2012 SKAM program

ATT_SPO_M2_1337_R2.indd 9-12-2012 4:38 PMSaved at NonePrinted At Client AT&TMedia Type MagazineLive 7.625” x 10.125”Trim 8.375” x 10.875”Bleed 8.625” x 11.125”Job Title US Figure Skating Magazine (October Issue)Pubs US Figure Skating MagazineAd Code None

DEPARTMENT:

APPROVAL:

Art Director Copywriter Acct. Manager Studio Artist Proofreader Traffic Production

Addl. Notes: MCD: 09/01/2012

1 . 8 6 6 . M O B I L I T Y – A T T . C O M – V I S I T A S T O R E

Screen images simulated. ©2012 AT&T Intellectual Property. Service provided by AT&T Mobility. All rights reserved. AT&T and the AT&T logo are trademarks of AT&T Intellectual Property. All other marks contained herein are the property of their respective owners.

A T & T I S A P R O U D S P O N S O R O F U . S . F I G U R E S K A T I N G .

Here’s to all the effort that goes into making it look effortless.

Welcome to Washington!

On behalf of U.S. Figure Skating, it is my pleasure to welcome you to 2012 Hilton HHonors Skate America in Kent, Washington. The days ahead promise to be exciting, full of great skating and excellent competition.

We would like to thank Production Sports and the ShoWare Center for their dedication to organizing this event.

As the first of seven events in six countries of the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Series, Skate America welcomes more than 50 competitors from 13 countries gathering here to showcase their remarkable skills and talents. The top skaters at the conclusion of the series qualify for the Grand Prix Final, taking place December, 6-9, in Sochi, Russia, host of the 2014 Olympic Winter Games.

Over the next three days, many of the top skaters in the world will compete for medals in ladies, men’s, pairs and ice dancing. These athletes have already accomplished so much to get here, and we wish them the very best.

On behalf of the more than 173,000 members of U.S. Figure Skating, I would like to thank the athletes, coaches, officials, volunteers, parents and fans for their continued involvement and support of the sport of figure skating.

The stage is set for an exciting event! To all the skating fans, we hope you thoroughly enjoy this year’s competition.

Sincerely,

Patricia St. Peter

President, U.S. Figure Skating

October 2012

On behalf of Hilton HHonors™, it is my distinct pleasure to welcome you to the 2012 Hilton HHonors Skate America competition. As an award-winning guest rewards program, Hilton HHonors does more than just help people travel - we help them transform points into experiences they can’t help but share in 91 countries worldwide. We hope you have many experiences worth sharing at this year’s exciting event.

As a proud sponsor of U.S. Figure Skating, Hilton HHonors knows that giving it your all starts with a good night’s sleep. That’s why Hilton HHonors works to ensure that athletes always have the perfect place to stay, whether they’re already on the Road to Gold or just beginning their training. Because no matter the dream you are chasing, you deserve the perfect bed to dream in.

With over 3,900 hotels and resorts within the Hilton Worldwide portfolio, you can enjoy the flexibility of staying at any of our 10 distinct brands, including participating Waldorf Astoria®, Hotels & Resorts, Conrad®, Hotels & Resorts, Hilton Hotels & Resorts, DoubleTree by Hilton™, Embassy Suites™, Hilton Garden Inn®, Hampton®, Homewood Suites by Hilton®, Home2 Suites by Hilton®, and Hilton Grand Vacations®, So no matter where your journey takes you, Hilton Worldwide has destinations in 91 countries ready to cheer you on.

While you are at the event we invite you to come dream with us. Visit our activation booth to receive a free gift, sign our dream wall, take a memorable photo, and learn about hotel discounts available for figure skating fans. For more info on all of our U.S. Figure Skating and Team USA™ initiatives, please visit HHonors.com/Dream.

Best of luck to all the athletes competing.

Thank you for joining us in Kent, Washington. We hope you enjoy what is sure to be a great competition!

Je�rey DiskinSenior Vice President, Hilton Worldwide

Duv

all A

ve N

E

RentonLandingClinic

Duv

all A

ve N

E

RentonLandingClinic

5 Skate America preview

6 Grand Prix assignments

8 Schedule and competitors

10 Kent/Seattle profile

14 Ben Agosto

16 Ladies profiles

21 Ladies scoring guide

24 Men’s profiles

29 Men’s scoring guide

32 Pairs profiles

37 Pairs scoring guide

38 Ice dancing profiles

43 Ice dancing scoring guide

44 About U.S. Figure Skating

46 Northwest skating success

50 Disson Skating

54 Skate America medalists

58 Seattle skating legacy

60 International judging system

66 ISU Grand Prix Series

TABLE OF CONTENTSWELCOME SPECTATORS!U.S. Figure Skating welcomes you to 2012 Hilton HHonors Skate America at the ShoWare Center in Kent, Wash. For three days, some of the best athletes in the sport of figure skating will compete for ladies, men’s, pairs and ice dance titles. The 18th annual ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Series includes six competitions held in October and No-vember in the United States, Canada, Japan, China, Russia and France. Skaters are awarded points at the two events in which they compete. The top six point-earners in each discipline secure spots at the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final in Sochi, Russia.

2012 Hilton HHonors Skate America includes competitors from the United States, Canada, China, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Great Britain, Israel, Italy, Japan, Lithu-ania, Russia and Sweden.

U.S. champion Ashley Wagner leads the ladies’ contin-gent at the event. She’ll face off against 2012 World silver medalist Alena Leonova of Russia and 2010 U.S. titlist Ra-chael Flatt.

In the men’s event, Evan Lysacek is making his first ap-pearance in ISU competition since his 2010 Olympic gold medal performance in Vancouver. Also expected to con-tend for medals are three-time U.S. champion Jeremy Ab-bott and 2012 World bronze medalist Yuzuru Hanyu of Japan.

U.S. champions Caydee Denney and John Coughlin will go head-to-head against some of the best pairs teams in the world, including 2010 Olympic silver medalists Qing Pang and Jian Tong of China and two-time World silver medalists Tatiana Volosozhar and Maxim Trankov of Russia.

2011 World champions and 2010 Olympic silver medal-ists Meryl Davis and Charlie White are favored to win their third consecutive ice dance title for the U.S. at Skate America. They could face a stiff challenge from the standout Canadian team of Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje.

U.S. Figure Skating and the ISU hope you enjoy the 2012 Hilton HHonors Skate America and your visit to Kent.

4 2012 HILTON HHONORS SKATE AMERICA

The push begins.

With only 16 months left until the start of the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia, the top skaters from the United States and around the world are gearing up to turn some heads and build momen-tum.

Their first chance comes this weekend at the 2012 Hilton HHonors Skate America in Kent, Wash. The competition, Oct. 19–21, is the first of six ISU Grand Prix Series events that lead up to the Grand Prix Final in De-cember in Sochi.

One of those U.S. skaters hoping to once again make headlines is Evan Lysacek, who captured the 2010 Olympic title in Vancou-ver, Canada. Lysacek, who hails from Illinois and trains in California, has resumed train-ing after a two-year layoff.

Lysacek won his first of two consecutive U.S. titles in the Pacific Northwest when he turned in a magical performance at the 2007 U.S. Championships in Spokane, Wash.

His performance in Kent and comeback bid will be watched closely as the countdown to Sochi begins.

Joining Lysacek in Kent will be all of the

2012 U.S. champions: Ashley Wagner, Jer-emy Abbott, Caydee Denney and John Coughlin, and Meryl Davis and Charlie White.

This all-star lineup, pitted against several of the world’s top skaters and teams, make Skate America one of the most exciting fig-ure skating events of the season. The com-petition can be seen on icenetwork.com and live on NBC at 4 p.m. ET., Oct. 21.

LADIESRussia’s Alena Leonova, the 2012 World sil-ver medalist, brings her explosive talents to Skate America for the first time. She is one of the sport’s rising stars, having placed ninth at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver.

Country mate Adelina Sotnikova, the sub-limely flexible 2011 World Junior cham-pion, is also exciting to watch and could figure in the medal chase.

U.S. champion Ashley Wagner is making her Skate America debut, having won five Grand Prix Series medals to date.

Wagner trains in California under legend-ary coach John Nicks. She won her first se-nior-level international event in February at the 2012 Four Continents Championships in Colorado Springs, Colo.

Rachael Flatt, the 2010 U.S. champion and 2010 Olympian, will make her fourth ap-pearance at Skate America. She earned the silver medal at the event in 2009 and 2010.

Flatt trains in California under Justin Dillon and Lynn Smith and attends Stanford Uni-versity, where she’s pursuing a degree in the medical field.

Christina Gao finished fifth at the last three U.S. Championships. A student at Harvard University, she trains in Boston under Mark Mitchell and Peter Johansson.

MENNo question about it, the men’s division will be the most hotly contested of the compe-tition, with champions aplenty.

Lysacek, the Olympic titlist, leads this stellar field. He announced his return to competi-tion in August at the London Games, with the intent of defending his crown in Sochi.

He’s back training under legendary coach Frank Carroll in California.

Lysacek owns one Skate America title from 2009, the same year he won the World title. He has also earned three silver medals and one bronze medal at Skate America.

He’ll be challenged by three-time and

Home opener SUPERIOR FIELD SET TO PERFORM IN KENTBy Troy Schwindt

Ashley Wagner

Jeremy Abbott

Evan Lysacek

52012 HILTON HHONORS SKATE AMERICA

reigning U.S. champion Jeremy Abbott. Ab-bott finished ninth at the 2010 Olympics. He trains in Detroit under Yuka Sato and Jason Dungjen.

The Czech Republic’s Michal Brezina is back to defend his Skate America title. He placed sixth at the 2012 World Championships.

Japan’s Takahiko Kozuka, the 2008 Skate America titlist, is also in the elite field, along with country mates 2012 World bronze medalist Yuzuru Hanyu and Tatsuki Ma-chida.

Douglas Razzano returns for his second Skate America, having placed seventh in 2011. Razzano trains under Doug and Lara Ladret and Grant Rorvick in Arizona.

PAIRSPowerhouse teams from Russia and China arrive as the teams to beat.

Russia’s Tatiana Volosozhar and Maxim Trankov, silver medalists at the last two World Championships, won both of their Grand Prix Series events in 2011 and fin-ished second at the Grand Prix Final. Both skaters have competed at the Olympics with other partners.

China’s Qing Pang and Jian Tong are the 2010 Olympic silver medalists and two-time World champions (2006, 2010). They have skated together since 1993.

This will mark the fourth time that Pang and Tong have competed at Skate America. They earned a medal in their previous three appearances, including gold in 2003. They became engaged in June 2011.

Trying to knock off these two juggernauts are six teams, including a strong U.S. con-tingent led by U.S. champions Caydee Den-ney and John Coughlin.

Denney and Coughlin, who train in Colo-rado Springs, Colo., united last year and enjoyed immediate success. They finished fourth at Skate America and captured the silver medal at the Four Continents Cham-pionships.

Before their partnership, Denney won the U.S. title with Jeremy Barrett in 2010. Cough-

lin and former partner Caitlin Yankowskas claimed the U.S. crown in 2011.

Gretchen Donlan and Andrew Speroff have made steady gains as they enter their third season together. Fourth at the 2012 U.S. Championships, Donlan and Speroff will be competing at their first Grand Prix Series competition.

Their Boston-area teammates, Marissa Castelli and Simon Shnapir, will attempt to secure a medal in their fifth Grand Prix Series event of their careers. They narrowly missed winning some hardware at 2010 Skate Canada, where they placed fourth.

“Our goals for Skate America are to show up and make a splash,” Castelli said. “We’re at the point where we are ready to break through and we want to do it. We are ready to become the competitors and skaters we know we can be. Now it is time to show ev-eryone else.”

Castelli and Shnapir finished fifth at the last two U.S. Championships.

U.S. GRAND PRIXASSIGNMENTS(Lineups subject to change)

SKATE AMERICAOCT. 19–21, KENT, WASH.Rachael FlattChristina GaoAshley WagnerJeremy AbbottEvan LysacekDouglas RazzanoMarissa Castelli/Simon ShnapirCaydee Denney/John CoughlinGretchen Donlan/Andrew SperoffAnastasia Cannuscio/Colin McManusMeryl Davis/Charlie WhiteLynn Kriengkrairut/Logan Giulietti-Schmitt

SKATE CANADAOCT. 26–28, WINDSOR, ONTARIOGracie GoldCaroline ZhangRoss MinerLindsay Davis/Mark LadwigTiffany Vise/Don BaldwinMadison Hubbell/Zachary Donohue

CUP OF CHINANOV. 2–4, SHANGHAI, CHINAChristina GaoMirai NagasuAdam RipponCaitlin Yankowskas/Joshua ReaganMadison Chock/Evan Bates

ROSTELECOM CUPNOV. 9–11, MOSCOW, RUSSIAGracie GoldAgnes ZawadzkiCaroline ZhangRichard DornbushJohnny WeirCaydee Denney/John CoughlinTiffany Vise/Don BaldwinMaia Shibutani/Alex Shibutani

TROPHÉE BOMPARDNOV. 16–18, PARIS, FRANCEChristina GaoAshley WagnerJeremy AbbottJohnny WeirMadison Hubbell/Zachary Donohue

NHK TROPHYNOV. 23–25, SENDAI, JAPANAlissa CzisnyAgnes ZawadzkiRichard DornbushRoss MinerAdam RipponMarissa Castelli/Simon ShnapirLindsay Davis/Mark LadwigCaitlin Yankowskas/Joshua ReaganMeryl Davis/Charlie WhiteMaia Shibutani/Alex Shibutani

The complete list of skater selections for the 2012 Grand Prix Series is available at www.icenetwork.com.

Caydee Denney and John Coughlin


ICE DANCINGMeryl Davis and Charlie White are the fa-vorites as they shoot for their third consec-utive Skate America crown. The Michigan natives, winners of the 2011 World title and 2010 Olympic silver medal, have won nine Grand Prix medals (seven gold and two bronze) in their career together that began in 1998.

The four-time reigning U.S. titlists are also vying for their fourth consecutive Grand Prix Final title, which gives them added in-centive at Skate America.

The Canadian team of Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje figure to push the champs the hardest. Partners since 2006, they won the

bronze medal at the 2012 Four Continents Championships and finished fourth at the 2012 World Championships. They placed second at all three of their Grand Prix Series events last year.

Russian champions Ekaterina Bobrova and Dmitri Soloviev and the Lithuanian team of Isabella Tobias and Deividas Stagniunas, third at Skate America in 2011, could also challenge for a medal.

On the rise, the U.S. duo of Lynn Krieng-krairut and Logan Giulietti-Schmitt are also part of the medal conversation, having finished fourth at the 2012 U.S. Champion-ships.

“We will be competing among such a

strong group of dancers, and our goal is to just sell our programs, have a strong skate and bring it a few notches up from the last time we were in front of a crowd,” Kriengkrairut said. “We have selected pop-ular, upbeat and emotional songs for both programs, and we hope it will get the audi-ence more involved. They are fun for us so we are excited to entertain.”

The Michigan-based pair has skated to-gether since 2007 and each year has climbed the competitive ranks of U.S. ice dancing.

Sixth at the 2012 U.S. Championships, An-astasia Cannuscio and Colin McManus will be competing in their first Grand Prix Series event. They’ve skated together since 2009.

Meryl Davis and Charlie White


LADIESMae Berenice Meite FRANCE

Sarah Hecken GERMANY

Valentina Marchei ITALY

Haruka Imai JAPAN

Alena Leonova RUSSIA

Adelina Sotnikova RUSSIA

Viktoria Helgesson SWEDEN

Rachael Flatt UNITED STATES

Christina Gao UNITED STATES

Ashley Wagner UNITED STATES

FRIDAY, OCT. 19

Pairs short program 7 p.m.

Men’s short program 8:35 p.m.

SATURDAY, OCT. 20

Ladies short program 12:30 p.m.

Short dance 2:15 p.m.

Men’s free skate 7:05 p.m.

Pairs free skate 9 p.m.

SUNDAY, OCT. 21

Free dance 11:45 a.m.

Ladies free skate1:20 p.m.

Smucker's Skating Spectacular 6 p.m.

PAIRSQing Pang/Jian Tong CHINA

Vanessa James/Morgan Cipres FRANCE

Stacy Kemp/David King GREAT BRITAIN

Danielle Montalbano/Evgeni Krasnopolski ISRAEL

Tatiana Volosozhar/Maxim Trankov RUSSIA

Marissa Castelli/Simon Shnapir UNITED STATES

Caydee Denney/John Coughlin UNITED STATES

Gretchen Donlan/Andrew Speroff UNITED STATES

INVITED COMPETITORS EVENT SCHEDULE

(All times are Pacific)

MENMichal Brezina CZECH REPUBLIC

Tomas Verner CZECH REPUBLIC

Yuzuru Hanyu JAPAN

Takahiko Kozuka JAPAN

Tatsuki Machida JAPAN

Konstantin Menshov RUSSIA

Alexander Majorov SWEDEN

Jeremy Abbott UNITED STATES

Evan Lysacek UNITED STATES

Douglas Razzano UNITED STATES

ICE DANCINGKaitlyn Weaver/Andrew Poje CANADA

Nelli Zhiganshina/Alexandra Gazsi GERMANY

Lorenza Alessandrini/Simone Vaturi ITALY

Isabella Tobias/Deividas Stagniunas LITHUANIA

Ekaterina Bobrova/Dmitri Soloviev RUSSIA

Anastasia Cannuscio/Colin McManus UNITED STATES

Meryl Davis/Charlie White UNITED STATES

Lynn Kriengkrairut/Logan Giulietti-Schmitt UNITED STATES

Lorna Schroder, CANJean Senft, CANFeng Huang, CHNWei Shi, CHNRichard Kosina, CZEFlorence Vuylsteker, FRAElke Treitz, GERChristian Baumann, GERVanessa Riley, GBR

JUDGES

Franco Benini, ITAMichela Cesaro, ITAMayumi Kato, JPNLaimute Krauziene, LTUAlexander Kogan, RUSYulia Andreeva, RUSEmile Billow, SWE

Tina Lundgren, USAWendy Enzmann, USATodd Bromley, USASharon Rogers, USA


Experience Kent! SEATTLE AREA OFFERS UNMATCHED BEAUTY, OPPORTUNITIES

BOEING FACTORY

The Future of Flight Aviation Center & Boeing Factory Tour is located in Mukilteo, Wash., 25 miles north of Seattle. During the tour of the world’s largest building by volume (472,000,000 cubic feet), visitors watch airplanes being built for a worldwide base of airline customers. By incorporating and expanding the existing Boeing Tour, the Future of Flight offers a remarkable opportunity to see commercial jet production today and the direction avia-tion is headed in the future.

DES MOINES MARINA DISTRICT

Located between Seattle and Tacoma on the Puget Sound, the Des Moines Marina District features six miles of shoreline that includes public beaches, waterfront parks and a boardwalk with the Olympic Cascade Mountains as the back-drop. A dazzling marina is home to large sailing yachts, as well as small fishing boats for family fun. The Des Moines Marina District of-fers an extensive selection of fine dining, fresh seafood and boutique shopping that guarantees enter-tainment for all ages.

THE SHOWARE CENTER

Proud home of the Seattle Thun-derbirds, the ShoWare Center is North America’s first sports and entertainment arena to achieve GOLD certification in Leadership in Energy and Environmental De-sign (L.E.E.D.) by the U.S. Green Building Council. Because of its intimate design and flexible scale, the ShoWare Center hosts a wide array of events including concerts, family shows, professional and ex-hibition sports, trade shows and community gatherings.

While the skating action inside the ShoWare Center promises to be electric, visitors to Kent and the Seattle area can also take in some of the country’s most breathtaking scenery and alluring at-tractions. The beauty of the Pacific Northwest can be seen in its majestic

mountains, wondrous ocean and picturesque shorelines. Never a shortage of things to do, the Seattle area offers a plethora of interest-ing and exciting destinations. Listed below are some of the more notable attractions that are just a short drive from the skating competition in Kent.


BALLARD LOCKS

Built in 1911, The Hiram M. Chittenden (known locally as Ballard Locks) provides a link for boats between the salt water of Puget Sound and the fresh water of the Ship Canal. Tourists and locals can enjoy watching the parade of vessels passing through, as the locks’ water levels are adjusted to allow their safe passage. Glass panels below the water line allow visitors to watch the fish as they swim through the famous fish ladder, built to al-low salmon to navigate their way between the fresh and salt water.

MOUNT RAINIER

Ascending to 14,410 feet above sea level, Mount Rainier stands as an icon in the Washington landscape. An active volcano, Mount Rainier is the most glaciated peak in the contiguous U.S., spawning six major rivers. Wildflower meadows ring the icy volcano while ancient forest cloaks Mount Rainier’s lower slopes. Wildlife abounds in the park’s ecosystems. Visitors can watch as clouds shroud the mountain, visit the historic buildings, climb to the summit or just sit back and listen to the glaciers crack.

HIGHLINE SEATAC BOTANICAL GARDEN

The Highline SeaTac Botanical Garden covers 10.5 acres of display gar-dens, woodlands and trails reclaimed from a suburban brownfield. High-lights of the currently developed three acres include the Seike Japanese Garden, Elda Behm’s Paradise Garden, the Sensory Garden (located adjacent to the SeaTac Senior Center) and display gardens planted and maintained by the King County Iris Society, Puget Sound Daylily Club, Seattle Rose Society and the City of SeaTac Parks Department.

PIKE PLACE MARKET

Nine acres and more than a century of operation comprise one of the area’s most iconic attractions. Pike Place Market, nicknamed the “Soul of Seattle,” includes aisles of fruits and vegetables, tables overflowing with fresh floral bouquets, and booth after booth of locally made jewelry, clothing and gifts provide visitors and locals with a unique shopping experience. The market is home to more than 200 businesses, including the original Starbucks Coffee Co., 190 crafts people and about 100 farmers. More than 10 million people visit annually.


MUSEUM OF FLIGHT

The independent, non-profit Museum of Flight is one of the largest air and space museums in the world, at-tracting more than 400,000 visitors annually. The mu-seum’s collection features several unique and inspir-ing exhibits including more than 150 historic air and spacecraft, the largest aviation and space library and archives on the West Coast, and the Red Barn — the original manufacturing facility of The Boeing Company. There is something for everyone to experience in these dynamic displays presenting events that have carried explorers from Kitty Hawk to the moon.

FUN FACTSIn 2003 the city was recognized by Sports Illustrated as “Sportstown of the year” for the state of Washington.Mt. Ranier, along with the Cascade and Olympic Mountains, can be seen from the city.The average annual rainfall is 39 inches. A Boeing facility and the head-quarters of REI and Oberto Sausage are located in the city.

IFLY INDOOR SKYDIVING

Visitors soar on a column of air inside a vertical wind tunnel. Multiple fans located at the top of the flight chamber produce wall-to-wall airflow that is smooth, fun and safe. Professional instructors pro-vide all of the flight gear, as well as providing fun-damental skills for body flight through a classroom training session. All that guests have to do is get ready to smile through the most exciting indoor flight experience possible.

SPACE NEEDLE

The Space Needle is unmatched in its 360-degree panoramic view. Take an elevator ride to the observation deck and visitors can see the sparkling wa-ters of Puget Sound, Mount Rainier, the city’s most beautiful skyscrapers, the Cascade Mountains to the east and the majestic Olympics to the west. Float planes land below on sparkling Lake Union as ferries, cruise lines and cargo ships cross Elliott Bay. After experienc-ing the sights, guests can dine in the fa-mous rotating Sky City Restaurant. The entire dining area moves 360 degrees, allowing patrons to take in each course of the city as they take in each delicious course of the meal.

KENT AT A GLANCEPopulation: 118,200County: KingMayor: Suzette CookeAverage temperature: October 62/44Largest employer: Boeing, 4,000 employeesNotable people: Josie Bissett, actress; Kenny Mayne, ESPN analyst; Earl Anthony, professional bowlerElevation: 500 feet

Kent was incorporated in 1890 and was earlier known as Titusville.Kent Station is a huge en-tertainment center that also includes retail businesses and numerous restaurants.In 1906 the “Great Flood” temporarily changed the valley into an enormous lake. Kent is the sixth largest city in Washington.


Meet Skate Coach for iOS.

U.S. Figure Skating and Rink Tank Interactive have teamed up to bring the Basic Skills Program to a whole new dimension.

We have created more than 400 high-quality video examples and delivered them in one tidy package called the U.S. Figure Skating Skate Coach app series for iPhone, iPod Touch & iPad.

With 12 apps to choose from, skaters, instructors, parents and officials can see what every skill from every badge level in the Basic Skills Program should look like, all in a portability factor that is unparalleled.

Innovative.

Affordable.

More than 400 video examples.

And all in the palm of your hand.

For more information, visitwww.usfigureskating.org

As a figure skating fan, when you hear the name Ben Agosto, you probably remember the five U.S. titles or four World Champion-ships medals he won with partner Tanith Belbin.

Maybe you remember the pair clenching their silver medals in To-rino, Italy, in 2006 as they became the first U.S. ice dancers to earn higher than a bronze at an Olympic Games.

Perhaps you think of his positive influence, genuine smile or the all-around good nature he maintained as the duo ushered in a new era in North American ice dancing.

While all of that holds true, for his new role, Agosto has traded in his elaborate skating costumes for a suit and tie, stepping in as Skate America’s honorary chair.

“I’ve never been involved in skating in this way before,” Agosto said. “It’s exciting to be involved and to see a Grand Prix event come together in my new neck of the woods.”

Since retiring in 2010, Agosto relocated from the East Coast, set-tling down in Lacey, Wash., with Merrie Schultz, his girlfriend of more than 12 years.

“It’s been a really interesting time in my life,” Agosto said. “Merrie is originally from the Seattle area, so we’ve always had long-term plans to move out to the West Coast. The opportunity came after I retired, and we finally made it happen.”

Although he moved away from his former training grounds, Agosto couldn’t walk away from the sport completely. He began training local singles skaters and dance teams of all ages, even coaching a team to the championship ice dancing title at this year’s U.S. Adult Championships.

“It’s something that I never thought I wanted to do,” Agosto said. “I remember saying ‘Oh, I never want to coach skating. I just want to move on and do something completely different.’ Then I start-ed coaching a little bit and I got a lot of satisfaction from it.”

Although he’s considered a veteran of the sport, Agosto was orig-inally caught off guard by the pressure of his new position.

“I actually caught myself gripping the boards at one point,” Agos-to said. “As a coach, it’s all completely out of your hands. All you can do is hope you’ve prepared your skaters enough. I definitely have a newfound respect for what my coaches went through when I stepped on the ice.”

In addition to coaching, Agosto also tried his hand at choreog-raphy, working with Disney on Ice’s 2011 production “Dare to Dream.” This year, he repeated his role for Disney’s new show, “A Rockin’ Ever After,” featuring characters from The Little Mermaid, Tangled, Beauty and the Beast and Brave.

“There’s a lot of hair going on in this show,” Agosto chuckled. “It’s so much fun to be a part of. You put together some steps and then you see them performed by a cast of 40 people. Then we add the costumes, the lights and the set. It’s so incredible to see it all come to life.”

While Agosto doesn’t know exactly what the future holds, this week in Seattle, he’ll take pride in his hometown role as honor-ary chair.

“It’s a nice opportunity for me to be back and involved in com-petitive skating, without actually competing,” Agosto said. “The West Coast hasn’t had a big history of dance and I think it’s a great place for me to carve a spot for myself. For now, I’m taking every-thing one step at a time and enjoying every second of this new road that I’m on.”

Honorary chairAGOSTO ENJOYING SECOND CHAPTER OF SKATING CAREER

Honorary chair Ben Agosto addresses the media at a press conference announcing that 2012 Hilton HHonors Skate America will be held in Kent, Wash., at the ShoWare Center.By Mimi Whetstone


Still ahead of its time

A champion 50 years in the making

www.spaceneedle.com 800.937.9582Located in the Seattle skyline since 1962

BORN: July 21, 1992

BIRTHPLACE: Del Mar, Calif.

HEIGHT: 5’2”

HOMETOWN: Del Mar, Calif.

TRAINING TOWN: San Jose, Calif.

COACHES:

Justin Dillon, Lynn Smith

CHOREOGRAPHERS: Lori Nichol

Justin Dillon Rachael Flatt

Rachael Flatt UNITED STATES

2010 U.S. champion 2010 Olympian

HEIGHT: 5’3”

HOMETOWN: Alexandria, Va.

TRAINING TOWN: Aliso Viejo, Calif.

COACHES: John Nicks, Phillip Mills

CHOREOGRAPHER: Phillip Mills

Ashley WagnerUNITED STATES2012 U.S. champion2012 Four Continents champion

BORN: May 16, 1991

BIRTHPLACE: Heidelberg, Germany


BORN: Nov. 23, 1990

BIRTHPLACE: St. Petersburg, Russia

HEIGHT: 5’5”

HOMETOWN: St. Petersburg, Russia

TRAINING TOWN: St. Petersburg, Russia

COACHES: Nikoli Morozov, Alla Pyatova

CHOREOGRAPHER: Nikoli Morozov

Alena LeonovaRUSSIA2012 World silver medalist2011 Grand Prix Final bronze medalist

BORN: March 7, 1994

BIRTHPLACE: Cincinnati

HEIGHT: 5’5”

HOMETOWN: Cincinnati

TRAINING TOWN: Boston

COACHES: Peter Johansson,

Mark Mitchell

CHOREOGRAPHERS: David Wilson

Mark Mitchell

Christina GaoUNITED STATES

2009 Junior Grand Prix Finalbronze medalist


Sarah HeckenGERMANY2008, 2010-11 German champion

BORN: Aug. 27, 1993

BIRTHPLACE: Mannheim, Germany

HEIGHT: 5’7”

HOMETOWN: Mannheim, Germany

TRAINING TOWN: Mannheim, Germany

COACH: Peter Sczypa

CHOREOGRAPHER: Edoardo de Bernardis

Viktoria HelgessonSWEDEN2012 Swedish champion

BORN: Sept. 13, 1988

BIRTHPLACE: Tibro, Sweden

HEIGHT: 5’5”

HOMETOWN: Tibro, Sweden

TRAINING TOWN: Tibro, Sweden

COACHES: Regina Jensen, Christina Helgesson

CHOREOGRAPHER: Catarina Lindgren

Haruka ImaiJAPAN2009 Japanese junior champion

BORN: Aug. 31, 1993

BIRTHPLACE: Tokyo

HEIGHT: 5’3”

HOMETOWN: Tokyo

TRAINING TOWN: Detroit

COACHES: Jason Dungjen, Yuka Sato

CHOREOGRAPHER: Yuka Sato

Valentina MarcheiITALY2012 Italian champion

BORN: May 23, 1986

BIRTHPLACE: Milan, Italy

HEIGHT: 5’3”

HOMETOWN: Milan, Italy

TRAINING TOWN: Bloomfield Hills, Mich.

COACHES: Jason Dungjen, Yuka Sato

CHOREOGRAPHERS: Yuka Sato, Massimo Scali

Mae Berenice MeiteFRANCE2012 French silver medalist

BORN: Sept. 21, 1994

BIRTHPLACE: Paris

HEIGHT: 5’4”

HOMETOWN: Vitry sur Seine, France

TRAINING TOWN: Paris

COACH: Katia Krier

CHOREOGRAPHER: Karine Arribert

Adelina SotnikovaRUSSIA2012 Russian champion2012 World Junior bronze medalist

BORN: Jan. 7, 1996

BIRTHPLACE: Moscow

HEIGHT: 5’3”

HOMETOWN: Moscow

TRAINING TOWN: Moscow

COACH: Elena Buianova

CHOREOGRAPHERS: Irina Tagaeva, Tatiana Tarasova


Alissa Czisny (USA) ................. 2011

Kanako Murakami (JPN) ........ 2010

Yu-Na Kim (KOR) ...................... 2009

Yu-Na Kim (KOR) ...................... 2008

Kimmie Meissner (USA) ......... 2007

Miki Ando (JPN) ........................ 2006

Elena Sokolova (RUS) ............. 2005

Angela Nikodinov (USA) ....... 2004

Sasha Cohen (USA).................. 2003

Michelle Kwan (USA) .............. 2002




Maria Butyrskaya (RUS) ......... 1998




Surya Bonaly (FRA) .................. 1994

Oksana Baiul (UKR) .................. 1993

Yuka Sato (JPN)......................... 1992

Tonya Harding (USA) .............. 1991

Kristi Yamaguchi (USA) .......... 1990

Tonya Harding (USA) .............. 1989

Claudia Leistner (FRG) ............ 1988

Tiffany Chin (USA).................... 1986

Debi Thomas (USA) ................. 1985

Tiffany Chin (USA).................... 1983

Rosalynn Sumners (USA) ...... 1982

Vikki de Vries (USA) ................. 1981

Lisa-Marie Allen (USA) ........... 1979

Alissa Czisny2011 SKATE AMERICA CHAMPION

Alissa Czisny captured the gold medal at her third Skate

America, edging Italian champion Carolina Kostner by 0.13 points. Czisny went on to claim the bronze medal at Trophée Eric Bompard in France to earn a spot at the Grand Prix Final in Quebec City, Canada, where she sus-tained an injury and finished fifth. The

Detroit-based skater secured the silver medal at the 2012 Pruden-

tial U.S. Championships in San Jose, Calif. She wrapped up

the season with a disap-pointing performance at the World Champion-ships in Nice, France, where she finished 22nd. After the season, it was discovered that Czisny had suffered a hip injury earlier in the year that likely con-

tributed to her late-season problems.

PAST CHAMPIONSNote: Skate America competitions were not held in 1980, 1984 and 1987.


LADIES SCORING GUIDE

REQUIRED ELEMENTS

COMPILED SCORESAND FINAL STANDINGS FREE SKATE FINAL PLACESHORT PROGRAM TOTAL COMPETITION

Christina Gao, USA

Rachael Flatt, USA

Sarah Hecken, GER

Viktoria Helgesson, SWE

Haruka Imai, JPN

Alena Leonova, RUS

Valentina Marchei, ITA

Mae Berenice Meite, FRA

Adelina Sotnikova, RUS

Ashley Wagner, USA

Christina Gao, USA

Rachael Flatt, USA

Sarah Hecken, GER

Viktoria Helgesson, SWE

Haruka Imai, JPN

Alena Leonova, RUS

Valentina Marchei, ITA

Mae Berenice Meite, FRA

Adelina Sotnikova, RUS

Ashley Wagner, USA

SHORT PROGRAMAND FREE SKATE SHORT

PROGRAMFREE

SKATESHORT

PROGRAMFREE

SKATESHORT

PROGRAMFREE

SKATESHORT

PROGRAM

TOTAL ELEMENT SCORE(TECHNICAL)

TOTAL PROGRAMCOMPONENTS SCORE

TOTAL SEGMENTSCORE SEGMENT PLACE

FREE SKATE

The short program consists of seven required moves or elements: three jumps, three spins and one step sequence to music selected by the skater. •Duration: 2:50 (maximum)• Jumps: Double or triple Axel; a solo jump that must be a triple with

entry steps required; a combination jump consisting of either a triple-triple or triple-double

•Spins: A flying spin with a minimum of eight revolutions; a combination spin with only one change of foot, all three basic positions and a minimum of six revolutions on each foot; a layback or sideways leaning spin with a minimum of eight revolutions

•Steps: Any step sequence

The well-balanced free skate includes a maximum number of elements but has no minimum. The skater should pay attention to interesting transitions, connecting steps and movements between elements.•Duration: 4 minutes (+/- 10 seconds)• Jumps: Can include a maximum of seven jump elements; one

must be an Axel-type jump; only two triple or quad jumps can be repeated, and, if repeated, at least one attempt must be part of a jump combination or jump sequence; there may be up to three jump combinations or sequences; no more than one jump combination may consist of three jumps.

•Spins: A maximum of three spins of a different nature, one of which must be a spin combination; one must have a flying entry; and one must have only one position

•Steps: A maximum of one step sequence; maximum of one spiral sequence with one 6-second spiral or two 3-second spirals


Creative Services – WHQAL

Comp _____ / Mechanical __x__

Client Suzi Schelewitz Disk Due:

Job Number: A11-21609 Issue Date: 3/10/11

File Name: 21609_Ad_USOC_Full.indd Fonts: Clan OT BoldClan OT NewsClan OT News ItalicFile Created On: 3/16/11

Account Number: Ink Colors: 4 Color

Bleed: Production Artist: Diana Fugate/Jeff Meador

Trim: 8 x 10.5” Art Director:

Live: Traffic Manager:

Gutter Allowance: File Folder Saved: Sponsorship

Media: PDF General Notes:

Publications: USOC

trim

Being a family member of Team USA has its benefits.Take advantage of partnership travel discounts.

United has flown Team USA for over 30 years, and we strive to be the airline of choice for Olympic family members as well. That’s why we offer discounted fares for USOC/NGB associated events. Visit united.com/USOC to book your flight, or to learn more.

©2011 United Air Lines, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Flying America’s Team for 30 Years.

BOOK USING THE U.S. FIGURE SKATING CODE: 563EEBOOK USING THE U.S. FIGURE SKATING CODE: ZMHC707966

Evan LysacekUNITED STATES

2010 Olympic champion 2009 World champion

2007, 2008 U.S. champion

BORN: June 4, 1985

BIRTHPLACE: Chicago,

HEIGHT: 6’2”

HOMETOWN: Los Angeles

TRAINING TOWN: Los Angeles

COACHES: Frank Carroll,

Karen Kwan Oppegard

CHOREOGRAPHER: Lori Nichol

TRAINING TOWN: Scottsdale, Ariz.

COACHES: Doug Ladret, Lara Ladret, Grant Rorvick

CHOREOGRAPHERS: Doug Ladret, Douglas Razzano, Grant Rorvick

Douglas RazzanoUNITED STATES

BORN: Oct. 22, 1988

BIRTHPLACE: Mineola, N.Y.

HEIGHT: 5’7”

HOMETOWN: Chandler, Ariz.


Michal BrezinaCZECH REPUBLIC2011 Skate America champion

BORN: March 30, 1990

BIRTHPLACE: Brno, Czech Republic

HEIGHT: 5’8”

HOMETOWN: Brno, Czech Republic

TRAINING TOWN: Hackensack, N.J.

COACH Viktor Petrenko

CHOREOGRAPHER: Pasquale Camerlengo

Jeremy AbbottUNITED STATES

2009, 2010, 2012 U.S. champion 2010 Olympian

BORN: June 5, 1985

BIRTHPLACE: Aspen, Colo.

HEIGHT: 5’10”

HOMETOWN: Aspen, Colo.

TRAINING TOWN: Bloomfield Hills, Mich.

COACHES: Yuka Sato, Jason Dungjen

CHOREOGRAPHERS: Buddy and Benji Schwimmer,

Y Sato, R. Campanella, Jeremy Abbott


Yuzuru HanyuJAPAN2012 World bronze medalist2011 Four Continents silver medalist

BORN: Dec. 7, 1994

BIRTHPLACE: Sendai, Japan

HEIGHT: 5’7”

HOMETOWN: Sendai, Japan

TRAINING TOWN: Toronto

COACHES: Brian Orser, Tracy Wilson

CHOREOGRAPHERS: David Wilson, Jeffrey Buttle

Takahiko KozukaJAPAN2011 World silver medalist2012 Japanese silver medalist BORN: Feb. 27, 1989

BIRTHPLACE: Nagoya, Japan

HEIGHT: 5’7”

HOMETOWN: Toyota, Japan

TRAINING TOWN: Yokohama, Japan

COACHES: Nobuo Sato, Kumiko Sato

CHOREOGRAPHERS: David Wilson, Marina Zoueva, Fedor Andreev

Tatsuki MachidaJAPAN

BORN: March 9, 1990

BIRTHPLACE: Kanagawa, Japan

HEIGHT: 5’4”

HOMETOWN: Hiroshima, Japan

TRAINING TOWN: Lake Arrowhead, Calif.

COACHES: Anthony Liu, Azumi Hata, E. Nakayuki, E. Kikkawa

CHOREOGRAPHERS: Stephane Lambiel, Phillip Mills

Alexander MajorovSWEDEN2012 Swedish champion2011 World junior bronze medalist

BORN: July 19, 1991


HEIGHT: 5’6”

HOMETOWN: Lulea, Sweden

TRAINING TOWN: Lulea, Sweden

COACH: Alexander Majorov, Sr.

CHOREOGRAPHERS: Catarina Lindgren, Irina Majorova

Konstantin MenshovRUSSIA2011 Russian champion

BORN: Feb. 23, 1983


HEIGHT: 5’5”

HOMETOWN: St. Petersburg, Russia

TRAINING TOWN: St. Petersburg, Russia

COACH: Evgeni Rukavicin

CHOREOGRAPHER: Olga Glinka

Tomas VernerCZECH REPUBLICTwo-time Olympian Eight-time Czech champion

BORN: June 3, 1986

BIRTHPLACE: Pisek, Czech Republic

HEIGHT: 5’11”

HOMETOWN: Borovany, Czech Republic

TRAINING TOWN: Toronto

COACH: Robert Emerson

CHOREOGRAPHER: Pasquale Camerlengo


LIVE

HILTON HHONORSSKATE AMERICAOct. 21 4-6 p.m.

SKATE CANADAOct. 28 2-4 p.m.

ROSTELECOM CUP(Russia)Nov. 11 4-6 p.m.

TROPHÉE ERIC BOMPARD(France)Nov. 18 2-4 p.m.

NHK TROPHY(Japan)Nov. 25 3-5 p.m.

ISU GRAND PRIX FINAL(Russia)Dec. 9 Noon-2 p.m.

2013 PRUDENTIALU.S. FIGURE SKATING CHAMPIONSHIPSJan. 26 3-6 p.m.Jan. 26 9-11 p.m.Jan. 27 4-6 p.m.

SMUCKER’S SKATINGSPECTACULARFeb. 2 1-3 p.m.

LIVELIVE

LIVELIVE

Times subject to change. All times are Eastern.


Michal Brezina (CZE) .......................2011

Daisuke Takahashi (JPN) ................2010

Evan Lysacek (USA) .........................2009

Takahiko Kozuka (JPN) ...................2008


Nobunari Oda (JPN) ........................2006


Brian Joubert (FRA) .........................2004

Michael Weiss (USA) .......................2003

Brian Joubert (FRA) .........................2002

Timothy Goebel (USA) ...................2001

Timothy Goebel (USA) ...................2000

Alexei Yagudin (RUS) ......................1999

Alexei Yagudin (RUS) ......................1998

Todd Eldredge (USA) ......................1997




Viktor Petrenko (UKR) .....................1993


Christopher Bowman (USA) .........1991

Viktor Petrenko (URS) .....................1990



Brian Boitano (USA) ........................1986

Josef Sabovcik (CZE) .......................1985

Brian Boitano (USA) ........................1983

Scott Hamilton (USA) .....................1982



Michal Brezina2011 SKATE AMERICA CHAMPION

Michal Brezina of the Czech Republic used a stellar short program to capture his Skate

America debut in Ontario, Calif. Brezina cap-tured the bronze medal at Trophée Eric Bom-

pard to qualify for the Grand Prix Final in Quebec City, Canada, where he placed

sixth. Brezina finished strong, win-ning the silver medal at the

Czech Championships, plac-ing fourth at the European

Championships and sixth at the World

Championships.


MEN'S SCORING GUIDE

REQUIRED ELEMENTS

COMPILED SCORESAND FINAL STANDINGS FREE SKATE FINAL PLACESHORT PROGRAM TOTAL COMPETITION

Jeremy Abbott, USA

Michal Brezina, CZE

Yuzuru Hanyu, JPN

Takahiko Kozuka, JPN

Evan Lysacek, USA

Tatsuki Machida, JPN

Alexander Majorov, SWE

Konstantin Menshov, RUS

Douglas Razzano, USA

Tomas Verner, CZE

Jeremy Abbott, USA

Michal Brezina, CZE

Yuzuru Hanyu, JPN

Takahiko Kozuka, JPN

Evan Lysacek, USA

Tatsuki Machida, JPN

Alexander Majorov, SWE

Konstantin Menshov, RUS

Douglas Razzano, USA

Tomas Verner, CZE


PROGRAMFREE

SKATESHORT

PROGRAMFREE

SKATESHORT

PROGRAMFREE

SKATESHORT

PROGRAM


TOTAL PROGRAMCOMPONENTS SCORE

TOTAL SEGMENTSCORE SEGMENT PLACE

FREE SKATE

The short program consists of seven required moves or elements: three jumps, three spins and one step sequence to music selected by the skater. •Duration: 2:50 (maximum)• Jumps: Double or triple Axel; a solo jump that must be a triple with

entry steps required; a combination jump consisting of either a triple-triple or triple-double

•Spins: A flying spin with a minimum of eight revolutions; a combination spin with only one change of foot, all three basic positions and a minimum of six revolutions on each foot; a layback or sideways leaning spin with a minimum of eight revolutions

•Steps: Any step sequence

The well-balanced free skate includes a maximum number of elements but has no minimum. The skater should pay attention to interesting transitions, connecting steps and movements between elements.•Duration: 4 minutes (+/- 10 seconds)• Jumps: Can include a maximum of seven jump elements; one

must be an Axel-type jump; only two triple or quad jumps can be repeated, and, if repeated, at least one attempt must be part of a jump combination or jump sequence; there may be up to three jump combinations or sequences; no more than one jump combination may consist of three jumps.

•Spins: A maximum of three spins of a different nature, one of which must be a spin combination; one must have a flying entry; and one must have only one position

•Steps: A maximum of one step sequence; maximum of one spiral sequence with one 6-second spiral or two 3-second spirals


AGENCY: INTERCROSS (952-935-2994) CliENt: US Bank PROJECt: US Figure Skating COlOR: CMYK tRim sizE: 8.375 x 10.875" BlEED: 8.875 x 11.375"

Apply Now! CAll 888-327-2265 ext. 9167 or visit usfigureskAtiNg.org

earn points to redeem for the rewards of your choice.every purchase supports u.s. figure skating programs!

• Merchandise, gift certificates or cash back (Rewards start at 1,500 Rewards Points)

• Unrestricted travel on any airline(Rewards starting at 25,000 Rewards Points)

You’ll also receive great benefits, including: • Unlimited rewards points1 • No preset spending limit2 • Special Signature advantages, such as free Concierge Service3

Win with 1,000 bonus points1 when you make your first purchase on the U.S. Figure Skating Visa Signature® Card! Every time you use your card, you’ll earn 1 point for every net dollar purchase, and you can redeem your points for exceptional rewards, including:

1 Accounts must be open and current to earn and redeem points. Bonus points will appear on your first statement after the qualifying purchase is made. 2 No preset spending limit does not mean unlimited spending. Individual transactions are authorized by card issuer based on factors such as account history, credit record, and payment

resources. Card issuer will preset an upper limit for revolving balances and cash advances. 3 Cardmembers are responsible for the cost of any goods or services purchased by Visa Signature Concierge on cardmembers’ behalf.

The creditor and issuer of the U.S. Figure Skating Visa Signature Card is U.S. Bank National Association ND, pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc. ©2012 U.S. Bank. All rights reserved.

There are several ways for you to show your support of U.S. Figure Skating. The two most popular are by joining Friends of Figure Skating and donating to the Memorial Fund. For more information on these and other giving opportunities, please visit www.givetousfi gureskating.com.

U.S. Figure Skating is the national governing body for the sport of fi gure skating in the United States. With approximately 173,000 members, it is one of the strongest and most active governing bodies within the Olympic movement. U.S. Figure Skating is made up of member clubs, collegiate clubs, school-affi liated clubs, Basic Skills programs and individual members.

ABOUT US

U.S. Figure Skating offers numerous programs that make it easy for athletes of any skill and interest level to participate in skating, including adult, collegiate, synchronized and Theatre On Ice. Visit www.usfi gureskating.org and click “Programs” for more information on these and other skating programs.

GET INVOLVED

There are a number of membership categories available through U.S. Figure Skating, including full, Basic Skills, individual and collegiate. For more information on becoming a member of U.S. Figure Skating, visit www.joinusfi gureskating.com.

JOIN

SUPPORT

Whether you’re a participant or a spectator, icenetwork.com is the ultimate online fi gure skating destination. Visit icenetwork.com for the latest news, videos, photos and com-petition results as well as skater profi les and the icenetwork.com World Figure Skater Rankings.

*Times subject to change

GRAND PRIX SERIES BROADCAST SCHEDULEAIR DATE EVENT TIME/ET

Oct. 21 Hilton HHonors Skate America 4-6 p.m.Oct. 28 Skate Canada 2-4 p.m.Nov. 11 Rostelecom Cup (Russia) 4-6 p.m.Nov. 18 Tropheé Eric Bompard (France) 2-4 p.m.Nov. 25 NHK Trophy (Japan) 2-4 p.m.Dec. 9 ISU Grand Prix Final (Russia) 1-3 p.m.

2013 PRUDENTIAL U.S. FIGURE SKATING CHAMPIONSHIPSBROADCAST SCHEDULE

AIR DATE EVENT TIME/ET

Jan. 26 Pairs, Ice Dancing 3-6 p.m.Jan. 26 Ladies 9-11 p.m.Jan. 27 Men’s 4-6 p.m.Feb. 2 Smucker’s Skating Spectacular 1-3 p.m.

LIVELIVE

LIVE

LIVE

Gretchen Donlan/Andrew SperoffUNITED STATESTRAINING TOWN: Brighton, Mass. COACHES: Bobby Martin, Carrie WallCHOREOGRAPHERS: Tanith Belbin, Sheryl Franks

DONLANBORN: Nov. 18, 1993BIRTHPLACE: BostonHEIGHT: 4’11”HOMETOWN: Hingham, Mass.

SPEROFFBORN: May 19, 1988BIRTHPLACE: Newark, N.J.HEIGHT: 5’10”HOMETOWN: Colorado Springs, Colo.

Tatiana Volosozhar/Maxim TrankovRUSSIA

2012 European champions2011, 2012 World silver medalists

2011 Russian championsTRAINING TOWNS: Moscow; Hackensack, N.J.

COACHES: Nina Mozer, Stanislav MorozovCHOREOGRAPHERS: Alla Kapranova,

Nikoli Morozov

VOLOSOZHARBORN: May 22, 1986BIRTHPLACE: Dnepropetrovsk, RussiaHEIGHT: 5’3”HOMETOWN: Kiev, Russia

TRANKOVBORN: Oct. 7, 1983BIRTHPLACE: Perm, RussiaHEIGHT: 6’1”HOMETOWN: St. Petersburg, Russia


COUGHLINBORN: Dec. 1, 1985BIRTHPLACE: Kansas City, Mo.HEIGHT: 6’2”HOMETOWN: Kansas City, Mo.

DENNEYBORN: June 22, 1993BIRTHPLACE: Ocala, Fla.HEIGHT: 5’1”HOMETOWN: Ocala, Fla.

Caydee Denney/ John CoughlinUNITED STATES2012 U.S. championsTRAINING TOWN: Colorado Springs, Colo.COACHES: Dalilah Sappenfield, Larry IbarraCHOREOGRAPHER: Pasquale Camerlengo

CASTELLIBORN: Aug. 20, 1990BIRTHPLACE: Providence, R.I.HEIGHT: 5’HOMETOWN: Cranston, R.I.

Marissa Castelli/Simon ShnapirUNITED STATESTRAINING TOWN: BostonCOACHES: Bobby Martin, Carrie Wall, Mark Mitchell, Peter JohanssonCHOREOGRAPHER: Julie Marcotte

SHNAPIRBORN: Aug. 20, 1987BIRTHPLACE: Moscow, RussiaHEIGHT: 6’4”HOMETOWN: Sudbury, Mass.


Vanessa James/ Morgan CipresFRANCE2012 French silver medalistsTRAINING TOWN: Paris; Dammarie les Lys, FranceCOACH: Claude Peri-ThevenardCHOREOGRAPHER: Romain Haguenauer

JAMESBORN: Sept. 27, 1987BIRTHPLACE: Scarborough, OntarioHEIGHT: 5’6”HOMETOWN: Charenton Le Pont, France

CIPRESBORN: April 24, 1991BIRTHPLACE: Melun, FranceHEIGHT: 6’0”HOMETOWN: Saint Fargeau-Ponthierry, France

Stacey Kemp/ David KingGREAT BRITAIN2006-12 British championsTRAINING TOWN: Ellenton, Fla.COACHES: Jim Peterson, Lyndon Johnston, Alison SmithCHOREOGRAPHER: Jim Peterson

KEMPBORN: July 25, 1988BIRTHPLACE: Preston, Great BritainHEIGHT: 5’1”HOMETOWN: Preston, Great Britain

KINGBORN: May 8, 1984BIRTHPLACE: Carlisle, Great BritainHEIGHT: 6’2”HOMETOWN: Carlisle, Great Britain

Danielle Montalbano/ Evgeni Krasnopolski ISRAELTRAINING TOWN: Hackensack, N.J.COACH: Kyoko InaCHOREOGRAPHERS: Galit Chait Moracci

MONTALBANOBORN: Jan. 23, 1989BIRTHPLACE: Manhasset, N.Y.HEIGHT: 4’11”HOMETOWN: Hackensack, N.J.

KRASNOPOLSKIBORN: Oct. 4, 1988BIRTHPLACE: Kiev, UkraineHEIGHT: 5’11”HOMETOWNS: Hackensack, N.J./ Kiryat Shmona Israel

Qing Pang/ Jian TongCHINA2011 World bronze medalists2010 World champions2010 Olympic silver medalistsTRAINING TOWN: Beijing, ChinaCOACHES: Bin Yao, Wei LiuCHOREOGRAPHERS: Lori Nichol, David Wilson

PANGBORN: Dec. 24, 1979BIRTHPLACE: Harbin, ChinaHEIGHT: 5’4”HOMETOWN: Beijing, China

TONGBORN: Aug. 15, 1979BIRTHPLACE: Harbin, ChinaHEIGHT: 5’11”HOMETOWN: Beijing, China


The Kent Reporter was part of a three-newspaper group (also including Auburn and Renton) launched in South King County in 1995.

TODAY, the Kent Reporter covers the city’s geographic area of 29 square miles, including outlying unincorporated areas adjacent to city

limits. The City of Kent is the fourth-largest city in King County, with a population more than 119,000. As a culturally rich destination,

Kent’s quality of life features neighborhoods with strong community ties, 60 parks, an exceptional school district, and nationally

accredited police and � re departments. In recent years, Kent has experienced impressive economic growth, and is nationally known

as a prime location for manufacturing.

Welcome to Washington’s largestcommunity news organization

Founded in 1987, Sound Publishing, Inc. is the largestcommunity news organization in Washington State. Today, more people read Sound Publishing community newspapers thantraditional dailies in the markets we cover.

Our titles deliver relevant, local news that directly affectsthe lives of those who raise families and work in the86 communities we serve. Reader engagement is enhanced by our local newsrooms’ dedication to our “digital � rst” philosophy.

Sound Publishing delivers community.

REPORTER .com

K E N T

Shopping | Dining | MoviesColdwater Creek • Chico’s • LOFT The Ram • Duke’s Chowder House

14 Screen AMC Theaters with IMAX, over 50 stores, 18 eateries, located across the street from ShoWare. Find a complete store listing at:

www.KentStation.com

Aliona Savchenko andRobin Szolkowy

2011 SKATE AMERICA CHAMPIONS

Germany’s Aliona Savchenko and Robin

Szolkowy rallied from a fifth-place finish in the short program to capture their third Skate America title by more than five points. After a disappointing bronze-medal finish at NHK Trophy, Savchenko and Szolkowy

were perfect for the rest of their season, earning gold at

Rostelecom Cup and the Grand Prix Final, as well as the German, European and World

Championships. It was their fourth World title.

Aliona Savchenko/Robin Szolkowy (GER).....................2011Aliona Savchenko/Robin Szolkowy (GER).....................2010Xue Shen/Hongbo Zhao (CHN) ........................................2009Aliona Savchenko/Robin Szolkowy (GER).....................2008Bryce Davison/Jessica Dubé ..............................................2007Rena Inoue/John Baldwin (USA) ......................................2006 Dan Zhang/Hao Zhang (CHN)...........................................2005 Dan Zhang/Hao Zhang (CHN)...........................................2004Qing Pang/Jian Tong (CHN) ...............................................2003T. Totmianina/M. Marinin (RUS) ........................................2002Jaime Salé/David Pelletier (CAN) .....................................2001Jaime Salé/David Pelletier (CAN) .....................................2000

Jaime Salé/David Pelletier (CAN) .....................................1999E. Berezhnaya/A. Sikharulidze (RUS) ...............................1998Marina Eltsova/Andrey Bushkov (RUS) ..........................1997O. Kazakova/A. Dmitriev (RUS) .........................................1996Marina Eltsova/Andrey Bushkov (RUS) ..........................1995Marina Eltsova/Andrey Bushkov (RUS) ..........................1994E. Shishkova/V. Naumov (RUS) ..........................................1993Marina Eltsova/Andrey Bushkov (RUS) ..........................1992Calla Urbanski/Rocky Marval (USA) ................................1991Marina Eltsova/Andrey Bushkov (URS) ..........................1990N. Mishkutenok/A. Dmitriev (URS) ..................................1989N. Mishkutenok/A. Dmitriev (URS) ..................................1988

Katy Keeley/Joseph Mero (USA) .....................................1986Jill Watson/Peter Oppegard (USA) ................................1985K. Carruthers/P. Carruthers (USA) ...................................1983Elena Valova/Oleg Vasiliev (URS) ...................................1982Barbara Underhill/Paul Martini (CAN) ..........................1981Sabine Baess/Tassilo Thierbach (GDR) .........................1979



The short program consists of seven required moves or elements: lifts, jumps, a pair spin, footwork and a death spiral, all performed to music of the skaters’ choice. •Duration: 2:50 maximum•Lifts: Any hand-to-hand lift takeoff and a double or triple twist lift• Jumps: Any double or triple throw jump and any double or triple

solo jump•Spins: Any pair spin combination with only one change of foot and

at least one change of position•Death spiral: Backward outside•Step sequence: Any step sequence

The well-balanced free skate includes a maximum number of elements but has no minimum. •Duration: 4:30 (+/- 10 seconds)•Lifts: Maximum of three lifts and one twist lift• Jumps: Maximum of two different throw jumps; a maximum of one

solo jump; and a maximum of one jump combination or sequence•Spins: Maximum of one solo spin combination and a maximum of

one pairs spin combination•Death spiral: Maximum of one. •Steps: Maximum of one spiral sequence with one 6-second

sequence or two 3-second spirals by each partner

Marissa Castelli/Simon Shnapir, USA

Caydee Denney/John Coughlin, USA

Gretchen Donlan/Andrew Speroff, USA

Vanessa James/ Morgan Cipres/CAN

Stacey Kemp/ David King/CAN

Danielle Montalbano/ Evgeni Krasnopolski/ISR

Qing Pang/Jian Tong, CHN

Tatiana Volosozhar/Maxim Trankov, RUS


PROGRAMFREE

SKATEFREE

SKATEFREE

SKATESHORT

PROGRAMFREE

SKATE


TOTAL COMPONENTSSCORE (PROGRAM) SEGMENT PLACE

SHORT PROGRAM

FREESKATE

SHORT PROGRAM

FREESKATE

COMPILED SCORESAND FINAL STANDINGS

Marissa Castelli/Simon Shnapir, USA

Caydee Denney/John Coughlin, USA

Gretchen Donlan/Andrew Speroff, USA

Vanessa James/ Morgan Cipres/CAN

Stacey Kemp/ David King/CAN

Danielle Montalbano/ Evgeni Krasnopolski/ISR

Qing Pang/Jian Tong, CHN

Tatiana Volosozhar/Maxim Trankov, RUS

FREE SKATE FINAL PLACESHORT PROGRAM TOTAL COMPETITION

PAIRS SCORING GUIDE

REQUIRED ELEMENTS

TOTAL SEGMENTSCORE


Kaitlyn Weaver/Andrew PojeCANADA2012 Canadian silver medalistsTRAINING TOWN: Bloomfield Hills, Mich.COACHES: Pasquale Camerlengo, Angelika Krylova, Shae-Lynn BourneCHOREOGRAPHERS: Shae-Lynn Bourne, Pasquale Camerlengo

POJEBORN: Feb. 25, 1987BIRTHPLACE: Waterloo, OntarioHEIGHT: 6’4”HOMETOWN: Waterloo, Ontario

WEAVERBORN: April 12, 1989BIRTHPLACE: Houston, TexasHEIGHT: 5’6”HOMETOWN: Waterloo, Ontario

GIULIETTI-SCHMITTBORN: Aug. 16, 1985BIRTHPLACE: Chicago, Ill.HEIGHT: 5’10”HOMETOWN: Oak Park, Ill.

KRIENGKRAIRUTBORN: Oct. 4, 1988BIRTHPLACE: Staten Island, N.Y.HEIGHT: 5’4”HOMETOWN: Bismark, N.D.

Lynn Kriengkrairut/ Logan Giulietti-SchmittUNITED STATES2007 U.S. junior bronze medalists TRAINING TOWN: Ann Arbor, Mich.COACHES: Yuri Chesnichenko, Yaroslava NechaevaCHOREOGRAPHERS: Yuri Chesnichenko, Yaroslava Nechaeva


Meryl Davis/Charlie WhiteUNITED STATES

2009-12 U.S. champions2012 World silver medalists

2011 World champions2010 Olympic silver medalists

TRAINING TOWN: Canton, Mich.COACHES: Marina Zoueva,

Johnny Johns, Oleg Epstein,

Maurizio Margaglio, Olena Morgan

CHOREOGRAPHER: Marina Zoueva

DAVISBORN: Jan. 1, 1987BIRTHPLACE: Royal Oak, Mich.HEIGHT: 5’3”HOMETOWN: West Bloomfield, Mich.

WHITEBORN: Oct. 24, 1987BIRTHPLACE: Royal Oak, Mich.HEIGHT: 5’9”HOMETOWN: Bloomfield Hills, Mich. CANNUSCIO

BORN: July 1, 1992BIRTHPLACE: Philadelphia HEIGHT: 5’2”HOMETOWN: Egg Harbor Township, N.J.

Anastasia Cannuscio/Colin McManusUNITED STATES2011 U.S. junior bronze medalistsTRAINING TOWN: Newark, Del.COACHES: Karen Ludington, Alexandr Kirsanov, Christie Moxley-Hutson, Kat ArbourCHOREOGRAPHERS: Karen Ludington, Alexandr Kirsanov

MCMANUSBORN: March 10, 1990BIRTHPLACE: Melrose, Mass.HEIGHT: 6’0”HOMETOWN: Saugus, Mass.


Lorenza Alessandrini/ Simone VaturiITALY2011-12 Italian bronze medalistsTRAINING TOWNS: Trento, Italy; Milan; DetroitCOACHES: Pasquale Camerlengo, Massimo Scali, Anjelika KrylovaCHOREOGRAPHERS: Corrado Giordani, Massimo Scali, Pasquale Camerlengo

ALESSANDRINIBORN: Aug. 6, 1990BIRTHPLACE: MilanHEIGHT: 5’5”HOMETOWN: Milan

VATURTIBORN: July 20, 1988BIRTHPLACE: MilanHEIGHT: 6’1”HOMETOWN: Milan

Ekaterina Bobrova/ Dmitri SolovievRUSSIA2012 Russian champions2012 European silver medalistsTRAINING TOWN: MoscowCOACHES: Alexander Zhulin, Oleg VolkovCHOREOGRAPHERS: Alexander Zhulin, Sergey Petukhov

BOBROVABORN: March 28, 1990BIRTHPLACE: MoscowHEIGHT: 5’5”HOMETOWN: Moscow

SOLOVIEVBORN: July 18, 1989BIRTHPLACE: MoscowHEIGHT: 6’0”HOMETOWN: Moscow

Nelli Zhiganshina/ Alexander GazsiGERMANY2011-12 German championsTRAINING TOWN: Oberstdorf, GermanyCOACHES: Rostislav Sinicyn, Martin SkotnickyCHOREOGRAPHER: Ilia Averbukh

ZHIGANSHINABORN: March 31, 1987BIRTHPLACE: MoscowHEIGHT: 5’5”HOMETOWN: Oberstdorf, Germany

GAZSIBORN: October 6, 1984BIRTHPLACE: Chemnitz, GermanyHEIGHT: 6’0”HOMETOWN: Oberstdorf, Germany

Isabella Tobias/ Deividas StagniunasLITHUANIA2011 Lithuanian championsTRAINING TOWN: Novi, Mich.COACH: Igor ShpilbandCHOREOGRAPHER: Igor Shpilband

TOBIASBORN: Aug. 23, 1991BIRTHPLACE: New York, N.Y.HEIGHT: 5’4”HOMETOWN: New York, N.Y.

STAGNIUNASBORN: April 28, 1985BIRTHPLACE: Kaunas, LithuaniaHEIGHT: 6’0”HOMETOWN: Kaunas, Lithuania


Meryl Davis and Charlie White2011 SKATE AMERICA CHAMPIONS

2011 World champions Meryl Davis and Charlie White won the Skate America title for the second consecutive year.

The Americans performed an elegant free dance to Johann

Strauss’ “Die Fledermaus,” beating sil-ver medalists Nathalie Pechalat and Fabian

Bourzat of France by more than 21 points. The Michigan duo went on to win gold at the Ros-telecom Cup in Moscow and the Grand Prix Final in Quebec City, Canada, for the third consecutive year. Their season finished on a high note when they won their fourth consecutive U.S. title before claiming the silver medal at the Four Continents

Championships in Colorado Springs, Colo. At the 2012 World Championships, Davis and White

turned in two fine performances and cart-ed home the silver medal.

Meryl Davis/Charlie White (USA)......................................2011Meryl Davis/Charlie White (USA)......................................2010Tanith Belbin/Ben Agosto (USA) ......................................2009Isabelle Delobel/O. Schoenfelder (FRA) ........................2008Tanith Belbin/Ben Agosto (USA) ......................................2007Albena Denkova/Maxim Staviski (RUS) .........................2006Tanith Belbin/Ben Agosto (USA) ......................................2005Tanith Belbin/Ben Agosto (USA) ......................................2004Tanith Belbin/Ben Agosto (USA) ......................................2003E. Grushina/R. Goncharov (UKR) .......................................2002Shae-Lynn Bourne/V. Kraatz (CAN) .................................2001B. Fusar-Poli/Maurizio Margaglio (ITA) ...........................2000B. Fusar-Poli/Maurizio Margaglio (ITA) ...........................1999M. Anissina/G. Peizerat (FRA).............................................1998

E. Punslan/J. Swallow (USA) ...............................................1997A. Krylova/O. Ovsyannikov (RUS) .....................................1996Oksana Grishuk/Evgeny Platov (RUS) .............................1995E. Punsalan/J. Swallow (USA) .............................................1994S. Moniotte/P. Lavanchy (FRA) ..........................................1993Maia Usova/Alexander Zhulin (RUS) ...............................1992Tatiana Navka/Samvel Gezalian (URS) ...........................1991S. Calegari/P. Camerlengo (ITA).........................................1990Maia Usova/Alexander Zhulin (URS) ...............................1989Susan Wynne/Joseph Druar (USA) ..................................1988Isabelle & Paul Duchesnay (FRA) ......................................1986Renee Roca/Donald Adair (USA) ......................................1985Elisa Spitz/Scott Gregory (USA) ........................................1983Elisa Spitz/Scott Gregory (USA) ........................................1982Judy Blumberg/Michael Seibert (USA) ..........................1981Kriszina Regoczy/Andras Sallay (HUN) ..........................1979



ICE DANCING SCORING GUIDE

REQUIRED ELEMENTS

The short dance consists of required elements, including dance lifts, twizzles, step sequences and/or sections of pattern dances. •Duration for the short dance: 2:50 (+/- 10 seconds)•Music: For the 2012-13 season, the short dance must be to either

polka, march or waltz rhythms.•Lifts: One short lift, not to exceed six seconds•Twizzles: One set of sequential twizzles •Step Sequences: One midline (not touching) or circular step

sequence•Pattern dance requirement: Two sections of the Yankee Polka.A well-balanced free dance (FD) displays a full range of technical skills, interpretation and inventiveness to music. Music is the skater's choice.

•Duration for the free dance: 4:00 (+/- 10 seconds)•Music: Must have an audible rhythmic beat and an uplifting effect•Lifts: Two different short lifts and one long lift or four short lifts chosen

from a list of three different types and one transitional dance lift after all other dance lifts

•Dance Spin: Up to two dance spins selected from spin or spin combination

•Twizzles: One set of synchronized twizzles (additional sets are permitted)

•Step Sequences: One midline or diagonal step sequence and one circular or serpentine step sequence

Lorenza Alessandrini/Simone Vaturi, ITA

Ekaterina Bobrova/Dmitri Soloviev, RUS

Anastasia Cannuscio/Colin McManus, USA

Meryl Davis/Charlie White, USA

Lynn Kriengkrairut/Logan Giulietti-Schmitt, USA

Isabella Tobias/Delvidas Stagniuas, LIT

Kaitlyn Weaver/Andrew Poje, CAN

Nelli Zhiganshina/Alexandra Gazsi, GER

SHORT DANCEAND FREE DANCE SHORT

DANCEFREE

SKATEFREE

SKATEFREE

DANCESHORT DANCE

FREEDANCE


TOTAL PROGRAMCOMPONENTS SCORE SEGMENT PLACE

SHORT DANCE

FREEDANCE

SHORT DANCE

FREEDANCE

COMPILED SCORESAND FINAL STANDINGS

Lorenza Alessandrini/Simone Vaturi, ITA

Ekaterina Bobrova/Dmitri Soloviev, RUS

Anastasia Cannuscio/Colin McManus, USA

Meryl Davis/Charlie White, USA

Lynn Kriengkrairut/Logan Giulietti-Schmitt, USA

Isabella Tobias/Delvidas Stagniuas, LIT

Kaitlyn Weaver/Andrew Poje, CAN

Nelli Zhiganshina/Alexandra Gazsi, GER

FREE DANCE FINAL PLACESHORT DANCE TOTAL COMPETITION

TOTAL SEGMENTSCORE


U.S. Figure Skating is the national governing body for the sport of figure skating in the United States. Organized in 1921, U.S. Figure Skating is a member of the International Skating Union (ISU), the international federation for the sport of figure skating and the United States Olympic Committee (USOC).

Skating competitions at every level provide an incentive for figure skaters to train, develop and improve their proficiency. By ascending U.S. Figure Skating’s competition ladder, competitors qualify to compete not only at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships but also at international events, including the Olympic Winter Games and the World Figure Skating Championships.

PROGRAMS

The U.S. Figure Skating Basic Skills Program was designed to be the best beginning ice skating program in the United States. Fun, challenging and rewarding, this program serves the needs of both the recreational and the competitive skater. There are approximately 115,000 skaters registered in more than 1,000 programs across the country.

Adult figure skating has shown tremendous growth over the last two decades. U.S. Figure Skating sanctioned the 18th U.S. Adult Figure Skating Championships in 2012. At the most recent Championships in Bensenville, Ill., 480 athletes competed, most of them skating in multiple events. Adult competitions offer something for adult skaters of all ages and levels.

Synchronized skating is another burgeoning U.S. Figure Skating program. There are approximately 575 synchronized skating teams registered with U.S. Figure Skating. Nearly 1,800 skaters representing 90 teams competed at the 2012 U.S. Synchronized Skating Championships. The 2012 World Synchronized Skating Championships took place in Gothenburg, Sweden.

46 Olympic medals; more than any other country

186 World Championships medals won

52 World titles won by U.S. skaters

More than 700 full member, collegiate and school-affiliated clubs

173,000 members

44 professional staff members at U.S. Figure

Skating Headquarters

More than 1,300 events sanctioned each year


Fifty-two athletes representing 13 countries have made their way to Kent, Wash., for this weekend’s 2012 Hilton HHonors Skate America. It marks the fourth time that the event has been held in the Pacific Northwest in the last decade.

In 2002, Spokane, Wash., played host followed by stops in Everett, Wash., in 2008, and Port-land, Ore., in 2010. Each of those events at-tracted more than 23,000 spectators, making them the top four highest-attended events in Skate America’s 31-year history.

In addition to the area’s success at Skate America, the U.S. Championships has enjoyed similar success in the states of Washington and Oregon. In 2007, Spokane, Wash., hosted the competition and broke attendance re-cords that stood until The Lilac City shattered the record again in the 2010 Olympic year. It was the first time that the U.S. Championships had been held in the same city within a four-year Olympic cycle.

Now, as Skate America returns to the Pacific Northwest, the area is primed to once again roll out the red carpet for figure skating’s best athletes.

The following is a look back at some of those successful competitions held in the Pacific Northwest in the last 15 years.

USA VS. THE WORLD KENNEWICK, WASH.

The world’s top skaters gathered at the Tri-Cit-ies Coliseum in Kennewick, Wash., on Dec. 18, 1999, for the Keri Lotion — USA vs. The World Figure Skating Challenge.

Organized and hosted by U.S. Figure Skating, the head-to-head competition featured a la-dies and men’s event. The impressive field of 12 competitors won a combined 13 World titles, 12 U.S. titles and two Olympic gold medals be-tween them.

When U.S. Figure Skating released a media ad-visory almost a week before the competition, tickets to the event were already sold out. The event aired on ABC Sports on Jan. 9, 2000, as Americans Sarah Hughes and Michael Weiss brought a packed house to its feet, leading the U.S. to a 10-8 victory over the World Team.

“This was such a great crowd,” Weiss said. “You could tell that a lot of people were really ex-cited to be here.”

Echoing Weiss’ sentiment, nearly every com-petitor commented on the fans’ enthusiasm and spirit. First-day ticket sales for the compe-tition doubled the arena’s record, and event programs sold out 45 minutes after the doors opened.

SKATE AMERICA TRIVIA 1) Where did Michelle Kwan win her final Skate America title?

2) Over the seven years that Michelle Kwan won her Skate America titles, how many 6.0s did she receive?

3) How many times has the United States swept the ladies event at Skate America?

4) How many times has the United States swept the men’s event?

5) How many times has the United States won the dance title?

Always welcome PACIFIC NORTHWEST LOVES ITS FIGURE SKATINGBy Mimi Whetstone

Michelle Kwan basks in the glory of her last U.S. Championships in 2005 in Portland, Ore.

1) In Spokane, Wash. Michelle Kwan won her seventh and last Skate America title in 2002; 2) Two 6.0s: One in the short program and one in the free skate at the 1999 Skate America held in Colorado Springs, Colo. 3) Two times: 1983 (Rochester, N.Y.) and 1996 (Springfield, Mass.); 4) Two times: 1988 (Portland, Maine) and 1992 (Atlanta, Ga.) 5) 14: 1981, 1982, 1983, 1985, 1988, 1994, 1997, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2010 and 2011.


The event included an ice dancing exhibition by 1999 World Junior champions and 1999 U.S. junior champions Jamie Silverstein and Justin Pekarek, and featured a special com-petitive appearance by skating legend Doro-thy Hamill, who received a standing ovation.

“I love the event and enjoy participating in it," Hamill told ESPN. “Based on what you saw to-night, you can expect to see a lot of talent in skating for years to come.”

2002 SKATE AMERICA IN SPOKANE, WASH.

At the beginning of a post-Olympic season, achieving high attendance would be a challenge for any competition, and that year, Skate Ameri-ca encountered several additional obstacles.

Of the U.S. champions, only ice dancers Naomi Lang and Peter Tchernyshev were originally en-tered, and they withdrew after Lang suffered an injury. U.S. pairs champions Kyoko Ina and John Zimmerman did not compete in the eligi-ble ranks that year, and though Michelle Kwan and Todd Eldredge both kept their eligibility, neither planned to enter any Grand Prix events.

The event also marked the first use of an In-terim Judging System, which temporarily bridged the gap between the old 6.0 system and the International Judging System (IJS) in place today. The transitory system was put in place to show that the ISU was doing some-thing about the 2002 Olympic Winter Games scandal, in which Yelena Berezhnaya and An-ton Sikharulidze of Russia won the gold medal with a mistake-ridden free skate over Jamie Salé and David Pelletier of Canada, who per-formed a flawless program. Both teams even-tually were awarded the gold medal.

“We preferred to run the risk of creating con-fusion for the media and the spectators, rather than wait another year to do something that

will protect the skaters better than the old system,” ISU President Ottavio Cinquanta said.

In addition to the American athletes, other top names pulled out right before the event as well. World ice dancing silver medalists Shae-Lynn Bourne and Victor Kraatz of Canada with-drew because of tendonitis in Bourne’s Achilles tendon and Olympic champion Sarah Hughes of the U.S. tore a muscle the week before the event.

“We were worried about the dropouts,” Toby Steward, co-chair of the local organizing com-mittee, said. “Normally all the U.S. champions come to Skate America, but we exceeded all of our expectations. It’s been kind of like a big wedding where you can’t wait to go back and look at the photographs, because you’ve been too busy to take it all in.”

Despite the obstacles and confusion, the overall attendance at the event was 28,664, shattering the record of 26,588 set in Portland, Maine, in 1986.

2007 U.S. CHAMPIONSHIPS, SPOKANE, WASH.

The nation’s top skaters performed each day for an audience that filled every seat in Spo-kane Arena.

Early in the week, when former U.S. Figure Skating President Ron Hershberger attended the novice compulsory dance event, the first competition of the week, he witnessed a packed house of more than 4,000 fans at Spo-kane’s Convention Center. As the event con-tinued, a record 154,893 skating fans walked through the turnstiles during the week-long competition, breaking the previous record of

125,345 set in Los Angeles in 2002.

“This U.S. Championships was one of the most successful in history in several respects,” Hershberger told SKATING magazine. “Not only to set the attendance record but to smash the previous high proves that well-marketed figure skating events have limitless potential, and that the sport is vibrant and popular among fans of all ages.”

Regardless of the results, competitors at ev-ery level had the opportunity to perform for a sold-out arena, an experience no one is likely to forget.

“It was bigger than skating or gold medals, or silver medals, or bronze medals,” 2007 U.S. champion Evan Lysacek said. “It helped us as a sport to move forward.”

U.S. Figure Skating considered the event to be the most popular in the U.S. Championships' 88-year history, largely because of the city’s immense enthusiasm and support. Specta-tors were treated to a hands-on Fanfest, free samples of Starbucks coffee and dozens of lo-cal restaurants and attractions in conjunction with the competition, making it not only a viewing event, but an interactive experience.

“This has been an enormously welcoming city from the moment we arrived,” Hershberger said. “Everything has been perfect. The com-munity spirit and involvement have been tre-mendous.”

Always welcome PACIFIC NORTHWEST LOVES ITS FIGURE SKATINGBy Mimi Whetstone

Yu-Na Kim of Korea waves to her legions of fans at 2008 Skate America in Everett, Wash.

Evan Lysacek brings down the house at the 2007 U.S. Championships in Spokane, Wash.


2008 SKATE AMERICA, EVERETT, WASH. Once again, an all-time ticket sales record was set for the event as 29,477 spectators filled the seats at Comcast Arena, breaking Spokane’s 2002 record.

“We’re thrilled that we were able to break the record,” said Laura Lee, co-president of Production Sports, the event’s local organiz-ing committee. “We knew the fans would come out to support the event, but we never imagined we’d be able to break the record. It’s amazing that Everett now holds this honor.”

The competition featured 60 athletes from 15 countries, including all of the 2008 U.S. champions. The record-breaking attendance generated more than $2.5 million of direct economic impact to the region.

“2008 Skate America was a huge success,” Her-shberger said. “The effort of the local organiz-ing committee was evident in every facet of the competition. The competitors loved the hotel and the arena, and I know they would gladly return to Everett for this competition. And, as evidence of the public’s continuing in-terest in figure skating, we set an attendance record for Skate America. U.S. Figure Skating couldn’t be more pleased.”

Ticket sales for the event began in March, and fans had the opportunity to purchase their seats from a large selection of packages, in-cluding all-event packs, single-event tickets and practice-session passes. When the three-day competition started, approximately 25,000 tickets had already been sold. As the event concluded, additional walk-up sales continued to boost the already abundant crowds for the ladies free skate and Skating Spectacular.

“The Pacific Northwest has always been wel-coming of our events and the athletes, and Everett was no exception,” Hershberger told the United States Olympic Committee. “This certainly is a testament to how the commu-nity of Everett has embraced this event.”

2010 U.S. CHAMPIONSHIPS, SPOKANE, WASH.

For the Olympic qualifying year of 2010, the U.S. Championships returned to Spokane a second time. Attendance for the 10-day event totaled 158,170, beating the record previously set in the same arena just three years prior.

“I’ve long-supported Spokane’s efforts to

bring high-profile skating events to the re-gion,” Washington Sen. Maria Cantwell said. “In 2006, I met face-to-face with a site selector for the 2007 Championships to convey the merits of bringing the event to Spokane. The com-mittee concluded that Spokane was indeed best-suited to host this national event in 2007, and Spokane went on to prove the committee right by shattering the previous attendance record. No wonder that just three years later the road to the Olympics are marked with yet another stop here in Spokane.”

Despite the economic recession, tickets sales were high and approximately 13.7 million viewers watched NBC Sports’ coverage of the event. It aired in more than 125 countries and was available to nearly 500 million homes around the world through NBC, Universal Sports and icenetwork.com.

“The success was even sweeter, as a result of having to overcome a number of significant obstacles, not the least of which was the larg-est recession since the Great Depression,” event organizer Barb Beddor said. “To achieve success under the circumstances was a won-derful victory for our community and the 700 amazing volunteers.”

As it did in 2007, the U.S. Championships in-cluded a variety of audience participation features, including “Skate Radio,” free personal ear pieces with access to NBC Sports, icenet-work.com and expert analysis of the senior-level events, and “You Be the Judge,” a daily ex-perience at Fan Fest that simulated what it is like to sit on the judges and technical panels.

“We were so proud of Spokane,” Beddor said. “Everybody did their part to make our city shine in the national spotlight. Spokane is a magical place with wonderful people, a per-fect venue for figure skating and the best fig-ure skating fans anywhere.”

2010 SKATE AMERICA, PORTLAND, ORE.

Fifty-eight athletes representing 15 countries made their way to Portland, Ore., in Novem-ber for the city’s first international event. Skate America took place at the Rose Garden Arena, which also served as the site of the 2005 State Farm U.S. Figure Skating Championships.

“We are pleased to award this competition to Portland,” U.S. Figure Skating President Patricia St. Peter said. “The community showed its over-whelming support for the U.S. Championships in 2005, and we’re delighted that the athletes and visitors to the city will have the opportu-nity to experience all Portland has to offer.”

Following the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, the area had already successfully generated a following of spectators, which the arena more than accommodated.

“With the Olympics being held in the Pacific Northwest, the region is ready and excited for another opportunity to host an event of this caliber,” said Chris Oxley, general manager of the Rose Quarter, the district in which the Rose Garden is located.

Approximately 12,800 spectators attended the competition, which bettered the previ-ous year’s attendance in Lake Placid, N.Y. The competition was broadcast on NBC and Uni-versal Sports for the third consecutive year, and included 14 hours of live coverage.

Now, as the world’s best head to Kent for 2012 Hilton HHonors Skate America, local officials are prepared to carry the torch passed to them by the Pacific Northwest. Up to the challenge, the ShoWare Center offers a seating capacity of 3,940 for five ticketed sessions as athletes, fans, coaches and officials fill the arena.

“This arena and this community are ready,” Kent Mayor Suzette Cooke told the Seattle Times.

Tanith Belbin and Ben

Agosto per-form in front

of a packed house at Spo-kane Arena at the 2010 U.S.

Champion-ships.

PHOTO BY MICHELLE HARVATH48 2012 HILTON HHONORS SKATE AMERICA

Musselman’s Apple Sauce Family Skating Trib-ute presented by Caesars Atlantic City kicks off the Pandora NBC Skating Series, which consists of four two-hour specials produced by Disson Skating that will start airing on NBC in November.

Jewel, a four-time Grammy-nominated sing-er-songwriter, will perform live in this family-themed show featuring such skating stars as Olympic champions Ekaterina Gordeeva and Ilia Kulik along with two-time Olympic medal-ist Nancy Kerrigan and many more. All of the skaters, and Jewel herself, are parents, and both children and parents will be featured in the show.

The show, which airs Nov. 18, originates from Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City on Saturday, Nov. 3 at 8 p.m. and will be hosted by Olympic champion Kristi Yamaguchi and three-time U.S. champion Michael Weiss.

Olympic champion Brian Boitano and multi-platinum music artists Mannheim Steamroller will be joined by former World champions Elvis Stojko, Yuka Sato and Kimmie Meiss-ner as well as reigning U.S. champion Ashley Wagner, 2011 U.S. champion Alissa Czisny and others in Pandora Unforgettable Holiday Moments on Ice on Nov. 10 at Grand Canyon University Arena in Phoenix at 7 p.m.

Mannheim Steamroller will perform live for the entire show and will be joined on some songs by Megan Hilty, star of NBC’s musical drama “Smash,” who is working on a new al-bum to be released in late 2012. This show, which will be hosted by Yamaguchi, Weiss

and the founder of Mannheim Steamroller, Chip Davis, will be nationally broadcast on NBC during Thanksgiving weekend, Nov. 25.

Olympic medalists Gabrielle (Gabby) Doug-las, Danell Leyva, Jordyn Wieber and Alexan-dra (Aly) Raisman will join 2008 Olympic all-around gymnastics champion Nastia Liukin and a cast of 2014 Sochi figure skating hope-fuls when the Progressive Skating & Gymnas-tics Spectacular comes to Jamestown Savings Bank Arena in Jamestown, N.Y., on Dec. 15 at 7 p.m.

The figure skating cast will be made up of World champions and 2010 Olympic ice dance silver medalists Meryl Davis and Char-lie White, reigning U.S. champions Jeremy Abbott and Ashley Wagner, two-time U.S. champion Alissa Czisny, 2011 World ice dance bronze medalists Maia and Alex Shibutani, reigning U.S. silver medalist Adam Rippon and up-and-coming elite skater Gracie Gold.

Performing live during the show will also be

Fresh Beat Band of Nickelodeon’s “Fresh Beat Band” and Ross Lynch of Disney’s “Austin and Ally,” with his band R5.

Olympic champions Bart Conner, Nadia Co-maneci and Peggy Fleming will host the show, which will be nationally telecast on Jan. 19 on NBC.

The Pandora NBC Skating Series wraps up on Jan. 27 with Pandora Unforgettable Mo-ments of Love on Ice, a Valentine’s Day show taping at ShoWare Center in Kent, Wash. on Jan. 11, starring Barry Manilow with a skating cast which includes Nancy Kerrigan, Michael Weiss, Elvis Stojko and Liz Manley.

“Once again we have a great lineup of shows as part of the Pandora NBC Skating Series,” president of Disson Skating Steve Disson said. “I think this is going to be one of our stron-gest lineups of shows to date.”

For complete cast and live show ticket infor-mation on the Pandora NBC Skating Series specials, go to www.dissonskating.com.

A family tradition DISSON SPECIALS CREATE HOLIDAY MAGIC

Pandora NBC Skating Series (Check your local TV listings)

AIR DATE EVENT TIME/ET

Nov. 18 Musselman’s Apple Sauce Family Skating Tribute 4–6 p.m.

Nov. 25 Pandora Unforgettable Holiday Moments on Ice 4–6 p.m.

Jan. 19 Progressive Skating & Gymnastics Spectacular 4–6 p.m.

Jan. 27 Pandora Unforgettable Moments of Love on Ice 2–4 p.m.

From left, Nancy Kerrigan, Jeremy Abbott and Nastia Liukin.

PHO

TO BY SH

ARO

N M

OD

JESKA

PHO

TO BY B

EN SO

LOM

ON

PHO

TO CO

URTESY O

F DISSO

N SK

ATING

JEREMY ABBOTT

NANCY KERRIGAN

NASTIA LIUKIN


A family tradition DISSON SPECIALS CREATE HOLIDAY MAGIC

Musselman’s Apple Sauce Family Skating Tribute

NBC Airdate: Sunday, November 18, 2012 - 4:00pm – 6:00pm EST

Live Show Date & Location: November 3 • Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, NJ�

Skating Cast: Nancy Kerrigan, Ekaterina Gordeeva, Ilia Kulik,

Todd Eldredge, Paul Wylie, Shae-Lynn Bourne,

Isabelle Brasseur & Rocky Marval, Michael Weiss,

Silvia Fontana & J�ohn Zimmerman

Guest Artist: J�ewel

Pandora Unforgettable Holiday Moments on Ice

NBC Airdate: Sunday, November 25, 2012 - 4:00pm – 6:00pm EST

Live Show Date & Location: November 10 • Grand Canyon University Arena

in Phoenix, AZ

Skating Cast: Brian Boitano, Elvis Stojko, J�oannie Rochette,

Kimmie Meissner, Alissa Czisny, Ashley Wagner,

Mirai Nagasu, Ryan Bradley, Naomi Lang &

Peter Tchernyshev

Guest Artists: Mannheim Steamroller with

Special Guest Megan Hilty

Progressive Skating & Gymnastics Spectacular

NBC Airdate: Saturday, J�anuary 19, 2013 - 4:00pm – 6:00pm EST

Live Show Date & Location: December 15 • J�amestown Savings Bank Arena

in J�amestown, NY

Skating Cast: Meryl Davis & Charlie White, J�eremy Abbott,

Alissa Czisny, Ashley Wagner, Adam Rippon,

Maia & Alex Shibutani, Gracie Gold

Gymnastics Cast: Nastia Liukin, Gabrielle Douglas, Aly Raisman,

J�ordyn Wieber, Danell Leyva, J�onathan Horton,

J�ohn Orozco, J�ake Dalton

Guest Artists: The Fresh Beat Band and R5

Pandora Unforgettable Moments of Love on Ice

NBC Airdate: Sunday, J�anuary 27, 2013 - 2:00pm – 4:00pm EST

Live Show Date & Location: J�anuary 11 • ShoWare Center in Kent, WA

Skating Cast: Nancy Kerrigan, Ben Agosto, Elvis Stojko,

Liz Manley, Kimmie Meissner, Michael Weiss,

Nicole Bobek, Steven Cousins,

Elena Leonova & Andrei Khvalko

Guest Artist: Barry Manilow

“Welcome Skate America”

211 First Avenue South Kent, WA 98032

253-335-6951

Evening Dinner & Entertainment5:00pm - 11:00pm

We are company that has a passion for our clients.Our mission, to provide a superior product and exceptional service, is a reality that happens every day. Incredible drivers, support staff and industry leading equipment all come together to make us proud of our company.

We provide the following expertise:

• Charter Service• Convention & Meeting Planners • Professional & Collegiate Athletics• Tour Series

1.800.975.0464 | T: 206.838.7120 | F: [email protected] | www.mtrwestern.com

Discover Downtown Kent

Dine, shop, and explore Downtown Kent, just a short walk from ShoWare Center!

The charming Historic District features unique shops and places for dining among Kent’s oldest buildings and parks. Check out Kent Station for more shops, entertainment, and restaurants.

Visit downtownkentwa.com to find out what else is going on in Downtown Kent today.

WELCOME SKATE FANS!Kent and our hospitality providers hope you enjoy your stay and look forward to seeing you again soon.

DiscoverDowntown Kent

(Event not held in 1980, 1984, 1987)

2011 Ontario, CA Alissa Czisny (USA) 177.48 Carolina Kostner (ITA) 177.35 Viktoria Helgeson (SWE) 145.75

2010 Portland, OR Kanako Murakami (JPN) 164.93 Rachael Flatt (USA) 162.86 Carolina Kostner (ITA) 154.87

2009 Lake Placid, NY Yu-Na Kim (KOR) 187.98 Rachael Flatt (USA) 174.91 Julia Sebestyen (HUN) 159.03

2008 Everett, WA Yu-Na Kim (KOR) 193.45 Yukari Nakano (JPN) 172.53 Miki Ando (JPN) 168.42

2007 Reading, PA Kimmie Meissner (USA) 163.23 Miki Ando (JPN) 161.89 Caroline Zhang (USA) 153.35

2006 Hartford, CT Miki Ando (JPN) 192.59 Kimmie Meissner (USA) 177.78 Mao Asada (JPN) 171.23

2005 Atlantic City, NJ Elena Sokolova (RUS) 163.02 Alissa Czisny (USA) 159.30 Yoshie Onda (JPN) 150.98

2004 Pittsburgh, PA Angela Nikodinov (USA) 149.50 Cynthia Phaneuf (CAN) 144.40 Miki Ando (JPN) 142.62

2003 Reading, PA Sasha Cohen (USA) Jennifer Kirk (USA) Shizuka Arakawa (JPN)

2002 Spokane, WA Michelle Kwan (USA) Ann Patrice McDonough (USA) Elena Liashenko (UKR)

2001 Colo. Springs, CO Michelle Kwan (USA) Sarah Hughes (USA) Viktoria Volchkova (RUS)

2000 Colo. Springs, CO Michelle Kwan (USA) Sarah Hughes (USA) Elena Sokolova (RUS)

1999 Colo. Springs, CO Michelle Kwan (USA) Julia Soldatova (RUS) Elena Sokolova (RUS)

1998 Detroit, MI Maria Butyrskaya (RUS) Elena Sokolova (RUS) Angela Nikodinov (USA)

1997 Detroit, MI Michelle Kwan (USA) Tara Lipinski (USA) Elena Sokolova (RUS)

1996 Springfield, MA Michelle Kwan (USA) Tonia Kwiatkowski (USA) Sydne Vogel (USA)

1995 Detroit, MI Michelle Kwan (USA) Chen Lu (CHN) Irina Slutskaya (RUS)

1994 Pittsburgh, PA Surya Bonaly (FRA) Michelle Kwan (USA) Irina Slutskaya (RUS)

1993 Dallas, TX Oksana Baiul (UKR) Surya Bonaly (FRA) Tonya Harding (USA)

1992 Atlanta, GA Yuka Sato (JPN) Nancy Kerrigan (USA) Chen Lu (CHN)

1991 Oakland, CA Tonya Harding (USA) Kristi Yamaguchi (USA) Surya Bonaly (FRA)

1990 Buffalo, NY Kristi Yamaguchi (USA) Midori Ito (JPN) Tonia Kwiatkowski (USA)

1989 Indianapolis, IN Tonya Harding (USA) Jill Trenary (USA) Simone Lang (GDR)

1988 Portland, ME Claudia Leistner (FRG) Midori Ito (JPN) Kristi Yamaguchi (USA)

1986 Portland, ME Tiffany Chin (USA) Tonya Harding (USA) Agnes Gosselin (FRA)

1985 St. Paul, MN Debi Thomas (USA) Tracey Wainman (CAN) Katrien Pauwels (BEL)

1983 Rochester, NY Tiffany Chin (USA) Jill Frost (USA) Kelly Webster (USA)

1982 Lake Placid, NY Rosalynn Sumners (USA) Claudia Leistner (FRG) Kriistina Wegelius (FIN)

1981 Lake Placid, NY Vikki de Vries (USA) Elaine Zayak (USA) Claudia Kristofics-Binder (AUT)

1979 Lake Placid, NY Lisa-Marie Allen (USA) Susan Driano (ITA) Sandy Lenz (USA)

LADIES GOLD SILVER BRONZE

2011 Ontario, CA Michal Brezina (CZE) 216.00 Kevin Van Der Perren (BEL) 212.48 Takahiko Kozuka (JPN) 212.09

2010 Portland, OR Daisuke Takahashi (JPN) 227.07 Nobunari Oda (JPN) 226.09 Armin Mahbanoozadeh (USA) 211.17

2009 Lake Placid, NY Evan Lysacek (USA) 237.72 Shawn Sawyer (CAN) 203.91 Ryan Bradley (USA) 198.12

2008 Everett, WA Takahiko Kozuka (JPN) 226.18 Johnny Weir (USA) 225.20 Evan Lysacek (USA) 223.21

2007 Reading, PA Daisuke Takahashi (JPN) 228.97 Evan Lysacek (USA) 220.08 Patrick Chan (CAN) 213.33

2006 Hartford, CT Nobunari Oda (JPN) 231.39 Evan Lysacek (USA) 221.09 Alban Preaubert (FRA) 212.67

2005 Atlantic City, NJ Daisuke Takahashi (JPN) 218.54 Evan Lysacek (USA) 193.71 Brian Joubert (FRA) 190.28

2004 Pittsburgh, PA Brian Joubert (FRA) 193.46 Ryan Jahnke (USA) 186.71 Michael Weiss (USA) 179.56

2003 Reading, PA Michael Weiss (USA) Takeshi Honda (JPN) Min Zhang (CHN)

2002 Spokane, WA Brian Joubert (FRA) Alexander Abt (RUS) Matt Savoie (USA)

2001 Colo. Springs, CO Timothy Goebel (USA) Takeshi Honda (JPN) Alexander Abt (RUS)

2000 Colo. Springs, CO Timothy Goebel (USA) Alexei Yagudin (RUS) Todd Eldredge (USA)

1999 Colo. Springs, CO Alexei Yagudin (RUS) Timothy Goebel (USA) Elvis Stojko (CAN)

1998 Detroit, MI Alexei Yagudin (RUS) Michael Weiss (USA) Alexei Urmanov (RUS)

1997 Detroit, MI Todd Eldredge (USA) Evgeny Plushenko (RUS) Alexander Abt (RUS)

1996 Springfield, MA Todd Eldredge (USA) Alexei Urmanov (RUS) Alexei Yagudin (RUS)

1995 Detroit, MI Todd Eldredge (USA) Michael Weiss (USA) Alexander Abt (RUS)

1994 Pittsburgh, PA Todd Eldredge (USA) Philippe Candeloro (FRA) Eric Millot (FRA)

1993 Dallas, TX Viktor Petrenko (UKR) Brian Boitano (USA) Alexei Urmanov (RUS)

1992 Atlanta, GA Todd Eldredge (USA) Scott Davis (USA) Mark Mitchell (USA)

1991 Oakland, CA Christopher Bowman (USA) Petr Barna (CZE) Todd Eldredge (USA)

1990 Buffalo, NY Viktor Petrenko (URS) Christopher Bowman (USA) Todd Eldredge (USA)

1989 Indianapolis, IN Christopher Bowman (USA) Viktor Petrenko (URS) Kurt Browning (CAN)

1988 Portland, ME Christopher Bowman (USA) Daniel Doran (USA) Todd Eldredge (USA)

1986 Portland, ME Brian Boitano (USA) Viktor Petrenko (URS) Daniel Doran (USA)

1985 St. Paul, MN Jozef Sabovcik (CZE) Brian Boitano (USA) Viktor Petrenko (URS)

1983 Rochester, NY Brian Boitano (USA) Rudi Cerne (FRG) Bobby Beauchamp (USA)

1982 Lake Placid, NY Scott Hamilton (USA) Heiko Fischer (FRG) Jozef Sabovcik (CZE)

1981 Lake Placid, NY Scott Hamilton (USA) Robert Wagenhoffer (USA) Brian Boitano (US

1979 Lake Placid, NY Scott Hamilton (USA) Scott Cramer (USA) Jan Hoffmann (EGR)

MEN GOLD SILVER BRONZE


(Event not held in 1980, 1984, 1987)

2011 Ontario, CA Aliona Savchenko/Robin Szolkowy (GER) 183.98 Dan Zhang/Hao Zhang (CHN) 178.66 Kirsten Moore-Towers/Dylan Moscovitch (CAN) 177.43

2010 Portland, OR Aliona Savchenko/Robin Szolkowy (GER) 197.70 Kirsten Moore-Towers/Dylan Moscovitch (CAN) 175.48 Wenjing Sui/Cong Han (CHN) 170.07

2009 Lake Placid, NY Xue Shen/Hongbo Zhao (CHN) 201.40 Tatiana Volosozhar/ Stanislav Morozov (UKR) 171.82 Dan Zhang/Hao Zhang (CHN) 168.19

2008 Everett, WA Aliona Savchenko/Robin Szolkowy (GER) 180.77 Keauna McLaughlin/Rockne Brubaker (USA) 172.69 Maria Mukhortova/ Maxim Trankov (RUS) 167.67

2007 Reading, PA Jessica Dubé/Bryce Davison (CAN) 173.26 Qing Pang/Jian Tong (CHN) 165.19 Vera Bazarova/Yuri Larionov (RUS) 159.58

2006 Hartford, CT Rena Inoue/ John Baldwin (USA) 169.90 Dorota Siudek/ Mariusz Siudek (POL) 161.47 Naomi Nari Nam/ Themi Leftheris (USA) 161.32

2005 Atlantic City, NJ Dan Zhang/ Hao Zhang (CHN) 179.14 Rena Inoue/ John Baldwin (USA) 164.44 Julia Obertas/ Sergei Slavnov (RUS) 160.40

2004 Pittsburgh, PA Dan Zhang/ Hao Zhang (CHN) 166.86 Julia Obertas/ Sergei Slavnov (RUS) 166.26 Rena Inoue/ John Baldwin (USA) 158.10

2003 Reading, PA Qing Pang/ Jian Tong (CHN) Maria Petrova/ Alexei Tikhonov (RUS) Dan Zhang/ Hao Zhang (CHN)

2002 Spokane, WA Tatiana Totmianina/ Maxim Marinin (RUS) Annabelle Langlois/ Patrice Archetto (CAN) Qing Pang/ Jian Tong (CHN)

2001 Colo. Springs, CO Jamie Salé/ David Pelletier (CAN) Kyoko Ina/ John Zimmerman (USA) Tatiana Totmianina/ Maxim Marinin (RUS)

2000 Colo. Springs, CO Jamie Salé/ David Pelletier (CAN) Xue Shen/ Hongbo Zhao (CHN) Tatiana Totmianina/ Maxim Marinin (RUS)

1999 Colo. Springs, CO Jamie Salé/ David Pelletier (CAN) Sarah Abitbol / Stephane Bernadis (FRA) Elena Berezhnaya/ Anton Sikharulidze (RUS)

1998 Detroit, MI Elena Berezhnaya/ Anton Sikharulidze (RUS) Kristy Sargeant/ Kris Wirtz (CAN) Victoria Maksuta/ Vladislav Zhonirski (RUS)

1997 Detroit, MI Marina Eltsova/ Andrei Bushkov (RUS) Kyoko Ina/ Jason Dungjen (USA) Evgenia Shishkova/ Vadim Naumov (RUS)

1996 Springfield, MA Oksana Kazakova/ Artur Dmitriev (RUS) Shelby Lyons/ Brian Wells (USA) Stephanie Stiegler/ John Zimmerman (USA)

1995 Detroit, MI Marina Eltsova/ Andrei Bushkov (RUS) Jenni Meno/ Todd Sand (USA) Elena Berezhnaya/ Oleg Shliakhov (LAT)

1994 Pittsburgh, PA Marina Eltsova/ Andrei Bushkov (RUS) Evgenia Shishkova/ Vadim Naumov (RUS) Radka Kovarikova/ Rene Novotny (CZE)

1993 Dallas, TX Evgenia Shishkova/ Vadim Naumov (RUS) Kyoko Ina/ Jason Dungjen (USA) Karen Courtland/ Todd Reynolds (USA)

1992 Atlanta, GA Marina Eltsova/ Andrei Bushkov (RUS) Radka Kovarikova/ Rene Novotny (CZE) Evgenia Shishkova/ Vadim Naumov (RUS)

1991 Oakland, CA Calla Urbanski/ Rocky Marval (USA) Elena Nikonova/ Nickoli Apter (URS) Peggy Schwarz/ Alexander Koenig (GER)

1990 Buffalo, NY Marina Eltsova/ Andrei Bushkov (URS) Radka Kovarikova/ Rene Novotny (CZE) Mandy Wotzel/ Axel Rauschenbach (FRG)

1989 Indianapolis, IN Natalia Mishkutionok/ Artur Dmitriev (URS) Kristi Yamaguchi/ Rudy Galindo (USA) Peggy Schwarz/ Alexander Koenig (GDR)

1988 Portland, ME Natalia Mishkutionok/ Artur Dmitriev (URS) Marina Eltsova/ Sergei Zaitsev (URS) Natalie Seybold/ Wayne Seybold (USA)

1986 Portland, ME Katy Keeley/ Joseph Mero (USA) Denise Benning/ Lyndon Johnston (CAN) Ludmila Koblova/ Andrei Kalitin (CAN)

1985 St. Paul, MN Jill Watson/ Peter Oppegard (USA) Elena Bechke/ Valeri Kornienko (URS) Gillian Wachsman/ Todd Waggoner (USA)

1983 Rochester, NY Caitlin Carruthers/ Peter Carruthers (USA) Jill Watson/ Burt Lancon (USA) Melinda Kunhegyi/ Lyndon Johnston (CAN)

1982 Lake Placid, NY Elena Valova/ Oleg Vasiliev (URS) Lea Ann Miller/ William Fauver (USA) Nellie Chervotkina/ Victor Teslya (URS)

1981 Lake Placid, NY Barbara Underhill/ Paul Martini (CAN) Caitlin Carruthers/ Peter Carruthers (USA) Elena Valova/ Oleg Vasiliev (URS)

1979 Lake Placid, NY Sabine Baesz/Tassilo Thierbach (EGR) Caitlin Carruthers/Peter Carruthers (USA) Vicki Heasley/Robert Wagenhoffer (USA)

2011 Ontario, CA Meryl Davis/ Charlie White (USA) 178.07 Nathalie Pechalat/ Fabian Bourzat (FRA) 156.29 Isabella Tobias/Deividas Stagniunas (LTU) 132.58

2010 Portland, OR Meryl Davis/ Charlie White (USA) 156.58 Vanessa Crone/ Paul Poirier (CAN) 149.08 Maia Shibutani/ Alex Shibutani (USA) 144.82

2009 Lake Placid, NY Tanith Belbin/ Ben Agosto (USA) 195.85 Anna Cappellini/ Luca Lanotte (ITA) 171.86 Alexandra Zaretski/ Roman Zaretski (ISR) 171.77

2008 Everett, WA Isabelle Delobel/Olivier Schoenfelder (FRA) 187.64 Tanith Belbin/Ben Agosto (USA) 186.53 Sinead Kerr/ John Kerr (GBR) 180.20

2007 Reading, PA Tanith Belbin/ Ben Agosto (USA) 192.95 Nathalie Pechalat/ Fabian Bourzat (FRA) 181.84 Federica Faiella/ Massimo Scali (ITA) 172.28

2006 Hartford, CT Albena Denkova/ Maxim Staviski (BUL) 201.58 Melissa Gregory/ Denis Petukhov (USA) 180.98 Nathalie Pechalat/ Fabian Bourzat (FRA) 167.28

2005 Atlantic City, NJ Tanith Belbin/ Ben Agosto (USA) 190.45 Isabelle Delobel/ Olivier Schoenfelder (FRA) 184.47 Oksana Domnina/ Maxim Shabalin (RUS) 169.23

2004 Pittsburgh, PA Tanith Belbin/ Ben Agosto (USA) 212.87 Galit Chait/ Sergei Sakhnovski (ISR) 204.32 Megan Wing/ Aaron Lowe (CAN) 178.60

2003 Reading, PA Tanith Belbin/ Ben Agosto (USA) Elena Grushina/ Ruslan Goncharov (UKR) Isabelle Delobel/ Olivier Schenfelder (FRA)

2002 Spokane, WA Elena Grushina/ Ruslan Goncharov (UKR) Tatiana Navka/ Roman Kostomarov (RUS) Tanith Belbin/ Ben Agosto (USA)

2001 Colo. Springs, CO Shae-Lynn Bourne/ Victor Kraatz (CAN) Galit Chait/ Sergei Sakhnovsky (ISR) Margarita Drobiazko/ Povilas Vanagas (LTU)

2000 Colo. Springs, CO Barbara Fusar-Poli/ Maurizio Margaglio (ITA) Margarita Drobiazko/ Povilas Vanagas (LTU) Shae-Lynn Bourne/ Victor Kraatz (CAN)

1999 Colo. Springs, CO Barbara Fusar-Poli/ Maurizio Margaglio (ITA) Irina Lobacheva/ Ilia Averbukh (RUS) Naomi Lang/ Peter Tchernyshev (USA)

1998 Detroit, MI Marina Anissina/ Gwendal Peizerat (FRA) Irina Lobacheva/ Ilia Averbukh (RUS) Barbara Fusar-Poli/ Maurizio Margaglio (ITA)

1997 Detroit, MI Elizabeth Punsalan/ Jerod Swallow (USA) Barbara Fusar-Poli/ Maurizio Margaglio (ITA) Anna Semenovich/ Vladimir Federov (RUS)

1996 Springfield, MA Anjelika Krylova/ Oleg Ovsyannikov (RUS) Irina Lobacheva/ Ilia Averbukh (RUS) Sophie Moniotte/ Pascal Lavanchy (FRA)

1995 Detroit, MI Oksana Grishuk/ Evgeny Platov (RUS) Anjelika Krylova/ Oleg Ovsyannikov (RUS) Renee Roca/ Gorsha Sur (USA)

1994 Pittsburgh, PA Elizabeth Punsalan/ Jerod Swallow (USA) Marina Anissina/ Gwendal Peizerat (FRA) Elizaveta Stekolnikova/ Dmitri Kazarliga (KZK)

1993 Dallas, TX Sophie Moniotte/ Pascal Lavanchy (FRA) Katerina Mrazova/ Martin Simecek (CZE) Renee Roca/ Gorsha Sur (USA)

1992 Atlanta, GA Maia Usova/ Alexander Zhulin (RUS) Sophie Moniotte/ Pascal Lavanchy (FRA) Elizabeth Punsalan/ Jerod Swallow (USA)

1991 Oakland, CA Tatiana Navka/ Samvel Gezalian (URS) Susanna Rahkomo/ Petri Kokko (FIN) Dominique Yvon/ Frederic Palluel (FRA)

1990 Buffalo, NY Stefania Calegari/ Pasquale Camerlengo (ITA) Isabelle Sarech/ Xavier Debernis (FRA) Illona Meinchenko/ Gennadi Kaskov (URS)

1989 Indianapolis, IN Maia Usova/ Alexander Zhulin (URS) April Sargent/ Russ Witherby (USA) Jo-Anne Borlase/ Martin Smith (CAN)

1988 Portland, ME Susan Wynne/ Joseph Druar (USA) Svetlana Lyapina/ Georgi Sur (URS) Renee Roca/ James Yorke (USA)

1986 Portland, ME Isabelle Duchesnay/ Paul Duchesnay (FRA) Suzanne Semanick/ Scott Gregory (USA) Jo-Anne Borlase/ Scott Chalmers (CAN)

1985 St. Paul, MN Renee Roca/ Donald Adair (USA) Irina Zhuk / Oleg Petrov (URS) Antonia Becherer/ Ferdinand Becherer (FRG)

1983 Rochester, NY Elisa Spitz/ Scott Gregory (USA) Kelly Johnson/ John Thomas (CAN) Wendy Sessions/ Stephen Williams (GBR)

1982 Lake Placid, NY Elisa Spitz/ Scott Gregory (USA) Elena Garanina/ Igor Zavozin (URS) Karyn Garossino/ Rod Garossino (CAN)

1981 Lake Placid, NY Judy Blumberg/ Michael Seibert (USA) Elena Garanina/ Igor Zavozin (URS) Karen Barber/ Nicky Slater (GBR)

1979 Lake Placid, NY Kriszina Regoczy/Andras Sallay (HUN) Natalia Bestemianova/Andrei Bukin (URS) Lorna Wighton/John Dowding (CAN)

PAIRS GOLD SILVER BRONZE

ICE DANCING GOLD SILVER BRONZE


Every adventure needs a homebase. Sea le Southside puts you close to the ac on without the downtown price. Call or visit the Visitor Center for your free, full service concierge assistance to learn more about events, a rac ons, restaurants and hotel deals in the greater Sea le region. Located one block east the of Link Light Rail Sta on at the Airport.

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION!

SEATTLE SOUTHSIDE VISIOTR CE3100 S 176th St., Sea�le, WA

1(877) 885Sea�leSouthsideSouthside to Downtown Sea le in minutes!

It’s not the table, or the way it’s set. It’s the magic that happens

at the table when families come together.

This is where traditions begin and values are learned—building self-esteem,

achieving better grades and learning good eating habits.

Your family table is a very special place.

It’s a place where not only fl avors and tastes are shared, but comfort

and a sense of belonging surround you.

The J. M. Smucker Company and our family of brands are happy to play a small

part in bringing you together to share memorable meals and moments.

Visit us online to discover more about how family meals matter.

www.PowerOfFamilyMeals.com

SM

© The J.M. Smucker Company. App Store is a registered trademark of Apple Inc.

The Seattle skating community has been home to several elite-level pairs teams, including 1950 World champions Peter and Karol Kennedy and three-time World bronze medalists Ron and Cindy Kauffman.

Sandwiched between these sister-and-brother teams was another sibling team perhaps not as well-known as they had not reached their prime before their tragic death more than 50 years ago.

On Feb. 15, 1961, the plane carrying the 1961 U.S. World Figure Skating Team crashed in Brussels, Belgium, en route to the 1961 World Championships in Prague, Czechoslovakia. Seattle’s Ila Ray Hadley and Ray Hadley, Jr., perished along with 16 teammates, as well as four officials, six fami-ly members and six coaches, including their coach and step-mother Linda Hart Hadley.

Ray Hadley, Sr., had been a roller skating

and ice skating coach in Oregon. Ila Ray and Ray, Jr., were 4 and 3 years old, respec-tively, when their father taught them to ice skate and roller skate. When the Hadleys moved to Seattle, they arrived just in time to see the 1951 U.S. Championships. The highlight for the youngsters was watching the World champion Kennedys win their fourth U.S. pairs title.

Soon after the family moved to Seattle, Ray and his wife, Bette, the mother of Ila Ray and Ray, Jr., divorced, and Ray assumed custody of the children. Ray coached at the Seattle Civic Center and worked at Boeing while he built up his roster of ice skating students. He also taught roller skating at the Ridge, where Ila Ray and Ray, Jr., were frequent visitors.

In 1954 the lives of the Hadleys changed dramatically when Ray married Alvah Lynn “Linda” Hart, a skating coach Ray had

worked with in Oregon. She began teach-ing alongside her husband at the Seattle Civic Center and became a coach and step- mother to Ila Ray, 11, and Ray, Jr., 10. The Hadley siblings had competed in many lo-cal competitions, but when Linda began coaching the kids, they started to medal.

From the beginning, the Hadley siblings competed in singles, pairs and dance, but it was clear that they excelled in pairs. In 1957, they traveled to Berkeley, Calif., for the U.S. Championships. The youngest in the field at 14 and 13, they surprised everyone when they won the U.S. junior pairs title. Building on that momentum, Linda took Ila Ray and Ray, Jr., along with the Kauffman pairs team and their parents, on a cross-country exhi-bition tour. It was a wonderful opportunity for them to perform in front of many judg-es and spectators across the nation. U.S. Figure Skating then extended an invitation

The Hadley family: A Seattle skating legacy

Ila Ray and Ray Hadley, Jr.,

By Patricia Shelley Bushman

Ila Ray and Ray Jr. had the hometown crowd on their side at the 1960 U.S. Championships in Seattle, where they made the Olympic and World teams.

PHO

TO CO

URTESY O

F LIND

A A

DA

MS G

ARL


to the Hadley siblings to perform exhibitions after the 1958 World Championships in Paris.

The Hadley trajectory stalled suddenly when they advanced to the senior ranks, placing fourth in both 1958 and 1959. Their practice regimen stepped into high gear prior to the 1960 U.S. Championships for two important reasons: the competition would be held in Seattle, and it was an Olympic year. However, Ila Ray and Ray, Jr., had a tremendous work ethic and had never wavered. Linda Hadley, who had served a brief stint in the U.S. Army before marrying Ray, was known by all her students as a no-nonsense coach, but she was particularly tough on her own children. Ila Ray and Ray, Jr., were always at the rink, before and after school, staying late until both parents were done coaching. Besides training at the Civic Center, they skated at the Ballard rink, the Tacoma rink and made week-end journeys to an outdoor rink in Yakima, which Ray and Linda also managed.

Ila Ray and Ray, Jr., finally made the giant leap into the senior ranks when they placed third at the 1960 U.S. Championships and earned a berth on the 1960 Olympic Team. However, Squaw Valley’s high altitude affected many competitors, including the Hadleys, and they placed 11th. Looking toward the future, the siblings said: “This one [was] for experience. Our goal now is to be the first Seattle pair to win an Olympic gold medal.”

In 1960, Ray and Linda purchased land to build their own ice studio — the first in the Northwest. Many skating families helped them build the studio, from pouring wheel-barrows full of sand onto the ice surface to painting the interior. In November 1960, the

new Hadley and Hart Studio opened at Au-rora and 98th. Weeks later Ila Ray and Ray, Jr., performed in the annual Ice Parade show at the Seattle Civic Center. They had been pe-rennial favorites, but as returning Olympians they were the stars of the show.

In January 1961, the Hadleys traveled to Colorado Springs, Colo., to compete at the U.S. Championships at the Broadmoor World Arena. Performing to tunes from My Fair Lady, the Hadleys’ program reflected many of the innovative moves created by Linda Had-ley, including Axels into a flying camel spin. Their high marks, which placed them close to champions Maribel Y. Owen and Dudley Rich-ards, left them in second and earned them a berth on the 1961 World Team.

Returning to Seattle, the Hadleys faced a new dilemma. U.S. Figure Skating only paid travel costs for the champions; all other teammates had to pay their own way. Coaches Ray and Linda wanted to attend the competition with their children, but the total cost was close to $2,500. Team manager Deane McMinn soon learned that Ila Ray and Ray, Jr., might not be able to afford to go to Prague, and World Team alternates Ron Joseph and Vivian Jo-seph of Chicago were contacted to get ready to go.

The Seattle skating community took action immediately — holding bake sales, support-ing exhibition fundraisers and donating to a money jar at the Hadley and Hart Studio. In the end, the Seattle Skating Club loaned the

family enough money to allow them to travel to Prague.

Linda, Ila Ray and Ray, Jr., left Seattle on Wednesday, Feb. 8, for the 1961 North Ameri-can Championships in Philadelphia, where the Hadleys placed fourth. Two days later they boarded Sabena flight 548 at Idlewild (now JFK) Airport for Europe. Ray, who had stayed behind to run the studio, planned to join his family at the end of the week.

On the morning of Feb. 15, Ray received the devastating news that his family had per-ished when the plane crashed in a farm field just three miles north of the Zaventem Air-port in Brussels. Bombarded by reporters, Ray said: “We should have gone together.”

The Seattle Skating Club remembered the young siblings by creating a Hadley skating scholarship, and the Hadleys were also listed on two memorial Pacific Coast pairs trophies. The greatest legacy, however, has been the Memorial Fund, which was founded just one week after the devastating crash to help fu-ture generations of skaters. Now in its 51st year, the Memorial Fund has helped thou-sands of American skaters, including those skaters who have won 26 Olympic medals and 120 World medals. The Memorial Fund also permanently remembers the loss of a generation of great skating talent that was never fully realized, including Seattle’s own Ila Ray and Ray Hadley, Jr.

Patricia Shelley Bushman is the author of IndelibleTracings: TheStory of the1961 U.S. WorldFigure SkatingTeam, whichcan be foundon Amazon.com.

PHO

TO CO

URTESY O

F DEB

BIE G

AN

SON

LAN

E

Except for time at school, Ila Ray and Ray Jr. were rarely apart from their parents. (l-r) Ila Ray, Linda Hart Hadley, Ray Hadley Sr., Ray Jr.


The international judging system (IJS) is used at all ISU competitions as well as most U.S. Figure Skating qualifying events.

The IJS is based on cumulative points achieved during each skater’s/team’s performance.

Under the IJS, points are awarded for a technical score com-bined with points awarded for five program components —skating skills, transitions/linking footwork and movement, performance/execution, choreography/composition and interpretation. Penalties are given for program length viola-tions and other violations.

If a skater performs more than the defined “well-balanced program elements,” there are no deductions, but the addi-tional elements will not be calculated into the skater’s score. If a skater performs less than the required elements, he or she receives fewer points, but not deductions. (The excep-tion to this is ice dancing, which takes a 1.0 deduction for each extra element.)

Judges no longer compare skaters and figure out where to place them. Instead, they evaluate the qualities of each per-formance.

Starting order does not impact a skater’s score. A skater can win coming from a lower position.

A maximum of nine judges make up the judges panel at a competition. At ISU events, the judges’ identities will not be associated with their scores: only the reviewers will know who gave which scores. For U.S. competitions, all judges’ scores and names are public.

The IJS also uses a trimmed mean method, where the high and low points are ignored and the average of the remaining points is calculated.

Understanding the International Judging SystemHOW IT WORKS — THE PLAYERS

A “technical panel” with five people works as a team and has direct communication. These positions are a technical con-troller, technical specialist, assistant technical specialist, data operator and video replay operator.

During each performance, the technical specialist identifies the elements and the level of difficulty of each element, if applicable, as defined by the ISU. This allows the judge to concentrate on marking the quality of each element. Their marks are based on set criteria for each element and provide a comprehensive assessment of each skater’s skills and per-formance.

The technical controller and a second technical specialist support the primary technical specialist to ensure that all ele-ments are identified correctly. Any element can be reviewed either by the technical controller, the technical specialist, the assistant technical specialist or the judges.

Final decisions on elements and levels are determined by the majority opinion of the three technical positions. Both specialists and the controller are recorded with an audio tape during each program, and video will be available to verify the calls. The elements can be reviewed after a skater’s performance, and scores can be changed accordingly. The scores are final once they are posted and announced to the public.

Under the IJS, the judges focus completely on scoring the quality of each technical element and the five program components for each skater. The computer keeps track of comparative scores, records results and calculates totals to determine rankings.

Many of the top judges and officials in the world are here in Kent, Wash., this weekend

to work the kickoff event of the Grand Prix Series.


TECHNICAL SCORE

In the technical score, each element of the program is assigned a base value. A group of experts, including experi-enced skaters and coaches, have de-termined the base value of each tech-nical element. These base values give the skaters credit for every element they perform.

Some elements such as spins and step sequences have levels of difficulty on which the base values are established. During the program, when a skater executes an element, the technical specialist identifies the element. The judge then grades the quality of the element within a range of +3 to -3, which is added to or deducted from the base value.

For instance, a double Axel’s base value is 3.3, so a skater has the potential to earn 4.8 points for that jump or as little as 1.8. In this exam-ple, the positive and negative grades are 0.5 points each.

The sum of all elements with the grade of ex-ecution forms the technical score. The base values for all elements are included in the ISU’s Scale of Values chart.

The judging panel’s scores for each program component are multiplied by a set factor to ensure the technical score and the program component score are approximately bal-anced. The technical score is added to the program component scores. The skater with the highest competition score is declared the winner. For more information about the IJS, including a complete listing of element base values, visit www.usfigureskating.org.

PROGRAM COMPONENTS

In addition to the technical score, the judges will award points on a scale from 0.25 to 10 (with increments of 0.25) for five program components to grade the overall presenta-tion.

Skating Skills: Overall skating quality, includ-ing edge control and flow over the ice surface (edges, steps, turns, speed, etc.), clarity of technique and the use of effortless power to accelerate and vary speed.

Criteria: Balance, rhythmic knee action and precision of foot placement; flow and effort-less glide; cleanness and sureness of deep edges, steps and turns; power/energy and ac-celeration; mastery of multi-directional and one-foot skating; equal mastery of technique by both partners shown in unison (pairs and ice dancing); ice coverage (ice dancing).

Transitions/Linking Footwork & Move-ment: The varied and/or intricate footwork, positions, movement and holds that link all elements.

Criteria: Variety; difficulty; intricacy; quality (unison in pairs and ice dancing); balance of workload between partners; variety of holds (ice dancing).

Performance/Execution: The involvement of the skater(s) physically, emotionally and in-tellectually in translating the music and cho-reography. Execution is the quality of move-ment and precision in delivery.

Criteria: Physical, emotional and intellectual involvement; carriage; style and individuality/personality; clarity of movement; variety and contrast; projection; unison and “oneness” (pairs and ice dancing); balance in perfor-mance (pairs and ice dancing); management of the distance between partners and chang-es of hold (pairs and ice dancing).

Choreography: Composition: Intentional, original arrangement of moves.

Criteria: Purpose (idea, concept, vision); pro-portion (equal weight of all parts); unity (pur-poseful threading); utilization of personal and public space; pattern and ice coverage; phrasing and form (movements and parts structured to match the phrasing of the mu-sic); originality of purpose, movement and design; shared responsibility in achieving purpose (pairs and ice dancing); conformity to pattern and stop requirements (ice danc-ing).

Interpretation: The personal and creative translation of the rhythm and/or charac-ter and content of the music to the physical movements on ice.

Criteria: Effortless movement in time to the music; expression of the music’s style, charac-ter and rhythm; use of finesse* to reflect the nuances of the music; relationship between the partners reflecting the character of the music (pairs and ice dancing); appropriate-ness of music (short dance and free dance); skating primarily to the rhythmic beat (ice dancing).

*Finesse: is the skater’s refined, artful manipu-lation of nuances. Nuances are the personal artistic ways of bringing subtle variations to the intensity, tempo and dynamics of the mu-sic made by the composer and/or musicians.

Technical panel officials and judges play vital roles at all U.S. Figure Skating events.


Your insider's guide to Kent, Washington!

iLoveKent

.net

Shopping. Dining. Staying. Playing.

ONE call; ALL your business needs

• Packaging• Janitorial• Foodservice• Safety• PrintingPapers• Equipment

www.wcpsolutions.com • (253) 850-1900

23200 64th Ave S.Kent, WA 98032

317 W. Meeker St., Sweet A, Kent

Hours: M-F: 9 am - 5 pm, Sat: 9 am - 2 pm

Sweets • Savories • Pastries • Coffee/TeaSoups • Sandwiches • Salads

www.sweetthemesbakery.com

Visit our website: www.starsonicedvd.comOr complete and mail order form below

Complete this order form and mail payment to: Ten Mayflower Productions, P.O. Box 500, Old Greenwich, CT 06870

Orders may be faxed to 203.324.5299Or visit our website: www.starsonicedvd.com

Discover Visa MasterCard

American Express Check or Money Order

Card Number_________________________________ Exp. Date_______________

Cardholder’s Name (please print)_______________________________________

Signature______________________________________________________________

For decades, Stars on Ice has been THE premiere figure skating tour! Featuring national, world, and Olympic champions, each year’s Stars on Ice show always includes

the most talented figure skaters who captivate audiences with unforgettable performances.

Name____________________________________________________________________

Address__________________________________________________________________

City________________________________ State______________ Zip_______________

Daytime Phone ( )_________________ Evening Phone ( )_________________

Ship_________ 3-DVD set(s) @ 19.99 per set = $_______________

SALES TAX (CA residents) - Add 9.75% = $_______________

(NY residents) - Add 8.25% = $_______________

(CT residents) - Add 6.00% = $_______________

SHIPPING AND HANDLING FEE

$7.95 for each 3-Volume Set = $_______________

ORDER TOTAL ENCLOSED = $_______________

1993 TOURKristi Yamaguchi Gary Beacom

Gordeeva & Grinkov Paul Wylie

Rosalynn Sumners Kitty & Peter Carruthers

Scott Hamilton Hough & Ladret

Brian Orser

2012 TOURSasha Cohen Ryan Bradley

Ilia Kulik Ekaterina Gordeeva

Ina & Zimmerman Joannie Rochette

Kurt Browning Sinead & John Kerr

Todd Eldredge

3 NEW DVDS!If you can’t see Stars on Ice at the arena, bring it home!

FIRST TIME RELEASED ON DVD

2011 TOUREvan Lysacek Ekaterina Gordeeva

Kurt Browning Joannie Rochette

Todd Eldredge Salé & Pelletier

Sasha Cohen Belbin & Agosto

Visit our website: www.starsonicedvd.comOr complete and mail order form below

Complete this order form and mail payment to: Ten Mayflower Productions, P.O. Box 500, Old Greenwich, CT 06870

Orders may be faxed to 203.324.5299Or visit our website: www.starsonicedvd.com

Discover Visa MasterCard

American Express Check or Money Order

Card Number_________________________________ Exp. Date_______________

Cardholder’s Name (please print)_______________________________________

Signature______________________________________________________________

For decades, Stars on Ice has been THE premiere figure skating tour! Featuring national, world, and Olympic champions, each year’s Stars on Ice show always includes

the most talented figure skaters who captivate audiences with unforgettable performances.

Name____________________________________________________________________

Address__________________________________________________________________

City________________________________ State______________ Zip_______________

Daytime Phone ( )_________________ Evening Phone ( )_________________

Ship_________ 3-DVD set(s) @ 19.99 per set = $_______________

SALES TAX (CA residents) - Add 9.75% = $_______________

(NY residents) - Add 8.25% = $_______________

(CT residents) - Add 6.00% = $_______________

SHIPPING AND HANDLING FEE

$7.95 for each 3-Volume Set = $_______________

ORDER TOTAL ENCLOSED = $_______________

1993 TOURKristi Yamaguchi Gary Beacom

Gordeeva & Grinkov Paul Wylie

Rosalynn Sumners Kitty & Peter Carruthers

Scott Hamilton Hough & Ladret

Brian Orser

2012 TOURSasha Cohen Ryan Bradley

Ilia Kulik Ekaterina Gordeeva

Ina & Zimmerman Joannie Rochette

Kurt Browning Sinead & John Kerr

Todd Eldredge

3 NEW DVDS!If you can’t see Stars on Ice at the arena, bring it home!

FIRST TIME RELEASED ON DVD

2011 TOUREvan Lysacek Ekaterina Gordeeva

Kurt Browning Joannie Rochette

Todd Eldredge Salé & Pelletier

Sasha Cohen Belbin & Agosto

This season marks the 18th year for the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating. The series, launched in 1995, combines six prestigious, international figure skating competi-tions as a unified point-earning series that awards prize money to eligible figure skaters.

SKATER SELECTIONSOne of the biggest misconceptions is that each country assigns its own skaters to the six Grand Prix events. Here, we’ve outlined the selection process, used for the first time in 2003. Essentially, there are three different classifications of skaters for the Grand Prix Series. All skaters and ice dancing couples may compete in a maxi-mum of two events.

1. Seeded Skaters/Couples: The top six finishers in each discipline from the most recent World Championships will be considered to be seeded and be assigned, by draw, to skate in two events.

2. Invited Skaters/Couples: Skaters or couples who have placed 7–12 in each dis-cipline at the 2012 World Championships are guaranteed to be selected for two Grand Prix events, provided that these skaters/couples fulfill the requirements of the minimum score.

3. Minimum Score: Each entrant to the Grand Prix events must meet the minimum total score (SP/SD + FS/FD) to be included in the entry or the alternate list. For the 2012-13 Grand Prix season, the minimum scores are:

Men: 159.66 Ladies: 113.43 Pairs: 120.90 Ice Dance: 109.59

Skaters/couples who have scored at least the above mentioned limit in an ISU Championships, ISU Grand Prix Final (Junior or Senior) between July 1, 2011, and May 31, 2012, are eligible for selection into the Grand Prix events 2012-13 or in the alternate list.

POINT SYSTEMPoints are awarded to the competitors at each of the six events based on final place-ment. At the conclusion of the six Grand Prix events, athletes’ points are totaled, and the top six point-earners in ladies, men, pairs and ice dancing are invited to compete at the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final. Here is the breakdown of points awarded by place:

Men and Ladies1st place: 15 points 3rd place: 11 points 5th place: 7 points 7th place: 4 points2nd place: 13 points 4th place: 9 points 6th place: 5 points 8th place: 3 points

Pairs and Ice Dancing1st place: 15 points 3rd place: 11 points 5th place: 7 points2nd place: 13 points 4th place: 9 points 6th place: 5 points

ISU GRAND PRIX OF FIGURE SKATING INDIVIDUAL PRIZE MONEYIn addition to receiving points to qualify for the ISU Grand Prix Final, the top five place-winners in the Grand Prix Series events are awarded prize money.

Prize money for all disciplines at Grand Prix Series events is (prize is split between partners in pairs and dance): 1st: $18,000 2nd: $13,000 3rd: $9,000 4th: $3,000 5th: $2,000

Prize money for all disciplines at the Grand Prix Final is (split between partners in pairs and dance): 1st: $25,000 3rd: $12,000 5th: $4,0002nd: $18,000 4th: $6,000 6th: $3,000

SKATE AMERICAOCT. 19-21, SEATTLE/KENT, WASH.

SKATE CANADAOCT. 26-28, WINDSOR, ONTARIO

CUP OF CHINANOV. 2-4, SHANGHAI, CHINA

ROSTELECOM CUPNOV. 9-11, MOSCOW, RUSSIA

TROPHEE BOMPARDNOV. 16-18, PARIS FRANCE

NHK TROPHYNOV. 23-25, SENDAI, JAPAN

USA GRAND PRIX FINALDEC. 6-9, SOCHI, RUSSIA66 2012 HILTON HHONORS SKATE AMERICA

© 2012. Prudential, the Prudential logo, the Rock symbol and Bring Your Challenges are service marks of Prudential Financial, Inc., and its related entities, registered in many jurisdictions worldwide.0229526-00001-00

CHALLENGES BREED CHAMPIONS. Every challenge is an opportunity. And none

greater than the opportunity to earn the accolade of champion. We’re proud to be the title sponsor for the 2013 Prudential U.S. Figure Skating Championships. Join us as we witness some of the greatest athletes anywhere transform challenge into legend. prudential.com

B:11.125 inB:8.625 in

T:10.875 inT:8.375 in

S:10.375 inS:7.875 in

PROOF#: 1OPERATOR: Tom SobolDATE: 8/28/12 - 3:40 PMJOB#: CORP-A4136DESC: US Figure Skating Sponsor-shipPUB: Skate America ProgramPUBDATE: October 3LIVE: 7.875 x 10.375TRIM: 8.375 x 10.875BLEED: 8.625 x 11.125GUTTER: GCD: CD: AD: CW: AE: TRAFFIC: PROOF:

© 2012. Prudential, the Prudential logo, the Rock symbol and Bring Your Challenges are service marks of Prudential Financial, Inc., and its related entities, registered in many jurisdictions worldwide.0229526-00001-00

CHALLENGES BREED CHAMPIONS. Every challenge is an opportunity. And none

greater than the opportunity to earn the accolade of champion. We’re proud to be the title sponsor for the 2013 Prudential U.S. Figure Skating Championships. Join us as we witness some of the greatest athletes anywhere transform challenge into legend. prudential.com

B:11.125 in

B:8.625 in

T:10.875 in

T:8.375 in

S:10.375 in

S:7.875 in

PROOF#: 1OPERATOR: Tom SobolDATE: 8/28/12 - 3:40 PMJOB#: CORP-A4136DESC: US Figure Skating Sponsor-shipPUB: Skate America ProgramPUBDATE: October 3LIVE: 7.875 x 10.375TRIM: 8.375 x 10.875BLEED: 8.625 x 11.125GUTTER: GCD: CD: AD: CW: AE: TRAFFIC: PROOF:

Documents

2012 SKAM program