Saturday, October 20, 2012

2012 Skate America

Today the two of us attended a double session of the 2012 Skate America competition at the new Showare Center in Kent, Washington. 

Do you like "Dancing With the Stars?" Then you would have loved the ice dancing competition. Based on different aspects of dance, including rhythm, interpretation of the music, and precise steps, it was beautiful to watch.  Meryl Davis and Charlie White of Team USA were at the top of the leader board after today's competition.


File:Meryl Davis & Charlie White 2009 GPF FD.jpg

Click the arrow to watch a short video of several ice dancing couples warming up on Saturday afternoon. (Photos were not allowed during the actual competitions.)



We also watched the short program of the ladies figure skating competition. This sport is the most familiar and popular among fans. These young ladies effortlessly performed beautiful athletic spins, triple jumps, and spirals. At the end of the short program, Ashley Wagner, the current 2012 U.S. Champion, held the top spot.  


File:2012 WFSC 07d 1048 Ashley Wagner.JPG

The new Showare Center in Kent, Washington, was a great venue for these events. Located south of Seattle, it is easily accessible by car or public transportation. The Showare staff were friendly and helpful, and the best news of all is that they don't even charge for parking! Our tickets were only $15 for the 2 1/2 hour event, and our seats were great.


- Sandy & Sandra

For more information: Skate America
Photo Sources:
Ashley Wagner
Charlie White & Meryl Davis

13 comments:

  1. Sounds fantastic. I love ice dance and figure skating! They always make it look so effortless, just like ballet.

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    1. The ice skating competition lasts the whole weekend, and now I wish I'd bought more than just a one-event ticket! The event was filmed by NBC and ESPN, so I'm sure at least some of it will be televised--but that's not the same as being there. I loved sharing this special experience with my co-author and best friend.
      ~Sandy N.

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  2. OOPS! I had such great feedback almost concluded and 'flash!' a power surge. Lost it all so here goes another try. . .

    What fantastic opportunity! I have always been intrigued by ice skating...but being from the South has not afforded many chances to enjoy its rhymthm and beauty. When I lived in the North, I visited Vermon quite often. It was there that I had my first encounter with the ice skates. What a surprise! I wa told I was a natural on the 'ice floor' much like the dancer on the 'dance floor.' Then, like so many things in life it came to an end when unpleasant events led to my departure and a return to my Southern roots. I may not have been able to continue with the ice skating but I certainly still have the memories. I even had my own set of ice skates that I carted around for years and years. Then, during one move they disappeared but the memory still remains. One of my favorite movies: The Cutting Edge. Can watch it over and over and never tire:>)

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    1. I'm so glad today's post brought back fond memories for you. When I was in Girl Scouts (in Dallas), we took ice skating lessons as a group and had a terrific time. And we all earned an ice skating merit badge! Of course, we learned only the most elementary moves, but the experience was great fun, and it gave me an appreciation for the skill of the skaters I saw yesterday. I hope you find an ice skating rink somewhere so you can skate again.

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  3. What a great experience. I love figure skating. I was at a skating event at the 1980 Olympics in Lake Placid--a highlight of my life!

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    1. I can imagine how thrilling that experience must have been. The people we saw on Saturday were talented - and one couple had won a silver Olympic medal in the past - so they were at a pretty high level of ability. One of these days I hope to attend the Olympics too.

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  4. What a great time you had!! I love "Dancing with the Stars"-always secretly wanted to be a dancer, ecept I have two left feet. I was an ace roller sskater bvut never mastered Ice skating which if course I love the most. Thx for sharing a wonderful time!!Micki

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    1. It was a wonderful time, made more so because I shared it with my good friend.

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  5. When I was a little girl I saw the Ice Follies and the Ice Capades at Madison Square Garden. I wanted to grow up to be Peggy Fleming! I still love to watch figure skating!

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    1. I had the cutest little skating outfit when my Girl Scout troop took lessons. Now I'd probably seriously injure myself if I tried to ice skate!

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  6. Lucky lady. I love watching the ice dancing. Here in the UK they do a TV challenge show Dancing on Ice where several celebs learn to skate and then one is eliminated each week until there are three left. It is one of the few tv shows I refuse to miss :-) LOL

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    1. I'd love that TV show, and I wish we had it here in the U.S. I can just imagine how difficult it must be to teach those celebrities to dance on ice -- and fun to watch.

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  7. Sounds like a lot of fun! My mother and I once went to a figure skating competition at the Tacoma Dome. We really enjoyed it. The only problem was that the seats were too hard. These days the T-Dome charges for parking. Sounds like Showare is worth checking out. I'll have to look it up online.

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