Click on logo for home page stories on Japan Open and Beijing press conference by PyeongChang 2014 Organizers

3/5/2007 - Please take a look at the home page for some new stories on the Japan Open Cup held this past weekend and Korea’s announcement that China’s pairs team Zhao Hongbo and Shen Xue have signed on as honorary ambassadors for PyeongChang’s campaign to win the hosting rights for the 2014 Winter Olympic Games. Coach Lee Chow Ying and skaters Sarah Paw and Anja Chong were invited to participate in the press briefing in Beijing by the organizers of the Korean Dream Programme. Chow Ying has kindly provided us with a link to photographs from the event. (Thanks, Chow!) We also have new video links to the Japan Open competition in Japan where skaters such as Mao Asada, Kimmie Meissner and Bryan Joubert had a bad day.

Miki Ando performing free program at Japan Open 2007

2/5/2007 - www.youtube.com/watch?v=EgPei76bGoc

Mao Asada skates to Czardas at Japan Open

2/5/2007 - www.youtube.com/watch?v=uh6CFmmHbzk

Kimmie Meissner at 2007 Japan Open

2/5/2007 - www.youtube.com/watch?v=FlWbbwXZzvI

Alexei Yagudin 'Gladiator' at Japan Open 2007

2/5/2007 - www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHtGfe7yrv0

Todd Eldredge performing to Casino Royale at Japan Open

2/5/2007 - www.youtube.com/watch?v=JG4JFGZ1i-8

Bryan Joubert at Japan Open 2007

2/5/2007 - www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0pG4nc_PvQ

Nobunari Oda at Japan Open 2007

2/5/2007 - www.youtube.com/watch?v=niKjlepSFKQ

Jeff Buttle skating to Ararat at Japan Open 2007

2/5/2007 - www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7wWL-be81M

Jasmine Mehaffey wins lucky draw!

29/4/2007 - Dear All Stars member Our first figure skating quiz-lucky draw for a Carrie Jones dress was a great success. As a group, you tried the figure skating quiz a whopping 1161 times from the beginning of April to April 26th! Wow! Isabelle Tan, who is the club's technology star, held an electronic draw for the winner on April 27th at Fuji Ice Palace at 8:30 pm. All entries were assigned a number and printed out before hand. Then, on Friday night, Isabelle used her handphone to obtain a randomized list of numbers from 1 to 1161 from a service that uses atmospheric noise to generate random numbers. (This is just amazing to me! Check out http://www.random.org/sequences for more information.) The first number from the 1161 numbers to appear on Isabelle's handphone was the winner. All Stars President Raymond Cheah and Coach Sunny Man were witnesses and confirmed the result. Congratulation to Jasmine Mehaffey who won the figure skating dress by Carrie Jones. We will be contacting you shortly with details on the next step. For the other people who entered the quiz, you may be happy to know that we are putting together consolation prizes for everyone who entered the draw. A huge thank you to Cheryl Lim for creating the quiz. She already has another one ready to go. Please email your honsec if you would like to create a quiz. And thanks to Isabelle for bringing the club into the 21st century with her amazing draw system. Happy Sk8ing!

Article on ice skating in Singapore at Golden Skate

29/4/2007 - The people at www.goldenskate.com were nice enough to run an article on ice skating in Singapore. You will recognize some of our members. If we're lucky, maybe they will let us do another one later this year! Don't forget to copy and paste the link. www.goldenskate.com/articles/2006/042907.shtml

Great Interview with Alissa Czisny at Golden Skate

26/4/2007 - There’s a new link to an interview with Alissa Czisny. Not only is she an incredible spinner, she comes across as a remarkably grounded young woman. She knows she has work to do in resolving her competition nervousness, and she accepts full responsibility for her placements. She may become a diplomat after she graduates from university and retires from competitive skating. please copy and paste! www.goldenskate.com/articles/2006/042207.shtml

Details for Hollins Trophy in June, pls refer to email for attachments

22/4/2007 - If you’re working up your courage to consider competing overseas, please give some serious thought to trying the Hollins Trophy in Sydney from June 8th. You will find attached to this email more information on the registration fees and the dates. Technical requirements will follow as soon as possible. The club board strongly encourages the All Stars members to try new competitions. You will get a better sense of where you are and where you need to be to be truly competitive as a figure skater. The competition is open to all skaters, regardless of citizenship. The Hollins Trophy is a wonderful opportunity for to challenge yourself and to learn new things about competitive figure skating.

Please email honsec if you want to revise your profile

22/4/2007 - If you would like to update your profile on the website, please send the revisions to me along with any new photos/video you would like to accompany your profile.

Stories on Ntls & a Note on Membership

17/4/2007 - The story package on the National Figure Skating Championships is finally up on our website. However, please take note that not all the pictures have been posted yet—so don’t panic if your photo isn’t up yet. And the Webster has yet to add a link from the thumbnail photos to a larger version of the photo. That will be happening tomorrow, I hope. J Many thanks to the members who renewed before April 15th. The club’s executive committee appreciates your punctuality! You are eligible to enter the quiz to qualify for the draw for the figure skating dress by Carrie Jones. As you know, we have been overwhelmed by your enthusiasm. Thus, we are capping entries at 100. Some of you are continuing to play, even though you have passed the limit. We’re glad that you’re enjoying the Game; but please understand that only 100 entries will be made in your name, even if you play 204 times—and yes, some of you have played that many times! For those of you who sent in your renewals before April 15th but haven’t tried the quiz yet—created by our very own Cheryl Lim—please do try. You don’t have to get the answers right; you just need to try. We have been happy to receive emails from parents who have said that they too are learning something about figure skating as a result of playing the quiz. If you create your own quiz that we can use at a later date, you will be given 5 bonus entries in the draw. Happy Sk8ing

Tomorrow: the stories appear tomorrow

16/4/2007 - Apologies to all of you who have been faithfully checking the All Stars website today for the Nationals stories. Unfortunately, the Webster (as I have taken to calling her) was off on MC today. Keep your fingers crossed that she returns tomorrow.

Stories on the All Stars website

14/4/2007 - After receiving some emails from you today, I thought I better send out an explanation on the Nationals story currently on our website. There is a package of stories and photos that was to have been put up on the website on Monday. Through an unfortunate combination of events yesterday (which included forgetting my bag at Coffee Bean in Holland Village for two hours while I went to a meeting!), our accommodating webster ended up going ahead and putting up the first story with the planned links. The other stories will be up on Monday. Thank you to everyone who has sent in photographs. Thank you for your patience. In the meantime, if you’d like to see some stories on the Nationals, please refer to the Singapore National Olympic Council website and a new site on school age sports called redsports. If you google either of them, the links will pop up. Enjoy.

Congratulations to members of Singapore National Teams

12/4/2007 - Please join us in congratulating the following skaters on their selection for the National teams (in alphabetical order): Tasha Benfield, Anja Chong, Brittany Lau, Maxel Lee, Cheryl Lim, Jasmine Mehaffey, Ng Yi Ching, Sarah Paw, Sarah Rodgers and Alexandria Wong. On the Youth Development Team, congratulations go to: Celine Bavaud, Jacklynn Benfield, Bramina Braet, Gazel Lee, Michelle Lee, Melissa Leow, Max Ko, Claudia Krogmeier, Dominic Soh, Debbie Stuart and Phoebe Wang. The National and Youth Development Teams for 2007-2008 were selected by a panel comprising Andrea Derby, Dr. Reginald Teo and Zhang Wei. On the SISA website, there is a note referring to “an avenue of appeal to the Appeal Committee as mentioned in the SISA National Team Selection Policy dated 18 November 2007, a copy of which is on the website under 6th Singapore National Figure Skating Championships. The National Team Selection Policy has been approved by the Singapore Sports Council. Please note that any appeals must be submitted to secretary@sisa.org.sg by 12 noon on Wednesday 18 April 2007.”

Is US figure skating in a slump?

9/4/2007 - www.theolympian.com/103/story/77291.html

Story on Olympic Silver Medalist Sasha Cohen

9/4/2007 - www.timesdispatch.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=RTD%2FMGArticle%2FRTD_BasicArticle&%09s=1045855936372&c=MGArticle&cid=1173350573260&path=!flair!ae

Story on 2007 World Champion Miki Ando & Silver Medalist Mao Asada

8/4/2007 - www.javno.com/en/sports/clanak.php?id=32221

Interview with World Silver Medalist Mao Asada

8/4/2007 - www.asahi.com/english/Herald-asahi/TKY200704070078.html

Please send in your photos from Ntl Figure Skating Championships to accompany All Stars story

8/4/2007 - We plan to put a story on the National Figure Skating Championships on the club’s website this coming week. If you have a photograph from the competition you would like to include with the story, please send a soft copy to me. It can either be on the ice or the podium or with your coach. New on the Singapore National Olympic Council website this week is a story on SISA’s introduction of the new international judging system at Nationals. The story is mostly a primer on the IJS, with some skaters mentioned in the context of the judging system.

Gentle reminder re membership renewals

8/4/2007 - A gentle reminder to please renew your membership before April 15th so that you can take part in a lucky draw for a signature figure skating dress made by US designer Carrie Jones. You have to be a member to take part in the draw. If you have already posted in your membership forms & payment, please go to the website to try the skating quiz by All Stars member Cheryl Lim. Your answers don’t have to be 100% right, you just have to try your best. Every time you take the quiz, your name will be entered in the draw. Good luck.

Will hip hop join ice dancing? See interview with Tanith Belbin & Ben Agusto

8/4/2007 - www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17995986/

Quiz entries limited to 100 per member

5/4/2007 - We have good news and bad news. The good news is that your participation in the quiz for the lucky draw has been overwhelmingly positive response. Yeah All Stars! The bad news is that your response, in fact, has been much, much greater than we anticipated. For manpower purposes, we are going to have to limit entries to 100 per member. We really do admire your enthusiasm, but we simply don’t have the volunteers to create lucky draw tags for thousands of entries. Thanks for your understanding and cooperation. If you haven’t hit 100 yet, please feel free to keep trying the quiz—or by all means, create your own quiz that we can use in conjunction with a lucky draw in the future!

Membership renewals, lucky draw & skating dress

3/4/2007 - The membership renewals for the All Stars club are rolling in, and the club board has found a fun way to say thank you to our members for renewing with the All Stars figure Skating Club. Here's your chance to win a new figure skating dress from US designer Carrie Jones. (You can see more of her dresses at www.figureskatingdress.com) We're going to hold a draw among our members to win one of Carrie’s signature dresses. First, you have to be a member of the All Stars Figure Skating Club as of April 15th to qualify for the lucky draw. The more times you take the quiz, the more times your name will be entered in the draw. Alternatively, if you create a new quiz that we can use in the future, you will get an additional five chances to have your name entered. The quiz for this draw was created by Cheryl Lim. You can find it on the home page of our website, tagged Feb 2007 quiz. You don’t have to answer all the questions correctly to enter; you just have to try. Sounds just like learning a new jump, doesn’t it? Your last chance to enter will be on April 26th. The draw will be held on April 27th. Location and time to be confirmed. Happy sk8ing!

Click on the Club logo for new stories on the home page

26/3/2007 - We have some new stories up on the website, including a first-person account of competing at the 2007 Junior World Championships by Darryll Sulindro who used to train in Singapore. In 2004 he moved with his family overseas for school and training. However, in the early days of the Singapore National Figure Skating Championships, Darryll and his sister Amanda Sunyoto were National Champions in pairs and singles. Now they represent Chinese Taipei. There’s also a story on Anja Chong and Maxel Lee competing at the Malaysian National Figure Skating Championships earlier this month. Congratulations to both skaters for their successes in Malaysia. Speaking of National Championships, the Australian National Figure Skating Championships will be held on August 18-25th in 2007. The Australian Nationals are open to all competitors, including non-residents and non-Australians. Both Singapore and Malaysia require that you be either a citizen or a resident to compete at Nationals. We strongly encourage our members to consider competing at the Australian Nationals this year. We’ve also included Annika Nyberg’s report on the Korean Dream Programme. It is a sterling opportunity for members to get some overseas training and, even more importantly, experience new cultures and the underlying message of the Olympic Movement. Finally, we have new video links from the World Championships. Take a look at Mao’s winning free skate. However, my favourite skate remains the seemingly reckless abandon of Yu-Na Kim’s short program. I say ‘seemingly’ because it undoubtedly was a well-rehearsed, well-practiced program. Enjoy!

Mao Asada's Free Skate at 2007 Worlds

25/3/2007 - www.youtube.com/watch?v=gh02KrNbGaQ

Miki Ando's Free Skate at 2007 Worlds

25/3/2007 - www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-NJ29P9Y5k

Miki Ando's Free Skate at 2007 Worlds

25/3/2007 - www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-NJ29P9Y5k

Yu-Na Kim's Free Program at 2007 Worlds

25/3/2007 - www.youtube.com/watch?v=735_4uNbZ50

Tomas Verner's Free Skate at 2007 Worlds

25/3/2007 - www.youtube.com/watch?v=DtKXszAHvyQ

Kimmie Meissner Short Program at 2007 Worlds

25/3/2007 - www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPLdYOEYuAs

Yukari Nakano Free Program at 2007 Worlds

25/3/2007 - www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHjUTNiH7-E

Asian skaters sweep ladies event at World Championships: Ando in 1st, Asada in 2nd & Kim in 3rd

24/3/2007 - Nothing is impossible. For skater girls in Singapore and around the world, that’s the message they should be taking away from Miki Ando‘s victory at the World Championships in Tokyo today. A year ago, people were ruminating about her ‘retirement’. Today, she is the 2007 World Ladies Champion. And for the first time in history, the Ladies podium at the World Championships has been swept by Asian skaters: Gold medalist Miki Ando, silver medalist Mao Asada and bronze medalist Yu-Na Kim from Korea. Skating last in the free skate, 19 year-old Ando put down a free skate program (127.11 points) that was second only to that of Mao Asada (133.13). However, Ando emerged as Champion, thanks to her lead from the short program. Ando won with a total of 195.09 points, compared with 194.45 for Asada. And 16 year-old Mighty Mao proved she could rise above her nervousness and go for the gold. She won the free program, with a 19-point lead over short program winner Yu-Na Kim. Indeed, Kim fell twice in the free skate, finishing the long program in 4th place. However, Kim’s great lead in the short program kept her on the podium with a bronze medal. Kimmie Meissner from the US, the 2006 World Champion, moved into 3rd place in the free program but remained in fourth place overall. It is no exaggeration to say that the ladies free skate saw a lot of the world’s best skaters succumb to nerves and go down on their jumps. Fifteen of the 24 skaters who advanced to the free skate fell during their programs today, including Yukari Nakano from Japan, Caroline Kostner from Italy, Mira Leung, Julia Sebestyen from Hungary and Emily Hughes from the US. However, given that most of the senior ladies competing at the World Championships this year were under the age of 20, we can expect to see them back next year—with more polish and more confidence under pressure.

Video Link to Yu-Na Kim's Free Skate at World Championships 2007

23/3/2007 - www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHZ32eMEhtM

2007 World Champion Bryan Joubert's Free Skate

23/3/2007 - www.youtube.com/watch?v=5TJA7MWqvfA

Miki Ando SP at World Championships 2007

23/3/2007 - www.youtube.com/watch?v=767gbAH6SKo

Carolina Kostner's Short Program at Worlds 2007

23/3/2007 - www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdTh0WyKSZo

Daisuke Takahashi Free Skate at Worlds 2007

23/3/2007 - www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iy2O8bhYPuk

Stephane Lambiel's Free Skate at Worlds 2007

23/3/2007 - www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JdPvtiyw6Q

Tomas Verner Free Skate at 2007 Worlds

23/3/2007 - www.youtube.com/watch?v=RckCMFoxDik

Evan Lysacek Free Skate at World Championships 2007

23/3/2007 - www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2kifbeqDTM

Johnny Weir Free Skate at Worlds 2007

23/3/2007 - www.youtube.com/watch?v=ua0VDjA1Iwk

Jeffrey Buttle's Free Skate at Worlds 2007

23/3/2007 - www.youtube.com/watch?v=SiYGjzi2YE8

Yu-Na Kim triumphs with sensational SP, Ando in 2nd, Kostner in 3rd

23/3/2007 - Yu-Na Kim, Korea’s willowy ladies champion, won the short program at the World Championships, with a rather sensational lead over her once-greatest rival Mao Asada from Japan. Sixteen year-old Kim scored a new personal best of 71.95 points, skating to the brooding Tango de Roxane from Moulin Rouge. She earned 41.49 in technical marks and 30.46 for program components—the top scores in both categories. Reported to be suffering from a back injury, Kim had skipped the Asian Winter Games earlier this year. However, given the strength of her lead, she appears to have made a full recovery. Japan’s Miki Ando, who had a great year in 2006—once the Olympics were over—placed 2nd in the short program at Worlds with a tiny lead over Carolina Kostner from Italy. Ando scored total points of 67.98 (38.67/29.31) versus Kostner’s 67.15 (38.38/28.77). After a terrible 15th place finish at the Winter Olympics last year, Ando switched to Coach Nikolai Morozov, who helped Ando rebuild her confidence and her jumps. She skated her short program to Rimski-Korsokov’s Sheherazade. Kostner, the 20 year-old 2005 World Bronze medalist, missed most of the 2006/2007 Grand Prix season due to torn ligaments. She was a disappointing 9th at the Winter Games but gradually made a strong comeback and won the European Championships for the first time. At 169 cm, Kostner is one of the taller ladies competing at the senior level. Her short program is to Canon by Pachelbel. Her free skate is to excerpts from Memoirs of a Geisha. She is a leggy delight on the ice. The 2006 World Champion, Kimmie Meissner from the US, was in 4th place with a total score of 64.67 (36.38/28.29). Never the most charismatic skater, Meissner also is a fighter who rarely misses an opportunity to surprise people. Much of her placement tomorrow may hinge on whether she attempts—and lands—a triple axel. However, the girl who has the most to gain from a successful triple axel is 16 year-old Mao Asada (who is only 20 days younger than Kim). Currently Asada, with a score of 61.32, is 10 points behind Kim. Asada apparently singled the loop jump in the combination, which significantly lost points for her. If Kim skates clean tomorrow, it will be very difficult for Asada to close the gap without a couple of triple axels. It’s hard to predict if she is up to the challenge. We know that she can land triple axels; we just don’t know whether she can do them with the tremendous pressure that she must be feeling now. On the other hand, Asada is only 16 years old. She has been a recognized talent from the time she was 12 years old. Her skating career will not end with a mediocre or even a bad skate in the free program tomorrow. She certainly will get another chance to win at the World Championships. For the All Stars members who will be competing at our Nationals next weekend, please keep this in mind: whatever happens next weekend, it’s neither a beginning nor an ending. It’s a moment in time that simply reflects how you skated on one particular day. We all know that it’s more fun to win. But, win or lose, if you want another chance to compete at Nationals, you can make it happen. Miki Ando, the first ladies skater to land a quad, fought back from an embarrassing finish at the Olympics. Carolina Kostner worked her way through injuries and became European Champion. Whatever happens tomorrow, these ladies are my heroes. And in many respects, so are all of you. Have a gr8 weekend on the ice. Enjoy!

2007 Mens World Champion Bryan Joubert Short Program

22/3/2007 - www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQJsbu_cywU

Daisuke Takahashi SP at Worlds 2007

22/3/2007 - www.youtube.com/watch?v=jlSaN6mH41Y

Jeffrey Buttle's SP Worlds 2007

22/3/2007 - www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIf__f1GG24

2007 Pairs World Champions Shen & Zhao free program

22/3/2007 - www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFh6wqEmM6U

Johnny Weir SP at Worlds 2007

22/3/2007 - www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDWt8gaX5pg

Stephane Lambiel SP at Worlds 2007

22/3/2007 - www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlNhB_bSwWc

Shen & Zhao 1st place SP at Worlds 2007

22/3/2007 - www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDG6RQimIao

Pang & Tong SP at Worlds 2007

22/3/2007 - www.youtube.com/watch?v=zm1t-DAMacg

Bryan Joubert wins the World Championships Mens Title

22/3/2007 - Over 6,500 people turned up in Tokyo to see Bryan Joubert become the first Frenchmen in 42 years to win the World Championships mens event earlier this evening. The overnight leader in the short program, Joubert placed 3rd in the free skate but held onto the overall title. Joubert landed a single quad and seven triple jumps to earn points of 157.21 in the free skate, bringing his total score to 240.85. He was skating to a mix of Nothing Else Matters and The Unforgiven—strangely prophetic. Japan’s Daisuke Takahashi took the silver medal—a first in Japan’s skating history—after a triumphant free skate with his Phantom of the Paradise programme. Takahashi landed a quad (but put his hand down) and eight triple jumps. Takahashi cried as he took his final bows in front of the home-country audience. Fighting back from 6th place was Switzerland’s Stephane Lambiel, who placed 2nd in the free skate and 3rd overall. Lambiel landed a triple axel, a quad toe loop-double-toe-double-toe combination, a triple loop, a double axel, triple lutz-triple toe and a triple salchow. Lambiel stepped out of a second quad jump. However, skating to Flamenco music, Lambiel delivered a dramatic programme that earned the highest score in programme components—78.16—among the mens skaters. Tomas Verner from Czech finished in 4th place, another comeback after he had placed 9th in the short program. Evan Lysacek from the US stayed in 5th place in both the free skate and overall results. He landed a quad but did a three-turn out of the landing. Canada’s Jeffrey Buttle, who had been in second after the short program, fell to 6th place after two falls in his program. He went down on a quad toeloop as well as his first attempt at a triple axel. Johnny Weir must not have been able to hold it together during the free skate because his score of 132.71 left him in 10th place—leaving him in 8th place overall. His technical score of only 60.97 in the free skate seems to indicate that he failed to capitalize on his jumping passes. It has been an incredible year in figure skating. We are incredibly lucky to be involved in this sport at a time when it has so many great talents. The Ladies begin tomorrow!

Time to renew your membership in the All Stars

22/3/2007 - With the excitement over the upcoming National Figure Skating Championships, it’s easy to forget that the membership year is coming to a close. On March 31 your membership expires in the All Stars Figure Skating Club. Please renew at your earliest convenience, using the membership form attached to this email. Fees for the membership year, from April 1st 2007 to March 31st 2008, have remain unchanged. Please mail the completed form and appropriate payment by cheque to All Stars Figure Skating Club, 3 Ardmore Park #03-01, Habitat 1, Singapore 259950. If you are a skater, renewing your membership in the club and the Singapore Ice Skating Association is $20. If you are an adult, renewing your membership in the All Stars Club only is free of charge—if you wish to join or renew membership in the Singapore Ice Skating Association, the fee is $15. Please see the attached form for details. As you know, you are permitted to join more than one skating club but may join SISA through only one club. We hope that you will retain All Stars as your home club for the coming year. On April 27th, we will be holding a lucky draw for paid-up members who have renewed their membership by April 15th (three weeks from today) and who have named All Stars as their home club. Figure Skating dress designer Carrie Jones from the US has confirmed that she will be donating one of her gorgeous figure skating dresses for the draw. (We are making alternate arrangements for the mens skaters in our club!) More details on the draw will be provided after the close of the membership year. Many thanks to member Melissa Leow for being the first member to send in her membership cheque before the Club even sent out the membership reminder. We appreciate your enthusiasm and support. Please email me if you have any questions regarding membership. Happy Skating!

World Championships Mens SP: Joubert, Buttle & Takahashi!

21/3/2007 - Sometimes, the truly wonderful thing about figure skating is its complete lack of predictability. When the quality of skating is high across the board, virtually anything can happen during competition. At the World Championships in Tokyo today, the mens short program proved this point. Bryan Joubert from France won the short program with a total score of 83.64—44.85 in technical marks and 38.70 for program components. Joubert, the year’s most technically consistent skater, actually led the group in program components, too. In a surprise second place was Canada’s Jeffrey Buttle—who spent the past year recovering from a fracture in his spine and has struggled with an inconsistent triple axel. And yet, Buttle sits in second place, having earned total points of 79.90—nicely ahead of Daisuke Takahashi in 3rd with 74.51 points and—surprise again—Johnny Weir from the US in 4th with 74.26. Takahashi’s technical score was a relatively low 36.94, compared with Buttle’s 42.76 and Weir’s 37.97. Both Buttle and Weir have been characterized as strong program skaters but they clearly went out to deliver everything they could technically today. Here’s hoping that Weir can hold it together during his free skate tomorrow. In 5th place is Evan Lysacek, the US mens champion who chose his US Nationals free skate in January to start landing quads. With a score of 73.49 points, Lysacek is 10 points behind leader Joubert. You can count on Lysacek to go for a quad (or two) tomorrow. Stephane Lambiel, the 2005 & 2006 World Champion, is in 6th place with 72.70 points. Chris Mabee from Canada is in 7th. In another, albeit unpleasant surprise, Japan’s Nobunari Oda is in 14th place with 67.17 points. His program components score hit 35, only 3 points behind Joubert—but his technical score barely passed 67, suggesting that he missed required elements. Oda is one of figure skating’s most elegant and character-driven skaters, but nerves have undermined his technical scores at times. At the same time, China’s Wu Jialiang scored technical points of 39.49 were surpassed only by Joubert’s of 44.85 and Buttles of 42.76. However, Wu is sitting in 13th place overall, dragged down by a very weak program component score of 28.21. With so many different factors in play, absolutely anything is possible in the free skate tomorrow. Forgive for the personal comment but, wow, this is a great sport.

Shen & Zhao lead after short program at 2007 World Championships

20/3/2007 - The 2007 ISU World Figure Skating Championships got underway today in Tokyo, Japan with a victory in the short program for China’s veteran pairs team Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo. Skating to Romanza, Shen & Zhao achieved a new personal best of 71.07 points, thanks to high level 4 ratings for their spiral sequence, death spiral, combo spins, side by side spins and lift. They also landed side by side triple toe loops, a throw triple loop and a triple twist. Shen & Zhao are previous two-time World Champions, and it has been widely reported that they will retire this year. Skating for Germany, Aliona Savchenko and Robin Szolkowy finished the short program in second place, with a score of 67.65 points—another personal best. The current European Champions landed a throw triple flip and side by side triple toeloops. The also received a level 4 rating for their one-armed lift, spins and spiral sequence. They performed to Once Upon a Time in Mexico. Until 2002, Aliona used to skate for the Ukraine but joined forces with Szolkowy to win the German National Championships in 2004. They are coached by Ingo Steuer, the 1997 World pairs champion with Mandy Woetzel. In third place was China’s Pang Qing and Tong Jian, with a score of 66.75. Reigning World Champions, Pang & Tong put down a side by side triple toeloop, a high triple twist, a throw triple loop and solid spins in their short program to Massenet’s “O Doux Printemps d’Autrefois” The pairs free skate will take place on Wednesday and the mens short program will begin. The group of men bringing quads to the World Championships has gotten more crowded in the past few months: 2006 World Champion Stephane Lambiel from Switzerland and Bryan Joubert, who probably landed more quads in 2006 than any other mens skater, will be going up against Tomas Verner from Czech and Evan Lysacek from the US. Japan’s Daisuke Takahashi and Nobunari Oda will rely on rock-solid triple axels. Wild cards in the group include Johnny Weir from the US and Jeff Buttle from Canada whose triple axel has been agonizingly inconsistent.

Link to Goldenskate article on upcoming World Championships

13/3/2007 - www.goldenskate.com/articles/2006/031307.shtml

A look at the stars in US Junior Ladies

6/3/2007 - www.signonsandiego.com/sports/20070124-9999-lz1s24skating.html

US ladies win them all at 2007 Junior World Championships

5/3/2007 - For the first time in its history, the United States Figure Skating Association claimed every medal in the ladies event at the Junior World Championships in Germany on Saturday. Competing for the first time at the Junior Worlds, Caroline Zhang, Mirai Nagasu and Ashley Wagner took a solid lead in the short program. When it came to the free skate, they controlled the ice once again. Zhang, the ISU Junior Grand Prix Final Champion, scored a total of 110.08 points in the free skate, surpassing her previous record of 106.40. Skating to Meditation by Massenet, Zhang opened with a triple lutz-double toe-double loop combination. When the 13 year old followed up with a clean double axel, she never looked back from that moment on in her program. Zhang received level 4 ratings for her spiral sequence and combination spin while her layback spin earned a level 3. Silver medalist Mirai Nagasu was the last of the American ladies to skate, performing to Anton Dvorak’s American Quartet. Thirteen year old Nagasu received a level 4 for her layback spin, and her jumps, including a double axel, triple salchow and a triple flip were well-rated. However, in her jump combination consisting of a triple flip-double toe-double loop, she struggled to maintain her balance on the final jump. Nagasu earned a total of 106.62 points for the free skater, achieving a total score of 163.84. Skating after Zhang, bronze medalist Ashley Wagner knew she had a tough act to follow. The 15 year old didn’t back down from the challenge and put down a program that earned 105.48 points, a 12-point improvement on her previous personal best score. Her total score for Junior Worlds was 157.15 points. Wagner skated to Gershwin’s Summertime, landing a smooth series of jumps including two combinations, a sequence and a triple lutz towards the end of her programme. Her flying sit spin was rated a level 4 while her combination spin and flying change foot spin earned level 3 ratings.

Caroline Zhang Free Skate from US Nationals

5/3/2007 - www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTWrPjQMLVw

Mirai Nagasu Free Skate from US Nationals, Jan 2007

5/3/2007 - www.youtube.com/watch?v=VzxGILweq28&mode=related&search=

Great article from Golden Skate on ladies free skate at Junior Worlds

5/3/2007 - http://goldenskate.com/articles/2006/030307_ll.shtml

US ladies take 1-2-3 spots in SP at Junior Worlds

3/3/2007 - Caroline and Mirai—how quickly can two young skaters achieve the fame that makes them immediately recognizable by their first names alone? Dazzling skating will do it, and that’s what the two young Americans delivered in the ladies short program at the Junior World Championships on Friday in Germany. Fifty-three ladies competed in the short program. With marks in the high 50s for the short program, Caroline (Zhang) and Mirai (Nagasu) were virtually in a league of their own. In technical elements alone, Caroline came in with a score of 34.62 compared with Mirai’s 34.34. Caroline was able to take 1st place with better program component scores of 24.55 to Mirai’s 22.88. In total for the short, Caroline scored 59.17 versus 57.22 for Mirai. As predicted, the skaters from the US took the top three spots in the ladies event, with teammate Ashley Wagner coming in 3rd. Wagner scored 29.14 in technical elements and 22.53 in program components for a total of 51.67. Sitting in 4th was Elena Glebova from Estonia, scoring a total of 51.22. In 5th place, with a total score of 49.31 was Rumi Suizu from Japan. Finland’s Jenni Vahamaa skated in 6th with 47.50. Myriane Samson from Canada was in 56h with 45.78. The free skate begins Saturday.

Stephen Carriere keeps it clean & wins Junior World mens title

2/3/2007 - In the Junior Mens free skate at the World Championships, it was all about keeping it clean—a strategy that proved successful for new Junior World mens champion Stephen Carriere from the US. Carriere skated clean and jumped from 6th place in the short to first place in the long to capture the title. Patrick Chan from Canada placed 4th in the free skate but held onto 2nd place overall. Russia’s Sergei Voronov placed 3rd in the free skate and 3rd overall. Carriere won the free skate with a program full of squeaky clean jumps, including a triple axel and a triple toe-double-toe-double-toe combination. His score in the free skate was 131.16, with technical elements accounting for a high 71.30 and program components for 59.86. Carriere was skating to a medley of Space Shuttle and God Bess the Child. The 17 year old American did not attempt a quad. His total score at Worlds was 188.87. Silver medalist Chan opened with a triple flip-triple toe combination but then doubled a planned triple axel. He landed one triple lutz but fell on another. His flying sit and combination spins earned Level 4 ratings from the judges. Skating to the Four Seasons, Chan led the program component scores in the free skate with 65.56. However, the problems with the jumps pulled down his technical score to 58.09, well behind Carriere’s 71.30. In the free skate, Chan placed 4th but held onto 2nd place overall thanks to his lead from the short program. Chan’s total score for the competition was 184.55. Bronze medalist Veronov attempted a quad toe loop, but it was downgraded. Performing to Pearl Harbour, Veronov landed a triple axel, a triple flip and a triple axel-double toeloop combination and four more triples. His spins were awarded Level 3 ratings but his straight line footwork only earned a Level 1. However, his marks from the free skate (61.57/59.34) were enough to retain 3rd place at Junior Worlds as combined total score rose to 180.40. In the free skate, Brandon Mroz from the US claimed 2nd place, scoring 65.85 in technical points and 55.34 for program components. He had a strong technical program that moved him from 7th place after the short program to 4th overall. His total score was 178.40. Canada’s Kevin Reynolds put down seven triple jumps but missed points on a two-footed quad Salchow and a fall on an underrotated quad toe. Reynolds slipped into 5th place overall from fourth in the short program. He was just a fraction behind Mroz with 178.32 points in total. Guan Jinlin from China, who was in 2nd place after the short, came in sixth overall with 177.97—hot on the heels of both Reynolds and Mroz. He landed seven triples but singled an Axel during the program. Japan’s Takahito Mura also struggled with errors in this free skate and fell to 8th place overall. The Ladies skate the short program tonight, with 52 ladies on the schedule. So far, the Americans have won the Junior Pairs and Junior Mens. Will either Caroline Zhang and Mirai Nagasu lock up the Ladies titles as well? Stay tuned!

SP leader Patrick Chan facing tight race going into mens free skate at Junior Words

1/3/2007 - Canada’s Patrick Chan took the lead in the short program at the Junior World Championships yesterday in Oberstdorf, Germany, but the top 10 is absolutely packed with some serious contenders going into the free skate. The closeness of the marks makes it clear that there isn’t going to be room for any mistakes by any of the skaters if they want to medal at Junior Worlds. Sixteen year-old Chan scored 64.10 in total points, giving him a slim lead on China’s Guan Jinlin and Japan’s Takahito Mura. Chan set a new personal best after landing a triple lutz-triple toe loop combination. He was skating to Valse Gourmet from the Hannibal soundtrack. In second place, Guan from China scored 61.67 points while Mura earned 61.16. Sitting in fourth place was Canada’s Kevin Reynolds, with 59.52, followed by Sergei Voronov from Russia, with 59.49. Stephen Carriere from the United States came in with 57.71, trailed by a fraction by teammate Brandon Mroz, with 57.21. Stay tuned!

Junior Worlds open in Ober, Germany

28/2/2007 - The Junior World Chamipionships opened with the pairs short program in Ober Germany yesterday, with the American and Russian teams taking the top five positions. American team Keauna McLaughlin and Rockne Brubaker lead with 57 points. However, three Russian teams and another American team all scored above 50 points. Darryll Sulindro Yang and Amanda Sunyoto Yang are placed 11th of 16 after the short program, with a score of 40.56. It’s worth pointing out that this is a sharp improvement from their previous personal best of 30.47, achieved at the ISU Junior Grand Prix in Taipei. In an article that Darryll wrote for the All Stars website, shortly after their Taipei event, Darryll noted that the team was focused on raising their personal best scores. Everything seems to be going to plan, so congratulations to Darryll and Amanda. Darryll will also be competing in Junior Mens later this week. Stay tuned.

Note to members: new bios on the website & tomorrow's deadline for SISA booking

27/2/2007 - We have posted new skater biographies on the All Stars website. We are still waiting on pictures due to a backlog of other work at our website designer. (We’re in the queue!) We’re also sending out the call to all our members who might like to be profiled on the website. Please send me an email, and I can send you a list of questions to get you started. A final note to our members who are competing at Nationals: tomorrow is the final day to get your ice time bookings and banquet forms (+payment) in the mail to SISA. The forms are available on the SISA website.

Sydney FSC confirms dates of Hollins Trophy, June 8-11, 2007

27/2/2007 - Dear All Stars Members Here’s the first news from the Sydney Figure Skating Club re the Hollins Trophy. It’s simply a pre-announcement, confirming the dates. (Mark your calendars!) I will forward the competition regulations & entry forms as soon as I receive them. The Hollins is open to international competitors. If you’re looking to see how your program will rate with judges overseas, the Hollins Trophy is a great opportunity. Enjoy! Laura -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Mayers & Associates [mailto:jmayers@bigpond.net.au] Sent: Tuesday, February 27, 2007 9:24 AM Subject: 2007 Hollins Pre-Announcement- Australia The Sydney Figure Skating Club are providing information on our annual Hollins Trophy competition. The Hollins Trophy is the oldest figure skating competition in Australia, celebrating over 30 years of competition. The event is held in Sydney, Australia in June 2007 and generally includes over 150 competitors. The competition will go over 4 days, from the 8th to 11th June, 2007 A pre-announcement is attached for your information. Regards Rosemary Rosemary Johnson SFSC President email: jmayers@bigpond.net.au mobile: 0409 778 127 phone: (02)97166572

Caroline Zhang & Mirai Nagasu from US expected to lead Junior World Championships this week

25/2/2007 - The ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships 2007 will open in Oberstdorf, Germany tomorrow, with 185 skaters/couples from 51 ISU member countries in the queue for medals. The World titles will bring the real glory for the skaters, but there are substantial cash awards waiting for the winners, too. Gold medalists in the ladies and mens singles events will earn $10,000 while pairs and ice dance teams will receive $15,000. Top-placed skaters will also receive points towards their world rankings. The top three skaters/couples per discipline will receive a bonus based on their standings achieved during the during the 2006/2007 competitive season. Gold medalists in the singles events will receive US$45,000, silver $27,000 and bronze $18,000. The pairs and ice dance teams will receive $67,500 for first place, $40,500 for second and $27,000 for third. First up on Tuesday November 27 will be the pairs short program. The mens short program will be skated on Wednesday along with the pairs free program. Thursday will see the mens free skate. The ladies won’t take the ice for their short program until Friday March 3rd. The ladies free skate will be the only event on Saturday. With an incredibly strong contingent of skaters, the United States is expected to dominate the junior ladies event. Frontrunner Caroline Zhang won two ISU Junior Grand Prix Series titles as well as the Final in December 2006. Zhang will arrive in Germany with a seasonal best of 162.68 points. Zhang seemed ‘a sure thing’ as Worlds Champion until fellow American Mirai Nagasu beat her in both the short and free skate at US Junior Nationals in January. Nagasu had missed the Junior Grand Prix circuit due to an injury. However, Nagasu proved at US Nationals that she wasn’t intimidated by the excitement buzzing around Zhang. Both girls are 13 years old. The outlook for Junior Mens is a little more open, with Stephen Carriere from the US coming to Oberstdorf on a seasonal best of 188.13 points. Last year’s World Junior silver medalist Sergei Voronov (RUS) is returning after competing on the senior Grand Prix last fall. American Brandon Mroz hopes to medal at his first Junior Worlds after taking the silver medal in the ISU JGP Final (seasonal best 177.16). Kevin Reynolds from Canada claimed the bronze medal in the Final (seasonal best 169.43). India will be represented at the ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships for the first time by Amar Mehta. Mehta is also the first male skater to represent India in any ISU Championship. In pairs, watch for Darryll Sulindro Yang and Amanda Sunyoto Yang representing Chinese Taipei. The brother and sister team are previous Singapore National Champions in Pairs. We will post video links as they become available

SSC's Dr. Bervyn Lee speaks on Achieving the Ideal Performance State on Feb 28

24/2/2007 - The Singapore Sports Council will be holding a talk by Dr. Bervyn Lee, the director of the Youth Sport Development Division. Dr. Lee was one of the lecturers at the SNOC’s Sports Administration Course that I took in 2003, so I can say from first-hand experience that he is a wonderful, enthusiastic speaker. Please refer to the SSC website for details on registration. Alternatively, you can find the link on our website. The cost is only $5 and only $4 for NROC coaches! Science of Winning Talk 2007 Wednesday, 28 February 2007 7.30pm - 9.00pm (Registration starts from 7pm) Theatrette, National Stadium UNDERSTANDING THE IDEAL PERFORMANCE STATE AND IDENTIFYING THE STRATEGIES TO ACHIEVE IT. Speaker: Dr Bervyn Lee Presentation: Often an athlete trains hard for competition only to stumble at the last hurdle - the competition itself. Elite athletes are not exempted from this, although they are more likely (and able) to call upon specific strategies to rise to the occasion. This presentation will focus on the Ideal Performance State (IPS) - a state of readiness for competition where an athlete is more likely to perform at one's best and yield positive results. Over and above some examination of the theory underlying the IPS, the presentation will include success stories of athletes who have achieved this, and how they were able to attain that state through pre-determined cues and practices. Coaches, athletes, parents and teachers can benefit from the practical points shared in the presentation. Please copy & paste: http://www.ssc.gov.sg/SportsWeb/sw_cat_details.jsp?type=9&root=33&parent=169&cat=508 About the Speaker: Dr Bervyn Lee is the Director of the Youth Sport Development Division at the Singapore Sports Council. His work at the Sports Council includes developing sport among youth from the time a child learns to play through to elite competition. He was on a Public Service Commission Overseas (Teaching) Scholarship during his undergraduate years, reading English literature, physical education, and sports science, at Loughborough University of Technology, England. He taught in a junior college for six years and held the post of Head of Department (P.E.) before joining the School of Physical Education in 1995. In 1997, Bervyn left to pursue his doctorate in sport and exercise psychology, returning in 2000 to assume his duties at PESS. He was the Head of PESS from July 2004 to April 2006. His research interests include perfectionism in sport, coach behaviours and athlete stress, and moral development through sport. He has worked as a swimming and water-polo coach, and has also consulted with youth and elite athletes in the area of mental skills in Australia and Singapore.

Craig Heath returns to coach in Hong Kong from April 1st

24/2/2007 - If you attended the Holiday on Ice Show—Hollywood in December 2005, you may remember skater Craig Heath. He also was one of the 10 skaters from the cast who worked with 20 members from the All Stars. (Craig worked with Adlina Basuki and Anja Chong.) At the end of this month, he is about to finish up a stint of guest coaching in Hong Kong for Swire Properties but will be returning to Hong Kong from April 1st until the end of May. In an email, Craig said that his schedule in Hong Kong fills up pretty quickly but slots in the mornings can usually be found. If you’re interested in taking lessons with Craig when he returns to Hong Kong, he advises contacting the rinks directly at: Festival Walk at 852-2844-3530 or Citiplaza at 852-2844-8633. For more information Craig Heath, please go to www.craigheath.com. Enjoy

Sarah Paw reports on Korean Dream Training Program

22/2/2007 - First, let me apologize to members who have been waiting patiently for their profiles to be posted on the website. It has been a hectic work month, but I’m hoping that next week will be the one that the ‘new Stars’ appear. Thank you for your kind support. Please check out member Sarah Paw’s experiences at the Korean Dream Training Program in the first half of February on the home page of the website. Enjoy!

Spring on Ice party by SISA & NTU

20/2/2007 - If you took part in the SISA Christmas show at Suntec City, you are invited to a party at Fuji Ice Palace on February 24, from 8-10 pm, organized by SISA and the NTU Ice Skating Club. Please note the details in the email below from SISA director of membership Lin Wenkai. Enjoy!

Link to Caroline Zhang story

18/2/2007 - pls copy andpaste. http://www.skatetoday.com/

Philippines Grand Prix event open to overseas skaters

16/2/2007 - Apologies to the members who have inquired about the Hollins Trophy in Sydney in June. Beyond the dates of June 8-11, I haven't been able to dig up additional information yet. But I will keep trying. However, I did just receive the details for the Grand Prix Open in the Philippines. The event will be held March 21-22, 2007 in Manila. Please see the attachments for more information. The event organizers are recognizing both ISU and ISI certification. Please note that all program levels appear to need a short program. You will need your coach to sign your registration form. If you are interested in competing, please discuss the possibility with your coach and see if you need to make changes to your elements and/or music length. Unfortunately, the deadline for submission is February 24, 2006. If you have further questions, please email Oliver Cortezano at odcortezano@smiceskating.com or call (632)634-2415.

Mr. Lim Chee Kiat resigns as president of Singapore Ice Skating Association

14/2/2007 - Please note the following email from Singapore Ice Skating regarding the resignation of President Lim Chee Kiat. Mr. Lim has been a generous and unequivocal supporter of ice skating in Singapore. Despite the many responsibilities of corporate life, Mr. Lim was selfless in the time he gave to all members of the association. We will miss his presence on the board. The All Stars Figure Skating Club extends its support to Sonja Chong in her capacity as president of our association and to Alison Chan who has assumed the role of vice-president. Mrs. Chong and Ms Chan have been with SISA for many years, and we know that they will continue to serve the best interests of all members. We welcome Monica Chan as honorary secretary. Sincerely Laura Reid Honorary Secretary All Stars Figure Skating Club -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: alison [mailto:alison@bchhealth.com.sg] Sent: Wednesday, February 14, 2007 11:24 PM To: undisclosed-recipients: Subject: Resignation of President-Singapore Ice Skating Association Dear President & Secretary, I wish to inform you that Mr Lim Chee Kiat has stepped down as president of Singapore Ice Skating Association due to his work commitments. The executive committee has made the following appointments under Article 8.2 of the constitution to fill up the ensuing vacancies until our next AGM: President Mrs. Sonja Chong cashd@starhub.net.sg Vice-President Ms. Alison Chan alison@bchhealth.com.sg Hon Secretary Ms. Monica Chan monicang88@yahoo.com.sg Thank you. Regards, Alison Chan Vice President Singapore Ice Skating Association

Details on Video Jam

14/2/2007 - Isabelle Tan reports that some members have been unable to open the attachment regarding the Video Jam. Here’s a quick look at the key details. For more information, please check the flyer produced by Isabelle and Cheryl Lim on the home page of the All Stars website. Isabelle has provided a detailed map as well as transit/driving directions. Video Jam 2007! brought to you by All Stars Figure Skating Club & Tropical Blades Ice Skating Club Date: 3rd March Saturday Time: 10am to 12.45pm Location: Cinnamon Room, Alumni House, Office of Alumni Relations, National University of Singapore, 20 Lower Kent Ridge Road. Enjoy!

Sasha Cohen thanks young fan in Singapore

14/2/2007 - At some point or another, we probably all have thought about writing a fan letter to one of our favourite skating stars. But then we have changed our minds, thinking ‘she will never read it’. Well, Sasha Cohen reads and appreciates her mail, according to her official blog. “Su-Lin Dunster from Singapore sent a very nice note expressing how much an inspiration my skating has been to her. Su-Lin, your letter is an inspiration to me and I wish you good luck and thank you for supporting me.” From www.sashacohen.com Su-Lin is coached by Sally Ong, one of our member coaches. Have a great week skating!

Member looking to buy used figure skates

13/2/2007 - A member is interested in buying a pair of 2nd-hand skates in good condition. Size should be no smaller than Risport 24.5 or Riedell 5. Depending on the condition of the skates, the member will pay $80 to $150. Please contact me by email if you have a pair of skates that you are interested in selling.

Dates set for 2007 Hollins Trophy & Australian Ntls

12/2/2007 - For members who have inquired about the Hollins Trophy, the dates have been set for June 8th to the 11th this year at the Canterbury Olympic Ice Skating Rink in Sydney. I have sent an email asking that we be sent the competition announcement and regulations as they become available. On a related note, the Australian National Figure Skating Championships will be held from August 18th to the 25th this year at Penrith Ice Palace in Jamisontown, between Sydney & Penrith. Both events are excellent opportunities for Singapore’s skaters to see how your programs and your skills compare with other skaters in the region in your competitive level. You also get to skate your program in front of judges trained in the new international judging system. Please note that if you plan to enter either event, you will need SISA to confirm that you plan to compete at your appropriate level.

Check out the new links to the programs from Four Continents

12/2/2007 - I’ve just posted the links to the programs from this past weekend’s Four Continents Championship in Colorado. Evan. Jeff. Kimmie. Joannie and more. (Remember to copy & paste.) You have seen many of these programs performed before. However, they’re always at least a little bit different each time. Sometimes, it’s nerves, injury, fatigue or in this case, possibly the high altitude, which affects a skater’s stamina. Sometimes the skater simply lacks energy and commitment to the program. Sometimes the choreography has been changed to improve the entry into a jump or to increase the number of points achieved for that element. The more skating you see, the more you will be able to understand what makes a good program and a great skate. Be sure to attend the Video Jam that is being organized by All Stars exco member Isabelle Tan. You can contact her at islandgrove@gmail.com. And by all means, bring your friends even if they aren’t members of the club. We’re always happy to share our sport! I’ve also included a link to a news clip on the skating accident that occurred at Four Continents with pairs team Jessica Dube and Bryce Davison from Canada. It contains footage of that accident as well as from other incidents involving pairs or ice dancers. Even in the most controlled environments, accidents happen so this is a reminder to everyone to skate safe. I’ve also posted a link to a letter by former ISU official Sonia Bianchetti who continues to be one of the most vocal critics of the new international judging system. Her opinions are not that of the All Stars Figure Skating Club, but we try to keep members abreast of the news, events and discussions taking place about our sport. Have a great week on the ice.

News clip on pairs accident at Four Continents

12/2/2007 - www.youtube.com/watch?v=0l5n6Z_9vuQ&NR

News clip of ladies medal presentation at Four Continents

12/2/2007 - www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9EFZvJJC0s

Video Link to Four Continents Mens Champion Evan Lysacek's Free Skate

12/2/2007 - www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqhgcVBRy_4

Video Link to Jeff Buttle's free skate at Four Continents

12/2/2007 - www.youtube.com/watch?v=ReEdvDYBkeA

Video Link to free skate by Four Continents Ladies Champion Kimmie Meissner

12/2/2007 - www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZrkKY1r_v5M

Video Clip to Four Continents bronze medalist Joannie Rochette's free skate

12/2/2007 - www.youtube.com/watch?v=i88H-rvZqJc

News clip on Four Continents Ladies Short Programs

12/2/2007 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9AiSILFfydc

Video Link to Joannie Rochette SP Four Continents

12/2/2007 - www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2FFVedvhpQ

Video Link to Emily Hughes' SP at Four Continents

12/2/2007 - www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NIUCR-vrmg

Video Link to Kimmie Meissner SP at Four Continents

12/2/2007 - This skate placed her 6th in short program. www.youtube.com/watch?v=LtZgh9jz2QU

Video Link to Fumie Suguri SP at Four Continents

12/2/2007 - Citing neck problems, Suguri withdrew after the short program where she had placed 12th. www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVMEa7OJXbk

Video Link to Aki Sawada's SP at Four Continents

12/2/2007 - www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKTiWe7hh4c

Video link to FS by Pang & Tong at Four Continents 2007

11/2/2007 - www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgmdeV5zBVA

Video link to FS by Shen & Zhao at Four Continents

11/2/2007 - Magnificent. www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mWfc3xIwpk

Link to Sonia Bianchetti letter to Ottavio Cinquanta

10/2/2007 - www.soniabianchetti.com/writings_openletter.html

Kimmie Meissner jumps from 6th into 1st place at Four Continents

10/2/2007 - Kimmie Meissner must have thrown in a triple-triple combination in the free skate to jump from 6th into 1st place at the Four Continents Championships in Colorado Springs on Saturday. Emily Hughes held onto 2nd place while Joannie Rochette fell to 3rd. Yoshie Onda and Aki Sawada claimed 4th and 5th, respectively. Alissa Czisny was in sixth overall and Lesley Hawker was in 7th. I will post links as soon as they are available.

Profile of 2006 Olympic Champion Shizuka Arakawa from IOC website

10/2/2007 - www.olympic.org/uk/athletes/profiles/bio_uk.asp?PAR_I_ID=96540

Evan Lysacek wins free skate to triumph at Four Continents

10/2/2007 - A quad and triple axel gave American Evan Lysacek the lead he needed in the free skate to win the title at the Four Continents Championship in Colorado Springs on Friday. Jeff Buttle settled for second place overall after earlier winning the short program. Jeremy Abbot picked up the bronze medal, thanks to his strong placement after the short program. He was fourth in the free skate after Canadian Chris Mabee. Overall Mens Results 1 Evan LYSACEK USA 226.27 2 Jeffrey BUTTLE CAN 223.96 3 Jeremy ABBOTT USA 203.22 4 Ryan BRADLEY USA 196.29 5 Christopher MABEE CAN 188.41 6 Jialiang WU CHN 184.69 7 Noriyuki KANZAKI JPN 181.58 8 Kensuke NAKANIWA JPN 177.03 9 Emanuel SANDHU CAN 173.67 10 Ming XU CHN 167.71 Free skate results 1 Evan LYSACEK USA 159.23 2 Jeffrey BUTTLE CAN 146.24 3 Christopher MABEE CAN 129.83 4 Jeremy ABBOTT USA 128.88 5 Ryan BRADLEY USA 127.46 6 Kensuke NAKANIWA JPN 121.69 7 Jialiang WU CHN 121.17 8 Noriyuki KANZAKI JPN 119.24 9 Ming XU CHN 112.71 10 Emanuel SANDHU CAN 108.69

video link to Xu Binshu's Free Program at Asian Winter Games

10/2/2007 - Skating to Mulan. www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTXiWXrrzOw

Joannie Rochette wins SP at Four Continents

9/2/2007 - From Four Continents, as the ladies struggle with the high altitude in Colorado Springs, Joannie Rochette from Canada leads Emily Hughes from the US and Aki Sawada by just more than a point. Ladies Short Program Result 1 Joannie ROCHETTE CAN 56.60 2 Emily HUGHES USA 55.34 3 Aki SAWADA JPN 55.13 4 Alissa CZISNY USA 54.64 5 Yan LIU CHN 53.34 6 Kimmie MEISSNER USA 52.49 7 Yoshie ONDA JPN 49.38 8 Dan FANG CHN 48.56 9 Chae-Hwa KIM KOR 46.96 10 Binshu XU CHN 46.82 11 Anastasia GIMAZETDINOVA UZB 46.15 12 Fumie SUGURI JPN 46.09 13 Na-Young KIM KOR 43.28 14 Yea-Ji SHIN KOR 42.21 15 Cynthia PHANEUF CAN 42.14 16 Lesley HAWKER CAN 41.06 17 Ana Cecilia CANTU MEX 39.19 18 Joanne CARTER AUS 38.35 19 Phoebe DI TOMMASO AUS 34.05 20 Jocelyn HO TPE 33.11 21 Emily NAPHTAL MEX 31.66 22 Ami PAREKH IND 30.40 23 Michele CANTU MEX 29.66 24 Abigail PIETERSEN RSA 25.21 25 Kristine Y. LEE HKG 23.06 26 Stephanie GARDNER BRA 18.69

Canada's Jeff Buttle leads after SP at Four Continents

8/2/2007 - haven’t had the chance to review any videos but here are the standings from the mens short program at Four Continents. New US Mens champion Evan Lysacek is in fourth place, 10 points behind leader Jeffrey Buttle from Canada. Lysacek was the 19th skater to perform, and Buttle was 20th. 1 Jeffrey BUTTLE CAN 77.72 2 Jeremy ABBOTT USA 74.34 3 Ryan BRADLEY USA 68.83 4 Evan LYSACEK USA 67.04 5 Emanuel SANDHU CAN 64.98 6 Jialiang WU CHN 63.52 7 Noriyuki KANZAKI JPN 62.34 8 Christopher MABEE CAN 58.58 9 Kensuke NAKANIWA JPN 55.34 10 Ming XU CHN 55.00

Thank you to member Melissa Leow!

8/2/2007 - The executive committee of the All Stars Figure Skating Club wants to thank publicly skater Melissa Leow for donating a pair of second-hand skates to the club. We recently sold the skates for $50 to another member who was buying them for a new skater who was very excited to have her own pair of figure skates. The look of pride on her face was priceless. All proceeds were donated to the club. On behalf of a grateful ASFSC board, I send a very grateful thank you to Melissa! We also have 1 pair of second hand Riedell skates for sale by a member. They are a size 4 and would fit 9-12 year olds, depending on the size of their feet. They are in excellent condition with only some minor scuff marks, and they are asking $100. Ten percent of the selling price will be donated to the club. If you’re about to outgrow your skates, here’s a chance to pick up a bargain. Please email me if you are interested in purchasing the skates. At the Four Continents competition in Colorado Springs, Zhao Hongbo and Shen Xue have won the pairs short program.

Kids questions for Alissa Czisny on the USFSA website

7/2/2007 - Please copy & paste the link. www.usfigureskating.org/Magazine.asp?id=57&issue=32361

New home page story on Cheryl & Phoebe

6/2/2007 - There’s a new story on the All Stars website home page about members Cheryl Khoo and Phoebe Wang. Tomorrow night, February 7th at 7:30 pm, Cheryl will be appearing on the Suria channel, coaching some new skaters. It is absolutely wonderful to see our young skaters gradually shape a long-term career path in our sport. Cheryl began coaching during the school holidays in December, but she is also still competing. Look for Cheryl at the National Championships in March. Phoebe Wang was chosen by the producers of Kids Rock to appear as a figure skater on their show, which looks at young people in Singapore who are doing different and special things with their lives. Phoebe said she was thrilled to have been selected to do the show but wanted to report back how impressed the producers were with all the things figure skaters had to do for a competition. On a different note, there’s a new link to a story on Alissa Czisny. It was written prior to US Nationals where she won a bronze medal. It talks about her struggle with nerves and how she is working to stay focused during competitions. If you have been having trouble with an element, you might find the article to be interesting reading.

Link to article on Alissa Czisny

6/2/2007 - www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070113/SPORTS07/701130341/1136

IOC biography of Olympic Champion Kristi Yamaguchi

5/2/2007 - Our sport is always evolving as we can see if we look back to 1992 when Kristi Yamaguchi won the Olympic Gold medal. Read her bio on the IOC website and then watch her Olympic short program. By today's standards, the program seems to lack technical difficulty and creative interpretation. Her choreographer captured the formality of the music (Blue Danube), but perhaps too well because the overall program is pretty but not passionate. Please copy and paste the link. www.olympic.org/uk/athletes/profiles/bio_uk.asp?PAR_I_ID=69421

Four Continents begins in Colorado Springs this week with 'A' teams from US & Canada

4/2/2007 - The Four Continents Figure Skating Championships begin this week when 100 skaters from 21 countries spread across the Americas, Africa, Australia & Asia arrive in Colorado Springs, US. And it promises to be far more exciting than usual this year as Canada and the US send their ‘A’ teams to the competition. Historically, Four Continents is often the best chance for ‘B’ team skaters to win a medal on the ISU circuit. The ‘A’ team skaters usually stay home so they can prepare for the World Championships in March. However, this year both Canada and the US are sending their National Champions in singles to compete at Four Continents. Evan Lysacek, Jeremy Abbott and Ryan Bradley from the US will be going head to head with Canada’s Jeff Buttle, Chris Mabee and Emanuel Sandhu. The top three ladies in the US, Kimmie Meissner, Emily Hughes and Alissa Czisny will be facing Canada’s Ladies Champion Joannie Rochette and bronze medalist Lesley Hawker as well as former National Champion Cynthia Phaneuf. The No.1 skaters from Japan will be saving their energies for Worlds. Confirmed to compete for Japan are Fumie Suguri and Aki Sawada, who were both just at the Asian Winter Games, and Yoshie Onda. In mens, Noriyuki Kanzaki, Kensuke Nakaniwa, and Yasuharu Nanri will be skating for Japan. Mao Asada and Miki Ando will not be at Four Continents nor will Daisuke Takahashi and Nobunari Oda. From China, Xu Ming is unlikely to be able to follow up his win at the Asian Winter Games with a medal at 4 CCs. The rest of the Chinese singles team will consist of Wu Jialiang, Yang Zhixue, Fang Dan, Liu Yan and Xu Binshu. India, which is one of the newest members of the International Skating Union, will be represented at Four Continents by Ami Parekh. Eighteen year old Ami was born in Trenton, New Jersey and originally skated for the US. However, she began representing India in 2006 when her Indian citizenship was finalized.

For all of our Michelle Kwan & Chen Lu fans

3/2/2007 - It’s no surprise to our members that Michelle Kwan has consistently led the poll on the home page of our website, asking people to vote for their favourite skater. So to keep her Singapore fans happy, I’ve just posted the link to Michelle’s long program at the 1996 World Championships. She was 15 years old, skating to Salome and hoping to steal the crown from reigning World Champion Chen Lu. Michelle’s and LuLu’s long programs must have made it very difficult for the judges at Worlds that year. Please click on emails to members on the home page. I’ve also posted Chen Lu’s exhibition program at the 2007 Asian Winter Games.

Video Link to Michelle Kwan's Salome LP at the 1996 World Championships

3/2/2007 - Watching this program, it is easy to see how Michelle Kwan remained such a force in the artistic development of skating. She was only 15 years old when she skated this program and won the World Championship. She was coached by a very young-looking Frank Carroll who now coaches 2007 US Ntls Mens Champion Evan Lysacek. www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPgRpzb1OwI

Video Link to Chen Lu's 1996 Rachmaninov program at World Championships

3/2/2007 - Chen Lu was the reigning world champion when she performed this program, ultimately losing to Michelle Kwan. However, it was a magnificent program. Skating after LuLu, Michelle had to put down a perfect program to win. www.youtube.com/watch?v=7od53xvwfD0&mode=related&search=

Video Link to Chen Lu's 1994 Bronze medal-winning performance at the Winter Olympic Games

3/2/2007 - Olympic Champion Scott Hamilton is doing the commentating. www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMNVa05eF8g&mode=related&search=

Video Link to Chen Lu Exhibition program at Asian Winter Games

3/2/2007 - www.youtube.com/watch?v=9aBfgdTCU_I

Even at the Asian Games: hockey players fight on the ice!

3/2/2007 - A glimpse of the 'other' game on the ice...www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQPbQyDgO5Q

Full results of ladies free skate at Asian Winter Games

3/2/2007 - http://result.changchun2007.org/data/en-us/Html/FS001106.HTM

Nakano win ladies event at Asian Winter Games after Suguri puts down mediocre free program

3/2/2007 - The free skate at the Asian Winter Games didn’t go well for Japan’s Fumie Suguri, the leader after the short program. Suguri singled a triple lutz and doubled a planned triple-double combination—two errors that lost her the gold medal. Suguri placed a close second to teammate Yukari Nakano with Xu Binshu from China placing third. Nakano scored total points of 162.38 versus 162.05 for Suguri and 159.92 for Xu. In the free skate, both Nakano and Suguri were helped by strong program component scores while Xu took top technical honours. Xu opened the free program with a triple lutz-double toe combination and followed up with a double axel-double axel combo.. In the second half of her program, Xu completed a triple toe-triple toe combo as well as a triple flip, generating a technical score of 54.86. Nakano scored 51.82 in technical points while Suguri earned only 48.48! The mens free program begins this evening. Stay tuned.

Fumie Suguri wins SP at Asian Winter Games, Xu Ming 1st in Mens

2/2/2007 - Japan’s Fumie Suguri won the ladies short program at the Asian Winter Games, with Yakari Nakano in second and China’s Xu Binshu in third. The local media are congratulating Xu Binshu on scoring a personal best of 55.62. The links to video of the top 5 ladies short programs are already on our website as well as a link to the complete scores. If you have the time, watch the videos and compare the scores of the individual elements. It’s an interesting process. In mens, China swept the short program, with Xu Ming, Li Chengjiang and Wu Jialiang in 1st, 2nd and 3rd respectively. There’s a link as well to a print article with Fumie Suguri’s Coach Sato Nobuo, who notes that the best skaters from Japan are not at the Games. Many are preparing for the Four Continents Championship later this month and the World Championships in Tokyo in March. At the moment, the top two men from Japan are competing at the Winter University Games in Torino where, they just won the short program, with Daisuke Takahashi in 1st and Nobunari Oda is 2nd. It’s a great season for skating—and if you want to see more, please contact Isabelle Tan at islandgrove@gmail.com for more information about the upcoming All Stars Video Jam with Tropical Blades. Here’s an opportunity to watch your skating heroes with your friends. Who knows? Maybe they will even have *you* score a program! Enjoy.

Link to print interview Sato Nobuo, Coach to Fumie Suguri, at Asian Winter Games

2/2/2007 - http://news.sports.cn/others/bingxue/2007-01-31/1037502.html

Video link to Fumie Suguri SP at Asian Winter Games

2/2/2007 - www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajka-_8p_Eo

Link to Yukari Nakano SP at Asian Winter Games

2/2/2007 - www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8BrY1q8_rk

Link to Xu Binshu SP at Asian Winter Games

2/2/2007 - www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ov9cP7_5K34

China's Dan Fang at Asian Winter Games

2/2/2007 - www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCyRRKXBNeo

Japan's Aki Sawada SP at Asian Winter Games

2/2/2007 - www.youtube.com/watch?v=MO1zCcOvKrQ

Full men's scores for SP at AWG, China takes 1-2-3

2/2/2007 - http://result.changchun2007.org/data/en-us/Html/FS101104.HTM

Photo link from Ladies SP at Asian Winter Games

2/2/2007 - http://winter2007.sports.cn/photo/figureskating/2007-02-01/1039829.html

Full women's scores at Asian Winter Games, Suguri in 1st

2/2/2007 - Here's a link to the complete score sheets for the ladies short programs at the Asian Winter Games. Please copy & paste http://result.changchun2007.org/data/en-us/Html/FS001104.HTM

SISA to debut new international judging system at Nationals

1/2/2007 - Although our club’s key focus is to raise the profile of our members as skaters, athletes and individuals, we also think it’s important to look at bigger issues as well. There’s a new story on the All Stars website that discusses the importance of the new international judging system (IJS) that was launched by the International Skating Union and will be used at the upcoming National Figure Skating Championships in Singapore at the end of March. Singapore Ice Skating Association is not a member of the International Skating Union and therefore is under no pressure by the International Federation to incorporate the new system. So, it speaks well of SISA’s efforts to keep ice skating in Singapore in step with international changes in the sport by bringing in the IJS for Nationals. Moreover, the new system will help skaters measure their development. When your coach advises you to ‘aim for a personal best’ at your next competition, you will be able to use the new accumulated points system to do just that. Stay tuned for more skater profiles. We’re just waiting on pictures & videos.

Ladies Short Program at Asian Winter Games tonight from 7 pm

1/2/2007 - Here's the link for the starting order: http://result.changchun2007.org/data/en-us/Html/FS001001.HTM

From Istanbul: Turkish figure skater Tugba Karademir

1/2/2007 - www.todayszaman.com/tz-web/detaylar.do?load=detay&link=101467

Story on Evan Lysacek's taking the title at US Nationals

31/1/2007 - http://www.usolympicteam.com/11506_51012.htm

Thinking about new music for your program?

31/1/2007 - http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/figureskating/columns/story?id=2738530

Michelle Kwan visits China as public diplomacy envoy

31/1/2007 - www.usolympicteam.com/11506_50881.htm

Non-ISU members will NOT be allowed to compete in Asian Winter Games after all

30/1/2007 - Eight skaters who planned to compete at the Asian Winter Games in China have been informed that they may perform but their marks will not be included in the final rankings. The website for the Asian Winter Games still lists as participants several skaters from countries that were not members of the International Skating Union. Specifically, Kuwait, Malaysia, Turkmenistan and Macau had sent athletes to compete at the Games, raising eyebrows among ISU member countries. The ISU maintains that any ISU-linked event is open only to skaters from its member countries. The two skaters from Malaysia have been preparing for the event since last Autumn by training in Shenzhen with Chen Lu. The figure skating events begin on Thursday, February 1st. http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-01/29/content_5670425.htm

Link to Los Angeles Times story on Evan Lysacek's preparation for Ntls

29/1/2007 - www.latimes.com/sports/la-spw-skate29jan29,1,5836157.story?coll=la-headlines-sports&ctrack=1&cset=true

Lysacek: a great athlete, a great skater

29/1/2007 - Evan Lysacek outskated Johnny Weir, almost moment for moment during the free skates at US Nationals. Lysacek seemed divinely inspired throughout his program (and the step sequence, in particular) and he is probably in the best physical shape of his life. Reeling off jumps of that difficulty takes a great athlete in addition to a great skater. Weir has made the World team for the US, but he is going to have to become far more of an athlete if he wants to remain in the Game. The 2007 World Championships are going to be intense if Lysacek, Oda, Takahashi, Lambiel, Buttle, Joubert and, yes, Weir all bring their best to Tokyo beginning March 19th. Enjoy the videos!

Video link to Johnny Weir free skate at US Nationals

29/1/2007 - www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXv2hrskHZ8

Video link to Evan Lysacek's Free Skate at US Nationals

29/1/2007 - www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOwhc9-gfeA

New York Times story on Evan Lysacek's triumphant free skate at US Nationals

28/1/2007 - www.nytimes.com/2007/01/28/sports/othersports/28skate_web.html?ref=othersports

Post SP TV interviews with Evan Lysacek & Johnny Weir

28/1/2007 - www.youtube.com/watch?v=-LTSvy6cPRU

All Stars & Tropical Blades planning 2nd Video Jam

28/1/2007 - ASFSC exco member Isabelle Tan is working with our sister club Tropical Blades to organize a Video Jam on Saturday March 3rd. Please email Isabelle to let her know your thoughts on the best time of the day to hold the Jam. She would also love to hear from mothers who are willing to help with drinks and snacks for the kids. The Jam was a big success last year. Please help to make it a winner for our skating members this year, too! You can reach Isabelle at islandgrove@gmail.com.

Evan Lysacek wins 1st US Mens title, Johnny Weir settles for bronze

28/1/2007 - Evan Lysacek is the 2007 mens champion in US figure skating. In his free skate, he scored technical points of 91.13, almost 30 points ahead of 2006 Champion Johnny Weir. He opened with a quad toe-triple toe, pretty much cementing his lock on the free skate and the Nationals. Lyacek’s program component score was 78.76 versus Weir’s 74.06. Weir finished 4th in the free skate. Jeremy Abbot made a phenomenal recovery to place second in the free skate after finishing 9th in the short program. Ryan Bradley had been 3rd in the short program and placed 3rd in the free skate as well. However due to Bradley’s high score in the free skate, he placed 2nd overall. Weir retained 3rd spot on the podium, with Abbot in 4th. Weir’s downgrading at US Nationals virtually replicates the events at Skate Canada two weeks ago when Emanuel Sandhu, once seen as Canada’s most talented but mercurial skater, won only a bronze medal. We will post video links as soon as they are available.

Meissner wins US title but Czisny has surprise win in free skate

28/1/2007 - Kimmie Meissner won her first title as Ladies Champion at the US Figure Skating Championships on the back of a strong short program and a surprisingly poor free skate. Judging from her low technical marks, Meissner must have doubled some of her planned jumps in the free skate. She placed third behind Alissa Czisny who won the free and Emily Hughes who placed second. Meissner scored technical points of only 59.05, compared with Hughes who earned 64.36 and Czisny who earned 62.45—a sign that Czisny must have been able to land her triple lutz. In program components, Czisny topped the list with a score of 57.14, versus 56.94 for Meissner and and 55.18 for Hughes. Czisny has been described as the best spinner in the world but has lacked consistency in her triple jumps. The free skate proved difficult for several of the senior ladies. Bebe Liang, who was second in the short, fell into fourth after receiving 2 points in deductions. Emily Hughes also received a 1-point deduction. Without the deduction, Hughes would have been only 0.05 points behind Czisny in total free skate points. The links to the short programs are already on the website. Bebe Liang’s short program was wonderful. She skated with great energy, speed and confidence. No triple-triples but a lively, beautifully skated program. Take a look as well at Rachel Flatt’s debut at senior Nationals. Lovely expression and grace—and a triple-triple that was unfortunately downgraded to a triple-double much to the surprise of the commentators. The Mens Free program is still being performed. Evan Lysacek is leading Johnny Weir by a tiny margin. Both men had fantastic programs in the short. I preferred Weir’s but it remains to be seen whether he can hold it together for the free program. Weir’s immense talent, unfortunately, has been more than matched by his inconsistency and his apparent lack of commitment to getting the job done. Maybe the fury he felt in the Kiss & Cry after the short will bring out the fire he needs to win the free—and then keep him burning through the World Championships. He will need a far deeper commitment to training if he wants to medal at Worlds. There’s also a link provided by Lee Chow Ying to a program by Kurt Browning, who remains one of the greatest artists in the sport. Chow says this unique program by Browning has a lot to say about great choreography.

No jumps, no spins and STILL an amazing program from Kurt Browning

28/1/2007 - Thank you to Chow Ying from Tropical Blades for the following link and commentary: www.youtube.com/watch?v=QT3lfjFiydY "I know Kurt Browning is awesome, but this piece is just amazing! Just thought you guys might find it interesting too... (or maybe you have already seen it and I'm a little behind time!) And some trivia on the program: This program was one of the first collaborations between Kurt and Roberto Campanella, a dancer and choreographer with the National Ballet of Canada. The program was not originally planned to be without jumps or spins, but as the choreography developed, the choreographer preferred not to put any in. The program thus developed into the masterpiece of footwork and choreography without jumps or spins that it's famous for today. Kurt used a slightly different version of the program *with* jumps and spins for the two competitions he used it in. This program is widely admired and has even been used to show young eligible skaters what an artistic program should look like.

Link to Johnny Weir's SP at US Ntls, in 2nd place going into the free skate

27/1/2007 - Skating to King of Chess, Weir put down an expressive, masterful program--the best he has skated in a long time. Pls copy & paste. www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVRtaYi0B8Y

Video Link to Evan Lysacek, in 1st after SP at US Ntls

27/1/2007 - www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6E9bRecmNk

Video Link to Kimmie Meissner's SP at US Nationals

27/1/2007 - Kimmie Meissner, 17 years old & 2006 World Champion, is in 1st after the short program. She is skating to piece of music called Snow Storm. Please copy & paste. www.youtube.com/watch?v=repshYYPijQ

Link to Rachel Flatt SP at Nationals

27/1/2007 - Fourteen year old Rachel is competing at seniors for the first time. She placed 5th in the short program. pls copy and paste. www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLcCYuC1gBQ

Link to Katy Taylor SP at US Nationals

27/1/2007 - Katy Taylor was in 4th place after the short program. She skated to Happy Feet. www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bhfbYWQOD0

Link to Bebe Liang's SP at US Nationals

27/1/2007 - Bebe was in 2nd place after the short program by less than half a point ahead of Emily Hughes. Her music is to Fire Dance. Pls copy and paste. www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDei30ipCxg

Video link to Alissa Czisny's SP at US Nationals

27/1/2007 - www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pSM_kGRxDY

Emily Hughes SP from US Nationals

27/1/2007 - Emily Hughes is in 3rd after the short program. www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WvhQX6SW_c

NY Times article on Kimmie Meissner

27/1/2007 - http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/27/sports/othersports/27skate.html?_r=1&th&emc=th&oref=slogin

Bryan Joubert wins European Mens title; Lysacek has slim lead after SP at US Ntls

26/1/2007 - At the United States Figure Skating Championships, Evan Lyscek has a slim lead of less than a point over Johnny Weir after the Senior Men’s short program. The Senior Ladies have not competed yet. In Junior Men, Elliot Halverson leads Brandon Mroz by about 3 points, with Douglas Razzano and Curran Oi in third and fourth place, respectively. At the European Figure Skating Championships, Bryan Joubert won the mens event, with Tomas Verner from Czech in second and Belgium’s Kevin van der Perren in third. Belarus’ Sergei Davydov missed the bronze medal by 0.07 points. Switzerland’s Jamal Othman (whose father is from Malaysia) finished in 8th place overall. Stephane Lambiel didn’t compete at the European Championships this year. There are new links to stories about new US Junior Ladies Champion, 13 year old Mirai Nagasu. They are great reading for our members.

Mirai & Caroline meet the press

25/1/2007 - www.usatoday.com/sports/columnist/brennan/2007-01-24-brennan-skating_x.htm?POE=click-refer

Going into US Ntls, Mirai Nagasu's Coach advised aim for top 5

25/1/2007 - SPOKANE, Wash. * Before Mirai Nagasu left for the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, her coach gave the 13-year-old a little pep talk. The complete article can be viewed at: www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/sfl-spskate25jan25,0,4141484.story?coll=sfla-sports-headlines

Links to Mirai Nagasu, who won Junior Short Program at US Nationals

23/1/2007 - www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xSyRYj7HXc www.youtube.com/watch?v=r56fKkcX1i4

Rochette & Buttle return as Canadian champions after tense Nationals

23/1/2007 - Joannie Rochette and Jeffrey Buttle retained their titles at the Canadian National Figure Championships this past weekend in Nova Scota, but neither champion had an easy road to victory. Rochette failed to make the most of her jumping passes while Buttle struggled with his triple axel. Mira Leung placed second in the ladies while Lesley Hawker won the bronze medal. Former Ladies Champion Cynthia Phaneuf placed a respectable, if disappointing, 4th. Phaneuf had not competed in almost two years due to a 3-inch growth spurt and a subsequent knee injury. In mens Emanuel Sandhu pulled off another rise from the ashes with a great long program after a dismal performance in the short. How bad was it? People booed when the marks showed that he was in first place at that point in the competition! However, his long program was strong enough to push him into third place overall. Chris Mabee took the silver medal, thanks to a sterling skate in the short program. Finally, scroll down this page and find the link to Megan Duhamel’s free skate. Watch that triple lutz! And here's a victory interview with Jeff Buttle & Chris Mabee. www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePXyjTMYsg4&mode=related&search=

Jeff Buttle dominates free skate to win 2007 Nationals

23/1/2007 - In the mens event, Jeff Buttle has been off the competitive ice for almost 10 months with a spine fracture—an injury that had many people questioning whether the 2006 Olympic bronze medalist would be able to make a comeback. As it turned out, Buttle seemed to have no lingering problems with the injury. Instead, it was the jump that has caused him the most trouble—the triple axel—that marred his short program. Skating with his usual finesse, Buttle opened his short program with a clean triple-flip-triple toe combination and then failed to land his triple axel. He got up as if the fall had never happened. But, later, as he took his bows, he looked rueful as if anticipating that he would be in second place. Watching from the sidelines were Coach Doug Leigh and skater Chris Mabee, who trains side by side with Buttle at the Mariposa School. Mabee had already successfully landed a triple axel in his short. However, Buttle was ranked first by the judges. With the free program, Buttle put an end to the doubts. Using selections of Armenian music, Buttle skated a dynamic, move-laden program that left him euphoric and completely winded at the end. He landed a snapping triple axel in combination with a double toe. Although he later singled another planned double axel, he landed a triple lutz moments before the end of his program. He received Level 4 ratings on both his flying sit and his combination spins. In total, his technical score was 72.22 while his program components score was 81.76. When it comes to creative choreography, use of transitions, and interpretive skill, Buttle continues to set the standard for mens skating. Watch how the music moves him across the ice. Take note of his forward lunge into a sit spin or his Bauer into a triple salchow. Watching his program, it’s hard to believe that he was off the ice for with a spin injury for 10 months.

Links to Short & Free Programs by Jeff Buttle and Chris Mabee at Canadian Nationals

23/1/2007 - Jeff Buttle Short http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9K2hGuObUPU&mode=related&search= Jeff Buttle's Free www.youtube.com/watch?v=PhteYHh_AQQ&mode=related&search= Chris Mabee's Short Programwww.youtube.com/watch?v=916O_Vv57Qw&mode=related&search= Chris Mabee's Free Skate www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMMFDDiwUw0

Rochette struggles with nerves at National Championships

23/1/2007 - Beginning with her short program to Jimi Hendrix’s Little Wing, it was clear that Joannie Rochette was struggling with nerves. Shortly into her program, the 21 year-old landed a triple flip-double toe combo and barely seemed to get off the ice on the second jump. From there, she went on to double a planned triple lutz. Rochette won the short program but her unhappiness with her performance was evident as the marks came up. In the free program, Rochette put down an artistically commanding skate to music from Don Juan. However, she doubled a loop and put her hand down on the landing. Then she singled a double axel and doubled a planned triple toe. Although she skated with fierce pride, it was a far cry from the creative and technical achievement of her Firebird program in January 2005 when she landed a confident triple-triple. Seventeen year old Mira Leung did her best to capitalize on Rochette’s jump errors in the free program, taking four of her jumping passes in the second half of the program. However she couldn’t match Rochette’s scores in most spins or the step sequence, and she was 9 points behind in program components. Leung skated her free program to music called Terracotta Warriors, which was intercut with O Mio Babbino Caro from Puccini. Leung’s short program was to the Pink Panther, a total departure in style for her.

Links to Joannie Rochette's programs at 2007 Canadian National Figure Skating Championships

23/1/2007 - Joannie Rochette Short Program www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7gHvmPQkx4&mode=related&search= Free Program www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kfc8FLrUOU&mode=related&search=

Link to Mira Leung's programs at 2007 Canadian Nationals

23/1/2007 - Mira Leung Short program www.youtube.com/watch?v=zR0y4E3fpMg&mode=related&search= Free program www.youtube.com/watch?v=ksq9GVSKZkc&mode=related&search=

Caroline Zhang reaction story to falling on double axel in short program at US Ntls

23/1/2007 - The girl is spunky. http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/homepage/abox/article_1551316.php

Canadian Nationals Bronze medalist Chris Mabee Short & Free Programs

22/1/2007 - Chris Mabee http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=916O_Vv57Qw&mode=related&search= Free program http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMMFDDiwUw0&mode=related&search=

Mirai Nagasu upsets forecasts by winning Junior short program at US Nationals, Caroline Zhang in second

22/1/2007 - video

Megan Duhamel Free Program at Canadian Nationals 2007

22/1/2007 - Watch this program by Megan Duhamel for the phenomenal height on her opening triple lutz and the sweeping arc on her double axel. Nationals marked Megan's return to the ice after suffering several injuries for the past seven months. She is skating here to Phantom of the Opera www.youtube.com/watch?v=vN8Ymq15Ep4&mode=related&search=

Link to story on Malaysian brothers Tan Da Wei and Zhe Wei who will be competing at the Asian Winter Games in February

22/1/2007 - http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/1/12/central/16540342&sec=central

Link to article on Bryan Joubert, ISU Grand Prix Mens Champion

22/1/2007 - http://www.goldenskate.com/articles/2006/012007.shtml

Link to story on 13 year old Caroline Zhang, winner of ISU JGP Final

22/1/2007 - Pls copy and paste. http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/homepage/rotator/article_1550184.php

Check out home page for stories on Ntls & NROC

18/1/2007 - If you want to find out who from the All Stars Figure Skating Club is competing at the 2007 National Figure Skating championships in March, please check out the new story on our website. Good luck to all the competitors from the All Stars. Whether you’re a first-time competitor or a skater who already has been on the podium, be a generous sportsman to your fellow athletes. We’re also highlighting All Star coaches Sally Ong and Jonnansical Boo who have become the first ice skating coaches in Singapore to be included in the National Registry of Coaching, which includes listings for more than 1200 coaches. Before coaches can be included in the NROC database, they must have successfully taken the National Coaching Accreditation Program through the Singapore Sports Council and they must be certified in First Aid and CPR. Several coaches in Singapore have taken the NCAP Theory classes over the years but were unable to complete the technical segment due to the lack of an instructor. The problem was solved with the coaching seminar in August 2006 organized by the Singapore Ice Skating Association. Congratulations to Sally and Jonnansical for being first into the database. May many more ice skating coaches be added in the years to come.

Link to article on Patrick Chan

16/1/2007 - http://www.thestar.com/Sports/article/170916

Link to video of Canadian Patrick Chan

16/1/2007 - Log onto our website and take a look for the link to the video on 16 year old Patrick Chan, who will be competing in seniors at Canadian Nationals this week in Nova Scotia. Patrick is one of Canada’s most promising young skaters, and he’s hoping to medal at the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver. He competed at Senior Nationals in Canada in January 2006 and later in the year he took part in the ISU Senior Grand Prix. He is continuing to refine his triple axel, which is inconsistent at this stage, and he is working on his quad toe as well. He knows that difficult jumps don’t come overnight, and he doesn’t get upset when things aren’t always perfect. During the winter he trains at the Granite Club in Toronto, but last summer he trained at the Mariposa School in Barrie. Lucky us, we all got to know him and his mother a little bit. He once studied Ukrainian dance on top of all his other activities! He is a charming and friendly young man who is happy to chat with anyone who is interested in skating. So, not only is he a great athlete, he is a generous sportsman. In fact, he agreed to do an email interview with the boys in the All Stars Figure Skating Club, but I don’t think he will mind if the girls send in questions, too. If you have a question for Patrick about something you’re working on or something you’re nervous about or if you’re just curious about how he chooses his music or anything at all, please email your questions to me. I will forward the questions to him as soon as Canadian Nationals are done. In the meantime, take a look at the video interview. Please remember to let it play through once before you turn the volume up. http://www.thestar.com/videoGallery/default?movieURL=http://media.thestar.com/video/Skater640x360flx.flv&movieRatio=normal&id=1

Link to Vera Wang video clip

13/1/2007 - Have you ever wondered what figure skaters do when they stop competitive skating? When one little girl put aside her dreams of going to the Olympic Games, she grew up to be international fashion designer Vera Wang. (www.verawang.com) Famous for her ready-to-wear collections and her bridal gowns, Wang also designed many of Michelle Kwan’s competition dresses. There’s a new link on our website to a short video clip of Wang on ice with her teenage daughters, talking about figure skating influenced her interest in fashion. Please click here

Draw for Ntls takes place 13/01/07 at Quality Hotel

12/1/2007 - Just a gentle reminder to the members who have signed up for Nationals. The draw will take place tomorrow, Sunday January 14, at the Quality Hotel, Emerald Room, 2nd Floor, between 2 and 3 pm. Attendance is mandatory for all competitors. If you are unable to attend, please send a representative. At this meeting, you will receive the form for your planned program content, which will need to be submitted prior to Nationals. Please refer to the SISA website for more information. Also: in response to the queries re competition attire: Andrea Derby, the Competition Director for the Nationals, has confirmed that cat suits or unitards are permissible at Nationals.

Link to interview w/ Nobunari Oda, translated from Japanese by buminapark

11/1/2007 - Originally posted by buminapark on fsuniverse. Pls copy and paste link to translation. http://home.comcast.net/~cj0309/oda.html

Link to story on Nobunari Oda, translated from Japanese by buminapark

11/1/2007 - Copy and paste. http://home.comcast.net/~cj0309/oda2.html

Video Link to China Junior Skater Geng Bing Wa

7/1/2007 - www.youtube.com/watch?v=tENIsCZYPPw

Link to Junior skater Zhang Kexin

7/1/2007 - www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWJRwIKo5ZM

Link to Junior skater Cao Yue

7/1/2007 - www.youtube.com/watch?v=uU8Z5ymhw84

Link to Novice mens skater Liu Jia Xing

7/1/2007 - www.youtube.com/watch?v=31I1EXTUiEk

Video Link to Novice Mystery Boy #1

7/1/2007 - www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBss4XXW1n0

Video Link to Novice mens Mystery Boy 2

7/1/2007 - www.youtube.com/watch?v=eec4DtSlCYk

Video Link to Novice Mystery Girl #1

7/1/2007 - youtube.com/watch?v=3YHFcGIq7TM

Link to Mystery Girl #2

7/1/2007 - www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPpsNjuRjIQ

Link to Novice skater Wang Hai Tong

7/1/2007 - www.youtube.com/watch?v=adMe_CxmBqQ

Link to Novice skater Zhang Bing Han

7/1/2007 - www.youtube.com/watch?v=1I2P41Vf-sg

Video link to Yu Xiao Yu

7/1/2007 - www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NX1CH8YRUo

Video link to 8 year old Wang Xue Han

7/1/2007 - www.youtube.com/watch?v=cV0L9ashpp0

Video link to 8 year old pairs medalist

7/1/2007 - www.youtube.com/watch?v=OVUkxAcvEnU

Main story & Links to video of young skaters from China

7/1/2007 - Now on the All Stars website are new links to videos of young skaters in China. The information comes via a web poster on the Figure Skating Universe board. Translater Tonya Morin spotlights a few skaters among the Junior Ladies: Junior Ladies. 1) Bingwa Geng (means ‘ice baby’ in Chinese). In this video, the 11-year old attempts three different triples: 3z(fall), 3S, 2l, 2a+2t(step out), 2flip, 3t+3t+SEQ (two-footed). Admittedly she has shaky landings, but she’s young! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tENIsCZYPPw 2) Kexin Zhang, she’s about 12 to 13 years old. She completed a 3t+2t+2l, 2a+2a+SEQ, 3s, 3t, 2f, 2lz+2t. Her jumps are solid and she should have no problem in mastering all five triples in the years ahead. Kexin Zhang http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWJRwIKo5ZM 3)13-year-old Yue Cao. She was selected by Bin Yao (who coaches Shen & Zhao) to be part of one of three new pairs teams. The Figure Skating Universe poster notes that “her jumps are awful but presentation skills are beyond her age. Maybe that’s why Bin Yao selected her in the first place.” Yue Cao http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uU8Z5ymhw84 Novice Mens. There also are some links to some novice mens skaters, including Jia Xing Liu and some unidentified young men. Let’s call them Mystery Boy 1 & 2. Jia Xing Liu: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31I1EXTUiEk Mystery Boy 1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBss4XXW1n0 Mystery Boy 2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eec4DtSlCYk Novice ladies They are even younger and can only do doubles and singles. However, their flexibility is really impressive. If I did not watch Caroline Zhang’s videos before, this unknown ‘skating girl’s spin and spiral positions are certainly going to awe me! Mystery Girl 1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YHFcGIq7TM Mystery Girl 2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPpsNjuRjIQ Haitong Wang http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adMe_CxmBqQ Binghan Zhang http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1I2P41Vf-sg Yu Xiao Yu http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NX1CH8YRUo There’s also a link to a performance by 8-year-old Wang Xue Han, who can do all five doubles. Her presence on the ice makes you hard to believe she is only 8 years old!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cV0L9ashpp0 For another treat, here is a link to the pairs silver medallist!(only three pairs). It’s just torture to have another 8-year-old to practice pairs. But she is sweet and very shy according to some accounts. They got a silver medalist certificate signed by Shen & Zhao in the end! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OVUkxAcvEnU All of the links are from the Figure Skating Universe board (please see the links page on the all stars website for the web address of this board. You can just click on it for automatic linking. No copying and pasting required…but be forewarned that surfing fsuniverse seems to generate a lot of spam email.)

Link to story on Michelle Kwan--life without skates

1/1/2007 - Pls copy & paste the following link. http://news.cincypost.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2006612250361

Link to Miki Ando free skate at Japan Ntl Figure Skating Championships

31/12/2006 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4StljVLlB7g

Link to Mao Asada free skate at Japan's National Figure Skating Championships

31/12/2006 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DyhR-bKy8gM

Pls submit your lesson booking forms to Fuji Ice Palace

31/12/2006 - Many people are away or still in holiday mode, so here’s a gentle reminder: Fuji Ice Palace will be closing for about two weeks from the second week in January. Please submit your lesson booking forms today by fax or in person to retain your lesson slots when the rink reopens. I believe you can book your spaces until March. Happy New Year! All Stars Figure Skating Club

Translation of Zhao Hongbo's analysis of Meditation program

31/12/2006 - Reprinted w/ permission by translator Paragon from FS universe board. Zhao Hongbo: in response to the request of online fans, I present this analysis of "Meditation" for your enjoyment As so many of our friends have demanded it, we are posting our program's musical breakdown and treatment. Of course, we didn't base the choreography on the original story from the opera, because only a few people have seen it, while most are more familiar with the music as something used to accompany memories and flashbacks in TV programs. We created this program with the latter sentiment in mind. We hope you like it!!! So much pain, so many tribulations. When they hold hands, it's a kind of a love, a kind of transcendental love!!! The clear and serene ice surface, feeling the hard road, wrapped in the "Meditation" musical piece, it instantly makes one weep. The indelible experiences of a lifetime ... figure skating. The first part: Choreography It starts with two people back to back — in the sheer world of ice. They slowly glide backwards — the search. In the instant they cross paths — the boy discovers a pretty little girl, And from that moment, they searchingly guide their hands towards a gentle grasp, the two hold hands backwards while extending their arms — fate almost let these two miss each other by a hair. The girl holds the boy's waist in an arabesque pose while gazing up at Hongbo, the boy opens his arms — the girl admires and leans on the boy (as a little girl cuddling up to someone), and the boy treats the girl with gentle care. Holding both hands, the boy glides backwards while the girl glides forwards, then turn briefly into both gliding backwards — he looks back at her, the girl fixes her gaze on him --- fate has set them on the hard road of their career. Accelerating forward into a 3toe/2toe — boldly going forward, charging towards high difficulty Dance move, big one (in English, they call this a spread eagle) [translator note: the Chinese pictograms for "big one" visually approximates a spread eagle] linked into a double axel — spreading wings and flying high Complex choregraphy linked into a throw twist — both in shared pursuit. towards a lifetime of experience. Dance move spread eagle into a lift — with a certain level of artistry and superior technical ability as the basis. — the first ascendance in their career (a new stage) (1999 Grand Prix Finals) Directly into a spiral line (in English they call this a death spiral) with a hand change and a position change — the emotional nadir, the struggle of the bitter pain inside, the cruelty of reality Right into the second part Dance move march into criss-crossing into a dance lift — challenging oneself, digging back out of the pit, as the phoenix rising out of the ashes, receiving new life from pain, towards a new starting point Straight line footwork, forceful, body twisting, changing the upper body and turning the feet — a desire to break out of artistic boundaries, to show oneself Expressive dance, leg hooking move — the emotional line: the turbulence of fate subsides to let the two calm down and deeply feel something besides figure skating: love! The wisps of adoration and heaps of love given to the other person. Living through disasters together and relying on each other, an experience that ripens daily to push the two further along. What could possibly keep them apart? Even if her feelings mysteriously disappears, he will use the feeling of his whole body and soul to make her come back! Using even the strength of the tip of his toes he will hold the girl tightly in his embrace. Emphasize the depiction of emotions, the twists and turns, rise and fall, deeply moving. Holding both hands and gazing at each other with deep affection, glide into back to back throw jumps: throw 3 salchow - throw 3 loop — two hearts as one, exceeding dreams, from victory to even greater victories A little dance lift between the two throw jumps — the celebration after the victory, yearning for new victories, the boy admires and treasures the girl even more Spiral step sequence — entering into a free world of figure skating and emotions, as two birds side by side in flight, tightly leaning on each other and connecting, hearts as free as the wind, thoroughly displaying the beauty of artistry and technical abilities, with infinite aspirations towards the future Turning into the pair spin while fully displaying the body language in the process — two people carrying each other, never leaving nor forsaking the other, both striving Entering into the third part Glide out of the spin, the two passionately extending their arms while looking at each other, gliding into the third lift at full speed — leaving their problems behind, creating glory anew with full confidence! Ending and concept: gliding on one knee, the girl's arms and gaze are directed far away, but the boy pulls her towards himself. The two deeply embrace the break after the victory, chatting about their deep appreciation for the riches figure skating gave them, their great love for figure skating and the process of arduously struggling half a lifetime before achieving glorious joy!!! A lifetime of using heartfelt romance to experiencing a career. Let time disappear as the music lingers!!! Even though the girl seems to want more, his mind has already wandered off towards the future while yearning for a new life. At this moment the girl, with deep appreciation, holds on tightly!!! "Xue Hongbo"

Link to Shen & Zhao website in Chinese

31/12/2006 - http://shenxuehongbo.blog.sohu.com/24091363.html

Figure skating ranks 19th as most difficult sport, according to ESPN

31/12/2006 - http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/sportSkills#

Japan's 2007 Champions: Mao Asada & Daisuke Takahashi

30/12/2006 - Teen sensation Mao Asada has won her first National title at the Japanese National Figure Skating Championships, held this week in Nagoya. With a score of 221.76 points, Mighty Mao skated a free program, described as almost flawless by media reports. In second place in the ladies event was Miki Ando, with a total score of 185.65 while Yukari Nakano was in third with 179.72 points. Asada has shown a tendency to skate with greater confidence when she is in Japan, and this home court advantage may prove to be the case at the upcoming World Championships, which will be held in March in Tokyo. Most recently in international competition, Asada lost control of her free skate at the ISU Grand Prix Final in St. Petersburg, Russia after leading the short program. Korea’s Yu-Na Kim won the Grand Prix Final title with a strong free program. Both Kim and Asada will be making their debut at the World Championships in March. In 2006, they competed at Junior Worlds, which saw Kim claim that title. In the men’s event at Japanese Nationals, Daisuke Takahashi had a decisive win this year, scoring total points of 256.08, with Nobunari Oda in 2nd place with a score of 235.66. It must have been a much-needed confirmation for Takahashi of his position in Japanese figure skating. He has skated inconsistently throughout the year, showing flashes of brilliance followed by startling failures. At the December 2005 Championships, Takahashi was only declared winner after the awards ceremony when it was determined that a judging error had placed Nobunari Oda in first place. Oda was required to exchange medals with Takahashi. This year was a different story: within moments of opening his free skate to Phantom of the Opera, Takahashi landed a cracking quad toe, followed closely by a triple axel. Takahashi delivered the program with tenderness and abandon. Equally significant about this free skate is the fact that so many of his jumps came in the second half of the program. It was a magnificent program—if Takahashi can skate like this at Worlds, he will pose a real challenge to France’s Bryan Joubert and Switzerland’s Stephane Lambiel. Please check the All Stars website for links to programs. *Please remember that you will likely have to let them play through once, with the clips stopping & re-starting through the buffering process. Once that is complete, just hit replay and you should be able to watch the clip in its entirety. Enjoy!

Miki Ando's Scheherazade SP at Japan's Ntl Figure Skating Championships

30/12/2006 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tsr6AcoZ1ys

Mao Asada's SP to Chopin's Nocturne at Japanese National Figure Skating Championships

30/12/2006 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qLi2NWrnK0

Link to new Japanese National Men's Champion Daisuke Takahashi Free Skate to Phantom of the Opera

30/12/2006 - A simply magnificent program. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJaaV2OHtc8

Link to Nobunari Oda's Free Skate at Japan Ntl Figure Skating Championships in Nagaoya this week

30/12/2006 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3lbeo2D7SA

Link to Daisuke Takahashi SP at Japan's 2007 Ntl Figure Skating Championships

29/12/2006 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPPbTt_API8

Link to Nobunari Oda SP Fly Me to the Moon at Japan 2007 Ntls

29/12/2006 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6NVDOKMI_1Y

Merry Christmas to the All Stars Figure Skating Club

25/12/2006 - The executive board of the All Stars Figure Skating Committee sends its best wishes for the holiday season to all its members. We thank you for your continued membership in the club, and we hope that you move closer to realizing your dreams, on and off the ice, in 2007. Look kindly on your achievements over the past year. We know that skaters are perfectionists, by nature, so you’re rarely completely satisfied. But we believe that you have learned something new about skating and, more importantly, yourself with every new step, jump or spin you tried this year. Even though figure skating is a solo sport for most of you, you are learning perseverance through hardship, attention to details and the spirit of teamwork and cooperation. No matter how young or old, you can help build our community, every time you step on the ice. Yield to someone else on the ice when they’re practising their program, don’t distract your friends from practising on their own, cheer for a competitor you can’t beat and cheer for someone you can, and respect the efforts of all. Together we can all shine. Peace & Joy in 2007 From the All Stars Figure Skating Club Executive Committee

Saturday schedule of SISA ice show performances at Suntec City

23/12/2006 - Here is the schedule for today’s ice skating performances at Suntec City Tropics Atrium. The crowds have been growing daily as more kids squeeze into the seating area. I’ve noticed a lot of Dads, standing beyond the fence, with kids on their shoulders throughout the performances, too. If you plan to come for the 7 pm show, come *early* to grab some space. 1 pm performances, immediately followed by the ‘Kids on Ice’ fashion show Monica Chang. MMS! Max Ko, Maxel Lee and Skye Casey Celine Bavaud. Germaine Lim. Isabelle Tan. Jasmine Mehaffey. 4 pm SISA National Team Performances Production Team: Debbie Stuart, Tabitha Lin, Max Ko and Maxel Lee Phoebe Wang. Germaine Lim Melissa Leow Max Ko Claudia Krogmeier Maxel Lee Anja Chong Alexandria Wong Saki Jimbo Happy holidays!

Come down to Suntec City Tropics Atrium & cheer for your fellow skaters from the All Stars!

21/12/2006 - Here are the performers who will be on the ice at 1 pm tomorrow at Suntec City. Monica Chan. Melissa Leow. Jacklynn Benfield. Anja Chong. Skye & Claire Casey. Michelle Lee. Nadja Chong. Condrey Liu. Tasha Benfield. Jasmine Mehaffey. Come down to Suntec and cheer for your friends.

Come see the following skaters for the 1 pm show at Suntec on December 21st

20/12/2006 - There was another fantastic day of ice skating at the Suntec City Tropics Atrium today, with strong performances at both the 1 pm Kids on Ice Show and the 7 pm ‘An Extraordinary Christmas’ show. If you have the time on Thursday, please come down to watch the following skaters from 1 pm. Isabelle Tan Germaine Lim Celine Bavaud Naomi Ng Phoebe Wang Anja & Nadja Chong Ashley Tan Kylie Teo Claudia Philipp Maxel Lee And don’t forget to come back for the 7 pm show, too! Happy holidays

Today's schedule of performers at Suntec's 1 pm show

20/12/2006 - It was good to see you at the Christmas Show last night at Suntec City’s Tropics Atrium. There will be another performance this evening as well as a show of solo programs, duets & one trio at 1 pm today. Come on down! Jasmine Mehaffey Celine Bauvaud Anja Chong Nadja Chong Claudia Phillip Skye/Claire Casey Condrey Liu Naomi Ng Maxel Lee /Max Ko/Skye Casey Anja/Nadja Chong

New stories on the All Stars home page

20/12/2006 - New stories on the All Stars website include an article on the SISA Christmas show at Suntec, a congratulatory note to our members who recently passed their SISA competitive tests and a roundup article on the Skate Winter Classic held at Fuji Ice Palace. Many thanks to Vanessa Leung’s mom for providing photos for the Winter Classic story! Happy holidays.

SISA presents A Magical Christmas ice show at Suntec City Tropics Atrium

19/12/2006 - The Singapore Ice Skating Association is holding “A Magical Christmas” ice show at Suntec City at the Tropics Atrium from December 18th to the 23rd. Come help celebrate our sport by cheering loudly for our skaters. On Saturday, some of our youngest skaters will be skating in the latest fashions from Suntec retailers in the Hot Fashion show, but in the meantime there will be lots and lots of shows to entertain the shoppers at Suntec. Kids on Ice will be on at 1 pm daily, featuring solo and small group numbers from different skaters. At 7 pm, you can look forward to “An Extraordinary Christmas”, a huge production choreographed by Coach Jonnansical Boo, who is a member of our club. For more on the show, please check the All Stars website. Please come out and support your friends and fellow skaters. It is a great opportunity for all of us to show Singapore how great our skaters can be and how much support they have from the community. Scheduled to appear today at 1 pm are: Saki Jimbo Germaine Lim Tasha Benfield Jacklynn Benfield Skye& Claire Casey Condrey Liu Michelle Lee Yin Jenny Toole Stott Ashley Tan Kylie Teo Happy holidays!

Link to Caroline Zhang exhibition program at Junior Grand Prix Final

12/12/2006 - What makes this program worth watching? A breathtaking spiral sequence, bauers that seem about to touch the ice, those unbelievable spin positions and a speed-of-light spin at the end. Enjoy! www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpLNbHO6rtM

ISU Grand Prix Final begins tonight in Russia

15/12/2006 - It’s going to be a big weekend in figure skating as the ISU Grand Prix Final begins tonight in St. Petersburg, Russia. The mens’ event is promising to be especially competitive. Reigning quad king Bryan Joubert from France is the leader going into the mens event with a total of 30 points. Japan’s Daisuke Takahashi has 28 points after his well-received programs at the NHK Trophy. Nobunari Oda, also from Japan, has 28 points, thanks to his win at Skate America and his silver medal at NHK Trophy. Evan Lysacek from the United States has 28 points, earned through his victory at Cup of China and his second place at Skate America. Johnny Weir, who won a silver at Cup of Russia and a bronze at Skate Canada, has 24 points as does France’s Alban Preaubert, who was second at Trophee Bompard In Ladies, Mao Asada from Japan set a new record at the Grand Prix, with her personal best score of 199.52 at NHK Trophy. On 16 year old Mao’s heels is Miki Ando, thanks to her staggering achievement at Skate America and her silver medal in Paris at Trophee Bompard. Korea’s Yu-Na Kim earned her place at the Final through her first Grand Prix victory, at Trophee Bompard, and her bronze medal at Skate Canada. Japan’s third skater, Fumie Suguri comes into the Final on the back of two silver medal performances at Skate Canada and NHK Trophy. Julia Sebestyen won the Cup of China and was second at Cup of Russia. Sarah Meier from Switzerland was fourth at Skate America but came through with a strong free skate to win Cup of Russia, thereby securing her spot at the Grand Prix final. The winning skaters pick up $25,000 in prize money, with the silver medalists earning $18,000 and the bronze $12,000. Enjoy!

SISA hopes to raise awareness for children with cancer

10/12/2006 - In the spirit of the holiday season, Singapore Ice Skating Association will be sponsoring learn to skate classes with 15 children from the VIVA Foundation for Children with Cancer at Suntec City in December. “We hope to raise awareness of the plight of children, suffering from cancer,” says Alison Chan, honorary secretary for SISA. For children in Singapore, cancer is the second major cause of death. Hoping to improve the chances of survival for these children, the VIVA Foundation was launched in May 2006 as a collaboration between National University of Singapore, National University Hospital and St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, US. From December 18th to the 23rd, SISA will using the temporary ice surface at Suntec City to hold skating classes for the public. There will be two one-hour classes daily, from Monday to Saturday, beginning at 10 am. Including the rental of skates, the cost of a workshop will be $30 per skater per hour. If you are interested in booking a workshop, please email Philip Au, SISA’s director of marketing, at Philip@sisa.org.sg. Classes for the 15 children from VIVA and 15 of their friends will be free of charge. SISA is calling for adult volunteers to assist with the children when they are off the ice, says Ms Chan. SISA plans to have games and other activities to entertain the children. If you can help with this effort, please contact Ms Chan at alison@sisa.org.sg.

Deadline for Singapore Nationals registration is 16/12/06

7/12/2006 - The deadline for registering for the National Figure Skating Championships is fast approaching. Please do not delay sending your applications in to: Singapore Ice Skating Association 17 Changi Business Park Central 1 #06-01 Honeywell Building Singapore 486073 Your envelope must be post-marked no later than December 16th.

US wins gold medals in all events at ISU Junior Grand Prix Final

10/12/2006 - If America’s skaters were overshadowed by the Japanese at the ISU Senior Grand Prix, the Junior level was a completely different story. Not only did the United States qualifiy more skaters than any other country for the Junior grand prix, the young American ruled the ice when it came to performance time. The young Americans were gold medalists across the board in singles, pairs and ice dance, with the ladies winning -1-2-3. Indeed, Caroline Zhang’s win in Bulgaria this weekend was never in doubt. The tiny 13 year old from California has consistently skated clean and technically demanding programs this season, with wins in Mexico City and Chinese Taipei. Beginning with the short program on Friday, Zhang set the barre high. Her free skate program to Massenet’s Meditation on Thais on Saturday scored a high 106 points, placing Caroline beyond the reach of her competitors. She landed six triple jumps, with three in combinations. Zhang’s total score at the Final was 162.8 points, 20 points ahead of silver medalist Ashley Wagner, with 142.01, and bronze medalists Megan Oster, with 135.73. In mens, 17 year-old Stephen Carriere held onto his short program lead to win the gold medal. Carriere included a triple axel and a triple toe-double toe-double toe combination. His spins were rated as level 4 and level 3, and his step sequences also drew level 3 rankings. He skated to a big band mix of John Labarbera’s Space Shuttle and Billie Holiday’s God Bless the Child from a Buddy Rich alburm. Brandon Mroz, who had a so-so short program, roared back in his Malaguena free skate to win the silver medal overall. In third place was Canada’s Kevin Reynolds, who landed a quad toe shortly after falling on a quad salchow.

America sweeps mens short programs at ISU JGP final

9/12/2006 - The young skaters from the United States swept first to fifth place at the ISU Grand Prix final in Bulgaria yesterday. Seventeen year old Stephen Carriere finished the short program with a three-point lead on Tommy Steenberg, 18 years old. In third place was 15 year old Austin Kanallakan. Team mate Curran Oi was in fourth place, despite having the highest technical score of 32.69. Skating to a medley of Stray Cat Strut (bopabilly music from Brian Setzer) and the theme from the Pink Panther, Carriere achieved a personal best score of 59.46. Thanks to a strong double axel and a triple lutz-triple toe combination, Carriere earned technical points of 32.08 and program components of 27.38. The 17 year-old was 4th at world juniors in 2006 and was 1st at US Junior Nationals. He is coached by Peter Johansson and Mark Mitchell. Tommy Steenberg skated to the John Powell score from the film Drumline. It’s pure drum music, making it an unusual choice for figure skaters. Steenberg did much of the choreography for the program, which produced a technical mark of 29.17 and a program component mark of 27.25. The long programs will be skated on Saturday, December 9th.

Caroline Zhang from US wins short program at ISU Junior Grand Prix

8/12/2006 - No one following the Junior Grand Prix circuit was surprised when 13 year old Caroline Zhang from the United States won the short program at the Final in Sofia. Her fellow Americans Megan Oster and Ashley Wagner claimed second and third place, respectively. Zhang scored 56.28 for her short program, comprising 33.91 for technicals and 22.37 for program components. She was comfortably ahead of Oster, with a total score of 48.92, and Wagner, who earned 48.65 for the short program. The ladies long program will take place on Saturday December 9th.

ISU Junior Grand Prix Final begins in Sofia, Bulgaria today

8/12/2006 - While Japan’s figure skaters are dominating the Senior Grand Prix in mens and ladies singles skating, the Americans have led the Junior Grand Prix circuit. This weekend, the Junior Grand Prix Final begins in Sofia, Bulgaria with the short programs for the singles and pairs skaters and the compulsory and original dances for the ice dancers. In Junior mens, five Americans will be competing, including Curran Oi, Brandon Mroz and Austin Kanallakan. From Canada, Kevin Reynolds will be making his first appearance at the Junior Grand Prix Final as will Takahito Mura from Japan and Artem Borodulin from Russia. The United States also qualified the highest number of skaters in Junior ladies: Caroline Zhang, Megan Oster, Ashley Wagner, Julianna Canarozzo and Melissa Bulanhagui. Japan qualified two ladies, Bulgaria one and Italy one. The United States also qualified five pairs teams and two ice dance teams.

Link to NHK Champion Daisuke Takahashi's SP & FP

4/12/2006 - Short Program www.youtube.com/watch?v=IegvjrIz9w8 Free Skate www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCcynNvQPTQ&mode=user&search=

Link to silver medalist Nobunari Oda's SP & FP at NHK Trophy 2006

4/12/2006 - Short Program www.youtube.com/watch?v=zprHG9cK9-k Free Skate www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmZujw06pkI

Japan qualifies more singles skaters for ISU Grand Prix Final than any other country

3/12/2006 - For the first year in its history of competitive skating, Japan has qualified more singles skaters for the ISU Grand Prix final than any other country. Miki Ando, Mao Asada and Fumie Suguri and mens skaters Nobunari Oda and Daisuke Takahashi will represent Japan in St.Petersburg from December 14th. The ladies will be competing against Yu-Na Kim from Korea, Sarah Meier from Switzerland and Julia Sebestyen from Hungary. The men will be competing against France’s Bryan Joubert and Alban Preaubert and the US’ Evan Lysacek and Johnny Weir.

Japan’s Daisuke Takahashi wins NHK Trophy & qualifies for Grand Prix Final

3/12/2006 - Japan’s National Mens Champion Daisuke Takahashi finally won his first Grand Prix event this year, ironically at the final qualifying event of the year, the NHK Trophy in Nagano this weekend. Twenty year-old Takahashi earned a total of 247.93 points at NHK Trophy, securing himself a spot at the Grand Prix final in Russia in two weeks. He will be joined at the GPF by team mate Nobunari Oda who finished only 3 points behind Takahashi with a score of 244.56. Both men skated exceptionally well, as evidenced by the fact that third place finisher Takahiko Kozuka scored only 208.34 points. Chengjiang Li from China scored 191.32 points. After the short program, Takahashi had less than a point lead on 19 year-old Oda, who didn’t let up the pressure in the free skate. Takahashi managed to expand his lead by only another two and a half points, but it was enough to hold onto the gold medal. Takahashi was the final skater in the free skater flight of 11 skaters. He successfully opened his Phantom of the Opera program with a quadruple toe loop and then proceeded to put down a triple axel, a triple axel-double toe combo and a triple flip-triple toe combo. Takahashi also earned Level 4 ratings for his upright spin and straight line step sequence. His other spins and his circular footwork received Level 3. Oda landed a triple Axel-triple toeloop-double loop combination, a triple loop, triple Lutz-double toe, another triple Axel and three more clean triple jumps. His spins earned Level 4 ratings. He is reported to be working on a quad toe and hopes to have it ready by the Japanese National Championships in late December

Links to Fumie Suguri SP & LP at NHK Trophy 2006

3/12/2006 - Fumie SP www.youtube.com/watch?v=om2dCy5b9mM Fumie LP www.youtube.com/watch?v=52KQHgtbaF4

Links to Mao Asada SP & LP at NHK Trophy

3/12/2006 - Mao LP www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1842uZFiXU Mao SP www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ca9O4WUx3Y&mode=related&search=

Mighty Mao wins NHK Trophy, with Suguri & Nakano holding onto 2nd & 3rd

3/12/2006 - For a ladies free program, there are few things better than a triple axel to get a lock on the gold medal. And that’s exactly what Mao Asada’s triple axel, even with a step-out on the landing, did for her at the ISU NHK Trophy on the Grand Prix circuit this weekend. Mighty Mao scored a whopping 130.02 points in the free program at NHK—almost 13 points ahead of silver medalist Fumie Suguri, who had 117.39 points. In third place was Yukari Nakano with 104.07. In a distant fourth was Christine Zukowski from the US with a free score of 83.62. Moreover, Mao’s total score at NHK Trophy was a Grand Prix record of 199.52. The previous record this season was Miki Ando’s score of 192.59 at Skate America while Yu-Na Kim scored 184.54 at Trophee Bompard in France. At NHK, Asada, Suguri and Nakano overall retained for Japan the 1-2-3 positions they had established in the short program. Beatrise Liang from the US managed to hold on to fourth place overall, thanks to a strong short program. She had finished in 7th place in the free skate. Asada and Suguri will be competing at the Grand Prix Final in Russia from December 14th with Miki Ando.

Asada, Suguri & Nakano take 1-2-3 at SP at ISU NHK Trophy

2/12/2006 - Japan swept the ladies short program at the ISU’s NHK Trophy yesterday, with 16 year old Mao Asada in 1st, 25 year old Fumie Suguri in 2nd and 21 year old Yukari Nakano in 3rd. The Mighty Mao led with 69.50 points, a new personal best, compared with Suguri’s 61.92 and Nakano’s 56.83. The NHK Trophy is the last qualifying event in the ISU Grand Prix prior to the Grand Prix final, which will be held in Russia next weekend. Mao Asada won the Grand Prix Final in 2005. At the NHK Trophy, Asada’s technical marks solidly established her in first place. Skating to Nocturne, Asada earned a Level 4 rating on her combination spin, her flying sit and her spiral sequence. Her jumps included a triple Lutz, a triple flip-triple loop combination, a double Axel. She plans to include the triple axel in her free program today.

China’s Shen & Zhao win SP at NHK Trophy

1/12/2006 - The NHK Trophy, the final qualifying event of the ISU Grand Prix, opened yesterday with China’s Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo winning the pairs short program. Skating to Romanza, Shen and Zhao scored total points of 65.68, comprising 34.26 for technical and 31.32 for program components. In second place were Zhang Dan & Zhang Hao. Valerie Marcoux and Craig Buntin from Canada were in third place. The Ladies short program will get underway this afternoon with Mao Asada,Fumie Suguri and Yukari Nakano representing Japan. Tomorrow, the men’s short program will take place with Japan’s Nobunari Oda squaring off against teammates Daisuke Takahashi and Takahiko Kozuka as well as Patrick Chan from Canada, Keven van der Perren from Belgium and Chengjiang Li from China.

Member looking to buy used figure skates

29/11/2006 - If you have a pair of used skates in good condition, sized approximately for a 5-8 year old, I can put you in touch with a member who is looking to buy.

Le Roi du Quad: Bryan Joubert wins ISU Cup of Russia

26/11/2006 - Bryan Joubert became the unofficial King of the Quads (le roi du quad) yesterday by landing three quad jumps in his program at the ISU Cup of Russia. The 22 year-old Frenchman won the Cup of Russia with a huge lead of 40-plus points over silver medalist Johnny Weir from the US. Ilia Klimkin from Russia won the bronze medal. Skating last in the free program, Joubert landed his first quad toe-double toe moments after his music began. He followed up with a quad salchow and a triple axel. Joubert put down his third quad, a toe loop, after a dynamic footwork sequence. He then went on to land four more triple jumps. His free skate score for technical elements was 82.73, 21 points ahead of Russia’s Sergei Dobrin, who was 2nd in the free skate. The Russian skater had been sitting in 9th after the short program but produced a valiant comeback to finish 2nd in the free skate and 8th overall. Joubert will be back in Russia from December 14th to compete at the ISU Grand Prix Finals in St. Petersburg. Coming out of the short program at Cup of Russia, Johnny Weir had been less than 3 points behind Joubert. However, Weir failed to control his nerves during the first half of his free skate. Weir is known for changing his program during the actual skate, and this has always cost him points. Not only does he lose on his technical components marks, he hurts his program presentation score. He clearly is thinking about what he needs to do next instead of skating with his music. On technical components, Weir scored only 49.48 points! Weir finished fifth in the free program but managed to retain the silver medal overall, thanks to his high placement in the short program. His total score was 196.28, 40 points behind Joubert. Canada’s Emanuel Sandhu proved once again his inability to skate two great programs at the same event. Sandhu is famous for terrible short programs, which have been followed by brilliant free skates. However, he can rarely do both, and Cup of Russia was no different. He doubled jumps and fell on his triple axel. Although his program components score came in at a high 68.20, his technical elements mark plummeted to 46.95.

Link to Bryan Joubert SP at Cup of Russia

26/11/2006 - Take a look at the video of Bryan Joubert’s SP at Cup of Russia. Skating to Die Another Day, Joubert lands his opening quad toe-triple toe combination The applause in Moscow is almost nonstop. www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_IPHypQfYM. Joubert changed coaches three times recently before signing on with Jean-Christophe Simond, who was the European silver medalist in 1981-1982. Joubert’s programs are choreographed by four-time former world champion Kurt Browning.

Japan takes another medal at ISU Grand Prix with Yoshie Onda’s 2nd place finish at Cup of Russia

25/11/2006 - Japan saw another skater claim a spot on the ISU Grand Prix podiums, thanks to a strong recovery by 23 year-old Yoshie Onda in the free skate at Cup of Russia. Onda had been in 6th place after the short program but placed second in the free skate. She skated to the soundtrack from The Red Violin for her free program. Onda’s total score at Cup of Russia was 143.6 points. With the bronze medal, Onda joins teammates Nobunari Oda, who claimed the mens title at Skate America, Miki Ando who also won at Skate America, Mao Asada who took the bronze medal at Skate America and Fumie Suguri who won a silver at Skate Canada. Switzerland’s Sarah Meier also made a comeback in the free program to win the ladies gold medal at Cup of Russia with a total score of 159.7. In the free program, Meier performed to excerpts from the films Pride & Prejudice and Kikujiro. Meier had been in third place after the short program. She takes home $18,000 in prize money as gold medalist. It was Meier’s first win at an ISU Grand Prix event. Meier was fourth at Skate America. Julia Sebestyen from Hungary, who had been leading after the short program, struggled in the free skate, finishing in 5th place. However, due to her strong short program, Sebestyen was able to hold onto second place in the overall standings with a total score of 146.75. Sebestyen won the Cup of China earlier this month. Both Sebestyen and Meier have qualified for the ISU Grand Prix finals in St. Petersburg next month.

Bryan Joubert wins SP at ISU Cup of Russia, Weir in 2nd, Sandhu in 3rd

24/11/2006 - Bryan Joubert from France was the men’s favourite going into the ISU Grand Prix Cup of Russia in Moscow yesterday—and he didn’t disappoint his fans. Skating to the James Bond theme from Die Another Day, Joubert scored a total of 77.7 points in his short program, with 41.50 for his technical elements and 36.20 for program components. Joubert led Johnny Weir from the US, who earned 75.10 for his short program, skating to Rodriguez’ King of Chess. In third place was Canada’s Emanuel Sandhu, with a score of 71.30. Only a 1-point spread separated the top three men in program components marks. However, Joubert’s stronger technical program with a quad toe-triple toe combination extended his lead, particularly over Sandhu. Joubert stepped out of his triple axel but was awarded Level 3 ratings for his spins. Johnny Weir successfully landed a clean triple lutz-triple-triple toe combination as well as a triple axel and a triple flip. Weir received a Level 4 rating for his flying sit and a Level 3 for his change foot and combination spin. Weir and Sandhu rank among the most mercurial skaters, so anything can happen during the long program, as we saw at Skate Canada with Weir and at Cup of China with Sandhu. In the ladies event, Hungary’s Julia Sebestyen won the short program in a field that included Elena Sokolova from Russia in second place and Sarah Meier from Switzerland in third. Japan’s Yoshie Onda was in fifth place while Alissa Czisney from the US was in 7th. Czisney, who continues to struggle with her jumps, suffered a 1-point deduction for a fall.

Bernadette Quah & Sarah Rodgers triumph at Coventry Open in the UK

23/11/2006 - Please join us in congratulating fellow members Bernadette Quah and Sarah Rodgers who both won their events at the Coventry International Skating Open in the UK earlier this month. For more details, please refer to our website the story.

Today is your last chance to post registrations for SISA test day in December

22/11/2006 - If you are planning to take the tests held by SISA on December 13, today is the last day for you to pop your registration in the mail. If you did not receive a copy of this notice by email, please advise the club's hon sec. The email came with an expanded notice and attached registration form.Please see the attachment for more details. Your application must be post-marked today. SK8 GR8.

Local tv show looking for young ice skater to make guest appearance

20/11/2006 - Do you like performing? Can you smile on cue? Can you be lively and animated in front of an audience? Can you speak calmly but with expression when someone points a camera at you? Are you available for about five hours of filming over two days in early December? If you answered yes to the above questions, then you may be interested in this opportunity. The All Stars Club has just been approached by a local television show looking for a lively, articulate figure skater to make a guest appearance on their show about children doing interesting *different* things. (And ice skating in Singapore is certainly interesting & different!) If you think that you would like to audition for this role, please reply by email asap to this address. Please send a short resume of your interests (dance, gymnastics, violin, piano, science, chess etc) and achievements (competitions, performances, volunteer work, public speaking, etc), including those that are not related to skating. We will be forwarding the details to the producer who will have the final decision on the selection of the skater. We have been told that the producer is open to all skaters, regardless of nationality or gender. They would prefer that the skater be younger than 15 years of age. Don’t delay because the timing is tight.

Link to Yu-Na Kim's FP at Trophee Bompard (see earlier post for SP)

19/11/2006 - Free Program www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTMnE2gw7JQ

Link to Kimmie Meissner SP & FP at ISU Trophee Bompard

19/11/2006 - Short Program www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDuGriP3bvI Free Program www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqwsADrq5GA

Joannie Rochette SP & FP from Trophee Bompard

19/11/2006 - Short Program www.youtube.com/watch?v=zPE_hLNsl0Q&mode=related&search= Free program www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNKIJB5tS84

Link to Miki Ando SP & FP at Trophee Bompard

19/11/2006 - Short Program www.youtube.com/watch?v=D77gbJ0Fn90 Free Program www.youtube.com/watch?v=9HQq0ddB970&mode=related&search=

Link to Bryan Joubert's SP from ISU Trophee Bompard 2006

19/11/2006 - Bryan Joubert's SP to the theme from Die Another Day, James Bond, with huge honking quads! Wow. www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZAU_NocUTg

Bryan Joubert wins ISU Trophee Bompard, Preaubert in 2nd, Dobrin in 3rd

19/11/2006 - Skating on home ice proved no problems for France’s mens skaters this year at the ISU Trophee Bompard: Bryan Joubert and Alban Preaubert took 1st and 2nd place across the board at the event. Joubert’s total score at Trophee Bompard was 231.08. He landed two quad toe loops in the free skate. It was the first time that a Frenchmen had won an ISU competition in France. Russia claimed the 3rd and 4th spots with Sergei Dobrin and Ilia Klimkin. Canada’s 15 year old Patrick Chan, making his Senior Grand Prix event, finished in 5th. Japan’s Takahiko Kozuka, who also made his first appearance at an ISU Senior event, was in 6th, after a disastrous last place finish in the short and a stronger 6th place in the free. Jamal Othman from Switzerland, who had been 5th after the short program, fell to 11th place in the free skate. Please note: Jamal’s father is from Malaysia, not his mother as reported earlier.

Yu-Na Kim wins her first ISU Senior Grand Prix event at Trophee Bompard (link to Kim's SP)

19/11/2006 - Never doubt that even senior skaters succumb to the pressure of competition. At the ISU Trophee Bompard in Paris this weekend, Yu-Na Kim from Korea landed five triple jumps but fell on one jump and stepped out of another. However, Kim still won her first Senior Grand Prix event with a free skate score of 119.32 that boosted her total score for Trophee Bompard to 184.54. All the top ladies appeared to struggle with nerves during the free skate, with Kim, Miki Ando, Kimmie Meissner and Joannie Rochette all receiving deductions for falls. But the 16 year old from Korea established a 10-point lead on Japan’s Miki Ando, who finished the free skate in second place with a score of 109.42. Ando is believed to be suffering from back pain. In third place was Finland’s Susanna Poykio. The Finnish ladies champion had been in 8th place after a mediocre short program. Skating first in the free program, Poykio surged ahead on the back of a much improved technical mark while the leaders faltered on their, albeit more technically demanding, programs. Meissner fell trying the triple axel. Final results for the Trophee Bompard: Kim in 1st, Ando in 2nd, Meissner in 3rd, Rochette in 4th and Poykio in 5th. This link is to Yu-Na Kim's short program. Copy and paste. N.B.: It's slow to load. You may have to let it run through once and then watch again. Yu-Na Kim SP www.youtube.com/watch?v=jkyKSTOy4Jc

Kurt Browning commentary on mens programs at 2006 Olympic Games

18/11/2006 - Long program analysis of 2006 Olympic mens programs youtube.com/watch?v=US1JWSQYdtQ Short program analysis youtube.com/watch?v=zxt0KmC7Dmc&mode=related&search= Link to Kurt's FP at World Championships in 1990 Link to Kurt's Singing in the Rain number youtube.com/watch?v=COJWW12GEIk&mode=related&search=

Korea’s Yu-Na Kim wins SP at Trophee Bompard in Paris, Ando 2nd, Rochette 3rd

18/11/2006 - Perhaps she was inspired to be skating in Paris to music from Moulin Rouge, but Yu-Na Kim of Korea put down the No.1 short program at the ISU Trophee Bompard in Paris on Friday. The current Junior World champion received a total score of 65.22 points for her short program, with a technical elements mark of 37.70 and a program components mark of 27.52. Her previous personal best at Skate Canada was 62.68. However, Kim had only a thin 0.20-point lead on Japan’s Miki Ando, who was awarded a total score of 65.02, consisting of 36.70 points for technical and 28.32 for presentation. Joannie Rochette from Canada was in third while Kimmie Meissner, the 2006 World Champion, is in fourth after a fall on her triple lutz. Kim led the technical mark, with a triple flip-triple toe combination, a triple lutz and a level four spiral sequence. However, she seemed most pleased with the improvement in her program component score over her performance from Skate Canada—where she also won the short with her Tango de Roxane. At Skate Canada, her component score was 24.84. However, Kim still needs to show that she can handle the demands of her free program. At Skate Canada, she slid into fourth place in the free skate. In contrast, Miki Ando and Joannie Rochette both came from behind at their previous ISU Grand Prix events to win the free programs. Ando seems well-prepared for the free program. She came to Paris more than a week ago so she isn’t suffering from jet lag. In her short program, Ando landed a triple lutz-triple loop combo and a triple flip. She also received a Level 4 rating on her spiral sequence, flying sit spin and combination spin. Her technical mark was 36.70 while her program components mark was 28.32. Ando’s short program is to Scheherazade, which was used by Michelle Kwan for her long program in 2001-2002. Link to Michelle Kwan Scherazade program. http://youtube.com/watch?v=tpA24pOb5PE&mode=related&search In the short program, Rochette was hit with a technical deduction for timing. She held her final spin position past the official 2:40 time for short programs. However, her technical mark also reflected the lower difficulty in her program. She did not perform a triple-triple combination, opting instead for a triple flip-double toe combo. Rochette’s technical mark was 32.88 while her program components mark was 27.04.

ISU Trophee Eric Bompard opens in Paris today with practice sessions

16/11/2006 - I haven’t been able to find a schedule for the ISU’s Trophee Eric Bompard 2006, which starts today in Paris. However, let me say that the ladies event looks incredibly loaded! Slated to compete are: Miki Ando from Japan, Kimmie Meissner from the US, Yu-Na Kim from Korea, Joannie Rochette from Canada, Susanna PÖYKIÖ from Finland, and Christine Zukowski from the US. In mens, 15 year old Patrick Chan from Canada makes his jump to the ISU’s senior circuit for the first time as does 17 year old Takahiko Kozuka from Japan. Other contenders in this event include: Bryan Joubert and Alban Preaubert from France, Ilia Klimkin from Russia and Jamal Othman from Switzerland. (Jamal’s father is from Malaysia.) In pairs, China’s Zhang Dan & Zhang Hao will be competing against Russian teams Julia OBERTAS & Sergei SLAVNOV and Maria PETROVA & Alexei TIKHONOV as well as Rena INOUE & John BALDWIN from the US. Making only their second-ever appearance at an ISU event will be Li Jiaqi & Xu Jiankun, who train in Beijing under coach Liu Wei. Stay tuned and enjoy!

Sarah wins Level 5 event at Coventry International Ice Skating Open

15/11/2006 - Singapore’s Sarah Afiqah Rodgers got an early birthday present on Tuesday when she won the Lord Mayor’s Trophy at the Coventry International Ice Skating Open in the UK. Ten year old Sarah, who turns 11 on November 17th, claimed first place in a field of nine figure skaters. Sarah recently passed the Level 5 test held by the National Ice Skating Association of the UK, and Coventry was her first competition at the higher level. In October the young Singaporean placed 4th of 20 competitors at the Sk8 Scotland Open Championships.

Link to Julia Sebestyen's FP at 2006 Cup of China

13/11/2006 - www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNe1aWpMKMs

Fan incident just prior to Yukari Nakano's free skate

13/11/2006 - www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1EBex6ExgM

Link to Yukari Nakano FP at Cup of China 2006

13/11/2006 - Yukari Nakano FP www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufonW1zTZRQ

Link to Emily Hughes FP (copy & paste)

12/11/2006 - www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vh2C9AxztPE

Link to Sergei Davydov SP at Cup of China 2006

12/11/2006 - www.youtube.com/watch?v=_eLLna3insw

Evan Lysacek claims gold at Cup of China, Davydov in 2nd, Sandhu in 3rd (includes link to Sandhu's SP)

12/11/2006 - Evan Lysacek from the US claimed his first ISU Grand Prix title in the 2006 season with a decisive win at the Cup of China this weekend. Building on his second place finish in the short program, Lysacek was a standout in the free skate, scoring 76.04 for his technical elements and 74.80 in program components. His total free skate score for Cup of China was almost identical to the 150.74 he achieved at Skate America. Although he won the free skate at Skate America, he placed second in overall results behind Japan’s Nobunari Oda. It was a different story at Cup of China. With a short program score of 69.20, Lysacek entered the free skate, only decimal points behind Sergei Davydov of Belarus, who had earned 69.45. Skating to Peter Gabriel’s The Passion Begins, Lysacek scored higher than Davydov in the program components mark. Lysacek widened the gap in the free program with his performance to Carmen by Bizet, intercut with Rodion Schedrin’s adaptation of Carmen. Lysacek had an accumulated score of 220.04 at Cup of China, compared with 199.11 for Davydov, who won the silver medal. Look for Lysacek at the Grand Prix Final in St. Petersburg in December. Davydov’s placement in the free program was hurt by a comeback by the perpetual comeback king, Emanuel Sandhu from Canada. Sandhu had placed 4th in the short program, brought down by a poor technical mark. He was unable to hold the landing on his opening quad and failed to get credit for the second jump in the combination because he added a step in between the two elements as he tried to save the quad. Sandhu also looked slow on his footwork and spins, although he still managed to top the program components score in the short program with a mark of 35.25. In the free program, Sandhu’s technical mark was a dismal 59.34, including a 1-point deduction. However, once again, his program components mark, a high 71.50, pulled up his overall free skate score. Sandhu managed to squeeze into 3rd place at Cup of China with a score of 193.39, just 1 full point ahead of the 192.38 earned by Scott Smith from the US. Lysacek takes home $18,000 in prize money, Davydov $13,000 and Sandhu $9,000. Emanuel Sandhu SP www.youtube.com/watch?v=WN3UL4rwdPs

Hungary's Julia Sebestyen takes 1st place at Cup of China

11/11/2006 - In the end, it wasn’t the teenagers who prevailed in the ladies event at the ISU Cup of China. Congratulations go to 25 year-old Julia Sebestyen from Hungary for proving that the sport hasn’t been totally taken over by youngsters. The former European Champion in 2004 didn’t fare well at Worlds and the Olympics this year, but she held it together for the free program at Cup of China--or at least she held it together better than her leading competitors. ‘Jumping Julia’ scored a free skate total of 100.98, composed of a technical score of 48.90 and program components of 52.08. Sebestyen’s strong free skate pushed her into the No.1 spot overall, with a combined total of 153.80 points. Holding onto the silver medal was Japan’s Yukari Nakano, 21 years old, with a free skate score of 96.37—technical elements 45.49 and program components 50.88. Nakano’s accumulated score from both programs totaled 151.27. Emily Hughes, 17 years old, slipped into third place, on the back of a low technical score of 40.30 (popped jumps, shaky landings and a fall) but a great program score of 54.08—ahead of even Sebestyen. Hughes’ combined total at Cup of China was 151.12. Emily Hughes SP www.youtube.com/watch?v=cT1lu3xA6as Yukari Nakano SP www.youtube.com/watch?v=7r2VK-O-D08

Link to Shen & Zhao FP at ISU Cup of China 2006

11/11/2006 - www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOhqwAJtIOo

Link to Evan Lysacek SP at Cup of China

10/11/2006 - Skating to The Feeling Begins by Peter Gabriel from the film The Last Temptation of Christ. Coached by Frank Carroll, choreographed by Lori Nichol and Kurt Browning www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4cRVzOacrs

Link to Shen & Zhao's FP at 2003 World Championships

11/11/2006 - Shen Xue & Zhao Hongbo won the World Championships in Washington in 2003 with a passionate free skate to Puccini's Turandot. The crowd in Washington was on their feet, applauding 45 seconds before the program ended. With exquisite choreography, Shen & Zhao tell the story of the aloof Princess Turandot won over by love. This program is one of the finest examples of pairs skating, punctuated by deep emotion, great unison and difficult elements. Coach Yao Bin is in tears at the end of the program. www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hbaclG6B1c

Link to Shen & Zhao SP at ISU Cup of China

11/11/2006 - Shen & Zhao SP www.youtube.com/watch?v=KabhK8XLbGg

Shen & Zhao triumph in pairs at ISU Cup of China

11/11/2006 - It came as no surprise to see China's Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo at the top of the podium for the pairs event at the ISU Grand Prix Cup of China in Nanjing on Friday. Shen and Zhao were world champions in 2002 and 2003 and bronze medalists at the Olympic Games in 2002 and 2006. At the Cup of China, the veteran competitors had a total score of 193.59, a full 21 points ahead of team mates Pang Qing & Tong Jiang, who claimed the silver with 172.56 points. In 3rd place was Aliona Savenchenko and Robin Szolkowy from Germany with 171.63 points. Shen & Zhao were in the lead after a strong short program, and a magnificent free skate simply made them untouchable. Not only did they set the technical standard, Shen & Zhao have the underlying emotion and connection with each other that is necessary for great pairs skating. Performing to Massenet's Meditation from Thais, the couple opened their free program with a side by side triple toe-double toe combiantion. They followed it up with a triple twist and a spread eagle into a double axel. Shen and Zhao received a Level 4 rating for an unusual forward outside edge death spiral. They also had a monster throw triple salchow and loop. Long-time fans may remember when Shen & Zhao attempted a throw quad salchow at the 2002 Winter Games: Shen landed the throw and then lost her edge, much to the crowd's great and very audible dismay. They have now won the Cup of China three times.

Michelle Kwan named 1st Diplomacy Envoy by US government

10/11/2006 - Nine-time US ladies champion and five-time world champion, Michelle Kwan has become a diplomat at the request of the US government. The announcement was made yesterday by US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who is a former figure skater. Michelle's role will be to promote cross-cultural understanding among the youth of the world. (Maybe we could get her to give a talk in Singapore!!!) For more information, please go to www.usfsa.org. And never doubt the ability of figure skaters to achieve great things.

Cup of China begins with SP program win for Emily Hughes of the US, Japan's Nakano in 2nd

10/11/2006 - At the ISU Grand Prix’s Cup of China, Emily Hughes from the US had an early victory in the ladies short program, scoring 56.74 yesterday. Hughes is the 2005 Junior World bronze medalist. Less than two points behind Hughes was Japan’s Yukari Nakano, the bronze medalist at the Grand Prix finals in 2005, with 54.90. Hughes was skating to Carmen while Nakano competed to Memoirs of a Geisha. Among the top five skaters, the spread in the scoring was only 7 points, leaving lots of opportunity for placement changes in the free program. Hungary’s Julia Sebestyn was in 3rd in the short program, scoring 52.80. Sitting in 6th place was Xu Binshu of China with a score of 49.54. However, in the technical score, Xu was in 2nd place with a score of 29.66 compared with frontrunner Hughes’ score of 29.90. Russia’s Elena Sokolova was in 7th place while Japan’s Mai Asada was in 8th.

Shen & Zhao win SP at Cup of China

10/11/2006 - Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo from China won the pairs short program at the Cup of China in Nanjing. The former world champions in 2002 and 2003 charmed the audience with a program to Romanza by Salvador Bacarisse. Judges were impressed with their throw triple loop and their side by side triple toes, awarding them 68.90—37.18 for technical and 31.72 for program components. Zhao has been recovering from a torn Achilles tendon, and Cup of China marks the pairs’ return to competitive skating. In second place were their teammates Pang Qing and Tong Jian, the 2006 World Champions. They scored 62 points, with a technical score of 32 and program components of 31.72. They skated to the elegie by Massenet O Doux Printemps d’Autrefois.

Interview with ISU's David Dore on new judging system

6/11/2006 - http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/FigureSkating/2006/11/05/2252560-cp.html

What the mens placements would have been like at Skate Canada without PC scores

6/11/2006 - In his recent report on competing at the ISU Junior Grand Prix for the All Stars website, Darryll Sulindro commented on the importance of the program components score, previously known as the presentation mark. Here’s something interesting about the results from Skate Canada that I found on the internet. Actual placements in the mens event at Skate Canada 1st-Stephane Lambiel-210.70 2nd-Daisuke Takahashi-208.21 3rd-Johnny Weir-198.70 4th-Shawn Sawyer-195.17 5th-Thomas Verner-192.15 6th-Yannick Ponsero-189.46 7th-Vaughn Chipeur-184.06 8th-Marc Andre Craig-168.32 9th-Jamal Othman-167.22 10th-Sergei Voronov-165.73 11th-Geoffry Varner-148.57 However, if you remove the program components and look solely at technical scores, the placements jump around a bit. 1st-Shawn Sawyer-109.22 2nd-Tomas Verner-101.85 3rd-Daisuke Takahashi-99.61 4th-Stephane Lambiel-99.45 5th-Vaughn Chipeur-94.96 6th-Yannick Ponsero-94.71 7th-Marc Andre Craig-93.27 8th-Johnny Weir-90.90 9th-Jamal Othman-84.22 10th-Sergei Voronov-83.86 11th-Geoffrey Varner-70.82

Brian Orser hired as head coach for Yu-Na Kim

6/11/2006 - www.tsn.ca/figure_skating/news_story/?ID=183088&hubname=

Link to Daisuke Takahashi Free Program at Skate Canada 2006

6/11/2006 - this is from Japanese television with a bit of a promotional runup to it. www.youtube.com/watch?v=6KvCSsGBbyY

Link to Johnny Weir's Free Program at Skate Canada

6/11/2006 - www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FQ_E7Aqa5A And look who's in the stands watching Johnny lose control of his free program!

Link to Stephane Lambiel's Free Program at Skate Canada 2006

6/11/2006 - www.youtube.com/watch?v=72zua5COK_o

Link to Fumie Suguri Free Program at Skate Canada 2006 AND 2002

6/11/2006 - In both 2002 and 2006, Fumie was in 2nd place after the short program. First up, 2006: www.youtube.com/watch?v=XclS0IY0ejY And check this out: Fumie's Free program from 2002 Skate Canada! www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOVYl8RDw3Q&mode=related&search=

Link to Joannie Rochette Free Program at Skate Canada

6/11/2006 - www.youtube.com/watch?v=bHd-biujlf0

Link to Yu-Na Kim Free Program at Skate Canada

6/11/2006 - www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Qr1LwtvWrE

Link to Alissa Cziseny SP & FP: watch them for the spins

5/11/2006 - Skating to Jesse Cook's Prelude & Quadukka, Alissa Czisney demonstrates why she is considered one of the best spinners on the competitive circuit today. She was 3rd in the free program at Skate Canada and 4th overall. Copy and paste. Short Program: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggiYedyjTQc Free: www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-gIzYlVYAY

Lambiel pulls through in FP to win Skate Canada, Takahashi in 2nd, Weir in 3rd

5/11/2006 - Sometimes you win on a great skate, and sometimes you win in part because you made fewer mistakes than your competitors. Such was the case of Switzerland’s Stephane Lambiel winning the free skate and the overall mens event at Skate Canada on Saturday. After standing in 7th place after the short program, 21 year old Lambiel landed five clean triples in the free program to earn a total of 146.25 points—72.05 for technical and 75.20 for program components. The two-time World Champion received a Level 4 rating on his combination spin and Level 3 scores on his other spins. However, he fell on one of his quad attempts and stepped out on another. He also doubled his triple axel. Lambiel was skating to Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. He earned an accumulated total of 210.70 points at Skate Canada. Daisuke Takahashi from Japan also had difficulties executing his planned elements in his free program to The Phantom of the Opera. The leader in the short program singled a planned quad toe, doubled a triple flip and then fell on it and went down on the entry to a triple loop in the free skate. Takahashi was more successful with his triple flip-triple toe and riple axel-double toe combinations. His score was 129.41 for his free program. His total accumulated score was 208.21. Johnny Weir from the US dipped into third place in the free skate as he also struggled with landings. He scored 122.41 points, performing to Child of Nazareth by Rodriguez. He stepped out of a triple salchow and put his hand down to avoid falling on his triple axel. Weir earned a total accumulated score of 198.7. All three men acknowledged that luck played a role in landing them on the podium at Skate Canada, given their flawed executions of their programs. Lambiel and Takahashi will compete at the NHK Trophy in Japan in December while Weir will compete at the Cup of Russia in Moscow later this month. The next competition in the ISU Grand Prix circuit is the Cup of China on November 9-12 in Nanjing.

Link to Johnny Weir's SP at Skate Canada

5/11/2006 - www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCH_iFDIirY

Rochette wins Skate Canada ladies event, Suguri holds onto 2nd, Kim dips to 3rd

5/11/2006 - Proving that anything can happen in the free skate, Joannie Rochette from Canada fought back from her 5th place finish in the short program to win both the free skate and the overall event at Skate Canada yesterday. In the free program, 20 year old Rochette scored 118.26, with a technical score of 62.02 and a program component score of 56.24. Rochette’s free skate and accumulated scores were new personal bests for her. She landed five clean triple jumps and popped one triple loop. Skating to Don Juan by Felix Gray Rochette took flamenco lessons earlier year to help improve her artistic presentation. On top of the medal, Rochette takes home $18,000 from Skate Canada. Korea’s Yu-Na Kim placed 4th in the free skate after a fall on a triple lutz and shaky landings on other jumps. Scoring 105.80 in the free skate, 16 year old Kim slipped to third overall with a total accumulated score of 168.48. Nonetheless, it was a great showing for Kim’s first competition at a Senior Grand Prix event. She performed to Williams’ The Lark Ascending. Kim spent several months training in Canada with Brian Orser, a two-time Olympic silver medalist, who was with her at Skate Canada. As the bronze medalist at Skate Canada, Kim won $9000 in prize money. Fumie Suguri, 25 years old, from Japan showed her consistency at the competition, placing second in the short, the free and overall. However, her accumulated lead over Kim was very thin. Suguri had a total accumulated score at Skate Canada of 168.76. She won $13,000 as the silver medalist. Japan’s Yoshie Onda, who had finished the short program in second last place, laid down a strong technical program in the free skate that helped bring her up to 7th place. With a technical score of 59.54 points in the free skate, Onda was right behind leader Rochette. However, Onda’s overall score was hurt by a lackluster program component or presentation score of only 44.64. Interview with Yu-Na Kim after the short program www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSG5kW2ccus

Japan’s Daisuke Takahashi leads after mens short program at Skate Canada

4/11/2006 - Japan’s Daisuke Takahashi won the men’s short program at Skate Canada but Johnny Weir from the US is trailing by only a few points. Takahashi, Japan’s current men’s champion, racked up 78.80 in points, compared with Weir’s score of 76.28. Takahashi landed a triple flip-triple toe combination, followed by a triple axel and a triple lutz. He skated to Tchaikovski’s Violin Concerto. Weir, who is the current champion from the US, put down a clean triple axel, a triple lutz-triple toe and a triple flip. Skating to “King of Chess” by Rodriguez, Weir earned Level 4 ratings on his change foot sit spin and his flying sit. In third place was Czech mens champion Tomas Verner with a score of 71.30. Verner earned a Level 4 rating for all of his spins but two-footed the triple axel. He was skating to “Toccata and Fugue” by Vanessa Mae. Reigning world champion Stephane Lambiel had an extraordinarily ill-fated skate in the short program. He went down on his jump combination ( which began with a quad toe). He also fell on his entrance to his camel spin, and he showed that he is still struggling with the triple axel when he turned it into a double. He was in 7th place at the close of the short.

Link to Zhang & Zhang SP at Skate Canada

4/11/2006 - www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mam5y3Xu-0

Link to Fumie Suguri Skate Canada program

4/11/2006 - www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQ2rNeqr988

Zhang Dan/Zhang Hao receive $18,000 as winners of the pairs event at Skate Canada

4/11/2006 - If Japan looks set to dominate the singles events this year, China is ready to rule pairs, as evidenced by the victory of Zhang Dan/Zhang Hao at Skate Canada in Victoria, BC this weekend. After the short program, the Zhangs (who are not related) had a solid 11-point lead on Canadians Valerie Marcoux and Craig Buntin. In third was Rena Inoue and John Baldwin from the US. In the free skate, the reigning Olympic and Silver medalists pulled off a throw triple salchow as well as a throw triple loop and a triple twist. They also did side by side triple salchows. Skating to “The Offspring of Dragons”, the Zhangs received a Level 4 rating for their spiral sequence and their combination spin. The won the event with a total score of 190.97 points. Inoue and Baldwin squeezed into second place with a score of 166.32—only a breath ahead of Marcoux and Buntin who scored 166.19. The Americans were able to surpass the Canadians' score on the back of a throw triple axel. Inoue and Baldwin, who won Four Continents in 2005, are the only pairs team who have successfully landed a throw triple axel in competition.

Link to Yu-Na Kim SP at Skate Canada 2006

4/11/2006 - www.youtube.com/watch?v=NpN49hUrlR0

Korea's Yu-Na Kim wins SP at ISU Skate Canada

4/11/2006 - At Skate Canada, her first ISU Senior Grand Prix competition, Yu-Na Kim from Korea won the short program in the ladies event, with a score of 62.68. Skating to her program from last season, Tango de Roxane, Kim was the only skater to land a triple-triple combination, with a triple flip-triple toe. The current Junior World Champion also did a clean triple lutz and an Ina Bauer into a double axel. In second place is 2006 World silver medalist Fumie Suguri from Japan, with a score of 58.52. Suguri skated to Ravel’s Bolero, a musical choice that seemed to work better for the skater from Japan than it did for Michelle Kwan a few years ago. Suguri’s program included a triple lutz-double toe combo, a triple flip, a double axel and a spiral sequence that was rated Level 4. Finland’s Susanna Pöykiö placed third, skating to “One” by Apocalyptica. Pöykiö total score for the short program was 57.62. Like Suguri, Pöykiö had a triple lutz-double toe combination and a triple flip. Pöykiö also received Level 4 ratings for her spiral sequence and for her combination spin.

Link to story on Angela Nikodinov

3/11/2006 - http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-elliott2nov02,1,382936.column

Russian coaches moving back home to rebuild figure skating

3/11/2006 - This article from the Globe and Mail in Canada notes the apparent decline in Russian figure skating. From winning the mens, pairs and ice dance events at the Olympics in February, the Russian federation is now looking a weak field of competitors this year. www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20061030.SKATE30/TPStory/Sports

Not news but worth watching: India sends 1st pairs team to ISU Junior Grand Prix in Taipei

2/11/2006 - India sent its first pairs team to compete at the ISU Junior Grand Prix in Taipei. It’s worth watching. Here's the link as well as one to a story that appeared in an Indian newspaper. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSV0Ei8GlsU&NR http://www.hinduonnet.com/2006/08/19/stories/2006081919420200.htm

ISU Skate Canada begins this weekend in Victoria

2/11/2006 - Next up in the ISU Grand Prix circuit is Skate Canada International, which will be held in Victoria, British Columbia this weekend. The headline skaters at the competition will be Stephane Lambiel, 2006 Olympic silver medalist; Johnny Weir, US mens Champion; and Daisuke Takahashi, Japan’s mens champion. Among the ladies are Yu-Na Kim, the 2006 Junior World Champion, Fumie Suguri from Japan, Xu Binshu from China, Joannie Rochette & Mira Leung from Canada and Alissa Czisney from the US.

More links to great programs from Skate America

1/11/2006 - Miki Ando's Long Program from Skate America http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6jnx7I-Eyw Mao Asada's LP at Skate America 2006 www.youtube.com/watch?v=LU5XfkAhxHw Kimmie Meissner's SP www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0ng1ihdpMM Kimmie Meissner's LP at Skate America www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZB1ui1FQJo Mai Asada's Short Program at Skate America http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTOf8GMvEaM Mai Asada's LP at Skate America http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cN9RdaqGZes

New rivalry between US & Japan stirs up interest in figure skating

1/11/2006 - With the Japan's sweep of the singles event in Skate America, figure skating fans got their first glimpse of how dynamic the sport may be this year. Read more by following the link below. Please Click here

Skate America comp heralds a great year for figure skating

1/11/2006 - After the Olympic Games, figure skating often goes into a slump as skaters go into recovery mode. However, the rising stars from Japan and the US signal interesting times in figure skating this year. Copy and paste the link for more info. www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-skating31oct31,1,3586042.story

A report on the ISU Junior Grand Prix

31/10/2006 - Please take a look at our website for an exciting report by former All Stars member Darryll Sulindro on what it’s like to compete at the ISU Junior Grand Prix level.

Final test date before Singapore National Championships is December 13th

30/10/2006 - If you are planning to take part in the National Figure Skating Championships in 2007, please check with your coach to determine what elements you will need to compete and whether you need to take part in the upcoming test day on December 13th. SISA says there will be no test days in January so book your space now. You must submit your *test* application no later than November 22nd, which is less than a month away. Please take a moment to review the attachments. If you have any questions, please check with your coach and/or Alison Chan, the Honsec for SISA, at alison@bchhealth.com.sg. SK8 Gr8! Laura Honsec All Stars Figure Skating Club

Links to Oda & Lysacek LPs at Skate America, Ando & Asada SP

30/10/2006 - Nobunari Oda long program, Skate America 2006 www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zrw_ov9wBnY Evan Lysacek long program, Skate America 2006 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8a2i83jBok Mao Asada short program, Skate America 2006www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hSDFzUeCOc Miki Ando short program, Skate America http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JsFYqDEt-RI

Going to Korea for the Olympic Dream training program: Anja Chong, Annika Nyberg and Sarah Paw

29/10/2006 - Congratulations to the following All Stars who will be taking part in the Korean Olympic Dream training program: Anja Chong, Annika Nyberg and Sarah Paw. Team Manager for the trip will be Lee Chow Ying from the Tropical Blades Ice Skating Club. The Korean Dream Programme is an incredibly generous initiative by the Korean Olympic organizers. As part of its campaign for the 2010 Winter Games (which Korea subsequently lost to Vancouver), Korea promised to provide all-expenses-paid training opportunities until 2010 to athletes from countries that didn’t have a tradition of winter sports. Singapore sent its first group of skaters in early 2004, led by Team Manager Sally Ong. The Dream Programme is a great opportunity for Singapore’s figure skaters to meet with athletes from other countries, to learn about other cultures and to get fresh perspective on training from other coaches in the world.

USFSA broadcasting domestic qualifying comps from Juvenile to Senior

29/10/2006 - Here’s some good news for members who feel we never get enough figure skating in Singapore. The United States Figure Skating Association has begun broadcasting domestic qualifying competitions from Juvenile to Senior. If you want to see what skaters your own age and level are doing overseas, here’s your chance. The service is being offered for free on a temporary basis, and at the moment three competitions are available: Central Pacific Regional, Northwest Pacific Regional and Southwest Pacific Regional. All disciplines are available, from ladies, mens, pairs, ice dance and synchro. Here's the link. www.icenetwork.com You will have to copy and paste.

Miki Ando wins Skate America, Meissner in 2nd, Asada in 3rd

29/10/2006 - Miki Ando from Japan soared into first place at Skate America on the back of a sizzling, 10-jump free skate, including 7 triple jumps (with four in combinations). After a discouraging 15th-finish at the Turino Olympic Games, Ando has made a spectacular return to competitive form. Ando’s score for the free skate was 125.85, with her technical elements receiving 70.73 and her program components receiving 55.12. Combined with her short program score of 66.74, Ando won gold at Skate America and set a new personal best total score of 192.59. Heading into the free program, Japan’s Mao Asada looked like a sure thing for the gold. Ando was in 2nd and Kimmie Meissner from the US was in 3rd. Both skaters were determined to make the most of the free skate to move up. And they did, with a great 6-triple jump skate from Meissner, a phenomenal skate from Ando—and a disastrous skate from Mao Asada. The opening triple axel planned by the young Japanese wunderkind turned into a single axel, and one media report said Asada didn’t complete a triple jump until 2:31 into the program. Asada finished fourth in the free skate but held onto 3rd place overall as a result of her top-scoring short program.

Mao Asada wins short program at Skate America, Ando in 2nd, Meissner in 3rd

28/10/2006 - Sixteen year-old Mao Asada from Japan won the short program at Skate America on Friday, with a ‘magical’ performance to Frederic Chopin’s ‘Nocturne’, according to media reports. Her jump elements included a triple lutz and a triple loop-triple flip combination. Mao scored 68.84 for her short program, 2 points above the 66.74 mark achieved by compatriot Miki Ando, 19 years old. (We have included a link to a brief video of a Skate America practice session.) For Ando, Skate America was another chance at showing the skating world she still has what it takes to succeed on the ice. Junior World Champion in 2004, Ando scored a personal best at the competition with a score of 66.74 points. Her Sheherazade program by Nikolai Rimski-Korsakov had a triple lutz-triple loop combination, a triple flip, and a spiral sequence that received a level-four rating. Kimmie Meissner, the 17 year-old 2006 World Champion, finished the short program in 3rd place after putting a hand down on her triple lutz (which was in combination with a double toe loop). Her spiral sequence was also rated Level 4 as was one of her spins. Meissner’s score was 58.82. Both Asada and Meissner plan triple axels for their long programs. www.oregonlive.com/newsflash/sports/index.ssf?/base/sports-12/116199776443440.xml&storylist=sports www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4H_ys1pazg www.baltimoresun.com/sports/olympics/bal-skate1027,0,7753957.story?track=rss

Japan's Oda wins gold at Skate America

28/10/2006 - Japan’s Nobunari Oda won the men’s gold medal at Skate America on Friday, thanks to the huge lead he established with a virtually flawless short program on Thursday. Skating to the jazz classic “Fly Me to the Moon”, Oda opened his short program with a fantastic triple axel and never once looked back. He unequivocally proved that slow music doesn’t mean slow skating. Oda skated with such confidence and showmanship that it was easy to forget that he’s only 19 years old. For his short program, he received from the judges a personal best score of 81.80. At Skate America, Oda was second in the free skate, with a score of 149.59, just a shade behind the US’ Evan Lysacek’s mark of 150.74. Lysacek had been in 3rd place after the short program, with a score of 70.35. Alban Preaubert, who had been in second place in the short program with 73.8, slipped into 3rd in the long with a score of 138.87. Please take a look at the video link to Oda’s short program. You will have to copy and paste. www.youtube.com/watch?v=3sOXvCMD4PQ&mode=related&search= http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20061027/wl_asia_afp/fskateusa_061027070939

Mao Asada plans triple axel for Skate America

26/10/2006 - Please copy and paste into your web browser. http://www.usatoday.com/sports/olympics/winter/2006-10-25-skate-america-asada_x.htm?csp=34&POE=click-refer

Kimmie Meissner lends her name to help kids with cancer

26/10/2006 - Please note that you will have to copy and paste the link into your web browser. Sports Illustrated only keeps this story active for a month. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/more/10/25/bc.na.spt.fig.skateamer.ap/index.html?section=si_latest

Kimmie Meissner getting ready for SAT exams & Skate America

26/10/2006 - http://www.usatoday.com/sports/olympics/winter/2006-10-25-meissner-skate-america_x.htm?csp=34&POE=click-refer

Asada-Meissner rivalry heats up as ISU Skate America begins today

26/10/2006 - You will have to copy and paste this link to the story by Sports Illustrated. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/more/10/23/bc.na.spt.fig.skateamer.ap/index.html?section=si_latest

Canadian Kevin Reynolds slated for ISU JGP Final

26/10/2006 - Take a look at Kevin Reynolds, a skater from Canada who looks like he is 11 years old but is actually 16. He was first at the JGP in Mexico City and second in Taipei. He trains at Centre of Excellence at Burnaby 8 Rinks in Vancouver with Coaches Joanne McLeod and Jill Marie Harvey. His skating style is reminiscent of Emanuel Sandhu who also trains at Burnaby 8. Kevin also has qualified for the Junior Grand Prix final in December. The links are to his short and long programs from Taipiei. You will have to cut and paste. www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tnnj5vYxZDA www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0Lda3wMKb4

Brandon Mroz from US qualifies for ISU Junior Grand Prix final

25/10/2006 - New links to programs by almost 16 year-old Brandon Mroz at the ISU Junior Grand Prix in Chinese Taipei. Brandon was landing clean triples at 13 and barely breaking a sweat. Ironically, early success may have come too easily for him because he seemed to lose his focus for a while. However, he has found his form again, as seen by his programs at the Junior Grand Prix in Taipei. Watch how fast he turns in the air on his opening triple-triple combination in the short program. He is using Improviso by Nino Rota for his short program and Malaguena for his long program. Brandon was second at the Junior Grand Prix in Mexico City, and he has qualified for the Junior Grand Prix final in Bulgaria in December. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSpa7AwkVQI http://www.usfigureskating.org/AthleteBio.asp?id=34451 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzyKCGhR1Do

Kimmie Meissner competes at ISU Skate America next week

21/10/2006 - http://au.sports.yahoo.com/061018/3/xq9y.html

Korean Skater Ji-Eun Choi profiled on Skate Today website

21/10/2006 - http://www.skatetoday.com/articles0506/101506.htm

I Landed My Axel Pin

20/10/2006 - Max Koh is the latest skater to receive an “I landed my axel” pin from the All Stars Figure Skating Club. If you are landing a clean, consistent axel, please send us an email so we can deliver a pin to you, too! Congratulations, Max, from everyone at the All Stars Figure Skating Club. Sk8 gr8!

Singles Ladies Medal Presentation Ceremony at ISU JGP in Taipei

18/10/2006 - One more link to video from the ISU Junior Grand Prix in Taipei, but there’s no skating this time. It’s the medal presentation only, but it’s worth watching. Caroline Zhang is utterly charming as she makes the transition from confident performer on ice to wide-eyed 13 year old at the top of the podium. We have already done some media training with some of you on handling yourselves in interviews and in public. But, here are a few general thoughts that you should keep in mind when you next find yourself on the podium. (And you will!) 1)Take your bows with grace and deliberation. Now is not the time to lack expression or follow-through in your movements. This is your moment to acknowledge the goodwill of the audience. 2)Don’t climb the podium as if it were a fence. If you need to, start with the lowest step and work your way up. You can come down the same way. 3)Shake hands and congratulate your competitors with your best presentation smile. You may be trembling with excitement, disappointment or even fear, but try to smile. Now is not the time to lack expression in your face. 4)Accept your medal, regardless of its colour, with a smile and acknowledge the audience with an even bigger smile. Applaud for your competitors. 5)When a National anthem plays, be alert but still. If it’s your anthem, sing. This is a moment of personal glory and national pride. If it’s someone else’s anthem, stand with respect for the occasion. And that’s actually a good policy for everyone, even if you are nowhere near the podium. Enjoy the video, and keep your dreams alive. www.youtube.com/watch?v=FvOjJSQ8TN0

Link to JGP Taipei video of Caroline Zhang's free program

17/10/2006 - To all the fans of Caroline Zhang who requested a link to her Taipei free program, we found one! You may have to copy and paste in your browser. www.youtube.com/watch?v=4IIUWgOwAIQ And here's a link to her bio on the USFSA website. Not only does she skate, she plays piano and violin. www.usfsa.org/AthleteBio.asp?id=34948

Link to Caroline Zhang practise video in Mexico City JGP of long program

16/10/2006 - For the club’s growing number of Caroline Zhang fans, here’s a new link to a practice run-through of her long program at the Junior Grand Prix in Mexico. Check out what happens to her glove at the end of the program. You may have to copy and paste the link into your browser. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TmTEBhfE8AA

Sarah Rodgers places 4th at Scottish Open Championships on October 14th

15/10/2006 - Please join us in congratulations to Sarah Rodgers for her 4th place finish at the Scottish Open Championships this weekend. For more details, please see the home page of www.allstars-skating.org

Caroline Zhang from US has decisive win at ISU Junior Grand Prix in Taipei

15/10/2006 - Thirteen year old Caroline Zhang from the United States scored another victory in the ISU Junior Grand Prix series with her first place finish in Taipiei this weekend. Caroline racked up total points of 105.6 in the free program, more than 20 points ahead of 2nd place skater Nana Takeda from Japan. With the short and free program scores combined, Caroline had almost a 40-point lead over Nana Takeda. Skating with impeccable control and speed, Caroline justified her huge lead in the scoring. She had terrific height on her triple jumps but still demonstrated that fast twitch in the air (although she seemed to flutz her opening triple lutz in her short program). In third and fourth place were Korea's Na-Young Kim and Ji Eun Choi, respectively. Japan's Risa Mochizuki was in fifth--for a sweep of the top five positions by skaters of Asian descent. Below is a link to Caroline's short program in Taipei. You may have to copy and paste into your web browser. www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_NxYVm6AjE

Figure skating coach Manon Perron is first to get $10,000 in GM Canada funds

14/10/2006 - Figure skating coach Manon Perron is first to get $10,000 in GM Canada funds Neil Stevens Canadian Press www.canada.com Friday, October 13, 2006 TORONTO (CP) - Manon Perron pledged to double one-on-one coaching time with Canadian figure skating champion Joannie Rochette after receiving a $10,000 grant from General Motors of Canada on Thursday. It won't be easy because she has other skaters to coach and two children to raise, but the satisfaction of working with Rochette and an understanding husband should keep her sane. "It's so nice to receive this," she said in thanking GM Canada president Arturo Elias at a news conference Thursday. "Normally, funding goes to the athletes. "As coaches, we are paid, but it's so nice to see that people are with us. It's going to make a big difference in Joannie's training, for sure. It will mean more lessons and more time with her on the ice. "I'm going to give her double what she has normally." Rochette was fifth at the 2006 Winter Games so she'll be a podium threat in Vancouver in four years. The additional coaching could translate into a medal. "This means a lot," said Rochette. "The (federal) government is already helping but it's great that companies like GM are investing in amateur sport, too. "It's going to make a big difference in my career." GM has pledged $5.2 million in all. There is $4 million for the "Own the Podium 2010" program, which was set up to ensure that Canadian athletes have every opportunity to be No. 1 in medals in Vancouver-Whistler and to place in the top-three in the Paralympic Winter Games in four years. The Canadian Olympic Committee, the Vancouver organizing committee and all the other major national winter sports entities got together to create "Own the Podium 2010" last year. The other $1.2 million in GM money will include 10 cheques of $10,000 in each of the next four years to coaches of the country's top athletes to cover training and travel expenses. Perron was the first recipient. As well, 100 grants of $2,000 in each of the next four years will aid local club programs. The first recipient was coach David Ellis and the Toronto Fencing Club. The Coaching Association of Canada is accepting applications from coaches and will select recipients on the basis of need. Rochette gets a one-hour, one-on-one session with Perron most weekdays at a Montreal-region arena. Coaches with her credentials charge at least $60 an hour. As well, Rochette's total ice time costs her $2,000 during the skating season. A good portion of the training costs are being picked up by a group of private individuals across Canada who initiated a fund last spring to aid Rochette and other selected elite athletes. She forwards bills to the group, which takes care of paying them. She pays for her apartment, car and everyday expenses out of winnings at four or five skating meets each year and from ice shows such as Kurt Browning's annual Gotta Skate at Air Canada Centre on Friday night. Any financial support Rochette gets boosts her confidence, she says. "Having people investing in you, is great proof of support," she said. "Every time I go on the ice, I know I have their support. "I don't see this as pressure. I see this as one more person on my team. It's one more source of motivation." Olympic skiing great Nancy Greene Raine has been an advocate of enhanced coaching. She was on a task force after she retired from world-class competition in the late 1960s that recommended formation of the CAC. "You can't get there by yourself without a very special person helping you," said Greene. "It just doesn't happen." Cathy Priestner Allinger, executive vice-president of the Vancouver organizing committee, also attended the news conference. Canada is the only country to be host for two Olympics and not win a gold medal but, she said, "We're going to change that." The target for Canada in 2010 is 35 total medals and coaches will play a large role in the pursuit of that goal. © The Canadian Press 2006

Asian skaters & familiar faces competing at ISU Junior Grand Prix in Taipei

4/10/2006 - Next weekend, the International Skating Union will be holding a Junior Grand Prix event in Taiwan from October 12th to October 15th. Two former residents of Singapore—Amanda Sunyoto and Darryll Sulindro—will be competing in Junior Pairs for Taiwan. In the Junior Ladies, the following Asian countries will be sending skaters to compete: Hong Kong: Tamami Ono, a Japanese skater who has represented Hong Kong for her entire competitive career. She competed at the inaugural Singapore Nationals in 2002. India: Aadnya Borkar, who trains in Oman and Dubai. Japan: Risa Mochizuki and Nana Takeda Korea: Ji Eun Choi and Na-Young Kim The Philippines: Gracielle Jeanne Tan, who represents the Philippines but trains in California. Taiwan: Colleen Burkhead, who was born and trains in the US, Joy Chang and Jennie Lee In the Junior Men: Hong Kong is sending Tatsuya Tanaka, who was born in Taipei and trains in Tokyo. Japan will be represented by Takahito Mura. Taiwan will be represented by Hung-Wen Tien In Junior Pairs: Taiwan will be represented by: Amanda Sunyoto Yang and Darryll Sulindro Yang, who trained for many years in Singapore under Coaches Carolyn Chetwynd and Zhang Wei. Amanda and Darryl are former Singapore National Champions in singles and in pairs. Amanda attended Henry Park Primary School and Darryll attended Anglo Chinese Boys School. In August, they represented Taiwan at the Junior Grand Prix in Budapest. We wish them the best of luck at the Junior Grand Prix next weekend.

Links to video on Midori Ito

2/10/2006 - Here’s a brief bit of the heritage you share with other skaters in Asia. Midori Ito was the first female skater in history to land a triple axel, the first to land one at the Olympic Games and the first to land one at the World Championships. She was the first Asian figure skater to win a World Championship, in 1988, when she was 18 years old. She won a silver medal at the 1992 Olympic Games in Albertville, France. Midori was never known for graceful skating. However, she brought unsurpassed athleticism and an undeniable joie de vie to her skating. The clip below is undated, but I believe it was done when she was in her early teens. Her official height is 144.8 cm. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kwZfRrrEQ6g And this is her long programme at the 1988 Olympic Games. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2TW9egpud0&search=ito%20midori

Link to video of Shizuka Arakawa

30/9/2006 - Courtesy of fellow member Amelia Ho comes a link to 2006 Olympic Champion Shizuka Arakawa’s performance at the gala in Torino earlier this year. Shizuka was Japan’s first gold medalist in figure skating. Thanks, Amelia! By the way, at the ISU Junior Grand Prix in Mexico City this month, Caroline Zhang placed first with a combined score of 162.43. Her nearest competitor scored only 108.83. Enjoy. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMqsxTOSSuk

Link to video of US skater Caroline Zhang

27/9/2006 - This 13 year old skater from the US has extraordinary spin positions in addition to some wonderful triple jumps. The picture quality is not great, but be patient. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMK0fVZrmL4 Enjoy. (Apologies in advance to the coaches to whom I’ve already sent this email.)

New profiles on the website

20/6/2006 - We are in the process of adding new skater profiles to our website. Read about Michelle Lee and Melissa Leow feelings about competition, Tabitha Lin’s best advice for new skaters or Cheryl Khoo’s analysis of the difference in singles skating and ice dancing. Stay tuned for profiles from Eng Kai Er, Cheryl Lim, Jasmine Mehaffey (who is a big Michelle Kwan), Sarah Paw and Erika Sugimoto. Some skaters have asked why we have profiled some members and not others. So, let me say, again, we’re proud of all our members. We really do believe in our motto ‘where every skater is a star’, and we are happy to profile any skater who *wants* to be profiled. Whether you are a new skater or a veteran, we want to hear about your skating dreams, your plans and even some of your frustrations. J If you want to be profiled, please send us an email, and we will send you a list of starter questions.

Kids@Play 2006--Sat June 25! Come Play!

19/6/2006 - If you are free this Saturday, why don’t you take part in the Young Parents’ Fiesta—Kids@Play 2006, which is being sponsored by the Singapore Sports Council. When the organizers comment on how fabulously fit you are, be sure to tell them that it’s because you’re a figure skater! ;-) The attachment is a media invite, and it contains all the information you will need if you would like to take part in the fun. You won’t even have to write about it!

Olympic Champion Plushenko is now a Father

17/6/2006 - Olympic men’s champion Evgeni Plushenko and his wife Maria are now proud parents of baby boy Kristian, who was born on Friday June 16th in St. Petersburg, Russia. News reports says Kristian weighed 3.5 kg.

Kimmie Meissner designs bracelet as awareness & fund raiser for kids with cancer

17/6/2006 - Even before she became World Champion, Kimmie Meissner was getting involved with great causes. Click on the link for more. http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/bal-sp.meissner15jun15,0,5356746.story From the Baltimore Sun Banding together for kids Meissner designs bracelets to help youths with cancer June 15, 2006 More than all the beribboned nuggets of gold, silver and bronze stacked in her bedroom, Kimmie Meissner is proudest of the band of red, white and blue that envelops her slender wrist.

World Champion Kimmie Meissner spells out plans for new season

15/6/2006 - Find out what 2006 World Champion Kimmie Meissner is planning for this season. Meissner will take new moves for spin World champion to unveil fresh routines, including triple axel, in 2nd Grand Prix season Link to the article: http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/olympics/bal-sp.meissner14jun14,0,3379467.story

Nicola Ang wins Prenovice free program at Ice Fest in US

14/6/2006 - Niki Ang, a 12 year-old Singaporean who lives and trains in the US, won the Intermediate (Prenovice) free program at Ice Fest in Seattle. It was the first time that a competition in the US Pacific Northwest was judged according to the new International Skating Union judging system. Please check out the story on the home page of www.allstars-skating.org. Three cheers for Niki on this exciting win.

Philppine National Figure Skating Championships on June 24-25

14/6/2006 - The Philippine National Figure Skating Championships take place on June 24-25, coinciding with the country’s Olympic Festival. For more on this story, please follow the link: http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=41646

A fond farewell to Coach Carolyn Chetwynd

13/6/2006 - Jennifer Toole-Stott has written a fond farewell to Coach Carolyn Chetwynd for the All Stars website. I think her sentiments are shared by everyone who had Carolyn as a coach over the years.

Dates for Australian Ntls & Skate Asia

13/6/2006 - Some of you have asked for a reminder on the dates for Skate Asia and the Australian National Figure Skating Championships. Skate Asia 2006 12th-19th August 2006 World Ice Arena Shenzhen www.skateasisa.com 2006 Australian Figure Skating Championships 19th - 26th August 2006 Iceworld Olympic Ice Rink 2304 Sandgate Road Boondall 4034 Brisbane Queensland www.isa.org.au

More results from Interschool & a Review of Grease

13/6/2006 - We’ve posted an update on the 6th Interschool Skating Competition—thank you to the parents and skaters for sending in their results. There’s also a review by Bramina Braet of Grease the Musical. New skater profiles will be posted later this week as well as a story about one of our overseas members.

Four million smiles: no one smiles brighter than an All Star

12/6/2006 - Why don’t you put on your best presentation smile and take part in the Four Million Smiles publicity campaign, which is underway to support Singapore’s hosting of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund meetings in September. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong wants to see *your* smile on the Singapore 2006 mural of smiles. They are asking for face shots of individuals alone or with a friend or sibling. At least one photo has someone holding a baseball bat. Why not sling a pair of figure skates over your shoulder and smile? Participation is open to *everyone*: Singaporeans, permanent residents and foreigners. Visit www.smileS2006.com for details and requirements. The site can take a bit of time to load so be patient. No one smiles brighter than an All Star!!

Winners of Michelle Kwan essay contest

8/6/2006 - Click to View this Article Essay winners receive an extra-special treat By Chris Gutierrez Correspondent San Gabriel Valley Tribune ARTESIA - After reading "Heart of a Champion," the autobiography of figure-skating standout Michelle Kwan, 15-year-old Jacqueline Ho was inspired to write an essay. [Click the above link for more]

Pang & Tong win pairs event at Ntl Beijing Classic

7/6/2006 - Pang Qing and Tong Jian win pairs event at National Beijing Skating Classic http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2006-06/06/content_4651875.htm

India holds Ice Skating Nationals this week

7/6/2006 - Here’s a link to a story from Calcutta on the upcoming 4th National Ice Skating Championships in India. The country is a provisional member of the International Skating Union and has sent skaters to Junior Grand Prix events. You have been sent this article from The Telegraph, Calcutta by lereid@pacific.net.sg. Ice magic on a high The 4th National Ice Skating Championship is currently being held for the first time in Calcutta (June 6 and 7), with around 130 participants from 11 states across the country, at the ice skating rink in Clown Town. | Read Page url: http://www.telegraphindia.com/1060607/asp/calcutta/story_6319200.asp.

Link to story on skaters in Malaysia

6/6/2006 - Here is a story on skaters training at Pyramid Ice in Malaysia. This article is from The Star Online (http://thestar.com.my) URL: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2006/6/3/lifefocus/14316236&sec=lifefocus

Ongoing Coverage of Interschool Skating Competition

6/6/2006 - Thank you to everyone who sent in their Interschool results so promptly. The first story on the competition went up on www.allstars-skating.org this morning, but we will be happy to do a follow up story as more people send in results and photos. Once again, on behalf of the All Stars board, congratulations to everyone who competed.

Story from MSNBC: Bumpy ride ahead for American figure skating

6/6/2006 - This story about the United States Figure Skating Association's goals for 2010 is actually from February, but it is still interesting reading. It's a good indication of how early strategies are put in place for major games. Subject: MSNBC.com Article: Bumpy ride ahead for American figure skating U.S. sets challenging goal to be on medals stand in every discipline in '10 http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11543738/from/ET/

Upcoming article on Interschool results

4/6/2006 - Please send in your results from the 6th Annual Interschool Skating Competition if you would like to be included in a roundup story for the All Stars website.

Education Minister Tharman to be Guest of Honour at Interschool Skating Competition on June 4th

2/6/2006 - We just received some great news from Fuji Ice Palace: Education Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam will be the Guest of Honour at Sunday’s closing festivities for the Interschool Skating Competition this weekend! Be the best you can be this weekend, whether it’s in victory or loss. You all worked hard to get here, so be an All Stars and *shine*. Good luck everyone! From the All Stars Figure Skating Club board

Link to story on veteran ice dancers Megan Wing & Aaron Lowe

29/5/2006 - Please check out the home page of www.allstars-skating.org for a story on the upcoming Interschool Competition at Fuji Ice Palace this weekend. The All Stars board sends best wishes to all our members who are representing their schools at the competition. (If your name is missing from the list of competitors, please let me know asap!) Win or lose, skate proud. There will always be another competition, another opportunity for anyone who remains passionate about the sport. Skating is a never-ending story. As evidence of this fact, please follow the link below, which leads to a story on Aaron Lowe, 31, and Megan Wing, 30, who have been perpetual bridesmaids in ice dance in Canada for two decades. They didn't qualify for the Olympic Games until 2006 and they retired after the World Championships in Calgary in March. The story discusses their options for the future, including possible roles at the Centre for Excellence, an international training centre in Burnaby, British Columbia. It's a great story with important perspective for us all. If the link has expired, please let me know, and I will email a copy to you. http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/2010/story.html?id=8dc2d72b-cc58-4f77-ade2-5c80a5c8c64a&k=11321

Channel 8 to feature Maxel & Gazel on May 29th

26/5/2006 - Two of our youngest skaters, Maxel and Gazel Lee will be featured on Channel 8 on Sunday, May 28th. Check out TR Report: Generation Z at 10:30 pm. The program will be in Chinese with English subtitles.

Competitor List for Hollins Trophy

24/5/2006 - Please check your emails for the full list of competitors for Hollins. If you are planning to compete, please check to see if your name is on the list for the relevant event. If you cannot find your name, please contact the organizers asap.

Competition Schedule for Hollins Trophy

24/5/2006 - If you’re planning to compete or just attend the Hollins Trophy, please check your emails for the initial schedule for the events. The organizers are stressing that the schedule may change as we move closer to the competition. We will forward updates as we receive them.

Everything you always wanted to know about Kimmie Meissner

23/5/2006 - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kimmie_Meissner

Everything you always wanted to know about Irina Slutskaya

22/5/2006 - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irina_Slutskaya

Everything you always wanted to know about Mao Asada

23/5/2006 - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mao_Asada

Everything you always wanted to know about Sasha Cohen

23/5/2006 - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sasha_Cohen

Everything you always wanted to know about Michelle Kwan

23/5/2006 - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michelle_Kwan

Everything you wanted to know about Shizuka Arakawa

23/5/2006 - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shizuka_Arakawa

First Olympic ice rink opens in the Philippines

22/5/2006 - With the official opening of the mammoth Mall of Asia, overlooking Manila Bay, the Philippines can claim its first Olympic size skating rink. The previous rink at SM Mega Mall was only 840m2, well short of the official Olympic standard. Philippines President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo participated in the ribbon-cutting ceremony with the developer of the $125 million mall, Henry Sy. In addition to a skating rink, the Mall of Asia also houses an 8-story Imax theatre and a 145,000 square foot call centre for Dell Inc. The mall was developed over 148 acres of land reclaimed from Manila Bay. The rink has been certified to host international figure skating competitions, according to news reports.

Shizuka Arakawa’s new ice show in Japan sells out in just three hours

21/5/2006 - Performing in her first ice show since retiring from amateur competition, Shizuka Arakawa dazzled a sold-out crowd at the Prince Hotel in Yokohama. However, news stories predict that Arakawa will soon head to the United States to perform with one of the touring shows, either Stars on Ice or Champions on Ice. She also is reported to be on the verge of signing lucrative endorsement contracts in Japan. Apparently, Asahi Breweries has applied for trademark rights on Arakawa’s ‘Ina Bauer’ element. Asahi plans to use the Ina Bauer name for a new beverage! Check out www.allstars-skating.org for more on what’s happening in international skating, including links to stories on Michelle Kwan (translated from Russian) and the US Winter Olympics Team being hosted by the White House. And go to www.japanskates.com to vote for your favourite Japanese ladies skater. Guess which lady is leading so far? Please join the All Stars in welcoming our newest skating members: Grace & Sarah Wong and Amelia Ho. And a special congratulations to Amelia for answering all the trivia questions correctly! So far, only Elishea Hidajat has been able to defeat the crossword puzzle! Congrats to Elishea for winning a $15 rebate on ice time

Translation of Russian story on Michelle Kwan

21/5/2006 - http://www.velena.ru/translations/kwan.htm

US figure skaters & 2006 Winter Olympians hosted by Pres Bush at White House

21/5/2006 - http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2006/05/20060517.html

Link to great interview with Evgeni Plushenko

20/5/2006 - http://www.ifsmagazine.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=177

Japan rules figure skating open in Saitama

17/5/2006 - Led by Mao Asada, Team Japan racked up almost 500 points to win the inaugural Japan Open figure skating team competition on Sunday. Daisuke Takahashi, Miki Ando and Takeshi Honda made up the rest of Team Japan. The four skaters shared prize monies totaling US$80,000. Mao Asada won the Ladies event with a score of 125.72 points. Her nearest competitor was Canadian Joannie Rochette, representing Team North America, with a score of 117.64 points. Switzerland’s Stephane Lambiel, 2006 Olympic Silver Medalist, scored 140.80 points to win the Mens event but with only a tiny margin of 0.70 points above Japan’s Daisuke Takahashi. 2006 Olympic bronze medalist Jeff Buttle from Canada was in third place with 139.40 points. Rounding off Team Europe was Alexei Yagudin, 2002 Olympic Mens Champion, and Kiira Korpi from Finland and Sarah Meier from Switzerland. North America also was represented by Alissa Czisny from the U.S. and Emanuel Sandhu from Canada.

Link to Sasha Cohen interview

16/5/2006 - Here is a link to an interview with Sasha Cohen, currently on professional tour. http://www.roanoke.com/sports/etc/wb/65242

Hoping to train overseas during June break?

12/5/2006 - If you are hoping to go overseas for training during the June holiday break, take a look at the program being offered by Michelle Kwan’s East-West Ice Palace. The full program runs 14 weeks, but they appear to be offering weekly packages as well. http://www.eastwesticepalace.com/figure/summer.html Enjoy

Hollins extends registration deadline to May 19

12/5/2006 - The organizers of the Hollins Trophy have extended the closing date for registrations until May 19th. Please do contact the club directly via jmayers@bigpond.net.au if you wish to enter the competition.

New Michelle Kwan interview

11/5/2006 - To view this article on Michelle Kwan, currently on tour with Champions on Ice, please go to The Courier-Journal Web site via the following link: http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2006605090304

Updates on the website: new stories, new profiles, new winners

10/5/2006 - When you have finished your exams, take a look at the new story on the website “Adlina & Jasmine bring home the medals from Skate Beijing” as well as the new skater profiles on Adlina and Jennifer Toole-Stott. More profiles will be posted soon. If you would like to be profiled on the website, just send us an email and we’ll send you a list of starter questions. We will also need a few high resolution digital photos and a dvd if you would like to include a skating clip. As an aside to skaters who already have been profiled, let us know if you would like to update your photos or video clips. Congratulations go to Chew Yi Ning, Adlina Basuki and Jenna Tan for successfully completing the trivia quiz as well as to some nonmembers who took more than one run at it. (Sorry kids, but you have to be an All Stars member to win the prize, but you’re welcome to play as many times as you want.) Elishea Hidajat wins a $15 rebate for ice time because she conquered the crossword. If you need to research some of the questions, here’s a tip from Isabelle Tan: she sourced most of her information for the crossword from www.isu.org or http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Figure_skating. (Yes, it is a little bit like getting ready for exams!) Good luck to everyone getting ready for Interschool. Sk8 Gr8!

Check your emails for technical requirements re Hollins Trophy

8/5/2006 - Here is an up-to-date information package from the Sydney Figure Skating Club regarding the Hollins Trophy, including the technical requirements. Please email the Sydney Figure Skating Club directly if you have concerns re sending in your application ahead of the May 12 deadline. Remember: you will need a letter from SISA confirming your skating level.

Technical requirements for Hollins expected next week

4/5/2006 - We have been in touch with the Sydney Figure Skating Club regarding the technical requirements for the Hollins Trophy. The club’s technical convenor should have the requirements posted by Monday. Thank you all for your continued patience and interest.

Skater Rena Inoue beat lung cancer six years ago

3/5/2006 - Here is an amazing story about Rena Inoue, who is US pairs champion with John Baldwin. They were the first pairs team to land a throw triple axel in competition at the 2006 Winter Olympics. http://www.asahi.com/english/Herald-asahi/TKY200605030096.html

ASFSC forwards membership dues to SISA for 2006-2007 year

2/5/2006 - On Sunday, April 30, the All Stars Figure Skating Club officially submitted the dues for all renewing members to Sally Ong from the Singapore Ice Skating Association. The date marked the end of the one-month grace period for members to renew their membership in the All Stars club and SISA. A copy of your membership particulars also has been emailed to SISA. If you are receiving this email, your membership is now valid until March 31,, 2007. On behalf of the All Stars executive committee, welcome back and happy sk8ing! At the same time, please join us in welcoming new members skater Amber Howard and her mother Keveena Howard to the club.

Suzanna, Lena & Bramina win tix to Grease

2/5/2006 - Congratulations to Suzanna Tornroth, Lena Vogel and Bramina Braet for winning a pair of tickets each to Grease the Musical from the All Stars Figure Skating Club! Some 69 members from the All Stars club were entered in the draw, which was held at 7 pm on April 30th at the American Club. The names were drawn by three members of the American Club, chosen at random, and the draws were witnessed by Sally Ong, treasurer of the Singapore Ice Skating Association. Many thanks to Quest Entertainment, an affiliate of Quest Vacation International, for providing our club with three pairs of tickets.

Quad King Timothy Goebel steps down from competitive skating

28/4/2006 - The only skater to land six quad jumps at a competition, Timothy Goebel has retired from competitive skating. Goebel won a bronze medal at the 2002 Winter Olympics and was a two-time silver medalist at the World Championships. Skating to Gershwin’s ‘An American in Paris’ at the 2002 Winter Games, Goebel became the first skater to land three quad jumps in a single program. At the World Championships in March that year, he landed a total of six quads to win the silver medal. Officially, he landed a total of 76 quads in competition, but Timothy estimates that he has probably done more than 2,500 quads in practice. For the past few years, he has struggled with foot and back injuries, and he failed to make the US National team in 2006. Please see his website at http://www.timothygoebel.net/ for more information.

New info on SISA test requirements & Ntl championships

27/4/2006 - We are forwarding information from the Singapore Ice Skating Association regarding the 2007 National Figure Skating Championships and the SISA test system. You should find 9 files attached to this email. Each file contains important, competitive information for members, and we encourage you to read each one carefully. If your coach is not a member of SISA, please print out the information and pass it along. If you are aware of a fellow member who may not have easy access to email, please print a copy for them as well. To briefly summarize, the 9 attached files are as follows: · TD Announcement: the current schedule for Test Days in 2006. Please note that a test day is scheduled for May 13th. · Test Application Form: please note that the test application form & fees must be submitted by mail one week prior to any test day. · SISA Competitive Tests Explanatory Notes: an explanation of SISA’s new Grade of Execution testing system, which is a modified version of the ISU’s new judging system. This file also explains changes to test requirements such as: - pre-preliminary level skaters will no longer have to test to take part in the Nationals - all tests will no longer contain an elements portion. Skaters will test in a program only. The judge may request selected elements that were not satisfactory in the program to be skated individually in order for the test to pass, where it otherwise would have failed. The judge will choose which elements need to be re-skated. - The requirement to attempt a double axel on the Novice test has been removed. · Notice Re Tests: Reminders regarding the Testing System & the National Championships · National Team Selection Process: An explanation of how SISA will select members of the National Teams · Singles Free Program Requirements 2006-2007: an excel file containing the technical requirements/restrictions for the free programs. Please read in conjunction with the document file “Singles Free Program Requirements NOTES 2006-2007” · Singles Free Program Requirements NOTES 2006-2007: a document file with supporting information for the excel file “Singles Free Program Requirements 2006-2007”; this file will help explain the rules at work in the given competitive levels · Singles Short Program Requirements 2006-2007: an excel file containing the technical requirements/restrictions for the short programs in the Pre-Novice categories and above. Please read this file in conjunction with the document file “Short Program Requirement NOTES 2006-2007” · Singles Short Program Requirement NOTES 2006-2007: a document file with supporting information for the excel file “Singles Short Program Requirements 2006-2007”; this file will help explain the rules regarding the technical requirements/restrictions for the short programs in Pre-Novice and above If you have any questions regarding the information, please contact Andrea Derby, SISA director of training & development, at andreaderby@hotmail.com.

Link to Interview with Alexei Mishin--Evgeni Plushenko's coach

26/4/2006 - www.startribune.com/503/story/381407.html

How much skating trivia do you know?

23/4/2006 - Board member Isabelle Tan has come up with a quiz for you to see how much you know about skating. Try it online at www.allstars-skating.org. The first 10 members to respond with the correct answers will win a prize! Enjoy!

Michelle Kwan has lunch with President Hu & President Bush at the White House

23/4/2006 - At a recent White House luncheon to honor China President Hu Jintao, figure skater Michelle Kwan found herself sitting at the head table next to President George Bush. U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was also at the head table. Please see this Sports Illustrated article for more details. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/more/04/22/kwan.presidents.ap/index.html Who says figure skaters aren’t VIPs?

Going to the Hollins Trophy? Link to list of places to stay

23/4/2006 - The Sydney Figure Skating Club, which is organizing the Hollins Trophy, has nicely forwarded a list of possible places to stay if you’re planning to enter the competition. Please check the attachment with this email for details (you will need adobe software to read the file). You can also use the Sydney citysearch web site listed www.sydney.citysearch.com.au On the left side of the home page, where it has "Search Sydney", you will need to enter - Look for: accommodation - Where: inner west We should have the technical requirements this week from Sydney FSC. Just a reminder: the deadline for registration is May 12th. With your entry form, you will likely need to submit a letter from SISA confirming your competitive level. Canterbury Ice Rink PO Box 136 Canterbury NSW 2193 Location: Phillips Avenue Tasker Park, Canterbury 2193 Sydney Ph (02) 9789 4044, Fax (02) 9789 4094 (Ice Surface 60m x 30m) Manager: Wayne Disbery email: managercanti@ihug.com.au www.canterburyicerink.com.au Best regards Laura HonSec ASFSC

Sasha Cohen aims to compete at 2010 Winter Games

21/4/2006 - Check out this link. http://www.courant.com/sports/hc-cohen0420.artapr20,0,5725700.story

Colorado Springs to host Four Continents in 2007

21/4/2006 - For the second year in a row, the Four Continents figure skating competition will be held in Colorado Springs in 2007. Scheduled for February 5th-11th next year, the Four Continents Championships are open to skaters from North America, Asia, Australia and Africa. More than 100 athletes are expected to compete at the event. Later that month, the Junior World Championships will be held in Obertstdorf, Germany from February 26th through March 4th. The World Championships will be held in Tokyo from March 19th.

A link for the Kristi Yamaghuchi fans

21/4/2006 - For the Kristi Yamaguchi fans, here’s an update from the New York Times on Kristi, her new baby and her hockey-playing husband. http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/20/sports/hockey/20carolina.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

Fuji holding skating dress sale on saturday, april 22nd

20/4/2006 - Are you looking for a new dress for the Interschool Competition? Are you trying to sell your old skating dresses? Why not ‘shop & sell’ at the same time? Fuji Ice Palace is holding a jumble sale this Saturday, April 22nd, from 9 am to 12. Just bring your dresses to the cashier’s counter at Fuji, fill in the forms, name your price, and you’re all set. (Fuji will charge a 20% commission on the items you sell.)

Hollins technical requirements to be released next week

20/4/2006 - Many thanks to the sharp-eyed members who were wondering where the technical requirements were for the Hollins Trophy—they will be available from the Sydney Figure Skating Club next week. Ice Skating Australia will confirm the requirements at its annual general meeting this weekend. Sydney FSC has promised to forward the requirements to us asap.

SISA Dialogue Forum on Monday, Apr 24 at 7 pm

20/4/2006 - Please note the attached invitation from SISA to all club members to attend a SISA Dialogue Forum at the Colonnade, 82 Grange Rd, on Monday April 24 at 7 pm. SISA plans to discuss the new ISU judging system as it pertains to the 2007 National Figure Skating Championships as well as the test system. If you wish to add an item for discussion to the agenda, please email SISA Honorary Secretary Alison Chan 24 hours in advance of the meeting. As honorary secretary for our club, I will be attending the meeting and subsequently filing a report to our membership. If you cannot attend, please let me know if there is anything that you would like raised at the meeting. Apologies in advance if you have already received this email from SISA.

Update on Hollins Trophy in June

19/4/2006 - Please check your emails for an updated announcement and schedule from the Sydney Figure Skating Club on the Hollins Trophy in June.

Meissner named Athlete of the Month by US Olympic Committee

18/4/2006 - Kimmie Meissner, who won the gold medal in ladies figure skating at the World Championships in March, was named the United States Olympic Committee’s Athlete of the Month for March. It was the first time that Meissner has been honoured with the award, which recognized her win at the World Championships in Calgary. She was the only woman to land a triple-triple combination in the free skate and, in fact, landed two combinations: a triple flip-triple toe and a triple Lutz-triple toe. Her technical elements score of 69.47 in the free skate was one of the highest in history. Her total score in the free skate was more than four points higher than that achieved at the 2006 Olympics by the Olympic champion, Shizuka Arakawa of Japan. Meissner beat out World Cup champion and Paralympic gold medalist skier Laurie Stephens and USA Taekwondo’s Mandy Meloon, among others, to win the award.

Toronto Star story: what level of sports keeps kids fit for life?

18/4/2006 - Although gymnastics is the primary subject of this news story, the reporter does touch on training programs for figure skating. What level of sports keeps kids fit for life? Amy Brown-Bowers http://license.icopyright.net/user/viewFreeUse.act?fuid=ODk0MA==

World Champion Meissner tries baseball!

15/4/2006 - http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060415/ap_on_sp_ba_ne/fig_meissner_orioles_3

Link to story on legally blind skater

14/4/2006 - Legally blind skater aiming for Winter Paralympic Games http://www.gazette.net/stories/041306/newcnew183231_31939.shtml

Link to story on Brittany, Debbie & Roseanne training with Korean Dream Programme

12/4/2006 - Check out the reports on the Korean Dream Programme by Club members Brittany Lau, Debbie Stuart and Roseanne Tan, who took part in the training programme in February. www.sisa.org.sg

Michelle not ready to retire but performs no jumps at Marshalls Showcase

12/4/2006 - ESPN has a short story on Michelle Kwan's performance at the Marshalls U.S. Figure Skating International Showcase last night. The "Kwan says she's not ready to quit skating yet" story is located at http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/news/story?id=2405723

Japan Open will see World Champion Kimmie Meissner vs Mao Asada in May

11/4/2006 - Amateur and professional skaters from Japan, the United States and Europe will compete on May 14 at a new competition, the Japan Open Free Skate, in Japan’s Saitama Prefecture. Confirmed to compete from Japan are Mao Asada, Daisuke Takahashi and Takeshi Honda. Kimmie Meissner is expected to be one of the skaters representing the U.S while Alexei Yagudin is going to compete for Russia. No other names have been confirmed yet.

Japan’s Arakawa to forego ISU Grand Prix series in 2006

10/4/2006 - Olympic figure skating champion Shizuka Arakawa will likely skip next season's ISU Grand Prix series to rest and consider her future, according to Japanese media reports. "Physically and mentally I need to rest. After that I will think about my future," the 24-year-old Arakawa told Japan's Nikkan Sports daily. "I'm not turning professional right now. I just won't be entering the Grand Prix series." Arakawa become the first Japanese women to win a gold medal in Olympic figure skating in addition to bringing home Japan's only medal of the entire Turin Games. Last week, Arakawa attended the opera with Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi in Tokyo earlier this week. On stage: the Italian opera Turandot, which Arakawa used for her long program at the Olympics.

Link to candid story on Shizuka Arakawa

10/4/2006 - Arakawa's strong will is key to her success on world stage http://www.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/sp20060316jg.html

Link to upbeat story on Michelle Kwan

7/4/2006 - Calling all Michelle Kwan fans! Here’s a link to an interview with a very upbeat Michelle. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12162360/ Enjoy! All Stars Figure Skating Club

Website story on Ntl Figure Skating Championships

6/4/2006 - Our members who competed at the National Figure Skating Championships are featured in a story on the home page of our website. www.allstars-skating.org I have asked the website designer to allow the pictures to be enlarged once you click on them. However, there are a lot of photos so please be patient while he makes this adjustment. Once again, congratulations from the All Stars board to all our members who competed at Nationals.

Update on Hollins Trophy from Sydney Figure Skating club

5/4/2006 - This update has just come through from the Sydney Figure Skating Club regarding the Hollins Trophy. Subject: 2006 Hollins Trophy Announcement Further to our earlier, please find attached the SFSC Hollins Trophy, Co-operative Cup, Carr's cup and Dance Cup, announcement to be held on June 9th to 12th. The technical requirements will be sent out asap. Details are also available from our web site: www.sydney-fsc.com/schedule Rosemary (Johnson) SFSC Pres. support@sydney-fsc.com

Update on ASFSC special offer on purchase of GREASE tickets

5/4/2006 - The promoters have come back and asked that all Grease tickets orders from All Stars be processed through the club first. Only the Club knows whether someone is a member or whether they have simply read about the promotion online. If you wish to take advantage of 15% off the purchase price of four tickets for Grease, please email me directly. This applies for a member of the club who wishes to put together a group of 20. Apologies for any confusion.

Sign up for lucky draw for tix to Grease the Musical in May

4/4/2006 - Grease the Musical is coming to Singapore in May, and the All Stars Figure Skating Club is happy to announce that we have three pairs of tickets to give away in a lucky draw for our members. The show’s Singapore promoters, Quest Entertainment and TES Entertainment have graciously donated three pairs of tickets for a Grease lucky draw to the All Stars Figure Skating Club. (The Quest group also donated tickets to Holiday on Ice in December 2005.) If you wish to participate in this lucky draw, please send an email confirming your interest to: lereid@pacific.net.sg. The draw will be held on April 30 at 7 pm, the final deadline for you to renew your membership in the All Stars Figure Skating Club. Even if you don’t win the lucky draw, you can still take advantage of a special offer: buy four tickets and get 15% off the ticket price. Or put together a group of 20 people and get 20% off. To take advantage of this special offer, please contact: Christine Tan at christine.tan@qe-ltd.com. ***Do not go through SISTIC. Contact Christine Tan directly.**** GREASE brings back the classic rock ‘n’ roll sounds of the 1950s with songs including “We Go Together,” “Summer Nights”, “Beauty School Dropout” and “Born to Hand Jive.” And for those of you who cannot get enough of GREASE, special arrangements have been made to include three hit songs from the movie: “Hopelessly Devoted to You” and “You’re The One That I Want” and Barry Gibb’s “Grease”. Not forgetting “Summer Loving’’ and “Greased Lightning’”. It’s time to turn back the clock to 1959 as GREASE the Musical slides into Singapore. Put on your high-heeled sneakers, crank up your doo-wops and come dance your feet off at Grease. GREASE THE MUSICAL – Information Date & Time: 26, 27, 28, 30 May 2006, 8pm 28 May 2006, 3pm Venue: Singapore Indoor Stadium Ticket Prices: 8pm - $145, $130, $95, $70 3pm - $135, $120, $85, $60 (Prices exclude Booking Charges) Hotline: 6348 5555 Websites: http://www.qe-ltd.com

Alexandra Hospital holding seminar on preventing injuries in young athletes

4/4/2006 - Do you want to learn more about protecting your young figure skater from injury while training and competing? Has your skater underperformed at competition or been unable to test due to injury? The Sports Medicine Centre of Alexandra Hospital is holding a sports injury seminar this Saturday, April 8, from 10 to 12:30 pm, focusing on preventing injuries in young athletes. Admission is only $2.00. Here’s your chance to practice safe sports! Please call or email Elaine_teo@alexhosp.com.sg if you wish to attend.

New links on skating videos & coaches in Australia on links page

2/4/2006 - ASFSC board member Isabelle Tan has discovered a new link on the web for skating videos. Unfortunately, some of you with emails based at the office have filters that prevent you from receiving our emails if they include website links. So, please check your All Stars website at allstars-skating.org for updated links. (Don’t forget to add the www. in front of allstars-skating.org)Go to our links page. We’ve also added links to Sydney Figure Skating Club and the Australian Professional Skaters Association. If you’re looking for information on coaches or places to train in Australia, these sites are a good place to start.

Upcoming Competitions in Australia

1/4/2006 - We have had inquiries from members, asking about upcoming competitions in Australia. From June 9-12, Ice Skating Australia will be holding the Hollins Trophy at the Canterbury Olympic Ice Rink near Sydney. I have sent an email asking for technical requirements as well as copies of registration forms. The rink is 30 x 60 metres. Canterbury Olympic Ice Rink Phillips Avenue Tasker Park Canterbury NSW 2193 Ph:(02) 97894044 Fax:(02) 97894094 www.canterburyicerink.com.au From July 1st-3rd, the Western Australia State Championships will be held at Cockburn Arena in Perth. This competition is open to guest skaters from other countries. Western Australia Ice Skating Association will be holding the Mary-Ellen Holland Trophy in June. I have sent an email asking for technical requirements and the exact dates. The rink is 30 x 60 metres. Cockburn Ice Arena 239 Barrington Street, Bibra Lake Western Australia 6163 Phone: 9434 4066 Fax: 9434 4544 Email: icerink@iinet.net.au

Last chance to order discount tix for West Side Story

31/3/2006 - Today is the last chance to take advantage of a special club promotion to get 10% off your ticket orders for West Side Story, which begins April 7th. Please download the order form from www.allstars-skating.org and fax to the promoter Citystate Arts Management.

New Sisa board appointed at AGM

28/3/2006 - Dear All Stars Member The Annual General Meeting of the Singapore Ice Skating Association was held on Sunday March 26th. The new executive committee of Association is as follows: President: Lim Chee Kiat Vice President: Sonja Chong Honorary Secretary: Alison Chan Ass Secretary: Ng Chuck Wei Honorary Treasurer: Sally Ong Ass Treasurer: Hery Yusman Dir of Marketing: Philip Au Dir of Events: Joe Ang Dir of Membership: Lin Wen Kai Dir of Training & Development: Andrea Derby Ass Dir of T&D (Coaches & Skaters) Shawn Hocking Ass Dir of T&D (Judges) Dr. Reginald Teo

Membership renewal reminder

27/3/2006 - In a few days, your membership in the All Stars Figure Skating Club and the Singapore Ice Skating Association will expire. If you wish to continue as a member in All Stars and SISA, please do not delay in forwarding your fees for the 2006-2007 term. As a renewing member, your annual fee is $20. The All Stars Club will automatically forward your membership payment to SISA. Please send a cheque payable to the All Stars Figure Skating Club to: Laura Reid All Stars Figure Skating Club 3 Ardmore Park #03-01 Habitat 1 Singapore 259950 If you have any questions regarding membership, please do not hesitate to email me. Many thanks if you have already sent in your payment. Happy Sk8ing

16 year old Kimmie Meissner dominates free skate to win World Championships

26/3/2006 - Sixteen year old Kimmie Meissner is the new World’s Ladies Champion! Early news reports say Kimmie skated a flawless program that had the crowd on its feet even before she finished. Her elements included a triple flip-triple toe loop combination, a double axel, a triple lutz-triple toe loop combo, triple loop, triple lutz, triple salchow and a double axel-double-toe loop-double loop combination. Her spins, spirals and step sequences were awarded level 3 rankings and her combination spin was ranked level 4. In overall points, Kimmie’s performances at the Worlds totaled 218.33. She skated to Belkis, Queen of Sheba, the program that was previewed at the Stars & Blades Video Jam. Kimmie was the 2004 Junior World Silver medalist. Meissner had been 5th in the short program, proving that a skating competition is never over until it’s over. In fact, the Ladies event at Worlds was poignant evidence that skaters can win, lose and fight back to win again. After a bronze medal in 2002 and 2003, Fumie Suguri from Japan claimed the silver medal, with a total score of 209.74 points. Although Fumie was able to match Kimmie in presentation marks, she did not have the same degree of technical difficulty in her program. Skating to Rachmaninov’s Second Piano Concerto, Fumie landed a triple lutz-double toe loop combo, a triple flip, a second triple lutz, a triple toe loop, and a double axel-double toe loop combo. Fumie was second in both short and free skates. “Somebody said this was my eighth time at Worlds,” Fumie told the media. “She (Meissner) is 16, and I’m almost 26, it’s ten years and I feel really old! I’m happy to be back on the podium. I was off the podium many times. I had a hard year and finally I get on the podium.” Sasha Cohen, who had won the short program, took the bronze medal with a total score of 208.88 points. Cohen skated her highly popular Romeo & Juliet program but was inconsistent towards the end of the skate. She is reported to be suffering from a groin injury. She had a clean triple Lutz-double toe loop combo, a triple flip and a triple loop, but she struggled with the landing on a second triple flip. She also two-footed another triple toe loop and double Axel. She fell on her final jump, a triple Salchow. All of her spins were awarded a level 4 rating. Although she ranked fourth in the free skate, her strong performance in the short program kept her in 3rd place overall. “Tonight was difficult for me,” Cohen conceded. “I really fought through the whole thing but I struggled on a lot of my elements. It’s tough to get back up after the Olympics, but I am glad I came here and gave it my best shot.”

16 year old Kimmie Meissner dominates free skate to win World Championships

26/3/2006 - Sixteen year old Kimmie Meissner is the new World’s Ladies Champion! Early news reports say Kimmie skated a flawless program that had the crowd on its feet even before she finished. Her elements included a triple flip-triple toe loop combination, a double axel, a triple lutz-triple toe loop combo, triple loop, triple lutz, triple salchow and a double axel-double-toe loop-double loop combination. Her spins, spirals and step sequences were awarded level 3 rankings and her combination spin was ranked level 4. In overall points, Kimmie’s performances at the Worlds totaled 218.33. She skated to Belkis, Queen of Sheba, the program that was previewed at the Stars & Blades Video Jam. Kimmie was the 2004 Junior World Silver medalist. Meissner had been 5th in the short program, proving that a skating competition is never over until it’s over. In fact, the Ladies event at Worlds was poignant evidence that skaters can win, lose and fight back to win again. After a bronze medal in 2002 and 2003, Fumie Suguri from Japan claimed the silver medal, with a total score of 209.74 points. Although Fumie was able to match Kimmie in presentation marks, she did not have the same degree of technical difficulty in her program. Skating to Rachmaninov’s Second Piano Concerto, Fumie landed a triple lutz-double toe loop combo, a triple flip, a second triple lutz, a triple toe loop, and a double axel-double toe loop combo. Fumie was second in both short and free skates. “Somebody said this was my eighth time at Worlds,” Fumie told the media. “She (Meissner) is 16, and I’m almost 26, it’s ten years and I feel really old! I’m happy to be back on the podium. I was off the podium many times. I had a hard year and finally I get on the podium.” Sasha Cohen, who had won the short program, took the bronze medal with a total score of 208.88 points. Cohen skated her highly popular Romeo & Juliet program but was inconsistent towards the end of the skate. She is reported to be suffering from a groin injury. She had a clean triple Lutz-double toe loop combo, a triple flip and a triple loop, but she struggled with the landing on a second triple flip. She also two-footed another triple toe loop and double Axel. She fell on her final jump, a triple Salchow. All of her spins were awarded a level 4 rating. Although she ranked fourth in the free skate, her strong performance in the short program kept her in 3rd place overall. “Tonight was difficult for me,” Cohen conceded. “I really fought through the whole thing but I struggled on a lot of my elements. It’s tough to get back up after the Olympics, but I am glad I came here and gave it my best shot.”

Stephane Lambiel from Switzerland wins 2nd World title

24/3/2006 - Stephane Lambiel of Switzerland has claimed his second consecutive World Championship title. After placing fourth in the short program, Lambiel came back with a winning free skate, for a total of 274.22 points. France’s Bryan Joubert more than made up for his disappointing placements at the Turin Olympics in February, by locking in the silver medal with a score of 270.83 points. Evan Lysacek, who was a surprise bronze medalist at the 2005 Worlds, repeated history by taking third place again. Lysacek had placed 8th in the short program but put up a strong fight in the free skate. With a total of 255.22 points, Lysacek was able to edge out Japan’s Nobunari Oda, who had a score of 251.21. The Ladies Short Program begins at 10:30 am in Calgary. Based on points awarded during the qualifying rounds, Joannie Rochette from Canada has a tiny lead over Fumie Suguri from Japan and Kimmie Meisnner from the U.S. Yukari Nakano is currently in 4th and Sasha Cohen is in 5th.

Update from SISA regarding club memberships

24/3/2006 - Please refer to your email accounts for an update from SISA regarding the rules on your membership in SISA.

ASFSC members entitled to 10% discount on West Side Story tickets

23/3/2006 - With the Interschool Ice Skating Competition set for the first weekend in June, many skaters already have begun working on music and choreography for new programs. Finding the right music is never easy. Not only do you have to connect with the music, the music needs to connect with your audience. Few musicals have made as great a connection with their audiences as West Side Story, a gritty retelling of the heartbreaking story of Romeo & Juliet in 1950s New York. Thus, the All Stars Figure Skating Club is happy to announce that Citystate Arts Management (S) Pte Ltd is offering a 10% discount on ticket prices for West Side Story to ASFSC members. West Side Story will be performed at the Esplande from April 7th. If you haven’t already bought your tickets, here’s a chance to see one of the most moving musicals at a discount. Almost 50 years after West Side Story premiered in 1957 at New York’s Winter Garden Theater, the opening three notes to the song Maria still resonate with the aching dreaminess of young love. “Ma-ri-ah. I just met a girl named Maria.” Although Leonard Bernstein wrote the music for a stage production, he easily could have presented this masterpiece on ice. The new ISU judging system has made it clear that the judges are looking for creative storytelling in addition to fine technical skills in skating programs. Here’s an opportunity to be inspired by one of the most compelling musical stories ever written. Virtually every number in West Side Story could be incorporated into a skating program: Maria, Tonight, One Hand One Heart could provide an emotional anchor to any free or artistic program while the edgy beats of America, Cool and Jet would showcase any footwork program. And don’t forget about “I Feel Pretty”, “The Rumble” or any of the “Dance at the Gym” numbers. Please use the attached form and fax your order directly to 6224-6880 or email it to darryl@citystategroup.com.sg. Please do not send your orders to the All Stars Club. Your ticket orders for West Side Story must be submitted to Citystate Arts by March 30th. Details are as follows: Last Order Date: Until 31 March 2006 All show dates are available from 7-30 April 2006 Discount: 10% of CAT 1,2,3 and 4 only (Not valid with any other promotion, excludes SISTIC $2 ticket charge) Delivery of Tickets: By mail ($1 will be charged to credit card payable to SISTIC) Order Collation: Fax or Email to Citystate Arts Management by 30 March 2006

World Championships begin March 20th!

19/3/2006 - The ISU World Championships in Figure Skating begin March 20 in Calgary, Alberta. Reigning men’s World Champion and 2006 Olympic Silver medalist Stephanie Lambiel from Switzerland will be defending his title against Jeff Buttle, the 2005 World Silver Medalist and 2006 Olympic Bronze Medalist. Olympic Champion Evegeny Plushenko will not be competing at World’s. Nobunari Oda will be making his debut as Japan’s only men’s skater at the World Championships. The United States will be fielding a strong slate of US National men’s champion Johnny Weir as well as Evan Lysacek and Matt Savoie. Bryan Joubert from France will be competing as well. In the Ladies event, Japan, Russia and the US will all be sending three skaters to compete. Olympic Silver Medalist in 2006 and World Silver Medalist in 2005, Sasha Cohen will be skating for the US as will be Emily Hughes and Kimmie Meissner. Representing Japan will be Fumie Suguri, Yoshie Onda and Yukari Nakano. Fumie Suguri was in fourth place at the Turino Winter Games. Olympic Champion Shizuka Arakawa will not be competing at the World Championships. Russia will be represented by veteran Elena Sokolova and two skaters moving up from the Junior levels: Katerina Gerboldt and Arina Martinova. Thailand will be represented by Tammy Sutan, who trains in California, while the Philippines will send Michael Novales, who is coached by John Nicks at the Aliso Viejo rink. There’s a link to the Aliso Viejo facility on www.allstars-skating.org. You can track the events by logging onto www.isu.org. Enjoy!

Land an axel & get a free pin from ASFSC

19/3/2006 - Please join us in congratulating Suzanna Tornroth for landing her axel. The jump has been verified by her coach so Suzanna is now entitled to a “I landed my axel” pin from the All Stars Figure Skating Club. If you have recently begun landing your axel, please ask your coach to let the club know so we can send a pin to you, too. Sk8 Proud!

Link to Johnny Weir interview

18/3/2006 - Here is a link to a candid interview with US men’s champion Johnny Weir. http://www.ifsmagazine.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=141

Michelle Kwan Essay Contest

18/3/2006 - Dear All Stars Members… …And especially those of you who love to write! Please check out the link on www.allstars-skating.org that takes you to Michelle Kwan’s home rink. Michelle Kwan and East West Bank are holding an essay contest The Pursuit of Excellence for different age groups, with scholarship prizes and a chance to meet Michelle. Please note: the information on the website doesn’t say whether the contest is open only to children who are American or living in the US. I have sent through an email asking about this matter but thought that you might want to read about the contest for yourselves, anyway. Happy Reading, Writing & Sk8ing! Laura

You can belong to more than one skating club in SISA

17/3/2006 - Dear All Stars Member Please take a moment and read through the attachment from Singapore Ice Skating Association regarding the matter of being a member of more than one club. If you did not receive this email and its attachment, please contact me. Best regards Laura Reid HonSec All Stars Figure Skating Club

Time for membership renewal

14/3/2006 - We hope you all enjoyed the National Figure Skating Championships. The executive board of the All Stars Figure Skating Club sends its best wishes to everyone who participated in the Nationals, from the competitors to the parents, from the volunteer flower girls to the coaches & judges, and from the crowds who came to cheer to the SISA Nationals Organizing committee. Without you, the Nationals would not have happened so we hope to see you next year, too! And thus, we need you to renew your membership in the All Stars Figure Skating Club, which will automatically renew your membership in the Singapore Ice Skating Association. Your membership will be expiring at the end of March, and we hope that you will remain active in skating this coming year, too. The ASFSC executive is happy to report that your membership dues will be $15 lower in 2006-2007. As you know, SISA recently announced a $10 reduction in its fees for junior ordinary members—people under the age of 21 years old—to $5 per person. The All Stars executive committee also voted to lower its fees for junior members by $5, bringing the total reduction in dues to $15. Thus, for *renewing* junior ordinary members, the 2006-2007 membership fee will be $20. For *new* members, the fee will be $25. The All Stars Club also has good news for parents. The ASFSC executive committee also has voted to waive *its* membership fees for nonskating adults for this membership year. Parents can now join the All Stars at absolutely no charge in addition to becoming an associate member of SISA. We hope that more parents will become members in the club because we hope to form a subcommittee of parents to help us develop a policy on the awarding of training bursaries. We have appealed to sponsors for funding, with which we hope to create a bursary program. The Club receives no financial assistance from SISA or the SSC, relying solely on member fees and donations. If you wish to become a full voting member of SISA, then you are obliged to pay $15. The ASFSC will forward the payment in full to SISA. Please read the attached membership form. It details your options for renewal. Please do email me or call me if you have questions. I will be at an SSC seminar all day on Tuesday but will do my best to get back to you tomorrow evening. On behalf of the All Stars Executive Committee Happy Sk8ing!

Korea’s Yu-Na Kim upsets favourite to win Junior World Championships

10/3/2006 - Yu-Na Kim won South Korea’s first gold medal in figure skating at the ISU Junior World Championships yesterday in a stunning upset of 2005 Champion Mao Asada from Japan. Fifteen year-old Kim scored 177.54 points, winning the gold with a striking 24-point lead over Asada. The score was a personal best for Kim, who was quoted as saying: "I still cannot believe today that I am in first place." During the free program, Kim landed five triple jumps, including a double axel-triple toeloop-double toeloop combination. Asada, also 15, won the silver with a score of 153.35. Early news reports on Asada’s free program said she singled her attempts at the triple axel and the triple lutz while a triple-double combination was downgraded to the triple-single. “I do not understand really what happened to me. Today is the worst performance of the season for me.” Indeed, Asada has had an incredibly successful run during the past six months, including her December victory over Irina Slutskaya, the 2005 Senior World Champion, at the Grand Prix Final. Overall, Japan’s teenagers dominated the ladies rankings at the Junior Worlds, taking three of the top five placements. Christine Zukowski from the United States won the bronze medal with 135.14, more than 30 points behind Yu-Na Kim. In fourth place was Nana Takeda with 129.09 while her team mate Aki Sawada claimed fifth with 126.15 points.

National Figure Skating Championships begin Saturday March 11

9/3/2006 - Bring your passion for the sport of figure skating to Fuji Ice Palace this weekend and cheer on your fellow skaters competing at the National Figure Skating Championships. The official action begins at 1:45 on Saturday March 11th and is expected to conclude at about 4 pm. On Sunday, the competition will resume shortly before 12 noon. If you arrive early, you can watch the skaters in their final practices before Nationals. Please check out the story on the Championships at www.allstars-skating.org. Tell your friends and school mates to come, too. They won’t believe their eyes. Singapore has some of the best young skaters in the region. While you’re on the website, please do take a look at our new skater profiles of Claudia Krogmeier, Brittany Lau, Ng Yi Ching and Cheryl Tan, if you haven’t already. The club is happy to see such diversity among our members. Most importantly, you all have a great love of the sport, and that is the most important thing. If you would like to be profiled on the website, please send us an email, and we will send a starter list of questions to you. Once again, good luck to all the members who are competing at Nationals. Getting this far is a huge achievement. You should be very proud. Sincerely The All Stars Figure Skating Club Executive Committee

Korea's Yu-Na Kim wins short program at Junior Worlds

8/3/2006 - Korea’s Yu-Na Kim is in first place after the short program at the Junior World Championships in Slovenia. The new judging system is being used at the Junior Worlds, and Yu-Na’s score is currently 60.86. She recorded a score of 35.54 for the technical elements of her short program and 25.32 for her program composition scores. In second place is Mao Asada from Japan. She has a total score of 56.10, which breaks down into 30.89 for her technical elements and 25.21 for her program composition. Christine Zukowski and Alissa Czisney are in third and fourth place, respectively, separated by only a single point. Arina Martinova from Russia is in fifth. Please check http://www.isufs.org/results/wjc2006/SEG007.HTM for further details. And please be sure to come and cheer for your fellow All Stars at the National Figure Skating Championships this weekend at Fuji Ice Palace.

New service on website from All Stars

7/3/2006 - Dear All Stars Member On occasion, we have received comments from members that they are not receiving all the emails from the ASFSC. In some cases, it may have been that we didn’t have the most recent email information or that a member had a filter on bulk emails. Perhaps, your computer has been in the shop for repair. In other cases, we simply weren’t sure what the problem was. It was frustrating for both you and your ASFSC board. However, we hope that we have found a partial solution to this problem. You can now check www.allstars-skating.org for all the emails that ASFSC sends out to members. Please click on the About Us icon. When that page loads, you will see a short list of headlines in the left column of the page. Click on any of the headlines and it will link you to a page with all the email updates that have been sent to you by All Stars Figure Skating Club. Please be assured that we will continue to send emails to the members. However, the website can serve as a backup source of information. Best regards All Stars Figure Skating Club

Hey skaters! Get retro with NTU Ice Skating Club’s Retro Centro

7/3/2006 - The NTU Ice Skating Club is going retro, with a fun-filled skating event on March 24th at Fuji Ice Palace. With Retro Centro, “we’re giving people a chance to relive their childhood days,” says organizer Tay Siew Ling. And you don’t have to be a member of NTUISC to go retro, too. “We’re going to bring back all our favourite childhood memories like the five stones and malt candy. We’re going to have song dedications and a mini fun-fair carnival.” NTUISC will be giving out $2 vouchers from event sponsor Kopitiam to the first 50 early birds to arrive at Retro Centro. The next 50 guests will receive $1 vouchers. Games will be fixed at retro pricing of only 20 cents a game. People are encouraged to dress in retro clothing as NTUISC plans to crown a Retro Prince and Princess at the end of the evening. So, circle March 24th on your calendar and check out Rentro Centro. For more information, please email sales@ntuisc.com. Date: March 24th, 2006 Time: 7:30 – 10:00 pm Venue: Fuji Ice Palace Entry fee: $8 per person Enjoy! All Stars Figure Skating Club

Something from the lighter side for the Sasha Cohen fans

7/3/2006 - Dear All Stars Member And now from the lighter side, here is a song about Sasha Cohen, forwarded by Chow Ying. It is really quite funny. Enjoy! All Stars Figure Skating Club http://www.wbig.com/timages/page/media/Sascha_Cohen.mp3

Junior World Championships begin Mar 6th

6/3/2006 - Dear All Stars Member The Junior World Championships begin today in Ljubljana, Slovenia, with the Junior Ladies qualifying event today. Among the skaters competing at Junior Worlds are Japan’s Mao Asada and her teammates Aki Saweda and Nana Takeda. Representing the United States will be Alissa Czisney (who was featured at Video Jam), Megan Hyatt and Christine Zukowski. South Korea also will be sending three skaters: Yu-Na Kim, Chae-Hwa Kim and Yea-Ji Shin. Sixteen year old Elene Gedevanishvili, who skated a sixth-place short program, at the Winter Games in Turino and finished 10th overall, will be representing Georgia. Representing Hong Kong will be Tamami Ono, a 16 year old skater from Japan who has resided in Hong Kong for many years. When Tamami was 12 years old in 2002 she competed at the Singapore National Figure Skating Championships. Her programs in Singapore had a double axel and a triple salchow. Some of our members may recognize the music from her short program, Leeloo’s Tune by Maksim Mrvica. Pundits are calling for a tight competition between Mao Asada and Yu-Na Kim who coincidentally have both trained (at separate times) at the Mariposa School of Skating. However, the Ladies Event at the Winter Olympics sent us a clear reminder that anything can happen in competition. Yu-Na Kim will be skating to Tango de Roxane from Moulin Rouge and Papa, Can You Hear Me from Yentl. Mao Asada will be skating to Carmen and The Nutcracker. If you want to stay on top of the results, please check out www.isu.org and www.juniorworlds.com. Enjoy All Stars Figure Skating Club

Link to Skate Asia 2006 website

6/3/2006 - Dear All Stars Member We received an inquiry from a member regarding the dates of Skate Asia 2006. The following link will take you to the official website for the event. http://www.skateasia2006.com/index.htm Best regards Laura HonSec ASFSC

Tropical Blades performance at Fuji

24/2/2006 - Dear All Stars Member If you are at Fuji tomorrow (Sat Feb 25th), be sure to check out a short performance by our sister club Tropical Blades Ice Skating Club after the ice resurfacing at 1 pm. Enjoy. Laura ASFSC

Shizuka Arakawa wins OGM

24/2/2006 - Dear All Stars Member Isabelle Tan and I taped the Ladies long program during the wee hours of the morning today. We will be talking to Tropical Blades Ice Skating Club about holding another Video Jam because we think you all would enjoy seeing these programs—and not just those of the top three skaters. Every program had moments of inspiration and power, even the ones where the skaters were clearly finishing in disappointing. Gold medalist Shizuka Arakawa finished off her four minute program with her always breathtaking Ina Bauer, followed by a triple salchow-double toe-double loop combination, into a straight line step sequence and a combination spin. An incredible skate. Happy sk8ing! Laura

Schedule of Olympic ladies long program

23/2/2006 - Dear All Stars Member The ladies long programme is scheduled to begin airing on Channel 5 at 2 am February 24th. The link below should take you to the skating order. http://www.torino2006.org/ENG/IDF/FS/C51B1_FSW010100.html Enjoy! Laura

Analyzing a triple toe loop with Michael Weiss

22/2/2006 - Hi Everyone Michael Weiss provides a detailed look at the components of a triple toe loop. http://www.usatoday.com/sports/graphics/torino2006_multimedia/toe_loop.htm Enjoy

Link to story on Tanith Belbin & Ben Agosto

21/2/2006 - A story on ice dancers Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto. Click the following to access the sent link: USATODAY.com - Cloud over USA lifted with duo's silver moment* Get your EMAIL THIS Browser Button and use it to email information from any Web site.

Olympic Ladies Short Program begins tonight

21/2/2006 - Dear All Stars Member The Olympic ladies begin their short program in the early hours of Wednesday morning. Here is the skate order for some of our favourite skaters: Sasha Cohen skates last (29th), Irina Slutskaya skates 18th, Kimmie Meissner 2nd, Miki Ando 14th, Shizuka Arakawa 21st, Fumie Suguri 27th, Carolina Kostner 28th, Joannie Rochette 5th, Mira Leung 7th, and Susanna Poykio 3rd. Our sister club Tropical Blades has forwarded the email below re coverage of the Games. Enjoy! -----Original Message----- From: tropicalblades@yahoogroups.com [mailto:tropicalblades@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of HsiaoChing Sent: Monday, February 20, 2006 10:16 AM To: tropicalblades@yahoogroups.com Subject: [tropicalblades] Alternative TV channel for Winter Olympics Hi all, Winter olympics is also shown on Channel 21 (SuperSports Plus) on Starhub Cable TV. If you are tired of the constant advertisements on Ch5, you can try out the above channel. I was quite fed up when the constant 2 min advertisements cut off parts of the mens' short programs on channel 5. Program guide available on starhub website (www.starhub.com.sg)

Mini judging test from New York Times

19/2/2006 - Dear All Stars Member Here’s a quick judging test from the New York Times. The link below will take you to three video clips where you can try your hand at scoring a triple toe loop. There may be a slight delay as the video loads. I found that I had to push play, then pause and then play again to get the video rolling. There are four components for you to consider: preparation, take off, rotation and landing. http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/16/sports/20060216_SKATE_GRAPHIC.html Good luck and enjoy! Laura Reid Hon Sec All Stars Figure Skating Club

Thanks for supporting Stars & Blades' Video Jam

19/2/2006 - Dear Skaters & Parents Thank you for attending the Stars & Blades Video Jam on Saturday February 18th. Tropical Blades Ice Skating Club and All Stars Figure Skating Club were pleased to present this opportunity for our members to be inspired by some of the best skating programs today. Judging from your spontaneous applause throughout the morning, we are happy to conclude that you enjoyed yourselves. Because we were unable to get to all the programs yesterday, we wanted to let you know that we are willing to loan the tapes for private viewing. There will be no charge to borrow the tapes, but we must limit you to one tape at a time. We also politely request that they be returned within 3 days. As we’re sure you can imagine, there is a lot of interest in the tapes. We would like as many people as possible to be able to see the tape they’re interested in. We have attached a list of the events, with the ladies competitors highlighted (apologies for the poor layout but we were up against the clock!). However, we also have programs from the mens and the pairs in many instances. Please let us know by email if you are interested borrowing any of the tapes and or cds. We also want to thank all the mothers who so generously brought in drinks and snacks for our young athletes. Finally, please know that we couldn’t have done this without the support of the coaches from All Stars & Tropical Blades who previewed all the tapes and DVDs so they could provide perspective and advice to you, our members. Best regards Laura HonSec All Stars FSC

Link to story on Kimmie Meissner

19/2/2006 - Dear All Stars Member Here's a link to a story on Kimmie Meissner, the 16 year old from the US who will compete at the Winter Games this coming week. Enjoy. Laura -----Original Message----- From: tips@publicus.com [mailto:tips@publicus.com] On Behalf Of delawareonline.com Sent: Sunday, February 19, 2006 6:42 PM To: lereid@pacific.net.sg Subject: Local - She's a typical teen -- unless she's on ice You have been sent the following article from laura reid as a courtesy of delawareonline.com, a service of The News Journal. "Local - She's a typical teen -- unless she's on ice" To view this article on delawareonline.com, go to: http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2006602190335

WSJ story on skating boot design

19/2/2006 - Dear All Stars Member Click on the link below for an interesting article, recommended by Miryame Krogmeier, mom of member Claudia Krogmeier. For those members who were at the Video Jam yesterday, the hinged boots discussed in the article are worn by Alissa Czisney who won the ISU Mastercard Skate Canada Grand Prix event. The boots were shown briefly during the clip on Alissa’s participation at Skate Canada. Thanks, Miryame, for letting us know about the story. ASFSC invites other members to forward links that will be of interest to our members. Best regards Laura HonSec ASFSC -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: lereid@pacific.net.sg [mailto:lereid@pacific.net.sg] Sent: Sunday, February 19, 2006 10:32 AM To: lereid@pacific.net.sg Subject: WSJ.com - Figure Skaters Blame Boot Design For Injury Plague * Please note, the sender's email address has not been verified. You have received the following link from lereid@pacific.net.sg: Click the following to access the sent link: WSJ.com - Figure Skaters Blame Boot Design For Injury Plague* This article will be available to non-subscribers of the Online Journal for up to seven days after it is e-mailed.

Video Jam is tomorrow!

18/2/2006 - Dear All Stars Member A gentle reminder that your club and Tropical Blades Ice Skating Club will be holding the Stars & Blades Video Jam at the Clementi Park Condominium Clubhouse at 120 Sunset Way on Saturday, February 18th from 11 am to 1 pm. Be prepared to see some of the finest figure skating in the world, including programs from the 2006 Winter Olympics, the International Skating Union Grand Prix and the U.S. and Canadian National Championships! Hope to see you all there. Cheers Laura

Evgeni Plushenko takes the OGM

17/2/2006 - Dear All Stars Member Coverage of the Men’s long program and medal results. Enjoy! This page was sent to you by: lereid@pacific.net.sg SPORTS / OLYMPICS | February 16, 2006 Yevgeny Plushenko Takes the Gold for Figure Skating By JULIET MACUR Just as American figure skater Johnny Weir predicted, Russia's Yevgeny Plushenko won the gold medal in men's figure skating on Thursday night.

What does competing at Ntls mean to you?

15/2/2006 - Dear All Stars Members I will be writing about the National Figure Skating Championships for Sportmag magazine next month. I would like to try to do a little bit of advance work by sending the following question to the Ntl competitors: What does competing at National mean to you? Please take some time to think about this question. There is no right or wrong answer. When you have the answer that best sums up how you feel about Nationals, please email it to me. Best regards Laura

Link to Sports Illustrated story on Men's figure skating

15/2/2006 - Powered by * Please note, the sender's email address has not been verified. You have received the following link from lereid@pacific.net.sg: Click the following to access the sent link: SI.com - 2006 Winter Olympics - Plushenko dominates men's skating - Tuesday February 14, 2006 6:04PM* SI.com will expire this article on 03/16/2006.

Michelle Kwan withdraws from Olympic Games, from AP story

12/2/2006 - February 12, 2006 Michelle Kwan Pulls Out of the Olympics By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Filed at 7:05 a.m. ET TURIN, Italy (AP) -- Michelle Kwan's decade-long quest for Olympic gold came to a sorrowful end Sunday when she withdrew because of an injury, taking the biggest name out of the Turin Games. Kwan cut short her first practice of the games the day before after straining a groin muscle, and the injury worsened as the day wore on. She withdrew after Dr. Jim Moeller evaluated her early Sunday morning and recommended she not continue. ''I wish I was here in better circumstances,'' Kwan said Sunday morning, her voice flat and her eyes puffy. ''When I first put in my petition, I said I believed I'd be 100 percent by time the Olympics came around. But yesterday, after going on ice and feeling stiff ... I don't think that I can be 100 percent. ''I respect the Olympics too much to compete and I don't feel I can be at my best.'' Emily Hughes was chosen by the U.S. Olympic Committee as Kwan's replacement. Kwan has been the face of figure skating for a decade, and she owned the spotlight at these games -- despite being here for only four days. Her withdrawal is a loss for everyone, USOC chairman Peter Ueberroth said. ''Michelle Kwan means more to the United States Olympic Committee then maybe any athlete that's ever performed for the U.S. Olympic Committee,'' Ueberroth said. ''She's been a leader, she's been gracious, she's somebody that cares for so many youngsters that are training in our country. ''She's a real loss to all of the United States Olympic Committee and to the United States of America, and I think to the world. She's made a courageous decision.'' Olympic officials wasted little time approving the petition to put Hughes on the team. The 17-year-old, younger sister of 2002 Olympic champion Sarah Hughes, was third at last month's national championships. She said in a Saturday interview with WNBC-TV in New York that she would be ready to travel to Turin if needed. ''Just point me in the direction and I'm there,'' Hughes said. But that could be a challenge: Blizzard warnings were posted for the New York City area, where she lives, and dozens of flights were canceled at the city's three major airports. When Hughes gets here, she'll join Sasha Cohen and Kimmie Meissner on the U.S. team. ''I'm a little bit shocked,'' Cohen said of Kwan's withdrawal. ''I know how tough it is to come back from an injury and get yourself together. It's great she tried, but things don't always work out.'' Kwan missed last month's U.S. nationals with a groin injury, and needed a medical exemption to join the Turin team. She was evaluated several times by U.S. Figure Skating doctors before she arrived in Turin, and they declared her fit to skate. But she said she pulled the groin when she tried a triple flip Saturday, and the injury worsened throughout the day. After examining her, Moeller said Sunday he does not believe the current injury is related to the groin problem Kwan had during the national championships. ''She was cleared medically and told she had a complete recovery from the prior injuries,'' Moeller said. ''Based on my assessment at this moment, I would have to say it's an acute new injury.'' This was Kwan's last gasp for Olympic gold. Though she's defined the sport for the past decade, winning five world and nine U.S. titles, she came up heartbreakingly short at the Olympics. The favorite in both Nagano and Salt Lake City, she settled for silver in 1998 and a bronze in 2002. Now 25, she hung around the past four years for one more shot at gold. But her hopes faded fast. She missed the Grand Prix season with a hip injury, then missed the nationals with the groin injury. She looked sharp during a Jan. 27 monitoring session that solidified her spot on the team, doing back-to-back run-throughs of her long and short programs. But she said the long plane ride to Italy, followed by marching in the opening ceremony, took a toll. By the time she returned to the athletes' village, she was starting to hurt. When she woke up Saturday morning, it wasn't any better. ''It's an honor to represent your country. I didn't think twice about not going to the opening ceremony, or not going to practice. I have to get my legs under me,'' she said Sunday. ''When I felt stiff, it's the Olympics, you've got to push. Unfortunately, it happened.'' She didn't do her first jump, a smooth triple toe loop, until almost 14 minutes into the workout. She did a single flip, landed on two feet on her first triple flip, and fell hard on her next attempt at the jump. Kwan made one last try, but could only do a double, and the frustration was clear on her face. More telling was her demeanor. With coach Rafael Arutunian still in transit, U.S. team leader Roger Glenn held her hand several times to comfort her. She had to wipe her eyes several times, and she left the practice 15 minutes before it ended -- an early exit for a woman who is meticulous about preparation. She got treatment in the afternoon, but by evening she knew something was terribly wrong. ''It's physical pain that's keeping me from performing and skating,'' she said. ''But it's also emotional pain as well because I had to make this tough decision.'' That was clear with one look at her Sunday. Dressed in black, her eyes swollen, she had none of the sparkle the world has come to know. And though she tried to smile bravely, pain was etched across her face. ''It's always been a dream to win the Olympics and it's always an honor to represent your country,'' said Kwan, whose eyes filled with tears with every word she spoke. ''My parents are here ... and they always want me to be happy, for their baby to win the gold and make my dreams come true. ''I have no regrets,'' she added, pausing to compose herself. ''I tried my hardest. And if I don't win the gold, it's OK. I've had a great career. I've been very lucky. This is a sport, and it's beautiful.''

Thanks to newest All Stars for information on Olympic coverage in Singapore

12/2/2006 - Dear All Stars Member A big thank you to one of our newest members, Ruth Wright, for forwarding the following information: Channel 21 Star Hub has olympic highlights from 2pm to 5pm each day. The figure skating starts at about 4.30 today And Yahoo News is reporting that Michelle Kwan has officially withdrawn from the Games due to injury. Laura

Update on Olympic pairs skating

12/2/2006 - Dear All Stars Members Olympic Figure Skating has begun, with Russian pairs Tatiana Totmianina and Maxim Marinin winning the short program. You can track news and results through the following links. http://www.torino2006.org/ENG/IDF/FS/X05.html www.isu.org http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9535152/ Short Program Top 6 TOTMIANINA Tatiana / MARININ Maxim RUS 68.64 ZHANG Dan / ZHANG Hao CHN 64.72 PETROVA Maria / TIKHONOV Alexei RUS 64.27 PANG Qing / TONG Jian CHN 63.19 SHEN Xue / ZHAO Hongbo CHN 62.32 INOUE Rena / BALDWIN John USA 61.27

Links to Olympic coverage on figure skating

11/2/2006 - Dear All Stars Member Here are some links on Olympic skating in the US, this time courtesy of our sister club Tropical Blades! A look back in history - the 1952 Olympics (US perspective): http://www.usfigureskating.org/event_story.asp?id=33062 The men's field: http://www.nbcolympics.com/figureskating/5091820/detail.html Who to watch: http://www.nbcolympics.com/figureskating/5074018/detail.html The costumes: http://www.dailyherald.com/suburbanliving/suburbanlivingstory.asp?id=387571 Enjoy Laura

IOC president Jacques Rogge opens Turino Olympics

11/2/2006 - Dear All Stars Member The Winter Olympic Games officially opened in Turin, Italy yesterday. Here is the Opening Speech by Jacques Rogge, who is president of the International Olympic Committee. Regards Laura ASFSC IOC President's speech at the Opening Ceremony of the XX Olympic Winter Games 10 February 2006 IOC President Jacques Rogge gave the following speech at the Opening Ceremony of the XX Olympic Winter Games, this evening, in the Olympic Stadium in Turin: Good Evening, Dear Italian Friends! After Cortina d’Ampezzo and Rome, today, with Turin, Italy is organising the Games for the third time. Thank you for this great loyalty to the Olympic ideals. Our deep gratitude goes to the public authorities of Italy, the Piedmont Region and Turin for their valuable support. I should like to thank in particular the Organising Committee of these Games for its excellent work. My special thanks go also to the thousands of wonderful volunteers, without whom none of this would be possible. Dear athletes, welcome to Turin. You are at the heart of these Games, which were created for you. Give these Games the magic that we all desire, not only through your performances, but also, and above all, through your conduct. Athletes, you are role models; your achievements both on and off the field of play will inspire and motivate the future generations. Please compete in a spirit of fair play, mutual understanding and respect and, above all, compete cleanly by refusing doping. Our world today is in need of peace, tolerance and brotherhood. The values of the Olympic Games can deliver these to us. May the Games be held in peace, in the true spirit of the Olympic Truce. Athletes of the 80 National Olympic Committees, show us that sport unites by overcoming national, political, religious and language barriers. You can show us a world we all long for. Sports lovers here in the Stadio Olimpico, television spectators watching in your billions around the globe, enjoy this unique sporting spectacle that our Italian hosts have organised for the world. I now have the honour of requesting the President of the Italian Republic to declare the XX Olympic Winter Games of Torino open. Thank you.

John Zimmerman to commentate on Olympic figure skating

11/2/2006 - Dear All Stars Member The link below leads to a video interview with former US National Pairs Champion John Zimmerman by Forbes business magazine. Zimmerman and his partner Kyoko Ina came 5th at the 2002 Winter Games. He talks about the rewards of being an Olympic figure skater. He will be a sports commentator during the Olympic Games.

Video Link

Best regards All Stars Figure Skating Club

New judging system to debut at Turino Olympics

10/2/2006 - Dear All Stars Member Here is a story on the new judging system that will make its first appearance at the Winter Olympics next week with the pairs event. Best regards ASFSC -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- February 10, 2006 In Fitting Twist, Pairs Will Provide the First Olympic Test of New Scoring System By LYNN ZINSER TURIN, Italy, Feb. 9 — The scandal's hard edges have faded in time, the details etched into Olympic lore under the phrase "French judge." But the figure-skating scandal that sidetracked the Salt Lake Olympics four years ago will reverberate here Friday, when a new Winter Games begin. With great fanfare, the International Olympic Committee president, Jacques Rogge, will proclaim the Games open with a pledge of fair competition, while he and the rest of the Olympic establishment face the start of competition hoping they never have to mention fairness again. But there will be an instant reminder of the judging scandal — not only does the pairs competition open the skating on Saturday, it will also serve as the Olympic unveiling of the scoring system created to fix the corruption. But while the new scoring is more transparent, it is also maddeningly complicated and comes with its own built-in debate: anonymous judges. "At least in the old system, you knew" who had misjudged you, said Richard Pound, an I.O.C. member from Canada. "Now you can't tell." The competition may end in 17 days with as many questions as answers. Scandals have rocked the Olympics in the past, including the bidding scandal stemming from Salt Lake City's securing the Winter Games in the first place. That embarrassed the I.O.C. into reforming its bid process. Boxing weathered the corrupt scoring that cost Roy Jones Jr. a gold medal in the 1988 Summer Games. Ben Johnson's disqualification for steroid use after the 100 meters in 1988 made drug testing a high-profile issue. And the Tonya Harding-Nancy Kerrigan affair in 1994 launched figure skating into a new stratosphere of soap opera proportions. An associate of Harding's whacked Kerrigan on the knee at the national championships, keeping television viewers riveted to their meeting at the Olympics. But Salt Lake's Games introduced a new platform for Olympic controversy. The French judge Marie Reine Le Gougne became the focus of international intrigue after she said she was pressured into helping a Russian pair win. Thanks to insistent television announcers and an enraged North American audience, the silver medalists Jamie Salé and David Pelletier became the sympathetic victims of a fix. They eventually walked away with their own set of gold medals, matching those of the Russians Anton Sikharulidze and Yelena Berezhnaya, after the I.O.C. intervened. A sport that had always been at the mercy of murky judging was suddenly under siege. "That was 2002, but it reflected something that had happened for a half-century or more," said the figure-skating commentator Dick Button, who was not analyzing the competition that night. "This wasn't anything new. It just came to the forefront in a very public way." It came to the forefront to the great horror of the I.O.C. and the International Skating Union, which scrambled for several days to deal with the scandal. The double gold medals quelled the initial furor somewhat, but the scoring system took two more years to reform. Le Gougne, who denies the conspiracy charges, was banned from international judging for two years, but she now says that she believes the scandal was worth it because the skating union was forced to install a new judging system before another worldwide audience would pay rapt attention again. "Without my affair, it was impossible to have voted in such a revolutionary system in the I.S.U., because, at that time, the huge institution that is the I.S.U., it was just inertia," Le Gougne said in a recent telephone interview. The new system has been generally applauded by the athletes, although some are still struggling to learn its nuances. It replaces the old, simple 6.0 system, in which deductions were taken from the 6.0 to produce a set of technical scores and a set for artistic impression. Now, a routine is evaluated in what appears to be a blizzard of numbers, assigning values to each element performed based on its difficulty. Judges are still given a set of marks to judge artistry as well, all rolled into a confounding total. Sasha Cohen won the United States championships with a 185.98. "I think it's alienated a few in the public because it's complicated," said Peter Oppegard, a former Olympic pairs skater and current coach. "They look at those numbers and say, 'What does that mean?' "You lose that immediate reaction of, '6.0, wow.' You do lose that excitement. But if it means these athletes are competing on a more even playing field, it is a good tradeoff." That was ostensibly the purpose of the new system. In the old one, judges were allowed to give the same score to several skaters and decide later how to rank them. It was standard practice to judge early skaters lower in order to "leave room" for the more accomplished skaters to come. All that is gone. What exists now is anonymity. There may be a French judge, but no one will know. The skating union insisted on this because it said judges felt it would keep nations and federations from trying to influence their judging. "It worries me that the system is so corrupt that judges cannot make proper judgments without anonymity because of retaliation," Pound said. "That's a problem." Pelletier agrees. "A system that protects the judges makes me laugh," Pelletier said in a recent teleconference. "It should be a system that protects the skaters." The United States Figure Skating Association argued against anonymity when the new system was formulated, but has since supported it because the I.S.U. instituted a judge-review process. Now, a panel reviews the judges' marks at every competition. Wayward marks draw an official reprimand, which affect that judge's future international assignments. But the general public's ability to match a set of marks with a judge is gone. "Before, I think people liked to see the country identified with the judges and could understand it very quickly," said Jim Scherr, chief executive of the United States Olympic Committee. "Now it's something of a black box." Pound and others say a better solution is for the International Skating Union to train a staff of professional judges instead of relying on each country's federation to train and nominate judges for international duty, leaving them open to outside influence. Still others say that judged sports, by their very nature, can never be free of controversy. Many skaters will point out that under the new judging system, the Russian pair would have finished first and the Canadians second. All the upheaval would not have changed that result. "I was sitting in the front row and I saw both teams compete," said John Baldwin, half of the top American pair, with Rena Inoue, at this Olympics. "What happened was one team won by a tenth of a point. That's how figure skating is. It's a judged event. I don't know if you're ever going to get rid of that. "The new system is good on the technical side. But as long as it's a subjective sport, you're not going to get rid of it." The sport of figure skating was turned upside down, but may have landed nearly where it started.

Stars & Blades to hold Video Jam on Feb 18th

10/2/2006 - Dear All Stars Members Are you still wishing you could go to the Turino Olympic Winter Games? Well, here may be the next best thing for all of us in Singapore. The Stars & Blades Video Jam! On February 18th, All Stars and Tropical Blades Ice Skating Club are going to give you a free sneak preview of programs by some of the finest figure skaters in the world. We are going to preview the most dynamic and inspiring skates from the 2006 US and Canadian National Championships as well as the ISU Grand Prix Trophee Eric Bomphard (held in France in November) and the ISU Grand Prix Final, which was held in Tokyo in December 2005. Come and watch Mao Asada, Sasha Cohen, Johnny Weir, Jeff Buttle, to name only a few of the elite skaters you can expect to see.. The Stars & Blades Video Jam is going to take place on February 18th from 11 am to 1 pm at the Clementi Park Condominium Clubhouse at 120 Sunset Way. The rink is closed for a hockey tournament. The programs are being chosen by coaches from ASFSC and TBISC. We all hope that you will be challenged and inspired by the skaters you see. Please email me in advance if you plan to attend. We need to arrange the seating. We also ask that you let us know in advance if you need parking. There is a visitor parking lot for the clubhouse next to the pool, and the clubhouse manager says he will try to open up lots in the actual condominium car park area. However, it would be extremely helpful if you would let us know in advance if you will need parking. Attendance is free. If any parents would like to contribute beverages or snack for the skaters, they would be greatly appreciated. Best regards Laura Reid HonSec ASFSC www.allstars-skating.org

Please advertise in the Nationals programme

10/2/2006 - Dear All Stars Members Many of you are training hard in preparation for the National Figure Skating Championships in March, and the ASFSC executive committee wishes you the very best of luck at Nationals. In our minds, you all are winners for showing the courage, commitment and sportsmanship to put yourselves centre ice at Nationals. As a solo sport, figure skating doesn’t seem like the best place to build deep friendships. However, as true-blue skating fans, we know from experience that sometimes our competitors in sport are also our dearest friends. These friendships can see you through the worst of times and the best skate of your lives. The organizing committee of the Nationals is giving you the opportunity to send a public vote of support to your friends and peers. You can take out a small, low-cost advertisement in the program for the National Championships and help boost your friend’s (or your child’s) confidence by expressing your best wishes. Personal messages are a unique opportunity to say bravo, well done or woo hoo to your competitor and your friend. Please read the email below and contact Jackie (9173-0648 ) or Liza (9699-3208) to arrange your message. Best regards Laura Reid HonSec ASFSC

News on Baltic Hopes Trophy

6/2/2006 - Dear All Stars Member Lee Hoe Loon, who is a member of our sister club Tropical Blades Ice Skating Club, forwarded to ASFSC the following information on the Baltic Hopes Trophy competition for young skaters. It will be held at the end of March in Estonia. The information was sent to Hoe Loon by Piret Valamaa, who gave a talk to SISA members late in 2005. Further questions regarding the Baltic Hopes Trophy Spring 2006 can be answered by contacting: Piret Valamaa GSM +372 50 72 177 Fax +372 62 63 001 e-mail: piret.valamaa@datel.ee http://www.uisutamine.info Best regards Laura Reid HonSec ASFSC

News about Shen Xue & Zhao Hongbo

4/2/2006 - Dear All Stars Members For those of you who have followed the skating career of two-time World Champions in Pairs skating, Zhao Hongbo and Shen Xue, here are two links to their short and long programmes planned for the Turino Olympics. Since August 2005, Zhao has been recovering from a broken Achilles heel. http://sports.sina.com.cn/o/bn/2006-01-27/22062018224.shtml http://sports.sina.com.cn/o/bn/2006-01-26/22562016693.shtml Best regards All Stars Figure Skating

Channel 5 coverage of Olympic Winter Games

4/2/2006 - Dear All Stars Members All Stars board member, Isabelle Tan has tracked down the listing times for Channel 5’s coverage of the Turino Olympic Games. http://ch5.mediacorptv.com/shows/sports/view/1136/1/.html Best regards Laura Reid HonSec www.allstars-skating.org

Exciting new updates on ASFSC website

1/2/2006 - Dear All Stars Members Come and meet some of your fellow members through the All Stars website: www.allstars-skating.org The newest additions to the Skater Profiles include Heidi Chang, Sarah Rodgers and Bernadette Quah. Heidi attends Raffles Girls Secondary School while Sarah and Bernadette live in the U.K. All of you have a special story to tell, and it is our goal to ultimately profile every member we have—or at least all the ones who want to be profiled. While you’re online, check out the report from the U.S. Figure Skating Nationals by member Nicola Ang, who lives in Seattle. Nicola had the great opportunity to attend the U.S. Nationals with her sister and her mother. She clearly had a fantastic time, but they were so excited by the trip that they forgot to bring their cameras. The All Stars Club owes a huge thank you to the U.S. Figure Skating Association for granting permission to use their photos of Sasha Cohen, Johnny Weir, Kimmie Meissner, Evan Lysacek and Matt Savoie. There’s also a new book review by member Eng Kai Er, who is attending university in the UK. All the Sundays Yet to Come is a cautionary but ultimately uplifting tale of one skater’s relationship with the sport. If you’re interested in reviewing a book or tape on skating for the website, please send an email to lereid@pacific.net.sg We also have posted long overdue congratulations to the skaters who took the skating tests by the Singapore Ice Skating Association. (Thanks for your patience, everyone!) For many skaters, testing can be as stressful as competition so please accept this round of applause from your club executive committee. We also want to thank SISA Judge Dr. Reginald Teo for his great commitment in helping to develop our local skaters. Dr. Teo is one of the many unsung volunteers who give their time to SISA. Please note that if you are a skater over the age of 16, you are eligible to take part in the judges’ training program. Finally, All Stars FSC and Tropical Blades Ice Skating Club are putting their best efforts together to hold a joint skating video party for their members. If you’re looking for some inspiration ahead of the Singapore National Figure Skating Championships in March, why not join your friends for a morning of videos of some of the best skaters in the world today? We will have Sasha Cohen from the 2006 US Nationals, Mao Asada from the ISU Grand Prix Final and Jeff Buttle from the Canadian Nationals—and many many more. The venue is to be confirmed, but the date has been fixed for February 18th, 2005 from 10 am. (The rink is closed for a hockey tournament.) Please confirm your attendance at the skating video party by email. Happy Sk8ing! Laura Reid HonSec ASFSC

Classifieds section now on All Stars website

23/1/2006 - Dear All Stars Members The website now has a classified page, and all members are welcome to post items for sale, with the agreement that 10% of the selling price be donated to the club. Interested buyers should contact the seller directly, using the information provided with the ad. Best regards All Stars Figure Skating Club

First skater profiles now on ASFSC website

18/1/2006 - Dear All Stars Members We recently launched the first group of the club’s ‘public faces’ on our website (pls see ‘Skater Profiles’). Many thanks to the skaters who volunteered to act as sports ambassadors for the club if we need them. More skater profiles already are in the works and will be launched after Chinese New Year. If you would like to be profiled for the website, please send me an email, expressing your interest. I will forward a standard list of questions to you to help get things started. Best regards Laura Reid Honsec ASFSC

Link to Mao Asada's official website

9/1/2006 - Dear All Here’s the official website for Mao and Mai Asada. www.maomaiasada.com Enjoy Laura

Please check out www.japanskates.com

3/3/2006 - Dear All Stars Member The All Stars website ( www.allstars-skating.org ) provides links that we think will be useful or interesting for our members. Just recently, we came across another site that we believe will be of interest to you as a young competitive skater: www.japanskates.com As the name indicates, the site is all about the top female skaters in Japan. It has information and videos, including Shizuka Arakawa’s winning free skate at the 2004 World Championships. The site even has the short and free programs from the recent Japan National Figure Skating Championships. If you haven’t seen Mao Asada’s triple axel yet, you can watch the 15 year old land two triple axels in her free program at the Japan Nationals on Dec 25th. (You will need a media player.) On occasion, the video pauses to continue the buffering process. It can be annoying, but be patient and the video will resume. It doesn’t make for the ‘best’ viewing, but you will get a look at some of the best skating in the world currently being done by ladies skaters. Enjoy! All Stars Figure Skating Club

Update on ISU Grand Prix Final: Mao Asada in 1st

17/12/2005 - Dear All Stars Members The ISU Grand Prix Final, the last major international skating event before the Olympic Games in February, is being held in Japan this weekend. After the short program, 15 year old Mao Asada from Japan is in the lead, with Russia’s Irina Slutskaya in second, and Miki Ando in third. In the men’s event, Switzerland’s Stephane Lambiel, 2005 World Champion, won the short program. Jeff Buttle, the 2005 World silver medalist from Canada, is in second place, with Daisuke Takahashi from Japan in third. The free skates will take place today. Please refer to www.isu.org for more details as they become available. Best regards HonSec ASFSC www.allstars-skating.org

Reminder for parent permission to use HOI workshop photos

13/12/2005 - Dear Everyone Thank you to everyone who has emailed their permission for ASFSC to use the photos of your children (both individual and group shots) from the HOI workshop for the website and other publicity purposes. However, some of you have only confirmed permission regarding the individual shots of your child. If you do not formally confirm your permission for the group shorts by email, then we cannot post them on the website. We realize that this may be simply an oversight on your part, but it means that some children may not be featured on the website. Unfortunately, the group shots are the only good shots we have of some skaters. Please be generous with your permission so that all participants can be featured on the website. If you have already sent through your permission for both the individual and group shots, please disregard this email. Thank you in advance for your prompt attention to this email. Best regards Laura

Correction on WNBC website address

11/12/2006 - Hi Everyone Good news and bad news. The good news: ASFSC members already have tried logging onto the NBC website to do the Olympic poll. The bad news: your club honsec emailed you an incomplete link. The one below should work. Apologies for the error. Hold down your control button and click your mouse button—and you should be on your way. http://www.wnbc.com/olympics2006/index/index.html Thanks for your patience. Laura

Need parent permission to use photos of skaters in Holiday on Ice Workshop

11/12/2005 - Dear Parents Your child took part in the workshop with Holiday on Ice and is pictured in some of the group photos we would like to use on the ASFSC website. (We also are trying to arrange a story on the skaters in one of the long-lead publications, but that has not been confirmed yet.) We need permission from all of you to use these group photographs for the website and other publicity. The photos will be larger than they appear here; they have been compressed in size for easier sending via email. Please confirm your permission by email. If one of you does not grant permission, we will not use the group photographs. Separately, we will be sending to you individual photos of your child that we also would like to use on the website. Thank you for your cooperation. Best regards Laura Reid HonSec ASFSC

Vote on Olympic Survey on WNBC website

10/12/2005 - Dear All Stars Member NBC has the official broadcast rights for the Olympic Winter Games coming up in Torino in February 2006. It is polling viewers to see which Olympic sport they want to see covered during the Games. So far, there have not yet been many votes for figure skating. In fact, curling has been getting more votes than figure skating! It’s bad enough that we get very little skating coverage locally; let’s not let our sport get marginalized by the official broadcaster. Just click on the NBC web address at the bottom of this note, scroll down to "Olympic survey", click figure skating and the VOTE button and you're done. http://www.wnbc.com/olympics2006/index

Channel NewsAsia to film Holiday on Ice Workshop

8/12/2005 - Dear All Stars Member You are receiving this email because you have confirmed your participation in the on-ice workshop with Hollywood on Ice tomorrow at 3:30 pm at Singapore Expo Hall 3. One parent is entitled to sit in on the workshop with the skater. The skaters will receive a tee-shirt from Holiday on Ice to wear during the workshop and take home. You can either wear leggings or a skating dress with the tee-shirt. We have just received confirmation that Channel NewsAsia will be coming to film the workshop. Please be punctual and have a great time during the workshop. Best regards Laura HonSec ASFSC

Update on Holiday on Ice Workshop

3/12/2005 - Dear All Stars Member You are receiving this email because you expressed an interest in attending a workshop by Holiday on Ice on Dec 8th for some members of the All Stars Figure Skating Club. We have had a great response to the workshop, including requests from members who are not yet on the Ntl teams. Some National team skaters have said they would like to attend but will not be able to if the workshop takes place before 4 pm due to school commitments. I still do not have a confirmation on the exact time of the workshop on the 8th, but everything they have said so far leads me to believe that it will not take place before that time. However, please note that I do not have official confirmation yet. Attendance is being capped at 20 skaters—and we are already at that limit. Please let me know if your plans have changed since the first email and you are no longer able to take part in the workshop. Other skaters can then be given a place in the workshop. Best regards Laura Reid HonSec ASFSC www.allstars-skating.org

Winners of Holiday on Ice Lucky Draw

27/11/2005 - Holiday on Ice show arrives in Singapore Dec 9th 3 ASFSC members win tickets to ‘Hollywood’ November 27, 2005, Singapore: ASFSC members Melissa Leow, Bramina Braet and Raymond Cheah each won a pair of tickets to the December 9th opening show of Holiday on Ice’s Hollywood production at Singapore Expo Hall 3. The front row tickets were donated to the All Stars Figure Skating Club by QuestVacation International, the local promoter of the Hollywood show. ASFSC adult member Carol Tan drew the tickets at 11:30 on Saturday at Fuji Ice Palace with fellow member Tomoko Jimbo, verifying the results. The results were officially announced by Celia Lim from Fuji Ice Palace. Nine year old Melissa Leow had planned to get tickets for Hollywood so she was thrilled to learn that she did not have to queue up. “We love to see the skating, but we also like the love stories and the beautiful costumes,” Melissa said. Over the weekend, she competed in several events at Fuji Ice Palace’s regional Skate Singapore Competition. Melissa also is on the youth development team of the Singapore Ice Skating Association. Mom Shirley Tay added emphatically: “I’m going to the show for the love stories.” Hollywood is bringing tinsel town’s best love stories and hottest action numbers to Singapore. Olympic gold medallist Robin Cousins was co-choreographer for the show, and Hollywood promises to entertain and thrill Singapore’s skating fans. To help promote the show, QuestVacation International is offering a special discount of ‘buy two tickets at full price and get 50% off the third ticket.’ Two of the principal skaters will be in Singapore ahead of opening night to talk about the joys of performing around the world with Holiday on Ice and the creative challenges and special effects of Hollywood. American Ryan Mackinnon, who cuts a debonair figure as an ice-skating action hero, will be interviewed on Channel NewsAsia while in Singapore. He has been featured in one of Hollywood’s signature stunts for the past three years. Ryan will be joined by Ashley Clark, another former competitive figure skater from the United States, who joined the production in May this year. The growing population of local skating aficionados can hardly wait for the complete Holiday on Ice company to arrive. “I go ice skating almost every day, but we rarely get professional skating shows in Singapore,’ said Annika Nyberg, 11 years old. “At shows like Holiday on Ice, the music is wonderful, the jumps are fantastic, and the spins are graceful.” However, as much as Annika loves the beauty of skating, she also will be coming for the action in Hollywood. Annika is a big fan of James Bond, says her mother Jackie Tan. Mom’s reasons for attending the ice show: “I will be coming for Moulin Rouge and Casablanca!” Hollywood is guaranteed to have something for everyone. Singaporeans can look forward to 50 international skaters from 15 countries, 350 costumes, unforgettable music, breathtaking aerial acrobatics incredible special effects and, of course, figure skating of the highest calibre. Through the magic of light, sound and figure skating, the ice surface is transformed into a Hollywood movie set. Renowned as an Olympic and 3-time world champion in figure skating, Robin Cousins shared the choreography duties with artistic director Anthony van Laast, MBE. van Laast recently choreographed Bombay Dreams and Mamma Mia for London’s West End. Together, Cousins and van Laast have crafted an ice show that will move seamlessly from action thriller to touching love story to exciting space odyssey. Not surprisingly, 12 year old Benjamin Soh and his brother Dominic, 8, have no interest in the romantic side of Hollywood. The brothers are going for the special effects, the thrills and, of course, the well-known entertainment icon known as “Bond, James Bond”. “I like the stunts and the action. All the fast stuff,” Benjamin said. Given that Hollywood opens with some high-tech gadgetry, gravity-defying stunts and an explosive ring-of-fire, Benjamin isn’t going to be disappointed. Hollywood is a fast, spectacular show that captures the magic, feelings and emotions of the movies and their music. Not only will Hollywood conjure up countless film memories, fans will leave the show with brand new memories. Lights, camera, action!

Please check out the new All Stars website!

24/11/2005 - Dear Member of the All Stars Figure Skating Club Please take a look at the Club’s new website at www.allstars-skating.org. We’re still building the website so if you have some ideas that you would like to see online, please let us know. Many thanks to Jackie Nyberg for contributing the list of Dance Schools many months ago when we were still mulling around ideas on design. We can honestly say that she was the first contributor to the website. If anyone would like to compile a list of music schools, we will include that as well. Your exco also wants to thank the skating members who already have agreed to be one of the public faces for your Club. We hope to have your skater profiles on the web very soon. On this matter, we would like feedback from parents as to whether they think the skater profiles should be members-only and password-protected. We can use photographs of the children elsewhere, but they wouldn’t be so directly linked to their personal information. On the one hand, we want Singapore (and the world) to see how wonderful our members are. But we want to find a balance between giving our members the attention they deserve without too much exposure. Please let us know your thoughts. Happy sk8ng and best regards from Your ASFSC 2005-2006 executive committee President: Raymond Cheah Vice President: Tan Jing Koon Honorary Treasurer: Christine Vogel Honorary Secretary: Laura Reid Committee Members: Helen Foo, Lim Su Yin and Isabelle Tan

Holiday on Ice workshop for All Stars members on Ntl Teams

20/11/2005 - Dear Member of the All Stars Figure Skating Club The promoters of Hollywood on Ice, which will be performing in Singapore from Dec 9th, are willing to hold a workshop with skaters from All Stars Figure Skating Club on the afternoon of December 8th, if there is sufficient interest. You are receiving this email because you are a member of ASFSC and a member of one of the National teams of the Singapore Ice Skating Association. If you will be in Singapore on Dec 8th and would like to take part in this workshop, please confirm your participation by noon on Tuesday, November 22nd. Best regards Laura Reid Honorary Secretary ASFSC

Hollywood on Ice donates tickets for All Stars lucky draw

20/11/2005 - Dear Member of the All Stars Figure Skating Club Hollywood on Ice is coming to Singapore from Dec 9-12 at Singapore Expo Hall. The promoters of the show have kindly donated three pairs of tickets to the All Stars Figure Skating Club to raffle off to our members. If you will be in Singapore on December 9th—opening night—please email me, indicating that you would like to be included in this draw. We will hold the draw at Fuji Ice Palace at 11:30 on Saturday November 26. Please send your email to me before midnight on Thursday November 24. Alternatively, you may send an sms to me at 9749-8398. Best of luck! Laura Reid Honorary Secretary All Stars Figure Skating Club PS If you don’t win, we have been given vouchers for a buy-2-get-1-at-50% special offer. Please contact the club at this email if you would like a voucher.

All Stars wants members as sports ambassadors

13/11/2005 - Dear All Stars Member The Club is looking for high resolution photographs of our members on-ice that we can use for publicity purposes. If you have a high resolution photograph and are willing to be one of the public faces for the ASFSC, please send a soft copy of the photograph by return email. Thanks and happy sk8ing. Laura Reid HonSec ASFSC

Reminder of $7 ice time rebate for All Stars members

13/11/2005 - Dear Member of the All Stars Figure Skating Club If you have not already taken advantage of your $7 rebate for ice time, please note that the deadline expires December 31, 2005. As an ASFSC member, you are entitled to a one-time rebate of $7 from the club on any ice time you book at Fuji Ice Palace. Please send your receipt to the address in the letterhead. Best regards Laura Reid Honorary Secretary ASFSC

Winners of All Stars Logo Redesign Contest

4/11/2005 - Dear All Stars Member Do you have a friend who is thinking about taking skating lessons? The All Stars Figure Skating Club is offering a special rebate for new members who sign up at the SISA Skate-a-thon on November 6th. Please see the attached flyer for details. The Club is happy to report the winners of the logo redesign contest. First Prize: Alexandria Wong wins $100 in ice time rebates as well as new skating gloves, soakers & matching towel, and an “I landed my Axel” pin. Second Prize: Gwyneth Har wins $50 in ice time rebates as well as new skating gloves and soakers & matching towel. Third Prize: Tan Jing Koon wins $25 in ice time rebates as well as new skating gloves and soakers. Thank you to everyone who entered the contest. It was difficult narrowing the choices down to three entries. In the next few weeks, the Club will be issuing membership pins based on the logo. Sadly, they won’t be ready by the Skate-a-thon, but you should have the pins to wear at Skate Singapore. Finally, have you landed your axel yet? If yes, check out the All Stars Membership Table at the SISA Skate-a-thon. The Club has a special pin to help you remember how great you felt when you first landed your axel. And, if you’re still working on your axel, don’t despair: there’s a pin waiting just for you, too. We know that there’s an axel in your future, too! Have fun at the SISA Skate-a-thon! Happy Sk8ing from the All Stars Executive Committee

All Stars AGM to be held Nov 17, 2005

3/3/2006 - Dear Voting Members of the All Stars Figure Skating Club Please see the attached notice regarding the time and date of the ASFSC annual general meeting. Best regards Laura Reid Honorary Secretary ASFSC

SISA needs volunteers for skate-a-thon

14/10/2005 - Dear Member of the All Stars Figure Skating Club Jackie Nyberg, on behalf of the SISA Fund-Raising Committee, has requested that we forward this email to you. Apologies in advance if you have already received this email. Best regards Laura Reid Honorary Secretary ASFSC

SISA looking for rep for subcommittee

19/5/2005 - Dear All Stars Our parent body, Singapore Ice Skating Association, is looking for a representative from our club to sit on a SISA subcommittee for a social event. SISA’s aim is to let Clubs members play, enjoy, compete together and at the same time demonstrate Team Spirit, according to the email we received from SISA Director of Marketing Philip Au. The event will be arranged for the end June, or a suitable date decided by the Sub-Com. Philip says the representative ideally would be a skating member of our club, but being a skater isn’t an absolute prerequisite. This position could be of interest to our secondary school or junior college students. The All Stars Club would be willing to write a letter to your head of CCA, commending you on your work for your sporting community, and we can approach SISA about writing a similar letter as well. The Sub-Com will be chaired by Mr. Joe Ang, our Event Director. Please contact me if you are interested in sitting on this subcommittee. Best regards Laura Hon Sec ASFSC

Reminder for Hollins Trophy Deadline

9/5/2005 - Dear All Stars Some of you have expressed interest in competing at the Hollins Trophy in Australia. Please take note of this gentle reminder from the organizing committee at Ice Skating Australia re your applications. Good luck, and best regards Laura ASFSC

Ice Skating Australia announces Hollins Trophy rules

6/4/2005 - Dear Members of the All Stars Figure Skating Club Ice Skating Australia has forwarded information on the Hollins Trophy competition, which will take place the weekend of June 10th. This event is open to overseas competitors, but your application must be endorsed and forwarded by Singapore Ice Skating Association. Ice Skating Australia will not accept your application if it has not been forwarded by SISA. If you have any interest in competing at the Hollins Trophy, please contact SISA at postmaster@sisa.org.sg. Best regards Laura Reid Honorary Secretary All Stars Figure Skating Club

Andrea Derby on FM93.8's Sport Zone

16/3/2005 - Dear All Stars Members Tune in this Saturday March 19 to FM93.8 at 11 am when Andrea Derby from our parent body, Singapore Ice Skating Association, will be doing a live interview on ice skating with SportsZone host Clarence Yap. Thank you to the skaters who already have sent in their ice time receipts for a $7 rebate from your All Stars Club. This one-time offer is open to any member of the All Stars Figure Skating Club (formerly the Junior Club) until the end of 2005. You can use any ice time receipt, ie, Nationals practice times, Sunday mornings, etc. Please send your receipt to: Honorary Secretary, All Stars Figure Skating Club, 3 Ardmore Park #03-01, Habitat 1, Singapore 259950 And don’t forget to send in your design for a new logo for the All Stars. Win the logo design contest, and you can be a part of club history! Prizes include a $100 rebate on ice time for the winner, $50 in ice time rebates for 2nd place and $25 in rebates for the 3rd place. All three winners will receive certificates commemorating their work and additional skating accessories such as gloves, soakers and pins. Happy Sk8ing! From the All Stars

New Name for the Club: the All Stars Figure Skating Club

6/3/2005 - Dear Members We are pleased to announce that your club has a new name. With the endorsement of the Singapore Ice Skating Association and the approval of the Registry of Societies, the Junior Ice Skating Club has officially changed its name to the All Stars Figure Skating Club (ASFSC) or ‘the All Stars’ for short. To help celebrate our new name, the executive committee has approved a one-off $7 stipend towards ice time for all our members. In other words, the next time you pay for ice time, please send us a copy of the receipt, and we will rebate $7 to you. You can also use one of your receipts for ice time the National Championships. (Please send your receipt to: Honorary Secretary, ASFSC, 3 Ardmore Park #03-01, Habitat 1, Singapore 259950.) There is more reason to celebrate. We plan to revamp our logo and our website, all with the ambition of serving you better. And we hope that you will help. The All Stars executive committee wants you to come up with a new logo. We are holding a redesign contest among our members. You have until March 21st to submit a design that you feel best reflects our new name and new attitude. The contest will be open to all our members, young and old. We will offer prizes for the top three designs. For the winning design, the member will receive $100 towards ice time. (Every time the winner pays for ice time, they can send us the receipt for a rebate to a total value of $100.) The second prize winner will receive $50 in ice time; and the 3rd prize winner will receive $25 in ice time. All three winners will receive certificates commemorating their work and additional skating accessories such as gloves, soakers and pins. Next week, we will be sending a questionnaire to you (and your parents). Please take some time to answer the questions that most interest you. We have some ideas on how to do things differently but we want to hear your ideas, too. If you aren’t sure what a question means, please ask your Mom or Dad to help you. We would like to hear their ideas, too, even if they aren’t members. In the meantime, we are going to be moving ahead with some new features on the website. So, help us celebrate the new name—and stay tuned. Sincerely Your executive committee for 2004-2005. President: Raymond Cheah Vice President: Tan Jing Koon Honorary Treasurer: Rita Toole-Stott Honorary Secretary: Laura Reid Committee Member: Helen Foo Committee Member: Lim Su Yin

New Name for the Club: the All Stars Figure Skating Club

6/3/2005 - Dear All Stars Members We are pleased to announce that your club has a new name. With the endorsement of the Singapore Ice Skating Association and the approval of the Registry of Societies, the Junior Ice Skating Club has officially changed its name to the All Stars Figure Skating Club (ASFSC) or ‘the All Stars’ for short. To help celebrate our new name, the executive committee has approved a one-off $7 stipend towards ice time for all our members. In other words, the next time you pay for ice time, please send us a copy of the receipt, and we will rebate $7 to you. You can also use one of your receipts for ice time the National Championships. (Please send your receipt to: Honorary Secretary, ASFSC, 3 Ardmore Park #03-01, Habitat 1, Singapore 259950.) There is more reason to celebrate. We plan to revamp our logo and our website, all with the ambition of serving you better. And we hope that you will help. The All Stars executive committee wants you to come up with a new logo. We are holding a redesign contest among our members. You have until March 21st to submit a design that you feel best reflects our new name and new attitude. The contest will be open to all our members, young and old. We will offer prizes for the top three designs. For the winning design, the member will receive $100 towards ice time. (Every time the winner pays for ice time, they can send us the receipt for a rebate to a total value of $100.) The second prize winner will receive $50 in ice time; and the 3rd prize winner will receive $25 in ice time. All three winners will receive certificates commemorating their work and additional skating accessories such as gloves, soakers and pins. Next week, we will be sending a questionnaire to you (and your parents). Please take some time to answer the questions that most interest you. We have some ideas on how to do things differently but we want to hear your ideas, too. If you aren’t sure what a question means, please ask your Mom or Dad to help you. We would like to hear their ideas, too, even if they aren’t members. In the meantime, we are going to be moving ahead with some new features on the website. So, help us celebrate the new name—and stay tuned. Sincerely Your executive committee for 2004-2005. President: Raymond Cheah Vice President: Tan Jing Koon Honorary Treasurer: Rita Toole-Stott Honorary Secretary: Laura Reid Committee Member: Helen Foo Committee Member: Lim Su Yin