Cat's Lair 2001 Skate America Diary

Oct. 25 - 28, 2001

Cover Page

25-Oct-2001

Day 1

• Pairs Short
• Ladies Short

26-Oct-2001

Day 2

• Mens Short

27-Oct-2001

Day 3

• Pairs Free

28-Oct-2001

Ladies Free

Skate America Day One

Marshall is not having good nights here in Colorado. He doesn't wake up, he just cries in his sleep all through the night. So momma and daddy are wrecks. Morning practice sessions and updating the web site have to be sacrificed to getting as much sleep as possible, and a decent breakfast.

Pairs Short Program

Julia Obertas & Alexei Sokolov

On the side by side jumps he fell and there was something wrong with her jump I couldn't tell what. They did a nice lift with her sort of leaning sideways. They finished their program after the music stopped.

Yuko Kawaguchi & Alexander Markuntsov

She is the cutest thing. She had a big smile on her face after she successfully landed their triple throw. He fell on the side by side jumps. They did a face smashing dismount from their lift.

Jamie Sale and David Pelletier

They did a very funny tango program. Lots of fighting and slapping and haughtiness all played for laughs. In between the fantastic presentation, they nailed all the jumps. I was holding my breath when they went into the side by side triple toes, and when Jamie landed, it was great! The only problem was in the side by side spins she changed feet before he did. They still managed to be in perfect synch for the rest of the spin though. Standing O

Valerie Saurette and Jean-Sebestian Fecteau

They skated to that Elephant music that Brian Boitano skated to a couple of seasons ago. The were doing the standard 60's ago-go choreography and the women behind me said that they stole Brian's choreography, but really what else can you do with that music? They did a pair back spiral into a back inside death spiral, very cool. It looked to me like she scraped the ice with her freeleg when she landed the throw jump. The side by side jumps were fine.

Koyko Ina and John Zimmerman

They are doing a Pink Floyd program so you know I hate it. They skated very well, the ladies behind me who are crazed I and Z fans were ecstatic. I thought they have improved their unison very much. But I thought the same thing after last years Skate America, and then their unison got worse as the season progressed. Their side by side spins were much closer and had much better unison than I have seen from them. After they skated they gave each other a big hug. Partial standing O.

Natalya Ponomareva & Evgeniy Sviridov

She fell on the side by side jumps. During the pair spin he lost his grip on her and she almost fell, he managed to catch her, but not very gracefully. I have never seen anything like it. Poor kids.

Danielle Hartsell & Steve Hartsell

Steve fell on the side by side triple toes. They had the best side by side spins, with excellent speed and synch and very close together.

Laura Handy & Jonathon Hunt

I think she two footed the side by side jumps. She definitely put her hand down on the throw.

Tatiana Totmianina & Maxim Marinin

Very nice throw, good flow coming out of it. Side by side toes were excellent. He dropped his free leg in the side by side camel spin, managed to get back into synch.