2016 Cow Tales Blog #4
Greetings from Oberstdorf with our fourth and final blog of the trip. We had planned all sorts of fascinating things to say in this final installment, as we had become versed on cow facts, pun and metaphors before we left home. However, the bottom line is that we failed at delivering what we were seeking —– to see the Oberstdorf cows parade through town. Our US singles and pairs judge, Rob Rosenbluth, was savvy enough to find them earlier in the week. However, we have since learned that the heifers won’t be hoofing through the village for a while……
That being said, we made the most of this disappointing realization, and turned our attention to the task we were sent here to do — skate well! Today was the free dance event in the mid-afternoon, and there were so many strong and varied programs, that the audience was treated to some fabulous entertainment. When one considers how early it is in the season, most teams looked very well prepared, well trained and did a great job earning their levels.
We skated our Layla & Majnun free dance. In our version of this Persian legend, the young, beautiful Layla tempts Majnum to the edge of insanity, since he is prohibited from marrying her. Igor, along with Rohene Ward worked the choreography to mirror Majnun losing his mind, incorporating complex curves and rotational movements from the twizzles through the end of the program, but letting the audience interpret the ending of the program …. Does Majnun get Layla or does he lose her?
We love this program, as it allows us to unleash our speed across the ice in big sweeping edges, but create new and interesting free leg and arm positions to reflect the Persian theme. We had a solid skate and earned a new ISU personal best for the FD and overall, ending the event in 4th place against the strongest competition we have ever faced!
Yesterday’s prediction came true — we did have an awesome free dance event, and to celebrate, Alex headed to the local ice cream vendors for a pre-dinner treat. For dinner, Alex sampled stag goulash, which “changed his life,” while Ellie savored the apple strudel, before heading back to the rink to cheer on the men for the free skate event.
Tomorrow is our last day here, which will be filled with sightseeing, cheering on the ladies and pairs and preparing for our Sunday departure. When we return to Novi, we’ll begin training for our next event — Skate America in Alex’s hometown of Chicago. However, after experiencing this idyllic Bavarian village, we both know that Oberstdorf will hold a special place in each of our hearts. Even though we didn’t meet its famous bovine residents, there is so much more to love about the village and the Nebelhorn Trophy and we hope to return here. Like the cow who does not know the worth of her tail until she loses it, we didn’t realize how strongly we would feel about Oberstdorf until it is time to head home.
Thank you so much for reading our blog.
Auf Wiedersehen
Ellie & Alex
