Hot Mess Express

[skatejoy]

Is that a new lift I spy?? Can’t wait to hear what they skate to tonight! An early look at some of their new material for this coming season?

[skatejoy]

I’m not entirely sure who Skate Canada sold its soul to that it went from 1 viable ice dance team to 5, but this ice dance, so anything is possible. Perhaps I’m just buying into the hype, but here are my predictions for Nationals:

1. Marjorie & Jean-Luc - both have such strong ice dance skills and they seem to be gelling well. They will have at least NHK under their belts by then. I predict big things. Also, loving and enjoying what you do tends to show.

2. Marie-Jade & Romain - I think Skate Canada will have their backs and keep them second as they need to send them to Worlds strong. If they have half the off season they had last year they will start the season strong.

3. Hannah & Zak - Yes, they have been doing fun TikTok’s, but Zak has been burning bridges during the last quad, giving surly interviews and blowing CBC fluff pieces. Hannah has presence and great lift positions, but she sometimes struggles with footwork and patterns. I think this team will need the year to gel.

4. Alicia & Marko - This one feels like a risk. They looked good in their media day and I like their quality of movement together. Will her skating skills get stronger? His?

5. Layla & Alex - I’m hoping for a very strong start from them. The transition to senior is tough and there’s a lot of pressure on their shoulders.

6. Nadiia & Noe - Another risk. I really liked them last year and thought they needed time to gel. I’m also hoping the time at IAMO will have helped his skating skills.

7. Sandrine & Paul - This pairing baffles me. Their skating didn’t look that convincing in their media day. Bothe if them need work on their basic skills.

8. Amanda & Peter - If they are improving they should be making sure their social media posts reflect that. Right now every video makes it look like they paired up last week and are still working on basic stroking.

Your thoughts? What will we see in January??

[skatejoy]

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I’m excited to see this program. Such interesting music and I think it will build well for them. Now to knock sense in the French federation to see past FB/C to their real stars.

[skatejoy]

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So fun to see the new Canadian ice dance teams. Can so many former partners who seem bitter about either their previous partnerships or how the partnership fell apart work side by side every day with no friction?? However they do it, they put on a happy face today.

Watching the video clips from today and having seen most of the skaters with previous partnerships, here’s where I think things will shake out.

Bakerie/Marjorie & Jean-Luc - Both are very talented skaters and as long as their lifts and other partnering elements work, they should shoot to the top of the Canadian podium. Their video highlighted footwork and chemistry.

LiLak/LiLa/Hannah & Zak - The biggest shock is Zak looking happy. Was he really that miserable in his partnership or does he know a happier demeanour is essential to success? The twizzles in their video are impressive for being so close so soon in the partnership. While Hannah has undeniable star power, but she has weaker footwork. If she improves that they will do well, but if she doesn’t I think this team has a lower ceiling.

Sandrine & Paul - I wonder who else Paul tried out with as I was surprised that he chose Sandrine. Both of them should be working on their basic skating skills. I don’t think it was their previous partnerships were what was holding them back.

Alicia & Mario - I know little about Marko, but Alicia also needs to work on basic skating skills. I hope this partnership works better for her.

The next few months will be interesting to watch!

[skatejoy]

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I did not have Hannah convincing Zak to do silly tings for social media on my bingo card for this year. Perhaps he’s trying harder? Perhaps Hannah is a better match? Time will tell!

[skatejoy]

Strange to have Canada go from one viable senior ice dance team to so many in such a short period of time. I’m still sad Marjorie & Zak are no more, but I’m glad Hannah & Zak appear to be skating for Canada. It will be a while until we see them skate in international competition, but they intrigue me as a team.

[skatejoy]

Not a retirement announcement, but a ‘we’re taking a break to think about it’ announcement. Not at all a surprise. I was a little sad not to have their names on the GP announcements, but it’s good to see new teams on there. Layla & Alex! Marjorie & Jean-Luc!

[skatejoy]

The Grand Prix assignments have dropped (ice dance is the last slide). Shocked CPom are at the first event and that Lajoie/Baker weren’t assigned Skate Canada.

Off to analyze this a little more.

[anewbeginningagain]

So with GP assignment likely coming out this weekend (or next at the latest) - what are we thinking we will see there?

Some random thoughts:

I assume we won't see C/B, G/P, FB/C, R/A on the list. C/B already confirmed they are sitting it out, we have a lot of hints about G/P and R/A not competing, and with FB/C I feel like even if they will compete next season, they won't do the GP circuit and only compete at the 2nd half of the season (if at all).

With C/B out, I bet money that Z/K will get Skate America. They will want their other GP to be NHK, but F/G will also want that, and they are both seeded in the same group, so we will see which team is stronger (or which federation). If Z/K won't do NHK, they will likely do GP France instead.

I assume USFS will either avoid putting CPom and Z/K at the same competitions or put them both in Skate America and have them in two different second GPs. I feel like CPom will want a later start to the season, so I can see them doing China and Finland/NHK.

Coming back to seeded teams - we will likely have Z/K, F/G, and S/D in group 1, and L/B, CPom, and D/S in group 2. If FB/C somehow decides to compete (I still think it's unlikely), it will be slightly different, but I doubt it will impact the assignments too much.

Skate Canada will see the debut of Kajoie/Baker, and if Skate Canada is smart, they will bring the weaker seeded teams to the event.

So, taking my best shot at guessing (assuming FB/C not competing):

Zingas/Kolesnik - Skate America & GP France (smaller chance: NHK)

Fear/Gibson - GP China & NHK (smaller chance: Skate Canada)

Smart Dieck - Skate Canada & GP Finland

Lopareva/Brissaud - GP France & GP Finland (smaller chance:

CPom - GP China & NHK (smaller chance: Skate Canada & Skate America)

Davis/Smolkin - Skate Canada & Skate America (smaller chance: GP China & NHK).

[anewbeginningagain]

OK, coming back to this post after FB/C's announcement, let's pretend for a second that they will compete at the GP circuit next season. In that case, we will have FB/C, Z/L, F/B in the first seeded group, and L/B, S/D, CPom in the second.

So I think the assignments might be soemthing like this:

Fournier-Beaudry/Cizeron - GP France, NHK

Zingas/Kolesnik - Skate America, GP China

Fear/Gibson - Skate Canada, GP Finland

Smart/Dieck - Skate Canada, GP Finland

Lopareva/Brissaud - GP France, Skate America

CPom - GP China, NHK

[skatejoy]

Celebrating consequences for actions.

[skatejoy]

A great interview with CPom (below the Boxk interview) talking about their Olympic experience, tour life, and the upcoming season. They seem to have music picked for this season and a plan all the way to 2030.

[skatejoy]

It’s looking like retirement for Piper and Paul. I think Piper will be a good supportive coach.

[skatejoy]

Where did Alicia and Hannah soft launch ? Blurry split seconds in the background of other people's reels aren't an action they took, so that can't be what you mean. Can you point us to where

On their instagram stories they posted themselves skating holding a mystery person’s hand

[skatejoy]

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It’s happening!! Look how happy she looks. This team has serious potential to create waves in the ice dancing world. I was a big fan of Hawayek/Baker and their story felt unfinished, so I’m happy for Jean-Luc to have another opportunity. Please skate for Canada!!

[skatejoy]

A new US same gender ice dance team? (Second video)

[skatejoy]

Alicia Fabbri and Hannah Lim both soft launched new partnerships in the last 24 hours. Either the women are faster on the posting or the big ice dance shakeup made finding partners much easier for women than usual. Now to find a match for Marjo.

[skatejoy]

There’s been enough hints that this shouldn’t be surprising. It’s going to be interesting to see how they progress.