I’m writing this blog post (well, at least starting it…) the day after getting home from Kelowna (after a whole day of travel) and to say that it’s been hard adjusting to normal life after one of the most wild weekends of skating I’ve ever experienced in my life is... a severe understatement to say the least. It’s been an incredible 6 days of adventures and the best kind of happy exhaustion, the kind that you’re so excited to recount, revisit, and share with everyone.
Speaking of your performance skills, is that something that you've trained a lot, or do you find it comes naturally to you?
I'm working on my skills and skating - and I'll work for days. Like I can't skate, or jump, or do stuff before I do my full skating. It's the best feeling ever. That's why I'm still skating.
I, along with a few other ITL members, got the chance to go Fabulous Las Vegas(™) for none other than the very first stop of the Grand Prix, Skate America. This wasn’t my first competition nor my first Grand Prix; I made it to Skate Canada last season, and have been to a few other comps. But this was my first international skating competition in America - and believe me, it makes a difference that I’ll elaborate on.
If you could let the figure skating fan community know one thing about you, what would it be?
The whole community? Oh jeez. I’ll do a funny one. I recently got a lot of money in Animal Crossing.
Are you looking forward to the new Animal Crossing game?
Oh yeah. I’m now donating money to the Town Square to windmills and create paths so I’m very excited about that.
That’s amazing. I love Animal Crossing.
It’s so fun! I just learned a cheat code to get more money and I’m like “Sssh I’m paying my mortgage!” It sounds so ridiculous
Gabrielle: My costumes are actually hot pink and deep purple for the long.
So we'll be seeing that next week?
In two weeks in Kelowna, yes. The Short's actually a two-piece that Kaitlyn and I kind of put our thoughts into together. For the long, it's not exactly like "Carmen," it's the shape that it was today, but it goes ombré from deep to light purple.
Love a good ombré. I'm looking forward to the pairing with the eyeshadow. [Gabby laughs]
Zachary: In the Free, I looked at some pictures of Queen and I talked with the guy making the costumes. I said I wanted thunder, and some details so when people see me they see that I’m doing Queen.
I saw the lightning and thought it would be Flash Gordon!
Zachary: You know what - that’s because of the circle! If there was no circle and only the thunder it would be easier. I might take it off because of that reason, you’re not the only one who said that.
We'll see by Rostelecom [Cup] then if the circle is gone.
Zachary: Yes!
You've mentioned before that you improvise a lot as you develop your programs. Is that happening still?
Betina: Yes! I can't say it's my problem, but it's a problem for Sergey! [Laughs]
Sergey: A little bit - but now it's less!
Betina: Yes, now it's less because we have a lot of movements in the program so I can relax and go "Okay, I don't need to surprise you!" [Laughs]
Shiyue: She said "Oh, I have some ideas. Maybe you can do Charlie Chaplin and you can wear exactly the same costumes. That would be fun!" But in the beginning, [Xinyu] didn't really like the funny style.
Xinyu: Yeah, I don't like the funny style. Before in these 12 years that we've skated together, we've never skated in a funny style.
Shiyue: Yeah, because he likes cool [styles].
[All laugh]
Kite: Alysa actually has quite a bit of an edge on base value, so combined base value for both programs is a 109 for Alyssa currently, and 103.12 for Kamila, but Kamila can definitely make up that difference because she gets the superior GOE and PCS rightfully so if both are clean - this is all if both are clean.
Evie: Is Alysa's technical content, that 109, includes if she does the triple axel in the short or no?
Kite: Yeah. This is with the triple Axel-triple toe in the short. [Evie: Okay] That's what she did in Poland.
Evie: Yeah, so that is the heart attack number. The 109 is the heart attack number.
Kite: Yes, absolutely the heart attack number.
