The ISU has made its assignments for the 2013 Grand Prix season—it's 18th season—and three SCNY skaters have been selected to compete.
Three time U.S. Champion Johnny Weir-Voronov was selected to compete at the Rostelecom Cup in Moscow, November 9th-11th and at Trophee Eric Bompard in Paris, November 16th-18th.
2012 U.S. Men's Silver Medalist Adam Rippon was selected for the Cup of China in Shanghai, November 2nd-4th and the NHK Trophy in Miyagi, Japan, November 23rd-25th.
2011 World Bronze Medalist Maia Shibutani was selected with her dance partner and brother Alex to compete at the Rostelecom Cup and the NHK Trophy.
The 18th Grand Prix series will consist of six international competitions: Skate America, Skate Canada International, Cup of China, Rostelecom Cup, Trophee Eric Bompard and NHK Trophy. Skaters' results from all competitions are tallied based on a points system, and the top 6 points-scorers from each discipline are invited to compete at the Grand Prix Final, which will take place in Sochi, December 5th-9th.
Congrats to all SCNY members who were selected this year. We'll be rooting for you!
About once a week these days, I am struck with an urge to root around YouTube for old skating videos. The quality of what I find is not always great—many times it's a low-resolution video from before the advent of HD, or it's a cam-rip of someone filming their television.
While not necessarily endorsed by the networks that broadcast them, many of the more famous performances are nonetheless available to watch on YouTube, and they are simply fantastic! Old videos from the '50s. New videos from this past year. You can find pretty much anything.
A few weeks back, I read that legendary coach Christa Fassi had been elected by the PSA to the Figure Skating Coaches Hall of Fame. Thinking about that this week, I was inspired to search for a video of one of her husband's (Carlo Fassi) most famous pupils—Dorothy Hamill—who just so happens to have been an SCNY member. I found several, including a good quality video of her historic 1976 Olympic long program. I've seen it probably a hundred times before (she was one of my idols!), but for me, it never gets old. It's such a solid performance.
That got me thinking about another Olympic gold medalist, also from SCNY: Carol Heiss-Jenkins. I'd grown up hearing about how wonderful she was, but I'd never seen her skate. Sure enough, not even two minutes later, I was watching her 1960 Olympic-winning freeskate. It was interesting to see how large a role footwork and edges played in her program. While jumps took center stage in the '70s, '80s and '90s, the return to an emphasis on edgework in the last decade makes this video even more valuable.
My afternoon of YouTubing wouldn't be complete without digging up a performance by SCNY's third Olympic champion, Sarah Hughes. Her 2002 Olympic long program is just as amazing now ten years later as it was when I watched it live!
There are hundreds of skating videos on YouTube and around the Web. Have you found any good ones lately? If so, let us know where to find them in the comments section below!
Ice and theater go together like peanut butter and jelly these days! This relatively new discipline in the skating world is growing fast and fabulous, combining the choicest elements from each of the other disciplines of skating—including freestyle, pairs, dance and synchro—with theatrics to create a highly creative and visually stunning brand of performance.
Aside from a few "Showcase" (USFS) and "Spotlight" (ISI) performances in my youth, I didn't have the opportunity to try it out. But skating in New York, I'm exposed to some of the best ice theater around.
This city is home to a world class professional Ice Theater troupe, Ice Theatre of New York. It's right here on our doorstep, and this Thursday, May 17th, the troupe is hosting a Spring Fling at Chelsea Piers to raise money for rehearsals and performances for their upcoming season. It's billed as a "glamorous evening of skating, cocktails and light bites," and I have no doubt it will be a wonderful time. Ice Theater will be performing two new ensemble pieces, the Junior Ice Theatre performers will take the ice, followed by a celebrity skate-off that will feature the on-ice talents of 'All My Children' star Rebecca Budig and NY1 anchor Pat Kiernan, among others. Who will be judging the skate-off? Two-time Olympic champion Dick Button!
Tickets are available for purchase online, or by calling (212) 929-5811. The evening begins with performances at East Rink at 7 p.m., followed by a reception on the Sunset Terrace around 8:15 p.m.
