Ryan Bradley at US Nationals

Ryan Bradley put in a wonderful freeskate, with enchanting artistry, an entirely charismatic performance.

It started a bit disappointingly. His opening quad toe was under rotated and stepped out, and immediately after he stepped out of a second quad toe. Nevertheless, soon he pulled off a triple axel - double toe combination and the rest of his performance was just fun to watch.

And, just as we thought he was stepping off the ice, he skates back on and added a backflip ~ to a cheering crowd!

Video of Ryan Bradley SP


And, just to show what a performer he is, I just had to put this video of his long program at the Nationals last year - yes last year, since he skated the same program this time round:

2011 US Nationals Ladies Free Skate

Every time I watch Alyssa Czisny skate, I can't help but marvel at her spins. Last night, her jumps looked gorgeous too, as she put together a beautifully composed freeskate program.

Skating last, Rachel Flatt put together an intricately choreographed program. However, there seemed to be an air of caution throughout her program, and doubling her first Lutz did not help.

Mirai Nagasu fumbled on her flying sit spin, and later had difficulty keeping the program together. It was a disappointing finish for her, after leading the short program.

While the Ladies long program was nice to watch, there seemed to be something lacking. The enthralling and captivating quality of the performances of the Michelle Kwan era was missing.

It has been more than ten years since I watched figure skating live on TV, and I vividly remember the thrill of seeing Michelle Kwan get on ice. Not just Michelle, all other skaters too. (And where have I been these ten years? Someplace where TVs don't see the value of showing figure skating at all, much less live?)