Tag: PopWatch on Ice (1-10 of 61)

Feb 6 2013 12:14 PM ET

Sochi 2014: One year until the Winter Olympics (and return of PopWatch on Ice)

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Today marks the one-year countdown to the start of the Winter Olympics in Sochi, and those inspirational NBC packages on the athletes are already taking shape: Yesterday, after skier Lindsey Vonn crashed at the Alpine World Championships and suffered a knee injury that will require surgery and six to eight months of rehab, she vowed to be ready for Russia.

In happier news, there is a $2,000 USA Luge Fantasy Camp being held in March, the 2013 USA Curling Nationals Championships will be televised later this month, and U.S. Figure Skating recently crowned its 2013 champs. Videos below. Time to care! READ FULL STORY »

Sep 25 2012 04:08 PM ET

Slogan revealed for 2014 Sochi Olympics: Hot.Cool.Yours.

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To mark the opening ceremony of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, being just 500 days away, the organizing committee has announced the Games’ slogan: Hot.Cool.Yours. While I personally envision this in large type on a poster featuring attractive male skiers sitting in an outdoor hot tub surrounded by snow-covered mountains as a light powder continues to fall, that’s not what was intended.

The press release explains it thusly: READ FULL STORY »

Jan 6 2011 05:26 PM ET

Johnny Weir officially comes out in new memoir

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weirUntil now, Olympic figure skater Johnny Weir has always avoided confirming what he’s never actually tried to hide – he’s gay. But in his new memoir, Welcome to My World, Weir finally says it. In an excerpt in People, he speaks lovingly about the parents he’s said before raised him to have respect for others and himself. “My parents never made me feel odd, even though I definitely didn’t act like all the other kids,” he says. “That’s why I believed in myself.” He talks about the moment he first knew he was “different.” “Watching Richard Gere in Pretty Woman at the tender age of six was when I had first realized there was something different about me. I wanted to be Julia Roberts so badly. Kissing seemed like a weird thing to do, but I knew if I was going to do it, it would be with Richard Gere.”

He knew he was gay by the time he hit puberty, Weir writes, but it wasn’t until he was 16, that he first kissed a boy. READ FULL STORY »

Dec 10 2010 03:46 PM ET

Brian Boitano on his NBC 'Skating Spectacular' and which Christmas carol he hates

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Brian-BoitanoImage Credit: Joe Kohen/WireImage.comHow do you know it’s the holiday season? For me, it’s when I get the press release announcing the annual Brian Boitano Skating Spectacular on NBC. This year’s special — which features performances to live music by Heart, opens with “Barracuda” and closes with “Magic Man” — tapes Dec. 16 in Sioux City, Iowa, and airs Dec. 26, at 4 p.m. ET. Boitano will be skating his solo number to “Crazy On You.” (Michael Weiss gets the unplugged version of “Alone.”) Boitano phoned us this afternoon from Atlantic City, where he’s taping another NBC special, A Salute to the Golden Age of American Skating (airing Dec. 25, 4 p.m. ET), tomorrow. (For that, he’s skating his classic program “Shenandoah/They Call the Wind Maria,” and yes, for those like me who would consider a road trip to see him on the same ice as Paul Wylie again, there will be an all-star group number. “If the group ever gets here,” he says, after a workout on the ice. “I’m like the first person here. I’m like, ‘Where the hell is everybody?’” Who’ll be the last person to show up? “Debi Thomas,” he says without hesitation.) While he waited, we asked him how he knows it’s the holiday season. Not surprisingly for a man nominated for a Tasty Award for Best Home Chef in a Series (vote now!), planning a cookbook (most likely titled What Would Brian Boitano Make?, just like his show), and booked to cook for HP executives at the Sundance Film Festival next month, many of them revolve around food.

Brian Boitano knows it’s the holiday season when… READ FULL STORY »

Dec 7 2010 10:38 AM ET

'Skating With the Stars' Week 3: 15 Trainwrecks!

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Welcome back to Skating With the Stars, the low-rent-verging-on-homeless version of Dancing With the Stars! ‘Tis the season for not being able to get the cave-troll growl of British host Vernon Kay’s “liiiiive.” (compared to Tom Bergeron’s hearty “LIIIIIIIIVE!”) out of your rotting brain, no matter how hard you bang your head against the ice! What’s the use? What is the point of anything? I have no words. Here are some screengrabs. READ FULL STORY »

Nov 30 2010 11:52 AM ET

'Skating With the Stars' Week 2: Top 10 Trainwrecks!

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Ugh, I have so much to say about how Skating With the Stars is the low-rent-verging-on-homeless version of Dancing With the Stars. But with host Vernon Kay’s tinny version of Tom Bergeron’s hearty “Liiiiiiiiiiive!” echoing in my rotting brain, I can’t even get into it. What’s the use? What is the point of anything? I have no words. Here are some screengrabs.

‘Skating With the Stars’: Top 10 Episode 2 Trainwrecks

10. The sad flames on the edges of the sad ice patch inside the sad ice cave. READ FULL STORY »

Nov 23 2010 10:49 AM ET

'Skating With the Stars' snap judgment: Not AS bad as we thought

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Adam Taylor/ABC

Skating With the Stars debuted last night, and although British host Vernon Kay (no Tom Bergeron) did his best to repeatedly assure us that this was the most dangerous live competition on TV — “The performances will be just as explosive, the costumes even tinier, but there is an added element of  danger — razor-sharp blades of steel strapped to the feet of six very nervous stars!” — no one even fell during their debut performances. At least we got some serious spills in the training montages. (Vince Neil fell more than all the other contestants combined, we were told.) After all, Kay promised, “If you like watching celebrities fall over, and let’s face it who doesn’t, then you’ve come to the right place.”

So essentially, this is Dancing With the Stars on Ice, only the pros have a tougher time covering for their partner if he or she sucks, because the celebrity can’t stand still while the professional does all the fancy footwork around him or her. Each week, contestants will perform a routine that must include certain required elements. Last night’s were the one-foot assisted glide and the pair spin. The judges — Johnny Weir, Dick Button, and Lady Gaga choreographer Laurieann Gibson — will give them two scores, technical and merit, which account for 50 percent of their overall score. Audience votes determine the other half. The first contestant will get the boot at the end of next week’s show, so everyone gets to take the ice at least twice.

Let’s go down the leaderboard:  READ FULL STORY »

Nov 11 2010 03:43 PM ET

'Skating With the Stars' pros, host, and color commentator announced

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skating-with-starsImage Credit: Bob D'Amico/ABCOkay, it’s easy to look at the roster of “pros” on ABC’s Skating With the Stars and dismiss them. But ask yourself this: How many of the pros’ names did you recognize on Dancing With the Stars that first season? It’s just because you — especially those who enjoy PopWatch on Ice coverage — can actually rattle off some famous figure skaters that you’re questioning these pros’ abilities before even seeing them in action. (That was a tougher spin than a Biellmann!) Here are the pairings. The show premieres Nov. 22.  READ FULL STORY »

Jul 8 2010 04:00 PM ET

Johnny Weir announces break from ice skating. So not fabulous.

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Johnny-WeirImage Credit: Justin LubinQuel horreur! Ice diva/possible future Dancing With the Stars contestant Johnny Weir will be taking a competitive break from ice skating. At least for 2010-11 season. The reason? Weir wants a year to “explore and reinvent [himself] as an athlete and artist.” In his time off the ice, Weir will focus on new projects like his new single Dirty Love, a fashion line, and his memoirs. He’ll also be filming season two of his Sundance Channel reality series Be Good Johnny Weir.

Even though he’ll be working on many new projects, Weir definitely won’t disappear from the ice completely. During his hiatus, he plans to create a new skating image so he “can perform in a way that is both unique and inspiring.” Have you seen him skate? I’d say he’s pretty unique and stayed true to his Johnny Weir style.

What do you think, PopWatchers? Will you miss seeing Johnny on the ice this next year? And what inspiring things do you think he’ll come up with? I’d be completely content with another Lady Gaga tribute. And what about his new projects? Which one are you most excited about? Take to the comments!

Read more:
Johnny Weir on ‘Closet Confessions’ and possible ‘Dancing With the Stars’ future: ‘I think it would be great if I won and Evan [Lysacek] wasn’t able to win.’
Johnny Weir would obviously Be Good on ‘Dancing With the Stars’

Jul 7 2010 02:25 PM ET

Lunchtime Poll: Michelle Kwan spirals into year 30

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Any other day I’d be like “so what,” but today is Heat Wave Watch Day, and Michelle Kwan’s 30th birthday provides yet another cheap and easy way to cool off via the power of thought because in my simpleton’s mind, Michelle Kwan only exists on ice. I was shocked to read that she was 30 as I am apparently not willing to believe that darling figure skating heroes go through the regular steps of life. Steps are for plebes! Darling figure skaters just glide around and around in circles and end up where they started and nothing ever changes until they are kindly asked to participate in Dancing With the Stars. Kate Ward provides some useful perspective: “I actually thought she was older, honestly…since she’s been in, like, 60 Olympics.”

So it’s settled. A much more reasonable PopWatcher than me thinks that Michelle Kwan should be at least 240 years old. Vote below, while cursing us under your breath because you know this was only a cheap ploy to wedge the beloved PopWatch on Ice logo onto the main page for a few hours, using a toe pick.

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