The sight — and the thought it almost immediately brought to mind — was unmistakable and oh so very clear.
You simply couldn't miss the moment after the final press conference of the night at HomeSense Skate Canada International wrapped up Friday. A four-time world champion sharing a light moment with the young man more than just a few figure skating observers believe will be the next to join a remarkable line of Canadian greatness.
Kurt Browning, who's at Scotiabank Place this weekend as a commentator for CBC Sports, long ago earned his place in this row of distinction — men's world figure skating champions from Canada — that also counts among its membership the likes of Donald Jackson, Donald McPherson, Brian Orser, Elvis Stojko and Jeffrey Buttle.
Yes, Patrick Chan just might be the proverbial next one. And in the city where he was born, Chan just might take another step toward joining that exclusive club. He's second after tonight's short program with 77.47 points, just a whisker behind Yannick Ponsero of France (78.05). His second career Grand Prix series victory is most definitely within reach.
But he's also wise enough to know the battle isn't won just yet.
"All the top five can get on the podium, so I still have to look behind me and ahead, too," he said. "(Saturday) is the biggest program and sometimes people overreact to the short program, but the long is really the big one."
While this is a burgeoning young talent that seems to keep growing by leaps and bounds, it's also quite apparent this is much like building a house: It will rise from the ground one brick at a time. And the next big brick — the quadruple jump — will only come when it is time.
Don Laws, the veteran coach who is now Chan's guiding force, shakes his head in amazement as he talks about the quad toe his protege landed with ease the other day in practice. But just as quickly, he points out it's only the third successful one he's completed. Meaning we won't see it in Chan's long program on Saturday.
"Just for fun, he threw in the quad toe in practice (Thursday)," said Laws. "Textbook perfect. Unbelievable. One week (earlier this season) he did two of them and then this. The rest of them, he just gets a sore butt and tired of getting up off the ice. But he'll get it.
"If things go really well, we might do it at the next Grand Prix (in France). It depends on (the standings) in the short program."
Then again, Buttle won his world title last March in Sweden without one. Just skated the lights out of everything else he did and couldn't be denied. Don't think Laws and Chan — who upset Buttle in spectacular fashion last January to win his first Canadian championship — didn't notice.
"When you think of Jeffrey Buttle (beating) the other skaters who have quads ... that tells you right there," said Laws. "You have a great skate and you're there. And we know that. Patrick has an amazing look about him that others don't have.
"It's going to be a good year for him, I'm sure."
Friday, October 31, 2008
The Numbers Don't Lie
You spend hours convincing yourself that all the hard work is paying off. That you are, indeed, better than you were the day before.
But still, you need the extra something that puts it all in real perspective for you. It's called validation and in figure skating, at least, the ultimate example of that lies on the scoresheet.
Consider Joannie Rochette fully validated, at least for this day.
The four-time Canadian champion from Ile-Dupas, Que., has never been better in a short program than she was Friday afternoon at HomeSense Skate Canada International. The numbers on the scoreboard at Scotiabank Place didn't lie: 64.74 points, an impressive 4.7 better than her previous high (at the 2008 Four Continents Championship in Korea).
That put Rochette on top of the heap heading in Saturday's free skate final, nearly seven points ahead of Japan's Fumie Suguri.
"I can't explain how I'm feeling," said Rochette, who has spoken at length about the gains she's made since the world championships last March in Gothenburg, Sweden, where she placed a career-best fifth. "It's just different and I hope I can keep it the rest of the season."
Then the analytical side of this introspective young woman took over.
"My first goal tonight was to improve my program component score, my artistic mark," she said. "We achieved that (28.04 points). I think my best before was 25, 26.
"I'm really happy the judges saw the difference in me."
While it's just the beginning of the long road to the 2009 worlds in Los Angeles — not to mention the Vancouver Olympics a year later — Rochette admitted "it's really important to come to the first competition of the year and make an impact and give a new look to yourself, and I think we achieved that."
In the background, Rochette's coach, Manon Perron, couldn't stop smiling as she gave her own nod of approval. But we've all been there — that's the kind of support we all crave and need from the people around us who matter the most.
In this sport, though, there's another group of people whose opinion happens to count for more than anybody else's.
"I was happy with the score and I can say 'mission accomplished,' " said Rochette. "It's one thing if people around you tell you that you are better but it's another to see it reflected in the mark. We're just so, so happy with that."
But still, you need the extra something that puts it all in real perspective for you. It's called validation and in figure skating, at least, the ultimate example of that lies on the scoresheet.
Consider Joannie Rochette fully validated, at least for this day.
The four-time Canadian champion from Ile-Dupas, Que., has never been better in a short program than she was Friday afternoon at HomeSense Skate Canada International. The numbers on the scoreboard at Scotiabank Place didn't lie: 64.74 points, an impressive 4.7 better than her previous high (at the 2008 Four Continents Championship in Korea).
That put Rochette on top of the heap heading in Saturday's free skate final, nearly seven points ahead of Japan's Fumie Suguri.
"I can't explain how I'm feeling," said Rochette, who has spoken at length about the gains she's made since the world championships last March in Gothenburg, Sweden, where she placed a career-best fifth. "It's just different and I hope I can keep it the rest of the season."
Then the analytical side of this introspective young woman took over.
"My first goal tonight was to improve my program component score, my artistic mark," she said. "We achieved that (28.04 points). I think my best before was 25, 26.
"I'm really happy the judges saw the difference in me."
While it's just the beginning of the long road to the 2009 worlds in Los Angeles — not to mention the Vancouver Olympics a year later — Rochette admitted "it's really important to come to the first competition of the year and make an impact and give a new look to yourself, and I think we achieved that."
In the background, Rochette's coach, Manon Perron, couldn't stop smiling as she gave her own nod of approval. But we've all been there — that's the kind of support we all crave and need from the people around us who matter the most.
In this sport, though, there's another group of people whose opinion happens to count for more than anybody else's.
"I was happy with the score and I can say 'mission accomplished,' " said Rochette. "It's one thing if people around you tell you that you are better but it's another to see it reflected in the mark. We're just so, so happy with that."
They've Only Just Begun
They're the reigning world bronze medallists in pairs skating.
Not to mention the highest-rated duo in their discipline at HomeSense Skate Canada International this weekend at Scotiabank Place in Ottawa. So it might seem a little disconcerting to the average fan to see Canadians Jessica Dube and Bryce Davison sitting in third place after today's short program.
Mind you, with 60.14 points in the bank, they're a mere 0.52 out of second place, currently occupied by Americans Keauna McLaughlin and Rockne Brubaker. Even the leaders, Yuko Kawaguchi and Alexander Smirnov of Russia (65.02), are still within hailing distance for this plucky Canuck duo.
No wonder, then, that Dube and Davison had a bit of a 'what, us worry?' attitude about them afterward. And let's face it, this is the first event of the season, not the last.
"Just come out and do a free," Davison, 22, of Cambridge, Ont., said when asked how they'll approach Saturday's free-skate final. "You can't change what happened today and you don't change your gameplan going into the free because of what happened in the short. We've just got to come out and attack, really."
Said Dube, 21, of Drummondville, Que.: "I felt a little bit shaky but that's something we'll work on tomorrow."
Understand, too, that they've been here before — and not all that long ago. You might recall the 2008 BMO Canadian championships back in January in Vancouver, when Dube and Davison blew their short program but rallied strongly in the free and almost snatched the crown away from short program winners Anabelle Langlois and Cody Hay.
The experience galvanized Dube and Davison for what turned out to be a run to their first appearance on the worlds podium two months later in Gothenburg, Sweden.
And let's face it, Dube and Davison have much bigger fish to fry, so to speak, in the months that lie ahead. We speak, most specifically, of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics, where the Canadians hope to stand on the highest step of them all.
So it wasn't cockiness talking when Davison said "we're not too worried about the other teams right now."
"Especially this year," he added. "It's a year to make ourselves better and get ourselves ready. You can never worry about what the other teams are doing because you do your best that you can do and if they're better than you, that's just the case. And if you end up being world champion, it's because you were your best."
Not to mention the highest-rated duo in their discipline at HomeSense Skate Canada International this weekend at Scotiabank Place in Ottawa. So it might seem a little disconcerting to the average fan to see Canadians Jessica Dube and Bryce Davison sitting in third place after today's short program.
Mind you, with 60.14 points in the bank, they're a mere 0.52 out of second place, currently occupied by Americans Keauna McLaughlin and Rockne Brubaker. Even the leaders, Yuko Kawaguchi and Alexander Smirnov of Russia (65.02), are still within hailing distance for this plucky Canuck duo.
No wonder, then, that Dube and Davison had a bit of a 'what, us worry?' attitude about them afterward. And let's face it, this is the first event of the season, not the last.
"Just come out and do a free," Davison, 22, of Cambridge, Ont., said when asked how they'll approach Saturday's free-skate final. "You can't change what happened today and you don't change your gameplan going into the free because of what happened in the short. We've just got to come out and attack, really."
Said Dube, 21, of Drummondville, Que.: "I felt a little bit shaky but that's something we'll work on tomorrow."
Understand, too, that they've been here before — and not all that long ago. You might recall the 2008 BMO Canadian championships back in January in Vancouver, when Dube and Davison blew their short program but rallied strongly in the free and almost snatched the crown away from short program winners Anabelle Langlois and Cody Hay.
The experience galvanized Dube and Davison for what turned out to be a run to their first appearance on the worlds podium two months later in Gothenburg, Sweden.
And let's face it, Dube and Davison have much bigger fish to fry, so to speak, in the months that lie ahead. We speak, most specifically, of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics, where the Canadians hope to stand on the highest step of them all.
So it wasn't cockiness talking when Davison said "we're not too worried about the other teams right now."
"Especially this year," he added. "It's a year to make ourselves better and get ourselves ready. You can never worry about what the other teams are doing because you do your best that you can do and if they're better than you, that's just the case. And if you end up being world champion, it's because you were your best."
A Blast From The Past
There's a birthday celebration going at Scotiabank Place this week.
HomeSense Skate Canada International is 35 years old this weekend, and some "anniversary" touches have been added to the proceedings.
Ottawa's own Lynn Nightingale, the women's gold medallist at the first Skate Canada back in 1973 in Calgary, will present the medals after the final in that event here Saturday night. Handing out the hardware after the men's competition: 1962 world champion Donald Jackson, the executive director of skating at Ottawa's Minto Skating Club.
Of course, 1988 Calgary Olympic silver medallist Liz Manley of Ottawa is on hand as the official Athlete Ambassador all weekend. She'll also present the pairs medals. For the ice dance, that honour goes to Isabelle Duchesnay of Aylmer, the 1995 world champion (with brother Paul) in that discipline.
(while we're reminiscing, an aside. The last time this event was held in Ottawa? In 1993 at the Civic Centre, at the tail end of the first week I lived in the capital. How time flies).
Now, all of this isn't to suggest forward thinking of any sort is absent here. A new multimedia tool they've dubbed the Skate Bug is making its debut this week. It's essentially a set of headphones that give fans a chance to listen to some expert commentary from the likes of Manley and reigning world men's champion Jeffrey Buttle.
While I haven't had a keen eye in the stands about it just yet, I'm being told they're a hot item with the fans. And I can tell you the bug has already caught on with some members of the media.
Oh, and speaking of new ... we'll have a whole set of different winners this weekend. None of last year's champs in Quebec City are back to defend their crowns.
HomeSense Skate Canada International is 35 years old this weekend, and some "anniversary" touches have been added to the proceedings.
Ottawa's own Lynn Nightingale, the women's gold medallist at the first Skate Canada back in 1973 in Calgary, will present the medals after the final in that event here Saturday night. Handing out the hardware after the men's competition: 1962 world champion Donald Jackson, the executive director of skating at Ottawa's Minto Skating Club.
Of course, 1988 Calgary Olympic silver medallist Liz Manley of Ottawa is on hand as the official Athlete Ambassador all weekend. She'll also present the pairs medals. For the ice dance, that honour goes to Isabelle Duchesnay of Aylmer, the 1995 world champion (with brother Paul) in that discipline.
(while we're reminiscing, an aside. The last time this event was held in Ottawa? In 1993 at the Civic Centre, at the tail end of the first week I lived in the capital. How time flies).
Now, all of this isn't to suggest forward thinking of any sort is absent here. A new multimedia tool they've dubbed the Skate Bug is making its debut this week. It's essentially a set of headphones that give fans a chance to listen to some expert commentary from the likes of Manley and reigning world men's champion Jeffrey Buttle.
While I haven't had a keen eye in the stands about it just yet, I'm being told they're a hot item with the fans. And I can tell you the bug has already caught on with some members of the media.
Oh, and speaking of new ... we'll have a whole set of different winners this weekend. None of last year's champs in Quebec City are back to defend their crowns.
Reaching For New Heights
There's growing up. And there's growing up.
If it seemed like Rachel Kirkland was standing taller than ever on the opening day of the 2008 HomeSense Skate Canada International at Scotiabank Place ... well, you weren't seeing things. The 16-year-old pairs partner of Toronto's Eric Radford guesses she's grown "three or four inches" since the end of last season — one which saw the fourth-year duo finish fifth at the BMO Canadian championships for a second straight year.
So when Kirkland says she spent her off-season "just really growing," she means it — literally.
"Not just physically, but as a skater and as a team," Kirkland quickly added after she and Radford completed their short program today (they finished seventh out of eight couples with a 50.08-point score). "Our skating has really matured with my maturity ... or growth."
Needless to say, Kirkland's growth spurt has required some extra time to adapt on the part of both skaters.
"We did a lot of revamping of technique," said Radford, 23. "The jumps and the throws and the spins. Things haves changed."
"A little bit," added Kirkland. "But that's normal. I think it actually made our skating better and we've improved a lot."
Also new in the past year or so is the couple's training situation: They've spent two months this season working with former world champion Ingo Steuer in Chemnitz, Germany, and are headed back there at the beginning of November. There, they train alongside current worlds champs Aliona Savchenko and Robin Szolkowy (the gold medallists at this event a year ago in Quebec City, we should add). Another world champion, Brian Orser, works with Kirkland and Radford when they're home in Toronto.
"He's so multi-faceted as a coach, and really covers all areas of our skating," Radford said of Steuer, who won his world crown in 1997 with Mandy Wotzel.
Added Kirkland: "He has really good vision about where we are now and where we need to go and how to get there."
In other words, everything is looking up. And in more ways than one.
If it seemed like Rachel Kirkland was standing taller than ever on the opening day of the 2008 HomeSense Skate Canada International at Scotiabank Place ... well, you weren't seeing things. The 16-year-old pairs partner of Toronto's Eric Radford guesses she's grown "three or four inches" since the end of last season — one which saw the fourth-year duo finish fifth at the BMO Canadian championships for a second straight year.
So when Kirkland says she spent her off-season "just really growing," she means it — literally.
"Not just physically, but as a skater and as a team," Kirkland quickly added after she and Radford completed their short program today (they finished seventh out of eight couples with a 50.08-point score). "Our skating has really matured with my maturity ... or growth."
Needless to say, Kirkland's growth spurt has required some extra time to adapt on the part of both skaters.
"We did a lot of revamping of technique," said Radford, 23. "The jumps and the throws and the spins. Things haves changed."
"A little bit," added Kirkland. "But that's normal. I think it actually made our skating better and we've improved a lot."
Also new in the past year or so is the couple's training situation: They've spent two months this season working with former world champion Ingo Steuer in Chemnitz, Germany, and are headed back there at the beginning of November. There, they train alongside current worlds champs Aliona Savchenko and Robin Szolkowy (the gold medallists at this event a year ago in Quebec City, we should add). Another world champion, Brian Orser, works with Kirkland and Radford when they're home in Toronto.
"He's so multi-faceted as a coach, and really covers all areas of our skating," Radford said of Steuer, who won his world crown in 1997 with Mandy Wotzel.
Added Kirkland: "He has really good vision about where we are now and where we need to go and how to get there."
In other words, everything is looking up. And in more ways than one.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
There's No Place Like Home
If you're making this blog a part of your daily reading, it's likely that you've got more than just a small interest in the sport of figure skating. Quite frankly, this little writing project of mine probably wouldn't even exist if not for good folks such as you.
(feel free to say 'you're welcome' at any point here).
But for yours truly, this blog has often been a voyage of discovery. A new city in a different part of Canada, each with its own story to tell. Not to mention buildings that often reek of history on some level.
Sorry to say but I've got nothin' in that area this weekend.
HomeSense Skate Canada International 2008 has not only landed in the city I've called home for 15 years now (our nation's capital), but the venue for this great event — Scotiabank Place — happens to be an arena that, for the past 13 months, I've also called my workplace. Let's just say if there are any mysteries about this building, I haven't been paying enough attention to detail along the way.
(a phrase I've actually been hearing a lot lately. It's an inside joke).
That being said, I hardly take SBP (as we sometimes call it out here in Kanata) for granted and feel comfortable in saying this might just be the finest facility ever to open its doors to one of Canada's top figure skating competitions. It's seen more than its share of great hockey moments over the years, the biggest being the Stanley Cup final in June 2007. That was some incredible ride. I have to tell you.
Now another sport gets a chance to make some of its own memories.
Oh, and a pre-event tip for those of you venturing out here the next three days: Make yourself heard. Scotiabank Place embraces noise rather fondly and trust me, if you give a shout out at the precisely the right time, the skaters will hear you loud and clear.
You can take that one to the bank.
About that little detail, I have no doubt.
(feel free to say 'you're welcome' at any point here).
But for yours truly, this blog has often been a voyage of discovery. A new city in a different part of Canada, each with its own story to tell. Not to mention buildings that often reek of history on some level.
Sorry to say but I've got nothin' in that area this weekend.
HomeSense Skate Canada International 2008 has not only landed in the city I've called home for 15 years now (our nation's capital), but the venue for this great event — Scotiabank Place — happens to be an arena that, for the past 13 months, I've also called my workplace. Let's just say if there are any mysteries about this building, I haven't been paying enough attention to detail along the way.
(a phrase I've actually been hearing a lot lately. It's an inside joke).
That being said, I hardly take SBP (as we sometimes call it out here in Kanata) for granted and feel comfortable in saying this might just be the finest facility ever to open its doors to one of Canada's top figure skating competitions. It's seen more than its share of great hockey moments over the years, the biggest being the Stanley Cup final in June 2007. That was some incredible ride. I have to tell you.
Now another sport gets a chance to make some of its own memories.
Oh, and a pre-event tip for those of you venturing out here the next three days: Make yourself heard. Scotiabank Place embraces noise rather fondly and trust me, if you give a shout out at the precisely the right time, the skaters will hear you loud and clear.
You can take that one to the bank.
About that little detail, I have no doubt.
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