The Skating Lesson Podcast Transcript TSL's 2013 Challenge Cup Recap Jenny Kirk: Hello, and welcome to The Skating Lesson Podcast. I’m Jennifer Kirk, a former US ladies competitor and a three-time world team member. Dave Lease: I’m David Lease. I’m none of those things, but I am a figure skating blogger and a current adult skater. Jenny: Today we’re going to talk about the Challenge Cup, which took place last week in The Hague, Netherlands. So, Dave – what is the significance of this event? Dave: Well, the significance of the Challenge Cup is really – it’s a bit of a mixed bag. I’s the last senior B international competition before the world championships, so often times a few skaters will go and use it as a final tune-up. And it’s also a good event for lesser-known skaters, particularly it’s where the Americans sent kind of people who were looking to get some experience, too, before next season and seasons down the road. So, it’s really just an international event before worlds. And everything happens – a lot of empty seats in that arena. Carolina Koster, Italy, 2012 World Ladies Champion Jenny: I was noticing that in the videos! You talk about how it’s a B event, but Carolina Kostner, who is the reigning world champion – she showed up at this event. Why do you think she came here? What was your opinion on how she skated? Let’s jump into her performances. Dave: Okay, well she competed here last year. And last year, actually how she skated at this event really kind of portended how she did at the world championships. Jenny: I love that you said portend! That’s so my word! Dave: It took your word. I took your word. Jenny: I’m just saying conversely… Sorry, keep going! Dave: She really skated about as well as she did at worlds, you know, take or leave. And this year she gave a good performance here. I think it’s interesting for her because she missed the Grand Prix, so I think she really needed to do these events in order to get her programs out a certain number of times, have confidence. I was impressed by her performance – she did a great short program, she was perfectly clean. The long – she did six triples. One had a little under-rotation. She did have two pops on her axel and loop jump. So looking to worlds, she’ll obviously probably need to skate clean this year. The ladies – it’s much more competitive than it was a year ago when she won her world title. But I have a couple questions for you, actually, about this. I watched the program, I absolutely love her skating this season. I think she’s really turned a corner with her artistry and her style over the last few years. Now one thing I think is interesting is that Carolina does a triple toe-triple toe in the short. But she does a triple flip-triple toe in the long, and she changes combinations. And when you’re trying to get consistent, and you know, her triple flip-triple toe was the triple toe that had the under-rotation. There’s so much rhythm that goes into a combination. Do you think that maybe she should pick one combination and do it in both programs? Jenny: I would say go for the triple flip-triple toe in both programs, yeah. I think the short program – I was really impressed with how just confident her jumps were in the past. She – when she would skate well, there was still this feeling as a spectator sometimes where you – her landings were a little shakier. You’re thinking – is she going to miss? She was so on in that short program, but it’s an easier short program. And if she really wants to really contend for a second world title, she’s going to have to up the ante technically, I would say. So I would say go for the flip-toe – I think it was great that she was here. You talked about loving her programs this season. And I love that long program. We were watching it at Italian nationals. And the music is really well known in skating. But she really owns that program. There’s a section in the middle of the program where she kind of does these sexy poses. And I think it just – it fits her, the dress looks really great on the ice, and she’s skating with a little bit more attack and confidence this season perhaps because she is coming in as a reigning world champion. But you also mentioned those pops, and you cannot have two pops in a world championship. I like that she was able to regain her focus where she hasn’t been able to do so much in the past, so that shows improvement. But yeah, to answer your original question, I would say pick the flip-toe. What would you do if you were her or her coaches? Dave: Well, I think it’s just a mistake. I notice Agnes does the same thing where she does a triple toe-triple toe in the short and then does different combinations in the long. And I guess it’s for points, but I guess the best argument is always to skate clean and make no mistakes. And part of doing that is doing the same combination consistently before you practice your short, then do your short before your practice your long, you run through your jumps. I think that’s kind of a mistake. I think it’s good that Carolina is putting seven triples in, something that Yu-Na Kim isn’t doing. She’s only going to go for six, so that’s kind of how she [Carolina] can compete with Yu-Na doing two lutzes, which Carolina will not be doing. I think it’s interesting, the program – I think she’s going to need the triple flip-triple toe next year. This year, if she wants to win worlds, I think she’s going to have to hope that someone maybe makes a mistake because she will be a couple points back after the short. Now I wanted to ask you – we talked about that middle section of the [long] program. Now I love it, I think it’s so interpretive, and it really captures – I forget that I’m watching one of these IJS programs. Conversely, I’m always a bit – I get a bit hesitant when I see a skater is kind of pausing in their program and they’re almost stopping. And it really works in her program because Bolero is slow at the beginning and it builds. And I think it’s great, but it makes me wonder – is she maybe a little bit weaker than last year or not in the same kind of shape? Because for so long we’ve been told that if you stop like Okasana Baiul did when she ahd those vamping things. A lot of people in skating thought that you should be deducted in your long program for stopping. And I was wondering what your views are – should she be deducted in transitions for that? I think maybe deduct her in transitions and give her a higher interpretations score. I just don’t know what to make – she does pause quite a bit in that program. Jenny: Yeah, I don’t think – and I was thinking that as I was watching her skate yesterday. I don’t think the pause is – I think it’s effective in terms of the choreography, I think it works for the program. I agree with your point that you made with the Oksana Baiul program that generally, if a skater’s going to pause, the music would switch to the slow section, the skater would pause and kind of – I did it too! We do all the little arm movements, and it’s all about catching your breath. But I think – I think it works in Carolina’s program. I love the footwork, and I think what I love the most about her Bolero program is the triple sal last jump. She missed it at Europeans, she doubled it. And that will kill the program if you miss that last jump. And I think for her, it’s so important that she’s able to land that last triple salchow, like the end of the program at worlds, but I don’t think it’s a problem. What do you think? Dave: It’s such a bam moment that last sal – you know, maybe I’d deduct her a little bit and then give her higher marks for her choreography/interpretation, but we don’t usually see judges actually mark the components, you know, giving someone a seven here and a nine here. And I would personally do something like that. I think it’s great for transitions. But then maybe doing the salchow at the end, I think maybe that outweighs… Jenny: Yeah, she’s showing that – yeah, I don’t think she’s stopping to catch her breath. The impression I get is she’s stopping to kind of – it’s part of the program! And the moves – she really sells it! She owns that thing! Dave: It’s a little bit sexy, I kind of love it. She opens up, like, before the long, before the step sequence, and I’m always like – wow.