Weir. You can always count on him....

[icarus]

... to bluntly say what no one else will admit.

"Figure skating used to have a public persona comparable to the high school homecoming queen or prom queen," the always-controversial Weir noted before the [US Nationals]. "Now our image to the public is the homecoming queen after she got knocked up on prom night and is living on the wrong side of the tracks."

Weir of course, is referring to the 2002 Olympic judging scandal which tarnished the reputation of figure skating worldwide but had the biggest impact in the U.S., where the games were hosted and saw the biggest TV audience.

Personally, I think the the new scoring system is the problem, not the politics. The politics behind the scenes had always been the fun part of figure skating for the audience. We used to know which judge gave which score and have always gone, "Ooo! Look at the low score the Russian judge gave the American skater." Plus the scores were easy to understand. Even in grammar school I knew that 6.0 was better than a 5.7, and grasped the concept that 6.0 was like a perfect "A."

Now we get a score: "244.77."

Huh? What does that number mean to the fans who don't follow skating religiously? I told WG, "Anything over 200 is pro-level." But that applies to the final combined short program and freeskate score, not the short program alone.

Weir and Lysacek's tie this weekend at 244.77 is much more exciting when you know that this is the highest skating score ever. That's how hard they fought each other.

Tickets to the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, Canada, go on sale this October. Figure skating tickets are as low as $50 for the nosebleed seats. Trust Canada to keep their promise to have affordable tickets so regular people can attend. Figure skating is a great show. Unlike skiing, where you can expect to stand there for an hour only to have a blur rush by ("which guy was that?" -- "I think he was ours"), skating delivers three hours of non-stop entertainment. Even between programs there are always skaters warming up on the ice doing cool jumps (or impressive falls).

Anyhow, I have two shaky and poor quality vids of the US Nationals that have been uploaded to Imeem, I'm just waiting for the confirmation email.

Overwhelmed at school this week. I started my tutoring job and so -- eep. Haywire.

Comments

[libitina]

I am strongly considering going to the 2010 games. (but I don't want to sit in nosebleed seats)

And, yeah, I have no idea about the scoring these days, but I can smile and nod with the rest of people.

Okay, when I first looked, I couldn't find anything on youtube, but for the moment there are videos (until they get pulled for copyright)

Lysacek LP - Does not look as good on video as you described.

Weir LP - OMG. Why have I not been obsessing over him more?

[dubhartach.livejournal.com]

Yes - I automatically watched Lyascek first and was meh about it. Then watched Weir not expecting much and wow, that looked fantastic.

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

You really have to see Lysacek in person. I saw video of his short program and -- it doesn't even look like the performance I watched.

Actually, WG's a figure skating convert but he'll only watch it live. Having seen it in person, he's not interested in the TV/videos of it.

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

Ah. It's Lysacek's SP that was mind-blowing, but doesn't come across as well on film as it did in person.

I'm considering going, too. Here's the price list, ranging from $50, to $150, to $250, to $420 (http://www.vancouver2010.com/en/Participation/SpectatorInformation/Tickets/TicketPrices). Hey, maybe we can share hotel costs.

Weir's just, muh, what a beautiful skater.

Icarus

[libitina]

I have heard rumor that Weir practices near me, but I have no idea where to even look to find the right stalkerish details. I'm hoping someone else will stalk for me and sweep me allong with enthusiasm.

I was looking at the hotel I stayed at in Burnaby for the Stargate convention. It was a Marriott, and I'm a member of their rewards club; it had an awesome and cheap foodcourt in the basement; it was far enough out that it might not be as expensive as other Vancouver hotels; and it was about three blocks from easy public transit (Skybus) into the city.

Also from the convention, I found out that flying to Seattle is half the price of flying to Vancouver, so at the least I would be interested in carpooling up there.

Is it legal to get a Canadian to buy us tickets by proxy, or do you think they have some kind of mechanism to prevent that?

Wishlist
$175 - Either opening or closing ceremonies (2/12 or 2/28)
$250 - Men's short (2/16)
$275 - Men's free (2/18) (unless the seating chart has only 10 front rows as A, in which case I might pay for more. But otherwise my luck would run to being in the very last row of A and not having gotten anything for the money)
$175 - Gala exhibition (2/28)
$ 65 - Curling qualifications (2/16-2/23 - though I guess a ticket is one day only)
------
$940 ... plus travel, lodging, and food. And other random touristy things for the roughly 10+ empty days

Or I could save a lot of money by not staying for the gala... but that would make me kinda sad.

[roaringmice.livejournal.com]

Weir skates at one of my rinks, in Wayne, NJ. Don't stalk him, please. That'd be creepy. :LOL: But the next time he has a show, I'll let you know. Tix are cheap - maybe $10?

[libitina]

C'mon - you saw exactly how much of a crazy fangirl I am. If he were wearing eyeliner and his full costume, I'd probably still be turning to you and saying, "So what's that one's name, again?" But, yes, that sounds like a lot of fun. It was really fun seeing good people skating up close, and I would love to do that again.

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

Actually, I need to track down where a nationals-level skater practices (any nationals-level skater) and quietly watch. I learned so much just from watching the skaters and coaches interact at competitions.

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

Bring a newspaper or your laptop, so it looks like you're waiting and not spying.

From what I notice, I'll be taken for a parent if I carry enough bags, bottles, backpacks and crap for an Everest expedition. ;)

[roaringmice.livejournal.com]

Yeah. Bring a wheelie bag full o'crap, and you'll be good!

[roaringmice.livejournal.com]

You can watch, at many rinks. Depends on the rink, and it's better if there are multiple skaters on the ice, or multiple rinks so that it's as if your kids could be on the other ice surface (LOL), but in most cases, you just walk on in and take a seat on the chairs or in the stands. Get some coffee from the snack bar or something. Bring a newspaper or your laptop, so it looks like you're waiting and not spying. You generally would not stand at the boards and watch, but you could sit in the stands if you see others in them, in the snack bar if it has a view, or in whatever chair/waiting area the rink has. Just follow the lead of the other "spectators" (who are probably parents and waiting skaters, etc.)

I frequently, when I'm waiting for my skates to be sharpened or something, sit and watch the elite level ice dancers and pairs in Hackensack. I also watch the senior level girls skate, sometimes. But that's a busy rink, and there are chairs right at the windows to each rink for the very purpose of watching.

I'm sure there are some rinks that won't let you do this, but it's not a big deal at every rink I skate at here in NY/NJ.

I don't even know which elite level skaters, if any, skate out of your region, so I'm afraid I can't be more helpful.

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

I don't think any do. We didn't even have a Senior Men's Regional because, well, no one showed.

If anyone skates in the San Francisco region however... or Toronto? My dad lives in Toronto and I do plan to visit. *g*

[roaringmice.livejournal.com]

Some do skate in Toronto, and I have to believe that some skate in Vancouver, BC. Let me see if I can find out.

[roaringmice.livejournal.com]

In Vancouver, BC, it's the Burnaby 8 rinks and the BC Centre of Excellence.

In Toronto, the elite skaters train at the Toronto Cricket, Curling and Skating Club, as well as at the Granite Club.

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

Right on. Thank you. This will really help a lot. *packs the wheelie bag*

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

Oh, wow. The BC Centre of Excellence is one heck of a serious skating center (http://www.icesports.com/Burnaby_BCCentreofExcellence.ashx?lang=en).

[roaringmice.livejournal.com]

I think Emmanuel Sandhu used to (maybe still does) skate there. Several other elite Canadian and international skaters are based there.

[tekalynn.livejournal.com]

Nice! I assume that's CD not USD prices.

[libitina]

yup - but maybe we'll have a better economy by then.

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

Oh, and here's Lysacek's SP (http://www.mediafire.com/?cfmmt599yzw), but he's one of those skaters -- you had to have been there. Todd Eldridge is the same way. It's something about his charisma and presence on the ice.

[libitina]

I know, that's why I phrased my complaint the way I did - he was absolutely breathtaking in person, even when doing *nothing*