#2016 Skate Canada

[figureskatingcostumes]

Alexandra Paul and Mitchell Islam skating to music by Franz Liszt for their free dance at the 2016 Skate Canada.

(Photos by Danielle Earl Photography and David W. Carmichael)

#Alexandra Paul #Mitchell Islam #Paul Islam #Liszt #Liebestraum No. 3 #Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 #Concerto Paraphrase #Ice dance #Figure skating #Canada #2016–2017 #2016 Skate Canada

[eggplantgifs]

Deanna Stellato-Dudek: 2000 Junior World Silver Medalist → 2024 World Champion

At the age of 40, Deanna Stellato-Dudek is the oldest woman to win a World Championships title in figure skating, with her pairs partner Maxime Deschamps for Canada. Deanna Stellato was the 1999 Junior Grand Prix Final Champion and 2000 Junior World Silver Medalist in the women's singles discipline. She retired from competitive skating in 2001, and returned as a pairs skater in 2016.

40 years is the new 20. That's what I'd like to say. [This record is] not something that I ever set out to do when I came back to skating, but I knew that if I were to accomplish my dreams, it would inevitably occur, because I'm the oldest everywhere. But it's something I carry with pride, and I'm very proud of it. I hope a lot of athletes stay around a lot longer. I hope it encourages people to not stop before they reach their potential. And I hope it transcends into other areas, not just in sports, but also in other areas of life [...] [My 15-year-old self] would say, why did we stop? We're still skating, you know, 25 years later? I think my younger self would think I'm crazy, so she wouldn't think much of it at all. And she wanted to win the 2006 Olympics [...]

-- 2024 World Championships Free Skate Press Conference

#deanna stellato dudek #maxime deschamps #fskateedit #figure skating #worlds 2024 #jwc 2000 #program #kiss and cry #medal ceremony #mix #request #she's an absolute legend #great request anon!

[rabidline]

2023 ONE PIECE ON ICE: THE CAST (SO FAR) - ALABASTA KINGDOM ARC

SHOMA UNO as MONKEY D. LUFFY 2018 Olympic Silver Medalist, 2022 Olympic Bronze Medalist 2022, 2023 World Champion 2019 Four Continents Champion, 2022 Grand Prix Final Champion Japanese National Champion (2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022) NOBUNARI ODA as USOPP 2006 Four Continents Champion, 2008 Japanese National Champion Grand Prix Final Silver Medalist (2009, 2010), Grand Prix Final Bronze Medalist (2006, 2013) RINKA WATANABE as TONY TONY CHOPPER 2022 Skate Canada Gold Medalist, 2022 CS Lombardia Trophy Gold Medalist 2022 Grand Prix Final 4th Place, 2023 Worlds 10th Place MARIN HONDA as PRINCESS NEFELTARI VIVI 2016 World Junior Champion, 2017 World Junior Silver Medalist KAZUKI TOMONO as KOZA 2022 Four Continents Silver Medalist, 2018 Worlds 5th Place 2022, 2023 Worlds 6th Place 2022 Japanese National Bronze Medalist TAKAHITO MURA as SIR CROCODILE 2014 Four Continents Champion, 2011 Asian Winter Games Silver Medalist Japanese National Bronze Medalist (2008, 2012, 2015, 2016, 2017) RIKA HONGO as MR. 2 BON CLAY 2015, 2016 Four Continents Bronze Medalist, 2014 Rostelecom Cup Gold Medalist 2014 Japanese National Silver Medalist PRINCE ICE WORLD TEAM

#one piece on ice #figure skating #shoma uno #nobunari oda #rinka watanabe #marin honda #kazuki tomono #takahito mura #rika hongo #one piece #fs #one piece on ice 2023 #season: 2023 2024 #this lineup... too goated in terms of quality tbh aksdnadsaksdn #and we don't have zoro nami and sanji revealed yet

[beebascloset]

Ethical Alternatives to Dolls Kill

While Dolls Kill offers kawaii, punk, goth, and streetwear fashions, they’re an unethical fast fashion company that has been accused of stealing designs from small creators. They’ve also been accused of promoting rape and racism (implying that only white people can be goth, selling a Native American headdress as a costume, and supporting police during the Black Lives Matter movement) and having a lack of transparency in how they reduce their impact on people, animals, and the environment. With this in mind, here are some of my favorite alternatives I found (you can tap on the titles to access the sites)

LOUDBODIES

This Romania-based retailer offers sizes from XXS-10XL, and you can even make a custom order for free if you'd like! Many of their pieces are pricey, but they do offer an affordable line of fashion. Their values include sustainable and recycled materials, made-to-order clothing, low waste production, OEKO-TEX certified fabrics, carbon neutral shipping, body-inclusive models (see above) and locally-made clothing. They also offer worldwide shipping.

NOCTEX

NOCTEX is great for dark, goth, edgy fashion. They’re based in Canada and ship internationally. Available sizes only include XS-XL, but this retailer uses reclaimed and deadstock materials, and also have low-waste production. They offer many items including tops, dresses, pants, skirts, footwear, and accessories like bags, makeup, and jewelry, so there’s a lot to choose from!

Uye Surana

For lingerie lovers, this is the place! While they’re based in New York, their clothing is ethically made in Columbia, with cute designs that come in sizes XS-5XL, so it’s quite inclusive! Items include bralettes, undies, stockings, camis, and garter belts, so go on and be adorably sexy, my loves.

KILLSTAR

Despite being introduced by Dolls Kill, the UK brand Killstar is actually more ethical. In fact, they’ve cut their ties with the brand over the owner’s support of police during the BLM movement. They’ve donated to charities that promote ending racism (whereas Dolls Kill promoted racism to an extent) and they also promote individuality. They offer sizes XS-4XL (from what I’ve found) and they even have men’s clothing!

Broken Promises

Another brand that left Dolls Kill, Broken Promises is based in California. Offering sizes XS-3XL, this brand offers clothing that caters to skate culture for all genders. Their clothes are also sold at Zumiez, so if you don’t want to shop online and you would prefer to go to the mall, you’ll probably find them there!

Disturbia

And another UK gothic brand that was promoted by Dolls Kill, this family-owned business has been going strong since 2003. Their website claims that sustainability is “a core value in [their] ethos”, and their goal is to create fashion that doesn’t harm the environment. They’re committed to recycling and reducing their carbon footprint, and all of their leather is false or recycled to reduce animal cruelty. They have a fully traceable supply chain with manufacturers in the UK, China, Portugal, Turkey, and Morocco, all with safe production facilities. Rest assured, your money will be going to a great place.

Cyberdog

Ravers, this one is for you. Catering to clubbers and DJs since 1994, Cyberdog offers neon and dark streetwear. They’re based in London, and their flagship store is located in Camden Market, so anyone who lives around the area (or would like to visit) can see these rad designs in person! (P.S: A huge downside is that they only offer sizes S-L, so this brand has the smallest size range on here)

Gothic Lamb

“The home for melanated misfits”, as their designer calls it, is black-owned and offers sizes from S-5XL, making this brand one of the more inclusive ones on this list. The owner, who calls herself Lucy, founded Gothic Lamb in the summer of 2016. She was inspired by brands like Killstar and Disturbia, however, she found that there was a lack of representation at the time, as she felt that none of the models looked like her, so she decided to create her own. While there is a small collection, it’s still a great collection and it’s a great place to purchase from if you like supporting black-owned businesses.

publicspace

A vaporwave-streetwear brand based in Los Angeles, CA, they support and collaborate with artists to create their designs (hence why they’re named publicspace). Though they have a small collection, their size range is XS-3XL, so it’s mostly inclusive.

Shop secondhand

You can also shop on Etsy to purchase from independent designers. A much cheaper option would be to shop secondhand. Sites like Poshmark and Depop are great for shopping secondhand, especially if you want to buy from fast fashion brands like H&M and Shein without giving them your money. Alternatively, you can go to your local thrift shop (do not shop at the Salvation Army, they are aggressively Christian, homophobic and transphobic) or consignment store. You can give your unwanted clothes and other items to these places (consignment stores will give you a certain percentage of their price for the item) to help people and need.

In conclusion, please do not buy from unethical fast fashion retailers and consider shopping ethically, whether it be for new or used clothes.

#beebashop #fashion #ethical fashion #sustainable #sustainability #sustainable fashion #fast fashion #alt fashion #alternative fashion #gothic #grunge #punk #cyber #rave #cottagecore #plus size #grungecore #vaporwave #streetwear #skatelife #black owned #loudbodies #noctex #uye surana #killstar #broken promises #disturbia #cyberdog #gothic lamb #publicspace

[allekha]

Figure skating in colors: lovely violet

Featuring:

Axel Médéric (1988 Olympics FS)

Jane Torvill & Christopher Dean (1984 Olympics FD)

Pooja Kalyan (2021 USNats SP)

Madeline Schizas (2021 Skate Canada SP)

Maé-Bérénice Méité (2019 Universiade FS)

Akiko Suzuki (2013 JPNats SP)

Yuzuru Hanyu (2016 GPF SP)

Mao Asada (2010 JPNats FS)

Starr Andrews (2020 USNats FS)

#figure skating #fskateedit #Torvill and Dean #Mae Berenice Meite #Akiko Suzuki #Yuzuru Hanyu #Mao Asada #Starr Andrews #Colors series #gifs

[myjunkisyuzuruhanyu]

I have heard Canadian commentators say a few times that Patrick is a better skater than Yuzuru and Shoma. In GPF 2014, Kurt Browning praised Yuzuru so much, but in the end he ended up saying Patrick is a bigger skater than Yuzuru. And in Skate Canada 2017, Tracy Wilson said that Shoma does not fill the ice like Patrick does. However, I found their comments one-sided and I think Patrick is not as amazing as they claimed. Especially compared to Shoma's artistry, I find Patrick a bit boring. Of course he is a good skater and his edges are spectacular, but neither Shoma nor Yuzuru are below his level for me. Of course, too many years have passed, but I compare their skills based on the years when these comments were made. What do you think about these statements? Do you think Patrick was better in terms of artistry and do you think the commentators really thought Patrick is better or was it because they are all Canadians that they felt the need to say that?

Well...I think everyone is entitled to their own opinion. This "x being better than y" I am not sure it's that easy. Every skater has their strengths and weaknesses. Patrick's strength has always been his skating skills. I think a lot is based on taste especially in the artistry department. I mean there are ppl who will find Yuzu and Shoma boring.

Nowadays I would not agree about Patrick being a better skater than Yuzu and Shoma, but I do think both commentators had a point at that time the comments were made:

In 2014 Patrick was the skater with 3 world titles and the only skater to constantly break the 9s in the PCS category, so overall the view on Patrick was generally speaking that Patrick was a better skater than Yuzu. And Yuzu himself said in his Aoi Hono autobiography that Patrick is better at PCS especially skating skills. Patrick was the main inspiration for Yuzu to work on his component scores. So at that time Patrick really used more of the rink (ice coverage), had better edges (he maybe still has the best edges as a single skater) and more complex programs than Yuzu had. So in a way Patrick skated "bigger" than Yuzu. Yuzu has developed a lot also back in 2014 but Yuzu's skills back then and now are not comparable, he just got this much better. Nowadays also Patrick Chan himself said about Yuzu that he may be the Greatest skater of all time and while Patrick first was sad about missing the Olympic title 2014 he didn't feel he was worthy of that title back then. Imo Yuzu had a lot rough edges back in 2014 and bc of his raw energy you could see him panting very heavily after his skates (also bc of his asthma ofc but he couldn't control the energy that well, he learned that later). I think he lacked the precision that Patrick had back when. But we have to see the age difference. Patrick had been on the Worlds podium since 2009 and had been even longer in the sport, Yuzu was only 17 years old when he won his first Worlds medal in 2012, it's only natural that Yuzu still needed time to grow and my goodness Yuzu's growth in this sport is not comparable to anyone's. Yuzu is the master, but if we would need to name one person that made Yuzu hyped up to improve his skating it was Patrick.

As for Shoma back in 2017 the comment of Tracy is true. It's not about artistry (bc that's taste) but about ice coverage and Shoma back when was fast and had good skating skills already but Patrick was years in the business and his ice coverage and skating skills were unmatched (the only one who ever matched his skills was Yuzu). Patrick had one foot skating at that point that went from one side of the rink to the other. It doesn't mean Shoma was bad, but Patrick is really extraordinary in that area. This is not about artistry it's about the technical aspect of handling the skates. Patrick being boring? Well that's also taste but I also think Patrick back in 2017 was not as motivated as when he came back in 2016 and I think that showed in a way. I am not sure if you're aware but soon after SC 2017 Patrick hung up his skates and didn't skate for 6+ weeks and it needed his teammates to bring him back for his last Olympics. So I'd say Shoma and Patrick at that point were lightyears away from each other in terms of motivation and wanting to perform.

Do I think Patrick was more artistic than Shoma back in 2017? I dunno...I liked Shoma better. If you would ask someone else you'd get a different opinion. I think in the end it comes down to taste. And just saying "artistry" is not part of the judging. Someone can be a great performer and still have "bad" skating skills and poor ice coverage for example look at Donovan Carillo, his performance skills and artistry is superb, yet he lacks in the technical basic aspects in skating apart from just jumps. There is a reason "artistry" is not part of the scoring. Artistry is just hella subjective. (Not saying the PCS or judging in general is objective bc it has lots of problems but just looking at the rules themselves there is a certain objectivity wanted that makes it a sport. Or it would not be a sport)

I think Canadian commentators vary in taste and opinion too. Ofc if a skater is Canadian and you're a Canadian commentator that may have a certain influence too. Yet I don't see the Canadian commentators as especially biased contrary to the US (nbc) or Russian commentators (when you read the translations). But tbf as I tend to listen mostly to German commentators I also didn't hear much English commentary outside the National championships.

#figure skating #shoma uno #yuzuru hanyu #patrick chan #replies

[sunskate]

Skate Canada posted VM skating Latch at SCI 2016 to their channel yesterday😭

#Youtube #virtue moir

[couldawouldashoulda50]

The Distance and the Time Between Us

Part One - February, 2016

A/N - Part one starts at the beginning where Y/N and William first meet. You can read the Introduction here

Y/N is invited by the organization to do some light-hearted promotional video shorts to try and elevate the mood surrounding the Leafs (the team is having one of their worst seasons on record) and support the Marlies (their season is the polar opposite). I have never really written dialogue before and truthfully, I struggled with it so hopefully it's not too painful to read. Hopefully my French isn't too brutal either.

Warnings: mention of medical issues, swearing

Word Count: 4.8k

Early February, 2016

“Okay, so the idea is that we’re going to test her knowledge about Sweden, and then in order to get a point, she also needs to shoot the puck in the net.  Then we’ll flip it over to you and you will need to answer some questions about Canada and then do the same with the puck. Easy, right?” Amanda chuckles at William as he makes an indiscernible, possibly bordering on unimpressed, face. 

“Why can’t you ask ME the Swedish questions…I mean, how hard are these questions anyway?'' William says, trying to coax the Marketing Manager into switching things up.  

“Because we have to make it somewhat challenging - there’s no fun in making it too easy for you” Amanda laughs.  “Plus, she may not know anything about Sweden so you could totally run away with this.”

“Yeah, let’s hope so…I’d rather not get pummeled and have the whole thing recorded…I’ll never live it down”  William laughs.  He finishes tying up the laces on his skates, exits the dressing room and joins the camera crew on the ice.

Not long after, you emerge from another dressing room of the practice facility for the Leafs and Marlies, decked out in a zip-up team jacket, dark tights and your hockey skates.  You were provided with a customized Bauer stick to match the one the former first-round pick uses.  You take a quick glance at your reflection in the glass and chuckle to yourself thinking, rather modestly, “it’s as good as it’s going to get”.  You adjust the Leafs toque that was provided to you and open the latch to the gate.

You hop onto the ice, trying to contain the sheer excitement of even being at this rink.  As a local girl, you were brought up watching the Leafs.  At the age of 4, you found a souvenir from a Maple Leaf’s game that your Dad had attended.  It was a glossy paged yearbook of the 1993/1994 Leafs roster and when your eyes fell upon Felix Potvin, the Leafs starting net minder, you were done…your little 4 year old heart fell head over heels in love with him.  The adoration for Felix made you a fan, not just of the team, but of the game.  It wasn’t an aspiration of yours to necessarily play hockey; the dreams of being a musician had already consumed your mind, body and soul.  It was the skating; the power and speed behind every glide that held your focus as you watched each game.  As a child, you took figure skating lessons but after years of struggling with some of the fundamentals due to your stout body structure, especially in your legs (making it difficult to do the ‘cross’ part of the ‘cut’), you dropped the lessons, and stayed away from participating in any on-ice activities.  

Years later, your height nearly reaching 5’9” after some significant growth spurts, your body took a more shapely and athletic form, mainly as a result of swimming laps nightly at the community pool.  Much like skating, the power and strength behind every movement with swimming laps appealed to you.  It taught you focus while developing precise and efficient motion.  You were a natural born worrier; the rhythm and repetition of gliding through water helped free you from the relentless chatter that plagued your mind.  

With the changes to your frame allowing your legs to finally accomplish the menacing cross-cut, and you now making money from your band's pursuits, the power skating lessons began.  With you being based in Britain at the time, it was challenging to find the exact program that you wanted.  You resigned to being the only 5’8”, fully developed 18 year old female taking “ice-hockey lessons” as they called it, alongside 8 and 9 year old boys.  You learned another valuable lesson during this time, learning to drown out the comments and unwanted input from those around you, in order to do what you love.  It came in handy - at this point in time, being an up and coming band, you still found yourselves playing gigs in front of audiences where 20% wanted to hear you and 80% did not.

And here you are now, a superstar in your own right, invited by the Maple Leafs organization to make some promotional video shorts with members of the current Maple Leafs and Toronto Marlies teams.  The Leafs were having a pretty tough season; the Marlies season was the polar opposite. The organization’s hope was that some light-hearted PR involving the once small-town Ontario girl, turned mega-celebrity, who happens to love both Toronto hockey teams, could help lighten the abysmal mood that infected the fan base.  

As he chatted with Amanda, William watched you with interest as you skated towards the production team.  He knows you - well, not exactly…he at least knows who you are.  William was familiar with a few of your hits and generally liked some of  your solo stuff but he was nowhere near the level of fandom of his three sisters.  Even William’s younger brother, Alex, was an avid follower of yours but he mused it might be more about your physical beauty than your music.

Alex nearly jumped through the phone last night when William explained that he was doing a video segment with you the following day.  

William hadn’t noticed his conversation with Amanda had completely trailed off; his eyes firmly set on you as you enthusiastically greeted each person on the set.   You were simply luminescent, and William was honestly taken aback with your natural ability to put everyone at ease.  Although you were the VIP of the day, you made everyone in the room feel like they were too.  

William’s sky-blue eyes traced the side-profile of your face; butterflies started to form in his stomach when you glanced towards him and smiled.  As he smiled back, the butterflies were replaced by an elephant stampede in his chest, and he began to feel an intense heat radiating from his cheeks.

You skated over to him and unbeknownst to you, he was actually nervous, despite his demeanor of appearing totally relaxed.  

“Hey William” you said, extending your hand.  “I’m Y/N - I’m so excited to meet you” you said, grinning your widest grin.

And as William grinned his widest grin back at you, there were two thoughts crashing in your mind at the same time - “Jesus - he’s fucking gorgeous” followed promptly by “he’s probably a prick so forget about it”.

“Nice to meet you too…. My sisters are huuuuuge fans of yours”, William said.

You smiled with appreciation “That’s awesome…please tell them thank you, from me, if you can.  It’s always so nice to hear that.” 

You paused - you didn’t want to pry, or sound intrusive but you saw the hit William took from the Swiss player at the World Juniors in December and had been on your mind since, given his connection with the Marlies.

Tentatively, you continued. “I saw some clips from the All-star Classic last week - it must have felt good to be back on the ice.   

“Oh - you mean after the concussion”.  You weren’t sure if William was embarrassed but he looked down towards the ice and ran his fingers through his luxurious blonde hair.

Your eyebrows furrowed as you winced “Yeah…I watched that game…” you trailed off, feeling really uncertain if you should say any more.  “I’m so sorry - that hit on you was brutal.” 

 “It didn’t feel good, that’s for sure; should’ve kept my head up” he quipped.  “But yeah, between that and my appendix almost bursting after that, I’m a lot better now”.  

You kicked yourself mentally, hoping you hadn’t created an awkward moment; you were never one to handle uncomfortable silences very well.   

In an attempt to recover, you look up at William with a smile.

 “Well, I’m so glad to hear you’ve recovered.  It looks like they’re almost ready…let’s get this rig rolling”, giving him a little wink and a slight nudge.

You turn to see that the crew has nearly finished setting up the lighting and Amanda is going through some details with the woman that will be hosting the segment.  You skate off to join Amanda and the host to see if you can get some intel of the questions being asked.

Amanda calls William over and she begins to direct you to where you’ll both need to stand so the lighting casts perfectly over your faces. 

A make-up artist appears, and begins to do some minor touch-ups to enhance your healthy glow, and applies a thin layer of gloss to your lips as an extra measure.

William watches as you raise your chin up and close your eyes, as brushes lightly graze over your features.  It’s unnerving for him to look at you; he’s convinced that you’re one of the most strikingly beautiful women that he's ever met. And he’d met plenty of women, or girls, depending. At the young age of 19, he’d already gotten a taste of the boy-band level of popularity with many females in Toronto, looking to catch the attention of an up and coming hockey star.  Add in all the girls he would meet during years of road trips, William never had to make an effort for girls to flock to him. Because of this, William found it difficult to establish a real connection beyond the overly available, yet casual, hook-ups which, most of the time, became complicated and messy. 

Filming quickly gets underway and the host introduces you both, giving a quick history about each of you.  

“OK Y/N - are you ready for the first question?” the host asks 

“Absolutely” you say, smiling.

“What are the two colours on the Swedish Flag?”

Relieved it’s an easy question, you quickly answer “Blue and Yellow”.  You position the puck just so and fire your shot, hitting the back of the net with ease.

William smiles and appears to be impressed as he raises an eyebrow and mouths the word “Wow”.

As the Swedish trivia challenge continued on, you managed to answer all of the remaining questions correctly, even blurting out the answer to the bonus question related to what type of government Sweden has (you’re not even sure how you knew the answer but nevertheless, you seemed to delight the onlookers).  Better yet, your shots on net were pretty solid and each puck hit the netting, coupled with an audible swoosh.

More and more, William was finding himself completely captivated by you.  Since he set his eyes on you, he sensed a massive contrast between you and the girls that he frequently came in contact with.  William’s mind began to race with questions about you; he needed to know more about you.  At the same time, and as self-assured as William normally was, the thought of asking a global celebrity for at least her number, had his stomach tied in knots.

William was up.  Everyone knew he was a sniper, so obviously scoring was not going to be an issue.  The questions related to Canada were generally the same as the Swedish ones, and William answered them with ease.

Each time you glanced at William, your heart started to race a little more.  You had made a snap judgement about his personality, based solely on his exterior, which completely backfired on you.    He proved to be warm and charming, with a smile that never seemed to leave his face.  You contemplated if you had ever met a man who smiled as much as William seemed to.  

The host’s voice brings you back down to earth.

“OK, William - in order to get to the bonus question, name three of your favourite Canadian music artists” the host asked, glancing over at you with a wink and a smile.

It seemed obvious enough that William would include you in the answer, since you were 8 feet away from him, but instead, he rhymed off Justin Bieber, Drake and The Weeknd.  He shot the puck and satisfied with his response, smiled at the host.

There was an odd silence as the onlookers seemed surprised that William appeared to snub you, on camera no less.  

William read the room and looked over at you with a confused look.  You smiled back at him and shrugged your shoulders.  

The host, trying to assess the situation, looking to find some humour in it, chuckles and says “Ok, I guess William’s not a fan of Y/N it seems” which was met with some low-key snickering from the crew.

“Wait - what?” William says, half laughing - his cheeks starting to burn.  His expression was mostly like a deer caught in the headlights.

You, sensing his embarrassment, said “It’s all good…” you giggled and looked at the host “Those would be my choices…I’m not necessarily everyone’s cup of tea” you say modestly.

William’s head swiftly turned in your direction.  His eyebrows lifted and his mouth dropped open as he realized his unintentional SNAFU.

The onlookers shook their heads and laughed; some came over and gave William some hearty pats on his shoulder, accompanied by some good natured ribbing.

You could see William trying to laugh it off but as he looked at you with a combined expression of awkwardness and unease, and your heart cracked a little for him.  

The host waves her hands and grabs everyone’s attention again.

“Alright, William, moving along - for the bonus question.  If you answer this correctly, then we’ll need a tie breaker between you and Y/N.  The question is a geography based one”.

William groaned and his face lowered into his gloved hands.  

The host continued, “How many territories are there in Canada?”

Someone in the group decided to quietly hum the Jeopardy theme song which was of no help to William.

William inhaled, squinted his face and apprehensively answered “2?”

“Ooooh - sorry William!  Soooo clooooose!” the host says in faux dismay.  “There’s actually 3”.

The host mercifully wraps up the segment declaring you the winner of the trivia challenge.  William taps his stick on the ice as recognition, and everyone begins to disperse.

William makes his way over to you; his dazzling eyes are fixed on your face, a wide, almost mischievous grin, spans his angelic visage.

“Are you sure you’re not Swedish?  I wasn’t sure I even knew all those answers” he joked.  

“So…who’s your next victim with these shoots?” William asks coyly.

“Whoa - really…victim?” you answer feigning shock with a side of a phoney ‘how dare you’.

“Aren’t you the one who slayed me during this little stint…snubbing me entirely” you laughed,  nudging William in the arm.  

William groans “You have no idea how badly I’m going to be chirped about this.  I really don't know what I was thinking.  Fuck it - I’ll blame on it on the concussion.” 

“Oh my gosh - honestly, it was really pretty funny. It wasn’t like you were saying I suck…unless that’s exactly what you were trying to say” you dead-panned, raising an eyebrow at him.  “We might have a problem then if that's the case,” you joked.

William laughs “Tell you what…I do really feel bad…do you maybe want to grab something to eat later on, if you’re not busy?”

Your heart leapt inside your chest into your throat. 

“I wish I could but I have plans with some old friends…I haven't seen them in ages so they’ll be pissed if I blow them off.  I’m here for another week or so - maybe we can swing another time?” you said, hopefully.

“For sure…here…” Williams grabs his phone from his pocket “Can you add your number?”

William hands you the phone and you start typing the digits of your number.  Under the contact name, you typed in "Can I be your #4?", saved it and handed the phone back to William.  Amanda calls out for you and William to get a picture together so William quickly jams his phone back into his pocket and drapes his arm around your shoulder.  You gently extended your arm around his waist thinking that seemed to be the only place on his body that made sense.  With that mere touch, externally you smiled for the camera, but internally, were acutely aware of the faint but noticeable throb between your legs that William’s mere touch seemed to incite.  "Keep it together Y/N, for fuck sakes" you joked to yourself.  

"It was so great to meet you William - it was a ton of fun" you laughed, taking your hand out of the hockey glove and extending it to William.

“Trivia isn’t really my thing but you definitely made it more interesting” William said as he extended his arms out for an embrace.  

You managed to pull the plug on the wild smut show that had already started in your brain, kept it light, and while hugging him, you patted his back gently and pulled away.

“See you, William,” you said grinning.

William wanted to come up with something clever, something extra but his brain just wasn’t engaging. Instead, he smiled bashfully and simply said “See you…I hope”.

Later on, in the parking lot, William sat in his car looking through his contacts, searching for your name.  His heart sank when he went to the first letter of your name and found nothing.  

He scrolled back to the top of his contacts, his thumb slowly grazing the glass to look at every single contact name he had.  “Shit - I need to get rid of some of these” he thought as he bypassed a myriad of girls' names from previous encounters.  

William laughs when he finally discovers the pseudonym you gave yourself and sits there for a moment, grinning like the Cheshire Cat; his chest fills up with a warm sensation unlike anything he’s ever experienced before.  

He arrived home to his downtown condo that he shared with his teammate, Kasperi.  

“Hey - how’d it go?  How was she?” Kappy asked, not looking up from the TV screen.

William grabbed water from the fridge and walked to the living room where Kasperi lounged on the couch, almost enveloped by the overstuffed cushions that were strewn about.  Immersed in Call of Duty, Kasperi only could mutter “Fuck” multiple times in a row.

“Good. She’s really nice actually” William said, not wanting to elaborate on his newly developed interest.  

“Is she as hot up close as she looks on screen?  That video she was in - you know….that song” Kasperi hums the tune of one of your more popular solo hits “she’s hardly wearing anything under a buttoned-down dress shirt and mmmm…she’s in stilettos” Kappy mused, eyes still fixed on the screen.

“Jesus, Kap - get a grip” William forced a chuckle, trying not to let his annoyance show.  

“You wanna play for a bit?” Kasperi asked, mumbling expletives as William declined.

“Gonna go for a nap - see you in a few”.  William disappears into his bedroom.  He flops onto the bed and rolls over, grabbing the pillow on the right side.  He lay there thinking of you; he can hardly believe it but he’s already dying to see you again.  He grabs his phone and Googles your name.  First, he pulls up images of you - everything from award ceremonies and galas to magazine covers.

William continues to scroll through the search results, pulling up a video that a fan made on YouTube.  It’s a video montage of you, at various events over the years.  The song “More than a Woman” by the BeeGees plays in the background; the music somehow further enhances every movement of your elegant figure and every detail of your radiant face. 

As you smile for the cameras.

As you laugh with your bandmates.

As you take the stage in front of thousands of fans.

Ugh.  As you looked at your (now ex-) boyfriend in the eyes while walking the red carpet, your arm looped through his.

That last one hurt.

William flipped his phone over and grabbed the pillow once again.  He closed his eyes, imagining the pillow was your body lying next to him, the first few moments of meeting you were on a continuous loop in his mind, until sleep finally found him.

****************************************************************

After the segment with William had wrapped, you headed to the dressing room to change out of your skates.

Evelyn breezes through the door after waving good-bye and saying thanks to the small entourage that escorted her to the dressing room.   

“That went well…” 

Evelyn’s British accent, and the way she enunciated her words, seemed to always sound sardonic, whether it was intentional or not.  You had learned that it was just best to stick with the facts throughout conversations with Evelyn; as your manager, you learned fast that she often wasn’t in the mood to hear about frilly musings other than in your songs.  

“Poor soul looked completely lost after he rhymed off every fucking Canadian singer, except you” she smirked.

“Jesus. he picked three of his favourite performers that he listens to, and they are all amazing,” you laughed.  “He’s not required to be a fan of mine,” you said as you nudged Evelyn’s arm. “He felt bad though - he asked me out to make up for it, so that was nice” you trailed off, your cheeks inadvertently blushing at the thought.

“So that’s why you gave him your number” Evelyn smiled.  “It’s nice to see you finally getting back on the horse”.  Evelyn reaches into her long Burberry coat, pulling out her phone to open a newly delivered text message.  “Play your cards right, you may get to ride him too.  You could use a good…” she said in a low tone, neither taking her eyes off the screen or bothering to finish her sentence.  

You scoffed, but it wasn’t like the thought hadn’t already entered your mind.

Amanda appeared at the door and invited you and Evelyn to head to the players lounge for a quick bite.   

On the way,  Amanda listed off which of the Maple Leafs would be taking part in the next segment.  All very familiar names to you and much to your delight, the players in question were waiting for you in the lounge.  

Tyler Bozak, Nazem Kadri, Morgan Rielly and Jake Gardiner stood gathered around the kitchen counter, deep in a spirited debate about popular wrestlers from the eighties.

Morgan appeared to be the bonafide WWE expert and was busy putting the rest to shame as he rhymed off some of the greats.

“Wasn’t there a female manager for….shit, who was it?” Kadri asked, snapping his fingers as he wracked his brain for the answer.  

“Fuck….what was her name….ah shit - I’m drawing a blank….” Morgan said, pressing the palm of his hand to his forehead.  “Fuck me, this is gonna drive me nuts now”.

The group snickered at him.

 “Some expert you are” Jake said, poking Morgan repeatedly in the ribs.

“Miss Elizabeth” you said with a smile as you approached the group.  “She was Macho Man Randy Savage’s manager”.

Morgan’s head swivelled around as he said “Awh - yeah!  Thank God….fuck - I just drew a total blank” Morgan said, apparent relief washing over him.  

Introductions weren’t needed with the 4 players as you had briefly met each of the men at a charity function the year before.  Each gave you a friendly hug as you all continued on with the lively conversation.   

“We had about 5 TV channels growing up, there wasn’t cable out in the country - we just had a TV antenna and a router” you laughed.  “I think it was the Hamilton channel that showed WWE reruns Saturdays at noon.  Sort of became a fan of the 80’s wrestlers, whether I wanted to be or not '' you joked.  “I always thought Miss Elizabeth was so beautiful…” you mused.

The men all made their own noises, nodding and affirming that Miss Elizabeth was indeed, well…hot.

Not long after, Amanda summoned you all to a common area of the lounge, where the next video segment was to take place.  You glanced over and could see Evelyn and Amanda, deep in conversation.  You usually wouldn’t notice or care what Evelyn was doing; you and your Manager had an incredible working relationship and you trusted her implicitly.  That was, until you had a sneaking suspicion that she, the host and Amanda were hatching some plan involving you for the next video. 

Before you could worry about it for too long, you and the 4 players were instructed to sit in the director-style chairs that had been lined up for you.

The host gives the directives of a game that is something between Truth or Dare and Never Have I Ever.  The questions that were directed at the players weren’t anything risqué, but were enough to cause a rumpus between the men, resulting in some hearty banter.   

Once the verbal melee ceased and everyone starts to settle again, the host turns toward you with a knowing smile.  

“We’ve left Y/N to last.  You may not know this but Y/N’s Maple Leaf fandom spans back to when she was just a small girl.  We’ve designed a very special Who’d You Rather between the Leafs past…. and present….players” she says drawing out each of the last few words emphatically.  “With Y/N being unattached currently, we decided this might be fun…” the host says teasingly. 

You shot a look at Evelyn, vowing to murder her later for this.

Evelyn smiles back at you, gesturing for you to hurry up and get this thing going.

On the monitor in front of you, a picture of Dion Phaneuf, the current Captain of the Leafs, appears next to a picture of former Captain Wendel Clark.  The players whooped and hollered at your choices and you audibly groaned, not knowing exactly how to navigate the choices.

“Oh my God - how am I supposed to choose? So what, this is who I’d like to date?  I actually know Dion - I’m friends with his wife too….” you trail off.  “Oh - but I love Wendel too” you giggle.

“Just so you all know” you say to the crowd, motioning towards your surroundings, “this…this whole situation has to be among my worst nightmares…” 

As the host cycles through a few more pictures, each of the 4 players giving their (unsolicited) input, albeit mockingly, as though they themselves were on a dating show.  

Your adoration for Felix Potvin was known to the crew, thanks to Evelyn, so naturally, Felix’s picture appears next to Morgan’s.  “Ooof, sorry Morgan…I have to go with my man, my precious Felix” you said, reaching over to tap Morgan’s knee.  

“Fine then…” Morgan deadpanned, with the slightest smirk.

One after the other, you choose Felix over the image that appears on the opposite slide.  

The host smiles and says “Devoted Potvin admirer, you have to love that!  If you had the chance to meet him, what would you say?” 

You were suddenly worried Felix would pop out of the woodwork, the look of excited anticipation mixed with worry crosses your face.  You jokingly peer over both of your shoulders and respond “Je veux dire ‘C'est un plaisir de vous rencontre.  Je suis tellement un grand fan de toi.  I don’t think I would be able to get out much more than that”, you laugh.

“Ok, this is the last image.  You just met this player this morning and managed to squeak past him to win in the trivia challenge” the host says, eyes fixed on your face.

William’s headshot from the Marlies appears on the screen, next to your first hockey love.  The 4 men sat next to you chime in playfully with a series of “ooooh….Willy Nylander…”

You stay composed looking at the picture, trying not to appear as flustered as you felt.  In one short meeting, William had actually made an impact on you.  Yes, you found him breathtakingly gorgeous, but it was far more than that.  There was a kindness about him; something about him seemed so refreshing and you found yourself really wanting a chance to talk with him more.

You try to suppress a smile but you end up with a wide grin and cheeks flushed.  This shouldn’t be a big deal - but admitting that you might like a boy sent your mind hurtling back to 9th grade, when you were meek and awkward and would sooner die than allow a boy to see that you might think he’s cute.

But, you decide to play it safe and bypass William’s picture, just willing for this segment to be over.  “I’m sticking with Felix,” you laugh.

“Felix it is!” the host says as she gives the appearance of cheering your choice.  

Once the production crew deems they can wrap the segment, you slide off your chair and mingle with the 4 players and others that had gathered around for a quick snack before packing up.

Evelyn saunters up to you and whispers “You beautiful, chinless wonder* - you should have picked the boy…”

You rolled your eyes and shook your head.  Secretly, you had chosen him in your mind; you couldn’t stop thinking about him.  ‘Fuck Y/N…you’re sunk’ is the only thought you had toying in your head.

“You can just keep your opinions to yourself,” you laughed toward Evelyn.  “Let’s just go, I gotta get ready for dinner soon”.

(*chinless wonder is apparently British slang for a coward)

#william nylander #toronto maple leafs #hockey fic #nhl imagine #nhl fanfiction #hockey romance

[seafood-33]

The bromance between two athletes which moved and encouraged me for several years. I made a list by time for them. (not finished yet)

2010

2010-12-08 First time in same match

2011

2011-09-23 Second time in same match

2011-11-26 First podium of yuzuvier

2011-11-28 Side by side group photo

2011-12-10 Javier's solid 4T and 4S

2012

2012-03-27 Skate together in sunny rink

2012-04-25 Yuzuru change coach

2012-05-07 Yuzuru went to TCC

2012-07-28 Yuzuru want steal jump

2012-08-07 Javier help with smile

2012-08-20 Black-top costume of PW

2012-10-01 How to steal jump

2012-10-05 Epic Finlandia trophy

2012-10-06 Members brochure of TCC

2012-11-22 Yuzuru want to see Javier

2012-11-25 Javier clap for Yuzuru

2012-11-30 Watching each other

2012-12-06 Japanese team pants

2013

2013-01-26 Yuzuru is strong & beautiful

2013-01-27 Same color medal of 4CC

2013-02-10 Javier support Yuzuru's 4S

2013-03-17 Small medal thief

2013-05-23 Yuzuru is part of my life

2013-07-06 Don't leave Javier in Canada

2013-07-27 Yuzuru limit, Javier allowed

2013-11-16 Notre Dame de Paris

2014

2014-02-07 Yuzuru seeking Javier

2014-03-24 Yuzuru ducking for Javier

2014-03-28 Skating after Yuzuru

2014-04-06 Pooh is gone, best pic

2014-06-13 Javier's sight

2014-06-22 Yuzuru's 4Lo celebration

2014-07-05 Sore loser or stubborn

2014-11-27 Good luck, I'll support you

2014-12-07 Happy birthday to Yuzuru

2014-12-12 Yuzuru speak in Spainish

2014-12-14 Three words describe Javi

2015

2015-03-19 Yuzuru missed us

2015-03-24 We are everything

2015-03-27 Photos in Worlds 2015

2015-03-28 Always my champion

2015-03-28 Good and bad points

2015-03-28 He was happy for me

2015-03-29 Javier like a big brother

2015-04-02 Javier fly over to help

2015-04-19 Compare upper arm

2015-05-28 Yuzuru reach Javier's hand

2015-06-01 Javier comfort me

2015-10-21 Watching Javier help me

2015-11-28 Yuzuru copy goat noise

2015-12-10 You can do it

2016

2016-03-30 Tracy comment

2016-04-01 My winner

2016-04-02 Gesture about to kiss

2016-04-07 Brian comment

2016-04-11 When look up at

2016-04-27 Yuzuru sniff pooh

2016-05-14 As a rival even more

2016-06-29 Support, motivate, learn

2016-12-07 Javier sing Happy Bday

2016-12-11 Gala

2017

2017-02-17 I owe what I won, to him

2017-04-01 I told you last year

2017-04-02 Gala, Vamos and meme

2017-04-23 Japanese team table

2017-05-25 Cats' eyes choreography

2017-09-28 Yuzuru waiting for Javier

2018

2018-02-17 OG 2018 green room

2018-02-17 I can't do it without you

2018-02-18 Some coincide of Seimei

2018-02-18 Friends when leave the rink

2018-02-20 There are some conflicts

2018-02-28 Finally Spanish media

2018-03-01 I think it's admirable

2018-03-03 Yuzuru cried the most

2018-03-30 Wonderful experience

2018-04-15 During CiONTU

2018-04-17 Some tough moment

2018-05-28 Yuzuru find Javier

2018-06-18 Prohibition order

2018-07-25 He wanted to be the first

2018-09-05 Yuzuru is from comic

2018-09-06 The back 3-turn into 4S

2018-12-12 I just miss Javier

2018-12-13 150th between Japan&Spain

2019

2019-01-06 Reunited in TCC

2019-01-22 Thanks for your allow

2019-01-27 That teach you a lot

2019-01-23 Can I take a day off too

2019-01-24 When they fall to bottom

2019-01-29 Another story

2019-02-01 Skating like breathing air

2019-03-24 Reunited in banquet

2019-05-26 I wish go on forever

2019-06-15 Sit in one chair

2019-06-18 Yuzuru's eye power

2019-09-12 Reunite and hug, smiling

2019-10-31 Spain-Japan fundation

2019-11-28 I will put him in the show

2019-12-07 I wish with Javi, but

2019-12-12 Last hug before COVID

2020

2020-02-09 Finally do it

2020-04-04 Shibsibs photo

2020-05-14 Sudden tickling happening

2020-10-16 Looking forward to see you

2020-10-23 Friendship overcome rivalry

2020-10-29 Share training with rival

2020-12-26 Something super special

2021

2021-01-29 Warrior and absolute hero

2021-03-26 Yuzu has no rival this time

2021-03-28 Mind of fighter and winner

2021-11-30 Javier like Yuzuru's new CM

2022

2022-02-01 Olympics channel

2022-02-03 Bond stronger than family

2022-02-11 Give you a hug first

2022-05-27 Yuzuru: I always miss you

2022-06-02 Dialogue in pamphlets

2022-06-11 Piggyback

2022-06-18 FaOI 2022 closed rehearsal

2022-06-26 I don't want to leave Javi

2022-07-21 Yuzuru from another world

2022-07-23 Never a rival so kind

2022-12-01 Javier skate music of origin

--

2023-02-27 I always practice alone

...

#yuzuvier #ハビゆづ

[yuzu-all-the-way]

Yuzuru Hanyu's GP series Through the Years

Since the GP series start is just around the corner, I plan on watching Yuzu's GP programs through the years during the upcoming weekends.

If anyone wants to join me on a trip down memory lane, here's a list of Yuzu's GP programs with links* - I tried my best to choose the videos with the highest quality that also contain the K&C moments.

4x GPF Champion

1. Skate America 🇺🇸

☆ 2012 (SP FS) 🥈

2. Skate Canada 🇨🇦

☆ 2013 (SP FS) 🥈

☆ 2015 (SP FS) 🥈

☆ 2016 (SP FS) 🥈

☆ 2019 (SP FS) 🥇

3. Cup of China 🇨🇳

☆ 2011 (SP FS)

☆ 2014 (SP FS) 🥈

4. Internationaux de France 🇫🇷

☆ 2013 (SP FS) 🥈

5. Grand Prix of Helsinki 🇫🇮

☆ 2018 (SP FS) 🥇

6. Rostelecom Cup 🇷🇺

☆ 2010 (SP FS)

☆ 2011 (SP FS) 🥇

☆ 2017 (SP FS) 🥈

☆ 2018 (SP FS) 🥇

7. NHK Trophy 🇯🇵

☆ 2010 (SP FS)

☆ 2012 (SP FS) 🥇

☆ 2014 (SP FS)

☆ 2015 (SP FS) 🥇

☆ 2016 (SP FS) 🥇

☆ 2019 (SP FS) 🥇

8. Grand Prix Final

☆ 2011 (SP FS) 🇨🇦

☆ 2012 (SP FS) 🇷🇺 🥈

☆ 2013 (SP FS) 🇯🇵 🥇

☆ 2014 (SP FS) 🇪🇸 🥇

☆ 2015 (SP FS) 🇪🇸 🥇

☆ 2016 (SP FS) 🇫🇷 🥇

☆ 2019 (SP FS) 🇮🇹 🥈

* If there are any broken links, let me know

#yuzuru hanyu #masterpost #grand prix series through the years #link #through the years

[seedlessmuffins]

tagged by my beloved @divorcecourtdad so thank you jay!

what got you hooked on hockey?

i was born and raised in vancouver so i've been a fan of this loser team since i was born, courtesy of my canucks fan dad and my canucks fan grandfather, and i also played hockey as a kid

2. your first ever fandom friend

in general? probably my dad! i've talked hockey with him my whole life. online probably @swaggypsyduck, but i have been working on converting all my footy friends to hockey friends so now i talk hockey with lots of people here (shout out to han, gen, yi, hala, and ciene who let me convince them into following hockey teams and watching games

3. the jersey you would most like to own

hughes or demko black skate jersey they are sooo sick!! or honestly any of the canucks special event jerseys, the diwali, black history month, pride, and chinese new year jerseys are all so stunning (but sooo expensive

4. your player (you only get one so choose wisely)

elias pettersson my baby i've been following him since 2016 i have his jersey i love him so much

5. a pairing that deserves more fic

pricey & luongo (there was definitely something happening with team canada at the olympics)

quinn & petey (they're sooo couple)

6. your favourite on-ice moment

watched live:

"this could be an interesting start"

"what a game for elias pettersson! 5 points, tied it late, beats the tender in the shootout!"

"miraculous play in the back of the goal crease and a standing ovation at rogers arena!"

watched on tv:

"connor bedard! overtime winner! sends canada to the semis!"

"they slayed the dragon! 5:22 into overtime, and the canucks move on to the second round"

"sidney crosby! the golden goal! and canada has won olympic gold!"

"the shift"

7. link someone else's art/fic/etc that you love & think everyone should check out

i think this is my favourite fic of all time, summer to your heart

8. link something you made & are proud of & want people to see

my quinn hughes webweave i think is pretty cool and my hockey tactico thoughts i was pretty proud of as well!

tagging @swaggyswinub @cryingforcrocodiles and @cherishlaluna to do if you want!

#k talks hockey #ask games! #jay 🏔️

[figureskatingcostumes]

Anna Cappellini and Luca Lanotte skating their Charlie Chaplin-themed free dance at the 2016 NHK Trophy and 2016 Skate Canada.

(Photos by David W. Carmichael)

#Anna Cappellini #Luca Lanotte #Cappellini Lanotte #Charlie Chaplin #Limelight #City Lights #Ice dance #Figure skating #Italy #2016–2017 #2016 NHK Trophy #2016 Skate Canada

[ecoamerica]

Watch the American Climate Leadership Awards 2024 now: https://youtu.be/bWiW4Rp8vF0?feature=shared

The American Climate Leadership Awards 2024 broadcast recording is now available on ecoAmerica's YouTube channel for viewers to be inspired by active climate leaders. Watch to find out which finalist received the $50,000 grand prize! Hosted by Vanessa Hauc and featuring Bill McKibben and Katharine Hayhoe!

#ACLA24 #ACLA24Leaders #youtube #youtube video #climate leaders #climate solutions #climate action #climate and environment #climate #climate change #climate and health #climate blog #climate justice #climate news #weather and climate #environmental news #environment #environmental awareness #environment and health #environmental #environmental issues #environmental justice #environment protection #environmental health #Youtube

[tutuandscoot]

I share your thoughts and feelings towards Marina... but, honestly, even Igor in certain videos gave me the creeps 😰 especially when he hugged Tess or congratulated her... really bad feelings 😰

(Answering this late too I’m sorry I’m so behind on asks)

-from when we were talking about marina/canton/2014 era

Yeah look. I agree with you. I don’t know how much though bc honestly I really do refrain from even letting myself privately think I know everything about people I really don’t know at all/more opinions based on minimal info- I just don’t have time or the brain space for that.

I had read others opinions here and there that they thought Igor was really lovely with T and doted on her kinda (thinking specifically when ever they came off the ice after skates at YVR), and yeah it seems nice enough but then I watched more of other teams and in comparable moments like that he seems very similar with every girl he coaches..

I’ve never had the biggest opinion of him either way in general- probably more so Marina bc VM have spoken more about her.

I guess if I were to share some kinda vague opinions:

-He seemed to struggle with he’s team’s results after he and Marina spit.. this is just based on going back watching stuff from that era but he had a lot of teams competing at the senior world level and there probably heaps of lower teams/juniors.. idk if it was just the media/FS fans that made this rivalry between he and marina’s teams after the split.. but even just watching kinda 2017/18 I get the slight vibe of a rivalry.. esp with the US teams bc they were kinda “equal”/ switched placements esp domestically for those 3 or so years (16-18).. idk if that’s widely held opinion, but within that 3 way rivalry, HD in Montreal -they had the momentum on the coaching end, SS on the fed end (with it being obvious Marina wouldn’t get a gold or silver at the 2018 olys she was no longer the ‘top coach’) and then CB who I honestly forget about sometimes got at world medal in 2016.. -wasn’t there a whole thing there that people thought WeaPo were under marked and should’ve medaled.. I wonder maybe bc by that point VM announced they were coming back so they (ISU) tried to keep the Canadians off the podium for another year with the very likelyhood of VM coming back and podiuming.. (idk, this sport is so messy who knows what the agenda was and Canada is an frequent victim)

Th whole DS (team nepo) skating to MR in 2022 and Igor being their coach/ choreographing it? is one of the most disgusting/effed up/ lack of respect I’ve seen. Like WTAF bro!!??!?!. Look, I know VM doesn’t OWN that music, but there are just certain things- music you don’t use when it has been made that iconic-attached to one skater/team. In comparison (just to remind everyone what precious maple leaf bbys VM are) they said they would never do bolero bc that “belongs” to T&D. They wouldn’t even do ‘Somewhere in time’ which was Marie and Patch’s 2006 program and that isn’t even famous outside of ID and probably not even a top… 15, 20 most well know ID program.. within the sport. They are just so respectful of their peers that certain music/stories they would not do out of respect. I’m sure I’ve read Igor had recycled VM’s programs/music before like I’m sure I read he had a team do Valse Triste, Farrucas, a version of the WTF lift from Farrucas, there may be more. Like when the Beijing olys were on and I was watching the ID with my mum, I had gotten her up to date on VM and of course she had remembered their FAMOUS MR from 2018, I said when team nepo came on; ‘so this team is doing MR’ (she was like ‘omg wtf why would you do that’), then ‘and their coach is VM’s former coach, not the one that they were with for MR but their former former coach, and he had a history of recycling/ripping off programs bc he’s kinda a hopeless choreographer’. And my mum lost it, she had been in love with VM for all of 2 days and about 0.00000003 percent of the love I have for VM and she was so mad about it..

-as for the creepiness thing.. I’m becoming more aware of that now that I’m not a student anymore and I’m teaching a lot of kids, I’m very aware of my body language and what I say to kids in the studio teaching and vs out of - there’s that different relationship depending on if you’re teaching or not.. and more and more with male coaches/teachers… idk.. I was very lucky growing up the majority of my dance teachers were wonderful and I had some amazing female and male teachers and I never.. like in ballet and esp high level ballet, the teacher has to be physical with you- move your body, touch you in places in order for you to understand the correct way to work. NEVER was I made to feel uncomfortable or violated, in or out of the studio (the company was a very different story). There is obviously crossing a line and things that should not be done, but in generally you have to have be a tough cookie- you might not love some things/ get along with coaches, but you have to be strong bc it’s a very tough industry. Same with skating. I believe with all my heart that T especially (I relate to her being a female in a similar sport/art as me and everything she went though more than S- but I do relate to him in so many other ways) that she was never made to feel uncomfortable, violated, abused.. BECAUSE OF SCOTT. I just believe he protected her with his life. They have since recalled moments in their career- like how T said she felt so uncomfortable around other female skaters judging her and calling her fat bc she was a strong, healthy athlete who could lift and move herself unlike these weak af twigs starving themselves. S never (I just KNOW, ok), never let her feel anything negative about herself, they could put themselves down but never each other. Of course they had arguments and feelings would be hurt, but never on the matter of personal safety. When they say they could have never been singles skaters I think that’s part of it- this duty of protection they have over each other was a lifeline in this industry. I legitimately cried when T mentioned in a podcast interview (it was a terrible one so I haven’t listed to it since) that Scott called her one day out of the blue and said they survived that industry bc of how her mum raised them- to always keep each other safe, know how to detect when/if someone was taking advantage of them, stick up for themselves and never sell their souls (or bodies) for fame and fortune.

I’m sorry this is getting wayyyyy off track (I haven’t been posting enough but I’ve been thinking a lot so im letting heaps out here even if it’s unrelated).

The point is, despite what I think about the people they had around them, they were ok, and they kept each other safe.

I could do a whole other post on how, yes Igor creeped me out a bit, but how much Romain creeps me out even more (legit shivers when I would see him with them, esp next to T- I love them both equally but I feel a super protective instinct towards T and anything I watch where I get bad vibes I’m just like ‘my angel pls be safe😭)

#ask

[1634archive]

TORONTO, ON - DECEMBER 19: Auston Matthews #34 and Mitchell Marner #16 of the Toronto Maple Leafs skate during warm-up before playing the Anaheim Ducks at the Air Canada Centre on December 19, 2016 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Photo by Mark Blinch

#2016 #12.19.16 #mark blinch #warmups #ducks #fave

[pleistocene-pride]

Orthacanthus is an extinct genus of fresh-water xenacanthid shark which lived throughout the rivers, swamps, lakes, and bayous of what is now Eurasia and North America during the Emsian of the early Devonian to the Carnian of the Late Triassic some 407 to 227 million years ago. The first remains of orthacanthus consisting of several neural spines and vertebrae were unearthed from carboniferous rocks in Great Britain by Dr. Louis Agassiz in 1836 which he described as a species of primitive skate. Several more spines and teeth would be found throughout England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, Nova Scotia Canada, and Ohio USA but were variously assigned to Pleuracanthus and Diplodus. In 1848 a well preserved full body impression of an animal was unearthed near Ruppelsdorf Germany by Dr. Goldfuss who described and named the specimen as Xenacanthus. However additional findings in texas of both Orthacanthus and xenacanthus in the 1880s showed a marked distinction in both size and morphology between the two taxa. These prompted additional studies which showed the German impression to be of orthacanthus and that Dittodus, Didymodus, Diplodus to be synoynomous with orthacanthus and that pleuracanthus was already an established genus of beetles as such all previous pleuracathus fossils are now considered orthacanthus. Today 11 species of Orthacanthus are considered valid: O. gibbosus, O. arcuatus, O. buxieri, O. compressus, O. donnelljohnsi, O. gracilis, O. milleri, O. minor, O. platypternus, O. pustulosus, & O. texensis. Reaching upwards of 10ft (3m) in length, Orthacanthus had a number of features that distinguished it from modern sharks including a ribbon like dorsal fin which ran down nearly the entirety of the animals back, and had paired pectoral & pelvic fins and 4 anal fins. A distinctive spine projected from the back of the head which is speculated to have been venomous, perhaps in a similar manner to a sting ray or chimera. As a large aquatic predator Orthacanthus would have fed upon boney fish, placoderms, sharks and other cartilaginous fish, amphibians, aquatic reptiles, synapsids, and various invertebrates. Interestingly orthacanthus seems to have been a highly adaptable organism with smaller and younger individuals living in shallower waters like ponds, rivers, and streams, while larger older individuals dwelled in freshwater lakes, brackish swamps/ deltas, and even coastal waters.

Art by the following creators:

Orthacanthus: Christopher DiPiazza http://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2013/08/orthacanthus-prehistoric-animal-of-week.html

Orthacanthus: Connor Moore https://www.artstation.com/artwork/3do4b2

Orthacanthus: Alain Beneteau https://blog.everythingdinosaur.com/blog/_archives/2016/08/11/orthacanthus-was-a-cannibal.html

Orthacanthus and Xenacanthus: EsthervanHulsen https://www.deviantart.com/esthervanhulsen/art/Orthacanthus-and-Xenacanthus-772704178

Diving with Orthacanthus: HodariNundu https://www.deviantart.com/hodarinundu/art/Diving-with-Orthacanthus-798344700

#pleistocene pride #pliestocene pride #extinct #shark week #shark #mesozoic #paleozoic #triassic #carboniferous #devonian #permian #prehistoric #prehistoric shark #orthacanthus #xenacanthus #freshwater #xenacanthid

[allekha]

It’s Pride month, so let’s celebrate some of our LGBT skaters!

While skating is stereotyped as a ‘gay sport’ for men in the US and Canada, homophobia, transphobia, and a strong push for conformity to old-fashioned gender norms remain a huge problem. But despite the bullying and disgusting comments, and even the ravages of the AIDS pandemic, queer skaters have been out there making their mark on the sport for decades, and there have been more out skaters at the elite level than can fit in one gifset (or even several!). And of course, there are many more at the recreational and adult levels as well. The skaters featured here are:

Jason Brown (2019 Worlds SP) - Beloved by fans for his skating skills, graceful and complex programs, flexibility, and ray of sunshine personality, Brown is the 2015 US champion and has finished in the top 10 at two Olympics eight years apart. After competitions, he visits Ronald McDonald houses to personally share the toys thrown at him with the kids or make meals for families. Rumor has it that the Greensboro Coliseum had to be shut down for repairs after he skated there in 2014 because the crowd blew the roof off the building in their excitement for his Riverdance.

Fleur Maxwell (2006 Olympics SP) - A 3-time Luxembourg national champion, and the only competitor from Luxembourg in any sport at the 2006 Olympic games, Maxwell’s international senior career spanned more than a decade, even excluding the three years she retired in the middle. With flexibility, lovely arms, and fast spins, she was a beautiful skater to watch. She now runs a fitness business out of New York City. The asteroid 255019 Fleurmaxwell was named in her honor.

Axel Médéric (1988 Olympics FS) - Médéric was a French national champion and one of the earliest black skaters to go to the Olympics when he competed there in 1988. While he sometimes struggled with his jumps, commentators praised the quality of his transitional movements and his flow over the ice, and he was a lively performer. After he retired, he toured and performed for many years, doing shows and competing in pro tournaments.

Ondrej Nepela (1973 Worlds FS) - The 1972 Olympic champion, 3-time World champion, and 5-time European champion, Nepela became interested in skating as a child in when he watched a fellow Czechoslovakian win the men’s European title on the television. While not the most artistically inclined, he was known for his precision and working very hard at practice. After retirement, he performed in shows and coached a student to become European champion in her own right. He died in 1989 due to complications of AIDS; the Ondrej Nepela Memorial competition is named in honor of him.

Kaitlyn Weaver (On Ice Perspectives solo) - With her partner Andrew Poje, she won three world medals and two GPF championships in ice dance. The team were known for their emotional skating and interesting, innovative programs. She came out in June 2021 and openly discussed how she was afraid that coming out while competing would hurt her and Poje’s scores. Since then, she has been one of several skaters consulted by the ISU on how to make skating more inclusive and is on Skate Canada’s working group for equality and inclusion.

Rachel Parsons (2017 GP Russia FD) - In the 2016-2017 season, Parsons, along with her brother, was the National, GPF, and World champion at the junior level in ice dance. As a team, they brought interesting positions and sense of ease to their skating. She retired in 2019 due to an eating disorder, which she recently said she has made a lot of progress in recovering from, and came out as bisexual a few months later.

Javier Raya (2016 Worlds SP) - Raya was the 2011 Spanish champion and a six-time national silver medalist. While he was still competing, he had a chance to work in media for summer sports and also did commentary for figure skating events. Raya came out as gay in 2016, and in June 2020, he started the Skate Proud project to share interviews with out and ally skaters. He is now working at the IOC with the mission of promoting inclusion and diversity.

Christoper Caluza (2021 Finlandia Trophy FS) - The 3-time Philippines national champion, Caluza first began with roller skating, before discovering ice skating when his local roller rink closed; he developed a graceful and emotional style. After the 2013-2014 season, he took a break from competitive skating for several years to do professional shows, including on cruise ships. He decided to return to competition when he learned that the Philippines would be hosting the South-East Asian Games, where he ended up winning the silver medal, before he retired again in 2022.

Timothy LeDuc (2022 USNats SP) - Two-time National champion and a 4CC silver medalist with their partner Ashley Cain, LeDuc was the first elite figure skater to come out as non-binary, as well as the first out non-binary athlete to compete at the Winter Olympics. Their programs emphasized the pair’s wonderful lines and synchronization, and LeDuc was open about wanting to portray a sense of equality between partners rather than the traditional ‘stem (man) and flower (women)’ image of pairs.

#fskateedit #figure skating #lgbt #Jason Brown #Timothy Leduc #Christopher Caluza #Fleur Maxwell #long post #gifs #Happy pride 🌈 #(There's a limited amount of space per gifset; please don't tell me I forgot someone)

[ecoamerica]

Watch the 2024 American Climate Leadership Awards for High School Students now: https://youtu.be/5C-bb9PoRLc

The recording is now available on ecoAmerica's YouTube channel for viewers to be inspired by student climate leaders! Join Aishah-Nyeta Brown & Jerome Foster II and be inspired by student climate leaders as we recognize the High School Student finalists. Watch now to find out which student received the $25,000 grand prize and top recognition!

#ACLA24 #ACLA24HighSchoolStudents #youtube #youtube video #climate leaders #climate solutions #climate action #climate and environment #climate #climate change #climate and health #climate blog #climate justice #climate news #weather and climate #environmental news #environment #environmental awareness #environment and health #environmental #environmental issues #environmental education #environmental justice #environmental protection #environmental health #high school students #high school #youth #youth of america #school