Skaters Bracing for Surprises

For figure skaters, boots and blades are an extension of their bodies, not merely equipment. And if the steel is crooked or the boots chafe, the result is sheer misery.

Just ask Timothy Goebel. The Olympic bronze medalist at Salt Lake City discarded a dozen pairs of boots during a frustrating quest that led him to withdraw from two events this season and limit his trademark quadruple jumps.

“I literally could not skate in a straight line on several pairs,” said Goebel, who trains in El Segundo. “It affects your stroking, spinning, jumping, everything. So it’s been a very difficult process this year.”

Goebel found decent boots 2 1/2 weeks ago and said Wednesday he has felt much better since he arrived here for the U.S. championships. But he made no promises for the competition, which begins today with the short program.

“I just haven’t really had the time to prepare like I normally do because I’ve spent so much time breaking in new boots,” said Goebel, who plans one quad in his short program and one in Saturday’s finale. “Physically, I’m in very good shape. I’ve been doing a lot off the ice to compensate.”

Even if he were fully prepared, his coach, Frank Carroll, wouldn’t promise anything.

“I think people that make predictions about skating are crazy,” Carroll said. “That’s why I never try to predict anything. Look at nationals last year. The men’s event was absolute Abbott and Costello. They were good, solid skaters going into the event, and it wasn’t a good, solid event.”

Two-time Olympic gold medalist Dick Button called last year’s men’s competition “a total disaster,” and he was kind.

Goebel led after the short program but fell twice in his long program, landed none of his three quads and finished second. Johnny Weir, second after the short program, fell into the boards and twisted his back; after resuming, he fell again, wrenched his knee and withdrew.

Matt Savoie had to stop mid-program to refasten his pants stirrup. A computer glitz forced Michael Weiss to wait 7 1/2 minutes to begin. He also collided with a flower girl and fell on his quadruple lutz, yet won his third U.S. title.

“It was a crazy event,” said Weiss, who plans a quad-triple combination in his short program and two quads Saturday. “All the drama and excitement that was maybe lacking in the men’s event in prior years came out in one event.

“That’s what makes figure skating interesting. You never know what’s going to happen on a given night.”

Weiss, seventh at Salt Lake City, said he’s aiming for the 2006 Games and hopes U.S. Figure Skating will adopt the new cumulative scoring system for domestic competitions if it is approved by the International Skating Union for world and Olympic events. This season’s Grand Prix events were judged using the new system, but the old, 6.0-based system is in effect here.

“We may have to sacrifice a few years’ confusion for the greater good of the sport,” he said.

*

All eyes will be on seven-time champion Michelle Kwan and her top challenger, Sasha Cohen, during the women’s short programs tonight.

“I think it’s wonderful to have a close competitor in this country she can compete against often,” said Peggy Fleming, the 1968 Olympic champion and an ABC commentator. “It should push them both.”

*

Rena Inoue and John Baldwin of Santa Monica skated a lively, jazzy routine that was marred by two mistakes but placed them second after the pairs short program. Defending champions Tiffany Scott and Philip Dulebohn also made several errors but were ranked first by seven judges.

Inoue fell face-first while landing a throw triple loop, and Baldwin touched his hand to the ice on their side-by-side triple toe loops, but they were placed first overall by two judges. Scott and Dulebohn overcame her fall and his touching his hand to the ice on their side-by-side jumps.

“This is the first time we didn’t do a perfectly clean short,” said Baldwin, who teamed with Inoue to finish third last year.

Only the top two pairs will qualify for the world championships in March in Germany. Competition ends Friday with the long program, worth two-thirds of the score.

*

Today’s Events

All times Pacific

* 8:20 a.m. -- Junior ladies’ short program. Worth one-third of final score.

* 10:30 a.m. -- Junior dance, original dance.

* 1:40 p.m. -- Men’s short program. Worth one-third of total score. Each skater must perform a double or triple axel; a triple or quadruple jump; a jump combination consisting of a double and a triple, two triples, a quad and a double or a quad and a triple; a flying spin; a camel or sit spin; a spin combination with one change of foot and at least two changes of position; and two step sequences of a different nature, all within a maximum of 2 minutes 40 seconds.

* 5 p.m. -- Women’s short program. Worth one-third of total score. Each skater must do a double axel; one triple jump; one jump combination consisting of one double jump and a triple jump or two triple jumps; a flying spin; a layback or sideways-leaning spin; a spin combination with only one change of foot and at least two changes of position; one spiral step sequence; and one straight-line, circular or serpentine step sequence, again within 2 minutes 40 seconds.