Grand Prix Assignments

The announcement is up at the ISU website. Tessa and Scott got Skate Canada and NHK just like last year.

I REAAALLLY need to go to Skate Canada now! Between Tessa & Scott, Meryl & Charlie, & Kim & Brent I love the dance field. Then Rochette, Czisny, Buttle, Chan, possibly Fedor, Evan, Dube & Davison... I'm jealous of you guys who are going.

But looking at the initial rosters I think they should be able to do quite well. It's going to be an interesting GP season with B/A being seeded in the 4-6 group and D/S being unseeded. The dance events at Skate America, Cup of China, and Cup of Russia are going to be great (especially the last 2) and probably important in determining the GPF teams. I'm a little bummed with Meryl & Charlie's draw. I haven't done the math, but they've certainly got their work cut out for them. Same with the Russians, though I doubt K/N will overtake D/S.

Does it seem like Tessa and Scott have draws that they'll probably easily win? I would have liked to have them up against their main competitors right away, so they'd know how the judges are comparing them / what needs tweaking (if anything), etc. I'm talking mostly about the 2 Russian teams and Belgosto.

Also kind of surprised they have NHK again. Did any of you foresee this?

About Tanith and Ben, I can't wait to see what the coaching change has wrought.

OlieRow wrote:

I REAAALLLY need to go to Skate Canada now! Between Tessa & Scott, Meryl & Charlie, & Kim & Brent I love the dance field. Then Rochette, Czisny, Buttle, Chan, possibly Fedor, Evan, Dube & Davison... I'm jealous of you guys who are going.

Is there no way you'd be able to go?

lilybird wrote:

Does it seem like Tessa and Scott have draws that they'll probably easily win?

Also kind of surprised they have NHK again. Did any of you foresee this?

It does seem like they'd win easily at their events and end up becoming the top seed for the final. It would have been interesting to see them compete against the reinvented Tanith and Ben on the circuit. I did figure they'd end up with NHK as their other event though. TEB and Cup of Russia were most likely out because they can't be at the same events as Delobel and Schoenfelder and K/N. Skate America and Cup of China are right before and right after SC and I figured that they wouldn't give skaters (especially seeded ones) back to back events. Somehow, several skaters/teams (including seeded ones) ended up with back to back events anyway. I feel for Jeff who has to fly all the way to China from Canada.

I too wish that V/M would compete against B/A or DomShabs during the GPs. Although the rules do not allow them to compete against DelShoes and K/N, there are currently four or five real contenders challenging for the top spot in the World, and it seems that V/M won't compete against any of them before the GPF.

swandie wrote:

OlieRow wrote:

I REAAALLLY need to go to Skate Canada now! Between Tessa & Scott, Meryl & Charlie, & Kim & Brent I love the dance field. Then Rochette, Czisny, Buttle, Chan, possibly Fedor, Evan, Dube & Davison... I'm jealous of you guys who are going.

Is there no way you'd be able to go?

Well...... I'll definitely look into it but I'd have to miss classes and I'm not sure when I'll know if it'd conflict with any tests. Not to mention I'm a broke med student living on student loans. Getting to Ottawa + tickets + hotel = $$$

lilybird wrote:

Does it seem like Tessa and Scott have draws that they'll probably easily win? I would have liked to have them up against their main competitors right away, so they'd know how the judges are comparing them / what needs tweaking (if anything), etc. t.

Tessa and Scott have the best draw for them, but not very best for there fans from Europe. As for "main competitors" - they, maybe, will meet them in GPF, when they could show there best skating (better, then in the seasom begining)
Its sad for me, because in never could see them life Very good teams will skate in Moscow, but i want see Tessa and Scott

cleoc wrote:

Its sad for me, because in never could see them life Very good teams will skate in Moscow, but i want see Tessa and Scott

Aww...maybe next season for you. Worlds will be in Torino...I don't know how far it is from where you are but I hope you get a chance to see them live sometime.

OlieRow wrote:

Well...... I'll definitely look into it but I'd have to miss classes and I'm not sure when I'll know if it'd conflict with any tests. Not to mention I'm a broke med student living on student loans. Getting to Ottawa + tickets + hotel = $$$

Being a student can suck sometimes. I got lucky with my fall class schedule (Fridays off) and I saved most of the money I made on co-op.

If you are somehow able to go, I suggest booking your flight and hotel together on a site like Travelocity (it costs less that way). Also, hotels in the downtown area of Ottawa seem to be less expensive than ones close to the arena. I hope you'll be able to make it!

Well, I suggested my mom take me for my birthday. She laughed. The Travelocity advice looks like it might be good. Thanks! Do you know what the schedule is? I figure the gala will be Sunday afternoon, but I'm not sure what time it is to look at flights out. I'm worried I'd end up having to miss the gala or fly out on Monday.

I wish i could go as well, its just not worth the money right now being a starving student..haha.
It does seem like Tessa and Scott are way above the field at both their events, but i guess thats what happens when your World Silver medalists. The only other event i would have wanted them at is COR or TEB.

I also would have liked to see Kailtyn and Andrew at Skate Canada, but hey not everyone can go everywhere.

OlieRow wrote:

Well, I suggested my mom take me for my birthday. She laughed. Thanks! Do you know what the schedule is? I figure the gala will be Sunday afternoon, but I'm not sure what time it is to look at flights out.

That would be a great gift!

So far, only a "proposed schedule" with the event orders is out. Someone who went last year told me that a schedule with all the times came out in August (which sucks for planning purposes). Skate America has theirs out already! I don't know if this is a safe assumption but it seems that in the past, Skate Canada had their gala in the early afternoon. Last year it was at 3:30 and lasted a little more than an hour and a half so it would seem a flight leaving at around 7 or 8 would be safe.

I hope that helps you a little...

ETA: I sent an inquiry through the event's email address about the schedule. I'll let you know what I find out.

I live in the middle of nowhere as far as skating events go so I'm always waiting with Great anticipation on any pictures /reviews / youtube.

To all of you who get to go (and I'm So jealous! ) don't forget to tell us all about it.

Every year I wonder what the TV execs will do and whether we'll get any decent TV coverage. Does anyone know what the GP TV plans are for this year? Are there Any plans for the GP to be on TV?

So far, NBC is only doing Skate America. I have no idea how long it will be. I just hope it's not the measly coverage with no mention of dance or pairs whatsoever that we got last year. IceNetwork had excellent video coverage of SA (and you didn't need a subscription for the on demand) so hopefully they'll do something like that this season as well as pick up the others and the final.

swandie wrote:

So far, NBC is only doing Skate America. I have no idea how long it will be. I just hope it's not the measly coverage with no mention of dance or pairs whatsoever that we got last year. IceNetwork had excellent video coverage of SA (and you didn't need a subscription for the on demand) so hopefully they'll do something like that this season as well as pick up the others and the final.

I didn't realize any competition could be seen on icenetwork without a subscription. I guess I've got to check it out again.

Oh, I remember NBC's Skate America last year. It was awful! I was so ticked off. They didn't even cover the US national dance champions, which you'd think would have been big news since this was the US's GP event. Idiots.

They only did Skate America and Junior Worlds that way. The rest required a subscription.

I hope GP TV coverage will be good in Canada. I can't see them NOT airing SC, and not airing it well, and I do hope its on at a decent time of day! I mean I'll be taping it anyway, but it's nice to be able to watch it while taping it. I'm interested to see how the TV stations in Canada will redeem themselves this coming skating season, considering how bad the coverage was last year and how awesome we did internationally. My computer isn't able to play live streaming vids from the net (it even has issues with youtube!) so TV is my only option unfortunately.

I have no idea how the GP circuit even works, how people are assigned to which event, but I do know that SC is a GREAT line up (I'm not going, but I have a bunch of friends that are, and I'm going to the big ISU events later in the new year) and I can't wait for the whole season to start. It's going to be so interesting to watch. I want to see Tessa & Scott up against Tanith & Ben (I adore both teams, and I think, at least in North America, they are each others biggest competition) at more than just Worlds.

Bring on the new season!!

skatingfan1982 wrote:

I have no idea how the GP circuit even works, how people are assigned to which event, but I do know that SC is a GREAT line up (I'm not going, but I have a bunch of friends that are, and I'm going to the big ISU events later in the new year) and I can't wait for the whole season to start.

On the GP Circuit, each country decides which skaters they want to assign to each event. Skate Canada would decide for the Canadians, etc. In Canada, we have a High Performance Director (Michael Slipchuk) and he the one that watches for up and coming skaters so they can decide who is skating in JGP, GP and international events for the country.