US Nationals

[4711]

1) is the ice machine not working right? There is a wet spot by the boards....

2) A Bielmann is standard now?

3) what's the 'Bonus' at 2 minutes?

[Meli]

They were commenting about the wet spots, and that there were also "frosty" spots.  I would really expect better ice for nationals.

[alejeather]

Jumps after the halfway point earn a 10% bonus.

Biellmans are particularly common in the short because it's very difficult (maybe impossible?) to get a level 4 on a layback spin without the biellman position.

[4711]

I think this was the long.
Every lady did one...

[techskater]

Yes, it accrues a level in the spin and almost every American lady does a layback spin.  A level is ~0.25 to 0.5 points per spin depending on what kind of spin

[4711]

I need to get back to my sources....but double axels is it for the ladies?
(I ended up missing Sunday's broadcast...)

[Neverdull44]

Ice looked really bad.  I kept thinking that the skaters speed would definately change when they hit those "frosty" spots.  More like soggy spots to me.

Johnny Wier's "bow-tie" (if one can even call it that) was super ugly.  It looked like a brown bottle cleaner that was looped in a lopsided and crooked figure 8 pattern.  He also wore an informal, casual cable cream sweater and silver pants.  This all drew attention to his body, instead of to his head/ideas.  Standard speech dress indicates that speakers wearing dark clothes, with perhaps a white button down shirt/collar/blouse and a bright tie/scarf, brings attention to their ideas because it draws the listener's attention upwards toward the head and mouth.  I have posted so much that I love Johnny Wier and thought his commentating was great, but this outfit was a detriment to public speaking professionalism. If he gets another chance, I hope he consults a better public image consultant.

[Neverdull44]

I need to get back to my sources....but double axels is it for the ladies?
(I ended up missing Sunday's broadcast...)

They were doing alot of triples and combinations too.

[alejeather]

Oops, I forgot to say about the short program comment that the layback spin is a required element in the SP, and that's why you see a lot of Bielmans. But certainly you'll see plenty of them in the long program too.

I need to get back to my sources....but double axels is it for the ladies?
(I ended up missing Sunday's broadcast...)

Do you mean to ask if ladies do triple axels or of double axels is the highest point garnering jump for them?
The answer to the first question is that only a very small handful of ladies do or have done triple axels--Mao Asada is the only skater attempting them in international competition currently.
The answer to the second question is no, as NeverDull pointed out, the ladies do triples and triples in combination. I don't think a lady can be seriously competitive at the Sr. level without a triple lutz.

Note for moderator: Can we move this thread to the Spectator Skating Board?

[techskater]

^^^
Unless her name is Carolina Kostner.   

[Rachelsk8s]

I was at nationals and I saw the wet spots on the ice....it was definitely a little concerning for me for the skaters!!! But at least it didn't seem to affect anyone's skating, that I know of 

[dlbritton]

I was at nationals and I saw the wet spots on the ice....it was definitely a little concerning for me for the skaters!!! But at least it didn't seem to affect anyone's skating, that I know of 

Watching it on TV it appeared the skaters were able to avoid going over/through the wet spots. They looked like small ponds on the ice.

[iomoon]

I need to get back to my sources....but double axels is it for the ladies?
(I ended up missing Sunday's broadcast...)

I thought double axels were a normal part of competition because of the Zayak Rule. ???I may be confused here. 

Also, the San Francisco Bay Area is getting super excited.  2 years ago, on public skate, I saw Polina do a level 4 spin.  So speechless. I followed her competitions after that.

[AgnesNitt]

I thought double axels were a normal part of competition because of the Zayak Rule. ???I may be confused here. 

I believe the Zayak rule is that a skater cannot do the same jump more than once unless it's in a combination with another jump.

From Wikipedia:

Zayak Rule
    A colloquial name for a rule stating that skaters are only allowed to perform a jump once in a program, twice if the jump is in combination with another jump. This rule applies only to triple jumps in senior level competition. The colloquial name refers to Elaine Zayak.

[nicklaszlo]

Elaine Zayak did an excessive number of triple toes. 

There is a separate limit of at most two double axels in the free skate.

In addition, an axel is required in both programs, and in the short it must be double or triple.

http://usfsa.org/New_Judging.asp?id=355

[iomoon]

Thanks for the clarification!