#and her layback positions were so pretty

[f1tyreslightmyfyre]

On the Ice

Inspired by this (and this and this and this) lovely, brilliant art by @ecler16

A Figure Skater!Charles x Hockey Player!Max Fic

Summary: Max is the luckiest man on earth as he watches Charles on the ice.

Warnings: Non-graphic sexual content; fluff and romance; teasing, so much teasing

A/N: Those fantastic sketches rooted in my brain, and now, this offering is submitted at the altar of this delicious AU concept. Cheers and hope you enjoy 😊❤

Also on AO3

Poetry in motion. 

The sappiness of the thought isn't lost on Max. But since the beginning, there's truly been no other way to describe Charles on the ice. 

Sweat runs down the side of Max's face and soaks his hair as he pulls his helmet free. He hadn't expected practice to be so intense today, but Coach had other ideas. Dropping his helmet to the bench, he reaches for his water bottle and takes a hearty gulp.

"Good lord," Daniel groans as he all but collapses on the bench next to Max. "Even my balls ache after that practice."

"Somehow, I'm sure it's your fault." Lando says with a sigh as he rakes a hand through his damp blonde curls. "Did you hide Coach's keys again? That was the last time he made us skate sprints like that." 

"I still have no idea what you're talking about." Daniel says, trying and failing to look innocent. "The keys were found in Carlos' locker, after all." 

Carlos just flips his middle finger as he guzzles from his own water bottle. 

A smile warms Max's face as he takes another drink from his own bottle and gazes out over the ice. Now that his hockey team has cleared the rink, the figure skater practice sessions can start. The first out is a slender, tall blonde woman dressed in dark green who begins her warm-up with easy circles around the rink. She's quickly followed by a lithe, toned man who - whoa. 

Max doesn't care if he's staring. He's never seen anyone more beautiful from his brown curls to his bright green eyes as he skates around. His black and red clothing fits him like a second skin and the way he moves… poetry in motion. 

Max swallows a mouthful of water, nodding out towards the rink. "Who's that?" 

"Hmm?" Daniel glances up and out towards the ice. "Which one? The leggy blonde or the pretty boy?" He turns back to Max with a signature sly grin. "Wait, why am I even asking…" his words trail off in a laugh. 

Max's traitorous cheeks flush as he glares back at Daniel and it doesn't go unnoticed by Lando. He, too, chuckles gently with a shake of his head as he looks out at the rink. "Charles is far too smart for any of us." 

That doesn't deter Max, though. Now that he knows Charles' name, it's all he needs. Much like his position on the team, he has the goal in sight and nothing will slow him down.  

As Max watches, Charles moves with unparalleled finesse and competent determination. His artistry shines in every Salchow jump and triple Axel, not to mention his step sequences or layback spins. It's matched only by his unflinching passion as he commits himself towards his dream and Max couldn't be more proud - or in love - with his boyfriend of nearly three years.

That fact takes him aback as he shifts against the arena stadium seat, watching Charles catch his breath after landing a jump. Max doesn't know where the years have gone but for the first time in his life, he's too deliriously happy to care. 

Honestly, he still doesn't know how a lumbering troll like him managed to catch the interest of such a bewitching ice nymph. As his ice hockey career attests, Max is no slouch on skates but he never comes close to matching Charles' grace or economy of motion, let alone the mischievous twinkle in his mercurial green eyes. 

If Max lingers longer on the ice after practice, no one has to know why. Of course, that doesn’t stop Daniel and Lando from making their own assumptions and snide comments. Fortunately, they’re easy enough to ignore and Max sheds his helmet as he catches his breath.

Shuffling his stick and helmet in one hand, he runs the other through his sweat-damp hair and attempts a casual glance around the rink. A smirk comes to his face as Charles’ toned, slender figure comes into sharp view, the black of his leggings and the garish red of his soft-shell jacket contrasting with the white ice around him. The cold air gives Charles’ cheeks an adorable pink hue beneath his perceptive, ever-changing green eyes.

Max knows that he probably stares like a lovesick puppy, but who can blame him? “Am I dreaming?” He says by way of greeting. “Or is that you, pretty boy?” 

Charles doesn’t quite roll his eyes as he scoffs in amusement. “Yeah, of course, it’s me. Don’t cream your pants.” He skates in a lazy, easy circle around Max. “I know I’m irresistible, but I know you can do it.” 

“You’re the worst fucking tease, Charles.” 

The corner of Charles’ mouth lifts higher as he runs his gaze up and down the fit of Max’s uniform that shows off his broad shoulders and lean, tapered waist. Charles gives a gentle shake of his head. “How can you say that to me when you look like that, hmm? Criminally indecent is what you are.”

A laugh creeps up Max’s throat. “No, mate - criminally indecent are those leggings of yours. There’s children here, after all.”

“Lando doesn’t count.” Charles says, stretching his arms overhead and accentuating the sensous curve of his spine. “And I’m glad you like them so much. I’ll have to remember that for later.” 

Max groans low and hungry in the back of his throat. “Do your worst, Leclerc.” 

Charles’ eyes glitter with wicked mischief as he attempts a wink that is more ridiculous than sexy, but somehow, it’s still sexy. “Oh, I intend to, mate,” he says for Max’s ears alone. “Just for you.” 

Charles' skates leave the ice again as he jumps and his landing sticks with impeccable timing of his spins. He comes down on a strong, steady ankle, extending his arms with artistic flair and smiling his megawatt smile. That's still something Max finds amusing. While he has the benefit of his helmet and face shield during his matches, Charles deliberately practices his showmanship with smiles and drama to accentuate his performances. 

Charles' coach gives him a hearty clap as the Monegasque comes around on the ice, bracing a hand on his hip. Charles' smile has warmed from the exaggerated expression of competition to something much more genuine and satisfied. Even Max feels a pleased smile warm his face as he takes it in. Charles has been practicing so hard lately to prepare for his next competition and he's finally seeing more consistent results. 

“You lack consistency.” Charles scolds as Max writhes beneath him. “Doesn’t your coach tell you that, too?”

“Charles… fuck,” Max whines. “Do not bring up my coach when your fingers -” His words die on an undignified whimper as Charles gives an expert turn of his wrist. 

There’s nothing remorseful in the maddening tempo of his fingers as they unravel Max from inside out. “It takes consistent practice to nail each element of any routine.” Charles punctuates each word with an expert stroke of his fingers as he murmurs against the pronounced curve of Max’s hipbone. “You can’t just brute force it with aggression or hit with some stick.” He pauses to trail his tongue along the sloped hollow of skin, and Max shudders uncontrollably as another needy whimper crosses his lip. Charles' eyes gleam with sinful adoration as he works his hands faster. “You see, my body is my team,” he continues as Max’s hand threads through his soft curls, “and my passion is my brute force."

"Charles, please... I need-"

"I’m an artist, after all," Charles teases as he hovers his mouth where Max wants him most. "And you can’t rush an artist.” 

With a soft smirk, Max stands from his seat and starts down the stadium steps towards the edge of the ice rink. He leaves his bulky hockey gear bag behind, taking only his skates with him. It’s quick work to toe off his sneakers and lace up his skates around his jeans, straightening his team-branded, navy-blue soft-shell jacket as he stands up. At the rink’s edge, he slides off the skate guards, secures the gate behind him and steps out into the ice. 

Charles’ coach spots him on approach over Charles’ shoulders and offers a small nod of greeting. Max nods in return, careful to keep his distance to let the post-practice debrief wrap up, and he’s rewarded when, at last, Charles turns around to face him. 

In the heat of practice, Charles has long since shed his red jacket. Without it, the skin-tight fit of his black short-sleeved, high-collared bodyshirt is beyond obscene. Especially when paired with the delicious black leggings that leave very little of his physique to the imagination. Charles’ eyes narrow in playful suspicion as his coach melts into the arena’s shadows, leaving them alone on the ice, and he lazily glides over towards Max. 

“Don’t tell me that you’re out here to give me pointers.” Charles teases as he circles around Max. 

“Why would I tell you what you already know?” Max counters easily as he follows Charles at an easy pace. “Your Axel still needs work.” 

“And it will get the work. There’s still time yet before the competition.” 

Max nods as a fond smile lights his face. “And, like always, I know that you’ll smash it. That trophy is as good as yours.” 

Charles shakes his head in gentle reproach as a laugh bubbles in his throat. “Don’t you dare jinx me like that,” he says as he pivots, skating backwards as he levels an accusing finger at Max. “If I break my ankle next time out, it will be your fault.” 

Max nearly rolls his eyes even as he chuckles in return. “You won’t break your ankle, Charles. You’re too good for that.” 

The corner of Charles’ mouth curls with flattered amusement before he can stop it, and Max loves the love that shines in Charles’ eyes. His heart skips a beat, and he’s instantly reminded of the first time he asked Charles out, fully prepared for rejection and no regrets, and instead ended up closing down a ramen shop as he and Charles lost all track of time. 

Charles’ smile grows as his gaze runs up and down Max’s body with an assessing edge. “So are you, you know.” He effortlessly spins around on his skates, continuing their lazy progress around the rink. “Is everyone ready for the match on Saturday?” 

“I think so.” Max answers as he skims along the ice into a shallow curve to match the rink's oval shape. “Last year, this other team was shit, so we’ll see if they’ve put the off-season to good use.” 

Charles glances over his shoulder, just enough for Max to see the fond smile warming his face. “I remember that match - when Daniel went down and came up without his two front teeth.” 

Max shrugs. “Occupational hazard, I suppose.” 

“Well, don’t let that happen to you.” Charles says as he turns on his skates again, suddenly skating forwards to Max. “Your teeth are just too lovely as they are.” 

A sharp laugh punches from Max’s chest, wrinkling his eyes. “You think my teeth are lovely...?" 

Charles shoots him a mock-annoyed glare. “You know what I meant - that you… that I like your smile just as it is now.” He circles around Max in a lazy parody of his talented step sequences, and Max pivots on his own skates. 

He may not have Charles' grace, but he knows how to move his body on skate blades. The fabric of Charles’ bodyshirt stretches tight across his chest, and with his cheeks flush from practice, he paints such a gorgeous sight. Max can't stop from reaching out to reel him in close, but Charles digs a toe in the ice and grinds to a halt. 

Max pouts for the sheer show of it, and Charles’ smile takes a wicked edge as he pivots in place. Stretching his arms overhead, the lean lines of his torso elongate - and he’s just as gorgeous from behind as the fitted fabric stretches over the globes of his ass and his strong legs. Hungry heat sparks in Max’s blood, threatening to settle between his legs as he continues to run his gaze over Charles’ body. 

“Though, if anyone,” Charles continues as he glides a skate forward, purposefully accentuating the sway of his hips, “at any time, hands me an envelope with your teeth in it… I’ll probably just tell them to throw it away.” 

“Wow,” Max shakes his head with a breathy scoff as he skates forward to follow after Charles. “And here, I thought that you loved me. You mean you wouldn’t turn my teeth into a necklace so you could always keep a part of me with you?” 

With an effortless move, Charles turns back around towards him wearing Max’s favorite smile. “A part of you is always with me, mon cher.” He places his right hand over his heart as he skates backwards. “Right here.” 

Max picks up his pace and crowds into Charles’ space before he can pull away. His large hands find Charles’ lean waist and the scent of exertion on Charles’ skin nearly drives Max wild. He leans in, drawing a deep breath. “God, you smell good.” 

Charles snorts gently. “We both know that you have poor taste in that area.” 

“Oh, come on,” Max counters as they continue to move together. “You should be grateful that I like the smell of feet and sweat.” 

“Spoken like the oafish hockey fiend you are.” 

“You love the oafish hockey fiend that I am.” 

Charles’ back collides gently with the rink wall, and Max doesn’t hesitate to leverage his broader frame against the slender man. A purr rumbles in Charles’ chest as their bodies connect from waist to shoulders. Their lips meet and it’s everything Max wants for the rest of his days. Charles’ mouth curls to a smile against his as they linger in the intimate, reassuring contact after a busy, tiring day.  

Charles hums with contentment. “I could get used to this, you know. Cool down laps with my boyfriend to warm me up.” 

Max growls his approval as he leans in to steal another kiss. “I could get used to that, too. So long as you’re there after each match to do the same.” 

“No deal,” Charles gives a short shake of his head. “You have too many teammates, and I much prefer debriefing with you when there aren’t catcalls or Daniel serenading us in the background.” 

“Don’t say his name,” Max whispers conspiratorially. “It’s like talking about Beetlejuice - just saying his name can cause him to suddenly appear.” 

Charles’ intoxicating laughter rings out as his smile widens and his eyes sparkle. He’s so truly beautiful and Max doesn’t ever want to forget this moment. 

“Well, you should have told me that years ago.” Charles chides playfully. “No wonder I can’t get rid of him.” 

Max chuckles as he leans in for another tender kiss. “That’s just because he likes you - he knows how happy you make me.” 

“And fortunately for your sake, you make me just as happy,” Charles nips his bottom lip. “Or Daniel would round up the rest of your team to come kick your ass.” 

Max snorts derisively even as he shakes his head. “I’d certainly deserve it for hurting you like that, so they’d certainly be welcome to try.” 

Charles hums with amusement and Max leans in for another kiss. Charles’ mouth is so warm and pliant against his, and their tongues brush together with teasing, searching strokes. Sparks shoot up Max’s spine as Charles’ hands rest against his shoulders and their hips roll together in a slow grind. Max digs his skates into the ice, trying to find better leverage but Charles beats him to it. With a final kiss, Charles pitches his body weight forward and their blades glide away from the wall.

As Max relents their close embrace - hell, their make out session - he glares in mock-hurt. “Well, you certainly know how to make a guy feel unwanted.” 

Charles sighs with put upon annoyance. “I’m not having clothed sex with you against the rink wall,” Charles’ cheeks turn a delicious shade of pink as he continues. “I could never skate here again without remembering it….” 

“That doesn’t sound so bad to me.” 

“Of course you’d say that.” Charles snorts as he guides a skate forward, extending his arms and lengthening his torso in a move that’s designed to tease more than it is an element from one of his routines. “You don’t have to time the rotations of your spins just right or gauge your distance before starting a sequence. And I don’t need the memory of you rutting against me like the animal you are threatening my focus every time I round this corner. Because then I really might just break my ankle and it will be your fault.” 

Max shoves a hand in his jacket pocket as a smirk lifts the corner of his mouth. “Sounds like I’m just the worst influence on you.” 

“The absolute worst.” Charles confirms without looking back as the distance on the ice increases between them. The tempting sway of his hips grows more deliberate and Max suppresses a groan as Charles moves his feet with expert skill in another slow, lazy step sequence. His voice comes even and smooth despite the exertion of his body. “But what else do you expect when your boyfriend loves you so much, hm?”

Max runs his thumb over the lid of the velvet box in his pocket as his smile grows. “Then, let’s fix that, shall we?” He moves his skates forward with a burst of the famous speed that he’s known for. Approaching Charles, he drops a knee and the cold, melting ice instantly seeps into his jeans but it’s easy to ignore. He digs the toe of his skate into the ice to bring him to a gentle stop as Charles spins back around just in time for Max to pull out the black velvet box. 

The lid snaps open to reveal a stunningly simple and beautiful band, embedded with three curling lines of small diamonds. Charles freezes at the sight of Max on bended knee, eyes going wide and stunned as he stares back. 

Max’s heart gallops and lodges in his throat, but he’s never been more certain of anything in his life. “Charles, you mean more to me than you will ever know, but I hope this gives you some idea. Whatever the future holds as you chase your dream, I want to be there for you, for all of it. You deserve the best and I promise that I will do my best-” 

“Yes.” Charles interrupts, voice shaking and tight with heartfelt emotion. 

Max chuckles breathlessly. “I haven’t even asked you yet…” 

“Then, ask me already.” A joyful smile grows on Charles’ face as his eyes glisten. “Ask me, Max.” 

Max returns the smile as his heart soars. “Charles… will you marry me?” 

“Yes, yes, mon amour.” Charles glides towards him, sniffling. “A thousand times, always yes.” 

With trembling fingers, Max removes the ring and slides it onto Charles’ finger for a perfect fit. The white gold compliments Charles' skin tone and the rows of pristine diamonds glitter under the skating rink lights as Charles cups Max’s face with both hands, drawing him in for a long, solid kiss. Charles’ tears dampen Max’s cheeks as he wraps his arms around Charles’ waist, hauling him closer and lifting him off his feet. His footwork isn’t as refined as Charles', but the movement sets them on a gentle spin as they twirl around the ice, lost in each other’s embrace. 

And if Charles ends up with a distracting memory against the wall of this ice skating rink after all… well, Max can’t be held responsible for how much he loves his fiance. 

Fic continued

#max verstappen #max verstappen fanfic #charles leclerc #charles leclerc fanfic #formula 1 #f1 #formula 1 fic #f1 rpf #lestappen

[figurelifeflirt]

2021 Open De Andorra Entry #23

Senior Women free program

Yae Mia Meira(CHI)

Thoughts: layback positions weren’t terribly strong. But I liked the cut of her skirt. Usually I’m a red dress slut but I wasn’t wild about this one.

Frida Berge(NOR)

Thoughts: so she’s been around a while and I was curious so I looked up her age. She’s 28?! Longevity points. Pretty layback. Not so sure about the sleeves on her dress though.

Elzbieta Gabryszak(POL)

Thoughts: not a fan of her hairdo. But she has these dainty little feet. Especially during her jump transitions. And I liked her ending pose.

Linnea Kilsand(NOR)

Thoughts: favorite dress of this flight so far. Not crazy about the song choice.

Emmi Peltonen(FIN)

Thoughts: I was trying to figure out a concrete opinion about her dress because I know it wasn’t my favorite, but it wasn’t an eyesore either. There were some really gorgeous moments of choreography right around the 3 minute mark.  

#figure skating

[shadowetienne]

Watching the Women’s FS for Japanese Nationals.

Group 1 thoughts: you know this profusion of early-mid 20s women who have brilliant skating skills and don’t have singles level jumps is making me really glad that Japan seems to finally be working to develop their pairs and ice dance programs because some of these women *should* have been encouraged towards pairs or ice dance a decade ago. They would have thrived given the right framework.

Akari Matsubara (22)

She is elegant and airy across the ice. She has great musicality and spins, but the jumps sure were a struggle. Has she considered trying to make the shift into ice dance?

Maria Egawa (19)

Oh no her jumps, they were not with her today. A few worked, but you could tell they were fighting her. Lovely layback! Please get her music that she connects to and has sensible cuts (or fewer cuts).

Mako Yamashita (19)

Oh dear, SP must not have gone well for her, but also, she’s been hit and miss the past few seasons. She was one of my faves during her early juniors days, so I was really rooting for a good skate, and I’m glad that she delivered something pretty solid overall. The jumps weren’t 100%, but it’s great to see a solid skate from her for sure. She’s developed a beautiful maturity in her skating in the past few years. I hope that next season has her back at the top of her skating game!

Nina Takeno (21)

I love her dress (as a side note). Lovely spins and skating skills, the jumps take all her concentration and some still get away from her though. I loved her choreo and step sequences, and that layback at the end was beautiful! Has she considered pairs or ice dance? They honestly might be a better vessel for her.

Rino Matsuike (18)

Surprised to see her this low after the SP, but she was pretty sick earlier in the season, maybe it’s still causing her issues. Her speed and fluidity across the ice are a dream. Those transitions just make the jumps stand out so beautifully in the program. Her spin positions are so good! There was a little jump bobble towards the end, but her program and skating were beautiful! I hope that she is proud of that skate!

Hina Takeno (25)

There’s a beautiful maturity and elegant simplicity to her skating. That spiral was beautiful and made the whole program for me. She doesn’t have the big jumps, but she does have the skating skills. Has she considered ice dance?

Looking forward to the rest of the groups!

#figure skating #Japanese Nationals 2022-2023 season #my ramblings

[sarakiz]

Lindsay Van Zundert (NED) - "11 Past the Hour" by Imelda May arr. Cedric Tour (chor. Benoît Richaud)

World Figure Skating Championships 2022, Montpellier - Women's Short Program

#lindsay van zundert #worlds 2022 #figure skating #fskateedit #fskatingedit #figureskatingedit #this is the energy i want 2 keep seeing from the womens sp music #not to fixate just on outfits but i looooved her dress too #actually both her dresses were goated the back detail on her free skate dress >>>> #and her face is so cute <3 #that light loose double axel was so lovely #and her layback positions were so pretty #enough that that spin stood out even though almost everyone does the haircutter to bielmann #just cause im trying to figure out the intricacies of fs choreo and musical stuff #does anyone happen to know if benoit and cedric are a package deal? #i noticed cedric arranged adam's music and benoit choreo'd for him as well

[k3rm1e]

cuddling headcanons! ★~(◡﹏◕✿)

this is more of a test thing to see if i like writing this way and if this blog does well

other imagines and headcanons won't include everyone i write unless it is specifically requested and is a prompt i really like

includes: wilbur nihachu karljacobs quackity dream georgenotfound sapnap p!tommyinnnit p!badboyhalo p!skeppy p!eret p!philza p!tubbo p!ranboo

cw: cursing

wilbur:

wilbur is a very cuddle-y guy

to me he seems very soft

i always see people saying he would like spooning, but i disagree

i feel like he would do more of a half-spooning thing with his head on your chest or the other way around

mans would DEFINITELY make you run your fingers through his hair

i feel like he would lay on your chest and just *nuzzle* into the space between your shoulder and neck

anytime you tried to leave him, whether it was because he had to do something or you had to, he would whine. so. fucking. much.

It would probably always go something like:

you - i need to piss

wilbur - no <3

but the moment he decides its time to stop cuddling its fine

and if you complain that you’re gonna miss him he’ll just call you clingy and tease you

like??? sir???

all in good fun though, no bad intentions :)

nihachu:

i feel like you and niki would face each other

with your head like under her chin and in her chest (this is a bad description but look at the “honeymoon hug” on the list for better explanation ;-;)

she would always want to protect you

so she does that by like almost guarding you and keeping you close

niki would definitely do the arm thing where she just lightly moves her hand up and down you arm

i’m so sorry if you don't understand that, it just feels like something she would do

if you haven't experienced that it kinda sorta feels like spiders??? but in a good way???

but generally she is very protective

she just holds you so close the whole time

even if she doesn’t want to let you go, she’s more understanding about it

she would be upset but wouldn’t show it because she doesn’t want to make you feel guilty

niki is generally just an amazing cuddle-r (is that a word?) and has a super comforting presence

karljacobs:

karl would definitely keep your head on his chest

the whole time he would just absolutely squeeze the life out of you

he would constantly bend his neck down to kiss your head

and instead of just like leaving his head down so he could kiss you it would just be:

*inner monologue karl* hmmm i wanna kiss them on their head

and he would lean down to do so which, cute

but then five seconds later he would do it again

and again another five seconds later

and again

very cute karl but please sir, your neck is gonna be so messed up after this

when you had to leave he would be upset, but like niki, would try not to show it

except karl is very bad at that and his pouting would be so obvious

so you would feel guilty and layback down with him

immediately he just becomes (●´ω｀●)

like a happy little puppy

karl is just too adorable for you to deny

quackity:

now we all know this, quackity is a huge dork

which is why i believe he would DEFINITELY use your butt as a pillow

not even in a weird way

i just feel like quackity isn’t too comfortable with touch so this is sorta his way of being close to you without it being a whole serious thing

like he still is able to be goofy and comfortable without it being a whole big thing

him doing this would almost always come with a flatty patty joke from you

which always causes him to threaten divorce, even though you aren’t married

while it isn’t a very good position for things like physical touch, it is good for talking and having conversations

for some reason i feel like he’s the type of person to text someone when they’re right next to each other

so while he’s laying down he’ll just send you random photos of himself

very annoying when your phone is spammed, but also good blackmail material >:)

i don’t think he’d be too clingy

obviously, he enjoys spending time with you

but if you told him you need to go do work or something he wouldn’t throw a fit or pout

big q just seems like he’d be more rational about stuff like that

overall a 420/69 cuddle partner

dream:

one word: spooning

mans just envelops you and has no shame

very big: “no you are mine! >:(“ energy

while he’s sleeping he’ll unconsciously nuzzle his head into your hair/the back of your neck

when you guys got to bed patches usually climbs in and you hold her

i love patches so much i could write headcanons just about her

dream always wants to be cuddling you

if you try to leave he won’t pout, there simply isn't a discussion on whether you’re moving or not

incase you haven’t caught on yet, the answer is no

you need to do work? just bring the laptop to bed

he needs to edit? just sit in his lap at his desk, duh

obviously, he knows at some point you guys need to stop cuddling

he just isn’t too stoked about it

when it comes time where he absolutely can’t cuddle with you, i feel like he’d be more chill

mainly just annoyed

georgenotfound:

i feel like george, like quackity, also wouldn’t be too touchy

i’m pretty sure he has a hard time expressing emotions (please correct me if i’m wrong!!) and i think that would crossover to his sleeping habits

i think he would prefer a sort of back-to-back cuddling position

it seems cold, i know

but also he would most definitely kick at you

so every night while trying to go to sleep suddenly you would just feel *kick*

and then instead of sleep you’re suddenly playing footsie

lots of laughter and warm feelings involved

george would probably pretend that you kicked his leg hard or something and act like you hurt him

the first few times you were actually worried

but then after a few months your only response was a sarcastic “cry about it”

which just led to more laughter

sapnap:

sapnap and you would do a sort of leg hug thing

you both you try to go to sleep in a cute spooning-type position

but the moment one of you fell asleep it all unraveled

you would wake up apart but you’re legs would still be touching

sapnap would joking blame it on you

“wow can’t believe you don't wanna be close with me even when we’re asleep”

“it’s not my fault! i can’t control where i end up when i sleep!”

“no, no. you don’t have to lie. i see how it is.”

“>:(“

but it's okay!

your legs are the first thing to react in a flight-or-fight situation, so they usually react in an honest way

which is like your legs are both reaching to hold each other!

p!tommyinnit:

i don’t get a very touchy vibe from tommy

i feel like the most he would do is put his arm over your shoulder

not in a flirty way, just in a “hey, there isn’t a lot of space, this will make sitting down more comfortable” way

he will let you sorta fidget with his hand/arm

i don't know if that makes sense but what i mean is that he’ll pretty much let his arm go *flop* so you can control it (by like moving it around or playing with his fingers)

in the beginning he would get annoyed

but eventually he would get used to it and wouldn’t really care

it sounds a bit strange but i personally find it very comforting to just have something to fidget with while watching youtube or netflix in bed with my friends

and it’s entertaining (sometimes i do this to me sister to annoy her :>)

he would act like he didn’t mind if you left him

but holy shit he is so clingy

If you try to leave it’ll just be “no, why??? stay here dumbass”

you would be slightly annoyed when he had to leave  but knew he had to film and stream and all that so you would be okay

p!badboyhalo:

you would kinda sit within bad’s lap

like not on his lap, but more of in between his legs

he would have his arms around you

and his phone would be in front of you so you two could scroll through twt or instagram together

or you guys could watch skeppy’s youtube ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

rat would sit in your lap

she’s just;;;;;;;; so adorable

rat is just so soft and fuzzy in your lap and everytime you move to pet her she just melts

rat is the the superior cuddle buddy to any of these block people

p!skeppy:

skeppy, similar to quackity, is a total dork

he would make sure you guys were in a position where he could effectively troll you

so if your head was near his lap he would just flick you or some

“dude can you please stop hitting me in the head”

“it turns out i am not actually hitting you in your head because based on the perpendicularity of the bisector multiplied by the photosynthesis of the dividend, it is impossible for me to do so”

“wtf”

lya is so goddamn sick of you guys

she's trying to get him to actually do something but instead he’s just sitting there throwing paper airplanes at you while you sleep

he’s an annoying asshole but it's okay because he gives you money for absurd reasons

p!eret:

eret has such a comfortable presence

i feel like she wouldn’t be up for cuddling too much

more of like putting your head on a friends shoulder so you can see the tweet their showing you

but they do like to hold hands

holding hands isn’t very intimate but it's also just such a sweet comforting thing

she even holds your hand when you guys are out walking around

like if you guys were getting food somewhere (post-covid of course)

you most likely would get addressed as a couple

and he would just be like”...wut?”

it’s happened so many times at this point you just go along with it

“you guys look like such a cute couple!”

“oh we aren't-” “thank you!”

can you tell that i love eret?

p!philza:

phil always has such dad vibes

i feel like the closest he would get to cuddling is hugs and hand holding

even though cuddling isn’t inherently romantic, he is married to kristen

so i fell he would get most of his touch in with her

but with you he’s just so fatherly

hello dadza

whether you have a good or bad relationship with your father, everyone can admit that philza minecraft is dadza

this is such a dad thing, but tries to hold you hand when you cross the street

no matter the age, he just feels the need to protect you

hugs are similar

uses hugs as a way to comfort you and protect you

just so amazing all around

p!tubbo:

tubbo would love cuddling in any way, shape, or form

if you guys are hanging out at like the park or something and lying down

get ready to become this mans pillow

this is really fun to do with your friends but imagine you guys are hanging out in a field type area (with my friends we hand out in the field next to the cemetery but it can be any open grass area)

tubbo would just use your lap as a pillow the whole time

and when you guys were walking back to his house he would sorta drape his arms over your shoulders (assuming he’s taller than you)

he would do the same thing when you guys were sitting in chairs or at a desk

just drapes his arms over your shoulder with his chin on your head

if it's really late and he's tired he’ll just hug you

p!ranboo:

if you thought tubbo is bad, ranboo is even worse

not even really cuddling, he just likes having a sort of skin-to-skin contact

so handholding and laying on top of eachother

if he’s streaming he will legitimately message ou to just sit next to him

so sometimes if he’s just chilling by himself on the smp you’ll end up on his streams

he’ll have you next to him just because he likes be near someone

and so randomly it’ll just be like “chat, a real human is here, behave”

chat does not behave

(they heavily bully him)

he’s pretty clingy but when you HAVE to leave he’ll understand and just be a bit bummed out

holy shit this took me so long-

if you read this whole thing thank you!

#mcyt x reader #wilbur soot x reader #karl jacobs x reader #nihachu x reader #quackity x reader #dream x reader #georgenotfound x reader #sapnap x reader #tommyinnit x reader #badboyhalo x reader #skeppy x reader #eret x reader #philza x reader #tubbo x reader #ranboo x reader #kermie's headcanons #kermie spent so long on this and is dying

[fs-rambling]

Analyzing Kamila Valieva’s short program at Cup of Russia 2020

This is my personal evaluation of Kamila Valieva’s SP at the Cup of Russia (2nd stage - Moscow)

Coach: Eteri Tutberidze

Music: Storm by Eric Radford

Score: 85.10

I’m not a huge fan of the costume, to be honest.  In terms of matching the music/program, it does decently, but the details on the dress look too crowded and don’t really create a pleasant shape to look at, especially on the bodice.  The gloves are a bit long for my taste.  Also, the costume’s not super original - the overall aesthetic it goes for reminds me (and others) of Alena’s Departure dress.

The program starts with a bit of choreo.  Then Kamila does a triple flip (rippon), which looks passable.  Her arms during the entrance bothered me a little, but otherwise the jump looked fine.  

She does some crossovers, a Besti squat that doesn’t fit the music at all (wtf Daniil) and an Ina Bauer that is nice but very short.  After that, a double Axel (rippon), which by itself was nice.  I don’t really like how she only draws one arm back to prepare for the jump, though, and her transitions out of it lacked fluidity.

Next a change-foot combo spin.  It starts from basic camel position, she changes edge, then goes into a donut spin with a lovely arm variation.  Change of foot, then a forward sit position, and she goes into her signature spin position, a very beautiful Y(?) spin.

She does a spiral that lasts like half a second (Daniil please), then goes into a triple Lutz - triple toe loop combination (rippon for both).  I have a bone to pick with this combo.  She hunches over a lot before both jumps, and the combo lacks flow.  I especially don’t like how, in between jumps, she pauses, re-hunches her back, then jumps the toe.  This is a pretty common problem with Eteri’s ladies - many of them take too much time and visible effort to prepare for the next jump in their combos.

Kamila does a nice flying camel spin, then goes into the step sequence.  I feel like her turns look a bit labored and she sometimes appears to struggle with maintaining her speed, especially when doing multiple turns on the same foot.  I also don’t really dig the way the step sequence was structured in relation to the music, but whatever.

The program ends with a layback spin, in which Kamila does a hyperextended Biellmann.  Not gonna lie, it’s super impressive, but I do not like the way she transitions from the layback position to the hyperextended one.  Just my personal preference - it looks kind of awkward. 

Overall, in terms of program components, it was kinda meh.  Skating skills need some work, transitions were nice but not outstanding, and performance wasn’t great - the program lacks a distinct personality and doesn’t offer much in terms of variety in movements and energy.  Also, it didn’t really evoke much emotion, which is a main factor in evaluating a skater’s performance.  The composition was, well, very Daniil.  Interpretation was good, but not excellent.

In short, the program was okay, but doesn’t at all merit a score of 85.  Both the TES and PCS were overscored. Plus, how does one get that kind of technical score without a triple Axel?  And no quads, because ladies can’t do quads in the short?  How?  When comparing that score to those of Usacheva’s and Trusova’s, it becomes really clear who’s being favored by the Russian federation.

I want to make it very clear, however, that Kamila is not at fault for her scoring.  I blame the federation and the judges only, and I don’t ever want to bash a skater for being overscored.  Kamila is a young skater with a lot of potential, and she needs good training and a supportive environment, so please be respectful when you discuss these problems.

Thank you for reading!

#figure skating #kamila valieva #russian cup 2020 #program analysis #rambles

[stormskates]

Rika Kihira - Kung Fu Piano Program Review

Choreography by Tom Dickson

The Concept

The art of figure skating meets the art of kung fu. The program is a nod to martial arts and all its beauty, strength, and power. That’s pretty much it, short and sweet. Concept brevity is ideal for a program performed under three minutes.

The Music

Kung Fu Piano: Cello Ascends is a remix arranged by The Piano Guys. It takes from the score of the Kung Fu Panda movie, highlighting the track Oogway Ascends in particular, and arranged it with Chopin’s Prelude No. 20, aptly nicknamed the Funeral March. (source) In the film, the music plays when (as the name suggests) Oogway passes away in a scene of peach blossom petals carried by the wind. 

The piece emulates the sound of traditional Chinese stringed instruments. I think of it as one of those pieces very suitable for skating since it has variations in tempo that can be complemented really well with good choreography — which, in this case, it does. 

The Choreography

(All the GIFs for this post were made from Raykey’s wonderful annotation video. Give it a watch!)

Kung Fu Piano was performed in Rika’s last season in juniors (2017-2018), and around this time, all jumps in the second half were given bonus points instead of only the last jumping pass, so the composition of elements is quite different from what we see these days.

For comparison: KFP Layout: LSp - 2A/3A - StSq - 3F3T (x) - FSSp - 3Lz (x) - CCoSp BIB Layout: 3A - 3F3T - CCoSp - 3Lz (x) - FCSp - StSq - LSp

While the KFP layout puts jumps in the second half and BIB puts them in the first half, both layouts are designed to cater to the rules set at the time. 

The choreography nods to martial arts in several moments. This is still figure skating, though, and not every movement will directly replicate the one it’s in reference to. For example, this side lunge at the beginning of the program:

—alludes to the drop stance commonly seen in martial arts like wushu and kung fu. In actual martial arts practice, the position is much lower, though it is not necessary to fully replicate this on ice. 

Here’s another example:

The position before the inside Ina Bauer is loosely reminiscent of the eagle stance in wushu:

(source) 

Notice how the position of leg left is different to help maintain the right leg’s glide and flow on the ice. Not that she can’t do it, of course, but it’s also just unnecessary to do the exact pose for a split second and sacrifice the skating (which matters much more) in the process. 

The arm position is different, too, but this is more of a congruence with the skating than the martial arts, as they face the same direction before and after the movement.

There aren’t frontal high kicks in this program, but there are a couple of kicks, like this side kick with a straight leg before her Ina Bauer leading to 2A:

or this one in the middle of her step sequence that loosely resembles a hook side kick mixed with eagle arms:

(source)

There’s also a reference to the backward hook kick in her glide after the opening layback spin:

There’s also a few lunges mixed in the choreography. I like this sequence from the StSq because it reminds me of the fist lunge in karate:

—while this one is a side lunge with crossed arms block:

Speaking of blocks, I love the allusions to blocking motions littered throughout her step sequence. (Again, these aren’t direct replications since the choreography is designed for a figure skating performance rather than a martial arts exhibition, but you can see the similarities from several references like this or this.)

I’d say the most recognisable pose throughout the program is the kung fu salute which she does near the beginning and at the end of her step sequence:

Tom Dickson did a really good job making the sharp movements look so fluid. I love how unusual all these movements look in dance and how they accentuate the music notes while complementing all the steps. The pattern of the step sequence is unusual, but it highlights Rika’s multi-directional skating and her vast range and control of movement.

I would like to also add that this program has some of my favourite transitions she’s ever done. I love the arabesque spiral to layback spin, the Ina Bauer to 2A, and the spread eagle - edge change - rocker - choctaw - crossed step to 3Lz. I’d say this is less packed compared to BIB, but a beautiful and theme-fitting composition all the same.

Personally, I think this is one of the programs that best captures Rika’s personality and spotlights her strengths. It’s a really good step-up from her Tzigane short program from the previous year, which imo is also good but definitely more conventional in terms of choreography. Kung Fu Piano was a great vehicle for her to demonstrate her skating skills, performance qualities, and her technical proficiencies. It’s energetic and graceful, much like Rika herself. While the next season is very much up in the air, I wouldn’t mind watching this all over again.

#rika kihira #figure skating #program review

[sashas4t]

Russian Nationals: Ladies

Argh. The most stressful competition of the season really was very stressful. There was some triumphs and some disappointments but overall, the Russian ladies again proved that the Russian lady field is insanely deep. Also, while the 3A were very overscored, I would say everybody else’s score was tolerable, and some were even underscored. Please stop trying to push forward the idea that at RusNats all skaters are overscored and that level 4s, 9s in PCS and +5 GOEs are handed out like candy, that’s completely untrue. 

1. Anna Shcherbakova

Wow!!!! Anna’s jumps really were the best they’ve ever been. Her quads had attack, speed and power, and her triples were completed with wonderful quality.  Her lutz edge is getting increasingly worrying, but on the other hand, her 4Lz might be the most consistent quad in Russian ladies or men! A lot of people said her short was the best she’s ever performed it but I have to disagree. The beginning was just wonderful, elegant, yet eerie in the best possible way. The spins were on point and her 3Lz+3Lo combo might be the best one I’ve seen from her ever, but the step sequence was very off. Perhaps the choreography was changed, but the positions that were supposed to be on musical accents (like the one where she jumps and then pushes her hands forward) were before the music. It looked like Anya didn’t expect it either, since she held the aforementioned position a lot longer than she usually does. I’ve rambled about how nothing is on musical accents in Anya’s free so I’ll avoid that topic today. Her first 4Lz+3T combination was truly magical. Definitely the best one I’ve seen her do. The 4Lz just flew! I thought the second 4Lz was borderline UR, but the 4F is looking pretty good. She’ll definitely get it in time for Euros or Worlds. The score... yeah. Um, I would’ve given her performance 170-172 max. I love Anya to death, but in the performance aspect I know she can do better. The jumps were very impressive though.

2. Alena Kostornaia

Just WOWWWWWW. Her triple axels are just a thing of beauty. They fly across the ice, and cover HUGE distance. They’ve really gotten insanely better from Finlandia and it’s only been two months! Her short was a masterpiece and while I would’ve given it 86-87 points, I honestly don’t even mind the fact she got almost 90. She’s that good. Not only do her triple axels fly, her 3F+3T combination covers literally half of the rink. And it gets so much height! Alyona’s jumps do not only have height, distance and a slight delay of rotation, they are always fully rotated. I did not see a single jump that was even questionable in the sense of URs. The SP was a delight, and the FS was so entertaining! The 2A and 3F+3T were very shaky, and she should’ve gotten lower GOEs for those two elements but the rest of the program was glorious. As cheesy as the FS is, it’s really grown on me! Alyona performs it so well! I feel like she was also kind of overscored here, but the FS score was at least within reason. I’ve heard she’s going for 4S, and I really hope she can get it clean and landed soon. 

3. Alexandra Trusova

Today was not her day but you know what? It’s okay! Everyone has off days, even queens like Sasha. She had clean practices so I know she’s 100% capable of performing clean and I know she will work hard to get a clean four quad program by Worlds. She has such amazing potential and even if the first three quads didn’t work, the 4T+1Eu+3S was a thing of absolute beauty. The height! The distance! The flow! The extension on the 4T! She’s still the quad queen no doubt! Also the 3Lz+3Lo was beautiful! Sasha’s been struggling on that jump for quite a while, but I still think her 3Lz+3Lo is the best one there’s ever been. There’s ease, effortlessness, flow, height, distance and the rippon on the lutz is sublime. Her performance wasn’t really there today too, but her step sequence in the SP showed improvement from the GP stages. Speaking of the SP, I love how Sasha didn’t let the dress bother her and she did the best 3Lz+3T I’ve seen her do despite the black dress getting suck. I’m glad she didn’t go for 3A, but I know she’ll get the 3A once and for all soon. With Sasha’s work ethic and her sportsmanship she’ll bounce back in no time. I love how everyone is saying Sasha is done for when she landed the best quad of the night (no hate to Anya, but like, technique is an objective thing). 

4. Elizaveta Tuktamysheva

The SP was really good, but the FS... what happened? I feel like Liza is getting better artistically. She moves faster, with more poise and her step sequence is actually really good. I’m glad she’s taking risks with the 4T, since her 4T is really just textbook, and it’s a shame it didn’t work here. Despite the 3A not working here either, I’m glad Liza pulled through and performed some wonderful combinations in the back half. I really respect Liza though, she clearly loves figure skating and she’s working hard to catch up. Her quads are textbook, and her 3As are effortless. When people started to say her 3A had too longer of a setup she decided to add difficult transitions in. When people noticed her flip edge getting to be flat, she worked hard on getting it back inside. Today wasn’t a good day for Liza, but a fourth place finish at RusNats is very good nonetheless.

5. Kseniia Sinitsyna

OH YES!!! Redemption skate!!!!! Even with the hard fall on her 3Lz in the SP, her performance as still stunning and her step sequence was just sublime. I used to dislike this program since it was almost too creative for me, but with Kseniia’s wonderful interpretation I’ve really come to appreciate her SP and now it’s one of my favorites. Kseniia has all the goods, good SS, good musicality and artistry, good spins, and good jumps. I believe that she can achieve great things! The FS was just amazing. Everything was landed, and landed with great quality and confidence. The step sequence was delivered patiently, but that’s good. A common mistake juniors make is they rush, but not Kseniia. She follows the music and the rhythm and never rushes. Her spins... literal perfection. Especially the layback... like how can it be so fast, yet so centered and so flexible? GIVE HER TWO GP ASSIGNMENTS RUSFED!

6. Anna Frolova

Wow!!!!! While I liked Anna at her JGP assignments, I often crossed her out as a big competitor since she was always so inconsistent... but NOT TODAY! Two clean programs! I really like her SP, but I don’t know how to feel about her costume change. I feel like her old costume (the one for her FS now) fits the music more. Anna’s SP requires, elegance, patience and poise, and Anna delivers all three in her delicate performance. I really love the music, especially in the step sequence. Her jumps are textbook (minus the shaky lutz edge) and her landings are beautiful. Her FS is borderline boring honestly, and I hope she gets some better choreo next season since she has so much potential. With two great skates here, I hope RusFed gives her at least one GP. Also, did she change coaches to Davydov? 

7. Anastasia Guliakova

Anastasia is really out here trying to seal Alina’s title of Most Used Warhorses in one season. But honestly I don’t mind since her interpretation of Carmen is rather good, and I love the music to Swan Lake. Anastasia’s SP was quite a nice surprise for me, since I didn’t really like her programs prior. She had a very different approach to Carmen in comparison to Alina, and her’s had much more power and attack. My favorite moment in her SP has to be the beautiful 3Lz with the spread eagle exit out right on the music! What can I tell you? I’m a sucker for movements on musical accents! Her FS was less surprising, but her jumps were quite good today! She pulled herself through the entire program! I’m glad that even though she entered as second alternate she gave performances worthy of GP assignments!

9. Sofia Samodurova

Argh. Sonya is as charming and wonderful as she was last season, but I guess she’s been demoted. The judging panel really went all out on her URs and PCS. Her performances are still enjoyable and full of charisma, but I do feel like she was a little hesitant in her SP. The step sequence didn’t have quite as much energy as it should have had. 

10. Anastasiia Gubanova

Whoever choreographed Nastya’s programs this season clearly either hates Nastya or has no idea about how artistic Nastya is. When you have someone who is as passionate and emotional on ice as Nastya, you can’t give her such boring music and choreography. The SP is pretty good, and Nastya is able to perform it well enough for me to like it, but the FS is just.... I can see Nastya trying her best to make it work, but the music is so boring and monotone that it’s impossible. Her jumps are still kind of scary at takeoff, and the UR issues seem to be getting worse. I hope Turenko works on the URs and gets a better choreographer, but Nastya is one of the most artistic skaters ever, and we need to see her showcase that ability.

12. Serafima Sakhanovich

I really like her programs this season. There’s nothing too flashy, but they are classy and elegant and Sima performs them well. I don’t know how I missed this before, but Sima’s flying camel spin is SO GOOD! +5s across the board for me! It’s fast, but also crazy centered and the positions are really pleasing. Really, it’s CRAZY fast. Shame about the jumps. You all know I love elements on musical accents so it’s no wonder I love Sima’s Ina Bauer to death. Argh! So beautiful!

13. Stanislava Konstantinova

The SP was really great. The Stasya that could hold her own against Liza, Zhenya etc. was back. I have to say, Stasya has wonderful artistry. She skates with maturity, elegance and poise. She can hold some really wonderful lines since she’s so tall, and she’s quite expressive as well. There were small problems in her SP, but as a whole, it was pretty good. This SP is definitely her best SP so far. The music is beautiful, the choreography is very good, and the costume is stunning, and when Stasya performs it well, it’s truly a delight. The FS... it’s also a pretty good program, but when will Stasya perform it well? But hey, at least she skated a good SP, that’s the second time this season!

14. Elizaveta Nugumanova

I love Liza’s SP! So much! She has so much charisma and personality, and it’s all expressed perfectly in her SP. If she could get the jumps rotated she would just be unstoppable. Her spins are so underrated too, they’re fast, centered and flexible. I love the step sequence so much, mostly because there are so many elements on musical accents, and also because Liza performs with such joy and charm. Like how can you not love it? Strangely enough, even though Nutcracker Pas de Deux is one of my favorite pieces of music of all time, I don’t really like Liza’s FS. She performs great, and her good posture and almost balletic skating style is beautiful, but the fact that the choreographer doesn’t utilize the many musical accents in the back half of the program pains me. Liza is so flexible and can easily hold a beautiful spiral to a crescendo in the music, and yet she only does one second spirals that have no correlation to the music. Why?

WD. Evgenia Medvedeva

Despite boot problems, Zhenya still skated a wonderful SP that really showed how strong she was. Her SP is really a thing of beauty, both in terms of choreography and in terms of how Zhenya performs it. The combination was definitely UR, but everything was else was great! Especially the step sequence! Zhenya is really one of the most artistic skaters out there. While I’m sad she withdrew it was a good thing to do. Better withdrawing than risking injury right? 

#figure skating #competition review #anna shcherbakova #alena kostornaia #alexandra trusova #Elizaveta Tuktamysheva #kseniia sinitsyna #anna frolova #evgenia medvedeva

[lecleastri]

I kind of hate Tara and Johnny’s commentary. I was watching some Maria Sotskova 2016-17 season videos and their bias was disgusting. Here are some examples:

Trophée de France - saying Masha had bad jumping technique but also saying that Evgenia had “perfect” jumps. 

Trophée de France - saying that Masha and Evgenia were in two “different” levels of skating.

Trophée de France - saying that Masha didn’t have artistry or emotions.

NHK Trophy - saying that Masha was at the bottom of the ladder of Russian senior ladies (exact words: Terry asks where Masha fits in and Tara immediately responds “at the bottom of the pack”)

NHK Trophy - saying she wasn’t the best technician nor the most graceful skater

NHK Trophy - saying Masha would never get to go to Worlds since she’s not good enough

Grand Prix Final - once again saying that Masha is on a completely different level from Evgenia (as in Zhenya is MUCH MUCH better)

Grand Prix Final - delay in rotation is an example of bad technique

Grand Prix Final - implying Masha is not one of the top skaters despite making the GPF (exact words was “she’s skating here with the top six in the world”. when in reality by being here she has proven she is in the top six in the world)

Skate Canada 2017 - “she doesn’t have the best jumps” - yes because textbook technique = horrible jumps.

I don’t think I need to talk too much about technique since we all know Zhenya’s technique circa 16-17 was pretty bad. If you didn’t know Masha has textbook jumps (literally on par with Yuna Kim even though Masha has seemingly forgotten how to rotate jumps this season). Good outside edge on lutz, good inside edge on flip, 90-100 degrees PR on lutz and flip and also she has huge jumps because she’s really tall. 

Artistry is more subjective. Personally I loved Masha’s “At the Manilovs”. It was juniorish in terms of difficulty (since she didn’t have that much transitions), but it was the epitome of elegant. She held out some beautiful positions and personally I thought it was very mature and graceful. She kind of reminded me of a female character in a Jane Austen novel. Maybe some see it as boring but I see it as beautiful. 

And in terms of being different levels... really? Jumping wise, their pretty similar, they both have two 3-3s and an easier combo (Masha has 3Lz+3T, 3F+1Eu+3S and 2A+2T). Skating skills wise their pretty similar, Masha is a bit slower on the ice, but her programs were choreographed with that in mind so it isn’t really obvious. In terms of deeper edges I would give to Masha, but one-foot skating would go to Zhenya. Spins wise, Zhenya had a better layback and camel, but Masha had a better upright spin and combination. Program wise, Zhenya’s were choreographed to win, with so many gimmicks and pantomime moments, I mean they were fine, but the whole “feeding birds” thing was kind of juniorish. Masha’s programs were easier, but they reflected her best qualities. They weren’t as “creative” as Zhenya’s, but they were on a different level in other aspects. Masha’s program allowed people to see her beautiful lines, good posture, while Zhenya’s gave people a more dramatic effect. They are two different skaters but Zhenya is not on a “COMPLETELY DIFFERENT LEVEL”. 

Their comments at GPF were another level of disrespectful. They kept on talking about Tara’s experiences. I mean Tara’s words were interesting, but I wish she could've said them not during Masha’s performance. They said the whole “with the top six skaters” thing and man! Maybe they didn’t mean for it to come off as it did but that was really rude. Masha earned her way to the GPF with a silver and bronze her first year as a senior and you guys won’t validate that? You treat her like an outsider when she clearly won her way through beautiful skating. She’s a Junior World Silver Medalist, but no, until she makes world records Johnny and Tara are still only going to see her as this girl who made her way through luck. 

They said at NHK that Masha was at the bottom of the pack of Russian seniors. Russia has a deep field of ladies but its not so deep as when a skater makes the GPF they’re still at the bottom of the pack. She was fifth at RusNats the year before and maybe I’m delusional but 5 out of 18 doesn’t exactly seem like “bottom of the pack” to me. 

Johnny and Tara were way more respectful next season and they stopped limiting Masha with their words. Lmao won’t get to go to Worlds my ass. She went to Worlds twice and went to the Olympics. 

Next episode on my rants: CBC commentary and Masha Sotskova (they're not as disrespectful but just as biased)

#figure skating #Maria sotskova #nbc commentary #I hate them #you can like zhenya #but don't hate everyone else #you can talk nicely about zhenya #but don't spread lies please

[the-real-xmonster]

An Introduction to Spirals

Girls, guys, I hope y’all are ready for another of my entirely unnecessary and totally random gif spams. Today in particular I’d like to spam y’all with gifs of spirals. I’ve got like 2 asks about this topic and since spiral is a figure skating move I love very much I’ve seized the pretext and run with it.

This won’t be much of a tech talk because spirals are, regrettably, no longer a required element in skating competitions. I’m just going to introduce the most popular spiral positions and throw in some technical notes here or there.

So, basic question, what is a spiral? By definition, it’s any move in which the skater glides on one foot while holding the other foot above hip level. In most cases, what you want to see in a great spiral are (1) the free foot: higher free foot = more flexibility = better spiral, (2) the skating knee: straighter knee is always better, (3) the skating edge: deeper edge = better control, and (4) the overall stability of the glide: we don’t want to see a lot of wobbles in either the free or the skating foot. 

There are two categories of spiral positions: (1) unassisted and (2) catch-foot. The difference is, as the names say, whether or not the skater uses their hand(s) to grab the free leg.

The Unassisted Positions

The most popular and most basic of spiral positions is the arabesque, a move which borrows from the arabesque position in ballet. As long as the skater’s leg extends straight behind at a 90 degrees angle, it counts as an arabesque position. The best arabesques, however, are ones in which the skater’s free leg is almost completely vertical (sometimes known as the arabesque penché, again after its counterpart in ballet). Here’s Karen Chen showing you a spectacular example:

A popular unassisted position is the Charlotte spiral, named after the German skater Charlotte Oelschlägel, who invented the move. It’s a spiral performed with the torso bent forward as close to the ground as possible and the free leg lifted up in a split position. You might remember it from Alina Zagitova’s skates last season. She used a backward Charlotte spiral as part of her choreographic sequence:

Another well-known unassisted position is the fan spiral, a move in which the skater raises their free leg in a sideways split and glides on a deep outside edge, so that their legs create a shape which resembles an open fan. Here’s one of Sasha Cohen’s gorgeous sequences which included a fan position and a forward Charlotte spiral:

The Catch-foot Positions

The most popular of all catch-foot positions is probably the Kerrigan spiral, named after Nancy Kerrigan, who brought it into the spotlight in the 90s. It’s a spiral position in which the skater uses one hand to support the knee of their high free leg. Also note the fact that in a Kerrigan spiral the skater’s supporting arm is usually held straight so their back, arm and free leg create a triangle shape. Here’s Nancy herself showing you the move:

The Y-spiral is another commonly used positions. It’s a side-split spiral with the skater’s free leg raised to nearly 180 degrees and because of that it requires exceptional flexibility. It’s most commonly performed as a catch-foot position with the skater holding on to their free leg’s ankle, though skaters with good control can also perform this move unassisted. Below is Shizuka Arakawa’s signature Y-spiral with a switch into a completely unassisted position at the end:

The Biellmann spiral, as the name suggested, is a spiral done in the Biellmann position usually seen in spins, where the free leg is pulled up behind so that the free foot is held above the skater’s head. It’s another position which requires great flexibility. The Biellmann spiral comes in 3 varieties depending on the hold: two-handed, one-handed, or cross grab, which means that the skater uses the opposite hand to grab their free leg (usually left hand holding the right skate). Here’s Mao Asada showing you all 3 varieties:

Variations

A skid spiral does not refer to any particular position. It’s a move in which the skater performs a 180-degree turn on the ice while holding on to any spiral position of their choice. Here’s Evgenia Medvedeva doing a skid I-spiral as the usual entry to her layback spin:

(The I-spiral is another catch-foot split position, though it’s not as popular as its cousin, the Y variation. The difference between the two is that in the I position the skater’s free leg is held in front instead of sideways).  

Most spiral positions can be performed on any edge (inside / outside / backward / forward). Back in the days when spiral sequences were still assessed as a technical element with levels, skaters would frequently perform a change of edge (inside to outside or vice versa) on top of their spiral position in order to earn a level. Here’s Michelle Kwan’s legendary change edge spiral with buttery smooth transition and perfect control:

Spiral Sequences

To bring this post to a proper end, I’d like to show you two of my most favorite spiral sequences.

One is Sasha Cohen’s sequence from her 2005-2006 SP Dark Eyes. This sequence began with a Y-position on back outside edge which was then transitioned into Sasha’s trademark fan spiral, ending in a long glide on a beautiful forward outside arabesque penché:

The other is Mao’s sequence from her 2009-2010 SP Masquerade Waltz. This sequence included a dramatic cross-grab Biellmann (Mao’s signature move) with a change of edge from inside to outside, a Kerrigan position on outside edge with superb extension, and ending in a stunning fan spiral.

There you go, hope y’all enjoy the prettiness and as usual let me know if there’s any question :D C’ya next gif-spam.

#figure skating #tech talk #mao asada #sasha cohen

[skate-catnada]

Japanese Nationals Pre-Thoughts

First of all, I’m sad! I don’t know how much I’ll be able to actually watch. Because no one in the US airs Japanese Nationals and because the events are in the middle of the night in my time zone, I’ll be relying on whoever posts the event online, if anyone actually does. If not, I’ll have to find videos of specific programs, which is a shame, because I do want to watch most of it. (Maybe not all of it -- the mens and ladies events look to be four hours long each and that is A Lot.) 

But even if I can’t watch live, I do have a lot of hopes for this competition. There is going to be so much talent this weekend, and with spots at Four Continents and Worlds on the line, it’ll be nail-biting to see who comes out on top. 

Men

Yuzuru Hanyu is, being the top male figure skating in the world, who I would pick for gold, but he’s not competing because of injury. I doubt he’ll be left off the Worlds or Four Continents team if he is able to compete, and I think not competing at Nationals in order to heal properly was a smart move for him.  

I am whole-heartedly rooting for Shoma. He already has won the title of national champion, so it wouldn’t be anything new to him, and his biggest rivals in the field aren’t there. I don’t think this is so much about winning against other people as it is about winning against himself. He has had issues with confidence during the Grand Prix events that seems to have to do with the standards he set for himself. He, like Alina Zagitova and Evgenia Medvedeva, is dealing with the pressure of being an Olympic medalist during a post-Olympic season for the first time. Like them, he’s adjusting.  

Nationals could be a huge confidence boost if the hard work he’s been doing pays off, and if something clicks there that hasn’t been clicking all season. I’d like to see him get to a place where he can skate clean programs and be satisfied with them. Hopefully being in his home country will help that, and if he succeeds, it will be a good way to go into the competitions in the new year. 

I would also like to see Kazuki Tomono on the podium and possible on those international competition teams. I enjoy watching his programs -- he has a great Riverdance free program that is wonderful to watch when he’s on it. He managed to win bronze during one of his Grand Prix events, but he hasn’t been the most consistent. 

Keiji Tanaka is someone I’ve seen in pretty much every major competition, but I haven’t seen him shine yet. The best performance I’ve seen him do was actually an exhibition skate during one of the Grand Prix events, so I know that he can be a really engaging skater. I want to see him be that skater during his competitive programs. Although he’s gone to all the international events last year and competed in the Grand Prix this year, I think his place on the team for the next competitions is really up in the air. Someone like Kazuki could take his place. It really depends on how he does. 

Daisuke Takahashi is back! His presence could (probably will) shake things up both with regards to placements and the skaters’ mentality. Competing with one of Japan’s greatest figure skaters who they thought they would never compete against is probably a lot. It could put a fire under all of them or it could be intimidating. I hope it just makes them all fired up. 

Women

Three of the six women in the Grand Prix Final were Japanese ladies: Rika Kihira, Satoko Miyahara, and Kaori Sakamoto.  Mai Mihara was the first alternate for the Final, and quite a few other Japanese women competed in the Grand Prix events. Wakaba Higuchi, who was on the Olympic team last year, withdrew because of injury, but she’s competing this week as well. 

I expect that the three who were at the Grand Prix Final will also be on the podium at Nationals, though there’s a high chance that things could change. I really, really would like Rika to skate cleanly and win. She’s had such a good season so far and the last time she skated in Japan, at the NHK Trophy, she absolutely killed it. If she managed to skate both her short and free programs clean, I get the feeling she’d break a world record. That would be really cool to see. Rika’s continued success with the triple axel also helps drive women’s figure skating into evolving by adding more difficulty into competitions. Like quads with men, the triple axel could become a crucial element towards winning. 

Satoko Miyahara came in sixth at the Grand Prix Final, but hey, that’s in the top 6 ladies this season so far. It’s a good position to be in, with only two Japanese women having done better than her, and she’s a beautiful skater. If she’s on, she could easily make the podium. Even with her last place finish at the Grand Prix Final, she still accomplished the first +5 GOE from all judges on a single element that we have seen under the new scoring system for her layback spin. So, it could be a very good competition for her. 

Kaori Sakamoto came in fourth, and I love her, so I would like to see her do well. She’s put on great performances so far this season, and she seems to do well under pressure, since she came back from a terrible short program to win bronze with a stunning free program at GP Helsinki. With a performance like this for both programs she would be hard to beat, and I can’t wait to see what she does at Nationals. 

I’m hoping for great things for both men’s and ladies singles at this Nationals. Like I said, I can’t watch live, but I really want to wake up to good news, and with so many people competing that I love, it’ll be hard to not wake up to something good. 

#japanese nationals #actual blog post

[figurelifeflirt]

Rostelecom Stage 4 Entry #31

Junior Women Short Program

Vasilisa Khmao

Thoughts: when they zoomed in at the end on the jeweled golden part of her dress, so pretty.

Nadezhda Ponteleenko

Thoughts: how small she is. The music almost overshadows her at times.

Liudmila Fursov

Thoughts: pretty layback. That hard fall on the opening triple lutz combo scared me.

Arina Kudlay

Thoughts: her hairdo made her look taller for some reason. And I like her dainty, willowy legs.

Sofia Zakharova

Thoughts: her hands were too stiff and I didn’t like the fringe along the bottom of her dress.

Eva Zubkova

Thoughts: her wide eyes and her gorgeous side profile. It fit the song perfectly.

Junior Men short program

Aleksandr Chmil

Thoughts: he has these dainty little feet. And the song fit him so much better than I thought it would.

Danil Fedosimov

Thoughts: Very flexible with his spin positions

#figure skating

[magicaleggplant]

why do so many ppl dislike evgenia? :(

disliking her skating or programs, for the most part. disliking her scores. various reasons.

Shoma's so cute in the Koi Dance practice! It looks like he's having a great time. Can't wait to see the whole performance 😆😆😆

i love the part in the practice video where they pointed out what he was doing wrong, and then played the video back at him lmfao. i, too, can’t wait to see the full program!

why do people consider yuna's layback bad? Is it just because of her foot / leg position? I'm fairly new to skating, but from what I can tell, her back position, speed, and center is usually pretty good.

it is mostly because of her free leg position, and her arms too, i guess. she often sticks her leg out at a 90-degree angle and it doesn’t look very good, even if her backbend is great. but yuna is hardly the only skater with a less-than-ideal layback free leg. anyways, it's subjective what positions people like or don't like.

I looked up Yuna ' s biography after all that talk about the confession... do we know why she converted to catholicism?

i don’t know, actually...considering it’s a pretty private thing, perhaps she never talked about why she did it (and she’s not obligated to either, of course).

did you know that this season's Mao dresses were made by the same person who made Anna Pogorilaya's? this cracks me up, how does this even work

i did not know that lol. i actually like mao’s costumes a lot this season. anna’s FS dress though...

#anonymous #replies #sorry i still have a few asks left that require some more thought...

[shadowetienne]

Etienne’s Top Fives of 2016 - Figure Skating Edition:  Off the Grand Prix Circuit

The Grand Prix Circuit is by its very nature a very limited field, and there are some skaters I love who either didn’t participate in it or didn’t have their best performances at it.  This new edition to my figure skating Top Fives is to give me a chance to focus on those skaters.  This started out because I wa  nted a chance to talk about one of my favorite skaters who went senior this year but didn’t get a GP assignment, and then I realized that there were some other skaters that I wanted to talk about that were in a similar position.

Just with all my other figure skating posts, these are not skaters that I necessarily think are the best by the numbers, but instead, they are skaters who I find compelling and interesting to watch.

5.  Kim Nahyun (KOR)

While Nahyun did participate in the GP, she did significantly better off it, and for her first full senior season, she’s been impressive!  I really like her skating and her overall feel as a skater, and I’m really hoping to get the chance to see her grow into her bigger elements and higher technical content.  Hopefully late season goes well for her, especially leading into the Olympic season where the Olympics will be on her home ice.

Her SP is to “I Will Always Love You.”  I really like her 3Lo+3Lo combo, and I love the way she covers the ice and is so on time with the music.  She clearly really feels the music and brings character of it to the ice.  At the end, her bielmann position is wonderful.

Her FS is to a medley of the soundtrack of House of Flying Daggers, and I love that she made that musical choice.  (It’s such a pretty soundtrack.)  I love that her two programs are so completely different and yet both still excellent.  It’s really promising for her growth as a skater to see that.  Her FS is gorgeous when everything is working.  There is incredible flow, and it is styled and timed really well with the music.  Her jumps are gorgeous when they’re there, and she does some lovely things in footwork and choreo (specifically layback ina bauer and some spirals).  

My hopes for her for the rest of the season and year: - Improve on her last year’s 4CC and Worlds results - Get two GP placements next year - Do well for the Olympic season in her home country

4.  Choi Dabin (KOR)

Much like her teammate (Nahyun), Dabin had a better season off the GP than on in her first full senior season.  She’s a lovely skater with interesting and dynamic performances who makes me enjoy her skating even when I don’t entirely appreciate her musical choices all the time.  

Her SP this season is to Prado’s “Historia Dw Un Amour,” and while this isn’t my favorite piece of music for her, she skates to it well.  She’s got a lot of energy, and she really puts that into her outward projection and showing the feeling of what she’s skating to the audience.  I love her spins so much.

Her FS this season is to the soundtrack of Doctor Zhivago.  This program really shows how elegant she can be, and it shows a lot of her amazing potential.  I really want to see this skate properly clean though.  I love the flow of her performance through the program, and I love her spins.

My hopes for her for the rest of the season and year: - Improve on her last year’s 4CC and Worlds results - Have two programs to music I like next season - Perform in a way that she can be happy with going into the Olympic season hosted in her home country.

3.  Elizabet Tursynbaeva (KAZ)

Elizabet had a little bit of a rough time of it at her GP events this season, but considering she’s still very young, it doesn’t surprise me that she’s still going to have some rough growing seasons.  I’m really hoping that we get to see her finish out the season strong.  

Her SP this season is to “I Got Rhythm,” which is an interesting choice that definitely pushes her artistically, and I’m very much here for watching her grow into this program.  I love her overall skating skills and style, and I love how into this music she has gotten.

Her FS this season is to a medley of the Princess Mononoke soundtrack, and I am so in love with this musical choice and program.  It’s a program very well suited to her extreme teenagerness, and it looks very natural on her.  I hope that she can get more programs like this one in the future that suit her so well. Her spin positions are so lovely (she does clean illusions), and I really hope that her jumps will be fully with her later in the season.

https://youtu.be/e6h3aFg6puA (no more embedded videos)

My hopes for her for the rest of the season and year: - Skating her Princess Mononoke program clean - Getting her jumps comfortable again - Feeling confident going into next season

2.  Rika Hongo (JPN)

Rika is one of my favorite ladies skaters who is currently competing, but after he successes last season, she had a bit of a rough time of this season.  She’s switched back to her last season’s FS as of Japanese Nats, but her second half of the season is still only Asian Games unless she ends up subbing in to 4CC or Worlds for one of the other team Japan ladies.  I’m really hoping to see her with programs she is comfortable with next season along with some technical upgrades.  Rika’s got a style that definitely isn’t favored by the judges, but it’s really great, and I like to see her do well.

Her SP this season is O Fortunato, and it’s not my favorite SP she’s ever done, but it is working for her OK.  I still would love to see her do more with the aggressive, rhythmic styles that were working so well for her last season though.  She skated this program the best she’s skated it all season at Japanese Nationals, and I really hope that she’s able to repeat that at Asian Games even if she doesn’t get another chance to do it beyond that.

https://youtu.be/uAbLISx1aRo (no more embedded links)

Her FS this season started out as part of the Lawrence of Arabia soundtrack, but it wasn’t serving her well, and as of Japanese Nationals, she switched back to her amazing Riverdance program from last season, which was a relief to me.  The program was definitely a little rusty with some uncharacteristic jump errors at Nats, but it’s still my favorite thing she’s skated this season.

https://youtu.be/3iyA6kP1UB8 (no more embedded links)

My hopes for her for the rest of the season and year: - Finishing out her season with good performances at Asian Winter Games - Having awesome dynamic programs next season - Using a 3F+3T or 3S+3T instead of a 3T+3T in her SP next season - Qualifying for the Olympic team

1. Julian Zhi Jie Yee (MAS)

Julian has been one of my favorite skaters for a while now, and he went fully senior this season.  He didn’t quite have the world standings needed to end up on the GP circuit this year especially not coming from a small federation, but I’ve been really excited continuing to see his improvements (I can tell how much having full sized skating rinks in Malaysia now has been helping him with his big elements).  I’m really hoping to see him finish out the season well and secure at least one GP placement for himself for next season.

His SP this season is to “I Put a Spell on You,” and he brings an amazing level of fun performance to this program that makes me enjoy a program to this music where many of them just really don’t live up to the song.  I’m so excited to see him nailing the 3A and the triple-triple combo and the 3Lz.  His performance is so great.  He’s improved so much even since last season, and it’s just so exciting to see him doing well.

https://youtu.be/0IGHxNDGUQI (no more embedded links)

He’s doing his FS this year to a medley of “It’s a Man’s World,” “Get It On,” and “I Feel Good.”  I’m again not super crazy about the musical choices, but he performs it to its utmost, and I love how clear it is that he is having so much fun out there.  His jumps were almost all solid, and he rescued even the harder for him jumps.  His 3As are looking so good now, and it pleases me greatly.  He’s got a lot of dance feeling on ice, and I just adore how much he is engaged in the entire program.

https://youtu.be/WIaK2CrVR7I (no more embedded links)

My hopes for her for the rest of the season and year: - Improving his performances from last year at 4CC and Worlds - Being happy with his programs - Getting programs for next season that he can rock at least as well as these

#Etienne's Top Fives of 2016 #figure skating #off the GP #mens #ladies #the last of the figure skating edition

[fs-rambling]

Reactions to SkAm 2020 - ladies short program

This isn’t really a formal analysis, just some thoughts and opinions upon watching the ladies’ short programs at Skate America this year.

Gracie Gold:  Aww, Gracie... I feel like she’s lost a bit of confidence, and it’s affecting her skating, but I think that the music she chose is personal to her and with time and practice she’ll be able to sell it really well.  The double Axel was excellent, but the triples didn’t work out today - I could feel some hesitation going into the jumps and I think it was mostly her holding herself back a little that caused her to double them.  I hope the free will go better for her.

Finley Hawk:  It was a pretty nice program, and I like her layback spin.  I noticed she doesn’t hold spiral positions long, so longer spirals is a thing I'd like to see from her.  I also think she needs a little work on performance and interpretation; I couldn’t feel that much emotional involvement, but she’s young and I’m sure she’ll develop more as an artist as time goes on.  Her Lutz edge looked a little questionable to me, though the flip and the Axel were both really strong.

Audrey Shin:  Absolutely lovely.  I could tell right away that her mind and feelings are really focused on the music and performance - I love how expressive she is, and the passion and commitment with which she skates is magnificent.  Her jumps all looked well done, and her spins were good but not outstanding.  Plus, she has a really pretty costume and it matches the program well.  I like her a lot and I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for her in the future!

Paige Rydberg:  Very nice overall.  I think she needs to tone up the intensity a bit in some places, and I didn't feel enough from her movement, but I do like her confidence in her ability. Her jumps looked good, and her spins were nice as well, so she did very nicely and the program does have a consistent, tangible vibe to it.

Pooja Kalyan:  I liked her program a lot!  She has a lot of energy, so I really enjoyed watching her.  I kinda wish she held that layback Ina Bauer a bit longer; it was a really important moment and it could have had more impact.  Concerning jumps, a few mistakes, and I think her air position could be a little tighter, especially in the first rotation, but they were alright, and overall her program was a pleasure to watch.

Sierra Venetta:  She’s a very nice skater.  I like her transitions; they’re numerous and very interesting, and her spins aren’t bad either.  A fair amount of commitment to the choreography, so that was good, but perhaps in between elements a little more attention to her hand movements would go a long way.  Her jumps were all fairly decent, besides the doubled toe in the combo, and again, she has a lot of transitions so I can’t exactly fault her too much.

Shan Lin:  Right off the bat, I can already tell that I like her costume - the soft variation and blend of colors looks awesome, and the design is pretty as well.  The darkening gradient on the gloves really calls attention to her hands at the right moments.  Also, I really, really love this program.  The way she uses the music and reflects its character with her skating makes it so nice to watch, although I’d like to see her emphasize some more choreo in the beginning.  The long, drawn out Ina Bauer, into the Besti squat, into the spiral?  I loved that.  Plus, her spins are good - very fast, with controlled, flexible positions.  Her double Axel was incredible too - so much height and distance, and so much flow throughout the jump.  There were some mistakes in the combo and the solo jump, so that’s unfortunate, and her air position could be better in the flip and the Lutz. Still though, it was a magnificent program.

Karen Chen:  Oh, how I love Karen.  And this program.  Holy cow.  Every one of her movements pulls in attention, and the choreography is exquisite.  Her commitment is indomitable.  Her emotions are so clearly in it.  Also, her spiral!!!  So amazing; I’ve been waiting so long to see her incredible long spirals again.  And as always, her layback was incredible.  The combo wasn’t quite perfect, but I loved the transitions into the loop, and the double Axel was so powerful.  I’m definitely going to be rewatching this program again and again and again.

Amber Glenn:  She’s incredible.  I like the costume, it fits the program well, and the design and movement of the skirt definitely helps.  Her performance was good, and the program is really well-crafted.  Also, her Biellmann spin was so nice to see - I’m pretty picky when it comes to Biellmanns and Amber’s isn’t perfect, but it is lovely.  The mistakes on the combo were unfortunate, and I really think the toe loop wasn’t too bad, but the double Axel looked light as a feather (can’t wait for her 3A!!!!) and the loop looked good as well.  Overall it was super good.

Starr Andrews:  A very enjoyable program.  I love her interpretation, and each of her movements is controlled and deliberate, which makes the choreography really stand out.  I also like Starr’s spins - especially her donut spin, and the layback spin was pretty nice as well besides that tiny bit of traveling.  The twizzles and that bit of choreo out of the double Axel were so nice.  Plus, I also liked that spiral she did, matched the music nicely.  Her costume is also super cool.  The popped loop killed her score, but the program as a whole was excellent and with more time I think it could be absolutely brilliant.

Mariah Bell:  Overall, it was a pretty nice program.  I do like Mariah’s spins - very nice layback, lovely catch-foot camel, and she does a Y-spin (my favorite!!!).  I loved her energy in the step sequence, though I feel that some parts of the program could have been better connected.  The double Axel looked effortless, but the combo was a little shaky and I’m not sure I liked her landing posture on all her jumps.  The score was a bit higher than I’d expect.  However, she did fairly well and I’m happy for her.

Bradie Tennell:  I really like this program!  I enjoyed Bradie’s interpretation, and her spins were very nice - good speed, and that I-spin at the end looked really flexible.  I would like to see Bradie really throw herself into her choreo though, because I couldn’t feel that she was really in it.  I did love that triple flip, plus the transitions out of it, and the double Axel was fine, but she didn’t get enough height on the toe to fully rotate.  Nice program though, so it will do nicely for her.

#figure skating #skate america 2020 #gracie gold #finley hawk #audrey shin #paige rydberg #pooja kalyan #sierra venetta #shan lin #karen chen #amber glenn #starr andrews #mariah bell #bradie tennell #rambles

[sashas4t]

Junior Grand Prix Final: Ladies Short

GPF is my favorite competition of the season since the top six skaters in each discipline all meet here. It’s not like GP/Euros/Four Continents where (usually) only the top three/four are competitors for Worlds. And it’s not like Worlds where some really amazing skaters from really competitive countries don’t make the cut. And you’ve even got the amazing juniors as well, who finally get to compete in a proper arena with an actual audience!

But the judging at GPF, as with all competitions, is not the most consistent. So far, the Junior Ladies SP was amazing in terms of jumps completed cleanly, but the judging… I have some questions.

1. Alysa Liu - USA

Disclaimer: I don’t particularly like Alysa. It’s 100% my fault since the only reason I don’t like her is because I like the following five skaters too much. I think Alysa’s short is okay and it actually really suits her. There’s a lot of charm and charisma in her SP and a whole lot of personality too. The cuteness and energy of it kind of hides her weaknesses and I actually think the program itself is pretty good. I don’t really like Alysa’s jumps, their too muscled for my taste, but I do have to applaud her for being so courageous as to add 2 3As and 2 4Lzs. She’s also improving her PCS and working with the amazing Carolina Kostner so I am looking forward to her growth in artistry later on.

2. Daria Usacheva - RUS

MY FAVORITE JUNIOR THIS SEASON! Dasha was first in my heart today and she totally deserved a new SB. Her jumps are all performed with transitions in and out, and transitions of amazing quality as well. Her combo spin and layback are beautiful, performed with speed, quality and good centering. Her flying sit is a little on the slow side, but I don’t care. People often criticize her “blank face” but I don’t mind it at all. She expresses her emotion and passion through her movements (which, imo, is a more sophisticated way of expression). Her step sequence is wonderful, with highlights on musical accents, and good flow and speed throughout. Her first 2A performed with spread eagle-2A-spread eagle was amazing! So much quality! I also love her arm movements, they feel very balletic and elegant to me. I hope this momentum carries into her free. I really want her to win. Good luck in the FS!! (Okay, but that costume is BEAUTIFUL!)

3. Kseniia Sinitsyna - RUS

WHAT ARE THOSE PCS. When you’ve got a skater with so much class, elegance and amazing SS, you can’t give her a 30 in PCS. It wasn’t the best she’s performed, but it was still really amazing. I really like her step sequence, there’s not a lot of pizzazz, but there’s this quality of maturity and class, and she pays attention to every detail, making the program seem complete (that step sequence 3 though, are you kidding me?). Her spins are fast and performed with quality as well, especially the biellmann in her layback. Her technique is pure and in terms of PR, close to textbook. Good edges and good flow and speed. I love her jumps, they have transitions in and out, and the rippon is beautiful. Judges stop underscoring Kseniia! If she performs as she did in Italy for the free, I will crown her my JGPF champion no matter the score. Good luck in the FS!

4. Kamila Valieva - RUS

Oh how I love Kamila. She was clearly nervous today, and yet still performed very well. Her first 3Lo was a little weak, but she quickly got into focus by the next jumping pass. I liked this program more last year, I don’t really know why. It kind of feels like she’s rushing some of the movements in the first few seconds. My favorite jump of hers has to be the 2A with the biellmann grab out and on the music. Again, her last two spins were AMAZING, top quality. The flying sit traveled a little bit more than it usually did, but it still got level 4. Looks like she’s coming out of an injury though… I really wanted her to win this one. Good luck for the FS!

5. Viktoria Vasilieva - RUS

Vika’s so underrated and underestimated honestly. She skates with flow, speed, and ease. Even though this program’s music cuts are very interesting, I actually think she performs it really well. Even though Sasha is my no. 1 of all time, I feel like Vika does the Diva Dance step sequence better, there’s more emphasis on musical accents and more face and energy put into the steps. She spins fast and centers her spins well as well, so I don’t understand why people don’t appreciate her. She can handle the dark opening music well, and also let out and express in the upbeat step sequence. She’s really consistent as well, and I wish her the best for the FS.

6. Haein Lee - KOR

Also… what are those PCS? This program is elegant, beautiful and performed with poise and maturity, and you give her less than 30 in PCS? She doesn’t rush her movements and that adds a mature feeling to her skating. The +3T was UR, but that doesn’t mean her PCS should be reduced to 29! The transitions into the 2A are beautiful! I love her ina bauer! Ugh, she’s so beautiful and she moves with such grace, fitting perfectly with the music. I cannot understand her PCS in any way. Her spins are great too, not the most flexible, but quality of positions and the speed is very good.

Also I think Sasha Trusova is actually an alien. 5 quads in practice along with 3A? Only Sasha would be so brave. 

#figure skating #competition review #Alysa liu #daria usacheva #Kamila valieva #kseniia sinitsyna #viktoria vasilieva #haein lee