This may well be the last roundup-type post I make for a couple of weeks, as Nationals are about to take over any idle space left in the always-percolating brains of bloggers like me for the next couple of weeks. So I might as use this opportunity to tell you that I’m not likely to get any predictions out this year for Euros (which start a week from now). Craziness continues over here as I continue to get my aforementioned “big project” wrapped up, so frankly I’ll be doing well to make predictions for the action in Spokane!
What else shall we talk about?
+ It's fairly old news by now, but speaking of Spokane… it looks to be a sort of Homecoming celebration as well, with ALL U.S. Olympic Gold Medalists—from Dick Button to Sarah Hughes, that amounts to a mere dozen men and women—showing up for an “on-ice presentation” followed by a fundraising dinner. What a sight that’s bound to be! You can read more about it in the International Figure Skating article found here.
+ And this may be even older news: according to numerous announcements such as this one , ABC will be broadcasting a two-night, live pro event in March with the moniker Thin Ice. The good news: reportedly signed to the show are Shizuka Arakawa (competing), Kurt Browning (announcing), and Dick Button and Kristi Yamaguchi (judging). The bad: one of the producers (Terry O’Neil) is the same guy who announced a big pro event back in the Fall of ’08 that failed to materialize. Will this one meet the same fate? Well, at least the timing seems better…fresh after an Olympic Games and all. And they appear to already have a network lined up, and a major one at that…
But on the other hand, WHO is “lined up” talent-wise, aside from Arakawa and Shae-Lynn Bourne (who continues to skate single)? Judging from the recent little interview Brian Boitano gave to Entertainment Weekly , he’s wondering the same thing. An excerpt:
Last question: Is there any chance you’re going to be on ABC’s Thin Ice this March? That’s the two-night competition that promises to pair up 12 of ”the world’s greatest pro figure skaters.”
BRIAN: I did see the list of “greatest professional skaters” that they had, and it was really a lame cast.
So that would be a no.
BRIAN: [Laughs] Yeah.
That was my reaction, too, when I read the press release.
BRIAN: They were hardly-even-heard-of professional skaters.
All-righty then!
+ Last but not least...and this is an important one for current skaters, coaches, and families… 2003 U.S. men’s bronze medalist Ryan Jahnke, AKA one of the only bright spots in the so-called “Disaster in Dallas”, is launching a new website called myskatingmall.com.
“The site will be a marketplace for new and gently used figure skating items and 5% of every purchase will be given to either the skating club or team of the people involved in the transaction,” Jahnke says. “The site will act as a perpetual fundraiser for skating clubs and teams. Also, every skater will be able to open up her or his own web store to sell the closet full of skating outfits that we all have:-) That's in addition to being able to purchase new items through partner stores linked to Myskatingmall.
“I hope to reduce some expenses for skating families by giving everyone access to the gently used outfits in closets of skaters all over the world.”
The official launch is planned for March, but you can check it out now for more details, videos, and blog entries. Sounds like one more thing I wish had existed back when I used to compete!
For the Clip of the Day, a must-see montage put together by Jahnke himself of his “greatest falls” in competition. Enjoy it!
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1 comment:
i always loved jahnke. he had that certain matt-savoie-something that i adore...vulnerable artistry, musicality, softness, etc.
this site of his is very interesting indeed. a great service to skaters and their families.
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