The Skating Scene offers interesting
behind the scenes stories, photos,
interviews and historical articles in the
sport of figure skating.
Current Feature Article:
A Legendary
Night
2014 Olympic Winter Games
Photos © George S. Rossano
News from the Southwest Pacific Region
Clubs of the SWP region are
invited to send us news items for inclusion here.
Host cities for 2015/16 Qualifying Competition
Regionals
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HOST CITY
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DATES
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North Atlantic
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Lake Placid, N.Y.
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Oct. 3-6, 2015
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Southwestern
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Independence, Mo.
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Oct. 3-6, 2015
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Central Pacific
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San Jose, Calif.
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Oct. 3-6, 2015
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South Atlantic
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Aston, Pa.
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Oct. 10-13, 2015
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Northwest Pacific
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Seattle
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Oct. 10-13, 2015
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Upper Great Lakes
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Pleasant Prairie, Wis.
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Oct. 10-13, 2015
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Southwest Pacific
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Pasadena, Calif.
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Oct. 17-20, 2015
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New England
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Burlington, Vt.
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Oct. 17-20. 2015
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Eastern Great Lakes
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Fort Wayne, Ind.
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Oct. 17-20, 2015
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Sectionals
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Eastern
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Simsbury, Conn.
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Nov. 18-22, 2015
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Midwestern
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Cleveland, Ohio
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Nov. 18-22, 2015
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Pacific Coast
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Burbank, Calif.
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Nov. 18-22, 2015
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2013 Southern California Interclub Invitational Championships
Results Protocol
Summer Classic 6.0 Results
Summer Classic IJS Results
2014
Southwest Pacific Regional Non-qualifying Results
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In the News:
ISU Congress to Retain Secret Judging
in Competition
The U.S. Figure Skating effort at the ISU
Congress to eliminate secret judging has failed in a vote of
30 in favor of eliminating secret judging, 24
against elimination and 2 abstentions. To be accepted, the proposal
needed a 2/3 majority (38 votes). The proposal was opposed by
ISU president Cinquanta.
Against elimination of secret
judging were some western European countries (AUT, SWE, FIN, GER),
both Koreas, all south-east Asia members, and some eastern European
countries (LAT, EST, LTU, BLR, GEO, POL, SVK).
It is hard to understand how
countries like Austria, Finland, and Sweden could vote against this
proposal, not to speak of South Korea. In Sochi, the South
Korean's seemed on a mission to determine how each judge scored the
ladies event, and filed a protest over the results (that has since
been dismissed). Now just four months later they fall in line
with President Cinquanta and oppose a rule change that would have
helped them make their case had it been in effect in Sochi.
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2014 PSA Conference a Golden Moment for U.S. Figure Skating
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Palm Springs, the famous southern California golf and vacation
destination that has been, over the decades, home to dozens of
Hollywood icons, political leaders and industry titans, including
the late Frank Sinatra, Bob Hope, Ginger Rogers and former President
Dwight Eisenhower, provided the perfect backdrop for this year’s
Professional Skaters Association conference and trade show.
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Seattle Smack Down Offers Little Drama
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The 2014 U.S. Figure Skating Governing Council
was queued up with several pieces of controversial business, but
most of those fell by the wayside by the time the meeting was
convened Friday, May 2nd. When I arrived the day before I only
half-jokingly remarked about the rearranging of the deck chairs on
the Titanic beginning at noon, but in fact that largely turned out
to be the case.
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Four Continents Championships
Mura Overcomes Disappointment to Take Gold at Four
Continents - Japan’s Takahito Mura was one of those athletes
at the Four Continents Championships that had to overcome the bitter
disappointment of missing out on the Olympic team. But he put that
behind him to win his first ISU Championship title in a competitive
field. His teammate Takahiko Kozuka was in a similar situation and
came back with a solid long program to earn the silver medal. Nan
Song of China picked up the bronze medal, his first medal in his
fifth appearance at the event.
Gilles and
Poirier, Sui and Han Lead at Four Continents in Taipei City, Mura
Shines in Men's Short Program - In an
Olympic year, the ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships
are always a kind of consolation prize for skaters who did not
qualify for their Olympic team. Only few skaters selected for Sochi
are competing, since there is not much time left before the Games,
plus the event takes place far away in Taipei City. For those who
missed out on the Olympic team narrowly, it is an especially tough
event and they deserve respect for finding the motivation to come. A
total of 96 skaters from 15 countries were entered, but two men
dropped out as the event kicked off Wednesday. Taipei City has
hosted the event once before in 2011 and the facilities are
excellent. The main rink and practice rink are under one roof and
the hotel is just a five minute walk away.
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News Nuggets
Past News Nuggets are in the Archive
Mar. 25 -
U.S. Figure Skating announced the selection of Sears Centre in Hoffman
Estates, Ill. (suburban Chicago), as the host venue for 2014 Skate America
Competition.
Mar. 20 -
Caydee Denney & John
Coughlin, the reigning U.S. pairs bronze medalists, withdraw from the 2014
World Figure Skating Championships due to an injury to Denney’s right ankle,
sustained injury Wednesday in practice. She is expected to resume
training in 8-12 weeks.
Felicia Zhang & Nathan Bartholomay, first alternates to
the U.S. World Team, will compete in their place. The team most recently
placed 12th at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games after winning the
U.S. silver medal in January.
Mar 14 -
World Figure Skating Hall of Fame
(WFSHF)announces Canadian
choreographer
Lori Nichol and Switzerland’s Denise Biellmann as this year’s inductees to
the Hall, based in Colorado Springs, CO.
In making the announcement, the WFSHF nominating
chair, Lawrence Mondschein, said
“I am thrilled to have two
outstanding additions to the World Hall of Fame. Lori Nichol is a
choreographic genius who for well over a decade has, and continues to be, an
inspiration to all who have been touched by her work. Denise Biellmann, the
first Swiss woman to be inducted into the hall, perfected one of the most
admired spins in all of figure skating.”
Mar. 4
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The U.S. roster for the 2014 World Figure Skating Championships in Saitama, Japan from March 24-30, 2014,
has been updated to reflect the retirement of Ice Dancers Meryl Davis &
Charlie White
Men’s
Max Aaron
Jeremy Abbott
Ladies
Polina Edmunds
Gracie Gold
Ashley Wagner
Pairs
Marissa Castelli & Simon Shnapir
Caydee Denney & John Coughlin
Ice Dance
Alexandra Aldridge & Daniel Eaton
Madison Chock & Evan Bates
Maia Shibutani & Alex Shibutani
The retirement of Davis &
White after wining the Gold medal in the Dance event in Sochi was expected.
"Now that we've had
some time at home to discuss our plan for the rest of the season, we've
decided not to compete in the 2014 World Championships,” Davis said. “We're
extremely pleased to have capped-off this Olympic cycle with our
performances at the Olympic Games.”
“We feel that our
incredibly positive Olympic experience is the culmination of and perfect
ending to a wonderful four-year cycle,” White said. “We will leave our
options open for the future and are excited to cheer on our American
teammates as they compete in Japan."
Alexandra Aldridge & Daniel Eaton, the second
alternates for the U.S. World Team, will represent The U.S. at the World
Championships. Madison Hubbell & Zachary Donohue were the first
alternates but will not compete due to a torn labrum in
Hubbell’s left hip. She is expected to have it surgically repaired this
week.
Mar. 3 -
The Canadian roster for the 2014 World Figure Skating Championships in Saitama,
Japan from March 24-30, 2014:
Men’s
Kevin Reynolds
Elladj Baldé
Nam Nguyen
Ladies
Kaetlyn Osmond
Gabrielle Daleman
Pairs
Meagan Duhame & Eric Radford
Kirsten Moore-Towers &
Dylan Moscovitch
Paige Lawrence & Rudi Swiegers
Ice Dance
Kaitlyn Weaver
& Andrew Poje
Alexandra Paul & Mitchell Islam
Piper Gilles & Paul
Poirier
The Canadian team for the 2014 World Junior
Figure Skating Championships, March 10-16, 2014 in Sofia, Bulgaria:
Men’s
Nam Nguyen
Roman Sadovsky
Ladies
Alaine Chartrand
Julianne Séguin
Pairs
Julianne Séguin &
Charlie Bilodeau
Tara Hancherow & Wesley Killing
Mary Orr & Phelan
Simpson
Ice Dance
Madeline Edwards & Zhao
Kai Pang
Mackenzie Bent & Garrett MacKeen
Jan. 27 - Evgeny Plushenko passes test
skate, named to Russian Olympic team.
Jan. 10- Evgeny Plushenko has a change
of heart and now says he wants to compete at Sochi, may be late entry at
European Championships.
March Competitions
27 Feb - 2 Mar - The Nordics Open -
Stockholm, Sweden
4 - 9 Mar - Sportland Trophy -
Budapest, Hungary
5 - 9 Mar - Challenge Cup -
The Hague, Netherlands
10 - 16 Mar - World Junior Figure
Skating Championships -
Sofia, Bulgaria
14 - 16 Mar - Coupe du Printemps -
Luxembourg, Luxembourg
24 - 30 Mar - World Figure Skating
Championships -
Saitama, Japan
28 - 30 Mar - Gardena Spring Trophy -
Selva Val Gardena, Italy
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