The Crystal Frontier: Inside The World of Figure Skating

Miss NBC's Airing of Skate for the Heart? Not to Worry

2011-02-03T06:37:00.000-08:00

If you are like me, being one of the unfortunate few individuals left on this planet without Tivo or some other new-fangled technological contrivance to record TV programs directly for your future viewing pleasures (I'd say we're a dying breed, along with people without Facebook accounts and people with Myspace accounts), you may have missed the NBC airing of Cold-EEZE Skate for the Heart last month. If you were one of the lucky locals or die-hard skating fans that traveled to see the live show on October 10, 2010, at the Covelli Centre in Youngstown, Ohio, you can tap into your personal cherished memory bank and hit "replay" again and again.

If not, and you have resorted to cursing your respective deity or deities or just cursing; fear not. You have one more shot to view this amazing Disson Skating production that brings together skating champions and music powerhouses for an unforgettable show linking the passion and excitement we all experienced during the 2010 Winter Olympic Games, with the important message of living a healthy life while raising awareness of heart disease.

Featured in this show is 2010 Olympic Bronze Medalist Joannie Rochette, who won over the hearts of her home nation of Canada and millions more who watched her perform at the Winter Games in Vancouver. Her beautiful and emotional performance, shortly after her mother's untimely passing due to a heart attack, was one of the standout moments of the Winter Games and earned Rochette a 2010 ESPY nomination. Rochette joins an outstanding line-up of skaters for "Cold-EEZE Skate for the Heart" airing on the Hallmark Channel Tuesday, February 8th, 2011.

Special music guests include ATCO/ Atlantic recording group Straight No Chaser, performing eight of their hits. Founded at Indiana University in the fall of 1996, Straight No Chaser’s goal was to expand the boundaries of the traditional college acappella group. Fueled by appearances on the Today show, ABC World News Tonight, CNN Headline News and two PBS specials, the group's 2008 release spent fourteen days in the number one slot on Amazon and five days in the top slot overall on Itunes. But, original member Randy Stine comments, “We take the music very seriously; we just don’t take ourselves too seriously.” American Idol season two winner and Grammy-nominated R&B artist Ruben Studdard and American Idol season seven Runner-up David Archuleta will each perform two of their hits in “Cold-EEZE Skate for the Heart.”

Show: Cold-EEZE Skate for the Heart

Date: Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Time: 6:00pm – 8:00pm EST

Place: Hallmark Channel (check your local listings for channel information)

Skaters:
Ryan Bradley 2011 U.S. National Champion

Joannie Rochette 2010 Olympic Bronze Medalist
Six-time Canada National Champion

Tanith Belbin & Ben Agosto 2006 Olympic Silver Medalists
Five-time U.S. National Dance Champions

Sasha Cohen 2006 Olympic Silver Medalist
Two-time World Silver Medalist

Rachael Flatt 2010 U.S. National Champion
2010 Winter Olympian

Jeremy Abbott Two-time U.S. National Champion
2010 Winter Olympian

Johnny Weir Three-time U.S. National Champion
Two-time Winter Olympian

Caydee Denney &Jeremy Barrett 2011 U.S. National Pairs Silver Medalists
2010 U.S. National Pairs Champions

Musical Guest Stars:
David Archuleta
Ruben Studdard
Straight No Chaser

National Charity:
American Heart Association

"Skate for the Heart": airing on NBC Today

2011-01-16T08:37:00.000-08:00

With the start of a new year one can expect the inevitable deluge of T.V. events including new seasons of major network and cable series and the viewership-hording NFL Division Playoffs leading to the Conference Championships and the grand finale of the Super Bowl. The world of figure skating is no stranger to this magical time of year, with the airing of various skating- entertainment productions.

For figure skating fans one of the most successful productions airs this afternoon (Sunday, January 16) on NBC at 4pm Eastern Standard Time (check your local listings). Disson Skating presents “Cold-EEZe Skate for the Heart” which brings together top National, World and Olympic figure skaters, displaying their artistic vision and athletic prowess to live music performances by American Idol alumni and critically acclaimed recording artists Straight No Chaser, to garner attention for living a heart-healthy lifestyle.

Figure skating fans that are also football aficionados will have to make some tough viewership decisions, as the second round of Division Playoffs occurs at 4:30pm Eastern Standard Time on CBS with the New York Jets facing off against the New England Patriots. But perhaps, this is exactly the reason the “recall/last channel” button on most T.V. remotes, Tivo and picture-in-picture capability were created; to assuage the double-life led by the elite few; the hardest of hardcore sports fans: the figure skating /NFL connoisseurs.

“Skate for the Heart” includes ATCO/ Atlantic recording group Straight No Chaser performing eight of their hits live with a cast of champion figure skaters including numbers from their new album “With a Twist.” Founded at Indiana University in the fall of 1996, Straight No Chaser’s goal was to expand the boundaries of the traditional college acappella group. Fueled by appearances on the Today show, ABC World News Tonight, CNN Headline News and two PBS specials, the group's 2008 release spent fourteen days in the number one slot on Amazon and five days in the top slot overall on Itunes. But, original member Randy Stine comments, “We take the music very seriously; we just don’t take ourselves too seriously.” In addition, American Idol season two winner and Grammy-nominated R&B artist Ruben Studdard and American Idol season seven Runner-up David Archuleta will each perform two of their hits for the show.

Skating cast members include 2010 Olympic Bronze Medalist and six-time National Champion (CAN) Joannie Rochette, 2006 Olympic Silver Medalists and five-time U.S. Champions Tanith Belbin & Ben Agosto, 2006 Olympic Silver Medalist and two-time World Silver Medalist Sasha Cohen, 2010 U.S. Champion and 2010 Winter Olympian Rachael Flatt, two-time U.S. Champion and 2010 Winter Olympian Jeremy Abbott, three-time U.S. Champion and two-time Winter Olympian Johnny Weir 2010 U.S. Champions and 2010 Winter Olympians Caydee Denney & Jeremy Barrett and 2007 U.S. Silver Medalist Ryan Bradley.

For more information on other Disson shows visit DissonSkating.com

Downtown Denver ice skating:

2011-01-13T18:30:00.000-08:00

Robert Putnam's 2000 book Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community bleakly notes the decline in levels of national civic engagement since the end of World War II. This is argued to be linked with dwindling supplies of social capital, which the author defines as “social networks and the norms of reciprocity and trustworthiness that arise from them". This dismal conclusion is supported through the existence of a stark drop in membership rates for community groups, unions, professional associations and of course, bowling leagues as alluded to in the book's title. Furthermore the generational nature of this disturbing phenomena is put forward by Putnam as “each generation that has reached adulthood since the 1950s has been less engaged in community affairs than its immediate predecessor.”

With the current economic downturn, continued discussions of the detrimental effects of climate change, peak oil and repercussions of our global population reaching seven billion people, the likelihood of changing this trend of declining social capital seems unlikely. But there may be hope from the unlikeliest of sources: figure skating. But more importantly, figure skating's existence at community ice rinks which may act to reverse this social capital decline, becoming one of the last bastions of cross-generational social capital creation.

Walking by community ice skating rinks, whether on the grand scale of Rockefeller Center in New York City, or the tiny-by-comparison community rink in Old Town, Fort Collins, one witnesses a kind of disengagement from much of the existing political and economic woes of recent times and a shift from self-isolating proclivities including avoiding eye contact with strangers and perpetual and self-contained hermitage through iPod or iPhone. People at these rinks are laughing and engaging one another and generally seem happy to do so. Additionally the generational gap decried by Putnam is more often than not overcome as the ice is shared by an array of people from families with young children, to university students, to the young at heart.

Denver once again has this frozen community meeting ground after a long absence. The first skating rink in downtown Denver opened in Zeckendorf Plaza at 16th and Court in 1957 and was followed by the first Skyline Park ice rink in 2001 which closed abruptly for the park's remodeling.The return of the Skyline rink located next to the historic Daniels and Fisher Clocktower is thanks to the efforts of Southwest Airlines and the Downtown Denver Partnership. The grand opening of the Southwest Rink at Skyline Park occurred on November 26, 2010 with Southwest's Vice President of Communication and Strategic Outreach, Linda Rutherford stating, "Southwest's partnership with the Downtown Denver Partnership has given us the opportunity to provide Denver residents with something they have been requesting for a long time. The rink is a unique way for us to make a positive contribution in the Denver community, and we're excited to interact with our customers where they work and live."

As the inaugural season of the new rink winds down (the last day is Sunday, January 30th) and the second installment of much needed snow begins falling across the front range into tomorrow (Monday, January 10), community members should take advantage of this economically friendly activity that will for a limited time afford a beautiful winter view of downtown Denver while helping reinvigorate a sense of community in the mile high city.The rink is located at 16th and Arapahoe in Downtown Denver (1611 Arapahoe Street, Denver, CO 80202). Admission is free if you bring your own skates and rentals are cheap at $2. For those seeking a little more adrenaline and excitement in their on-ice community building efforts, broomball competitions are another option with registration proceeds benefitting Volunteers of America and the Parade of Lights. The rink's hours of operation are:  Saturday and Sunday 10am-9pm, Monday through Wednesday  12pm-7pm and Thursday and Friday 12pm- 9pm.
Some final upcoming events include “Date Night” Saturday, January 15th and 29th (7-9pm), with an evening consisting of dinner, music from Queen City Jazz Band, treats and ice skating, as well as “Kids Learn to Skate” clinics the mornings of Saturday January 15th, 22nd and the 29th. For more information, visit downtowndenver.com.

Perhaps Putnam was wrong, or maybe he just needs to take up a new winter hobby. In any case, Denver residents have a limited time to take up some local on-ice community building this winter season.

From Examiner.com

Major Announcement for NBC Skating Series

2010-11-23T10:49:00.000-08:00

A major announcement just occurred yesterday for the NBC figure skating series (produced by Disson Skating). See the official release below.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

November 22, 2010

PANDORA SIGNS AS UMBRELLA SPONSOR FOR NBC'S SKATING ENTERTAINMENT SERIES

THE SEVEN ORIGINAL SKATING SPECIALS MAKING UP THE “PANDORA NBC SKATING SERIES” WILL AIR BETWEEN NOVEMBER 21, 2010 AND FEBRUARY 19, 2011 ON NBC

As a world leader in the jewelry industry, Pandora's commitment to excellence and growing global status is undeniable. With US national headquarters in Columbia, MD and worldwide headquarters in Copenhagen, Denmark, Pandora manufactures and markets hand-finished modern jewelry at affordable prices with their product sold in over fifty countries on six continents. Joining as the umbrella sponsor for NBC's skating entertainment series, Pandora now partners with one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies, NBC Universal, and the premiere figure skating production company Disson Skating, which has produced these made-for-television entertainment specials on NBC for the past twenty-one years.

The series of seven original two-hour skating entertainment specials each feature celebrity guest entertainers and top Olympic, World, and National skaters including special music guests Foreigner, Mannheim Steamroller, America, Heart, Lonestar, American Idol Winner Ruben Studdard, American Idol Finalist David Archuleta and Straight No Chaser (America’s #1 men’s acapella group), as well as the internationally acclaimed performance company, Riverdance.

Additionally, Pandora is the Title Sponsor of Disson Skating's holiday special "Pandora's Unforgettable Holiday Moments on Ice", airing this Sunday, November 28 from 4:00 to 6:00pm EST. The show features Mannheim Steamroller performing the entire show live and stars Olympic Gold Medalists Brian Boitano, Ekaterina Gordeeva, and Ilia Kulik.

Pandora has recently started national TV advertising in the United States, using the “Pandora NBC Skating Series” to help launch its U.S. advertising campaign. As the Title Sponsor of the Pandora NBC Skating Series, the company will be receiving television commercials, name-entitled vignettes featuring the star skaters and skating hosts, and featured in-show segments and billboards on each of these seven NBC national telecasts, as well as similar exposure in the fourteen national rebroadcasts of the shows on The Hallmark Channel scheduled between December 24, 2010 and March 21, 2011. Furthermore, Pandora will be actively promoting the Pandora NBC Skating Series through videos and counter cards at Pandora retail locations around the country and online.

Angel Ilagan, Chief Marketing Officer, North America of PANDORA notes their excitement in partnering with NBC and Disson Skating as the umbrella sponsor for the Pandora NBC Skating Series saying, "Pandora is thrilled to be partnering with NBC Universal to sponsor this series of skating specials. The artistry of figure skating and the skill and craftsmanship behind our jewelry are a natural fit. Both take years of practice to perfect, and both focus on creating memories that will last a lifetime. And with these specials being broadcast on NBC we’re confident that we’re going to reach millions of skating fans, young and old.”

Stephen Disson, President and founder of Disson Skating further exudes the enthusiasm of creating such a partnership stating, "Disson Skating is thrilled to have Pandora, one of the fastest growing and most exciting jewelry companies in America, as our first-ever Umbrella sponsor of our NBC Skating Series. We are committed to building the Pandora NBC Skating Series into an important equity brand for Pandora."

About PANDORA

PANDORA, a global Danish brand, has been making its mark in the international fine jewelry industry for almost 30 years, and is world-renowned for its high-quality, handcrafted design. The collections inspire women to embrace their individuality with romantic and feminine pieces that capture the unforgettable moments of life. PANDORA’s affordable luxury collections include customizable charm bracelets, rings, earrings, necklaces and watches made from sterling silver and 14K and 18K gold with handset precious gemstones. The perfect gift for any occasion, PANDORA jewelry is available in PANDORA retail stores and authorized dealers worldwide. To view the PANDORA collection, build a bracelet online or locate a jeweler, please visit PANDORA.net.

Check www.dissonskating.com for more information on the “Pandora NBC Skating Series” or contact

Matt Luizza, LPC Publicity, (970) 402-7276, mluizza@lpcpublicity.com

Lynn Plage, LPC Publicity, (303) 716-9500, lplage@lpcpublicity.com

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Get Ready! Smucker's Stars on Ice 2011 Tour is Coming!

2010-11-23T10:34:00.000-08:00

Smucker's Stars on Ice 2011 tour is almost here. We'll be posting blogs, pics and video links from the road as the tour kicks off in Lake Placid, New York on November 27th (next week).

For this 25th anniversary show, Olympic Gold Medalist Evan Lysacek and Olympic Silver Medalist Sasha Cohen will be joined by a stellar cast of world-renowned athletes, including Olympic Gold Medalists Jamie Salé & David Pelletier (Canada); Four-Time World Champion & Four-Time Canadian National Champion Kurt Browning; Two-Time Olympic Gold Medalist Ekaterina Gordeeva (Russia); World Champion and Six-Time U.S. Champion Todd Eldredge; Olympic Silver Medalists Tanith Belbin & Benjamin Agosto and more!

In the meantime, keep up-to-date by visiting www.starsonice.com for more information as well as exciting show announcements and join us on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/officialstarsonice: and follow the official SSOI Twitter: @starsonice, www.twitter.com/starsonice.

2009-12-09T08:03:00.000-08:00

NBC TUNE IN ALERT! (CHRISTMAS DAY)

VOTE FOR THE MOST IMPROV-ED SKATER ON NBCOLYMPICS.COM

What: In the sports and music world, often the greatest moments in history are the least expected or prepared for Amway Global Improv Ice, takes this idea to an exciting level with top figure skating champions putting their creativity and athletic prowess to the ultimate test of performance under pressure, in an off-the-cuff show where viewers and the live audience help pick the most innovative routines backed by the live music of one of the biggest popular rock bands of the past two decades, the Goo Goo Dolls. Hosted by Olympic Champions Brian Boitano and Kristi Yamaguchi and featuring an all-star cast of Olympic, World and National Champion skaters including 2009 World Champion and newly crowned Grand Prix Champion Evan Lysacek, who is one of the most consistent medal winners on the international scene and favored to be on the podium at the 2010 Winter Games held in Vancouver. Viewers can go to nbcolympics.com and vote for the skater that they thought improv-ed the best. The results will be reveled during Musselman's Presents Brian Boitano Skating Spectacular on New Year's Day.

When: Friday, December 25, 2009

Time: 3:00pm – 5:00pm EST

Where: NBC (check your local listing for channel information)

Cast: Sasha Cohen, Nancy Kerrigan, Jeffrey Buttle, Kurt Browning, Evan Lysacek, Michael Weiss, Joannie Rochette and Shae-Lynn Bourne.

Musical Guest Stars: Goo Goo Dolls

TV Hosts: Kristi Yamaguchi & Brian Boitano

Check www.dissonskating.com for more information.

Not Just a Pretty Face: Tanith Belbin. Accomplished Woman is Fast-Paced World.

2009-12-01T21:47:00.000-08:00

Let’s get the bad news out of the way first. Sadly, the dynamic Ice Dancing duo Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto were forced to withdraw from the Grand Prix Figure Skating Finals in Tokyo, Japan December 3rd-6th due to Tanith having an infected wisdom tooth. Last year the couple had to withdraw due to partner Ben Agosto sustaining a back injury. Doctor’s orders won’t allow Tanith to do physically strenuous activity for a week after surgery. So skating is out, as well as roller-derby, base jumping and competitive eating (pretty much all the fun things in life). But do not fret; the couple will be back in action for the U.S. Championships in January and they are still favored to represent the U.S. at the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver. All we need is The Daily Show with Jon Stewart to sponsor the U.S. Figure Skating team to one-up Stephen Colbert’s support of the U.S. Speed Skating team. I can see it now…”Team Colbert…Team Stewart…Showdown on the ice!” We give the TV hosts/New Head Coaches oversized sweatshirts and whistles and have them do their respective shows from the ice. Let the insanity and hilarity ensue!

Back to Tanith…The 2006 Olympic Silver Medalist, 2009 World Championship Silver Medalist, 2009 World Team Trophy Gold Medalist and recently single goddess of the ice (her ex-boyfriend is 2009 World Champion Evan Lysacek), currently graces the December cover of Men’s Health Magazine, giving insight to readers on how to “Woo” a tech-loving lady such as herself. As international and Olympic sports guru Phil Hersh recently noted in his Chicago Tribune blog it’s that time of year with the “Surest sign the Olympics are approaching: an attractive U.S. female athlete pictured in a state of undress for a magazine.”

Men’s Health calls Tanith the “Hottest Olympic Athlete” and she was given the title of “Hottest Female Athlete” in 2006 by ESPN.com. But Tanith is not just another pretty face. With skating partner (and rockstar) Ben Agosto she is a five-time U.S. Champion, three-time Four-Continents Champion and Olympic Silver Medalist (to name a few) and is favored to medal at the 2010 Winter Games. And to top that off she’s a correspondent for NBC (When she’s not winning medals, she’s a journalist.) Born July 11, 1984 in Kingston, Ontario the 25 year old naturalized U.S. citizen holds dual-citizenship so this Winter Olympic season could mean a little extra to her and may even be slightly confusing as she represents her “home country” in her “birth country.” Can she hold both flags on the podium and trade off lines from each national anthem?
Tanith is also a philanthropist like many of her fellow figure skaters, serving on the board of Figure Skating in Harlem (FSH), a youth fitness and education program that provides girls ages 6-18 in the Harlem community with vital educational and skating opportunities. She helped create a fundraising ice show, “Tanith & Ben: Home for the Holidays” to raise money for the American Cancer Society and in 2005, created an ice show, “Skate-Aid” which raised over $40,000 for the Red Cross tsunami relief fund.

Tanith on Tanith: “Although I am part of a team, I would like to demonstrate my individuality as a strong and accomplished young woman with endless ambition. I have so many more goals I'd like to achieve outside of my sport and I'd like to serve as a role model for young girls who are looking to find their way and establish themselves as individuals in their own right while developing the confidence necessary to reach any dream they can imagine. I want to encourage the minds of young people to be without limitations.” Keep doing what you do Tanith and maybe take a vacation sometime :)

Also, don’t miss the encore presentation of the following spectacular Disson Skating productions January 3rd through February 14th, 2010 on the Hallmark Channel.

Disson Skating presents the top figure skating talent including former Olympic Champions, 2010 Winter Olympic Contenders, World and National Champions, for a series of unforgettable productions that mixes athletic prowess and grace with the hottest live music acts spanning the iconic classics to the newest breakout artists of the music scene.

Amway Global Presents Smokey Robinson Tribute on Ice: (St. Pete Times Forum, Tampa. FL). Hallmark Channel Airdate: Sunday, Jan. 3, 2010 at 1:00am EST/PST. Featuring the music of iconic R&B/Soul singer, songwriter and producer Smokey Robinson and starring 1988 Olympic Gold Medalist and Two-time World Champion Brian Boitano, 1996 World Champion and Six-time U.S. National Champion Todd Eldredge, 2006 Olympic Bronze Medalist and 2008 World Champion Jeffrey Buttle and more!

Kristi Yamaguchi and Friends: Starring the Backstreet Boys: (US Airways Center, Phoenix, AZ). Hallmark Channel Airdate: Sunday, Jan. 10, 2010 1:00am EST/PST. Starring 1992 Olympic Gold Medalist, Olympic Hall-of-Famer and Dancing with the Stars Season Six Champion Kristi Yamaguchi, Two-time Olympic Gold Medalist Ekaterina Gordeeva, Three-time U.S. National Champion Michael Weiss and more!

Scotch Brand Holiday Celebration on Ice: (Verizon Arena, North Little Rock, AR). Hallmark Channel Airdates: Monday, Jan. 11, 2009 at 6:00 pm and Sunday, Jan. 20, 2009 at 1:00am EST/PST. Featuring live performances by legendary rock bands REO Speedwagon & Rick Springfield. Starring 1988 Olympic Gold Medalist and Two-time World Champion Brian Boitano, 2008 World Champion and 2006 Olympic Bronze Medalist Jeffrey Buttle, Two-time World Silver Medalist Ice Dancing Champions Marie-France Dubreuil & Patrice Lauzon and more!

Amway Global Improv-Ice: (Honda Center, Anaheim, CA). Hosted by Kristi Yamaguchi and Brian Boitano. Hallmark Channel Airdates: Monday, Jan. 18, 2010 at 6:00pm and Sunday, Jan. 24, 2010 at 1:00am EST/PST. Featuring the live music of Grammy-nominated artists the Goo Goo Dolls and starring 2006 Olympic Silver Medalist Sasha Cohen, 2009 World Champion Evan Lysacek, Four-time World Champion Kurt Browning and more!

Musselman’s Applesauce Presents Brian Boitano Skating Spectacular: (Arena at Harbor Yard, Bridgeport, CT). Hallmark Channel Airdate: Monday, Jan. 25, 2010 at 6:00pm and Sunday, Jan. 31, 2010 at 1:00am EST/PST. Featuring special live music guest Chicago and starring 1988 Olympic Gold Medalist and Two-time World Champion Brian Boitano, 2006 World Champion and 2007 National Champion Kimmie Meissner, 1994 World Champion and Two-time Japanese Champion Yuka Sato and more!

Progressive Skating & Gymnastics Spectacular: (Rushmore Plaza Civic Center, Rapid City, SD). Hallmark Channel Airdate: Monday, Feb. 1, 2010 at 6:00 pm and Sunday, Feb. 7, 2010 at 1:00am EST/PST. Starring Three-time U.S. National Champion Michael Weiss, 1996 World Champion and Six-time U.S. National Champion Todd Eldredge, 2008 Olympic Individual All-Around Gold Medalist Nastia Liukin, 2008 Olympic Balance Beam Gold Medalist, Individual All-Around Silver Medalist and Dancing with the Stars Season 8 winner Shawn Johnson and more!

Silk Skate for the Heart: (Sears Center Arena, Hoffman Estates, IL) Hallmark Channel Airdate: Monday, Feb. 8, 2010 at 6:00pm and Sunday, Feb. 14, 2010 at 1:00am EST/PST. Featuring Reigning World Champion Evan Lysacek, 2009 Ice Dancing World Silver Medalists and 2006 Olympic Silver Medalists Ben Agosto & Tanith Belbin, with live performances from music stars Jordin Sparks, Charice, Honor Society and KSM.

Check www.dissonskating.com for more information.

Happy Holidays!

To Skate or Rock? That is the Question: (Q&A w/ Olympian Ben Agosto)

2009-11-07T09:23:00.000-08:00

(Photo Courtesy of NBC Olympics)

The 2010 Winter Olympic Games are less than 100 days away! Vancouver here we come, Aye! With Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto taking Gold and World Champion Evan Lysacek taking Silver at the Cup of China this past weekend, things are looking up for the U.S. team, despite numerous injuries that have plagued the U.S. ladies including Kimmie Meissner and Sasha Cohen. Additionally, the 2009 NHK Trophy is underway in Nagano, Japan so keep tuning in for updates and highlights. You know the Winter Games are fast approaching when the NBC commercial blitz begins, and to top that off there’s now a line of cuddly Olympic mascots for your purchasing pleasure. What better way to overcome the national economic recession blues and take your mind off of all the H1N1 pandemic updates, then by purchasing a slew of furry hybrid-animal-species Olympic friend?! I’m not sure what to make of the video…It’s weird and kinda alludes to a killer whale and a seal making whoopie…You can be the judge: (http://is.gd/4P7P4)

News in Skating:
World Champion Evan Lysacek will appear on NBC’s Today Show November 16th & three-time U.S. Champion Michael Weiss will also be on the Today Show November 27th. Tune in!

Disson Skating Productions on NBC!

The Disson Skating Production telecast schedule is here- Mark your calendars and set your Tivos!
Smokey Robinson Tribute on Ice: Sunday, November 22, 2009, 4-6pm EST (Live show Wednesday, November 11, 2009- Tampa, FL)
Holiday Celebration on Ice: Sunday, November 29, 2009, 4-6pm EST (Live show Thursday, November 19, 2009- Little Rock, AR)
Improv-Ice: Friday, December 25, 2009, 3-5pm EST
Skating & Gymnastics Spectacular: Sunday, January 10, 2010, 4-6pm EST
Skate for the Heart: Sunday, January 31, 2010, 4-6pm EST

Rock Gods of the Ice: What the heck does US Figure Skating have to do with being a rock star? During my short time in the field of figure skating it has come to my attention many skaters are intimately tied to the music scene, and well beyond the status of avid music lovers. These impressive athletes live, eat and breathe their sport; a craft and art where the music is arguably as important as the moves. Kimmie Meissner appeared in a music video (http://is.gd/4PFQC) and professes her dreams of one day becoming a rock star. Now, returning champion Elvis Stojko is releasing a full-length album. (Press release below).

TORONTO -- (Marketwire) -- 11/05/09 -- Elvis Stojko, seven-time Canadian Figure Skating Champion and two-time Olympic Figure Skating Silver Medalist, announces today that he is officially releasing the first single from his upcoming new album. The single is titled "Let Me Be the One," and will be released to Canadian radio stations today. The album, titled 100 Lifetimes, will be released later this fall...For full release got to: (http://is.gd/4PHaF)

And for additional information on Elvis Stojko or his music, visit www.elvisstojko.net

I did a little guitar email Q&A with Olympic, World and National champion figure skater Ben Agosto after his back injury which forced he and ice dancing partner Tanith Belbin to withdraw from the 2009 AT&T U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Cleveland, Ohio. Luckily, Agosto healed up nicely and the pair is rocketing towards the 2010 Winter Games and favored for clinching the Gold. The 27 year old rock star of the ice has a list of professional accolades to his name including a 2006 Olympic silver medal (the first U.S. medal in ice dancing in 30 years), 2004–2006 Four Continents Champion and 2004–2008 U.S. National Champion, but he's also one-heck-of-a guitar player.

Matt: What got you into guitar?

Ben: My dad plays classical and flamenco guitar, so there was always guitar music playing in my house. When I was a baby and I would start crying, the only way my parents could make me be quiet was to put on Paco De Lucia and then I would just stop and listen. I didn't actually become interested in playing the guitar (I played piano, trumpet and french horn) until I was about 10 years old and my sister got me Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble's Greatest Hits. I was blown away by the way he seamlessly blended lead and rhythm guitar and with the ferocity of his solos. Since then I have been all about rock, blues and everything in between.

Matt: Many guitarist have that defining moment when they picked up a particular guitar and the planets seemed to align and everything just seemed to make sense…The instrument is no longer a separate entity but an extension of the player…Did you have that moment and when?

Ben: I haven't had quite that intense an experience yet, but I'd have to say the closest I have come is when I got my Gibson LP (Les Paul). That guitar just feels so "right".

Matt: Yeah…That last question was sorta melodramatic :) I feel you on the LP. I have a Studio and it’s my baby. What kind of rig do you prefer? Any preference for your travel rig versus your home rig? (I remember that cool travel amp you had at the Disson show in Los Angeles we jammed on backstage).

Ben: I definitely love my home rig. My LP playing through a Vox AC50. The amp has 2 channels, and it can scream like Jimmy Page, or switch to an amazing crunch sound. It seems like I spend more time with my travel rig, though, and I would be utterly lost without it. I have a Traveler Guitar Speedster playing through a Korg Pandora PX4D. That little effects box can emulate the best amps with amazing sound and has hundreds of effects. It also has a line in so I can play backing tracks off my ipod. It's the best way to rock out in your hotel room :)

Matt: What musical celebrities have you met and/or jammed with? Any you wish you could take back? For instance I hear John Mayer is a real jerk in person…but my-God he can play the guitar :)

Ben: I have yet to jam with any famous musicians. I have had the unbelievable experience of playing with a great band in a bar in Nashville. I was on tour with Champions on Ice just after the 2006 Olympics, and we had just finished a show and were starting a week off. We went out to check out the night life, which is chock full of the most amazing musicians I have ever seen. We were having a great time in a little hole-in-the-wall bar with a rockin band, when my friend convinced the band to let me play with them "He's an Olympic silver medalist, man!" They were game, and so I played the very first song I learned on the guitar, Pride and Joy, by SRV. It went pretty well, and then the singer said, "How 'bout another one?" Nervous and reaching back to my comfort zone, I said Mary had a Little Lamb by Buddy Guy. The bar-goers seemed to dig it, so the singer gave me the mic and said, "Do another one, I'm gonna get a drink!" I was loving it! So I did Texas Flood, and one of my buddies jumped up and started making up the 3rd and 4th verses. That was one of the greatest nights of my life!!!

Matt: Who would you love to jam with? (Living and deceased):

Ben: I would love to be able to jam with Stevie Ray. He was the reason I started playing, and I always loved how humble he always was in giving props to the blues legends that he so skillfully borrowed from. I am also an insane Zeppelin fan, so of course getting to even be in the same building, let alone play with them would be a dream come true. I also would like to jam with an up and coming band called Other Side of Clearview. These guys really rock and I love their music.

Matt: Ha! You’re gonna make me blush. If I plug my band it is considered shameless promotion, so thank you for the props (and anytime you are in Colorado you’re more than welcome to jam with Other Side of Clearview). Have you ever started a band?

Ben: Sadly, I have never had time to be in a band. My schedule with my skating is so intense that I have not been able to make the commitment to things like practice or gigs... The closest I got was some friends in Ann Arbor, MI who would jam in their basement. We got together a few times and had a blast. We even recorded a little bit the last time we got together. I have used "Garage band" on my computer :)

Matt: Do you play guitar hero or rock band on the road?

Ben: I have a few times. They are both a blast. I love that a bunch of people can play at once. Most guitar players that I know hate the game, because, of course, it's nothing like actually playing the guitar. However, I used to play Dance Dance Revolution on tour, and guitar hero is basically the same principle, just with your fingers and much cooler music!

Matt: So what you are saying is, to be good at these games you have to suck at the activity in real life? :) Are you planning to do more skating/rocking out at future shows like the Santana intro you did at your skating show in Detroit? (Side note...I think you should...and my opinion holds a lot of weight in this industry).

Ben: Playing guitar on the ice was one of the coolest experiences I have ever had skating. I can't wait to have another opportunity to work out a number like that. Once I have a little more time, it's ON!

Matt: When you end up on the 2010 U.S. Winter Olympic Team, what will be on your pump-up ipod playlist and are you planning to bring a road rig to jam on?

Ben: My pump up playlist will definitely include: Zeppelin, SRV, Hendrix, AC/DC, Dave Matthews, Other Side of Clearview, Sublime, Aerosmith.... That's all I'm sure of right now :)

Matt: If Zeppelin does another reunion tour and Jimmy Page is unavailable cause he’s doing an remix album of Zeppelin songs with Kanye West (He’s worked with Puff Daddy so I wouldn’t put it past him) and they ask you to fill in would you? Basically, if you had to pick skating or being a guitar-god…what would it be?

Ben: My phone number is.... I would do it in a heartbeat! Although, they better let me know a couple of years in advance so I could practice. Jimmy's got some pretty big shoes to fill.

Matt: I bet you could take Page out...He's old and fragile. During the recovery time of your back injury did you spend a ton of time playing guitar?

Ben: I try to play guitar as much as possible regardless of what's going on in my life. When I was laid up with a herniated disc in my lower back, I had to be careful that I didn't get carried away playing too hard. That was pretty frustrating, because I couldn't play my LP...it was too heavy at first and hurt my back. Luckily I recovered pretty quickly and I haven't looked back.

Time To Bust Out The Fall Gear & Vote For Kristi!!!

2009-09-25T12:38:00.001-07:00

It’s officially fall! School is back in full swing for many Americans. I myself am back in the sea of freshman students, so fearful and confused, running through an array of educational mazes, searching for the elusive passing grade, the cheese at the end of their proverbial collegial laboratory labyrinth. Like little lab mice scurrying from class to class, so small, nervous and kinda cute from a distance, but full of bacteria and communicable diseases like H1N1- the dreaded Swine Flu! I started my Master’s program this semester and am amazed at how many competitive figure skaters continue their education and compete at the same time.
Kimmie Meissner went from being a full time high school student (and competitor) to attending Delaware University, 2009 U.S. National Champion Alissa Czisny attended school at Bowling Green University while competing and recently graduated. There’s a ton of other skaters doing the juggling act of either attending universities or high school while being topnotch athletes. Michelle Kwan almost came back to competitive skating but decided to put her focus on school as she begins her Master’s in International Affairs at Tuft’s University. (Read a great blog about it by LifeSkate)
Fall also means the Disson Skating show season is here! See all the dates and locations at (http://www.dissonskating.com/) Including the upcoming Improv-Ice show October 6th in Anaheim California, hosted by Kristi Yamaguchi and featuring live musical guests the Goo Goo Dolls. I’ll be at the Halloween show in Omaha Nebraska October 18th (the only one that didn’t conflict with my school schedule) ready for a holiday celebration like no other!

We’ve got some amazing pictures from the NBC photo shoot with your favorite skating stars that I’ll be posting soon. Keep checking back…

The 2010 Winter Olympics are just around the corner. I’ve been sulking (frequently) about the fact I can’t go. Rumor has it my boss gets to go as a skating consultant. Lucky! Well, maybe it has less to do with luck and more to do with the fact she is considered one of the most powerful people in the figure skating world…I’m going to continue to sulk and call it luck :)

Here’s some recent news regarding one of my personal favorites Kimmie Meissner:

“Former world and national champion Kimmie Meissner will not have to qualify for the 2010 U.S. championships. The nationals, scheduled for Jan. 14-24 in Spokane, Washington, will determine which two women will go to the Winter Olympics. Despite being assigned to two international Grand Prix events this season, the skater from Bel Air was going to have to qualify at the South Atlantic regionals in early October in Rockville because she withdrew from the nationals earlier this year because of injury. And she missed by one day the bye granted to skaters whose Grand Prix assignments and travel would create a conflict with regionals. Meissner, who trains in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, is to compete in the Cup of Russia on Oct. 22-25 in Moscow and the NHK Trophy on Nov. 5-8 in Nagano, Japan. U.S. Figure Skating officials granted her a bye because of the short time frame and extensive travel involved.” (Courtesy of Candus Thomson-Baltimore Sun)

Finally, vote for skating legend Kristi Yamaguchi in the Dancing with the Stars “Design a Dance”
Voting will be open from 6PM PST on Tuesday, September 29th and close at 9AM on Tuesday, October 6th.

Ice Dance Champ or Unstoppable SuperHero? Ben Agosto Isn't Human

2009-07-09T10:55:00.001-07:00

Summer is in full swing and man I am excited! I’ve already been camping once in Nebraska for the 4th of July weekend. I mean, who doesn’t love being in all the glory of nature, building fire-pits, playing beach volleyball and swimming in a giant lake?! Many of you may be cursing your respective heat waves and swamp-cooler/Central AC units malfunctioning, but try and enjoy this fleeting season, because the weather will change quickly (especially here in Colorado… We savor the slightest glimpse of weather-related normalcy) and before you know it you’ll be cursing the freezing sleet and snow and ice build-up on your windshield that the stupid scraper you have never fully removes and your heater barely works so all it does is fog up the inside of the window. Look on the bright side…The 2010 Winter Olympics will coincide with this malaise of weather.

So here’s a little glimpse at one of the contenders and my other favorite skater and all around awesome dude.

Ben Agosto-
Champion figure skater, rock-climber and guitar-hero, part Puerto Rican and part Jewish. The devilishly handsome Agosto can perform a flawless Tosca routine and then fake an entire interview in Spanish (He did it at the 2006 Olympics). Check out his interview with Urban Latino Radio talking about his roots and skating and so much more. (www.urbanlatinoradio.com) The interview will be up soon. Follow me on Twitter and you’ll know as soon as it’s posted (http://twitter.com/Extreme_Twizzle)

The 27 year old rock star of the ice has a list of professional accolades to his name with ice dancing partner Tanith Belbin, including being the 2009 World Silver Medalist in Ice Dance, 2009 World Team Trophy Gold winner, 2006 Olympic silver medalist, 2004–2006 Four Continents Champion, and 2004–2008 US National Champion. I could retire on that list of accomplishments…but this guy just keeps going. I wish there was a good metaphor to describe Ben’s un-stopability (not a real word but I don’t care) If there was only like a small animal that just keeps going and going and going that perhaps plays an instrument…eh, oh well.
But this isn’t his only talent or passion. He has a musical side too. The first time I saw him lay down a couple licks backstage at a Disson Skating show in Los Angeles, I was thoroughly impressed. And not to toot my own horn (here I go) but I know good players, having shared the stage with members of the James Brown Band and numerous phenomenal musicians you’ve probably never heard of. With an all-too-familiar musical inception, Agosto played in a high school jazz band, like many would-be guitar gods and champions of the six-string.
The formative first concert- when a musician sees their first live show and the planets seem to align and everything sonically melds into a beautiful gelatinous blob of audio, visual and all-encompassing sensory theater…everything seems to just make sense. Ben’s first concert was the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Technique, grace and passion, but his idol of the music world embodies raw emotion, pain and soul…The blues my friend and the man that made it all so good, Stevie Ray Vaughn. When I discovered my band Other Side of Clearview is on Ben’s Olympic Ipod playlist, I nearly soiled myself with delight.
From jamming back stage on the road while skating around the globe to rocking Santana’s “Black Magic Woman” live on the ice, Ben is a solid player. A man who can take seemingly polarized passions, excel at each and in many cases join them together.

With all of Ben’s free time (that preceding statement is dripping with sarcasm) he’s picked up rock climbing too! He describes it as “…both an adrenaline rush and a spiritual experience. There is a serene escape of entering a world where it is just you and the rock face. Everything is usually very quiet and climbing is never something you want to rush. That feeling of ‘oneness’ is then punctuated my moments of exhilaration and danger (or perceived danger :)”

Back to skating- Despite a back injury that took Tanith and Ben out of some major qualifying competitions (I think it was a publicity cover-up…Back injury? He was probably climbing K2 so he could shoot a music video of him ripping a monster solo at the summit), they bounced back at the World Figure Skating Championships in March and are now potential contenders for the 2010 Winter Games.
To top it off Ben is an all around nice guy. He’s not full of himself like a lot of celebrity athletes or getting himself wrapped up in scandals. Luckily the sport of figure skating is generally full of nice people that have their acts together. Of course there are always a few bad apples like the recent downfall of 2005 US Champion Nicole Bobek.

Send Ben your best wishes as he prepares for the 2010 Games through Twitter (http://twitter.com/Ben_Agosto)

I see these Winter Games going like this: Tanya Harding will be strapped for cash and tired of appearing a guest on shows like “World’s Dumbest Criminals” (I find it very ironic that she is a host of a show about stupid criminals) and as a publicity stunt will club her own knee outside of the Olympic torch ceremony. Nicole Bobek, to avoid a potential 10 year prison sentence for her links to a New Jersey meth ring will offer to clean every Olympic venue in less than 24 hours…All will wonder how she managed to do it. After that, Kimmie Meissner will take Gold for the US ladies, Evan Lysacek for the men and Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto in Ice Dance. That’s all I can predict right now. I’m sure I’ll have others soon.

For more info on Ben Agosto go to his official website: http://www.tanithandben.com/

Cheers! Ciao! y Hasta Luego!

Kimmie Meissner: Road to Redemption & A Year of Comebacks

2009-07-06T13:09:00.001-07:00

For all of those cheering for Kimmie’s great comeback, you can see all of the impressive steps she is taking as a mature and serious competitor. She has a string of amazing accomplishments including becoming the 2006 Ladies World Figure Skating Champion, the 2007 Ladies U.S. National Champion, and the 2007 Four Continents Champion(she is the first American and the first lady to simultaneously hold the World, Four Continents, and National titles), becoming the second American woman to land a Triple Axel in national competition in 2005 and securing a spot on the 2006 U.S. Olympic team(also being the youngest American athlete to compete at those Winter Games). She finished 6th at the Olympics in February 2006 and won the World Championships the following month. To top that off, she’s the co-founder and spokesperson for Cool Kids Campaign (www.coolkidscampaign.org/), a non-profit organization helping children facing cancer. Quite a lot to accomplish at the age of 19. Did I mention Kimmie is the seventh-youngest ladies World Champion in history?
Meissner has had a rough spell with getting into a groove recently, with routines seeming mechanical, injuries and her center of gravity changing as she’s gone from Kimmie the kid to Kimmie the woman.
With all this said she’s taking serious steps in her road to redemption…Redemption doesn’t even feel like the right word. Everyone I’ve ever talked to in the figure skating world loves Kimmie Meissner and is hopeful she will reclaim what is rightfully hers…There I said it ladies and gentlemen. I want Meissner to win the Gold in Vancouver! Nay, I demand it! You can give your words of support directly by following Kimmie on Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/kimmiemeissner)

What’s her arsenal you might ask? Well, besides a wicked roundhouse kick (word on the street is she nearly took of Todd Eldrege’s head the other week when he jovially slapped her sun-burned back) Kimmie made a major change of location and coaching after the 2008 US Championships moving to Fort Lauderdale, Florida and working with Richard Callaghan and Todd Eldredge (1996 World Champion and a six-time national champion) She’s now added a new choreographer who, with a quintessentially warm grandfatherly smile makes clear he has no background is skating…What?! Maybe this mysterious Hungarian is exactly the type of person required to shake things up a bit. Who is this new member of Team-Meissner? The man travels the U.S. in a heap of a Jeep pushing a quarter million miles (bungee-corded tarp for a roof and all) and keeps his clothing in a waterproof box. He sounds like a troubadour or a dancing Hungarian version of James Bond. Mysterious, well-spoken and hard to find any information about through google. Gyula Pandi is a ballet icon. And for those who forget their geography Hungary is the quaint nation crammed right in the center of Poland, Ukraine, Romania and Austria to name of few of its physical borders, the birthplace of Harry Houdini and home of yet another European tri-colored flag (The region’s lack of insignia originality is slightly discouraging, but the goulash is to die for!). Pandi was a trainer and performer with the Hungarian National Ballet, but retired in 2003 and besides training Kimmie is a sought after guest ballet instructor. See the entire Baltimore Sun article on Kimmie and Mr. Pandi with video (http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/olympics/bal-sp.meissner21jun21,0,2593031.story)

Along with Meissner’s note-worthy comeback, a few other notable skaters are lacing up with Olympic Gold in mind including Sasha Cohen and potentially Michelle Kwan who’s first public appearance on the ice is scheduled to be August 14-16 for her friend and fellow skater Kim Yu-Na’s skating special in Seoul South Korea. Not to be confused with the Super Class '09 on Ice show August 1-2, 2009 at the Jamsil Student Gymnasium in Seoul, South Korea. This show will feature reigning World Champion Evan Lysacek, former World Champion Jeffrey Buttle & more!

Let’s Kick Some Ice & Make Some Tweets!

2009-06-17T12:10:00.000-07:00

Things are kicking off in a major way for U.S. and World Figure Skating. Is this the year that the glory days of old return? The days of Yamaguchi and Hamilton; the days when asking “What would Brian Boitano do?” was a serious technical skating question and had nothing to do with him breathing fire and saving the maidens oh so fair (still a personal South Park favorite). With the 2009-2010 competitive season approaching fast the skating world is a-buzz with talks of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games, the upcoming U.S. Championships and the World Championships…It feels like just yesterday Evan Lysacek was crowned the men’s 2009 World Champion. It’s an annual sports anomaly that I witness every season with the Superbowl, Stanley Cup, Figure Skating Worlds etc. There’s a penchant for jumping to the next big event as soon as the winners are announced.
The NBA Finals are over (stupid Lakers) and its as if everyone already forgot about it, talking about next year…Let’s savor, nay, lets marinate on, then savor these major feats of sports prowess before hurtling our eager selves towards the next thing…It was only Sunday that I was punching the couch cushion and yelling at my dog that “If Howard could just make a gosh-dang (edited for content) free throw and if the Magic would actually play some defense we wouldn’t be in this mess!” (I know, I’m crazy…My dog doesn’t like the NBA, he’s all about the Stanley Cup…Makes absolutely no sense).
We are a fast-paced culture that revels in instant gratification but intimate connections. The social networking platforms that have popped up faster than the terrible celebrity couple names plaguing our news like Brangelina and Spidey (who the heck are they!?)
Twitter is the newest fad and one I’m still learning about and had a slight aversion too initially. But looking at how fans can link with their favorite, respective athletes is awesome. Take a look at this article on how the NBA is using social media (with much room to grow) http://is.gd/13uVG You can follow Gail on Twitter @PUBLISIDE

Here’s some skaters to follow on Twitter:

Ben Agosto: @Ben_Agosto

Kimmie Meissner: @kimmiemeissner

Tanith Belbin: @TanithJLB

Evan Lysacek: @EvanLysacek

Parker Pennington: @skateforlife13

Yuna Kim: @Yunaaaa

Rachael Flatt: @RachaelFlatt

Emily Hughes: @EmHughes26

Here’s a few great skating fanatic/expert tweeters to follow:

@figureskatenews

@skating102

@Extreme_Twizzle (Me!)

@OSC_rock

This has nothing to do with skating…It’s my rock band!

A Season of Opportunity:
This is a season of opportunity for skaters and skating fans alike to connect through the wonderful world of social networking. Got a question for your favorite skater? No longer do you need to go through all sorts of channels, just ask them yourself (see the above list of skaters using Twitter and many have Facebook). So let’s all just reach out and digitally touch someone!

A Season of High Stakes:
The top four skaters in singles, pairs and ice dance at the Novice, Junior and Senior level will advance to the 2010 U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Spokane, Washington, beginning January 14th. Since this year is an Olympic year the aforementioned competition will help decide who represents the U.S. at the Winter Olympics in Vancouver (starting February 12th) as well as the athletes who will be eligible to compete at the 2010 World Championships, beginning March 22, 2010, in Torino, Italy. Che il divertimento!

A Season of Comebacks:
2006 Olympic Silver Medalist, Sasha Cohen recently announced her return to competitive skating, shooting to be a member of the U.S. Olympic figure skating team.
Kimmie Meissner- Personally, one of my favorite skaters (her and Ben Agosto are neck and neck) is making her own comeback. America’s sweetheart Meissner, the 2006 World Champion, 2007 U.S. National Champion, and 2007 Four Continents Champion. (FYI- she is the first American and the first lady to simultaneously hold the World, Four Continents, and National titles) has recently changed scenery, moving to Florida, and is training hard while finding time to be the spokesperson for the Cool Kids Campaign helping children with cancer.

2-Time Olympic Silver Medalist and 3-Time World Champion Elvis Stojko Returns to the ice after a long hiatus. The outspoken and powerful skater is back. The king is reborn! Named for the King of Rock & Roll, this kung-fu master, adrenaline junkie is very passionate about the need for the power and masculine side of skating to be acknowledged. His first appearance will be at a KFC holiday special.
Xue and Hongbo- China’s most prestigious pairs team are making a grand return. Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo are once again gracing the ice after a retirement of two years. The 3-time figure skating world champions have their eyes set on the 2010 Winter Olympic podium.
Michelle Kwan-The recent college graduate with her political science still may make the biggest comeback of all and shoot for the 2010 Games (it’s still a long-shot, but one can hope). If she decides not to spend more time traveling around the globe through the State Department she’ll have to begin her comeback trail at the Southwest Regional Skating Championships, to be held in Scottsdale, Arizona beginning October 23rd.

A Season of Coach Changes:
Caroline Zhang, Mirai Nagasu, Jeremy Abbott, Keauna McLaughlin and Rockne Brubaker have all made recent coaching changes.

Is something missing? With all the recent skating buzz including Evan Lysacek’s fiery win at the Figure Skating World Championships in March and ice dancing pair Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto just missing gold by a hair and the 2010 Winter Olympics rapidly approaching, the air is electric…But what ingredient is missing? Perhaps a reality skating show that follows skaters around as they prepare for the Winter Games? A Bizarre Foods skater spin-off, where champion figure skaters explore all the exotic locations they visit and partake in local dishes of the exotic, extravagant and down-right weird?
Or maybe we just need to patent some fresh one-liners for the Olympic hopefuls like this gem from prior master of the ice…“I hope you brought your silver polish MacElroy, cause that was gold” (Chazz Michael Michaels-Blades of Glory). Either way this season is on! Let the games and tweets begin.

2009 World Figure Skating Championships Are Here!

2009-03-25T10:55:00.001-07:00

OK so I’m frantic right now. It’s all come down to sorting out my life and prioritizing what is truly important to my daily survival…Venti Starbucks Americano. Check…No I don’t want any room for cream! Do I look like I want to dilute my piping-hot espresso/boiling water mix (sweet nectar of the gods)…of course not. Now I can get down to business. Do I work on the three research projects/papers that I’ve been procrastinating on and pontificating about for weeks (It’s just Grad-School right?), do I see who’s advancing into the Sweet 16 for this year’s March Madness and begin my predictions for the advancement to the NCAA final four! What about the World Figure Skating Championships in L.A.?! Do I take my dog on a walk who’s been staring at me with his sad droopy eyes and half-cocked head for 25 minutes straight! Stop staring at me Cody, I’m thinking!!! Sorry, this is a hectic week; flipping channels from ESPN to ESPN2 to ESPN8 “The Ocho” (Sorry, had to throw a Dodgeball reference in there) and most importantly Oxygen Network. I have to be honest…It took me 5 minutes of channel surfing to finally cave on my “mantuition” (that’s dude-speak for man-intuition) and stop for directions (T.V. guide).

The 2009 ISU World Figure Skating Championships are under way as I live and breathe! There’s a record number of skaters competing this year- 216 skaters from 52 ISU members have been entered. Brazil, Ireland and Montenegro (the sovereign independent state located just across the Adriatic Sea from Italy) will participate for the first time in a World Championship. This is the last, I’ll say it again, the last top major global skating event until the 2010 Winter Olympics next year in Vancouver. Will the U.S. ladies be able to clinch three spots for the Olympic team? Rachael Flatt and Alissa Cizny need a combined placement of 13th or better (for example placing 6th and 7th or say 4th and 9th…You catch my drift). So here it is ladies and jelly-spoons, the skinny on the competition and the stats so far.

Pair Skating: German Pair Skaters, Aliona Savchenko and Robin Szolkowy (the defending champions) received 72.30 points last night, putting them roughly three points ahead of the Russians (Yuko Kawaguchi and Alexander Smirnov) going into today’s free skate. China's Zhang Dan and Zhang Hao finished third with 67.42 points. U.S. champions Keauna McLaughlin and Rockne Brubaker (making their senior-level debut) landed ninth with 53.62 points, while Caydee Denney and Jeremy Barrett (52.74) placed 10th. McLaughlin/Brubaker are only in their third season together and Denney/Barrett, less than 10 months, so not too shabby at all.
Ice Dancing: Russia's Ice Dancing team Oksana Domnina and Maxim Shabalin won the compulsory dance with 40.77 points, clinching an early lead in the ice dance competition. The Americans Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto are holding on to second place with 39.65 points. This is their first competition since Ben injured his back in South Korea. Canada's Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir are third. Injury has plagued ice dancing with the French team and reigning World Champions out due to a shoulder injury and Agosto’s herniated disc nearly keeping the U.S. pair from qualifying for Worlds. But the U.S. duo is resilient as Ben himself noted in an online post, "There's nothing like a little adversity to light a fire under your butt," It’s anyone’s game right now, but I’m confident Belbin and Agosto will shine. They’ve made it clear in recent interviews that they aren’t looking for a spot on the podium, but fighting for the gold. The original dance is Thursday, and the free dance Friday.
Ladies: Everyone is wondering if Japan’s Mao Asada (reigning Grand Prix & World Champ) or South Korea’s Kim Yu-Na will enter next year’s Olympics as the world champion. The two have fluctuated back and forth with placement in preceding international events. But Canada’s Joannie Rochette could upset both. She’s managed to defeat Asada twice this season and is a formidable opponent.
Men: With the 2008 World Champion and Canadian skating extraordinaire, Jeffrey Buttle, retiring, there definitely will be a battle for the new World Champion crowned in L.A. this week. 18-year-old, Canadian, Patrick Chan, won his first ISU Championships title in February with a new season best of 249.19 points (the highest score any skater has achieved this season so far). Grand Prix Figure Skating Final Champion Jeremy Abbott (United States) is a strong podium contender as well. Another big question is can the charismatic, Two-time World bronze medalist Evan Lysacek (United States) make it to the podium in his home town of L.A.?

Here’s the schedule of the ISU World Figure Skating Championships 2009 (Caveat- I hear there’s some sort of 3 hr delay on airing so keep that in mind when looking at posted schedules):
Tuesday, March 24: Compulsory Dance, Pairs Short Program
Wednesday, March 25: Men’s Short Program, Pairs Free Skating
Thursday, March 26: Original Dance, Men’s Free Skating
Friday, March 27: Ladies Short Program, Free Dance
Saturday, March 28: Ladies Free Skating
Sunday, March 29: Exhibition Gala

For more information, full entry lists and results please see: www.isu.org and http://www.isuworlds2009.com/

Cheers!

Matt

"On The Edge" With Stars On Ice

2009-02-12T18:36:00.000-08:00

It’s refreshing when kids surprise you with insight that you generally reserve for adults. So to all those nay-sayers that think our youth is hopeless, clueless and solely obsessed with Hannah Montana (who can blame them…those songs are catchy) you are dead wrong. Granted, when I was ten I think the only things I cared about was Oreos, dinosaurs and Playmobil (for those of you who don’t remember that wonder of play-set…It was basically the biggest competitor of Lego and freaking cool…sorry, I should refrain from digressing about and regressing to my childhood).

What does this have to do with figure skating you ask? I’m getting to it…It’s a dramatic build-up. So here we are at the Denver stop of the 2009 Smucker’s Stars on Ice tour here in my home state of Colorado. The tour consists of many of the skaters you already love and cherish, or just fell in love with on the 2008 Disson Skating tour. The tour this year is helping raise money for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America by donating a portion of the proceeds from ticket sales. Here’s where the insightful and awesome kids come in…
A group of Denver Boys & Girls Club members came to the show and were treated to a meet-and-greet with the skaters and an exclusive rink-side rehearsal show. Watching the group’s eyes light up and jaws drop in amazement at the speed and skill of the amazing athletes of this tour was fantastic. It’s really hard to appreciate danger factor that goes into figure skating until one of the athletes comes screaming by (backwards), then rocketing through the air into a triple lutz. My mouth was gaping just like the kids...Child-like wonder is a great thing. Two of the ambassadors of the Boys and Girls Club present won an essay contest, writing about who there respective hero’s are. None of them had been to a Smucker’s Stars on Ice show and boy, were they in for a treat. But we’ll save the show highlights for a later…

One of the girls asked a poignant question I never thought to ask myself...and I pride myself on a penchant for asking obscure questions in most situations. With a look of real concern she asked where all of the ice goes when the show is over, and more importantly does it get recycled? She was adamant that it should be. We’re in an age where environmental conservation and sustainability practices are being ingrained in our children at younger and younger ages. It’s awesome. I think Al Gore is partially to thank for his ground-breaking documentary “An Inconvenient Truth" and for creating the internet…Thanks Al! You’ve helped lay the groundwork for an environmentally friendly and globally connected youth…I’m being a bit facetious about Gore, but nonetheless, this group of friendly and mature pree-teens took me back a little.
I followed up on the inquiry of the young environmentalist in training, partially because she was so concerned and equally due to my own curiosity, and discovered that the Pepsi Center keeps the ice for the Colorado Avalanche hockey games. The ice melts slowly and the run-off goes into the event centers main drainage system. I learned an additional interesting ice fact that you can quiz your skating friends on, or better yet your friends who claim to be hockey buffs: Figure skaters need substantially thicker ice at a warmer temperature than hockey players. Why? The reason is, they need to be able to pick into the ice for landing those sweet quads and triple-salchows. So, for the Avalanche game the following night they shave some layers of the ice and keep it at a cooler temperature than before.

On to the show! The power-house cast kept the energy peaked in the mile-high city throughout the production. Reigning World Champion Jeffrey Buttle’s routine to Jamiraquai’s “Canned Heat” (The song from Napoleon Dynamite…if that helps) was electrifying. He’s not only one the top male figure skaters, with amazing technique coupled with grace, the emotive qualities of the choreography and music resonate from him. He’s one of the most expressive male skaters I’ve seen. The lights and sounds were of the caliber that any rock star could appreciate. Speaking of rock stars the heart-throb of the rink, John Zimmerman showed he is the epitome of a rock star on blades. First, he broke the hearts of four of the ladies in the cast, skating with one and going to the next in a fantastic and seductive routine. Secondly, his presence made all the ladies in the audience scream as he performed to Led Zeppelin’s “I’m Gonna Crawl”, and thirdly, anyone who performs an ice skating routine to Led Zeppelin is a rock star…Plain and simple. Just like Evan Lysacek is a rock star for being one of the most innovative and exciting male skaters, but also because he does a stellar routine to Michael Jackson (moon-walk and all).

The 2010 Winter Olympics arrive in Vancouver in just under a year! Be a part of the best opportunity to see former Olympic champions and current Olympic hopefuls perform as Smucker’s Stars on Ice continues for the 23rd season. The all-new production “On the Edge” promises to keep fans on the edge of their seats as the best skaters in the world show their amazing moves on the ice. Featuring Olympic Silver Medalist Sasha Cohen with special guest skaters, including reigning World Champion, Jeffrey Buttle, World Champion and six-time U.S. Champion, Todd Eldredge, 1998 Olympic Gold Medalist, Ilia Kulik and much more. What more could you want!
Keep up to speed on the rest of the tour stops by going to the
Official Stars on Ice website.

Until next time, this is Matt signing off from the greatest show on Earth (not the circus...Stars on Ice)

An Olympians' Patriotic Field Trip

2008-12-22T21:35:00.000-08:00

When you’re an Olympic figure skater or Olympic gymnast in Rapid City, South Dakota the week before Christmas, what is the first thing you do? (Hint: it has nothing to do with figure skating or gymnastics…)

Throw on your warmest socks and boots and head to Mt. Rushmore of course! And I do mean WARMEST clothes – it’s been between minus six degrees and 18 degrees all weekend. And don’t even get me started on the broken thermostat in my room, or how I forgot to pack pajama pants and had to borrow someone else’s long underwear to sleep in, or how I forgot deodorant, and had to buy Old Spice men’s deodorant to use from the gift shop. It’s all part of life on the road – or as sound guy/production manager and all-around go-to guy Eric puts it, “There ain’t nothin’ like show business.” He of course, was talking about more than just forgotten clothes – he was talking about travel troubles that plagued the show from the very beginning, but that is for another post.

Anyhow, three vans full of Olympic, world and national champions loaded up today for a field trip to Mt. Rushmore before kicking off a day of rehearsals at the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center. There was U.S. champion Evan Lysacek cuddling with his girlfriend, ice dancing champion Tanith Belbin in one car while friends Nastia Liukin, Shawn Johnson and Samantha Peszek giggled in the backseat of another car. Their names should sound familiar but in case they don’t, think back on this summer’s 2008 Olympics:

Nastia Liukin: 2008 Olympic individual all-around gold medalist, 2005 and 2007 World Champion on the balance beam, and the 2005 World Champion on the uneven bars. She is tied with Shannon Miller as the American gymnast having won the most World Championship medals.

Shawn Johnson: 2008 Olympic women’s balance beam gold medalist, individual all-around silver medalist, the 2007 all-around World Champion and the 2007 and 2008 U.S. all-around champion.

Samantha Peszek: an American national team gymnast and member of the U.S. 2008 Olympic women’s gymnastics team.

The gymnast list is decorated with many top male and female athletes, too many to describe here. The figure skating list is equally as long and decorated. 2008 U.S. bronze medalist Caroline Zhang makes her first appearance in a Disson show, and she is working her tail off to nail her routines. She and her mom joined our Mt. Rushmore excursion and I couldn’t help but wonder how she wasn’t freezing in her thin – yet adorable! – little coat. She’s only 15, not much younger than many of the gymnasts, and I can usually find her playing games or texting friends on her Iphone.

The trip to Mt. Rushmore included a lot fewer historical facts, and a ton more fun. Everyone giggled in the cold as we made the trek to the viewing area. The gymnasts hopped up on the wall and did hand stands for the cameras in front of the monument. Lucky bystanders who got to see these inspiring Olympic champions strike goofy poses in front of the monument snapped pictures of their own. As the group headed back to the cars, I lagged behind for a moment to appreciate the wintry forest and rolling hills around me, wishing I knew a little more about the monument. I couldn’t help but appreciate a rare, proud patriotic moment – it seemed perfect to picture the chiseled faces of some of our country’s most influential leaders looking over some of our country’s most inspiring athletes.

A bitter breeze brings me back, and I head down with some of the crew to get rehearsal started for what is going to be the best show of the season: “Progressive presents Skating & Gymnastics Spectacular” tomorrow night at the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center! There are just a few tickets left and you can visit www.gotmine.com to purchase them!

A champion figure skater's embarrassing moment

2008-11-19T15:36:00.000-08:00

How does it feel to moon 1,000 Canucks? There’s only one person that would know the answer to this and that’s eight-time British champion Steven Cousins. Video camera in hand, Rockne Brubaker filmed for icenetwork.com this morning while his partner, Keauna McLaughlin, posed the question to Steven. He laughed a little sheepishly (as I imagine he did when the incident happened) and sarcastically said he was glad Keauna asked.

The performance was Skate Canada. Steven was out on the ice and slipped during his routine, falling to the ice. “I got up, finished the routine, and did my bows,” he said. “I bowed to one side of the arena and they all clapped, while the crowd behind me laughed and I couldn’t figure out why… so I turned around, bowed to the other side and they clapped while the people behind me started laughing.” It wasn’t until Steven left the ice that he found out he had torn his pants during his fall and when he bowed, he mooned the arena full of fans. Not knowing what to do, he ran into quick change and asked around to see if anyone had something he could wear for his next routine. He was in luck, Kurt Browning had one, but it had a maple leaf on it. “That’s okay, I live in Canada now,” Steven said he thought to himself. He donned the outfit and headed back to the ice.

It was a rough night for Steven and he missed another landing, falling to the ice. And once again, split Kurt’s outfit down the back, exposing his backside. Steven quickly changed and headed back to the hotel, ready for that night to be over.

“Thankfully it happened before YouTube was around,” Steven said, and I’ll admit I was a little bummed because I wouldn’t be able to see the incident myself on my computer.

Steven had a great sense of humor about it and Keauna, Rockne, Viktor Petrenko, Jozef Sabovcik and Jeffrey Buttle laughed nearly the whole way to the Nutter Center. Jeffrey admitted he’d had a similar experience. He fell back on his blade once and cut his outfit along with his thigh. “I still have the scar on my thigh,” he said, but never realized he cut himself “because of the adrenaline.”

“Wow, you’re flexible,” Keauna said to Jeffrey, which made ME laugh because just the day before I’d watched Keauna and Rockne rehearse, and thought exactly that – “wow, you guys are flexible.”

It’s getting close to go-time here at the Nutter Center in Dayton, OH, so I’ll wrap this post up before I miss the show! Tonight’s “Skate for the Heart” show with the music of Kenny G promises to be an amazing one! I caught a glimpse of the steamy tango routine with Shae-Lynn Bourne, Steven Cousins, Jeffrey Buttle and Viktor Petrenko and can’t wait to see what’s in store…

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

2008-11-13T11:54:00.000-08:00

(Nancy Kerrigan skates and poses with excited kids from Easter Seals in Las Vegas)

...I'm talking about the holidays of course! There is nothing that says "it's Christmas!" like a figure skating show with headliner Amy Grant and two-time Olympic medalist Nancy Kerrigan in the middle of a desert. Okay, that is going to need a little bit of explaining I think.

On Tuesday, 11/11, some of the greatest figure skaters (and most well-loved!) descended upon the city of sin, Las Vegas, to bring a little holiday cheer for "Amway presents Holiday Tribute on Ice." The show took place at The Orleans and while it was a toasty 70 - 80 degrees outside, the cast, crew and sponsors bundled up inside to set up Christmas trees, rehearse for the show and make sure everything was in working order for a fabulous show! And it was well worth it... the show came together magically! Amy Grant and Michael W. Smith performed Christmas classics flawlessly and the skaters did amazing. If you missed the live show, fear not, you can enjoy it on NBC Sunday, Nov. 30, 2008 from 4 - 6 p.m. EST. It will also be aired on the Style Network on the following dates:

December 21, 2008
10 - 11 a.m. EST
December 22, 2008
4 - 5 p.m. EST
December 24, 2008
2 - 3 p.m. EST

Part of what made this show so great, had nothing to do with the actual show and everything to do with holiday spirit. On Monday morning, the skaters were honored to serve lunch to and spend time with troops and their families from Nellis Air Force Base to show them how much they appreciate their dedication to our country. Kentucky Fried Chicken provided the food and the skaters provided the waitstaff... themselves! After lunch, the skaters returned to the ice while the troops and their families took front-row seats to watch the dress rehearsal and returned Tuesday to watch the show!

Later in the day, Easter Seals rounded up a group of kids and brought them to the arena to meet the skaters and get the opportunity to skate out on the ice with them! Hand-in-hand with some and holding others, the skaters shared their love of skating with each child. Kids bounded off the ice with big smiles and excited eyes to tell their friends and parents what it's like to ice skate with a champion... as I laced up skates for the kids, I couldn't help but smile myself as each one gave me different reasons for being so excited to try it out. There were plenty of cameras and media there to document the special day... and I think it's safe to say that everyone left the rink a little happier than when they arrived.

What's next on the list? Looks like I'll be headed to Dayton, OH for "Skate for the Heart" with Kenny G. This exciting show is aiming to raise awareness for heart disease. What am I most excited about? Well, it looks like Kenny G was nominated for two Latin Grammy Awards for his newest CD and there is nothing that makes a skating routine hotter (or more fun) than a Latin groove... check back and I'll keep you updated!

Legends on Ice!

2008-10-27T22:40:00.001-07:00

I can’t wait to tell you about this week’s show and this time, I get to tell you about it from a whole new perspective… as an assistant stage manager! When Todd, the stage manager, asked me if I’d like to help him out for “Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons Tribute on Ice,” my answer was a nonchalant, “sure – whatever you need.” Excited because it would be something new to try, but a little nervous because I wasn’t sure I knew what the heck a stage manager even does, I masked it all with nonchalance. But I vowed to do my best and see what happened!

I arrived at the Sears Center donned in black (so the cameras and audience couldn’t see me behind the performers) Todd handed me a headset and showed me how to use it. A voice, fuzzy with static, came across his walkie-talkie and he quickly turned and said...”15 minutes ‘til Act One… call 15 mins.” Uhhh – call who? How? On the headset? Wait, where did Todd go? I thought, okay – who would need to know… the performers, duh. So, I headed to Frankie’s headquarters to let them know we’d be rehearsing in 15 minutes followed by the skaters’ dressing rooms. Rehearsal went great – choreographer Lea Ann Miller kept a close eye on the details and directed everyone over the headset. My job was pretty easy – do whatever Todd tells me to do. This included hunting down skaters if they weren’t in their places, getting the zamboni ready for intermission and helping skaters on and off the ice before and after their routines. The bonus part of my job was seeing how a show comes together. Between choreography, lights, cameras, sound, cueing, performing, the band, Frankie, the Four Seasons and hosts Peggy Fleming and Craig Hummer, it’s amazing the shows come together at all – that’s a lot of people that have to be on the same page!

But the show came together beautifully. Before the band and singers went on stage, they all circled up for a prayer. And although Frankie’s getting up there in years, he was still witty and when he cracked jokes and I could imagine the decades of charisma and talent that made him the legend he is today. The crowd showed up and seemed to know every word to every song that played. I was astonished that Lea Ann could run a whole show over a headset from whatever booth she was in.

It was a toss up who the crowd loved more – Frankie or Brian Boitano. Every time he slid onto the ice, fans went wild for Brian. Watching him skate to one of Frankie’s biggest hits “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You,” I looked around me and the beaming fans and couldn’t help but lean over to Frankie’s assistant tour manager and say with a smile, “Brian Boitano skating to ‘Can’t Take My Eyes Off You?’ There are a lot of dreams coming true in that audience right now.” He laughed with me. It’s been 20 years since Brian took home his Olympic medal, but you’d think it was yesterday by the cheering from fans.

Michael Weiss also delivered an unstoppable performance – eliciting a standing ovation from the crowd more than once. As I ran back and forth from dressing room to dressing room, letting people know when and where they needed to be, I noticed Michael diligently practicing his routine on foot, stretching and warming up to whatever he was listening to on his IPHONE. My next goal is to find out what he listens to as he warms up. Other skaters like Yuka Sato, Silvia Fontana, Shae-Lynn Bourne, Marie-France Dubreuil & Patrice Lauzon, Naomi Lang & Peter Tchernyshev, Steven Cousins and more were incredible and I can’t wait to see how it turns out on NBC. The show will be aired Sunday, Nov. 2 from 4 – 6 p.m. EST – don’t miss it!

The show wrapped up and everyone headed to the after party in the club section of the arena. Fleming Jenkins Winery supplied some amazing wine and fans took the opportunity to get their favorite skaters’ autographs. A couple of ladies even stopped me and asked for my autograph and I laughed out loud as I told them I wasn’t a skater. Two didn’t believe me and thought I was lying just so I wouldn’t have to sign autographs. That’s even funnier – I’ve never been asked to sign an autograph and if I was, I certainly wouldn’t say no.  It was another unbelievable show!

Gettin' real with Shae-Lynn

2008-10-26T20:09:00.001-07:00

On a spur-of-the-moment errand trip with Shae-Lynn Bourne yesterday, I had some time to get a Canadian’s perspective on an American situation… the economy.

Our conversation flip-flopped from serious ponderings along the lines of, “Canada isn’t hurting yet, but I’m sure we’ll feel it soon” and about how powerful the U.S. is and how we didn’t see how any country could escape the ripple effects of our declining economy. Shae-Lynn dropped a little Suze Orman financial advice on me and asked if Suze’s statement that Americans grow up hearing “bigger is better whether you can afford it or not” was true or not. I tried to explain the depths of American materialism by describing my need for retail therapy and how, after a bad day, sometimes just walking into a Target makes everything better, whether I buy anything or not. Things got very real on the way to the bank.

On the lighter side of things, we talked about the kind of music Shae-Lynn likes to dance to on the ice. As a very-decorated champion - we’re talking World Ice Dance Champion, ten-time Canadian Champion, four-time World Bronze Medalist and World Silver Medalist – she has probably danced to nearly every genre of music. She mentioned that she likes to dance to a wide variety of music, especially fun, pop music and sometimes has a hard time getting into routines to elevator-ish music. After watching her at the “Smucker’s presents Hot Ice, Cool Sounds” show in Ohio, it seems to me that she could dance to ANYTHING. One of my favorite routines was her cowgirl routine, where she lasso-ed a guy sitting in the front row. (I later heard he was spotted taking pictures with the rope she tangled him up in). As we speak, the gals (and by gals, I mean the star-studded, champion female cast for tomorrow’s show) are rehearsing a routine to Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons’ “Grease” that I think will be super fun to watch and maybe one of the ones that Shae-Lynn likes to do. I believe the guys will also be in the routine.

Back to things getting real, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, these skaters aren’t just amazing athletes, but amazing PEOPLE too. What I'm about to say is super cheesy but if this blog was a magazine, it would have the “Celebs are just like us…” section where stars are caught on camera doing really normal things. There would be photos of the girls shopping and the guys reading the paper in the hotel lobby. You’d see pictures of them towing their luggage around, running errands and grabbing a bit to eat. There would be a photo of our “just-this-once” Starbucks run before rehearsal (which is turning into a regular morning trip) or pictures of them on their phones and Blackberries. They'd have bed-head and be wearing workout clothes most of the time. They are just very down to earth people.

A little history about a lot of legend: Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons

2008-10-23T15:47:00.000-07:00

I know what you’re thinking.

“For a figure skating blog, you sure write a lot about music.”

Well, today is going to be no different but I promise that tomorrow, I will focus on figure skating. It’s just that today, I haven’t spent any time with the skaters – they’ve been out on the ice since 9:30am at the Sears Center rehearsing for the “Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons Tribute on Ice,” in Chicago so I can’t exactly report back on their antics.

Wait – I’ve got a little tidbit about figure skating!! I did sit down with costume designer Denis Pizzacalla and ask him a question that’s been on my mind – “What happens with all those stunning figure skating outfits when the show is over?” (and most importantly, is there any way I could get one in a size 4? I feel that it would be great to have one in my costume box in case of an emergency – is that weird?) Denis said that he takes them home with him and tries to recycle them or make other costumes out of them. It felt wrong to ask if I could get one, so I didn’t. But it’s good to know where they end up. It’s great that they make more than one appearance out on the ice.

Since Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons are headlining the upcoming show this weekend, I’m going to fill you in on a few fun facts about Frankie. Tickets can still be purchased by clicking here. Again, this makes for great pub trivia game questions, so don’t miss this:

Frankie’s real name (it’s a mouthful!): Francis Stephen Castelluccio

Frankie’s real age: When The Four Seasons finally made it, their age was something of an embarrassment. They were a good ten years older than The Beach Boys. The record companies thought no teenagers would listen to a band in their thirties. Valli was 28 when "Sherry" became a hit, and the record company thought it would be better if he were considered 25, so his age was changed. (The Internet Movie Database)

There are about a million hits to go over starting with 29 Top 40 hits and five number one hits with the Four Seasons including “Sherry,” “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” “Walk Like a Man,” “Rag Doll,” and “December, 1963 (oh, What a Night).” As a solo artist, Frankie had nine Top 40 hits and two number one hits, “My Eyes Adored You,” and “Grease.” His best known solo recording maxed out at number two in 1967, “Can’t Take My Eyes of You” which confuses me a little bit. How can you have number one hits, yet your best known recording top out at number two? Hmmm....(Wikipedia)

More recently, Frankie and his music made appearances on The Sopranos. His Web site says, “The characters often spout their admiration for Frankie Valli. Tony Soprano bragged that he used the same florist as Frankie. And Frankie himself, in an acting role, guest-starred in Seasons 5 and 6 of The Sopranos as mobster Rusty Millio – until Rusty’s unfortunate demise in a hail of bullets.”

Frankie grew up in a public housing project—Stephen Crane Village—on the tough streets of Newark, New Jersey. As the character of Tommy DeVito, Frankie’s friend and fellow Four Season, says in Jersey Boys: “If you’re from my neighborhood, you got three ways out: You could join the army. You could get mobbed up. Or—you could become a star.” At an early age, Frankie chose Door No. 3. When he was seven, his mother took him to New York City’s Paramount Theater to see Frank Sinatra. “I saw Sinatra coming out on stage,” Frankie recalls, “and the way he was lit up, it was like he had an aura around him. I decided then and there that’s what I was going to do—be a successful singer.”

If you consider five decades of timeless hits and cameo invitations on popular tv shows 'success,' than yes, Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons have 'made it.' Now let's see if they can deliver the kind of show that we have come to expect from our favorite figure skaters!

I've Got A Fever...Of the Skating Variety...

2008-10-23T08:24:00.000-07:00

...And the only prescription is champion figure skaters coupled with a dose of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees, Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons!

Kristi, the other half of this skating insider dynamic duo, will be blogging, twittering, texting, phoning, emailing and more from this fantastic skating event. So stay tuned.

As I sit at my kitchen table (my make-shift home office) in four layers of shirts and sweats, a ski hat and gloves, typing away in the early morning light of yet another beautiful Colorado fall day; I watch as the sun slowly rises from the East, gently kissing the earth, blanketed in the slightest layer of frost, creating a mysterious vapor effect that dissipates like a cloudy dream. As the vapor rises in unison with the condensation leaving my breath I realize two things: I really need to invest in a heater of some sort, and the 2009 skating season is upon us!

As I giddily shriek this last statement, jumping out of my seat and voraciously clapping my hands, my dog Cody lifts his head with great effort and grunts a long sigh of annoyance at my childish display that has disturbed his third nap of the morning.

Just to be clear about the above outburst, I'm generally a “dude’s, dude” as they say. I like to drink beer and confabulate about the fairer sex and sports…Granted I’m a fair-weather fan that only watched last year’s World Series because my home team, The Colorado Rockies, were in it for the first time, and hearing east coast commentators scramble to have info on Colorado was hilarious… “Well John, I didn’t even know Colorado had a baseball team until today and I believe this quaint little state just transitioned from horse-drawn carriages to motorized vehicles in the past month…” OK that’s a bit of an exaggeration, but you get my point.

I’m not huge into sports but skating is definitely doing it for me. There I said it…I love figure skating! I'm learning, through research and meeting these amazing athletes, all there is to soak up about the sport. I can rattle of names and titles like no other and it’s particularly hilarious to throw in skating ice-breakers during football gatherings at my home that go something like this: “So fellas, who’s pumped for the World Skating Championship in LA this March..." (awkward pause) "...I mean this is the best of the best in the competitive figure skating world! I hope Lysacek nails a quadruple axle for the

…high five? Anyone?”

I could care less that my friends don't get figure skating. I'm pumped that things are kicking off in full swing for this amazing sport.

Here's the layout of some of the major skating events so you can mark your calendars accordingly:

Saturday, October 25, 2008: Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons Tribute on Ice
This spectacular Disson show is at the Sears Center in Hoffman Estates, Illinois. Tickets are still available and range from $42 to $162 seats on the ice. The skating cast includes Olympic Gold Medalist Brian Boitano, 3-time US National Champion Michael Weiss, World Champion Yuka Sato and much more. Get your tickets at the Sears Center Box Office or at www.searscentre.com
or by calling 1-888-SEARSTIX. See all the upcoming Disson shows at www.dissonskating.com

Thursday October 24- Sunday October 26, 2008: 2008 Skate America
This weekend long show at the Comcast Arena in Everett, Washington, is the first of six events in this year's Grand Prix Series and will showcase the talent of 60 top skaters from 15 countries.
For more information go to: www.2008skateamerica.com

March 23-29, 2009: 2009 World Championships
This event, to be held at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California is a qualifier for the 2010 Winter Olympics. L.A. beat out bids from Budapest, Hungary, and Helsinki, Finland to host the event. For more information go to: www.usfsa.org

January 14-24, 2010: US Figure Skating Championships
Spokane, Washington will host this electric night of skating performances just 18 days before the Winter Olympic Games. For more information got to: www.spokane2010.com

February 12-28, 2010 & March 12-21, 2010: 2010 Winter Olympic Games
Vancouver, Canada is hosting the 2010 Winter Olympic Games. Only 16 months (466 days to be exact) remain until the world comes together once more to witness the greatest display of skill, strength, teamwork from top athletes from around the globe. For more information go to: www.vancouver2010.com

Tis the season to skate!

Who IS Peter Cetera?

2008-10-20T12:44:00.000-07:00

I underestimated my parents' generation of music... again. It's not the first time and it certainly won't be the last. But please let me tell you how Peter Cetera and the Cleveland Pops humbled me by their performance in "Smucker's presents Hot Ice, Cool Sounds" last Saturday night in Youngstown, Ohio.

When I first heard that Peter Cetera would be headlining the show, I thought, "WHO is Peter Cetera? And if I don't know him, how the heck is this show going to sell tickets?" The nearly sold out show proved me wrong, wrong and wrong on all accounts. Let's break down the answer to that, question by question:

Who is Peter Cetera?

A Chicago native, Cetera is an American singer, songwriter, bass guitar player and producer probably best known for being an original member of the rock band Chicago, before launching a successful solo career. (thank you Wikipedia)

Trivia game factoid: (if you are like me and partake in pub trivia games then you'll want to listen up - this could come up at any time): The band Chicago originally started out with the name "The Big Thing" (what?? ahahahahaha), before becoming "The Chicago Transit Authority" and later shortening it to "Chicago" after getting complaints from the real CTA.

"Chicago's" first big hit was "25 or 6 to 4" and went on to author hits like, "Where do we go from here?" "Wishing you were here," "Happy Man," "If you leave me now," "Baby, what a big surprise," and "Hard to say I'm sorry." If you don't recognize them by name, do peruse Itunes and take a good listen... I'm SURE you'll know them.

Anyhoo, in 1985, Cetera and "Chicago" went their separate ways, and Peter blessed us with the theme to Karate Kid Part II, "Glory of Love." The song went on to win an ASCAP Award for Most Performed Songs from Motion Pictures and a BMI Film & TV Award for Most Performed Song from a Film. It was also nominated for both an Academy Award and a Golden Globe in the category of Best Original Song, as well as a Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Performance by a Male Artist. It's just an all-around awesome song.

And just when I was sure it couldn't get any more awesome, top national, world and Olympic figure skaters decided to perform to it for their finale this weekend! The nearly-sold out arena was beside itself - fans of all ages cheered and screamed, and although I didn't see any, it would not have surprised me to see a tear or two.

With the power of an orchestra such as the Cleveland Pops to back him up, Cetera delivered an unbeatable performance and threw in a couple of Christmas songs to preview the upcoming holiday season. The skaters did exactly what we knew they would do, and performed magically. Sasha Cohen did a 'duet' on the ice with Brian Boitano, and other greats like Todd Eldredge, Jennifer Robinson, Yuka Sato, Jamie Sale & David Pelletier, Marie-France Dubreuil & Patrice Lauzon, Shae-Lynn Bourne and Michael Weiss performed too... it just doesn't get much better than that.

But there's good news and there's bad news. The bad news first... the live show already happened. The good news... if you missed it, you can see it on NBC on Dec. 25 from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. EST. The even better news? If you own a TIVO (or happen to get one from Santa on Christmas Day) you can watch it over and over and over again.

Another quick trivia game factoid before I leave you: Cetera's trademark singing style would develop as a result of having to sing for a period of time with a wired-shut jaw after getting into a brawl at a Los Angeles Dodgers game in 1969. (according to Wikipedia)... which reinforces my belief that everything happens for a reason, and sometimes we are just not allowed to know why until much later.

I'm not alone in thinking the show was incredible... check out these reviews by fans and show-goers:

Ice Skating Offers Warm and Fuzzy Feeling

Hot Ice, Cool Sounds

If I wasn't a champion figure skater, I would....

2008-10-20T11:49:00.001-07:00

(Sasha Cohen and Brian Boitano perform in "Smucker's presents Hot Ice, Cool Sounds" in Youngstown, OH)

If I could do it all over again, I'd be a professional salsa dancer. There's something about the passion, precision, rhythm and heat of it that makes my heart beat a little faster and my body want to move. While I will be starting lessons soon, it's just a fact of life that I missed the window to be a professional... and that's okay.

But what would you be if you could do it all over again? It's a rhetorical question, and this weekend in Youngstown, Ohio for the "Smucker's presents Hot Ice, Cool Sounds," I found myself debating it after overhearing Olympic Silver Medalist Sasha Cohen talking about what she feels she is missing out on by choosing to figure skate. It was very ironic hearing an Olympic medalist ponder on the things she wants in her life... which just happen to be things that I have and tend to take for granted.

"As athletes, we fine-tune our bodies to reach our greatest potential. But what about our minds? What do we do for our minds?" Sasha threw question after to question on the table for Todd Eldredge, Jennifer Robinson, Shae-Lynn Bourne and other skaters on their way home from a delicious dinner with Youngstown locals and Congressman Tim Ryan.

Sasha mentioned that she wishes she could be in the university atmosphere among peers and thought-provoking professors. She said she wants to be involved in debates. She talked about stocks often throughout the weekend, and when she wasn't rehearsing on the ice, it was likely she was in the production office checking her portfolio and the market. As the youngest skater on the cast list for the show - she's 23 years old - she embodied youth and idealism, and seemed to yearn for many of the things I find my friends, classmates and co-workers immersed in. Politics, the economy, debate, beliefs, insightful discussion and more.

On a lighter note - and perhaps as an outlet to balance all of the serious competition and self-discipline in her life, she talked about cooking. Sasha loves to cook and I believe I heard it mentioned that if she wasn't a skater, she might like to open her own bakery.

Here are some recipes I found online that are credited to Sasha:

Sasha Cohen's Warm Chicken Salad Delight Recipe

SASHA'S FAMILY OATMEAL COOKIE RECIPE
(from Sasha's journal - Dec. 18, 2006 entry)

A few of Sasha's favorite ice cream recipes

Enough food - back to the real reason we're here - figure skating! It's no easy feat to be a champion figure skater. Most of the skaters - if not all - began when they were teeny-tiny kids, and found themselves practicing for hours on end. Being a champion can mean 4-8 hrs of rehearsal each day. It can mean sacrificing friendships and relationships to move around the country to train with the best coaches in the world. It can mean gory injuries (someone once landed a jump in Sasha's leg with their skate - hear about it in an interview here). It can mean missing out on pursuing other interests like higher education or other occupations.

But in return for the sacrifice, there is glory. There is the satisfaction of knowing you are one of the greatest contenders in the world in your field. There is the fulfillment of dedicating yourself to something you love and getting to spend your life pursuing it. You get to inspire thousands - if not millions - of people around the world through your craft. You get to travel and meet people, perform for adoring fans, and use your success to help raise awareness for important causes around the world.

And when the day is done, you can crawl into bed at night, physically exhausted from your sport and hopefully, excited to wake up tomorrow and get back out on the ice to do it all again.

Bloggin' from Bloomington

2008-10-15T17:03:00.000-07:00

Hey all, Sara Evans here checking in from the Corn Palace! Honorary guest blogger for the day. Ok, maybe not so much. But I did just spend an hour pretending to be her “for tv purposes.” Sounds glamorous, but I was merely a stand-in so the tv crew could frame shots with the skaters and Sara as well. The view from the stage is pretty nice, though the lights can be rather blinding! Can’t see all the action on the ice though, depending on the lighting for that particular number. Oh yeah, and the Skating for Life show is actually taking place at the US Cellular Coliseum, although their sports venue back in the day was called the Corn Palace. That would have been classic though, a skating show taking place in a building covered with corn! We are in the heart of corn country here in Illinois. Coming in on the little plane from Chicago we marveled at the miles and miles of corn fields. Bloomington is also the home of State Farm Insurance and Beer Nuts (no, they are not made with beer…). The airport is lovely, the hotel we stayed at had character and best of all, Starbucks was conveniently located right across the street. Couldn’t ask for more!

So anyway, back to the skating. Looks to be a wonderful show for a great cause. If you didn’t know, the performance this evening is a benefit for Susan G. Komen for the Cure, the renowned breast cancer foundation. Every participant in the show has been touched by the disease in some way, shape or form. This day in age, it is actually hard to find someone that hasn’t been affected by cancer. The skaters will perform a number in tribute to a family member that has battled the disease. Our host, the lovely Peggy Fleming, is herself a survivor of the disease. At the same time it is a tribute, it is also a celebration. Sara and her band are a-rockin’ right now, powering through the dress rehearsal. The skaters feed off of the energy of the live music, and reflect it in their performances for you! Since the show will be starting shortly, I better sign off. I leave you with a few behind-the-scenes moments:

~Props to Jozef and Steven for sucking it up and traveling with us all day Monday straight from the Phoenix show (this included a 4am call time!).

~Monday night practice, which turned into a dance class with Jennifer Robinson showing the gang a few moves.

~Skaters bundled up in the freezing practice rink on Tuesday, then warming up with a hot meal at Biaggi’s Italian Restaurant.

~Emily Hughes taking time out to skate with a contest winner (6 yr-old Addison) before practice this morning.

(Thanks to guest blogger, Kristin!)

What it's all about...

2008-10-14T18:37:00.000-07:00

(Kevin Jonas, Kristi Yamaguchi, Joe Jonas and Nick Jonas chatting in an interview)

The show was amazing! How amazing, you ask? So amazing that it took me nearly two days (and 15 hours of sleep) to back to a normal, functioning state so that I could write this blog.

I’m trying to pick a good place to start… should I start when show day did, at 6:30 a.m. when the craziest of the Jonas Brothers fans began lining up outside of the U.S. Airways Arena – even though the show didn’t start until 5 p.m.?? Or perhaps I should start when the skaters began rehearsing at 10:30 a.m. They woke up bright and early ready to hit the ice nearly all day to perfect their choreography and make sure the night went without a single hitch.

Perhaps I’ll get sidetracked before I even begin and talk about driving the Jonas Brothers band from the hotel to the arena and asking the brilliant question: “So, you guys ever played a show like this – you know – choreographed to dance or skating or on the ice?” I was politely corrected by who I think was the keyboardist when he said, “um, yes, we’ve actually played shows like this and we’ve played on the ice before.” They then went on to tell me how they’d just flown in from Europe the day or two before. I think that next time, I probably won’t ask any questions.

But I think where I really want to start is with the REAL star of the show… Kristi Yamaguchi. It is, after all, the “Bayer Healthcare Diabetes Care presents Kristi Yamaguchi Friends & Family.” And I think it’s safe to say that she might’ve been one of the busiest (and hardest working!) ones out there! Between rehearsals for group routines, practicing the special number with her daughter to ‘Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star,’ visits to CrocPond’s Fat Cat Animation Studios to meet the super talented crew over there and hear the inspiring stories and cartoons that are being created for children there, interviews with various media members, an extra-special interview with Nick Jonas about his campaign to help kids cope with juvenile diabetes, taking the entire cast to dinner at the Old Spaghetti Factory, she was a BUSY gal.

The most amazing part? With her busy schedule, she still took the opportunity to spend time with her adorable daughters and equally adorable husband, Bret Hedican of the Carolina Hurricanes. (Okay – adorable may not be the right word to describe Bret – perhaps handsome? Good-looking? You get the point.) It’s very obvious that Kristi’s friends and family are her #1 priority even when things get hectic… ESPECIALLY when things get hectic. Her many family members were happy to step in and watch the girls when Kristi had to head to an interview or help out whenever needed.

On and off the ice, this weekend was truly about friends and family. Children ran (and skated!) circles around their champion figure skating parents while friends watched from the edge of the ice and cheered in support. Fans and their friends filled the arena and screamed for their favorite celebrities until their voices were gone. It was a magical evening to celebrate the most important people in our lives… our friends and family!

Don’t worry if you missed the live show! It was recorded and will air on NBC on Nov. 8, 2008 from 4 p.m. – 6 p.m. EST. Even if you were there, be sure to tune in for surprises and special moments you might’ve missed!

Kids kids everywhere...

2008-10-11T22:45:00.001-07:00

(pictured above are the kids of skaters at dinner tonight - most of them will perform in the show alongside their parents!)

T-minus 20 hrs until showtime! Tons of stuff happened today and I have lots to update you on...

First things first, Kurt Browning originally planned to host Kristi's show tonight, but due to his father's illness, he had to miss the show. A great article was written about it, so be sure to read it here. Kurt will be missed! Steven Cousins decided to step in last minute and is rehearsing with Kristi Yamaguchi as we speak at the U.S. Airways Center (it's 11 p.m.!)

The cast rehearsed ALL day today so as to not miss a single beat tomorrow night. Even the kids worked their tails off (but not all their energy!) Kristi Yamaguchi invited everyone and their families out for a fun family evening at the Old Spaghetti Factory and boy did it get crazy! The adults chatted each other up while the young, aspiring skaters ran circles around the room.

The Jonas Brothers and Demi Lovato also arrived tonight and plan to be up and at 'em with the sun tomorrow morning.

Let's see... what else. The skaters autographed skates and programs in between rehearsals, somehow we all fit lunch in (gorging ourselves on Musselman's Applesauce - thanks to Musselman's for sponsoring the show and providing all the free 'sauce). All I can remember were kids everywhere... running around, skating around, giggling, crying, cracking jokes and hanging out. Many of them did interviews alongside their parents and they were ALL super excited about the show tomorrow.

Okay - the morning starts early so I'm off to bed! Don't want to miss or waste a moment of tomorrow so I can tell you all about it!

Should Michael Weiss be worried?

2008-10-10T23:15:00.000-07:00

According to USA Today, the Dow fell 679 points. I’ve never been very good at math, but after thinking back on the last few weeks, and seeing that headline today, I couldn’t help but think “how are there any points left to keep dropping?” I wasn’t the only person worried about my portfolio (which up until now was immense and very wisely invested…errr… okay, let’s be real, I don’t have money for a portfolio.)

Anyway, there we are, on our way to the Alltel Ice Den to rehearse for the “Bayer Healthcare Diabetes Care presents Kristi Yamaguchi Friends & Family,” when Michael Weiss lets out a sarcastic chuckle from the back seat. I turn around to be let in on the joke, and he says, “Oh, just looking at my portfolio, and probably shouldn’t have.”

There are a lot of other things I feel Michael Weiss should be stressed about… how about the upcoming show in just two days?? (Did you know that skaters only spend the first TWO days before a show learning their routines?) Today, they met with choreographer Lea Ann Miller to go over the music and practice together for the first time. Knowing the precision and perfection that skaters pull off in a show, I can’t believe it all comes together in two days??

Perhaps he should be stressed about the thousands of fans he’ll be performing in front of and worried about messing up? (although, something tells me he doesn’t mess up much). What if he doesn’t land the Michael Weiss back flip? What if he eats something that doesn’t agree with him and gets sick all weekend? What if one of his kids gets sick? BTW – daughter Annie-Mae and son Chris were out on the ice today cracking jokes and picking on each other like most siblings do until they got serious enough to practice their routine for Sunday night… I can’t give it all away, but Michael lifts little Annie-Mae high over his head (pictured)…maybe he should be worried about dropping her?? See, there are lots of things Michael Weiss should be worried about this weekend – least of all his portfolio.

Anyhow, what this says to me is just how REAL all of these legendary skaters are. They are all so down to earth and today I found out all sorts of things I never knew about a few of them. Like how much Jamie Sale likes to goof around. Or how affectionate and gentle Josef Sabovcik is with his two boys. Or how much Kristi Yamaguchi’s daughters look like her? I can't wait to find out more about all of these skaters and their kids tomorrow!

Burnin' Up!

2008-10-09T23:17:00.000-07:00

My plane had barely left the runway at Denver International Airport when my sparkling (and pricey!?) new IPOD shuffled onto ‘Burnin Up’ - the Jonas Brothers most successful single (so far!) I smiled at the seemingly coincidental moment – here I was headed to Phoenix for the ‘Kristi Yamaguchi Friends & Family’ show this Sunday night at the U.S. Airways Arena and there couldn’t have been a better song to kick it off!

“I'm slippin' into the lava
And I'm tryin' to keep from going under
Baby, who turned the temperature hotter?
Cuz I'm burnin' up
Burnin' up for you baby”

I’m picturing the trail of broken teen hearts the Jonas Brothers left as they sold out show after show across America on their hit summer tour ‘Burnin’ Up.’ I can only imagine what the nearly sold out show on Sunday night will bring… get-up-and-dance tunes, screaming girls and, of course, unbelievable figure skating routines by national, world and Olympic champions! To top it all off, ‘Camp Rock’ co-star Demi Lovato and Jordan Pruitt will make appearances which might convince more than a few teen boys to do the same.

The coincidences didn’t end there – eager to chat with my fellow passengers and find out why they were headed to Phoenix, I tucked my IPOD away and struck up a conversation. The gal and her young daughter next to me were headed home from a family vacation in Washington DC. I tried not to laugh while they talked about the ridiculous desert heat (it hits 117 degrees here!!!) and couldn’t help but let out a shocked chuckle when I heard something along the lines of “110 degrees is nice.” I’m skeptical.

Curious to see a candid response to the mere mention of the Jonas Brothers, I told my teen seatmate that the trio would be performing in Phoenix on Sunday and her hazel eyes lit up… just as I suspected… the Jonas Brothers ARE inescapable. She gladly pulled out a magazine she was reading and sure enough – those trademark boy band curls were the first thing I spotted on the cover. As I flipped through the magazine, she pointed out other teen icons and gave me a glimpse into pop culture today. I realized it’s really not that different from my glory years spent pining over heartthrobs like Lance Bass and Nick Lachey (okay – pining might not be the right word – but I certainly saw my fair share of ‘N Sync concerts).

And I thought to myself – I wonder how long the Jonas Brothers will be around? Would their fate end like Hanson’s from my youth – who Mmmmbopped themselves right out of the spotlight? Would their twenties send them on separate paths in search of bigger dreams (hard to imagine considering their success thus far!) But then my adorable new friend said something that surprised me – “Nick has diabetes and I can’t figure out where he puts his pump when he performs!”

She then proceeded to explain to me how she is learning to live with her new-found diabetes, just like Nick, and do all the fun things kids do. Soccer, swim team, basketball, karate… her activity list is almost as long as my to-do list (which gets longer every day). And I realize what an inspiration Nick has been to my new buddy and the thousands of kids across the U.S. who are learning to not only live with juvenile diabetes, but to thrive. And it makes me think that maybe, just maybe, the Jonas Brothers might be bigger than their music.

(Check out Nick's partnership with Bayer Healthcare: Walk in Nick's Shoes)

Not only will their songs follow today’s teens into their twenties (reminding them of some of the best moments of their childhood like the Backstreet Boys do for me! Football games, first boyfriends, school dances, pep rallies and more)but maybe they will help inspire many kids to overcome some of the toughest obstacles they’ll encounter in their teen years. If I had to guess based on my new little friend’s explanation and her curiosity about Nick’s struggle to cope then I would say I might be right on. They've even set up a foundation called Change for the Children where people can donate to five organizations (like the American Diabetes Association!) and they'll match donations up to $10,000 for each one!

I barely made it to the back cover of the teeny bopper magazine when I had to put my tray up for landing. As I stepped off the plane into the startling desert heat (it was only 95 degrees… does it make me a pansy for complaining??) I felt… inspired. And even though I was ‘burnin’ up’... sorry - pun intended, couldn’t resist… I realized that at 26 years old, I could HARDLY WAIT for what this weekend and the show had in store!

Tickets are almost sold out but a few are still available! You can get them by clicking here. Don’t miss it!

Bayer Healthcare Diabetes Care presents Kristi Yamaguchi Friends & Family

U.S. Airways Arena
Oct. 12, 2008
5 p.m.

Sequins, Sit Spins and Signature Moves...Tis the Season to Skate!

2008-10-09T06:53:00.000-07:00

The build-up to the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver/Whistler British Columbia is already electrifying. You know how they have that tiny sign on gas pumps that tell you not to talk on your cell phone while pumping gas and refrain from opening and closing car doors due to static-buildup, which could cause a deadly explosion...Well, it's like that, but with Canadian flare. (By the way, those gas pump signs should probably be a bit bigger considering the message is about preventing an explosion...I care more about that than a buy 3 slurpees get the next 1 at half price deal.) All this excitement already and the games are still 497 days away. Predictions are being made that the event will sell out despite the economy being in the slumps and sparks are flying over the removal of women's ski jumping and the possible addition of sled-dog racing. Not to worry, figure skating is in no danger of being removed from the 2010 Olympics.

Figure skating of course, is a huge part of the games and many cast members for the Disson Skating shows are contenders for the 2010 Olympics including 2x US champion Evan Lysacek and 2006 Olympic Silver medalist Sasha Cohen. These amazing shows may be the closest you can get to seeing Olympic level athletes in action... With the additional bonus of fantastic live music guests. Check out the full list of cast members and show dates at: (http://www.dissonskating.com/)

Below is a tentative pricing guide for the key 2010 Olympic events:

Opening Ceremonies: ($185-$1018)
Figure Skating: ($50-$525)
Hockey: ($25-$775)
Speed Skating: ($95-$185)
Closing Ceremonies: ($185-$793)

(info courtesy of vancouver2010.com)

For your reading pleasure (and so you don't have to go searching for the articles...That's what I'm here for) I've compiled a few of the more recent stories about our beloved skaters and the upcoming shows. Enjoy!

1) Peggy Fleming to Host four skating shows on NBC (Ice Network)

2) Jeffrey Buttle Takes Browning's Place in T.V. Special... (IFS Magazine)

3) Olympians Liukin, Johnson to perform in Rapid City (Rapid City Journal)

4) Sasha Cohen back in training, aims for 2010 Olympics (Orange County Register)

CrocPond, Kristi Yamaguchi and Free Stuff! The Perfect Trifecta!

2008-10-08T13:20:00.000-07:00

The Kristi Yamaguchi Friends and Family show is just around the corner! This Sunday (October 12th) Olympic Hall-of-Famer Kristi Yamaguchi will be joined by a cast of amazing skaters including Olympic Gold medalists Jaime Sale and David Pelletier, as well as two-time Olympic medalist Nancy Kerrigan and much more! The latetest Disney music phenomenon The Jonas Brothers will be the musical headliner for this event that is all about family.

Kristi Yamaguchi (mother of two with husband Bret Hedican of the Carolina Hurricanes) has always been involved with children's organizations, and even started her own Always Dream Foundation for children in 1996. Something that sets this show apart from many other skating shows is the fact that many of the skater's children are expected to participate in this one-night-only event.

On to the free stuff! One of the sponsors of the event is CrocPond's, a children's entertainment and educational company that uses film, online/interactive products, merchandise and publishing to "provide a solid foundation for children, upon which wise choices can be made within a world of infinite possibilities." They will be giving each family that attends the Kristi Yamaguchi Friends and Family show a free copy of CrocPond's "RINDIN the Puffer" storybook, which includes an animated short on DVD. I watched the DVD and it's actually really good...OK, I said it. I'm a 24 year old guy and I like watching cartoons about goofy fish that learn the importance of being yourself. It was heart-warming, alright. I'm not made of stone. All of these goodies are compliments of CNW Entertainment and CrocPond's. For more information on CrocPond's check out their website (which has an epic flash intro) at (http://www.crocpond.com/)

You can even have the cast sign your copy of the book. Kristi Yamaguchi will be visiting the FatCat Animation Studios where CrocPond is made on Saturday. Jealous? I am.

If you aren't in the Phoenix area the show will be televised on NBC at a date to be announced. As soon as I know, you will know too. We have an excellent team of people that will be blogging directly from the show and sending pictures from the event. If you are like so many people I know that just crave constant updates and instant informational gratification (I just coined that phrase...It has a nice little ring to it) follow us on Twitter if you have an account and if you don't have one, it's free and takes only a couple minutes to be ensured you are getting up to the minute accurate updates on the skating world and the amazing athletes we've all come to love. Go to (http://twitter.com/) For those of you who are unfamiliar with Twitter it's basically what would happen if myspace and instant messaging went out on a date, fell in love, then felt things were going to fast and broke up, then reunited, married, had a baby and BAM! you've got Twitter. Sounds kinda weird (I guess it is) but trust me, it's pretty cool. When have I ever steered you wrong?

We'll keep you updated on all the skating happenings.

Cheers Friends!

Lights, Cameras and Dirty Socks?

2008-10-04T10:30:00.000-07:00

Mirai Nagasu, Kristi Yamaguchi and Kimmie Meissner Backstage

So, the McDonald’s Family Tribute on Ice was fantastic last night! The cast did an amazing job. It was a mix between a full-fledged arena rock concert and extreme figure skating action. Sensory overload is the most concise statement I can make. I’ll keep this blog short, since I have a flight to catch and my last two were short novels…and I am working off of little sleep and a few glasses of legendary figure skater Peggy Fleming’s awesome home grown wine. She and her husband Greg started Fleming Jenkins Vineyards and Winery nine years ago, and the time and care put into their product is easily tasted. I had a Cabernet blend that was delicious (and now I’m feeling the aftermath of letting loose at the after party). Check out their website at www.flemingjenkins.com.

Some of the many show highlights: Ryan Bradley did a sweet routine to Van Halen’s “Jump” and landed a killer back--flip. I asked him how one trains to do such a feat, and he apparently just taught himself with no ropes or anything. Just push back and hope you don’t face plant. That’s a good philosophy to live your life by. I’m going to trade mark that.

Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto’s ice dancing routine to the song “Falling Slowly” was beautifully choreographed and a great change in mood for the set.

Evan Lysacek’s Michael Jackson routine was stellar (moon-walking and all). I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone take skating to a dance level that he has.

The live music added a level of energy and excitement that can’t be captured with a recording. The professionalism and choreography of skating moves to live music must be a daunting task. Kudos to everyone!

It’s great to see how everyone prepares differently for a show. I watched as Ben Agosto played a few blues lines on his Gibson Les Paul Standard. I even played around on it…very rarely though, because I was there to work…not hang out and play guitar (Ok, that was just in case my boss reads this. Hi Lynn!)

Ryan Bradley decided it would be fun to see how long it took John Baldwin to smell the dirty sock he was holding inches from his face while John attempted a pre-show nap. I think the game is called “See how long it takes John to smell the dirty sock I’m holding inches from his face…” I clocked it at 25-30 sec. He must have had a cold. Those things were nasty. There were a lot of hand-stands and voice impersonations; snacking on impressive cheese and fruit platters, as well as the last minute, pre-show jitters.

The celebrities were out in force as well, including Dancing with the Stars two-time winner Cheryl Burke, who won season 2 and 3 with Drew Lachey and Emmitt Smith, Kim Kardashian and Shannon Elizabeth. See all the photos from the show at www.dissonskating.com.

I was given the opportunity to jump into the giant video truck where they recorded the show for NBC (It’ll be aired on November 16^th). It’s jaw-dropping how much work goes into it. There were producers and directors talking to the camera men staged all over the venue and choreographing seamless shots that faded, cut and panned at the right moments through the directions of an assistant director following the choreography notes of the show. The back wall of this behemoth semi-truck was a wall of video screens from every angle possible.

As this leg of the adventure comes to an end I want to note how much fun I’ve had. I can’t wait for the next one.

We'll keep you updated with all the latest happenings in the skating world. Cheers and like I always say enjoy life...Just push back and hope you don’t face plant :)

The next show is the Kristi Yamaguchi Friends and Family Show on October 12^th at the
US Airways Arena in Phoenix, Arizona. The cast includes Olympic gold medalists Jamie
Sale andDavid Pelletier, Olympic gold medalist Ekaterina Gordeeva, Olympic gold medalist
Viktor Petrnko, four-time world champion Kurt Browning, three-time U.S. champion and
two-time world bronze medalist Michael Weiss, Olympic bronze medalist Jozef Sabovcik,
and three-time U.S. pairs champions Jenni Meno and Todd Sand. Children of the skaters
are also expected to participate in the show, including Kristi's daughter Keara, who will
be making her debut on the ice at this one-time only show! The Jonas Brothers (Pop
sensations and stars of the Disney Channel original movie "Camp Rock") will join the
skating cast for a rockin evening of entertainment. The show is sponsored by CNW
Entertainment, a children's entertainment and educational company, showcasing its
CrocPond brand. Every child will receive a complimentary CrocPond gift at the show!

Last Night Was Crazy!

2008-10-03T12:40:00.000-07:00

McDonald's Family Tribute Cast at the L.A. Ronald McDonald House

“Ram him! Ram him!” 2006 World Champion and 2007 US Champion figure skater Kimmie Meissner screamed over the pops of gunfire. “Ram the cop!? Or Paul’s van in front of us!? I stuttered. This seemingly mild-mannered skater with the look of the quintessential girl-next-door was shouting orders as her dad Paul crouched behind her, using Kimmie as a human shield. I curled into the fetal position in the back and proceeded to recite a slew of Ave Maria’s (I’m not even Catholic). The block lit up like mid-afternoon with the flood of light from the circling helicopter overhead. Just moments ago we were leaving a quaint restaurant and headed back to get a good night sleep in preparation for tomorrow’s big show. Where have you taken us you stupid GPS system?! Just my luck, the door to this forsaken rental van is jammed. We’d already dealt with the troubles of receiving vans with all the seats removed from the tracks and mismatched, adding extra stress and muttered curses to our morning. Kimmie leaned back, then with the precision of a kung-fu master shattered the side window to get out “I’m definitely not getting the rental deposit back on this van” was the only thought to cross my mind. We’re getting back to the hotel and performing in tomorrow’s tribute show one way or another” she quietly stated in a commanding tone. Welcome to L.A. (The preceding events are grossly exaggerated. Names and places have not been changed because this is a blog, and not the Wall Street Journal.)

Before our group’s exaggerated run-in with the law (which consisted of what seemed to be a block-wide manhunt involving blocked streets and a helicopter), Kimmie didn’t really strike me as a daredevil. I really need to stop relying on first impressions. They rarely serve me well. To think yesterday I watched as she decorated cookies and participated in arts and crafts with families at the L.A. Ronald McDonald House and her fellow McDonald’s Family Tribute on Ice cast, to learning that in 2005 she was the second American woman to land a triple axle jump in competition!

Side note: You can read Evan Lysacek’s blog about the Ronald McDonald House visit in the L.A. Times at: (http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/sports_blog/2008/10/lysacek-gets-pe.html) The Ronald McDonald House in L.A. is a beautiful, brand new facility that serves almost all of L.A. County and works with referrals from four area hospitals to make sure families from all over the county, state, country and even world are able to be near their children as they undergo hospital treatment. It’s inspiring to see such diverse families brought together through hope and mutual support. To learn more about the Ronald McDonald House Charities go to http://www.rmhc.com/.

Back to the Meiss-inator (I just came up with that) I sat and watched her gracefully warm up on the “built-from-scratch” ice rink in the Galen Center on USC campus. I asked her and 2006 Olympic Silver Medalist Ben Agosto how they like the rink, while at dinner at the excellent Silverlake restaurant The Flying Leap (if you go try the Mahi Mahi…It’s awesome and the atmosphere and service is outstanding). They noted how nice the ice is, but the substantially smaller size of the rink lends for skaters needing to adjust how they perform. Imagine being used to performing dangerous and intricate moves on an oval stage of about 200 feet by 98 feet. Now cut that in half and make it a square. In a sport where timing and spatial awareness are crucial, It adds even more difficulties.

Kimmie is on the upswing after a rough season and is making great strides with the help of new coach Richard Callaghan and former U.S. Champion Todd Eldredge. Now training and living in Coral Springs, Florida she mentioned one thing she doesn’t like (besides Jeffrey Buttle’s smelly skates)”The geckos”. I agreed with Ben that it would be cool to have geckos roaming about the house “...especially ones with a British accent that can save you up to 15% on your car insurance” he added. Kimmie’s Dad (who by the way is a hilarious podiatrist…Not that podiatrists are generally un-amiable people), made an astute point that the geckos probably eat the spiders that she would inevitably be calling him later screaming about. Ah, that’s what Dad’s are for; keeping it real. I feel like I’m sitting around a family dinner table with people I’ve known for years, not mere days. We talk about travel, food, music and politics. In that time interacting with Ben Agosto, Kimmie Meissner and Sasha Cohen, I noticed how down to earth these celebrity-athletes really are. People obviously recognize them and at such a young age (Kimmie only turns 19 tomorrow) I wonder how they balance normalcy with constant training, traveling, and celebrity status.

Many of you may not know that Ben Agosto, besides being an amazing figure skater, is a musician. On a prior show he came out skating with guitar in hand and rocked Santana’s “Black Magic Woman”. Talk about multi-talented. I was elated to find a fellow musician in the group. We discussed the finer points of recording and why the Vox AC-30 is such an amazing amp, able to rival a Marshall stack any day, 4x12 Celestion Greenbacks and all. I’m looking forward to jamming with him during down-time today (he brought his Gibson Les Paul.) I never figured I’d be strumming chords with a 5 time U.S. Champ and Olympic Silver Medalist.

I’ll keep you updated on all of the happenings from the show. For example we have breaking news that Evan Lysacek was just invited to the Mercedes Benz LA Fashion Week and will be attending the Christian Audegier main tent, front row. Additionally, Kimmie Meissner has just added me as musical support to one of her routines.

Cheers!

What the Heck is a Twizzle?

2008-10-02T07:43:00.000-07:00

Jeffrey Buttle Rehearsing at the Toyota Sports Center

I usually consider myself a discerning individual. So I feel kinda silly when I’m surprised at how cold the Toyota Sports Center ice rink is. Granted I am in a short sleeve shirt and sandals. I guess ice isn’t any warmer in L.A. compared to say Colorado. Frozen water is frozen water wherever you go. Well played Matt. All those years of education and countless loans are truly paying off.

But I digress. I have to make a confession...

I don't know anything about figure skating. I take that back. I'm learning. Growing up I had a mom that loved figure skating so I know a Triple Salchow is a skating maneuver and not a blended latte from Starbucks. As I'm typing, all five-foot-nothing of 2008 U.S. Champion Miria Nagasu is prancing and frolicking around the concession area of the Toyota Sports Center Cafe after finishing an interview with the L.A. Times and a random thought hits me; the Winter Olympics are soon upon us! Just over 2 years away. That may seem like a long ways off, but when you think that ticket sign-ups begin tomorrow (Friday, October 3^rd) and that my fair city of Denver is already working on being a contender to host the 2018 Winter Olympics, two years and some change isn’t so far off. It’s aboot time to crack open the maple syrup and let the Olympic-related controversies roll…Eh?

You thought Beijing was scandalous with Tibet-related protests, pollution scares, Olympians wearing oxygen masks and contention around the true age of mysteriously young-looking Chinese gymnasts. Well, Vancouver and Whistler, B.C. are wasting no time. New ticket surcharges are causing a slight uproar. Well, maybe not an uproar; more like passive aggressive commiserating over a $4-$18 ticket hike. Protest groups like the Olympics Resistance Network have already begun disrupting the Olympic kickoff with the use of true guerrilla weaponry like pots, pans, megaphones and obnoxious jeering chanting "F*%# The Olympics...Eh!?" (I added the eh…but they are Canadian, so I’m sure it was implied.) Another scandal is the claim that the 2010 Olympics are being help on stolen indigenous land (if you use that for a reason not to host the Olympics, we can’t have the games anywhere). But the biggest scandal by far is the Olympic Committee in their clandestine nature covertly trying to trademark two lines of the Canadian National Anthem for the 2010 Winter Olympics: “with glowing hearts" from the English version of the anthem and "des plus brilliants exploits," which makes an appearance in the French version. What the heck is that all aboot?! (You may be wondering…Lord knows I am.) Part of me feels sorry for the cast members of the McDonald’s Family Tribute on Ice that are Olympic contenders. There’s a good chance they will have to put up with a lot of unnecessary hassle associated with Olympic drama. But these skaters are tough.

I've never been one to think that ice skating has much of an extreme edge to it… I’m watching in one rink as the cast of McDonald's Family Tribute on Ice rehearse and in the other rink the L.A. Kings are practicing. If I were a betting man I’d say that the L.A. Kings practice would be far more extreme and exciting to watch than figure skaters rehearsing. Thankfully I’m not one to bet. I watch the graceful spins of these sinewy and mobile skaters; fluid yet powerful and athletic. Then they kicked it up a notch. Watching ice skating up close is a lot more intense than being twice removed from the action by a T.V. screen. Things go a lot faster as skaters whiz by and then in an instant fly through the air, landing on a single blade the thickness of a single pain of glass. If that’s not extreme sports, I don’t know what is.

The show consists of some of the top skaters like 2x U.S. Champion and 2010 Olympic contender Evan Lysacek, 2006 Olympic Silver Medalists and 5x U.S. Champions, Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto as well as a slew of other formidable athletes. The event is hosted by Kristi Yamaguchi, the Olympic hall-of-famer and winner of last season’s “Dancing With the Stars.” The McDonald's Family Tribute on Ice show will be honoring the skater’s loved ones through performances done to live music by artists including Nick Lachey, Almost Amy, and Grammy nominated artist Mario, Friday at the Galen Center on the USC campus. The show will be aired by NBC on Nov. 16 and is designed to promote World Children's Day on Nov. 20 and raise awareness and money for children's charities like the Ronald McDonald House. The cast of the McDonald's Family Tribute on Ice visited the L.A. Ronald McDonald House yesterday and participated in arts and crafts activities with the families and gave a pair of autographed ice skates to the house that each cast member signed.

As I wind down this blog, sipping on a café Americano (my coffee drink of choice) I realize how weird and random life is. Just today I found myself driving through downtown L.A. traffic with four champion figure skaters discussing the preferable consistency of oatmeal- runny vs. thick (I prefer thick w/ banana and peanut butter) and that some of them have a penchant for mixing different types of cereal together (Hey, sometimes mixing can be fun.) I had the 2007 World Champion, Jeffrey Buttle, acting as my human Garmin. I don’t have a GPS system in my rental car, so he offered to read the hand-written directions. And I realize in that moment I’m glad life is unpredictable. It’s like a twizzle, which in the world of figure skating is “a quick multi-rotational turn on one foot while moving forwards or backwards.” See, I'm learning about skating. One can argue that a twizzle is life in a nutshell. A series of quick turns that have you at one moment going forwards, then backwards, but it’s a ride truly worth savoring.