REGINA — At every Grand Prix event, there are good, bad and ugly skates, first-timers and old vets, surprises and disappointments.
These things are, in some ways, several concurrent competitions wrapped in one bedazzled package. Because, while Larkyn Austman might be on the same ice surface as her Canadian compatriot Kaetlyn Osmond, she’s not yet in the same league. And that’s to be expected, given this was her first Grand Prix assignment.
The 19-year-old from New Westminster, B.C., is 12th, which is to say last, after the women’s short program.
Osmond, a seasoned 21-year-old who trains in Edmonton, skated lights out, rang up a personal best 76.06 points and leads Skate Canada International by a whopping 7.01 points. She was the class of an uneven competition at Brandt Centre, finishing ahead of Russians Anna Pogorilaya and Maria Sotskova.
It’s Osmond’s first score over 76, after cresting 75 a couple of times last year.
“I was happy to finally get above that little hump,” said Osmond, who nailed her triple flip, triple toe combination, a triple Lutz and a double Axel.
She was skating last year’s program, Sous le ciel de Paris, and was obviously comfortable and confident doing it. This one was rock solid, much to the delight of a crowd that clapped along for the final few elements.
“The last bit of the program when everyone usually starts clapping is the celebration of the short,” she said.
Osmond cast a more critical eye on it immediately afterwards.
“There’s a lot of things I could improve in that program. My flow out of my jumps probably wasn’t as strong as they usually are, especially on the Axel, I was a little off in the air. I just found out I got a level three on my footwork which I’m not very happy about.”
Austman was happy to have survived the experience. This was a gentle easing onto the senior scene under the friendly gaze of the locals.
Larkyn Austman of Canada skates her short program at the 2017 Skate Canada International event in Regina on Oct. 27, 2017.
“These things can be terrifying in general. I’m glad it’s here because I’d rather have a home crowd. It’s a lot more inviting and welcoming. It helps to soothe me a little bit just to know that people know who I am and they support me anyway, no matter if you fall on your butt or not. I did.”
Yes, she did. Right after landing her opening combination, she fell on the triple flip.
“It’s usually my friend, but it’s not right now,” she smiled.
Everybody falls, eventually. That’s what Austman is learning as she slips up into the senior ranks. There are eight women here who finished in the top 24 at world championships last spring. They’re not teaching her anything on purpose, but seeing is believing that everyone, well almost everyone, is human.
“I’m learning that the only person I have ever seen perfect all the time, even in practice, is Evgenia Medvedeva. And even watching these girls, they mess up too and it makes me feel a little bit better.”
Not that she revels in anyone’s misery. She certainly wouldn’t have taken any delight in the fact that Canadian teammate Alaine Chartrand made a hash of her short program, fell once and under-rotated a double Axel to finish with just 46.51 points, ahead of only Austman, who checked in with 41.79.
“Pretty bad. Really rough, yeah,” said Chartrand, who struggled to find the words, such was the level of devastation.
“It’s too bad because in my warmup I struggled with the loop, and then I did the loop pretty well. It surprised me to fall on the Lutz. My combination has been so good in practice and in warmup it was really good.
“It was a weird fall for me too. That kind of just threw me a little bit but I came back with an OK loop-toe which is not a combination I practise a lot.”
Alaine Chartrand of Canada skates her short program Friday.
There is time for redemption on Saturday in the long program, but Chartrand and Austman face an improbable uphill battle. Coincidentally, perennial national champion pairs skater Meagan Duhamel was talking about it just the other day, how she finished last at her first Skate Canada in 2007.
“That helped me,” Austman said. “I was like, thank god, it’s not just me. Everyone starts somewhere.”
She has found the step up to senior to be an intimidating one.
“It’s much different under the cameras and the lights and everything. Even winning junior (nationals at age 14), there was maybe like 100 people in the crowd. It meant a lot to me but it wasn’t nerve-wracking. But now in these big venues and big events, there are people here and everyone is here to see you and the top (performers), and everyone matters.”
And everything is on display: the good, bad and ugly, surprises and disappointments.
dbarnes@postmedia.com