Christmas Eve Skating Show Part 1
2006 Hilton Family Skating and Gymnastics Spectacular Airs December 24, 2006.
Cuddle up on the couch after Christmas caroling, and watch some of the best skaters and gymnasts in the world.
TGITV: Thank goodness for television! Christmas Eve will be the first airing of the Hilton Skating and Gymnastics Spectacular. I guarantee it will be a great show. But, like I said: TGITV.
Because the show was produced for television, the cast had the opportunity to clean up their mistakes after the performance. It was a great live show, but the audience had to endure mediocre and repeat skating routines peppered with numerous mistakes.
On the edited-for-TV version, you will not see Michael Weiss’s disastrous first skate. His rock and roll dance performance will be familiar but, for the most part, flawless. The magical world of television allowed him to perform over a minute of his jump sequences again. Creative editing will morph the finished product into an entertaining number.
Weiss has been working – with his gymnast father, no doubt – to add a twist to his back flip. While he doesn’t yet land it cleanly on two feet, he completed the rotations on his second try at the move and accepted putting both hands on the ice to keep from a face plant.
Michael’s athletic routines used some of the same footwork. The first music was a rock and roll medley, beginning with: “I Love Rock and Roll.” He wore a psychedelic, black and white swirled shirt for that routine. His costume for the second routine, a disco compilation, included an afro wig and red metallic bell-bottom pants.
He displayed the most innovative move of all the singles skaters that night. In fact, I predict he is a trend-setter. Kids in learn-to-skate programs will be asking where they can get their blades specially made like Michael’s. Why would they want to be like Mike? He did a spread eagle on his Freedom Blade heels about half way around the rink.
Close inspection of his skate revealed the scandal behind this trick. It’s equal parts strength, flexibility, balance, and creative blade manufacturing. In fact, I noticed his blades look basically like hockey skates with toe picks. Check these blades out in our report on Nick Perna's Freedom Blades. The round, connected back part of the blade allowed him to complete what I’m calling the heely spread eagle. His break dancing worm on the ice came in a close second.
Rory Flack Burghart had similarly disappointing performances. Her high-flying split leaps were beautifully overextended and magnificent as usual. Her lack of verve or energy was not what she is known for.
She is such a great coach and skater, and obviously disappointed with her performances this night. After the Spectacular had ended, Rosalynn Sumners announced to Rory via microphone that they would start playing the music and she should give the producers at least a fifteen second lead in to the parts she wanted to clean up. Rory muttered that she’d rather just do the whole program over again. Being a seasoned crowd pleaser, she gave the audience what it wanted most: a great back flip, more toe touches, and an incredible smile that reached the nose bleed sections.
The award for classiest skaters of the night went to all-time great Brian Orser and the elegant Amber Corwin. I was surprised that Rosalynn announced their names when it was time for skaters to repeat routines. Brian had to repeat his triple toe, and Amber came back out for the middle section of one of her programs. Both skaters were so pleasant and elegant to watch, I really didn’t notice their mistakes.
Amber’s quiet beauty added a calmness to her playfully mature choreography. Brian skated his “Story of My Life” program. I was hoping for something new, but he’s such a solid performer that the overuse of this song was easily forgiven. He also skated to a swinging “Day and Night, Night and Day.”
And then there was Rudy. Any skating enthusiast worth his salt has by now nearly memorized the routine he performed again to “Bring in the Clowns.” His second performance, bring in the clown he did. Actually, as a little warning to parents, my seven-year-old pointed out: “Momma, that man isn’t being appropriate.”
He was introduced as “Prince Rudy,” and quickly shed his purple cape to reveal a cut-out tank top. His routine to Prince songs was lively, gyrating, and suggestive. It would have fit right in at a gig in Las Vegas. Nevertheless, Prince Rudy maintains excellent conditioning despite acute health problems. His technique is as sold as ever.
Read Part Two of our coverage of the world-class skating and gymnastics from the Spectacular. Alternate television viewing dates are included.
