Over the Edge
PSA OFFICERS President First Vice President Second Vice President Third Vice President Treasurer Past President
JIMMIE SANTEE
PSA BOARD OF GOVERNORS West Mid-West
• The U.S. Figure Skating Championships turned out to be one of the most exciting Mens and Ladies events I’ve witnessed. Mens long program: Wesley Campbell who entered the long in 20th place—dead last—skated a nearly flawless program to Ava Maria and received a rousing standing ovation. I don’t believe that has ever happened before! If you don’t already subscribe to icenetwork, it’s worth the 39 bucks to watch this program, not to mention Alex Johnson’s program as well with two triple Axels, and a triple Lutz-half looptriple flip combination, and great choreography by Tom Dickson. Watching Max Aaron, again, goes without saying and none of the three had a single SEQUIN on their costume.
• The Ashley Wagner–Gracie Gold controversy. There is no controversy … the competition consists of two programs. Gracie trailed by more than ten points after the short after a fall on the combination and a single Axel. Yes, Gracie’s free skate was unbelievable. Never in the history of skating have we seen a jumping exhibition like that. The program was spectacular — cleanly skated and neat, but it still lacks the emotional maturity of both movement and connection with the audience. Ashley, on the other hand, had two falls back-to-back in the long. Those falls cost her eight points. Does anyone really think she should have been penalized more than the IJS allows? The program was well choreographed and executed and her component scores reflected that. Regardless of the falls, she performed. • Dance – Meryl and Charlie – What do you say about perfection? Do you remember when Prince changed his name to ? He was so great that there were no words to describe him, so he came up with the symbol that had no name and went as “the artist formerly known as Prince.” Well, the skaters formally known as Meryl and Charlie, will now be known as & .
• Kiss and Cry Etiquette – First of all, you are on camera and wired for sound the entire time; you were live on icenetwork! Now coaches, some of you are new to the game. Take a look at the coaches who are at nationals all the time and are wearing either a suit and tie or dress-casual. A few coaches earlier in the week - holey jeans, baseball cap, sweats, and even a Members Only jacket (just a mere forty years out of style)…not a good look. PSA Ethics rule #4 says, “Members shall dress neatly and in a clean and appropriate manner as is becoming of a member of the Professional Skaters Association.”
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MARCH | APRIL 2013
Doug Ladret Todd Sand Dorothi Cassini Brandon Forsyth Denise Williamson Rebecca Stump Alex Chang Paul Wylie Jackie Brenner Lynn Benson Kris Shakarjian Thomas Amon Glyn Jones Brittany Bottoms
PSA
Random thoughts from the 2013 Prudential U.S. Figure Skating Championships
East
Angela Riviello-Steffano Christine Fowler-Binder Dorothi Cassini Rebecca Stump Carol Murphy Kelley Morris Adair
Members at Large
Committee on Professional Standards Ratings Chair Seminar Chair ISI Rep to PSA U.S. Figure Skating Rep to PSA Executive Director Legal Counsel
Jimmie Santee David Shulman
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Denise Williamson Kelley Morris Adair Christine Fowler-Binder Thomas Amon Dorothi Cassini Rebecca Stump Gloria Leous Paul Paprocki Bob Mock Heidi Thibert Jamie Santee Angela Riviello-Steffano Kelley Morris Adair Carol Murphy Patrick O’Neil David Santee David Shulman Kelley Morris Adair Lynn Benson Gerry Lane Brandon Forsyth Kris Shakarjian Eleanor Fraser-Taylor Alex Chang
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