Aaron H. posted an article on Axels, Loops, and Spins - Dec 4, 2009, 6:25 am
Crone and Poirier (Canada) - Pretty program, lovely edges. I worry for them though. This program is very nice but lacks fireworks...at Canadian Nationals Weaver and Poje will have fireworks! Cappel...
Comment - Like

Aaron H. posted an article on Axels, Loops, and Spins - Dec 3, 2009, 4:59 am
*When I watch live skating from Japan I learn how much I love coffee! Zhang and Zhang (China) - Fosse program still lacks pizazz but it was a little better. Dan has to figure out how to emote...she ...
Comment - Like

Aaron H. posted an article on Axels, Loops, and Spins - Dec 2, 2009, 5:00 pm
So we've come to the final...decided to rewind the clock and remember some of the highlights from each event. Trophée Eric Bompard Cachemire - The big thing that stuck out to me was Kim Yu-Na...
Comment - Like

Aaron H. posted an article on Axels, Loops, and Spins - Dec 2, 2009, 8:17 am
With most of the attention going to the Senior skaters at the Grand Prix Final, it's easy to forget that there is a very talented group of Juniors competing this week in Tokyo as well. Ross Miner...
Comment - Like

Aaron H. posted an article on Axels, Loops, and Spins - Dec 1, 2009, 7:48 am
Literally the final stop in this year's Grand Prix Series, the Grand Prix Final comes to Tokyo this week. The field, as of now, looks strong with only two withdrawals to this point (Joubert, Belb...
Comment - Like

Aaron H. posted an article on Axels, Loops, and Spins - Nov 30, 2009, 7:20 am
Well...John Wilson is a manufacturer of Figure Skating blades...MK is the name of the blade John Wilson produces. John Wilson/MK is also the title sponsor of the 2010 British Figure Skating Champions...
Comment - Like

Aaron H. posted an article on Axels, Loops, and Spins - Nov 28, 2009, 8:37 am
I get really irked when skaters withdraw from the Grand Prix Final! If there is a legitimate reason to do so (such as Joubert)...I get it. But it seems, at least to me, for the past several years, t...
Comment - Like

Aaron H. posted an article on Axels, Loops, and Spins - Nov 26, 2009, 8:48 am
Hope your Thanksgiving is going well. At my parents' house and every woman in my family is zooming around the kitchen at warp speed so I stole away upstairs to the computer and I discover that Br...
Comment - Like

Aaron H. posted an article on Axels, Loops, and Spins - Nov 26, 2009, 2:01 am
To all my blog readers, have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Comment - Like

Aaron H. posted an article on Axels, Loops, and Spins - Nov 25, 2009, 11:40 am
The Russian Figure Skating Federation has handed Andrei Lutai a one year ban from competition. "For violating ethical norms of an athlete, the executive board excluded Andrei Lutai from the national ...
Comment - Like

Aaron H. posted an article on Axels, Loops, and Spins - Nov 25, 2009, 10:37 am
I was really hoping he wouldn't be like a one or two hit wonder, but after NHK Trophy I had my doubts about Jeremy Abbott. Admittedly, I thought his free skate was amazing but over ambitious and ...
Comment - Like

Aaron H. posted an article on Axels, Loops, and Spins - Nov 24, 2009, 9:33 pm
I'm just going to go on record and say that Tanith and Ben's withdrawal from the Grand Prix Final is lame. An infected tooth? Really, an infected tooth? I remember when Maria Butyrskaya com...
Comment - Like

Aaron H. posted an article on Axels, Loops, and Spins - Nov 22, 2009, 12:39 pm
HomeSense Skate Canada wrapped up literally moments ago but I decided to go right to work on this post because it's all so fresh in my mind. The Good: Some of the performances! Jeremy Abbott, D...
Comment - Like

Aaron H. posted an article on Axels, Loops, and Spins - Nov 21, 2009, 12:26 pm
Ozerova and Enbert (Russia) - Rough. Messy sbs triples. Fall on the throw triple flip. Missed a lift at the end of the program...just ran out of steam. Moore-Towers and Moscovitch (Canada) - Amazz...
Comment - Like

Aaron H. posted an article on Axels, Loops, and Spins - Nov 20, 2009, 5:24 pm
Moore-Towers and Moscovitch (Canada) - This is the first time I had ever seen them. Pleasant team. Lots of excitement...good energy in the Kiss and Cry, seemed excited about their performance. Yank...
Comment - Like

Aaron H. posted an article on Axels, Loops, and Spins - Nov 19, 2009, 10:20 am
Tomorrow, the Grand Prix Series wraps up in Kitchener, Ontario with HomeSense Skate Canada. This competition will also finalize the line-up for December's Grand Prix Final in Tokyo, Japan. The I...
Comment - Like

Aaron H. posted an article on Axels, Loops, and Spins - Nov 18, 2009, 10:31 am
Blogging and Tweeting are two of my favorite things to do! And two of my social media compatriots have been given the chance of a lifetime...so naturally I'm going to shamelessly promote them! B...
Comment - Like

Aaron H. posted an article on Axels, Loops, and Spins - Nov 18, 2009, 7:52 am
It's been an odd season to this point with lots of twists and unexpected turns. We were absolutely robbed of a great match-up in Moscow when Patrick Chan was forced to withdraw from Rostelecom Cu...
Comment - Like

Aaron H. posted an article on Axels, Loops, and Spins - Nov 17, 2009, 3:42 pm
One of the most exciting aspects of the final event in the Grand Prix series is the race to the Grand Prix Final. At this point many have already sewn up births while others are desprately trying to ...
Comment - Like

Aaron H. posted an article on Axels, Loops, and Spins - Nov 17, 2009, 7:51 am
Oh my! I know your free skate didn't go as planned...but you don't steal cars! So Andrei Lutai, apparently Sunday night decided to take a Chevy Impala that had the keys in it for a spin. Tr...
Comment - Like

Aaron H. posted an article on Axels, Loops, and Spins - Nov 16, 2009, 8:21 pm
Several people have asked me to post Johnny Weir's appearance on Last Call with Carson Daly...finally figured out how to do it. Enjoy!
Comment - Like

Aaron H. posted an article on Axels, Loops, and Spins - Nov 16, 2009, 7:51 pm
In cased you missed it, here is Evan from Today this morning. Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy
Comment - Like

Aaron H. posted an article on Axels, Loops, and Spins - Nov 16, 2009, 7:37 am
This weekend I did lots of head scratching. I mean, I couldn't believe some of what I was seeing. First, Ice Dance. The shake up that was the free dance. I thought coming in this was a no-brai...
Comment - Like

Aaron H. posted an article on Axels, Loops, and Spins - Nov 15, 2009, 3:49 pm
Kemp and King (Great Britain) - This felt like a really complete program, charming young team. Needs a technical upgrade. Castile and Okolski (USA) - This such a lovely program. It's a shame ev...
Comment - Like

Aaron H. posted an article on Axels, Loops, and Spins - Nov 14, 2009, 10:12 am
*Apparently U.S. Figure Skating didn't get the Friday/Saturday memo and thus the shorts and frees have been spread over three days instead of two...I'll update as I watch. *A quick note on th...
Comment - Like

Aaron H. posted an article on Axels, Loops, and Spins - Nov 13, 2009, 3:30 pm
So, for me the most exciting thing happening at Cancer.net Skate America is the return to international competition of Emily Hughes! I confess, she's one of my favorites, and since I'm robbed...
Comment - Like

Aaron H. posted an article on Axels, Loops, and Spins - Nov 12, 2009, 6:01 pm
There have been several posts I've done this year that have been what I call heavy hitters...posts that get a lot of traffic. One such post was my Op-Ed: 210.03. This particular post has had A L...
Comment - Like

Aaron H. posted an article on Axels, Loops, and Spins - Nov 12, 2009, 10:20 am
So the Grand Prix makes it's way here to the U.S. for Cancer.Net Skate America. This competition will begin to finalize the Grand Prix Final line-up with next weeks' Skate Canada completing i...
Comment - Like

Aaron H. posted an article on Axels, Loops, and Spins - Nov 11, 2009, 10:04 am
I just keep thinking, "Sasha's blowing all of NBC's promo spots!" NBC is using Sasha all over their t.v. spots for their coverage this season but she keeps not showing up. Of course, Monday ...
Comment - Like

Aaron H. posted an article on Axels, Loops, and Spins - Nov 11, 2009, 7:46 am
I know it feels like some time has passed since this event ended but I did want to post some thoughts. First, the underwhelming ladies field. Miki Ando won with an uninspiring performance to Cleopat...
Comment - Like

Aaron H. posted an article on Axels, Loops, and Spins - Nov 11, 2009, 7:41 am
Sometimes life throws you a curve ball. My life this week has been...hectic; let's just say hectic. Sorry for the lack of posting, I have lots to catch up on: NHK wrap-ups, Skate America pre-as...
Comment - Like

Aaron H. posted an article on Axels, Loops, and Spins - Nov 7, 2009, 10:04 pm
*Looks like Sarah Meier just withdrew? Becky Bereswill (USA) - Rough go for her here in Japan but some beautiful moments. I loved the spiral into the triple loop and also the fight she had on the se...
Comment - Like

Aaron H. posted an article on Axels, Loops, and Spins - Nov 6, 2009, 5:19 am
I did things a little different. I actually live tweeted during the short programs (yes between 2am and 6am). You can see my thoughts by checking out my twitter profile here. The Men's compet...
Comment - Like

Aaron H. posted an article on Axels, Loops, and Spins - Nov 4, 2009, 1:02 pm
U.S. Figure Skating has just announced the host city for the 2012 U.S. National Championships: San Jose, California. San Jose last hosted the event in 1996. Kansas City was seen as the front runner ...
Comment - Like

Aaron H. posted an article on Axels, Loops, and Spins - Nov 3, 2009, 7:41 pm
100 Days to go until the Olympics Begin...can you believe it? The Grand Prix this season has proven that the figure skating competition in Vancouver will be fierce, unpredictable in some cases, and v...
Comment - Like

Aaron H. posted an article on Axels, Loops, and Spins - Nov 3, 2009, 12:07 pm
Jennifer Kirk wrote an Op-Ed at True/Slant that I think everyone must read. She managed to explain with such clarity why I'm having issues with the judging system. You can read her blog post her...
Comment - Like

Aaron H. posted an article on Axels, Loops, and Spins - Nov 3, 2009, 7:58 am
All of my Japanese blog readers will have to let me know if I got the title (Figure Skaters...Welcome to Japan) correct. Of course that means the Grand Prix makes it's first of two stops in Japan...
Comment - Like

Aaron H. posted an article on Axels, Loops, and Spins - Nov 2, 2009, 3:55 pm
I just got an interesting e-mail. The main question basically was: What all is on your blog and where can you find it? I had never considered it but unless you've really looked my blog over top ...
Comment - Like

Aaron H. posted an article on Axels, Loops, and Spins - Nov 2, 2009, 7:18 am
First, blood. There was a lot of hand slicing in Beijing. The funny part is I never saw how it happened. I kept going..."Oh, where did they cut their hand?" I always wonder if there is some specia...
Comment - Like

Aaron H. posted an article on Axels, Loops, and Spins - Oct 31, 2009, 7:44 am
Diane Szmiett (Canada) - Lovely subdued performance. Beatrisa Liang (USA) - I love the second half of this program. She had good fight here. Despite her difficulties, she looks a bit more put toget...
Comment - Like

Aaron H. posted an article on Axels, Loops, and Spins - Oct 31, 2009, 7:29 am
Have a safe and wonderful Halloween!
Comment - Like

Aaron H. posted an article on Axels, Loops, and Spins - Oct 30, 2009, 7:39 pm
Yan Liu (China) - Beautiful jumps. Shame her skating lacks real depth, attack, or excitement. If she had those things she would be a real contender. Solid performance though. Diane Szmiett (Canada...
Comment - Like

Aaron H. posted an article on Axels, Loops, and Spins - Oct 29, 2009, 10:37 am
I've been grappling with this for a couple of weeks. 210.03, the record breaking score Kim Yu-Na achieved at Trophy Eric Bompard...am I crazy for thinking that was high? First I took a Quick Pol...
Comment - Like

Aaron H. posted an article on Axels, Loops, and Spins - Oct 28, 2009, 1:53 am
It's go time. The SAMSUNG Anycall Cup of China will be the season debut for the reigning World Champion, Evan Lysacek. Besides having the pressure of being the one everyone is after, he also has...
Comment - Like

Aaron H. posted an article on Axels, Loops, and Spins - Oct 27, 2009, 9:13 pm
Competition kicks off this weekend with the third stop in the Grand Prix, SAMSUNG Anycall Cup of China in Beijing. There are four ice dance teams I have my eye on. Of course, one of those is America...
Comment - Like

Aaron H. posted an article on Axels, Loops, and Spins - Oct 26, 2009, 1:35 pm
Rostelecom Cup surprised me a bit. There were many unexpected moments. Surprise #1: Pang and Tong. I thought their free skate was awesome. Maybe I’m a sucker for Man of La Mancha but I just love...
Comment - Like

Aaron H. posted an article on Axels, Loops, and Spins - Oct 24, 2009, 2:36 pm
*Over West Side Story as a choice of music. It MUST be retired. Chose another Bernstein classic. On The Waterfront, Candide, Olympic Hymn. Brodeur and Mattatal (Canada) - A pleasant surprise. Myl...
Comment - Like

Aaron H. posted an article on Axels, Loops, and Spins - Oct 24, 2009, 10:49 am
Amelie Lacoste (Canada) - If I hear this music one more time for skating... Jenna McCorkell (Great Britain) - Ouchie on the lutz. I like this music. What's it called...Totentanz? Who cares if ...
Comment - Like

Aaron H. posted an article on Axels, Loops, and Spins - Oct 24, 2009, 1:51 am
Ice Network not posting the ladies and dance shorts in a timely manner...not cool. Avoiding spoilers is becoming increasingly difficult.
Comment - Like

Aaron H. posted an article on Axels, Loops, and Spins - Oct 23, 2009, 5:13 pm
Davis and White (USA) - Strong Compulsories...really strong! Close to Virtue and Moir's TEB score. Bazarova and Larionov (Russia) - Their pairs basics are lovely. Della Monica and Kocon (Italy)...
Comment - Like