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Laurie's Impressions of Skate America
It was so cool to see skaters everywhere you go, having breakfast next to you or getting on the elevator with you - it was almost surprising not to see them gadding about, LOL... It was fun to meet new and interesting people I know online. Got to finally meet Nikki, Levana, Alex, Sue, Kelly, Carole, and Brenda. I loved spending all that time at the practices, seeing skaters rarely seen on American television. What a treat! It was fun to try and spot the elusive Alexei, LOL....he made it difficult sometimes because he would move around. One time we thought he had left, but he had moved again and was sitting behind us, LOL....luckily, most of the time, he and Dmitri, Nikolai, and Roman would sit in the same place, making it easy for us to spot them when they arrived... Watching Alexei practice was always interesting - at times smiling and joking, at times looking tired and unhappy, at times looking formidable - he always ran a gauntlet of emotions. Nikolai was adorable, and Kim and I think his leather pants are sexy, sexy, sexy. We had lots of fun with the people sitting around us. They got a kick out of our banner (one person even took a photo of it), and would tell us whenever they spotted Alexei, too, LOL.... Alexei's awesome short program performance! Hard to top his short program performance at Masters, but he did it! Alexei's incredible exhibition performance - Alexei at his funniest and yet most inspired! Drobiazko & Vanagas' exhibition performance - art on ice. Lang & Tchernyshev's free dance. It brought Alexei leaping to his feet and us as well, not to mention the rest of the audience. If Sasha Zhulin choreographed this program, he can be proud of it, indeed. Michelle's exhibition performance - Michelle at her ethereal and hypnotic best. Watching one of the early morning dance practices before the official practices started - I felt like it was a rare privilege to be able to watch such great skaters - and for a while, I was the only witness besides the skaters themselves. As far as "Alexei encounters" go, I didn't think Alexei could ever top the mischievous smile and overflowing good humor I saw in Sun Valley, but I was wrong. The sweet and dazzling smile he greeted me with when I approached him at one of the practices left me completely dissolved in a pool of mush...this guy is lethal, LOL!
Laurie |
