This and That: 2023 U.S. Nationals with Christy Ness (Jason Brown, Isabeau Levito, )

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Жыл бұрын

This week, the top skaters in the United States competed in San Jose at the 2023 U.S. Figure Skating Championships. Isabeau Levito, Bradie Tennell, Amber Glenn, Starr Andrews, Ilia Malinin, Jason Brown, Andrew Torgashev, Kirk Hagueto, Maxim Naumov, Madison Chock and Evan Bates, and Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frazier headlined 2023 U.S. Nationals. And Christy Ness joins us to give her take on the event and skating training. We break it all down on the latest episode of 'This and That'.
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Пікірлер: 298

@shomaunofan8486 Жыл бұрын

Timestamps (in progress) 0:57 Juniors - 1:53 why no one go to US Nationals - 8:43 Junior Men - 8:43 Kirk Haugeto - 10:56 Mia Barghout (Junior Women) - 11:45 back to Junior Men - 11:46 Lucas Broussard - 13:26 Jacob Sanchez - 23:54 back to Mia and Junior Ladies - 25:54 top 4 ladies and the rest of the fields Side conv - 17:02 Johnny Weir commentating style - 19:26 Tara Lipiniski 26:34 US Pairs and potential pairs - 26:34 Audrey Shin (potential for pair) - 27:22 Alexa Knierim - 27:40 opinion on USFS should fund Cain/Deluc or Callaghan/Johnson to come back to make pairs more competitive - 28:24 Ashley Cain - 28:35 Speculation on Alexa and Chris moving to Chicago to start a family - 29:27 Clara Seo (potential pair) - 29:46 Sandy Rucker (?) / Ice Diaries - 32:36 Danny O’Shea/Ellie Kam - 34:55 Baram/Tioumentsev - 36:00 back to Alexa 39:50 Judging at Women Events 46:00 men - 46:01 Ilia Malinin - 48:36 Andrew Torgashev - 51:01 Jason Brown Women - 51:37 Amber Glenn - 54:15 Josephine Lee - 54:43 Starr Andrews - 55:06 Gracie Gold - 59:54 Lindsey Thorngren 1:05:22 back to Men - 1:05:26 Naumov and Torgashev step up - 1:05:36 Camden Pulkinen - 1:07:26 back to Torgashev - 1:07:31 Jason Brown - 1:14:23 Jimmy Ma 1:14:44 Dance - 1:14:51 Zingas/Kolesnik - 1:15:31 Carreira/Ponomarenko - 1:16:20 Wolfkostin/Chen - 1:17:42 Green/Parsons - 1:19:42 McNamara/Spiridonov - 1:20:16 back to Green/Parsons - 1:22:22 Chock/Bates - 1:25:48 Hawkeye/ Baker 1:26:08 moment of US Nationals 1:28:10 Christy Ness - 1:30:11 Christy’s biggest strength as a coach - 1:31:40 importance of run through - 1:37:18 why skaters pop jumps in a competition - 1:39:00 senior skaters that pull back in their training - 1:41:28 the sounds of the blade - 1:42:40 Jason Brown - 1:44:56 Ilia Malinin - 1:46:28 underrotation reputation - 1:51:03 Isabeau - 1:53:02 weight training / Kristi training weight to help her jumps - 1:56:09 Kristi’s 3S - 1:58:06 4CC - 2:00:00 Kristi doesn’t have an agent until after Olympics / Isabeau/Ilia doing interview before FS - 2:04:08 Olympic strategies

@sebastienant6265 Жыл бұрын

Thank you very much

@KL-pv7cl Жыл бұрын

Thank you soooo much

@gretaarlauske1386 Жыл бұрын

Thaaaaanks! ❤

@bettybleu12 Жыл бұрын

So valuable. Thanks!!!

@TraCarol83 Жыл бұрын

I cannot express how much I love having experienced coaches and skaters on the show. It’s such an insight to the real work that goes on behind the scenes. Thank you, Christy for all the stories, theory sharing, and love for the sport!

@TheSkatingLesson Жыл бұрын

Couldn't agree more!

@eileencervi9986 Жыл бұрын

Yes! She was so informative and I think current coaches could learn a great deal from her!!

@chigal643 Жыл бұрын

At 17:28, you were commenting on the announcers. I REALLY liked listening to Adam Rippon on Peacock, when they had him commenting on the European Championships. Adam kept the focus on the skaters, commented on other things such as spins and footwork, and not just focused on the jumps. Tara especially likes to talk about her ancient skating experiences, which has no comparison to what current skaters experience today. Focus on the skater, NOT YOU!

@shirlenemaughan4324 Жыл бұрын

and same for Johnny. I am tired of hearing about his "talking to" the top skaters(especially Russians) like he is best friends with them all. Also sick of hearing about his skating from way back when.

@Mantheon_ Жыл бұрын

the most annoying part of the bottomless hype train of the broadcast for me, is when they were talking about Ilia and Johnny asked, “Has anyone even attempted 6 quads in a free skate before?” as if Nathan never existed. He’s not in the fore anymore and he’s not the new shiny thing, so he’s completely forgotten.

@L.Spencer Жыл бұрын

I think they came back from a commercial or something and they were saying, yes, Nathan.

@skatefan9495 Жыл бұрын

Shouldn’t the commentators be more knowledgeable? Dick Button used to remark on things that happened 50 years ago. No true fan of figure skating would have made that mistake about Nathan.

@rop888 Жыл бұрын

Working out really well for them isn't it though? Christine Brennan said there hasn't been a promising skater like Ilia since Michelle Kwan too. SOI sold out that arena too because Asian Americans and fans from Japan/Korean came. People can hype up Jason (for some reason, he's been skating for years without making FS popular) and Ilia, but they obviously aren't bringing an audience. There's also no competition this season that Nathan wouldn't have won with watered down tech either. Not sure he's ever scored below a 300+ at nationals once he started winning either. Wild how soon they forget.

@christinastella8956 Жыл бұрын

I'm a lifelong skater and LTS instructor. The layers of why FS is dying are complex with no single cause. But from where I sit, things won't meaningfully change until training become more accessible, financially and logistically. But I don't think there's much appetite at USFS to actually make that happen. I sometimes feel federations suffer from a shared delusion that skating is intrinsicly more compelling or difficult than other sports and that justifies its expense. Many coaches/rinks, especially higher caliber ones, treat the sport like a pyramid scheme and bleed families dry with absurd rates + training seminars/techs/etc follow suit. We should not indulge the norm that coaches decked out in furs and designer getups in the kiss and cry is normal or just quirky. And I grew up regularly going to Hackensack. America's biggest and most lucrative sports are incredibly diverse with diverse fan bases. Meanwhile, it's honestly embarrassing that there were fewer than 5 senior Black competitors at nationals in 2023. It's embarassing that most top competitors hail from a handful of rinks in high cost-of-living areas. The Maybel Fairbanks scholarship is not nearly enough. But people don't really want to want to talk about that -- skating's leaders like their little world, it works for them and they don't like to be questioned. Half the time they don't even want the sport covered with high-quality, critical journalism. Then they would have to be responsible for their decisionmaking. I've got a lot more thoughts I won't bore folks with. But there's certainly lots for the USFSA to ponder while tallying how many seats they didn't sell for nationals.

@tcduong1138 Жыл бұрын

Please bore us! This analysis is so insightful.

@brooklynt1758 Жыл бұрын

Spot on, too! When I was really, really young my parents had me in skating. It was relatively inexpensive at the time. When I was 11-12, the coaches were expecting double sessions, privates, etc., and the cost was outrageous. My mom mentioned rinks making statements about children that didn't have the physical abilities to become great - that they had "special talent" so that the parents would bring them in for more lessons for the rink to make more $$$. They would legitimately target parents with more financial security, even if their child wasn't going to live up to the promise the coaches were advertising. On top of that, there are about 2 women that go to the Olympics (if that now that Canada has 1 spot), and there aren't any NCAA or University scholarship opportunities. It's become a sport for the wealthy over here with little return on investment if your child isn't absolutely in love and dedicated to the sport for life.

@christinastella8956 Жыл бұрын

@@brooklynt1758 OMG the "special talent" line...if I had a nickel, I could probably buy Tammy Gambill's Louis Vuitton scarf. Next thing you know, there's 3-4 coaches in the picture who all teach different skills...how many basketball coaches say, "Listen, kid, I'll teach you to dribble but if you need to learn how to shoot, here's another guy that charges $100 dollars an hour who you can work with." Give me a break. And because the sport is so insular, nobody really gets called out on how completely insane they sound. I knew a girl whose parents *refinanced their home* to pursue skating because they got that line from coaches. She broke her ankle at 13 and...that was that. I don't even think she made sectionals.

@BillyWhaler Жыл бұрын

TSL killed it this weekend with coverage of Euro and US champs. The big pic “state of the sport” analysis was on point.

@TheSkatingLesson Жыл бұрын

@eileencervi9986 Жыл бұрын

Totally agree about giving out free tickets to kids/skating clubs. My daughter and I got to go to 4 Continents when it was held in Vancouver way back before the 2010 Games. Spurred me on to go to Skate Canada and Grand Prix events that subsequently came up. Now I go to whatever comes to town and plan to travel to Montreal next year for Worlds!

@Blosmbubbs Жыл бұрын

The advertising here for this Nationals was pretty much nonexistent 😢

@TheAnnmjensen Жыл бұрын

Jason’s SP & FS were just so amazing. I do not understand a lot of his GOEs or his PCS. As Jonathan said - what else do they want????

@ionlyfs4044 Жыл бұрын

His PCS was capped in the FS because he technically fell. When you make a major mistake in a program such as falling, your PCS gets capped. Even if the judges wanted to give him higher POC, they literally weren't allowed to.

@yohanes2034 Жыл бұрын

His SP was practically maxed out. Ilia PCS was rude to Jason though. 46 in SP and 84 in FP 👀

@JoshuaFazeli Жыл бұрын

He did a triple double combination. That would have been competitive at 1989 Worlds technically. Love Jason to pieces but that is why.

@yohanes2034 Жыл бұрын

@@JoshuaFazeli fans seem to think little of pcs skater so much. Ilia while having higher jump base value is weaker in spins, steps, and pcs. If you're reading the description of pcs in the range of 8 or 9, he's definitely not in this range. And if you're grading his actual pcs, he'd lost 15 pts total combined. Plus his quads in the FP were not pristine clean on the landing. As Dave said uncalled UR on the quads and 3T at he back of that 3Lz-3A-3T. If getting pcs in the 9s is so easy everyone will because yuzuru, patrick chan overnight. It takes time and unfortunately in skating, differentiation on this craft is not appreciated enough

@JoshuaFazeli Жыл бұрын

@@yohanes2034 Tell that to Mother Russia.

@gymerin Жыл бұрын

I really enjoyed hearing Christy's multifaceted approach to training. The concept of looking into how runners would train different events and how it could compare to skating was really insightful. How wonderful that she is starting to get back into skating and can share her wealth of knowledge with today's coaches and skaters. I hope they soak it all up and apply it!

@BrookeP87 Жыл бұрын

I 100% agree about Adam Rippon. He did a great job on Europeans and I would love him to do more.

@TheSkatingLesson Жыл бұрын

💯

@kittyslinxalott7815 Жыл бұрын

I don’t understand the broadcasting deal that NBC has. Even the Twitter posts designed to promote US skating are geoblocked if they have even 10 secs of video. Thank goodness for a KZfaqr posting the US nationals vids as that was the only reason I got to see the event. I would pay to subscribe to peacock but they don’t offer it in my country. There is a golden opportunity to provide a world feed in the same way as Euros does. BTW it was a bucket list item for me to go to a US nationals because of the coverage I saw in the 90s and when I finally got the chance it was an amazing experience.

@lindaallison5338 Жыл бұрын

Yeah geoblocked in Australia makes zero sense.

@evanperilstein5308 Жыл бұрын

Josephine Lee was the only senior lady I saw that I think has any long term potential. Unlike Isabeau, her jump technique seems decent. I also think she has the potential to become a graceful and engaging performer.

@JoshuaFazeli Жыл бұрын

She was amazing! A gazelle amongst the others!

@theprinceoftides6836 Жыл бұрын

Absolutely. She was the breakout 🌟 for me. Her performance reminded me why the U.S. Championship was such a special event.

@tcduong1138 Жыл бұрын

@@theprinceoftides6836 Having run into her in the hallway after the free skate, what gives me a lot of hope is that she is not teeny tiny and I don't see a growth spurt impacting her the way it did Alyssa Liu. Or maybe it was because she asked for a hug after I told her she had the skate of the night.

@falconeddie4109 Жыл бұрын

I wouldn’t write off Isabeau (as far as jump technique goes), there are too many naysayers who talk more about what ‘could’ go wrong, instead of admitting that she’s the best talent the US has had since MK and Sasha Cohen left. Isabeau has that ‘IT’ factor that cannot be taught, and Josephine Lee (regardless of her speed and jumps), doesn’t have that God given gift, but like many of our female skaters between the years of 2007-21, Josephine has potential, but potential isn’t enough if we’re talking about landing on the next Olympic podium. The only US lady who’s got it all (if skates clean) who can bring the US ladies back to the days of winning Worlds and Olympics, is Isabeau. And most coaches would agree, including Christy Ness who pretty much declared Isabeau as being far and away better than all her US competitors.

@LoLovesLife Жыл бұрын

@@falconeddie4109 Thank you! I understand the apprehension when it comes to Isabeau's jump technique and speed but it seems like people are hyper critical of her and almost rooting for her downfall. Her artistry, attention to detail, nuance of movement, and her ability to emote at such a young age is extraordinary and should be celebrated!

@shana6937 Жыл бұрын

11:40 - just a note to clear up any confusion, Lucas Broussard's name is in fact pronounced without the "s" in Lucas, his dad is French and it's the French pronunciation of the name!

@TheSkatingLesson Жыл бұрын

Thank you!

@amyl6426 Жыл бұрын

Couldn’t agree more with Christy’s point about landings (majority of the time) come out on a curve. I think they are over-calling on under rotations (imo). Yes, there are clear under rotations, but not as much as people think. Jumps - entry and exit are done on curves. Love your show! ❤

@fzztsimmons Жыл бұрын

I am Jason's biggest stan and whilst I love him with all my heart, I don't think USFS would have let him win even if he had cleaned up the mistakes he made (the 3F fall & combo spin level, plus missing the second half bonus on his combo in the short), I think they would have squeaked Ilia ahead and the PCS in the short made that pretty clear. No way are USFS going to have their WonderKid QuadGod get beaten by Jason with No Quads and came back to Nationals after doing shows all summer - it would have tanked Ilia on the international scene and overall not what USFS and NBC are promoting. Titles aside, it was SO GOOD to see Jason back here, it was a real breath of fresh air to watch him. He's really skating with a sense of freedom here, now the Olympics are over you can see that weight of pressure has lifted off him. I'm so excited we get to see him at Worlds! I also think he's effortlessly developed into a mature Team USA leader and spokesperson, as shown with his kind words in the press conference to Ilia. Jason is now the most senior skater they have and I think it's good that he is around to model sportmanship to the other skaters.

@SkatesnCats7 Жыл бұрын

Totally agree with all of this!

@Person-mh6xq Жыл бұрын

Except it’s not really a matter of USFS “letting Jason win.” His base value of points just won’t add up to enough without quads - unless Ilia misses 50% of his program. There’s no conspiracy going on here.

@fzztsimmons Жыл бұрын

There was 10 points between them at the end. If Jason had not missed his flip he would have not incurred the 1.0 fall deduction, would have got the base value and positive GOE, would have had enough time for his spin and got level 4 and positive GOE and would likely have had higher PCS due to going clean. It would have been neck and neck however I think USFS would still have squeaked Ilia ahead. The PCS in the short is evident of what they think - there’s no way in this world he should be earning a 46, it’s laughable. It would have done USFS no favours to allow Jason to win here. In an international competition maybe it would have been different, but who knows, it’s what it’s at the end of the day.

@flywings111 Жыл бұрын

@@fzztsimmons If Ilia's jumps had been called Jason would have won easily. But USFS would have never allowed that.

@tcduong1138 Жыл бұрын

Your assessment of Alexa Knierem was spot on. Paulina did an interview with her and asked her about how she deals with the skating stress and she says she naturally is energetic and has to tamp that down to be graceful. I was thinking about what you said and I wish she would just unleash the exuberance.

@Constantin9va Жыл бұрын

Queen on the ice, but Alexa is undeniably Fire Nation.

@tcduong1138 Жыл бұрын

Here's an additional take on the sad attendance - leading up to Saturday, the competitions were during the work day. When you have a 10:45 and 4:45 session, you are telling everyone your sport is not worth watching. The UC Berkeley women's gymnastics team competes Friday at 7:00 pm or Saturday at 4:00 pm. I have seen the crowd go from being outnumbered by the band to filling the lower bowl.

@kerryperryman3025 Жыл бұрын

Totally agree. I was contemplating going last minute and then realized I would have to miss work 😂😂 Couldn’t justify it to myself

@BethH992 Жыл бұрын

Absolutely. I'd imagine that even a lot of the skaters' own friends and family can't come to/watch their competitions when they happen during the work day!

@ChristieLily35 Жыл бұрын

Josephine Lee was the highlight of the the women's competition and Jason Brown was the highlight of Nationals. I also really enjoyed catching TSL Live. I haven't been able to catch the actual lives.

@TheSkatingLesson Жыл бұрын

Glad you enjoy them!

@mariazumhagen1755 Жыл бұрын

I wish Jason had done impossible dream last year. I like it better than Schindler's list. It is one of the most uplifting skating programs I have ever seen.

@embeth446 Жыл бұрын

Johnny and Tara are becoming intolerable. Magic carpet rides and light fluffy whipped cream jumps. Seriously? It’s not clever or helpful. It’s insulting to the sport even. Just analyze the skating accurately. They were cute on cable at Sochi but they weren’t meant to be A team commentators.

@tomkroh2712 Жыл бұрын

They were uniquely terrible this year, for sure.

@willmosher1373 Жыл бұрын

I thought Gracie’s Short Program should have been a bit higher. Her score was basically the same as last year and she was stronger this year to me. I do think the lack of speed is holding her back. It is very, very noticeable. I love the grace, line, and elegance she has so the speed never bothers me, but I know the judges are looking for that. I bet also that the judges are waiting for Gracie to deliver in the free still. I still think her free performance overall has come a long away - no falls or step outs, just doubling out. There was a flow in the free skate that I felt that I did not feel before. It seems to me she is getting progressively better and better. Unfortunately, it is coming at a pace that is a lot slower than she would like but it is there.

@zackwilson8701 Жыл бұрын

Does anyone else really dislike Josh Groban's music to the point where it's actively getting in the way of Jason's lovely skating? Maybe it's just the fact I'm under 30, but ... ugh. I'd say that Jason deserves better, but you can tell he's living his best life out there on the ice and genuinely loving interpreting this music. Just gotta be happy for him and savor the absolutely stunning short program I guess. We're lucky he's still skating, after all.

@pretzel_cat Жыл бұрын

Well I am well over 30 and I just had to mentally block out the vocal and pretend it was instrumental only. So it’s not an age thing; it’s a Groban thing 😂

@christinethorp3684 Жыл бұрын

I am also well over 30 and can't stand Josh Groban! I actually muted the music when I watched Jason...how sad is that? His short program is one of the best things I've ever seen!

@rubyjones274 Жыл бұрын

It’s awful.

@iamsoverybored878 Жыл бұрын

He's boring their's better versions of what he does check out Scott Walkers stuff from the 60s.

@Becca3232 Жыл бұрын

We need Shin Amano calling US nationals next year. Actually get him to call everything

@TheSkatingLesson Жыл бұрын

🙏

@lisamaureen5185 Жыл бұрын

I love the idea about having the kids come into Nationals and fill the seats, even have a section set aside for them. This would build excitement for them and they can go home to mom & dad and get Learn to Skate lessons. NBC could do a fluff piece on the kids. C'mon USFS! P.S. Thanks for talking about T & J, we have the same thoughts! Adam would be so much better.

@Cooltiger28 Жыл бұрын

What a treat to see you both.

@TheSkatingLesson Жыл бұрын

❤️❤️

@TheAnnmjensen Жыл бұрын

I think a big part of my Clare Seo love was that she seemed to be listening to her music. We sat through a lot of Tango/Paso/Red & Black… blah. She was a refreshing change.- who actually used the music. And I am a sucker for that music. I was not unaware of her technical… situation.

@TheSkatingLesson Жыл бұрын

I find her so pleasant!!!! In a great way.

@Bloop7676 Жыл бұрын

I like that she also went with music in both programs that lends itself to being actively used as you said. A lot of music you can just kind of throw all the elements in and it won't be too different, but hers had a lot of dynamics between the different sections and parts that really call for the choreography to push more intensity, hit certain accents, etc. Especially with her SP you could really see that they put thought into lining up the sections of the program with the sections of the music.

@jennifer5512 Жыл бұрын

Thanks for the great discussion Dave and Jonathan! Jason made my weekend! Just gorgeous skating. I was a bit bummed like you that he missed that last jump. Impossible Dream was on its way to becoming an all-time moment. Hope he’s perfect at Worlds!

@TheSkatingLesson Жыл бұрын

Next time!

@BethH992 Жыл бұрын

On the point about the empty-looking arena - I definitely think a smaller venue would help! iceSheffield has about 10% of the capacity of the SAP center, and for several of the events at the John Wilson trophy it was close to being full, and the atmosphere was *amazing*. Obviously part of that is just that us Brits have been starved of the opportunity to host skating events, but the vibe of 1400 people in a 1500 seat arena is so much better than the same number in a 15,000 seat one.

@BethH992 Жыл бұрын

As soon as Jason fell I thought "and that's why Dave Lease doesn't like flips at the end of the program"

@TheSkatingLesson Жыл бұрын

😂😂💯

@JoshuaFazeli Жыл бұрын

That’s why Michelle did a Lutz and the flip was always 10 seconds after the 2 minutes.

@anusharasalingam7712 Жыл бұрын

Agree. Green/Parsons likely switched because of Diana/Gleb. I think getting more generic programs is a function of being at MIDA and not a change in direction from Green/Parsons themselves.

@kemmes7997 Жыл бұрын

Liked Bradie's short and the dress. She looked like a sunflower when she jumped.

@maryloureiff6489 Жыл бұрын

Finally caught up..Enjoyed listening to Christy Ness' opinions..old school..but great and relevant.

@clm318 Жыл бұрын

What’s interesting about the empty seats is that a lot of those seats showed as sold when looking at Ticketmaster. So where were the people who bought those seats? I couldn’t figure it out. Also, they sold cheaper tickets in the 200 level but then had tons empty in the 100 level. They should have just moved those people down to the end sections to fill them in more. And the schedule of events had too many events on weekdays during the day. It seems like they want to cater to the east coast tv audience, but then most of the events are only on USA Network or Peacock which a lot of people don’t have. So I imagine the tv audience wasn’t great either. There are many things they could have done to have more people in the arena, but I don’t think that was a big priority.

@chigal643 Жыл бұрын

TOTALLY agree with the both of you about ways to fill an arena. Ticket pricing was expensive, in addition to San Jose being in an expensive area to visit. With figure skating interest waning, USFSA should do everything possible to fill that arena. Cutting ticket costs would be a start.

@FlashOblue Жыл бұрын

Thank you! Extremely informative and entertaining!

@TheSkatingLesson Жыл бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it!

@susantoker7254 Жыл бұрын

The Christy Ness interview was wonderful! Thank you!

@maria375s Жыл бұрын

Looking forward to watching!

@louiseuznanski9145 Жыл бұрын

Thanks so much for having Christy on. She is such a treasure and a wealth of knowledge. Loved hearing her. Totally agree with-give Jason all the points. ALL.

@Tronipule Жыл бұрын

Thank you so much. Loved the interview

@TheSkatingLesson Жыл бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it!

@jabinabaker-booth1422 Жыл бұрын

At GPF they bussed in students for a few practices too! They loved the Italian skaters of course ;)

@TheSkatingLesson Жыл бұрын

Love that!

@jennybibler9206 Жыл бұрын

Great interview with the fabulous Christy Ness! So good to hear from a real technician and she has shades of Dick Button. Thanks for havin her on. My favorite agreements to you guys: Ilia's skating outfits (uck), Josephine (YES), the collar on Bradie's dress (UCK), Amber Glenn should have been second (YES), Pairs discussion (YES), Jason's Almost Moment (Yes), poor attendance :). Appreciate your honesty on everything.

@TheSkatingLesson Жыл бұрын

🙏🙏

@FlashOblue Жыл бұрын

You do not know how great it is to hear your opinions of Tara and Johnny. I can't stand to listen to them at all. They are both so full of themselves that it's more about them than it is about the skaters. I'm so thankful for Peacock's World Feed without commentators. Yes, I miss hearing about what's happening but not from T&J. Another thing, when someone does a move reminiscent of a previous skater neither of them can bring themselves to say, "Michelle Kwan". It's like Tara doesn't want Michelle to take any light away from her. Nobody did a COE spiral like Michelle. I've been in the arena when Michelle absolutely brought the house down with that gorgeous move in the middle of the program. Who else gets a standing ovation in the middle of a program or for doing a spiral? I wish I had heard Adam. I would love the see T&J go and I'm not alone!

@debbied2715 Жыл бұрын

I agree about not having to listen to T&J. I was at SA and sitting right behind them but didn't hear them at all. I mostly watched the world feeds too for both Euros & Nats. I heard a little bit of Ashley's commentary before it was abruptly cut(world feed accidentally had her on?) and I could have listened to her. I'm lucky to have Peacock free as part of my internet service. It saddens me to hear so many people are discouraged and dismiss skating as a watchable sport. Yes it is the fault of judging that makes people hate it but I still find so much loveliness and entertainment in skating. I'm sure the skaters aren't happy when they hear so much negativity, you see their passion and commitment.

@etherealtb6021 Жыл бұрын

OMG! A Terry Rudolph shout out at the end! Every skating rink needs a Terry! She ostensibly taught us "ballet for figure skaters", but as Christy said, she taught so much more, like performance, presentation, etc.! She didn't get involved in our technical skating at all, just the polishing. It doesn't look like a lot of skating centers have someone like this, there everyday, who's not a skater, but who supplements what the coaches do. 🤷‍♀️

@KitKat-jr6eh Жыл бұрын

Amazing episode Jonathan and Dave. Throughly enjoyed Christy Ness ❤

@Baysk8er24 Жыл бұрын

Thanks for having Christy Ness, her tips are so valuable!

@bettybleu12 Жыл бұрын

Count down. Can’t wait!

@TheSkatingLesson Жыл бұрын

Enjoy!

@GayleFalkenthal Жыл бұрын

So glad to compare notes with my fellow TSL addicts! 💯❤️😄🎤🏆

@GayleFalkenthal Жыл бұрын

Spins needs to be scored at a higher value and downgraded more steeply to force the skaters not to dial those in. So irritating to see skaters like Jason not given enough credit.

@GayleFalkenthal Жыл бұрын

Jason was a grown ass man out there skating among boys.

@kamila7217 Жыл бұрын

Christy is a true master of the sport! She sets a high standard for coaches to meet today. Whoever gets her as a consultant will be very lucky.

@TheSkatingLesson Жыл бұрын

Agreed

@robamell4216 Жыл бұрын

Hi Dave and Jonathan. Thanks again for a great update. Any thoughts about dropping the highest and lowest judges scores? For example on the Wolfkostin/Chen free dance, one judge had them at 107 and another at 119!!!! the average for the other judges was 112.

@flgirl9128 Жыл бұрын

What a treat to listen to Christy Ness! I'm glad she's still apart of skating. I think covid, cost of tickets and the cheating scandal scared many people away from skating. It's very sad because I've always loved it. I hope this will change in the future! Thank you Dave, Jonathan and Christy for sharing your time with us. Very much appreciated!

@dkeinow Жыл бұрын

44:15 It certainly looked like the USFS did what they can to promote Bradie by being lenient on the call. They were trying to keep everyone below Bradie's scores. Will they have given Bradie the title if she skated "clean" and did not fall during the free? 53:54 I agree with Amber being ahead of Bradie. That was the time when it was obvious to me that they already want to give the title ti Bradie

@cdw3497 Жыл бұрын

Moment of the week was DEFINITELY Christy’s multiple head shakes at skaters doing a tour between Nationals and Worlds

@TheSkatingLesson Жыл бұрын

😂😂

@DSQueenie Жыл бұрын

The scores were a fantasy. I don’t know why USFS does this to it’s skaters.

@pandachels5952 Жыл бұрын

Thanks for the excellent interview!! I always appreciate your honesty and of course sarcasm haha!

@TheSkatingLesson Жыл бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it!

@dpbthomas3183 Жыл бұрын

Enjoyed the interview with Christy. Disagree with her opinions against music with lyrics, and not liking step sequences with moves that go 'up and down' to the ice. I love both. FS needed some updating and I love seeing someone with complicated, difficult step sequences that include deep lunges, etc (thinking Sinnerman program). Each to his own .. but those changes are probably attractive to younger, newer viewers watching FS.

@isabellaverandez172 Жыл бұрын

It was nice to see Andrew Torgashev and Maxim Naumov rise to the occasion here in the free skate. Both have been battling injuries after initial success as juniors, and I agree that the US men really did need them to step up. Hopefully, they continue progressing over the next couple of years.

@TheSkatingLesson Жыл бұрын

💯

@Rachel-rs7jn Жыл бұрын

I do think Christy makes the important point about Isabeau: she is captivating. That's what I noticed about her in person at Skate America. Her jumping technique has issues obviously (and I wish the scoring would reflect that), but you can't deny that she creates magic when she skates (which is especially noticeable in person).

@jasonkanzler1073 Жыл бұрын

LOVE Christy's cat 🐱🐱🐱🐱🐱🐱🐱🐱

@TheSkatingLesson Жыл бұрын

❤️❤️

@infusoria8036 Жыл бұрын

Guys, I love you both so much! My fav figure skating podcast in the world but please please consider doing the timestamps!

@aliecatze4922 Жыл бұрын

Barem and Tioumentsev are going to Junior Worlds this spring. They've got a great shot at a medal. I feel like the ISU could reasonably amend its 2022 age restriction rule to "grandfather" them in, and allow pair and dance teams who were already established before the date of the rule change, and are now stuck chasing the increasing age minimum, to move into senior according to the old rule. Then Sonia and Daniel would only be ineligible internationally for the 23-24 season, since she turns 15 next fall.

@christinethorp3684 Жыл бұрын

That age restriction rule needs to be dumped altogether, IMO!

@KingJasonSlots Жыл бұрын

Great episode!

@TheSkatingLesson Жыл бұрын

🙏🙏

@jasonkanzler1073 Жыл бұрын

Such great words of wisdom from Christy. Everyone should pay head.

@TheSkatingLesson Жыл бұрын

❤️❤️

@louisehancock324 Жыл бұрын

It’s hard to compare the growth of a young male to a young female. Women not only grown in height but body type can change. Weight and size increases in multiple locations like hips/butt, waist and breast which does not happen to men in the same way. It’s hard to jump or move the body in the same way when the body structure has changed so drastically.

@jodishepard8082 Жыл бұрын

I spent the week at Nationals and it was fabulous. My all-event ticket was pricey but once the events started, ticket prices ranged from $40-75. Not much. Plus you could sit anywhere.

@TheSkatingLesson Жыл бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it.

@corgeousgeorge Жыл бұрын

I can see Adam working with Tanith as the broadcast team and it being very good together.

@rachelheller1396 Жыл бұрын

Jason Brown was awesome and US Figure Skating needs to make sure that he stays competing for awhile, maybe for Jason to stay competitive for the 2026 Olympics. This Nationals went great for him. Jason should have different programs for next season. Happy for Andrew, Bradie, Amber, Starr. Too bad about Camden and Tomoki. Ilia Malin needs to get a bit of humility and calm down a bit or he will burn out before 2026.

@iamsoverybored878 Жыл бұрын

He should try more uptempo programs. Though he is great at these soft tempo programs he should change it up.

@anthonydolio8118 Жыл бұрын

Things won't change for Shin under her current coach.

@Iwatchstuff1000 Жыл бұрын

Gracie & Bradie haven’t been smart with their “comebacks”. Carolina Kostner bombed at the 2009 worlds, I was there, it was heartbreaking. But instead of trying to keep doing programs at full capacity she took out the lutz, repeated the loop & salchow & got to the point where she was always skating clean, all be it with less jumps, but by 2012 she was skating better again & was able to win Europeans & get her world title. Smart & realistic approach.

@matthewenies3668 Жыл бұрын

Totally agree on the pairs analysis!

@TheSkatingLesson Жыл бұрын

@DSQueenie Жыл бұрын

5:00 They did that at the practices in Sheffield.

@the_sound_of_her_wings Жыл бұрын

Just curious if there's any data about East Coast versus West Coast when it comes to holding Nationals? As in, historic attendance when nationals is on the East Coast v. when it's on the West Coast. I know I'm attending nationals next year and hoping to snag worlds tickets in 2025 because they're on the East Coast (Alright, so Ohio isn't the east coast but like it's close enough). Where it's located is more of an incentive for me than who will be there as far as figure skating goes.

@JoshuaFazeli Жыл бұрын

Green + Parsons are such a great team and when they were at Finlandia Trophy with this Tim Goebel 2002 bullshit piece, just makes me point my finger at the coaches. First, I blamed Greg. He’s been coaching longest, right? Then I blamed Tanith because I thought she was the one wearing the pants in this relationship. Now I blame Charlie. If Charlie is in charge, he needs to be excoriated by USFS. I have been told their program is dedicated to a grandparent who died and loved Gershwin. Ok, that’s very sweet but that’s not going to make you Top 6 in the world. Use the Gershwin as an exhibition. Why fuck with your brand and bread and butter when you have everyone ready to push you forward as the top US team??

@FSexpert1 Жыл бұрын

Anyone has a timestamp please? Thank you so much

@dbulc5171 Жыл бұрын

Dave and Jonathan- what did you guys think of Starr's LP artistically? I personally loved her LP...too bad for the pops because I think if it was clean, the judges would've rewarded her, even without the difficulty. For me, Starr and Amber had the best programs artistically.

@anthonydolio8118 Жыл бұрын

Dave: Jason was bit by the curse of the final 3 Flip. I wonder if he had nailed that if he could have gained enough points to win. The scores were only about 10 points apart. Weren't they?

@yohanes2034 Жыл бұрын

@Nathaniel Walker Ilia UR on his quads in FP were uncalled and definitely the 3T on yolo 3Lz-3A-3T was definitely cheated more than 90 deg

@TheAnnmjensen Жыл бұрын

I skipped going to dance entirely. Watched on Peacock in my hotel and couldn’t stay awake.

@TheSkatingLesson Жыл бұрын

Did you feel like you were missing out?

@TheAnnmjensen Жыл бұрын

@@TheSkatingLesson Not at all. The only things (other than seeing old friends and getting to catch up) that I feel were irreplaceable experiences were Jason’s programs. And Clare Seo’s SP - It hit me hard. I already know I am not going to go to Columbus. I started going to Nationals in 1996 in San Jose - this may be my full circle and end my travel to Nationals unless they really restructure a lot about how this works.

@sallyjean2250 Жыл бұрын

Really interesting episode -- thank you! I agree with Christy re the "q"s and landing on the curve of the blade. Curious what she has been doing over the past 20 years when she said she has been away from skating.

@dolcevitausa6448 Жыл бұрын

Christy is an amazing coach...before Kristy she had Lynn Smith at Berkeley Iceland in the late 70's and early 80's....phenomenal skater ahead of her time.

@RED-cy7ig Жыл бұрын

Love the Christy Ness interview. She is a logical no nonsense coach. I wish there were more like her. She seems to take the approach of looking at each student as an individual.

@TheSkatingLesson Жыл бұрын

100%

@cecile5090 Жыл бұрын

I had the joy of going to one Nationals in 1996 in Philadelphia. It was so amazing. Michelle, Tara, Nicole Bobek, and Michael Weiss were brilliant.

@TheSkatingLesson Жыл бұрын

Do you mean 1998?

@cecile5090 Жыл бұрын

@@TheSkatingLesson Yes it was '98.

@robamell4216 Жыл бұрын

I live in Italy about 2 hours by train from Torino and so decided to go to the finals. It was not the experience i hoped for...not a full arena , not much energy...and really expensive. For me better to watch at home.

@helloben5 Жыл бұрын

The only 2 Ladies that really shine are Josephine Lee and Isabeau Levito. I feel Josephine's Jumps are way better and have long-term potential in the future, and her jump's entrance quite similar with Yuna Kim's. She definitely has the grace and artistry, just needs to polish it a little more. I was rooting for Ava Ziegler to deliver well, but her nerves really ate her up. I think the main contenders next season are Josephine, Isabeau, Ava, and Soho Lee. I exclude Lindsay cause her jumps and speed really hold her back, and I think it is worse than Levito's jumps.

@MsTeach3 Жыл бұрын

I don’t think NBC producers are doing themselves or the sport any favors by encouraging Johnny and Tara to put on a “ show.” It’s getting old and portrays skating as less of a challenging and competitive sport than it really is. Possible fans immediately dismiss it when watching these two. Terry Gannon seemed more subdued than usual which didn’t help.

@Curiousever Жыл бұрын

I can’t stand to watch NBC because of those two.

@mammac4333 Жыл бұрын

Johnny is knowledgeable about the Coe of points however Tara doesn’t know it and if I hear her say one more time, “when I won” I’m going to throw something at the TV! Please NBC get people that can inform us without being so self absorbed

@amyl6426 Жыл бұрын

I also agree with her comments on Isabeau. Who knows .. she is 15 her jump technique may improve. Not everyone jumps the same way. Do I love her technique ? No. But, she is doing the jump - albeit, her way.

@tanyawade4954 Жыл бұрын

Dave, the sweater is magnificent. I enjoyed Euros so much more over the weekend. Nationals was…not fun. Exceptions obviously - loved Josephine Lee, and Clare Seo’s short was just lovely. Jason, of course. I’m concerned about the direction US ice dance is going. Why do Tanith and Charlie look like the Sad Beige Children Instagram account? Why do their teams dress like the opening of Disney’s Carousel of Progress? As for team IAM - I love C and P’s free dance but he looked like he needed a little more time to recover. I really missed Hayawek and Baker but I’m worried this maybe the end of the road. They certainly barely mentioned them on the broadcast. Ben Agosto did okay and got better as he went along as a commentator. I’ve loved Chock and Bates the last two years but this program is just like a prog rocker noodling on his guitar. First it was about their engagement ring. Then forest creatures or something and now it’s fire and wind. Sure, Jan. But hey the costumes as always are the real🔥.

@TheSkatingLesson Жыл бұрын

❤️❤️❤️

@3l3llala13 Жыл бұрын

I've always thought that Kristi's 3sal technique was too swingy and not enough up. On the sal you need to bring the free leg around and then up to get the height also, but Kristi didn't really bring her free leg up after bringing it around. Kristi Ness is a delight to listen to. Thank you for the interview.

@TheSkatingLesson Жыл бұрын

Watch her in 87. Not amazing, but much better.

@mcalmvp2 Жыл бұрын

As someone who was there in person it didn't seem as dead but certainly was not sold out and there was a number of empty seats. I agree that the tickets were expensive, esp. with the ticket fees which is why I only ended up at 3 events instead of the 5 or 6 I wanted. And I'm a Bay Area skating fan who you'd want to go from the local area!

@msbhomein Жыл бұрын

I agree 100% with Christy and the change to Vocal music. I have been losing interest in watching skating more and more over the years (I've been watching since the 90s). We would groan if a skater used a "war horse" piece of music (swan lake, Carmen, etc). Now I would greatly appreciate ANY of those pieces compaired to what skaters use now!

@dmp7252 Жыл бұрын

Dave - I need your help. I'm preparing to make a post. Do you know if Nicole Bobek's Dr. Zhivago dress is currently in the skating museum? Do we know WHERE that dress?

@andreagoldstein4070 Жыл бұрын

I'm glad I went to Skate America instead of Nationals. It was closer to me and less expensive. And I saw all of the sr. gold medalists anyway from San Jose. Obviously I would have liked to see Jason but he's coming to NYC in May for ITNY's gala at Chelsea Piers.

@debbied2715 Жыл бұрын

I really enjoyed Skate America #1 because I combined a trip to see my first International competition with visiting my grandkids living in Boston. #2 it was exciting to sit closer to the rink and share my love of skating with aforementioned grandkids. Seeing skaters from other countries that I have enjoyed over the past few years was also so memorable.

@MizQue Жыл бұрын

If there were more Jason Brown type programs, people might start watching again. As it is, all that jump jump jumping with very little artistry along with the complicated scoring system and dodgy judging drives crowds away.

@dpbthomas3183 Жыл бұрын

Exactly1 I did not watch skating this season, and I've been a longtime fan. I'm bored with skaters just skating to the next jump. They're all interchangeable. I watched US Championships because Jason was skating. He was the absolute highlight for me, and friends that watched. The scoring system needs to be revamped. Hard to bring in fans to a sport where the winner can have done a sloppy program with mediocre skating in between some exceptional jumps. The scoring system needs to better reward skaters like Jason for great edges, spins, footwork, musicality and artistry. Figure skating is a sport that combines athleticism and artistry. They should be weighted equally. Jason's programs get standing ovations. Those type of skaters will bring in more fans.

@ddjr6673 Жыл бұрын

Oh I am so happy I get two doses of you. Just started watching - I know I am going to enjoy Christy. Thank you again guys. Figure skating (like my other passion, tennis) has to be *accessible* it has become less and less so (esp here in UK)

@TheSkatingLesson Жыл бұрын

Our pleasure!

@fotomagrol Жыл бұрын

We need another competition/exhibition any one would work, with this Jason next to Shoma and Adam Siao.

@davinyu7889 Жыл бұрын

A nice caller affects results negatively too. A skater with some messy landings, a fall or two, but with rotated jumps will naturally be judged harsher against a near-perfect routine filled with URs.

@TheSkatingLesson Жыл бұрын

Good point!

@elainetyger Жыл бұрын

Hearing about Jason almost made me go, but I just drove to skate America in MA and will drive to stars on ice in PA. Not into expensive exhausting cross country. Europeans same week sealed it- I could more easily see both at home.

@NG-ue4th Жыл бұрын

Out of curiosity, where did Avonley Nguyen go? Does she have a new partner? She seemed like such a star in the making. i really wanted her to win that split lol although as of now, Kolesnik seemed to be winning it.

@aliecatze4922 Жыл бұрын

She was at US nationals last year (2022) with new partner Grigory Smirnov, but they withdrew before the RD started due to a hip injury for Smirnov. The injury ended his career, and they split last summer. Haven't seen any update on what her plans are for the future.

@SkunkyLorrie Жыл бұрын

I like Gracie. I do. I just don’t understand her motivation or what her goals are.

@rebekahquinley8093 Жыл бұрын

Christy was an amazing guest.

@TheSkatingLesson Жыл бұрын

Agreed!

@bevinboulder5039 Жыл бұрын

I wondered why the crowd was so thin.

@ingai4420 Жыл бұрын

Eggs are too expensive in USA 😂

@thebrothaj Жыл бұрын

it's funny how if you watch tanith's commentary of green & parsons '22 free dance, she talks about how innovative it was and how it was her favorite free dance of the season. so why wouldn't she encourage them to continue that trajectory now that she's coaching them? and low key... i didn't even recognize her in the k&c. dare i say, she looked... "dowdy?" she's a star... shine gurl!

@nicnoodles Жыл бұрын

I really like the music to Chock and Bates free program and it’s grown on me as it’s gotten better every competition. Short program music I don’t really like anyone’s this year because of the theme lol.