Ten of My Favorite...Okay Seven of My Favorite...Olympic Figure Skating Performances

A few days ago I started to have some random thoughts about the best figure skating performances from the Olympics.  'Best' is often a matter of opinion, though some performances seem to transcend mere 'opinion'.  Then I started to think about 'favorite' as opposed to 'best', as in what I like personally.  I decided I would come up with ten, and I quickly started a list.  I easily came up with seven and then slowed down a little at that point; therefore I decided to post seven of my 'favorites' and then give out a few honorable mentions.

I love figure skating, and I have been a fan of the sport for a number of years.  There are a number of skaters I like, some I love, and there have been a number of wonderful performances over the years, some of them quite unexpected.  Some skaters may have given an overall good performance but not had that one great performance that sticks in the fan's mind even a number of years later.  Some skaters may have won a medal, even a gold, but not given anything even close to their best performance while doing it.  For example, Scott Hamilton has been more than candid over the years since his 1984 Olympic Gold Medal in Sarajevo about the fact he had not given his best performance in the long program (video). 

Other skaters, such as Canadian pair Christine Hough and Doug Ladret, though they finished only ninth overall, gave a performance in the short program (video) at the 1992 Olympics in Albertville, France that caught the imagination of the audience and helped to earn the pair a contract with 'Stars On Ice'. 

Though there are more performances I could name, honorable mentions also go to:

1) 1988 Calgary Olympic pairs bronze medalists Americans Jill Watson and Peter Oppegard (Oppegard was Brian Boitano's roommate in Calgary, is married to Michelle Kwan's older sister Karen, and recently signed on to coach 2010 Vancouver Olympic gold medalist Yu Na Kim) for their long program (video)

2) 1988 pairs gold medalists Ekaterina Gordeeva and Sergei Grinkov for their long program (video)

3) Finland's Susanna Rahkamo and Petri Kokko with their free dance (video) from the 1994 Lillehammer Olympics (Susanna and Petri were such true originals every program they skated was memorable)

4) Philippe Candeloro for his 'D'Artagnan' long program (video) from the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan (Candeloro won his second consecutive bronze medal in Nagano; witness the wonderful footwork/fencing sequence)

Here are seven of my favorites in no particular order (a link attached to the name of the program is a second source for the video):

Brian Boitano 1988 Calgary Olympic Long Program to 'Napoleon and Josephine' posted by 3Axel1996

Even though over twenty three years have passed since this performance it is STILL my all time favorite, hands down!  Even Johnny Weir's stunningly beautiful performance in Vancouver could not eclipse Brian Boitano's gold medal winning free skate for me.  Boitano did what so few skaters have been able to do; he gave the performance of a lifetime on the night he needed it the most and won the gold medal in the best way possible.  There have been some who have claimed over the years he only won due to Sandra Bezic's choreography; however that simply is not true.  It does not matter who your coach or choreographer is, if you do not have it in you to give the performance you are truly capable of giving then you never will give it no matter who is helping you prepare.

Marina Klimova and Sergei Ponomarenko 1992 Olympic Free Dance 'A Man and A Woman' posted by tomolszt

Klimova and Ponomarenko are the only skaters with a full set of medals at the Olympics. The pair won a bronze in 1984, a silver in 1988 and became Olympic champions in 1992 At Albertville, France.  Due to the politics of how ice dancing used to be judged they knew going in they would almost certainly win the gold medal.  However they did not rest on their laurels and performed a beautiful and breathtaking free dance that left little doubt they deserved the gold medal.

Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean 1984 Olympic Free Dance 'Bolero' posted by tigrelis

To many fans it almost seems like Torvill and Dean practically invented ice dancing. Of course that is not the case, however when you watch this gold medal winning piece of perfection you understand why and how they were able to help popularize dance so much with so many people.

Nancy Kerrigan 1994 Olympic long program posted by TripleAxel1991

I know some people don't care for Nancy and don't think she deserved the gold in Lillehammer. I, however, disagree.  Nancy won the silver but I believe she deserved the gold. She skated beautifully in Norway and no one can ever take that away from her.

Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto 2006 Olympic Free Dance from Torino, Italy posted by SergR75

When Tanith and Ben skated out on to the ice in Torino the arena was basically dead with the audience lacking energy.  There had been an accident with one dance pair and the eventual gold medalists had skated a lackluster free dance that included mistakes.  Tanith and Ben skated a clean, energetic and beautifully choreographed program that won them a silver medal, though I believe they should have won the gold.  As a commentator later said regarding Tanith and Ben's performance, "They brought the energy back into the building."

Johnny Weir 2010 Olympic Free Skate from Vancouver, British Columbia
'Fallen Angel' video link Source One posted by jejel

'Fallen Angel' video link Source Two posted by tarrelond

I don't think I even have to comment on why this program is included amongst my favorites other than it is here.  Enough said. The fact Weir did not win a medal is, well, it is just plain WRONG!

Philippe Candeloro 1994 Long Program 'The Godfather' from Lillehammer, Norway posted by sk8rtr

Few skaters ever had more fun out on the ice than Candeloro did.  This program was not flawless, but it was clever and well choreographed and it earned Candeloro his first of two consecutive Olympic bronze medals. 

So what do you all think of my choices?  Please feel free to comment below!

'All That Skate Odyssey', Part Three

Once again, I apologize if I spell a person's name wrong, attribute something said or done to the wrong person, place someone in the wrong hotel, forget someones name or forget someone altogether!  I didn't take notes, lol, other than the frantic list of names I tried to send to myself on my cell phone so I wouldn't forget who was at our post show dinner (which my mother later deleted by mistake)!  Yes, I know, I'm bad!

Author's Note: I can sometimes be very link happy, so if you see a link in this Blog, it will either take you to a web page or video link related to whatever is highlighted in the link.  For example, a link attached to a skater's name will either take you to their Twitter page, their official website, or some website in some way related to them.  In addition, I searched out videos for every number done in the show, and in all but a couple of cases I succeeded.

Slideshow: Johnny Weir at All That Skate LA

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All That Skate Odyssey, Part Three

Once we left the Staples Center we headed back for the hotel.  Most of our group went up to Judith's room to talk and get ready for the actual show later that evening.  Because Judith's hotel, the Ritz-Carlton, began with the twenty-second floor and not in the lobby, she could only access the elevator to her floor with her room key.  I think I remember it taking us two elevators to get everyone upstairs since there were quite a few of us.  Judith had booked a junior suite; however, when she arrived the front desk told her they had upgraded her to an executive suite.  She had a hallway, a bedroom with a large bathroom, a walk in closet and dressing area, a second bathroom, a dining room with a table that sat six, and a mini bar.  In addition there was a living room with a desk, sofa, coffee table and chairs, not to mention a wonderful view of the Staples Center and the entire area.

Judith also had three television sets, one in the living room, one in the bedroom and the third one in the bathroom.  She told us she had found the remote control in the bathroom and did not know what it was for.  Once she played around with it she discovered the third television embedded in the bathroom mirror.  To someone like Judith who rarely even watches television it was rather amusing to have three televisions sets in her hotel suite.  Needless to say, Judith invited all of us into some very nice surroundings.

Unfortunately I do not remember every detail of what happened in between the dress rehearsal and the show; however I do remember some of it.  A few people came late and Judith had to send Michael with her key a couple of times to bring people up to her room (she indicated she did not know when she originally made her reservation about the limited access to the floors the Ritz was on).  I am not sure what the largest number of visitors she had in her room at any one time was; it was certainly more than a dozen people.

Someone ordered a late lunch snack from room service, I am not positive who, though I think it was Lauri.  There was some fruit, cheese and other items; and someone also set out some sweets they had brought.  I looked at Gary at one point and said, "We haven't really had a chance to talk yet."  So we hugged each other  and talked a little bit.  Aside from having the chance to watch Johnny Weir skate, this was another illustration of what is so great about being able to attend an event like this one.  You are able to meet in person and get to know personally those you have so far only met online or talked to over the phone.  Some of the people I met at 'All That Skate L.A.' had met each other before; however prior to this event I had only met them online.

I found out, for example, that Paula had never flown in a plane before; but had boarded her first flight to come out to Los Angeles to meet some of her fellow fans and to see Johnny skate.  She told me later she almost felt like she was meeting celebrities when she met some of her fellow citizens of Weirlandia in Los Angeles.  I also discovered what a diverse group of fans Johnny Weir attracts.  In Judith's room that day we had men and women ranging in age from twenty-two to in their sixties.  Our online community displays an even wider age ranger, everyone from teenagers to at least one person I know of in their eighties, and every age group in between.  And Johnny Weir has brought us all together!  I have discovered that, aside from the (thankfully) few 'fans' who can not resist being obnoxious and rude to other fans, and obsessive toward Johnny, we Johnny Weir fans are a giving, carrying, and thoughtful group of people.  It is a community of fans I am proud, happy and privileged to be a part of!  Okay, I went off track a little!  Back to my ridiculously overdue review...

We were all having a great time introducing ourselves, talking and discussing the latest happenings in Weirlandia, and Paula started asking us if she could take pictures of us.  I take terrible pictures, but of course I said yes.  I didn't even break her camera, ha!  We continued talking, making signs (some of them with pink neon so they could be seen better by Johnny and on television), others made by Gary from photographs of Johnny, and there were also seventy five of them sent by Debora, who could not come to the show, via Federal Express.  We wanted NBC and fans of other skaters to know Johnny Weir fans were there, and we wanted Johnny to know as well.    

Another funny thing happened...  Deborah had spilled something on her jacket earlier in the day and the hotel was having it cleaned.  Down in the lobby after the rehearsal a few of us had spoken for a few minutes to a hotel employee whose name I wish I could remember.  (This is why I should take notes, ha!)  He was very nice and curious as to what we were all up to and why we were there.  We explained there was a skating show over at the Staples Center, and that we were a group of fans of Johnny Weir getting together to have a good time and watch Johnny skate.  This same gentleman happened to be the one who brought Deborah's clean jacket up to Judith's room; so naturally we talked to him a little more.  I told the others, "We really need to take him with us to the show."  Judith and Deborah agreed it would have been a great idea, and I really think the employee would have been happy to go with us if he could have.

After a while some of us who needed to change and/or freshen up decided we better get going.  Those who had checked into their own rooms already or were close by started leaving to get ready for the show that evening.  Ila told me she was going to get ready in her own room and would then bring my bags over so I could get ready in Judith's room.  I thanked her and just waited, talking to people while others took Judith up on her offer to let them freshen up in her room.  Deborah had her bags in Judith's room because the plan was for us to check into our room at the Luxe City Center Hotel after the show.  Gary emerged from the second bathroom wearing slim silver jeans, cool boots and a tee shirt with Johnny's image on it he had designed himself.  When we looked at him he asked us if we thought his outfit was 'too much', and we all said 'No!' emphatically.  (I later told Gary on Facebook he 'looked like a rock star', which led to some teasing from other fans.  Poor Gary!)

Once Ila brought my bags back to Judith's room I commandeered the second bathroom and did what I had done at the bus station earlier in the day; only in much nicer surroundings!  I washed up, fixed my hair and my makeup, changed my clothes and pulled out my trusty travel-size bottle of Listerine.  We had loosely decided prior to the show to wear some manifestation of pink and black in Johnny's honor; and though I was actually wearing blue denim jeans, I also had a pink top I had just purchased because I really had nothing pink that was suitable.  Once I had the top on I decided it looked more red than pink, but it was actually a dark shade of pink.

Once we were all dressed and ready to go we decided to head over to the Staples Center.  The crowd going into the arena was much larger for the actual show than it had been for the dress rehearsal, several thousand people versus a few hundred.  The biggest difference was that this time we all knew for certain we had reserved seating.  Once again I had placed my small video camera in my purse and simply handed the purse, along with my cell phone to the security personnel at the door.  This time I had taken my large key ring out of my purse and left it in my suitcase back at the hotel.  The security guard looked in my purse once again, but either did not see or did not care about my video camera.  In it's little velvet bag it could easily be mistaken for something else unless you really look, and no one looked.  Not that any of the video I shot was spectacular, but it is mine at least!

We were also given light sticks to wave during the show.  Not the plastic kind that you crack and glow in the dark, but ones with streamers, a plastic bottom, a switch and a clear stop with a flickering light. 

Since we were not all in the same section we separated once inside the arena.  Judith, Michael and I were in the same section but different rows.  I was close to the ice in Row Nine, but they were even closer in the Front Row!  It turned out I went down the wrong aisle because my seat was toward a different end of the row than theirs was.  So I went back up the aisle and over to the next door for my section.  By the time I figured this out the show was starting and the usher would not let me go down while the skaters were skating, which is actually as it should be, even though it's frustrating at the same time.  After a moment my usher noticed another usher in the same section was letting people go down; so he let me go.  I heard him say to the other usher, "I thought we weren't supposed to let people go down while the skaters were skating?"  Luckily, once I found my row I only had to climb over one person.  The biggest reason I had not gone to my seat from the other end of the row was because I would have had to climb over too many people.      

I had noticed during the dress rehearsal, and noticed it again at the actual show, there was a large population of Korean-Americans at the show.  The person I had had to climb over was Korean, as were the people behind me.  Of the group of three people directly behind me, one was a young man who apparently did not have a great deal of direct knowledge of figure skating. He, like many of the Korean Americans at the show, had come to see YuNa Kim. However, I can tell you in advance, based on his reactions he was a Johnny Weir fan when he left the Staples Center that evening!

During the dress rehearsal, although it was not filmed, there had been cameras in place to tape the Saturday evening show for a October 10, 2010 broadcast on NBC.  In addition the show was being filmed for a live feed on Korean television, which some American fans somehow managed to find a way to watch online.   

The show began as the dress rehearsal had, with a group number to 'Get the Party Started' by Pink.  We were first treated to a video on a large screen at the far end of the rink with YuNa Kim and Michelle Kwan talking about their skating inspirations and then the number began.  All the cast members except for Michelle and YuNa came out in pastel colored pants and white shirts with rainbow streaks on them and then the two ladies skated out.  After performing a few group moves in unison the two dance teams skated across the ice together, followed by the two pairs, then the three male singles skaters (Johnny Weir, Stephane Lambiel, Patrick Chan), and then the three ladies (Michelle Kwan, YuNa Kim, Ashley Wagner).  The group finished with a group pose in the middle of the ice.  Each of the skaters was introduced individually and skated out on to the middle of the ice. 

While each pair or individual skater performed their numbers images played on the large video screen at the end of the ice where the skaters came out.  Each number was introduced with photos of the skater(s) up on the screen. 

Immediately after the introductory number Ashley Wagner skated out on the ice for her first individual number to 'Ain't No Other Man' by Christina Aguilera.  Unfortunately for poor Ashley, neither of her numbers made the NBC broadcast on October 10th, so in order to have seen her skate you had to have been there, seen one of the fan videos posted at YouTube and elsewhere, or watched the live feed to Korea. 

Ashley was followed by German pairs team and 2010 Olympic Bronze Medalists Aliona Savchenko and Robin Szolkowy skating to 'Barbie Girl' by Aqua.  This number was a little more interesting than it had been at the dress rehearsal with all the planned moves added back into it; however I still didn't find it particularly compelling.  It's cute, Aliona and Robin are basically playing on ice versions of Barbie and Ken, but to my eyes the best thing about it is the death spiral in which Robin waves to the audience with one hand while maneuvering Aliona in the spiral with the other.

As during the rehearsal when Johnny Weir had skated in the opening number he had already been wearing the makeup he uses for his first number, and those of us who had been at the dress rehearsal understood why.  As stated previously it takes time to apply makeup properly, and Johnny's first number was ten minutes tops after the opening number ended; therefore he almost had to already have the makeup on.  The music for his first number is 'A Comme Amour' by Richard Clayderman, but it is known as 'Heartbroken' to his fans due to his choreographing it as a response to what happened to him at the Vancouver Olympics.  This was my first time seeing this number live, and I found it to be just as powerful and emotional as everyone who has seen it previously has said.  The ending pose of Johnny in a fetal position down on the ice is striking, as is the plainness of the costume he wears for this number.  He received an enthusiastic standing ovation from me and a number of other audience members.  I have said numerous times that, as much fun as the Lady Gaga numbers are, I want fans, especially American fans, to see Johnny skate numbers like this one.  I think it is wonderful 'Poker Face' and 'Bad Romance' have brought more fans to Johnny, but I also believe it is important for fans to realize there is much more to Johnny Weir than those fun, dancy numbers.  Unfortunately 'Heartbroken' did not make the TV broadcast of the show; however he also performed it in 'Skate For the Heart', which will be broadcast on January 16, 2011.  Hopefully it will make that broadcast, but we do have the consolation of his beautiful performance of 'Ave Maria' being seen on television from another show!         

Johnny was followed on the ice by his good friends Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto skating a fun number to 'If It Kills Me' by Jason Mraz.  It really is such a fun number, going through costume changes from school kids to older kids to grown up romantic dancing!  And throughout the entire number they had such beautiful smiles on their faces!  I just love their lifts, their moves, and their enthusiasm for every single thing they do! 

Tanith and Ben were followed by Patrick Chan, who skated to  'Take Five' by Paul Desmond.  When this show was first publicized Brian Joubert was listed as one of the skaters; however Patrick Chan was a late replacement for him.  Despite some comments he has made, and some favoritism shown to him by the judges at the Olympics and since, I have nothing in particular against Patrick Chan.  However, despite the fact he made no mistakes in this number, his skating simply does nothing for me.        

He was followed by 2010 Olympic Ice Dance Champions Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir who skated to 'Schenkst Du Beim Tango Min Dein Herz' by Dajos Bela & Nights and Days by Waldemar Kazanecki. 

They were followed by the wonderful 2010 Olympic Champion Chinese pair Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo who skated to 'Who Wants To Live Forever' by Queen.  One thing I noticed in competitions and shows I had been to a number of years ago is that if you watch a skater or a pair carefully you can usually tell when a big move is coming even if you have never seen the skater perform before.  The skater will usually pick up a great deal of speed which is a certain indicator a big move is coming.  Sitting in the ninth row I was close enough to notice this with Shen and Zhao; they would pick up a great deal of speed and that would indicate a big throw move or a spectacular lift was coming.  They are a beautiful pair, wonderfully in sync and they seldom make a mistake. 

Immediately following Shen and Zhao came 2010 Ladies Olympic Champion YuNa Kim.  She skated to 'Méditation' from Thaïs by Jules Massenet.  This is a beautiful piece of music that I've seen skaters use a number of times, and YuNa Kim makes very good use of it.  I don't think YuNa Kim is perfect, and she can still improve, but she is definitely a lovely skater with many wonderful qualities. 

She was followed by two-time Olympic Medalist Michelle Kwan who skated to 'No One' by Alicia Keys.  I have always been a fan of Michelle's, and this number was a good one for her. 

Michelle was followed by 2006 Olympic Champion Stephane Lambiel, who skated to 'Let the Good Times Roll' by Ray Charles.  As seems to be the case with most of the Swiss born skaters, Lambiel's spins are wonderful, and his two programs in this show were no exception.  Since only one number from the skaters made the NBC broadcast, as a fan I would much rather have seen his second number on television; however given the ladies group number immediately followed this number it almost had to be the one shown on the broadcast.

As Stephane finished his number Ashley, Aliona, Tanith, Tessa, and Shen Xue came out on to the ice and skated briefly with him.  The girls pulled his jacket off and threw it on to the ice, and then Stephane skated off and YuNa Kim and Michelle skated out.  All of the ladies skated together briefly to 'She's So Lovely' by Scouting For Girls; and then YuNa and Michelle spoke to the audience before skating a lovely number to 'Hero' by Mariah Carey.  Considering YuNa Kim considers Michelle to be one of her 'heroes' and a skating inspiration for her, for these two ladies to skate together to this song seemed quite appropriate.

The duet by YuNa Kim and Michelle Kwan ended the first half of the show; and this time when the announcer informed the audience there would be a twenty minute break while the Zamboni resurfaced the ice I knew there actually would be.  I tried to get out of my row as quickly as possible.  One of the advantages to being in a lower row is that you are closer to the ice for the show; however the biggest disadvantage is it takes longer to get out during an intermission.  Since I had been at the dress rehearsal and had a program (which I had left in my suitcase in Judith's hotel room), I knew what was coming right after the break, and I did not want to miss 'Skaters vs BBoys'.  I went to the ladies room first and then got into a line at McDonald's.  I knew there were some kind of plans for a late dinner after the show, but I did not know exactly what those plans were, and I was hungry because I had not really had anything to eat since around six am that morning. 

I could see a Big Mac was $4 and a drink and french fries were $5.75.  Now somehow my brain ceased to function temporarily and I was thinking they meant $5.75 for all three items.  (At an arena?  Sure Gail, like that's going to happen!)  So when the counter girl told me my total was around $10 ($9.75 plus tax), I was momentarily taken aback.  I paid her, grabbed my drink and my bag of food and rushed back to my seat.  I had two empty seats to my left, so I stashed my three signs, purse and McDonald's bag in the seat closest to me.

Naturally not everyone was as conscientious about getting back to their seats as I was.  There are always going to be some stragglers, and there was this time as well.  At a time when I would have really wanted the ushers to make people wait until the end of the number to go down to their seats, they were letting them through.  People constantly going by in the rows in front of me were blocking me and my camera's view of Johnny and his snug leather pants!  I did not realize until I watched my videos a couple days later that I was audibly telling people to sit down because I could not see!  I was not saying it very loud, however, so as far as I know no one heard me!  At least I hope they didn't...    

The second half of the show began with the number Skaters vs BBoys.  Five of the male skaters (Johnny Weir, Stephane Lambiel, Patrick Chan, Robin Szolkowy and Ben Agosto*) came out on to the ice and did a fun 'battle' with a group of five male hip hop dancers.  One of the skaters would perform a move, then one of the 'BBoys', another of the skaters and so on.  One of the hip hop dancers came out on to the ice and did a break dancing spin that drew a lot of applause from the audience.  Stephane did a wonderful set of spins for his 'challenge', and Johnny performed his trademark knee slide followed by a series of hip swiveling knee spins that unfortunately were not seen during the broadcast because the picture shifted to one of the 'BBoys', which is only fair since they were great also.  The fun battle ended with the two groups slapping hands and giving each other high fives. 

Immediately following the battle were Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto skating to 'Use Somebody' by Kings of Leon.  I really like this number a lot, but I am a fan of Tanith and Ben anyway!  This is a beautiful number with some wonderful lifts and a white scarf used as a prop of sorts.  Unfortunately for me I still had people going by a couple rows in front of me to get to their seats, so I did not see this performance as well as I wish I could have!   

Following Tanith and Ben was Ashley Wagner's second number 'Speechless' by Lady Gaga.  I remember some of us talking between the dress rehearsal and the show about how we noticed there was another Lady Gaga number in the show besides Johnny's 'Poker Face' performance.   

Following Ashley was Patrick Chan skating to 'Viva la Vida' by Coldplay and then Aliona Savchenko and Robin Szolkowy skating to 'Nella Fantasia' by Garðar Thór Cortes. 

One of the numbers I was looking forward to was the one following Aliona and Robin; Stephane Lambiel skating to 'William Tell Overture' by Gioachino Rossini.  It's always great to see his wonderful spins and his beautiful smile out on the ice, and this is a great piece of music to skate to!  That beautiful smile was fully evident during this number, even though Stephane fell on his second jump.  It was one of the few mishaps in the show, and though I've been to shows in the past that did 'reskates', there were none for this show.  It hardly mattered anyway since the rest of the number was so enjoyable to watch.

After Stephane came Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo skating their beautiful 'Turandot' program by Giacomo Puccini.  This is a beautiful and spectacular number finishing with a bit of 'Nessun Dorma'.  It is a good number to see how good this pair really is!  Not only do we get to see their spectacular technical moves, we also see their artistry and grace; and they also do a beautiful job of using a large red fan as a prop during the performance.  It reminded me of how happy I was for them they finally won their Olympic gold medal!  

Right after the Chinese pair came Johnny Weir skating his second number to 'Poker Face' by Lady GaGa.  We saw during the rehearsal he was wearing his newer costume for this number as opposed to the one he had worn when he first began to 'Poker Face'.  The announcer introduced him this way; 'He's a fashion designer, author, and has his own television show.  He is an original in every sense of the word.  Ladies and gentleman, Johnny Weir!'  Since we had been at the dress rehearsal Michael and Judith knew Johnny would be right in front of them for some of the 'hip swiveling' in this number, and of course they were both thrilled about that!  He performed only one jump in this number, and though it hardly seemed noticeable at the time, we found out soon after the show Johnny had hurt his hip in a fall during practice earlier that morning.  Johnny's mother Patti later told fans at another event her son's injury had been more serious than he had tweeted his fans about after the show, and in fact he did also tweet his fans he was taking 'PT' in his room, we just didn't realize at the time he mean 'physical therapy'.  Judith and Michael can clearly be seen during the NBC TV broadcast of this program, yay!  Though Johnny had a smile on his face the entire number and it was, as always, great fun to watch (and the young man behind me loved it, as did the girls he was with), once we realized Johnny had been hurting we started to realize he had done only the one jump.  Judith also said she felt the audience interaction Johnny is so wonderful at accomplishing wasn't quite the same as it usually is.  The interaction was still good, and in fact better than most skaters, but poor Johnny was in pain the entire time!

Right after Johnny, Michelle Kwan came out again to skate her number 'Winter Song' by Sara Bareilles with Ingrid Michaelson.  Michelle is one of those skaters, like Johnny Weir, like Brian Boitano and a few others, who never give a bad performance. 

Following Michelle were Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir skating a number to a medley of three songs: 'Hip Hip Chindchin' by Club des Belugas, 'Temptation' by Diana Krall and 'Mujer Latina' by Thalia.  They are definitely a beautiful dance team, and there is no doubt they deserved a medal in Vancouver. 

YuNa Kim followed the Canadian gold medalists skating to 'Bulletproof' by La Roux.  She was introduced as YuNa Kim 'disco girl'!  This was a good number, but I was not completely enthralled by it. 

YuNa Kim's number was the last of the individual skater's numbers.  After her skate a 'special guest' was introduced to the audience.  A young Korean female singer named 윤하 (Younha) came out to sing 'Just Can't Get Enough', originally sung by Depeche Mode.  No skaters were on the ice while she sang this number.  She spoke briefly telling us she was nervous, but she was actually quite good.  Once she finished this number the finale began.  윤하 Younha sang 'Dream On' by Aerosmith as the skaters were introduced and came out for a group number.  When 'Dream On' was finished an encore was performed to 'Tik Tok' by Ke$ha.  Johnny and Stephane skated out together and did spins during the encore, and the skaters as a group, along with show choreographer David Wilson, skated around the arena and took their final bows in several different spots.  We also got to see a hug between Johnny and YuNa Kim, and since they have always seemed to be good friends, it was nice to see that be confirmed.    

All That Skate L.A. was a really fun show to be at, and I am completely glad I was able to go (with the help of some very dear and wonderful friends)!  It was the first figure skating show I had attended in a number of years and I am glad I did not have to miss it!  It was also the first time I had seen Johnny Weir skate live, and my first opportunity to meet so many of the wonderful figure skating and Johnny Weir fans I have met online in the last several months.  Now as I made my way out of my row and section to meet up with Michael, Deborah, Gary, Lauri, Lizzy, Ila, Paula, Julie, Judith, Lisa (and her friend whose name is escaping me), Teresa and anyone else I have forgotten to name so far (so sorry!) I was looking forward to all the post skating show fun we would be having!

To be continued...

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* I was never positive Ben was the fifth male skater, but I am assuming he was.  If I find out differently I will change and update my Blog!

All That Skate Odyssey, Part One

All That Skate Odyssey, Part Two

All That Skate Odyssey Picture and Video Links

My Videos From Oct 2, 2010 Rehearsal  (You may be able to hear me talking to my friends Michael and Judith during several of these videos.)

My Videos From Oct 2, 2010 ATS L.A. Show

Official 'All That Skate' Website

Official 'All That Skate' YouTube Channel

'All That Skate L.A.' on Facebook
 
All That Skate on Twitter

Johnny and YuNa Kim hug after the finale.

Group shot after the finale.

Johnny and Stephane going out for their 'Tik Tok' spins.



All That Skate Odyssey, Part Two

Once again, I apologize if I spell a person's name wrong, attribute something said or done to the wrong person, place someone in the wrong hotel, forget someones name or forget someone altogether!  I didn't take notes, lol, other than the frantic list of names I tried to send to myself on my cell phone so I wouldn't forget who was at our post show dinner!  Yes, I know, I'm bad!

Author's Note: If you see a link in this Blog, it will either take you to a web page or video link related to whatever is contained in the link.  For example, a link attached to a skater's name will either take you to their Twitter page, their official website, or some website in some way related to them.  I can sometimes be very link happy!

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All That Skate Odyssey, Part Two

I hopped on the Number 60 bus headed west down 7th Street and asked the driver if he went to Figueroa Street, and the answer was yes. I know the employee at Greyhound had already told me what bus to take, however I just wanted to make sure.  I paid my $1.50 and found myself a seat.  There was a woman in a wheelchair trying to get on the bus, and the driver could not get the poor woman on!  He tried repeatedly to get her on, but his lift was just not working properly.  She finally had to wait for the next bus, and we departed.  The bus we were on was quite beat up looking, and I would guess several years old, which may have something to do with why the driver had trouble with his wheelchair lift. 

Los Angeles is my hometown, and ordinarily I would have been looking at everything and everyone we passed like a tourist; however in this case I was more interested in making sure I did not go past my stop.  Therefore I peered intently at every street sign we passed or approached.  A few minutes after I got on the bus my cell phone rang. I looked at the Caller I.D. and did not recognize the number, but I answered it anyway. It was Michael, and he told me he was with Judith (or was it Deborah?  EEK!) and asked me where I was.  I was excited to talk to him, because I had only ever talked to him online previously.  It was really wonderful to finally put a live voice, and later a face; to the person I had only spoken to online previously!  I think that is the best thing about the first time you meet a pen pal or an online friend in person, putting a voice and face to the person you've been talking to or writing to.  I indicated to Michael I was on my way on the bus and that it should not be too much longer until I arrived. 

As we approached Figueroa I signaled I needed to get off, and got off the bus just before the driver turned right.  I had more or less forgotten what the man back at Greyhound had told me about the driver turning right and how I was supposed to go left, so I crossed Figueroa and started heading straight or west, when I should have been heading south or left.  After walking a couple of blocks I started thinking I must be doing something wrong, and trying to figure out who I could call to help me figure it out.  I called two people I had exchanged cell phone numbers with and could not reach either of them.  I left a voicemail with one (can't remember who, sorry!  Ila maybe?), and sent a text to the other, which happened to be Deborah.  I called Michael back and asked him the address of the hotel.  He wasn't sure, so he tried to find I believe Julie or someone else who lived in the area and might have a better idea of how to tell me to get where I needed to be.  He finally put a hotel employee on the line, who helped me to figure out what I had done wrong and turned me in the correct direction.
 
I have to say, the difference between the part of town near the Staples Center and where the Greyhound bus depot is located only three miles away is like night and day.  As you turn down 7th Street and head east toward Greyhound and away from the revitalized area around L.A. Live and the Staples Center, the neighborhood gets less and less 'revitalized'.  By the time you reach the Greyhound station let's just say you don't appear to be in the best area of town, lol! 

Anyway, I made my way back to 7th Street and headed south toward the J.W. Marriott where my friends were waiting in the lobby to meet up with other Johnny Weir fans we had met on Facebook, Twitter and other places.  Several of the fans, plus the skaters were staying at the J.W. Marriott due to its proximity to the Staples Center.  Some fans, such as Deborah and Lauri and me were staying across the street at the Luxe City Center Hotel; and others like Judith were staying at the Ritz-Carlton, which is part of the same tower as the J.W. Marriott, but located on different floors with separate access.

When I walked into the lobby of the J.W. Marriott I thought I had an advantage over the others in that I knew what several of them looked like, but I didn't think they knew what I looked like.  I did not have any current photographs of myself, so the only photo anyone had seen of me was an old elementary school photo I had put up at Facebook at one time.  However, as someone later told me, I haven't changed that much, so she was able to recognize me from my old photo; so that meant she recognized me as fast as I recognized the friends I had seen pictures of.  I looked around for someone I either recognized or who looked like they were there to see Johnny.  To my left I saw several people either wearing pink, or with signs in pink and black!  I didn't want to walk up to strangers who were not connected to my group, so I looked to see if I could recognize anyone.  This is one of the points where I am probably going to mess up on a name or two, so please forgive me if and when I do!

I wandered over to the group and I honestly cannot remember if I or one of the ladies there spoke first, but within a couple of minutes we were introducing ourselves.  I remember Gary sitting on a chair and was introduced to him, as well as Lizzy and Teresa and a few other ladies.  I asked if anyone knew where Judith, Deborah and Michael were and was told Judith and Michael had gone up to Judith's room to grab something.  They thought Deborah might be outside, but were not sure.

Unfortunately things become a little bit of a blur for me.  I do have some difficulty remembering exactly who said what, and I do apologize for that!  I know that Lizzy gave me a lovely hand-made button to wear to the rehearsal, and she also showed me the beautiful Johnny themed hat she had made in person!  She also made a Lady Gaga themed hat she was able to give to Johnny at the hotel. 

Judith and Michael came down and I finally met both of them.  There were hugs all around, and then Deborah came in from outside and I met her as well.  Deborah showed me where Johnny had signed her leg above her tattoo and told me she was going to have the signature itself tattooed after she returned home.  He even told her she had gorgeous legs!      

I heard the entire story of the early lunch the group had dined on at the L.A. Market, and how Johnny had come by and met the group.  Of course I could not get there early enough for the lunch which also meant I had missed meeting Johnny early that afternoon and also in the lobby, sniffle, sniffle!

By this time it was getting close to the time we needed to head over the Staples Center for the dress rehearsal.  We got ourselves organized with signs to wave at Johnny so he knew we were there, and Ila quickly brought me upstairs and let me leave my two bags in her hotel room temporarily while we went over to the dress rehearsal.  The Staples Center is basically just across the street from the hotel, but we wanted to allow a few minutes to get over to the arena and find our seats. 

We all started walking over to the Staples Center as a group, talking and joking as we went.  I walked with Judith, Michael, Lisa, Lizzy and I am so sorry I can't remember everyone who was right there with us at this point!  As we were crossing the street, while talking to some members of our group, Judith went to step up on to the curb with her left leg, and her foot slipped off and she overextended her calf muscle.  She said she felt a tearing pain and a 'pop' and her leg started to hurt with what turned out to be a muscle strain in her left calf (Judith later said she was grateful it had not been her ankle).  She had to sit down for a while, but insisted she could make it over to the Staples Center. 

We started walking more slowly with Judith between Michael and someone else the entire way.  Lizzy and several others either stopped or came back to us and asked what was wrong or if Judith was okay.  We found ourselves talking about how fans always have a long distance to walk no matter what event they are attending or where it is held.  Based on the size of arenas or stadiums, and how much area they need to have around them, I suppose this only makes sense.  Of course stadiums and arenas also must accommodate the use of wheelchairs and provide access for them. 

I remember when I attended the first World Professional Figure Skating Championship at the then brand new MCI Arena (now known as the Verizon Center) in Washington, D.C. one of my friends also attending, a lovely woman named Miriam, used a wheelchair.  She was thrilled because wheelchair access involved taking the fans down a special elevator and through the backstage area to their rink side seats.  In her short time passing through the backstage area she was able to catch glimpses of several skaters including our hero Brian Boitano!          

Poor Judith was in pain, and we only walked as fast as she could walk, even though she insisted we could go ahead if we wanted to.  Once we arrived at the Staples Center we had to pass through security and have our bags and/or purses searched.  I had placed my RCA Small Wonder digital video camera in its small velvet bag in my purse and put my keys and cell phone in the bowl as instructed.  I was afraid I would set the scanner off with my barrette (I've done that before at the local courthouse, for example!), or that my video camera would be discovered; however neither of these things happened.  Michael, however, set off the scanner several times as did a few other fans entering the Staples Center. 

Once inside Judith asked some arena personnel if she could get some ice for her leg, and one of the security personnel sent for a customer service person to try and help us.  As it turned out no concessions or anything were open, and they were unable to provide her with any ice at that point.  (I was hungry since I hadn't eaten since six am, and was disappointed to not be able to at least grab a snack or a drink; and since our dinner had been changed to a lunch, I did not know when I would have a chance to eat.  However, I was more concerned about Judith at this point and really did not understand why the Staples Center could not find some ice for an injured patron.  They were very nice, however.)    

We proceeded slowly from the entrance doors and into the arena itself.  All of us 'Ultimate Skate Experience' VIP ticket holders were first given lanyards announcing us as VIPs, and then we turned in our tickets at a special table and were given copies of the souvenir program.  The program came with our 'Ultimate Skate Experience' ticket package along with the lanyard and the dress rehearsal, which we had been told would include a question and answer session; other fans had to purchase the programs separately, and no one other than VIP ticket holders was given the lanyards.

Our dress rehearsal tickets (issued separately from tickets for the show) had row and seat numbers printed on them so we were all under the impression there would be assigned seating. Once we arrived at the Staples Center, however, we discovered it actually was not assigned seating. All the V.I.P. ticket holders attending the dress rehearsal were directed to two sections on the lower level at the far end of the ice surface (opposite where the skaters came out) on a first come, first served basis as far as the seating went.  Had we known this we might have left the hotel sooner so we could have arrived at the arena earlier, however we decided to make do.

With Judith's leg bothering her she, Michael and I sat in the highest row of one of the sections set aside for the dress rehearsal.  We could see Lisa and Deborah waving at us from a lower row where they had saved us some seats; however we told them we were sitting in the higher row so Judith would not have to walk down any steps.  Once again Judith told Michael and me we could go ahead and sit in the lower row and she would be fine; however both of us said we were fine with sitting in the upper row with her.  A nearby usher started a conversation with Judith, and I have to say, most of the arena personnel I personally ran into were very nice people.

In an attempt to make Judith more comfortable Michael and she switched places so she could try and prop her leg up on his leg.  It was not as comfortable as Judith hoped it would be, so the two of them switched back; putting Judith on the aisle, Michael to her right, and me to Michael's right.  We looked around the arena before the rehearsal began and spotted Johnny's agent Tara Modlin as well as his mother Patti Weir in a section to the right of where the audience was sitting.  Tara was in and out of the seats several times, and we could see she was talking on her cell phone frequently throughout the afternoon. The woman is always working! 

Before the dress rehearsal began David Wilson, the show's Artistic Director and Choreographer, came out on to the ice surface and explained what would be happening during the dress rehearsal.  There would be a question and answer session with Michelle Kwan and Yu Na Kim, then the skaters would run through the opening number twice, then they would skate their individual numbers, and then the second half of the show would begin.  There would also be two run throughs of the closing number, and most of the skaters would be marking jumps, places and certain moves in their numbers and not performing all of the actual moves as they would in the show performances later that evening.  All performances would be in full costume the same as the show that evening.  The cameras filming the show for a broadcast on NBC October 10th, as well as the cameras filming the show for a live stream to Korea that evening were also in place for the rehearsal, marking their shots, but not actually filming at this point.

We knew there was to be a rinkside Question and Answer session as part of the dress rehearsal; however I, at least, was not aware it would only involve YuNa Kim and Michelle Kwan until it actually started.  Some of us were hoping for the opportunity to ask Johnny Weir or one of the other skaters a question; but this show was primarily about YuNa Kim and Michelle Kwan, and there certainly were plenty of questions we could ask those two ladies!
 
David introduced Michelle Kwan and YuNa Kim and indicated there were people in the aisles with microphones who would come over to audience members who had questions they wanted to ask the two skaters.  Several questions were asked, including one woman who asked two questions of YuNa Kim, one of which was why did she leave her coach Brian Orser.  She gracefully answered the woman's other question while not answering the question about Brian Orser.  When the question was asked I can't say the audience booed, but it was not a question the audience seemed comfortable with as a group.  I remember turning to Michael and Judith and saying I did not feel it was an appropriate question for the woman in the audience to have asked, and they both agreed with me.  Deborah was able to ask a question regarding whether the show would go on tour to other large cities; but she pretty much had to stand up on her chair and wave at the show representatives to get their attention!  I honestly do not remember what the answer was; but I believe it might have been something like 'I hope so'.

The dress rehearsal began with a group number to 'Get the Party Started' by Pink.  We were first treated to a video on a large screen at the far end of the rink with YuNa Kim and Michelle Kwan talking about their skating inspirations and then the number began.  All the cast members except for Michelle and YuNa came out in pastel colored pants and white shirts with rainbow streaks on them and then the two ladies skated out.  After performing a few group moves in unison the two dance teams skated across the ice together, followed by the two pairs, then the three male skaters, and then the three ladies.  The group finished with a group pose in the middle of the ice.  Then the announcement was made the opening number would be run again.  Once the number was run for a second time each of the skaters was introduced individually and skated out on to the ice.   

Immediately after the introductory number Ashley Wagner skated out on the ice for her first individual number to 'Ain't No Other Man' by Christina Aguilera.  I did not record her rehearsal number, and I honestly do not remember much information about it, and I do apologize for that!  She was followed by German pairs team and 2010 Olympic Bronze Medalists Aliona Savchenko and Robin Szolkowy skating to 'Barbie Girl' by Aqua. They did not perform any of their difficult moves; they just marked where they would occur later that evening. 

When Johnny Weir had skated in the opening number he had already been wearing the makeup he uses for his first number, and when he came out right after the German pair we understood why.  It takes time to apply makeup properly, and his first number was ten minutes tops after the opening number ended; therefore it made sense for him to already have the makeup on.  The music for his first number is 'A Comme Amour' by Richard Clayderman, but it is known as 'Heartbroken' to his fans due to his choreographing it as a response to what happened to him at the Vancouver Olympics.  Although he performed the beautiful balletic turns, his final scratch spin and the ending fetal position down on the ice, Johnny only marked the position of his jumps, other spins and his trademark slide across the ice.  (We found out later that evening that he had injured his hip during an earlier practice session which made his performances more difficult for him not to mention painful.)  I had never seen Johnny Weir skate live before this show, and even though it was only the dress rehearsal and he did not perform all of his moves, I still was greatly moved by this program.

Johnny was followed on the ice by his good friends Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto skating a fun number to 'If It Kills Me' by Jason Mraz.  I put my video camera down and later turned it off for a while during this number because there were two ushers nearby and I thought they were watching me and I did not want to risk having my camera confiscated.  At one point Deborah came by where we were sitting and was standing next to Judith dancing along as Gary waited for her so they could go back to their seats.  It was so much fun! 

Tanith and Ben were followed by Patrick Chan, who skated to  'Take Five' by Paul Desmond.  He was followed by 2010 Olympic Ice Dance Champions Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir who skated to 'Schenkst Du Beim Tango Min Dein Herz' by Dajos Bela & Nights and Days by Waldemar Kazanecki.  They were followed by the wonderful 2010 Olympic Champion Chinese pair Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo who skated to 'Who Wants To Live Forever' by Queen.  They were one of the few skaters that actually performed some of their moves and did not just mark the places for them.  They are a beautiful pair, wonderfully in sync and they seldom make a mistake. 

Immediately following Shen and Zhao came 2010 Ladies Olympic Champion YuNa Kim.  She skated to 'Méditation' from Thaïs by Jules Massenet.  This is a beautiful piece of music that I've seen skaters use a number of times, and YuNa Kim makes very good use of it.  I think I tweeted from the arena about a beautiful lay back spin she had done in this number.  She is not perfect, but she is a lovely skater, there's no doubt about it.

She was followed by two-time Olympic Medalist Michelle Kwan who skated to 'No One' by Alicia Keys.  I am a fan of Michelle's, but I honestly do not remember a lot about her skates from the rehearsal.  Michelle was followed by 2006 Olympic Champion Stephane Lambiel, who skated to 'Let the Good Times Roll' by Ray Charles.  As seems to be the case with most of the Swiss born skaters, Lambiel's spins are wonderful, and the dress rehearsal was no exception.  As he finished his number Ashley, Aliona, Tanith, Tessa, and Shen Xue came out on to the ice and skated briefly with Stephane.  The girls pulled his jacket off and threw it on to the ice, and then Stephane skated off and YuNa Kim and Michelle skated out.  The ladies skated together briefly to 'She's So Lovely' by Scouting For Girls; and then YuNa and Michelle spoke to the audience before skating a lovely number to 'Hero' by Mariah Carey.

The duet by YuNa Kim and Michelle Kwan ended the first half of the dress rehearsal, and the announcer indicated there would be a twenty minute intermission during which the Zamboni would resurface the ice.  A lot of people started to stand up and stretch; however the announcer then indicated there would not be a twenty minute intermission during the rehearsal, only during the show itself that evening.  There was a short break for a few minutes and then the second half of the dress rehearsal began. 

The second half of the dress rehearsal began with the number Skaters vs BBoys.  Five of the male skaters (Johnny Weir, Stephane Lambiel, Patrick Chan, Robin Szolkowy and Ben Agosto*) came out on to the ice and did a fun 'battle' with a group of five male hip hop dancers.  One of the skaters would perform a move, then one of the 'BBoy's, another of the skaters and so on.  One of the hip hop dancers came out on to the ice and did a break dancing spin that drew a lot of applause from the audience.  Stephane did a wonderful set of spins for his 'challenge', and Johnny performed his trademark knee slide followed by a series of hip swiveling knee spins.  The fun battle ended with the two groups slapping hands and giving each other high fives. 

Immediately following the battle were Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto skating to 'Use Somebody' by Kings of Leon.  I really like this number a lot, but I am a fan of theirs anyway!  Following Tanith and Ben was Ashley Wagner's second number 'Speechless' by Lady Gaga.  I remember us looking at the program and commenting there was another Lady Gaga number in the show besides Johnny's.  Following Ashley was Patrick Chan skating to 'Viva la Vida' by Coldplay and then Aliona Savchenko and Robin Szolkowy skating to 'Nella Fantasia' by Garðar Thór Cortes.  I enjoyed their second number a lot more than I enjoyed their first number.  They are definitely fun to watch!

One of the numbers I was looking forward to was the one following Aliona and Robin; Stephane Lambiel skating to 'William Tell Overture' by Gioachino Rossini.  It's always great to see his wonderful spins and his beautiful smile out on the ice!  After Stephane came Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo skating their beautiful 'Turandot' program by Giacomo Puccini.  This is a beautiful and spectacular number finishing with a bit of 'Nessun Dorma'.  I leaned over to Michael and Judith and said I couldn't help myself, but no matter who skated to that aria, and no matter how well they did it, I could not watch it without thinking of Brian Boitano skating to it. 

Right after the Chinese pair came Johnny Weir skating his second number to 'Poker Face' by Lady GaGa.  We saw right away he was wearing his newer costume for this number as opposed to the one he had worn when he first began skating this number.  The announcer introduced him this way; 'He's a fashion designer, author, and has his own television show.  He is an original in every sense of the word.  Ladies and gentleman, Johnny Weir!'  Johnny only marked most of the moves including the knee slide and jumps except for his final spin.  However Judith and Michael realized he would be a mere couple of feet in front of them while he played to the audience during the show when they were in their regular seats, so they were both quite excited about that.  When Johnny skated around our end of the rink most of us made sure we waved our signs and called out his name, again so he would know we were there for him.  At one point Michael, Judith and I were laughing at several of our friends in the lower rows and how they were reacting.  What fun!  We could see exactly what they were doing because we were above and behind them, but they could not see us without turning around to look!
 
Right after Johnny, Michelle Kwan came out again to skate her number 'Winter Song' by Sara Bareilles with Ingrid Michaelson.  Following Michelle were Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir skating a number to a medley of three songs: 'Hip Hip Chindchin' by Club des Belugas,
'Temptation' by Diana Krall and 'Mujer Latina' by Thalia.  They are definitely a beautiful dance team, and there is no doubt they deserved a medal in Vancouver.  YuNa Kim followed the Canadian gold medalists skating to 'Bulletproof' by La Roux.  She was introduced as YuNa Kim 'disco girl'!

YuNa Kim's number was the last of the individual skater's numbers.  After her skate a 'special guest' was introduced to the audience.  A young Korean female singer named 윤하 (Younha) came out to sing 'Just Can't Get Enough', originally sung by Depeche Mode.  No skaters were on the ice while she sang this number.  She spoke briefly telling us she was nervous, but she was actually quite good.  Once she finished this number the finale began.  윤하 Younha sang 'Dream On' by Aerosmith as the skaters were introduced and came out for a group number.  When 'Dream On' was finished the finale with an encore was run again.  The encore was performed to 'Tik Tok' by Ke$ha.  
 
Once the show was over Judith, Michael and I made our way out into the hall where we waited for the rest of our group.  Judith again spoke to Staples Center personnel about her leg, which was still hurting, and they arranged for an employee to bring a wheelchair.  We proceeded slowly down the wheelchair ramp and out the front door.  The employee wheeled Judith all the way out to the curb where she got out of the chair and thanked him.  After that we headed back for the hotel talking about the rehearsal and the show later that evening. 

To be continued...
 
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* I was never positive Ben was the fifth male skater, but I am assuming he was.  If I find out differently I will change and update my Blog!

All That Skate Odyssey, Part One

All That Skate Odyssey Picture and Video Links

My Videos From Oct 2, 2010 Rehearsal  (You may be able to hear me talking to my friends Michael and Judith during several of these videos.)

My Videos From Oct 2, 2010 ATS L.A. Show

All of the skaters in the show had banners hanging on columns outside the arenas.  This was Johnny's banner.