Oh, Weather Diva, I definitely agree (tho' of those listed, I voted for Abbott, and I like Bradley too -- I haven't seen much of Halverson).

I saw Rohene Ward's recent performance at Upper Great Lakes Regionals on Ice Network. He landed a beautiful quad in his LP (turned out of the quad slightly in the SP). He is a gorgeous skater with all the skills, including wow extensions and an amazing layback spin. I hope he is able to make it back to Nats this year and skate to his ability. (One thing I noticed in his long at Regionals is that he seemed to tire very visibly toward the end -- hope he trains hard, builds his endurance, and gets help coping with nerves). Next he'll compete at Midwest Sectionals.

Of all the U.S. Men I've seen, I'd have to say Johnny and Rohene are the most talented technically and artistically-- but the key is combining those abilities with nerves of steel to be able to perform consistently under pressure.

Lysacek is a great competitive skater and he is also helped by having a Hall of Fame coach (and it doesn't hurt that EL is held in high favor by the federation), and by international judges. ITA with your apt analogy, EA Week! That describes Evan perfectly at this point. Cut the arm flinging and let us see who you really are inside.

I love Ryan Bradley's enthusiasm and fight. He gets such height on his jumps, and he has an effervescent personality. I've only seen a little of Abbott, but he is very good musically and he has a smooth quality on the ice (apparently he was an ice dancer previously). Although he didn't do well at Skate Canada, he is working on perfecting a quad, and he'll probably get better as the season progresses. Carriere is very good and interesting to watch. I think he still needs more experience and maturity, but there's no doubt he's favored to medal at Nats at some point -- even now, he's a strong contender.


:swan3