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Nebelhorn Trophy 2003 - Men's Long Program

At the beginning of the men's long, we learned that Clemens Brummer from Germany had withdrawn due to illness. I think the men's LP was my least favorite part of the competition, it got a bit boring overall, with only a few highlights in between.

Kristoffer Berntsson started the competition, wearing a black & white costume, skating to a music called "The Time Machine". He successfully landed a 3z-3t, but popped the axel. The music was dramatic in style for the first part. He stepped out of the lutz after 2 and a half rotations. I liked his powerful style in the first part of the program. Now it went off to a slower middle part with soft music. His 2axel was landed a bit on forward. His choreography and interpretation was rather well-done, but at some points it seemed a bit rehearsed. He just saved the 3flip, did a nice flying sit, here the music went back to fast and dramatic and he did a 3salchow, but only did a single loop. The straightline step sequence was interesting, but a big slow, a final 3toeloop attempt followed, I see it was only ratified a double. If I described many ladies programs as "your typical lyrical soft ladies program", this on the other hand was a perfect example of a "typical male soundtrack program" (even though I'm not sure if the music actually was from a soundtrack, but it sounds like it). I'm not crazy about his skating, but he's nice to watch and he looks very cute :D

Aidas Reklys was next, being dressed in black with red sleeves, skating to a Tango. He did a 2axel in sequence with a 3salchow and then a 3loop with a long entry phase. His speed was somewhere between ok and actually quite good. He 2footed a 3lutz and then singled the flip. A travelling sit spin followed. He didn't have a stellar Tango interpretation, but he at least captured the theme of the music fairly well. He did a little back spiral and then a 3toeloop-2toeloop, followed by a 2salchow. His camel was slow. The program really could have needed some more transitions. He slightly touched down on the 3salchow. He did a circular step sequence which was nicely choreographed fitting to the music. The flow in his skating could be better. He ended really far behind the music. His spins were mediocre, they always tended to travel. It was not a bad program, but it was a bit too much "from element to element" and he lacks power.

Mikko Minkkinen wore rather strange brown pants and a red shirt, his music was an interesting combination of the most well-known part of the Basic Instinct soundtrack and some rap music (without lyrics of course) by a Finnish rap band (as Ritti informed us). He fell on his 3flip, but did a nice 3lutz next and also a 2axel. His camel was rather good. At this point the program turned to the (powerful) Finnish rap music for the first time and he did some nice dancy moves to it. He feel on his 3loop attempt (again only counted as a double), then did only 2flip and 2salchow. He did a slow camel. Now the music cut back to the slow piece from Basic Instinct and he did some MITF. Another 2salchow followed, then again rap music and the straightline was choreographed to it, pretty cool! He doesn't have the most secure edges overall. He fell on the 3toeloop. I liked the program, it was really something different with all the rap dance moves, even if he looked a bit "wild" and didn't have the best control over his movements.

Martin Liebers skated to "Eldorado" from Elton John, wearing a black costume. He started energetically, but fell on his 3loop. He landed his 3lutz (it might have been very sligthly 2footed) and then landed a 3toeloop. His sit spin was travelling a bit and he fell on the 3flip attempt. I found his skate a bit boring, because he was lacking charisma, he had a kind of generic skating style and somehow there was just nothing particularily interesting about him. He did a 3loop. The music got faster in the end and he did an ok circular step sequence to it and finally landed a 3salchow, but struggled on the landing (just saved it). A 2axel was his final jump.

Ari-Pekka Nurmenkari skated to "Cyrano de Bergerac" in a black costume with grey and red. He started with a 3z-2t, but then only did a 2footed 2flip, followed by three-turns into a 3loop. The music had been slow/soft at the beginning, now turned into a dramatic fast part that fit his rather powerful skating style. He singled the salchow. He lost some speed during the circular step sequence, afterwards the music went back to a slow soft part. He did a 2lutz followed by some nicely to the music MITF. He then did a 3salchow, but fell on the 3toeloop. His straightline step sequence was a bit slow too. He finally completed a nice 2axel. His spins generally are fast with interesting positions, but tend to travel a bit. This was another typical soundtrack music program, but he is a powerful skater who can interpret music quite well, so he's usually fun to watch. Too bad his jumps seem to very inconsistent.

Trifun Zivanovic skated to music from the "Matrix" soundtrack, including the song "Clubbed to Death". He wore a black costume with some silver. He did a rather weak 3axel in sequence with a 3toeloop and then a rather good 3flip-3toeloop combination. His speed and flow at the beginning was good, but his posture could be better. His second 3axel was rather out of axis (right wording?), but he saved it. He did a good camel spin. The music now went on to a slow soft part. I found his arms rather stiff throughout the program. He landed a 3loop and then did an interesting fast straightline step sequence, but afterwards singled the lutz. He was able to land a 3salchow and a 2axel. His music in the last part again was energetic, but he seemed to have lost some speed. Overall it was a quite interesting and entertaining program, but some more transitions would have been nice.

Frederik Pauls skated to a music called "Nocturne" wearing a costume in black with silver. He did a good flying camel at the beginning of his program and then did a badly 2footed 3lutz. He touched down with his hands on the 3flip and doubled the salchow. I like that he has very elegant lines. He saved the landing of the 3salchow. So far the program didn't have many transitions and he skated the whole program with one speed so far, no variations. He did a badly 2footed 3loop. The music now turned into something that sounded "Tangoish". He doubled a lutz, then stepped out of the 3toeloop and singled the axel. Well jumps-wise the program was quite a disaster, but I still like his skating style, classical and elegant, but he needs to get more interesting choreography and include more transitions in his program (ok probably not possible as long as he struggles so much with getting his jumps done).

Maciej Kus skated to muchly overused ;) "Don Quixote", his costume was black with white sleeves. The program had some nice choreography at the beginning. He started with a 3toeloop, then landed 3lutz-2toeloop and a 2axel. He then did a good spin, followed by high flying sit that got very slow towards the end though and his position wasn't stellar either. He stepped out of the 3Flip and doubled the salchow. His next sit spin was travelling. He singled the loop and afterwards it was the same with the lutz. His straightline step sequence was choreographed nicely to the music. He was losing speed towards the end of the program. Overall the program consisted of 2 upbeat parts (beginning and end) and a slow part in the middle. I liked the first and last part, they were nicely choreographed and charming, but I found the slow middle part a bit boring.

Noriyuki Kanzaki skated to "Lord of the Rings". Well I love this music, it is so powerful, but unfortunately he did not make much out of it. He wore green pants and a silver top. Stefka thought he looked more like Robin Hood than like whatever he wanted to portray (probably an elf I suppose :P ). He fell on his 3axel attempt, but landed a 3lutz-2toeloop. His speed at the beginning was good. He landed 3flip and 3loop. There weren't many transitions in the program, he rather skated from element to element a bit. He didn't even get close to getting the rotations done on his second 3axel attempt and splatted on the ice (the attempt was only ratified as a double). He landed a 3salchow, but badly 2footed the lutz (which was ratified as a double, I think it was supposed to be a triple attempt according to my notes). He stepped out of his 3toeloop. The music was to powerful for him and his expression rather bland.

Gregor Urbas wore a costume in blue and grey and skated to a Tango. According to my notes he tried a 3lutz-3toeloop combination, but 2footed the toeloop and it was only ratified as a double anyway. His 2axel was also 2footed (and according to my notes had supposed to be a triple). He fell on the 3flip. His 3salchow was landed, but very wildly. I liked that his skating style consists of very "big" movements. He did a 3loop out of three turns and doubled the lutz. The program was really passionate in style and skating, but lacked some polish, the speed was mediocre. He landed a 3toeloop as his final jump. It really was a rather nice program, but his skating overall lacks some polish.

Scott Smith had a good start, landing a 3axel-2toeloop, followed by a 3toeloop-3toeloop. At the beginning his program was rather empty. He stepped out of the 4salchow attempt. Again he skated rather slow. He next did a 3lutz. His step sequence again was slow. He landed a 3loop, but nearly fell on the 3axel, then went on to complete 3flip and 3salchow. He tends to have choreographically rather empty programs and a very "plain" style of skating, it gets a bit boring over 4 minutes. I think he should try to include some more creative elements in his programs and add more transitions and he should work on improving his speed.

Scott Smith had a good start, landing a 3axel-2toeloop, followed by a 3toeloop-3toeloop. At the beginning his program was rather empty. He stepped out of the 4salchow attempt. Again he skated rather slow. He next did a 3lutz. His step sequence again was slow. He landed a 3loop, but nearly fell on the 3axel, then went on to complete 3flip and 3salchow. He tends to have choreographically rather empty programs and a very "plain" style of skating, it gets a bit boring over 4 minutes. I think he should try to include some more creative elements in his programs and add more transitions and he should work on improving his speed. But generally I still like his style.

Vincent Restencourt did a 2salchow at the beginning of this program, then nearly fell on the 2axel and completed a 3lutz. His flying sit flew very high ;) He landed 3toeloop and 3loop and did a quite nice circular step sequence, followed by some MITF. Choreographically the program was yet another typical soundtrack program. Towards the end the music got fast and he did a 3axel-2toeloop and only a 2flip. I haven't noted down the music, but if I remember correctly it was "Broken Arrow".

I had already been looking forward to Nicholas Young after his cool SP and after seeing a run-through of his also very interesting long program during practice in the morning. His music pieces were "Kodo" and something called "Cherry Blossom". He unfortunately stepped out of the 3axel, but completed a 3loop. He attempted a 4toeloop, but 2footed it and it was only ratified as a triple. His next spin combo was very nice. He landed a 3lutz and then did a really cool step sequence followed by interesting moves in the field, everything choreographed in line with the style of the music. The music got slow now. The variation of speed in his skating was also pretty good. He did a 3salchow-3toeloop combination, but the landing was just saved (I didn't note down whether on the sal or the toe or on both). His program had rather good transitions. He popped an axel, did a good spin combo , did a 3toeloop that didn't count because his quad had been counted as a triple toeloop :EVILLE: and finally completed a 3flip. His program was definitely very good, but he seems to have done 3 step sequences, one straightline, one serpentine and one circular and the last circular one therefor didn't count as an element at all. Well bad luck here (or bad "program optimizing"), but then it was enough to win overall anyway. Choreographically the program was very interesting to mostly drum music, plus a slow part in the middle, it included lots of original and creative moves, definitely one of the highlights of the competition.

Filip Stiller did a "cute" humoric program in the LP, that sometimes looked a bit awkward, but very charming. He started with a 2axel, the music at the beginning was jazzy/bluesy. Then he did a 3lutz-3toeloop combination, followed by a good camel. The 3flip was landed deep down in the knee, the 3toeloop was solid. Music now went on to a slow middle part. He singled the loop. He landed a 3lutz, a 3salchow and finally a 2loop. His spi combination had interesting positions. Overall the program was very dance, plus some slow parts.

Nicholas LaRoche wore a costume in black and burgunder (is that a color in English?). He started with a 2axel. I'd say he had about the best speed and basic skating skills in the competition. He did a very good 3lutz-3toeloop. I can only say again that his ice coverage was very good. He stepped out of the 3flip, did a good camel, all his spins were pretty nice actually. He landed a nice 3toeloop, but stepped out of the 3loop. The program now had a rather long slow part that got a bit boring IMO. He landed a 3salchow and finally saved the landing of a 3lutz. He has a great skating style, but the music was a bit monotonous and boring over the whole 4 minutes, a bit more excitement would have been needed. One more upbeat part of the music already might have helped a lot. He had chosen the Dragonheart and Jurassic Park soundtracks, but somehow no really powerful music parts.

Alexei Vasilievsky wore a costume in black and orange skating to "The Mexican" soundtrack. He started with a nice 3toeloop. He's an elegant skater who glides well over the ice. He did a shaky 3a in sequence with a 2toeloop, then fell on the 3lutz. He had some really perky music for his straightline step sequence and the choreography and steps were really entertaining and funny. He then did a 3salchow with absolutely no flow out of the jump and doubled the loop. Here the music went back to slow and soft. He 2footed and then stepped out of an attempted 3axel (only ratified as a double). His 3flip was barely just saved. And he touched down on a supposed 3lutz combo, then did a serpentine step sequence. What I liked best about this program was the straightline step sequence, it was just fun to watch and very entertaining, but he's jumps are not secure at all, we hardly saw him land any truely good ones in competition or training, if they were landed they most of the time were rather shaky.