 The senior ladies and men took center stage Thursday night, and Michelle was right in the middle of it all. Find out what kind of cologne Johnny Weir wears, which royal figure Emily Hughes wouldn't mind dating and other earth-shattering tidbits.
Notes from Friday, Jan 26
I woke up feeling feverish and crummy and actually considered skipping the events today. I am so glad I didn’t. It’s 11:22 p.m. and I’m still on an adrenaline buzz from all the good skating. Good skating makes people happy, and happy people are fun to blog about.
My morning started with me waking up to a very painful left cheek. When I got to a mirror, I see a giant scratch running basically from my ear to my mouth. Daphne swears she didn’t attack me while I was sleeping. I think this means I need to remember to bring a nail file next time I travel so I don’t carve up my own face. Fortunately, I was able to cover it somewhat with makeup.
When I got the copy of this morning’s Spokesman-Review (the local paper that is doing amazing coverage), I was excited to see a photo of moi and the junior ice dance medalists. The photographer had shown it to me yesterday and asked me to identify everyone for the caption. The coolest part is that you can only see basically my eye and a corner of my head. (That comment is a shout-out to my sister, because she’ll understand what it means.)
When I was first interested in covering skating, I was told to find my niche, what makes me different from other people who cover a sport. I wasn’t sure what that was because I didn’t know what other people did or what their strong points are. Over the years I’ve found that my combination of writing and photography is different from the majority of my colleagues, although some do both. I like getting to know the skaters as people first, building that all-important trust. As a photographer, I think that is much easier to do. People seem much more wary of reporters than photographers. Some of the skaters I’ve worked with for many years, giving our relationship this comfort zone. With four of the dancers in the newspaper photo (Emily Samuelson, Evan Bates, and Madison and Keiffer Hubbell), we’ve known each other to some degree for years and got to work with each other on photos this past summer. It was very cool for someone to be able to capture that rapport.
Eventually, I make it over to the arena. Junior pairs are still going on, so I go on backstage duty, getting photos of the behind-the-scenes stuff. Since ESPN isn’t shooting the event, I am able to tuck myself next to the jib, the giant crane that moves the one cameras around. This gives me a clear view of the kiss and cry, plus easy access to the warm-up area and the mixed zone.
For most events, I give myself a photography challenge or focus. In Moscow Worlds, for example, it was reaction shots. Here I am working on candid, tight close-ups. Instead of using a shorter lens, like my 28-75 mm, I am working with my 70-200. Being that it’s on a digital body, it’s the equivalent of 320 mm at the long end, so I can really get in there.
My favorite subject today was Rockne Brubaker. In the mixed zone, sometimes the skaters are lit by the attached light to the TV/video camera. From my angle, Rockne’s face was in partial shadow, and his curly hair was in his eyes. I really liked the way everything was lit, so it’s one of my favorite photos of the day.
 After a short break, the senior men’s short was underway. I was worried that it was going to be boring, but the top guys really brought it. Evan and Johnny were both on, and on in a big way. It was very exciting. I liked parts of both and thought there were some weaknesses, too. The fact that they are nearly tied seems like a reasonable reflection of what they executed. For me, Evan was more exciting, but Johnny was smoother. Take your pick.
Random fragrance comment. Johnny smelled good today. Asked him what he was wearing. It’s Burberry. (The cologne. I was not sniffing a plaid scarf.)
I hope Kim and Brent are too busy getting ready for their free dance to read my blog today because they would be very disappointed to find out that I have given Ryan Bradley in my favorite mixed zone award. He was so funny and warm and engaging. Did I mention he’s funny? And not just “ha ha” funny. Like, “Catch your breath from laughing so hard” funny.
Bring it on, dancers.
During Johnny’s mixed zone, he pointed out Priscilla’s white fur wrap that he got her for Christmas. Later, during the ladies event, Priscilla had on purple. I asked her about it and she said she usually dresses to match what the skater is wearing. So black and white for Johnny’s “Chess” program, and purple for Christine Zukowski.
Oh, while I’m thinking of it. Someone had asked me how to say Lynn Kriengkrairut’s last name, so I asked her. Cring-CRAIR-root.
Imagine if she married Logan Giulietti-Schmitt and decided to hyphenate her last name.
And, no, I know nothing about their personal relationship. I just had some of the Davenport’s peanut brittle that’s left on the bed as part of the turn-down service, so I’m on a bit of a sugar high and feeling a bit silly.
As you all know, the night concluded with the senior ladies event. It was so exciting! U.S. ladies know how to bring the talent and make people stand up. I spent the night bouncing between my corner nook to watch, the mixed zone to shoot first and ask questions later, backstage for warming-up photos and the hallways to answer questions from new-to-skating reporters and spectators. I swear, the entire Spokane police department has caught skating fever worse that anyone in this wonderful city. They are starting to understand more about levels and technical details that can change the GOE. One person asked if it was correct that a spin that moved across the ice was a bad thing. To “skating people” this seems like such a basic thing, but it really is so cool to have all these new people catching on to this sport and truly taking an interest in it.
Here’s what I learned tonight:
Rachael Flatt’s back still hurts her, especially in the layback spin.
Team Czisny is trying a new approach. They are all remaining exceptionally calm. Jerod Swallow was with them. Jerod is calm. Calm is good.
Katy Taylor still has the frog and the butterfly on her skates.
Bonni gave Emily earrings that have a different back on them so they shouldn’t fall out and disrupt and entire skating competition when all the little sweepers hit the ice looking for the lost earrings.
Emily promptly had one fall out.
Kimmie still giggles.
Bebe, Emily and Kimmie all don’t mind the cameras in their faces. It makes it feel like a big event, and that’s cool. Although Kimmie is waiting for the day that one of the cameramen falls while walking quickly backwards. But she said she wouldn’t laugh at them. (Even if she giggled when she said that)
One reporter who is new to covering skating said it is exciting to be walking down the hall and pass Scott Hamilton or Peggy Fleming. Because I’ve been doing this for so long, sometimes it doesn’t hit me like that. But then other times it’s like, Wow, OK, this is someone who is so huge in the sport. When Katarina Witt was around so much last year, it was fascinating to watch her star power in action. She entered a room and people stopped and looked.
Years ago when Pittsburgh had the Major League Baseball All-Star Game, they had a big festival that included a mini-museum dedicated to Roberto Clemente. One of my jobs was helping get things set up in the display cases. I was holding his World Series rings and it was like, Wow, this is amazing. This is history and someone who made such a difference in his sport.
So, while I have a professionalism that doesn’t make me gaga over every person I see, I try to remember to step back every so often and realize that I have the privilege of working with (or near) some of the people who play such an important part in the history and development of figure skating.
But I digress.
 Tonight’s ladies event was the present and the future more than the past. When I went back to the press conference room to get some photos of the draw, I felt like I had invaded a pajama party. A room full of teenage girls laughing with each other and fooling around while they waited for the “parents” (the officials who do the draw) to come home. They joked and teased each other, letting me get some photos and ask some questions.
Earlier in the day, I saw Bebe sitting on the lap of Braden Overett, so I decided to ask her if they were dating. She looked at me like I was crazy, but I told her that my blog readers wanted to know the scoop. So, for the record, no, they are not dating. The age difference is too much and he still thinks of her as a kid. I followed that up with a question asking if she was currently seeking a boyfriend, and was told that she needs to concentrate on her long program, first. I think that was a copout of an answer, but what can I do?
I have known Emily Hughes since she was 10 years old. Friday is her 18th birthday. So while we wait for the draw to start, I tell her I need some blog scoop on how she is going to spend her day.
Does she confess to running away to Europe and hitting the bars? No.
Asserting her legal adulthood by wearing super sexy clothes? No.
Become the saucy Hughes sibling? No.
Hmmm.
This is going to be a challenge.
I asked her if she was dating anyone and got “the look” that means she’s not going to answer me. But I can confirm it is not Prince William.
However, Emily said if he dumps his current girlfriend, she would be happy to step in. She’s good at being a replacement. to top |