Men's short program just makes me smile, mostly

January 25

The men certainly don't disappoint, do they?

After all of the hype leading up to the showdown of the century, Johnny Weir and Evan Lysacek are in first and second after the men's short program, following some wonderful skating from both. I'm glad they both brought it.

Johnny has changed his whole life just to get back to be here. With the gorgeous jumps that he put out there tonight, including a stellar triple lutz-triple toe combination, it seems like all the sacrifice really has been worth it. The three-time national champion is back in a new form.

Johnny, you were butter.

Before I move onto the rest of the field, and then to the wonderful roll away that feels like a dream after a long day in the arena, I just have to give a shout out to Johnny's Angels. Since the luncheon was not possible for me, I went over to a couple of them earlier this morning just to thank them for everything they've done to help me keep on top of Johnny's site.

(Side note, if you ever have a suggestion for any of the sites, please feel free to e-mail me.)

Johnny's Angels are some of the most dedicated fans in all of the sport. No matter how Johnny skates, and thankfully he skated very well like I said, they're always there for him. I know how much he appreciates that kind of support.

Evan told me via text message that he was "so scared" to skate tonight. I've see this kid (wait a second, we're the same age) probably skate a hundred times over the years so I can usually notice when something seems a little out of place. Tonight, I didn't think he looked scared at all. Glad he hid it.

Thank goodness Evan skates awesome short programs nowadays because it was always hard to watch him slip up from the get go. My absolute favorite part tonight (and if you know anything about me, this should come as no surprise) was the on-fire footwork. Has Tanith been teaching him to twizzle?

Every time I watch Stephen Carriere, I am a little more impressed than the last time. He had a little bit of a turn out on his triple Axel but the rest of the program was very much in the smooth, Stray Cat Strut character.

• Jeremy Abbott landed his first quad although it was not completely clean. After seeing him leave off the second jump of the combination, I was afraid that he would go the whole program with out it, but he made it up later. And his spins were fantastic. No wonder so many pigs were flying.

• Scott Smith came to St. Paul with a new coach—and he skated the best I've seen in years. His jumps were not only a lot more solid than before, but his presentation was at least 10 times improved. Scott absolutely sold the program. I know I'm not the only one who bought it for sure.

• With skating like that from Wesley Campbell, I have no problem holding a "welcome back" banner for him. He fell on the triple Axel but because he knows how to use those long legs (I think he is 6'2"), the rest of the program was absolutely beautiful. Welcome back.

• Parker Pennington's jumps were textbook perfect except for the pop. The spins were awesome as usual. It's hard to compare his presentation last year to what he did here because I can't watch back to back, but I know he's benefited from working with Audrey Weisiger and Nikolai Morosov.

• Douglas Razzano was not announced at first during the warm-up (a long pause followed by "And Douglas Razzano" is what he got). But after that smooth senior national debut, I don't think anyone is going to be forgetting him anytime soon. I loved his triple Axel.

• Eliot Halverson had the tough task of being the last skater in front of a hometown crowd. He does not have a solid triple Axel yet so he opened with a double, which put him at a disadvantage. Eliot was rocking with his trademark showmanship until he fell on the circular steps at the end. Next time.

I thankfully ran into the entire Pigs Can Fly club while leaving the arena (for an adventure in the skyway). When Jeremy joined the club after the draw, I jokingly asked him if he had a thing for pigs. While I can't remember the exact quote, he said nah, he actually just likes things that are pink and fuzzy.

Jeremy Abbott, one of the funniest guys in skating.

I'll write about the skyway and my other adventures later.

The ladies free skate starts bright and early this year, folks.

Jamie

Happy to see Jessica Rose, Jon claim top spot

January 25

One of my favorite things about Jessica Rose is that she certainly knows how to sell a program. I don't really remember which Latin music she and Jon skated to this afternoon but she was very much in character—a lot of sassy faces to accompany her very sultry dress. Jessica Rose's hair is a little darker than years previous so that also helps make her look a little more grown up.

It's good to see Jessica Rose and Jon on top of the podium after starting out with such a rough skate at Junior Grand Prix Lake Placid. Sometimes, whole seasons can get away from a team because of starting out on a sour note but it's good to see that Jessica Rose and Jon just put that behind them.

Chelsi missed both her throw triple toe and throw triple Salchow. Because she's never done the throw triple Sal, I was really hoping that today would be the day the stars aligned (or whatever happens to make things workout). It will come soon enough for them.

Both of them told me they are not disappointed in the way that they skated, not even a little bit. I think they're ecstatic to be the bronze medalists in just their second season together (and Chelsi's second year as a pair skater). Everyone in their camp is hoping this makes a case for a Junior Worlds spot.

Meg and Nate skated the best program I've seen from them. She was all smiles after landing her throw triple Salchow and throw triple toe. And for the icing on the cake, they finished in fifth place, which is one spot higher than they did last year. I'm glad to see that they're continuing to improve.

For the medal ceremony, it was really funny to see the girls waving like they were Miss America (and that the guys looked a little embarrassed by their partners). Chelsi also redid her hair from the bun to a curly pony tail for the podium. Chelsi's mom said she would fill me in on the secret to getting those curls!

In the junior men's action, I was once again blown away by Richard Dornbush's ability to rebound from a bad short program to skate a very nice free skate. He was too far down last year to move onto the podium but this year, he won the pewter. His mom looked just on cloud nine during the medal ceremony.

I have to remark about Adam's footwork again. Although I am no code of points junkie, and I really can't even offer that much of an educated guess as to what his footwork is valued at, I really just thought that was the highlight of what I saw today. It looked so smooth and effortless... like the rest of his program.

I can't offer too many other impressions of the junior men's free because I was making the rounds around the stands. After a year's worth of e-mails and phone calls with athletes and parents about the Web sites that are here at Figure Skaters Online, it is so nice to see them in person.

Jamie

Mirai, Ashley highlight an exhausting day

January 24

Tonight, Mirai set the record for the most points scored in the ladies short program. It was certainly a spectacular sight to see her come out, dressed in pink, and show us that she has more than just rhythm.

I saw her signing a couple autographs in the hotel lobby with the hugest smile on her face. She should probably get used to carrying around a Sharpie because by the end of the week, I think more than a couple people will know her name and face.

Ashley was also pretty spectacular in her second place effort. And her solid effort speaks volumes for her potential to be a contender in the senior ranks (bronze at Trophee Eric Bompard was no fluke). I think she's shaping shaping up to be one of the most reliable skaters on the ladies side.

My heart broke for Alissa Czisny tonight. I think that without a doubt, she is one of the most beautiful skaters to watch today because of her breathtaking positions. But she just wasn't able to put her best game out there for the short. Yet, she did rock that cast like not many girls could so kudos to her.

One of the most confusing things of the ladies short program was what was happening between the score of Caroline Zhang and Beatrisa Liang. After Bebe skated, she went ahead of Caroline and then a couple skaters later, she ended up being behind Caroline on the scoreboard. I thought I was losing my mind until the people around me assured that they were seeing the exact same thing that I was.

Ken Congemi told me in the hotel elevator that he was not completely sure what was going on with Caroline's scores—but since the protocol shows that Bebe is back in front going into the free, I'm sure he is probably happy with where it stands now.

Oh before I forget, I spent a little while before the original dance with the hardworking crew from Ice-Dance.com. Daphne filled me in on everything that I should expect from this year's dances—like she said, Jennifer Wester and Daniil Barantsev surely were fun in their Western dance. And she was a little Jessica Simpson with her hot pants.

I must get to bed so my time for mini-doughnuts comes sooner. Out of all the things in the arena, the smell of the mini-doughnuts is the strongest. I've been having non-stop cravings for them since I had my first (of hopefully not too many bags) this afternoon.

PS — I walked around the outside of the hotel today just to see if I could handle it. Nope, not yet.

Jamie

Good to see a Tucsonan skate well

January 24

Figure skating doesn't get much of a fuss in my hometown of Tucson, Ariz., even with the Blades on Ice headquarters here. Our only ice rink closed sometime last year after temporary closings for the past couple years. And the skating tours rarely make a stop at our arena.

So when hometown girl, Chelsi Guillen and Danny Curzon came away with the lead in the junior pairs short program, I was naturally excited someone from Tucson on top of the leader board. My excitement probably should be dwindling because both 2007 U.S. Senior Pairs Champion Ben Okolski and this year's Novice Pairs Champion Chris Knierim are also from Tucson. But hey, I feel some hometown pride anytime anyone from Tucson (or even Arizona) does well.

Not too many people know Chelsi tore her posterior cruciate ligament earlier in the season. With the fact that she's been able to work through the injury while skating on the Junior Grand Prix, the Sectionals and now nationals, I think everyone can respect the hard work that she and Danny put in to be on top.

She told me today the knee isn't bothering her in St. Paul. Thank goodness.

The always delightful Jessica Rose Paetsch and Jon Nuss were also a highlight of the junior pairs competition as were Tracy Tanovich and Michael Chau, who did a Harry Potter program. It was great to see Meg Byrne and Nate Bartholomay in a more polished performance than last year.

One of my roommates here in St. Paul is Robin, who covers a number of events for the Skate Today site. It's somewhat of a perfect match because we're both red heads. We also love to stay up late every night typing up things for the sites. She's been trying to finish up her coverage of last week's Canadian Championships while still taking in the events here.

Every so often, Robin turns to my bed and shares a bit of information with me. One of the best quotes came from her post yesterday on the senior pairs free skate:

"When I saw the excitement and relief on Anabelle's face that was almost a bigger excitement for me. ... I am aware of the highs and lows of her previous partnership (with Patrice Archetto). This was a long time coming for Anabelle but not too long for me." Cody said jokingly,"I took the express route."

With all of the first time seniors who come into the U.S. Championships with enormous talent, and a lot of cool hardware, I wonder if anyone else will be hoping on the express route with Cody Hay. Could it be Mirai Nagasu or Ashley Wagner on top of ladies? I'll have to wait and see.

PS — If you're wondering, it is still really cold here.

Jamie

Keauna and Rockne have the best tricks

January 23

It might sound weird to anyone who knows how much I love my senior men's skaters—I think I might do Web sites for half the national team—that senior pairs short program is what I was looking forward to the most here in St. Paul.

What was there to expect except for the unexpected? I had hoped that everyone would tie for first place after brilliant programs that were far beyond being judged. We just can't get what we hope for I guess—so I'll take the everyone tied for first in senior men's instead.

I love being back at nationals because it's like Christmas. The gifts I received ranged from seeing Keauna and Rockne do their huge twist to watching Chloe Katz and Joe Lynch in a much improved performance from last year.

Here are some gifts I would love to give out:

The best tricks award goes to Keauna and Rockne, duh. Do I really need to explain why?

The biggest comeback award goes to Brooke and Ben. To go from spending most of the fall season away from the ice because of injuries, they picked up close to where they left off. Third in the short program is not shabby. I can't wait to see that program once they've had more time with it. I love it.

The best spirit award goes to Naomi and Themi. I know it was disappointing for them to have two major mistakes in their short program, even after spending so much time off the ice because of Naomi's hip surgery. They sat near me in the hotel restaurant—and you could hear their laughter from a mile away. I'm glad to know they're in good spirits because sometimes bad skates happen to good people.

The best costumes go to Tiffany and Derek. I'm personally a big fan of any dress that Tiffany wears because she picks out flattering things for herself (especially that cut-out, green dress from their short program). I like how simple their costumes are while still having some good details. Lots of sparkles but no glitter bomb. Thank goodness.

The best sportsmanship award go to the Broadmoor skating teams. Whenever a pair was doing their program, their training mates were off the ice practically running through the same program off ice in the kiss and cry. MeeRan and Larry also shared hugs with Caitlin and John between their programs. It's nice to see that Dalilah Sappenfield not only coaches good skaters but good people too.

Oh, before I forget, I think Adam Rippon (with straight or curley hair) is going to be a rockstar once he gets a solid triple Axel. His short program was absolutely fantastic, especially the footwork. I don't know what Morozov tells his skaters to get so many great performances but if he could tell me the same before a final exam, I'd probably get an A. Even in something related to math.

It was discussed in our section who Max Aaron reminds everyone of. We settled on thinking he's a young Dan Hollander because of his facial expressions, his fun choreography and his costumes, which are one piece and in unusual colors like Dan used to have. He's fun like Dan. Max did a quirky marching band number. I think at one point he broke out into the robot.

Keegan Messing is also fun, fun. I remember last year, he was so tired from nationals that he fell asleep in the line of a Chinese food restaurant across from the arena (I think after the senior men's free). Glad to see he's rested up to make a run for the podium this year.

Jamie

How do people live in Minnesota?

January 23

The first thing I noticed when the plane door opened was how incredibly cold it is in St. Paul. Who knew you could see your breath inside an airplane, sitting in row 27 just because the door was open up front? Not me.

I dressed really prepared for what everyone said the weather was like here. Leaving Tucson, I wore a undershirt, a shirt, a sweater and a big jacket that was on sale at Ross (because no one needs a jacket in Southern Arizona). I felt really stupid in the Tucson airport because at 5 a.m., I was already in a sweat. Not even close in St. Paul—I could have been wearing three jackets and I'd still feel like my face is freezing and on fire, all at the same time.

I sat next to pairs skater Stephanie Kubon in the airport shuttle. Although she's sitting out this season because of an injury, she's coming here to support the massive group of Broadmoor Skating Club athletes that are skating here. I love that team spirit.

Even though she's from Colorado, she agreed that St. Paul is extremely cold (and the skywalk system seems a little confusing). We voted for the 2010 nationals to be selected from these cities: Orlando, Miami, Key West, Phoenix, Las Vegas or San Diego. USFS and LOCs are you listening?

Eliot Halverson's mother told me this is warm. How do people live in Minnesota? I think the St. Paul winter in no way can compare with the Tucson summer. I'd much rather be standing out in the heat than walking down the street... so I better catch the bus to junior men's short right now.

But one last thing, the first thing that I did when I got to the hotel room was upload Tiffany Vise and Derek Trent's new Web site, which I perfected while sitting in the Dallas airport. I promied Tiffany and Derek I'd have something up before their short so just in time, it's up at viseandtrent.com.

I forgot my computer clock wouldn't be on Dallas time, because I am from Arizona, so I almost missed my plane to St. Paul because I was in the site zone so to speak. I almost just did it again in the hotel but luckily, my roommates have my back (and told me they're leaving with or without me in like 30 seconds).

Jamie

Figure Skaters Online's Guide to the 2008 U.S. Championships is
written and produced by Figure Skaters Online in cooperation with the athletes and staff.

Photographs are courtesy of Leah Adams unless otherwise noted.