Nostalgia Tripping- Skate America 2013

In 2013, my sister and I made a weekend roadtrip to Detroit for Skate America. We had missed out on both Worlds and Nationals in recent years, and we were not going to miss out again.

 With Skate America coming up again this year, I've been thinking a lot about the amazing skating we got to see that weekend.

I got to see multiple Olympic gold medal programs in their early stages. Certainly, some programs that early in the season were better than others, but all of the skating in Detroit was remarkable.

The most remarkable performance for me was Davis and White's Scheherazade freedance. Even at the beginning of the season it was technically flawless and their performance was brilliant.

Volosozhar and Trankov were also stunning on the ice, their elements were enormous and nearly flawless. Pairs is not usually my favourite event, but the pairs at Skate America 2013 was amazing.

Tatsuki Machida was also an amazing performance. His Firebird  freeskate was amazing and my personal favourite Firebird program I have ever seen.

Mao Asada was also stunning in the freeskate. Unfortunately we only got to see the freeskates live, but the short programs were also quite spectacular from what we saw watching online.

All four events were amazing, and the Grand Prix events have especially strong skating across the board. Whenever you have the opportunity, it is beyond worth it to make the trip out to any of the Grand Prix events, especially when the prices are as reasonable as the 2013 Skate America was.

Nostalgia Tripping- Former Junior World Champions

The 2015 Junior World Championships have just wrapped up, and with Worlds in just a couple weeks, lets take a look back to some of the competitors at Worlds who are former Junior World Champions.

Men

Nam Nguyen (2014)

(2014 SP)

(2014 FS)

Joshua Farris (2013)

(2013 FS)

Han Yan (2012)

(2012 SP)

(2012 FS)

Yuzuru Hanyu (2010)

(2010 SP)

(2010 FS)

Adam Rippon (2008 & 2009)

(2008 FS)

(2009 FS)

Takhiko Kozuka (2006)

(2006 FS)

Ladies

Elena Radionova (2013 & 2014)

(2013 FS)

(2014 SP)

(2014 FS)

Kanako Murakami (2010)

(2010 SP)

(2010 FS)

Pairs

Haven Denney and Brandon Frazier (2013)

(SP 2013)

(FS 2013)

Wenjing Sui and Cong Han (2010, 2011, 2012)

(FS 2010)

(SP 2010)

(FS 2012)

(SP 2011)

Ice Dance

Kaitlin Hawayek and Jean-Luc Baker (2014)

(SD 2014)

(FD 2014)

Alexandra Stepanova and Ivan Bukin (2013)

(SD 2013)

(FD 2013)

Victoria Sinitsina and Ruslan Zhiganshin (2012)

(Now skating with Elena Ilinykh)

(SD 2012)

(FD 2012)

Ksenia Monko and Kirill Khaliavin (2011)

(SD 2011)

(FD 2011)

Elena Ilinykh and Nikita Katsalapov (2010)
(Now skating with Ruslan Zhiganshin)

(CD 2010)

(OD 2010)

Madison Chock and Greg Zuerlein (2009)
(Now skating with Evan Bates)

(OD 2009)

(FD 2009)

Emily Samuelson and Evan Bates (2008)
(Now skating with Madison Chock)

(OD 2008)

(FD 2008)

Nostalgia Tripping- Skating with Celebrities

Before Battle of the Blades existed, there was another attempt at creating a Dancing with the Stars style skating show. Skating with Celebrities only lasted one season, but it was the first one in North America, and spurred on more similar shows. Skating with Celebrities aired in 2006 and is one of the many skating specials somewhere on a VHS at my parents' house from when we recorded it.

This was the only time a skating show like this had required elements, and for me it made the show better. The celebrities had to focus on learning actual skating skills, not just a couple of tricks, which I think was one of the faults of Battle of the Blades. Skating with Celebrities wasn't successful, only getting one season in North America, though it seems that it was picked up in some other countries.

(I can't be certain because I don't speak Russian, but I think this is essentially the same show in Russia)

Hope you enjoyed my look back at one of my favourite figure skating TV shows. 

Leave me a comment and let me know if you watched Skating with Celebrities and what your favourite skating TV show was/is.

Nostalgia Tripping- Kurt Browning and Kristi Yamaguchi Aladdin on Ice

In keeping with the Disney special theme for these segments for now, here's another televised Disney special, this time starring Kurt Browning and Kristi Yamaguchi.

Unlike Mulan on Ice, I didn't know that Aladdin on Ice existed until recently, but I love looking back to the skaters I admired when I was very young, and continue to admire now. These specials were such a great idea, allowing Disney to promote their movies even more while also putting some of our favourite skaters on display in a way that is accessible to just about everyone.

Unlike Mulan on Ice, it seems that the entire special is up on youtube (in the videos above), so whether you've seen it before or not, I hope you enjoy nostalgia tripping with me this week.

Nostalgia Tripping- Mulan on Ice

My favourite skating special was one that came out when I was about 3 years old, and it's one that I know is still somewhere in my home on a vhs, though I have no idea where it is. It's a miracle that tape still works, with the number of times my sister and I have watched that tape sine 1998.

Unfortunately, it is nowhere to be found anymore, I've only been able to find two small clips online. One from the end of the special, and a re-release of the performance of 'Reflections'. Disney isn't set to make any significant revenue off this special, and so it would be a waste of money to re-release it, but that doesn't mean I don't still want them to.

I hope you all enjoy nostalgia tripping with me every week as I revisit some of my favourite programs and specials from years past.