Live, from Spokane, it’s skating
U.S. FIGURE SKATING CHAMPIONSHIPS
So I got my first taste of live skating, watching the first part of the junior ladies short program at the Arena.
And it is much better live than on television, that's for sure.
Though I don't understand the judging – I'm sure I'm impressed by elements that are useless and miss the important stuff – it is impressive to watch girls between 13 and 15 race down the ice faster than the Chiefs.
And then leap. And spin. And, sadly, fall. All too often, actually. In one stretch, four consecutive skaters hit the ice, including favorite Caroline Zhang.
But even I could tell the diminutive 13-year-old from Southern California was head and shoulders above most of the competition. Her spins were faster and straighter, her jumps – even the one that ended on the ice – were, if not as high as some, impressive.
And that's what I would say about all the competitors. Despite their age, the do some impressive athletic moves, though I'm not sure that's all that important. It seems gracefulness and elegance is rewarded with higher scores.
Sherry Barnes, a 14-year-old from Florida, was the most athletic performer I saw, but received lower marks than most.
Ashley Wagner (pictured; Spokesman-Review photo by Dan Pelle), like Zhang, one of the favorites, has Northwest ties, spending her summers on the Hood Canal with her grandfather, was not the most physical, but she was one of the most elegant. That pleased her coach, Jill Shipstad-Hughes, who clapped constantly during the program, seemingly trying to prime the crowd.
She didn't need to. The crowd, listed at 6,865, loved her and clapped accordingly.
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Now, the things I noticed that had nothing to do with the perfomers. …
- There were two announcements telling the crowd not to use flash photography but, during the fourth performer Michaelee Scarincio, flashes were still going off.
- Don't despair football fans if your spouse is pulling you along this week. They do serve beer in the Arena. Just make sure he/she drives home.
- The music between the skaters' performances is … interesting. Eddie Money? Phil Collins? Well, the crowd is older. And, I guess, these skaters have been waiting for this moment their entire life.
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That's it for tonight. We'll be back tomorrow. As always, weigh in with questions, comments, whatever.