1996 Skate Canada, Kitchener, Ontario

written by Eda M. Tseinyev


STANDARD DISCLAIMER
These are my own opinions and observations. I may not always be 100% accurate and my ideas are certainly open to debate and criticism. I prefer the Russian style of skating and may not be as enchanted with the "popular favorites" in North America. I hope that these reports are enjoyable to most readers, but I do not apologise for stating my own feelings.


Men

The men's short programs got off to a great start with a strong performance by Michael Weiss, skating a new program to music called "Quest of the Dream Warrior." The costume is hideous, however, an olive green outfit of two variant saturations. My notes say that his triple lutz was "like buttah," and he hit a triple axel-double toe, very solid. Interesting choreography, excellent change camel spin. Next up was Andrei Vlashchenko of Germany, using last year's short program. He fell on the opening triple axel and almost ran into the boards on the triple lutz. He seemed very slow and was shaky, even on simple moves. Scott Davis of the US wore all black to "Istanbul" and fell out of the triple axel, but did a 3-turn and stuck a double toe on it anyway. He did get the triple lutz in. A charismatic performance. Next was Jayson Denommée, wearing a vinyl vest and skating to Big Band type music. He had a nightmare short with a fall on the triple axel, which was badly leaning, a fall on the triple lutz, a shaky combination spin, and an overrotated double axel.

His problems were minimal in comparison to those of the next skater, Fabrizio Garratoni of Italy, who skated to "Mission Impossible" in a blue top with suspenders. He began by falling out of a triple (f)lutz and then two-footed a badly underrotated triple loop, which did not have any preceding footwork that I could see. For his double axel, Fabio performed a truly spectacular "waxel," so totally off axis that the first thing to hit the ice appeared to be his shoulder. OUCH. The last skater in this group was Thierry Cerez of France, using last year's short program to "The Addams Family." He did a triple axel that was on a huge lean, but somehow he landed it with a hand down and stuck a double toe on the end. Next Thierry fell on a triple (f)lutz. He's grown quite a bit taller. Despite the perky music, the audience was dozing, or perhaps comatose.

Cornel Gheorghe of Romania skated next, falling on his triple axel, which was a on a big lean, but hitting an OK triple lutz. Spins were not too fantastic. I'm tired of this program. Dmitri Dmitrienko of Ukraine was next, changing the pace dramatically with a very unique short program to more of his own music, an electronic piece interspersed with some spoken words. His costume was awesome as well, including an actual CD stuck to the front of his top and a "circuitboard" on the back. Dmitri began with a triple axel entered with NO speed, but somehow landed, with a toe-axel on the end of it, and then he landed his solo triple lutz on his toe. He was pretty slow throughout this number. The choreography was amazing, however, and Dmitri did a fabulous circular footwork sequence all on one foot.

Next up was Ilya Kulik of Russia, skating a new short program to "Faust" by Gounod, the same super-squeaky violin music that Vlashchenko skated to last year. He stepped out of the triple axel-triple toe, and then did his triple lutz out of unusually slow footwork. Ilya was not very on and had trouble maintaining the intensity of the performance level required by the choreography. His footwork was very messy. Takeshi Honda was next skating to "Tico Tico," with a fall on the triple axel, but an okay triple loop. Steven Cousins of Great Britain skated next in an unattractive black costume with blue stripes on the sleeves that was decidedly unflattering. He sat down on the triple axel, but had a good change camel and a solid triple lutz. There was much wiggling, as usual. Last up was Elvis Stojko, skating to "The Rocketeer" and dressed as a bellhop (Napoleon complex?). He landed a triple axel-double toe, bent over as usual, and then did a very slow straight line footwork sequence which seemed to consist entirely of 3 turns and maybe one open mohawk. Uh...? Solo triple lutz was fine, and the second footwork sequence was decent, with a little "veggie chopping."

The men's long programs began with Cornel Gheorghe, who immediately put me to sleep. He got several big triples, and his program included an interesting spiral sequence with jumps in between that could have been nice if skated by someone with a little bit of charisma. Fabrizio Garratoni began with a sort of flutzy triple lutz and got in a triple sal and loop in a very slow program. He fell out of a flying camel and apparently has an ankle injury. He's quite a ham. Jayson Denommée skated last year's program to gypsy music ("Two Guitars"), turning out of his triple axel and falling on his triple flip. He did get in a triple lutz and loop. Thierry Cerez skated an unappealing program to music by Beethoven with a very low (but landed) triple axel, a triple flip, triple lutz, triple loop, and a good attempt at the triple sal-half loop-triple sal, just turning out at the end. Takeshi Honda had more jump problems in his long, falling out of his opening triple axel and turning out of the second. He did get in a triple toe, flip, loop, and sal. This program is just adorable.

Vlashchenko was next, a nightmare in a day-glo forest, falling out of an underrotated triple axel, but getting in a triple lutz and flip. He has a nice style, but this program is fairly inscrutable. I wonder if he is injured, because he was really struggling with the jumps and not getting off the ice. He did a spreadeagle into triple sal-double loop. Scott Davis skated next, doing a triple axel-double toe, turning out at the end, a triple lutz, steps, triple toe, fall out, triple flip, fall out, OK triple sal, double axel, triple loop. I guess my notes don't have anything more interesting to say about this program. Elvis Stojko skated next to "Dragonheart." I didn't know quite how to take his standing still for what seemed like an eternity, facing away from the judges, aside from possibly, "look at my buttocks." His costume is a black tunic top with a belt and rather too much chest exposure for my liking. With what I could only describe as Power Rangers choreography, Elvis fell out of his quad attempt (got probably 3 1/4) but got most everything else, flip, loop, axel-double toe, solo axel, sal, lutz-double toe. This program is even worse than "1492." When he ran through it in practice, I literally could not tell when he was just skating around doing jumps and when he was "doing" the program. Moreover, Elvis' sensitive side is really boring.

Dmitri Dmitrienko skated next, a very unusual program to "Rite of Spring" by Stravinski in a gorgeous blue silk costume with a "baby-aspirin orange" collar and Asian-inspired designs on it. Dima got in a triple axel-double toe, triple lutz, fell out of the triple flip, did triple sal-half loop-double sal, a triple loop, and then barely pulled off a triple toe. The in-betweens of this program are really inspired. I just wish he had done that other triple axel, because with those ordinals so crazy, he could have moved up another spot, if not two. (To other Dmitri fans: less serious than "Hamlet" but more serious than "The Bolt"). Ilya skated next, doing his new "Romeo and Juliet" program. I've been telling people for at least a year that Ilya Kulik and Leonardo DiCaprio are the same person, and here is the proof. Ilya wore a nice black costume with a diamond pattern on the top. The program is perhaps not as well-suited to some of Ilya's strengths as the short, but he was also not very "on" in this performance either. He did get in a triple 'tano lutz, a triple axel-*single* toe (yes, this is Ilya), triple flip-double toe, triple loop, fell out of a triple sal, triple toe at the end, and the most rapturous move in the program, a spreadeagle directly into a triple axel, quite sublime. Spins looked nice.

Next up was Steven Cousins, skating a very successful new program to music by Elton John which really suits his style and brings out many good qualities in his skating I haven't always seen before. He hit a great triple lutz, but fought with the triple axel again, unable to check the rotation, he skidded and fell out of it, and then popped his second triple axel. Toe jumps were solid as well as the triple sal. Last to skate was Micheal Weiss, doing last year's Santana program with some choreographic changes in the middle section. He began with a good triple lutz and triple toe, but then fell on the triple axel. Triple flip and loop were good, and a gorgeous flying camel, but then another fall on the second triple axel, an iffy footwork sequence, and a near-fall on a doubled salchow spelled no medal for Michael. He did get the last triple lutz perfectly, of course.


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