Re: Ice Wars

>Sale/Pell and Ber/Sikh were excellent (up to the last minute of B&S's second
>program).

ITA..I enjjoyed watching both those pairs...great skating!
>
>Oksana Baiul seems to be well along the road to recovery.

It was nice to see her skate with joy again and it was also nice to not have
her over-emoting (for her). At the end of her second program, I had a fear that
she would stay down on the ice for several minutes or stare up at the audience
with an angst-ridden look on her face. What a nice surprise to see her finish
her well-skated program, get up and smile as she took her bows.

Her speed looked pretty amazing from what I could tell on Tv as well.
>
>Kurt Browning wasn't quite on in his first program, but he bounced back in
>the second.
Yep...second was better, but it still seemed like a lot of posing to me. But
that's Kurt I guess....He poses, hams then skates around with some great
footwork and ok..jumps..then more mugging...I wish he'd just skate...but I know
most people love his programs...so....
>
>Viktor Petrenko had two good programs.

It was so nice to see him actually skate and not just pose and do tricks...I
always loved his eligible programs...nice to see him skate again and do it
fairly well.
>
>Ilya Kulik was great.

Yes he was ;-)
>
>I can't remember much about Nicole Bobek's skating; I was mesmerized by her
>breast implants.  (Yes, I *know* I'm shallow.)

LOL..was kind of hard to miss....but I always enjoy seeing her (with or without
implants)
>
>I'm ambivalent about Brian Boitano's programs. 

Same here...they're okay..I neither loved nor hated them...

> His skating was good,

Yes...his skating is fundamentally solid....still.

 the
>choreography was interesting, 

I didn't find it particularly interesting...but that's JMO

and I understand and appreciate his efforts to
>do new things, but I don't think this idea worked.  

Think that was the problem for me.

The props were way
>overdone. 

That's putting it mildly...the sitting at the desk..was pretty ridiculous
IMO....time wasted when he could actually have been "skating"...

 The hat and cigar in "Hernando's Hideway" were fine,

sure...props seem to be commonplace in most pro events....I'm not crazy abouto
them...but minimal props are okay.

 but using
>scenery and supporting actors is too much. 

Way too much!!! Plus...as I said above...it ate into skating time and it was a
skating comp..not a play

 I was actually reminded of the
>ultimate horror:  Philippe Candeloro's cowboy program at 2001 Hallmark Pros.

shudder,,,,,

>Kurt Browning once described Boitano's skating as "nothing but the
>business."   Get back to business, Brian.
>
>Barbara
>---

I agree Barbara...but then...I'm funny in that respect..when I watch a skating
comp....I sort of like to watch......skating...

Chris