March 16, 2006
Celebration on Ice (North Bay, ON)
by Bella
Just got back from the show, so here is my review! First off, I have to say that I made a very dumb mistake - when we got to the arena, I realized that I had forgotten to take my camera with me!!!!!! I just could not believe that it had slipped my mind. However, I knew that I would at least have the memories with me.
Anyways, the show was awesome!!!! Our seats were right on the ice right close to the centre, so they were perfect. I really enjoyed the show, and thought it was well choreographed...besides Katia, I just LOVED Kurt Browning!
Katia skated first to Cinecitta, and she seemed to have jump troubles tonight. She fell on her double axel, but she did complete a double lutz. Heartburn was so upbeat, full of energy...she did a double toe loop her and singled a double loop. But she smiled alot through the programs and looked like she was having alot of fun. I really liked the Clown group number too, which was called Kurt's Clown Class!
After the show, my mom and I headed for the reception and waited...Kurt Browning was the first skater to come in. So I got his autograph, and he was signing everyone's programs very quickly, saying he had to go upstairs as well (they had the reception in 2 rooms because neither were big enough on their own for everyone). I got a few other skaters autographs, and was just coming down from the upstairs reception when we saw Katia walking along the boards coming towards the receptions.
So we went up to her then, and my mom asked her how she was and she said "good, thanks". Another person had asked for her autograph and then I was about to ask but she said she had to go into the reception. She was going the wrong way so my mom said to her that it was right over her, and she said "I have to go UP." And she started walking away really quickly after I was waiting to get her autograph. She then stopped and signed after my mom asked if she could. She then didn't know where to go after that, so my mom again told where the upstairs one was, and she started going the right way and we went behind her.
When we got to the stairs, a security guy said to Katia, "You can't go in without a pass." And she said "I'm a skater". So it was funny to us that she "couldn't get in" to her own reception! Anyways, she got up there, and signed autographs, posed for pictures. Oh, she was wearing a red long sleeved top and black stretchy pants, and had a white Champions winter coat. She looked very, very tiny and slim!!
She really barely talked to anyone, barely smiled. Just looked like she pretty much did it because she had to. I had hoped to be able to tell her that she was my favourite skater but she seemed so in a rush, I didn't get to the first time. So I then got her to autograph my mom's program just so that I could tell her that she's been my favourite skater, and she said "thank you very much."
But all in all, she was very untalkative and unreceptive towards people, and had even been a little short as well. I understand that she's probably tired, missing her family, and not really want to do this, but it's my personal opinion that when you sign on to do this job, that you are friendly to people...the skaters all know that this happens, and we pay extra to be able to attend the reception. It's the people the support the skaters, so I just wish they could take that one hour and be a little more friendly towards all of us that have watched, admired, and supported them over the years.
Most of the skaters seemed pretty nice, but alot of them were really rushing through autographs like it was just something they felt they HAD to do and didn't really want to do it. The skater I most enjoyed meeting was Shae-lynn Bourne! When we came over to her she was very, very warm, big smile, and chatted with us a little. You could tell that she was very happy to talk to anyone.
I would say that Katia was probably the least friendly...I guess it sort of makes me feel a little different now. It has been a 10 year dream for me, and it wasn't all that I hoped it would be. It makes me feel like, when I will see her skating on tv in the future, I will still be thinking, oh that's still beautiful skating, but I don't feel so much as a fan right now...I feel like I won't feel so excited about whatever she skates to next. It's just a feeling of, I still admire your skating, but you aren't quite the person I thought you were. Before I met her, I could think of her in my head as I wanted...after all, she does smile alot when skating. And now that I've met her, she does not come across the way she does when she skates.
But she will always be my favourite...it's just, I now know what it's like to see what she's like in person, off the ice, and that just makes this a little different. I know I am being a little sensitive, but it's just that I know how I am as a person. I am very sensitive to other people, and I imagine what others are feeling in a different position, so I am always as friendly as possible to people. And like I said, I think the fame thing comes with the job...and you get the fame from the people that support you...
Anyways, the show was AWESOME, and it was fabulous having on-ice seats...that really was the best part. It was really cool to meet the skaters, but the problem was that there were so many people and of course everyone wanted autographs. It is probably a better scenario to meet a skater backstage at a competition or an event, where there aren't crowds of people all around them.
But, the fact remains that I finally got to meet Katia, and still that to me is a big dream come true!! I think I will probably just come to terms eventually with the fact that Katia is naturally how she is off the ice, and nothing was meant to be personal.
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