The skating season is pretty much over with the World Championships ending last week. I admit to being thrilled that I was able to watch most of the coverage on Canadian television, thus actually seeing other-than-American skaters (actually rather surprisingly, Canada didn’t even show many of the US skaters, even if they were pretty highly ranked). I also admit that I’m so uninterested in last year’s Women’s Champion, Kimmie Meissner from the US that I meanly am pleased that she lost. Now I don’t have to hear that vapid giggle with every sentence in every interview for a while. I hope. Please god.

The Asian nations are THE powers in figure skating. In the women’s event, all three medals went to Asian skaters. In the men’s event, silver went to Japan’s Daisuke Takahashi – pretty great skater too. And I admit I like him better than the guy who won. In pairs? Yes indeed, gold and silver went to Chinese skaters.

There were no medals given to ANY Russian skater. We’re talking about an event that has seen the likes of Yagudin, Plushenko and Kulik in recent years, along with Slutskaya. No pairs, no dance, no nuttin. Weird weird weird.

The men’s event was interesting in this regard; there were SO DAMN many countries represented. Looking at the top ten finalists they came from Canada, the US, France Switzerland, Czechoslovaikia (no that is not a mistake), Japan. And get this Sweden and Belarus. This is the top 10 ranks only folks. Italy, Slovakia, Germany

And let me tell you about Tomas Verner. If he can maintain, he should be a medal contender for some time to come. This kid has oodles of talent – speed, presentation, wow.

In the women’s event, Japan ranked one two and FIVE; that’s three women from one country in the top FIVE slots. Yu-Nah Kim, a 16 year old from Korea (coached by – get this – Brian Orser of Canada) took third, And the others in the top ten were from Italy, the US, Switzerland and Canada.

The face of skating has changed a lot recently.

When you follow a sport as I do, you know something about skaters and their personal lives. Some I know better than others, having read about them. After the Olympic judging debacle , a book called THE SECOND MARK analyzed the competition and provided background on the three pairs who ultimately got medals. I knew the history of the Russians – the stuff of huge tear-jerker stuff, but wholly true, that Yelena Berezneya had been severely head-injured when her then-partner’s skate blade had cut her head open. The story is stunning for so many reasons and the guy was is and will always be scum. He didn’t accept responsibility and was abusive; She survived thanks in large part to Russian Viktor Petrkenko, and found a new partner. They fell in love then out of love then had some problems with medication but all in all one of the finest pairs in skating history. Brillaint talents and World and Olympic champions.

There were the Canadians – and yes, they deserved gold without question- David Pelletier and Jamie Sale, two skaters who had come close to or who had pretty much quit skating despite lots of talent until they got together. And are now married, seemingly happily. Brilliant skaters, truly skating as one on the ice as pairs are supposed to do.

The third amazing pair, China’s Xue Shen and Hongbo Zhao, was lost in the scandal because all they did was skate. And in THE SECOND MARK it seemed getting to know them – figure skating is an awfully new sport for China – was pretty amazing. But the thing I too, away from the book was how young and child-like Xue Shen was. She appeared always to be almost subservient, but not because it was demanded or expected – necessarily but she just seemed more comfortable being the teeny tiny quiet Chinese girl looking up to her big brother partner. And certainly it seemed he treated her that way – not romantically but supportively. But I carried away an aimge of her loving him but content to stay home collecting her stuffed animals, as I remember it. Again, we’re talking incredible talent; I’ve watched this pair from the beginning and it’s been, to be trite, quite a journey. So while watching the “finale” – the exhibition put on by the winners 9and a bunch of other skaters as well, happily) I was completely croggled to hear that Xue Shen and Hongbo Zhao will marry next year. This is not all that surprising; anyone who watches the sport has seen it happen often among pairs and dancers. I always thought it amazing that Martini and Underhill were married to two OTHER people – they seemed so passionate and expressive toward each other. Good skating. But hey, Meno and Sand, Gordeyeva and Grinkov, for chrisake, Sale and Pelletier.

I remember some of their earlier costumes and it SO reflected the Chinese cultural rules about public behavior. I’ve read about western coaches going to China and having to teach Chinese skaters about eye contact and expressing emotion through movement. The pair was great – still is – at huge throw moves and lifts, but it took a while to get comfortable with the details. But that they managed to find each other after all this time just, well it surprised me. PLEASED me – and I hope truly that this is a meeting of the hearts of two people who have spent SO many hours in each others’ presence for 15 years (they started together in ’92). I hope it’s real and I hope it brings them joy. They’ve been a source of joy for me for years.

Zhao came back to skating after missing an entire season to recover after ripping up his Achilles tendon. They got back on the ice shortly before 2006 worlds and with only a few weeks practice, still won bronze. Jesus. He has GOT to know his own mind and strength. I know it’s only two people in a huge world and I don’t know them worth a damn, but I so hope it’s the real thing.

One last note, so you don’t have to wonder because you're seeing some good reviews. Most of you who know my taste in skating know without asking but since it got a three star, very enthusiastic review in the paper today I thought I’d comment.

Have you ever seen a review of a book or movie where you can check off, item by item, bit by bit, why EVERY little thing listed as a positive is a negative for you? Why those who’d be THRILLED by this book, or exciting movie, are like the film image negative of you? Ever sit and watch a trailer and say – as Stu and I do to each other often – “okey, doke, look another movie that we’ll save money by not seeing” or “Oh boy, look another Not For Us!”

Will Ferrell makes me twitch and I can’t stand him. The few times I saw him on SNL I wanted to wash afterwards. I hear he’s done some good stuff, but most of his humor is aimed at/for/by 14 year old boys of any age and it makes me hugely uncomfortable and tired. So “Blades of Glory” is not a movie I will ever see. It’s not that skating is sacrosanct, but whatever else this thing is, it's all "male skaters are all faggy" and it has huge “har-de-har” homophobia jokes like “oh my god he’s got another guy’s crotch near his FACE!” and the costume bullshit (let's make fun of costumes as they were decades ago and no one wears crap like that now) and the over the top stupid crap just looks annoying and insulting and ugly and dumb. I’m very tired of this whole gang of boys and their belching, farting, bathroomy, masturbatory, nudge-nudge wink-wink attempts at funny.

I do so wish someone would make a good skating movie – comedy is FINE, I don’t care. But this is not it.