PLEASE think of the children?" cries over Zach's hoodie vest, it's a modern program. It works for me.

2011 World Junior Champions Ksenia Monko and Kirill Khaliavin (to me) didn't show the same polish as Weaver and Poje even if they did have some great elements like intersecting twizzles and close footwork with good unison throughout. I thought their paso doble was a little sloppy at times, with rounded shoulders from Monko but the lifts these team does are really quite good. I find with these two that the focus always seems to be on Kirill instead of Ksenia and after a fifth place finish at Russian Nationals last year, I really didn't see anything that extraordinary in either their paso or "Sarabande" free dance to necessarily place them on the same playing field as teams like Gilles and Poirier and Hubbell and Donohue. Their sixth place free dance dropped them out of medal contention and left them in fourth place with a score of 143.48.

We remember the German ice dance team as those fun loving zombies who stole our hearts and BRAINS a couple of seasons a couple of seasons back? Last year, their programs were kind of lost on me and just didn't have the same spark as we'd seen when they were coming to get us, Barbara. Always unconventional and kind of reminding me a bit of Susanna Rahkamo and Petri Kokko, they showed up with more of a street (but certainly not pedestrian) short dance set to "La Maza" and "Ameksa" which was reminiscent of the "Caval Pata" street tango Lia Trovati and Russ Witherby skated one year at the Legends Competition. The judges didn't receive it well though and a score of 55.35 in the short dance made making up the ground they needed to medal a difficult task. Their "Swan Lake Reloaded" free dance had this cool little trip hop vibe going on and some neat lifts and although a delightful step back into the void, I think this team would find so much more success in professional competitions if there were more of those around today. I just can't see Yuri Balkov digging the trip hop, but then again... you never know what he taps his toes too. They finished the competition in fifth with a score of 140.95.

The next stop on the ISU Grand Prix Of Figure Skating is the LEXUS Cup Of China next weekend in Shanghai and I'm excited to be blogging about that event as well! There are lots of great skaters competing including Yuzuru Hanyu, Richard Dornbush, Misha Ge, Julia Lipnitskaia, Christina Gao, Gabby Daleman, Cheng Peng and Hao Zhang, Anna Capellini and Luca Lanotte, The Shibutani's and Alexandra Paul and Mitch Islam. Be sure to stay tuned to Skate Guard this week for my interview with two time U.S. Champion Ashley Wagner! You are NOT going to want to miss it.

Skate Guard is a blog dedicated to preserving the rich, colourful and fascinating history of figure skating. Over ten years, the blog has featured over a thousand free articles covering all aspects of the sport's history, as well as four compelling in-depth features. To read the latest articles, follow the blog on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and YouTube. If you enjoy Skate Guard, please show your support for this archive by ordering a copy of the figure skating reference books "The Almanac of Canadian Figure Skating", "Technical Merit: A History of Figure Skating Jumps" and "A Bibliography of Figure Skating": https://skateguard1.blogspot.com/p/buy-book.html.