Most of the time, watching compulsory figures is like watching trees grow - somehow the process is eventually completed.
Wednesday afternoon in Bountiful, though, there was genuine excitement.While defending national champion Jill Trenary took the lead after one event in the 1990 Nationals, Bountiful's Holly Cook came on strong from the outside.
"She did great," said Trenary of Cook.
"I did OK," said Cook, who for the day finished ahead of Tonya Harding, who placed third overall last year. Fourth after figures was Jeri Campbell, with Kristi Yamaguchi fifth.
Cook skated the best "rocker" figure she said she's done in competition to take second after the first figure, then placed first with her version of the "loop" figure in the second set.
Cook remained second overall but by a slim margin. She even was first overall on four judges' scorecards. Trenary had five firsts and four seconds; Cook had four firsts, four seconds and a third.
She also earned a place in history.
"Well, in the skating history in my heart," she said. "It's exciting to think I won the last loop ever to be skated in nationals."
Figures for senior ladies have now been phased out, in accordance with international trends. Wednesday's second figure, the loop, was the last one.
"She felt she could have done it even better," said
Coach Kris Sherard. Sherard said Cook was nervous for the rocker, but, "She skated very well. Usually the first one is the worst one for us to get the nerves out."
Cook had never placed so high nationally in figures; she was third in '89 figures and finished fourth overall, when the nationals were at Baltimore.
Now they're at home, and Wednesday's figures were held in the rink where Cook has trained since age 4.
Cook couldn't say if home ice was any advantage. "The atmosphere was there, but it's totally different ice than I've been practicing on," she said. "It's blue." (For such competitions, the ice is painted blue for effect.) Sherard says she hopes Cook can now forget about the pressure of being home and concentrate on her original program at 7 tonight in the Salt Palace.
It's probably Cook's favorite part of the competition, though it must be done perfectly because deductions are harsher. "She thinks it's not as long to be out there, so physically she thinks it's easier," says Sherard.
The freestyle will be skated Saturday at 1 p.m. and televised by ABC-TV.
Sherard guesses any of the top seven in the figures could have a shot at winning the national title.
But certainly Trenary, who won in both 1987 and '89, is driving now. "I'm very happy to be in first," she said, adding that her loop wasn't her best "but it's a good feeling to not do my best and stay in first." Usually, she said, her loop is her best figure. "I got a little nervous," she said.
"It's nice to win and have that under my belt. This gives me a little confidence."
Harding has been battling the flu all week, but she still plans on doing six triple jumps in freestyle, including perhaps the first-ever triple axel by an American woman in competition. "I admit I am sick," she said, "but it didn't hold me back today." Her loop was second in scoring to Cook's, with Trenary's getting the third-place score, but Harding was third after the first figure and stayed there.
Alice Sue Claeys is first after the compulsories in the junior ladies' competition.