2010 NHK Trophy Blog by Cathy Reed

Sunday, Oct. 24

Well, the 2010 NHK Trophy has come to a close. We had the exhibition practice this morning, where we also went over the opening and finale. Then we stayed at the rink to watch the men’s free skating event, and what an exciting event that was!!! Those huge quads and triple axels!!! Just amazing performances today.

After the men’s event finished, I got my make-up and hair done by Kose, a famous cosmetic company and sponser for the Japan Skating Federation. They are truly professional and have gone to several Japanese skating shows and competitions.

The exhibition went very well and the audience seemed to enjoy it greatly. There were such a variety of numbers: rock and roll, Michael Jackson, classical, etc…so it was an exciting show =).

After the finale, everyone rushed to get off the ice and to get out of the arena! We all packed our belongings quickly and hopped onto the bus. Everyone wanted to get back to the hotel, rest and change for the banquet in less than 2 hours.

The banquet was wonderful and everyone was all dressed up and beautiful. The food and company were excellent. There was also this entertainment show and the entire room went pitch black. An artist drew images with a green light pen on a huge screen. He drew live art, and the light would stay for a couple of minutes and then eventually fade. He first drew the stars and planets in space, then Mount Fuji, then other mountains and lakes, then a pegasus and dolphin, then two figure skaters and then two figures stood in front of the screen and then there was a flash. It was a picture of the outlines of their figures, their arms reaching out towards each other. It was a very beautiful and unusual performance.

Everyone then said their goodbyes and good luck wishes. It is amazing that just one competition, of 3 days can hold so many memories.

Take care everyone and have a safe trip back home =).

~ Cathy

Saturday, Oct. 23

Hello everyone again =)

The ice dance event has been completed, so have the pairs and ladies event. All we have left are the men tomorrow and the exhibition!

The free dance event went very smoothly and the audience was so supportive. I just love the Japanese fans! They are the best! We have received so many presents, flowers, and thoughtful messages. They just love figure skating and will always support you, through the good times and the bad, no matter what.

The competition went by so fast, especially since we only have two programs now and also that the compulsories are out of the picture. Just one day of official practices, two days of competition and then you’re done! Nice and easy!

Tomorrow, we are invited to do the exhibition, so Chris and I were just working on the floor and remembering our exhibition number, since we haven’t skated it since the summer! We have six lifts in that program and it is almost five minutes long! So we definitely had to prepare and remember everything before the practice tomorrow =P.

Come back tomorrow for my last blog of the exhibition and more pics!!!

~ Cathy

A day of short dances in another long day! It started off with a 6 a.m. shuttle for our official practice. After the practice, all the girls in the locker room agreed that putting makeup on at 5 a.m. in the morning is definitely a challenge! I had three cups of coffee to keep myself from falling asleep!

We came back to the hotel for some breakfast and a nice little nap, then Chris and I had a quick bite of some lunch before we took the 1:30 shuttle to the rink for the competition. We warmed up outside since the weather was so nice, warm and sunny with a little breeze. The fans watched from windows of the arena while we warmed up and took pictures =). They are so supportive and they absolutely just love figure skating!

The short dance event was full of great waltzes, tangos and some quicksteps. It was a very fun event with very different programs =). I like the short dance very much and I can’t wait to see all the other teams’ short dances in the other Grand Prix events =).

Chris and I came back to the hotel, had dinner, and decided to retire early since we have another early practice tomorrow morning, around the same time as today. But I feel bad for the men because their practice tomorrow is even earlier than the ice dancers! That’s a first!

Goodnight everyone and enjoy the free dance event!

~ Cathy

P.S. More personal pics have been posted in the IDC Gallery. 

Thursday, Oct. 21

Hello Everyone!

What a busy day today was! I woke up 6 a.m. this morning to get ready, do my hair, make-up and eat a good breakfast before catching the 7:30 shuttle to the rink for our first official practice. We did our free dance first this morning and skated great in our new costumes; however, it was sooo hot!!! The girls are lucky to have dresses with thin or no sleeves, while the guys are in long pants, long sleeve shirts and jackets!!!! Everyone is drenched after practice, so I’m wondering: did we just come from the ice rink or from the pool on the other side of the arena??? (On the other end of the arena, there is a swimming pool with 3 huge diving boards.) We were joking around with the other dancers and making a plan to go skinny dipping after practice!!!Then we hopped on the shuttle again to go back to the hotel for lunch and to rest a little. I barely had time to rest because I had to wash my hair and redo my make-up for our short dance since it is an entirely different character!

We had another great practice, but our day wasn’t over yet! The Japanese team had a press conference at 7:30 p.m., so that called for another shower and make-up session — the life of an ice dancer =))). We always have to look fantastic!

Well, I have to go to sleep now because I’m waking up at 5 a.m. tomorrow morning for a very early practice for the short dance!!!

~ Cathy

Wednesday, Oct. 20

Hello everyone and welcome to the 2010 NHK Trophy in Nagoya, Japan! We are skating in the Nihon Gaishi Arena, which is a memorable rink for us because it was the rink of our very first Japanese National Championships =).

Today everyone had an unofficial practice in the afternoon, to wake up our legs after a long trip to Japan. It was an hour practice with no music, so it was a convenient warm-up. There were five teams on the ice from China, Czech, Japan and two from the U.S., so it was great to see familiar faces after a long off-season =). I can’t believe the season is about to start! Sadly, summer always feels way too short…Time sure does fly!!!

Tomorrow we start official practices so get ready for new programs, new costumes, and a fantastic new season!!!!

My personal pics will be posted in the IDC Gallery.