Victor Kraatz, out. Snoopy and Woodstock, out. Yes, men's singles gold medalist Alexei Yagudin never wavered, but in the big picture men's skating is about as compelling these days as men's tennis -- which is to say, sort of.
Charismatically, at least, skating is a female thing.
And for our purposes this weekend, a Kwan thing.
She has brought with her new long and short programs, a new coach (Scott Williams) and something of a new outlook, forged in part by a year of upheaval that ended with another Olympic disappointment.
"My mind-set this year is a little unclear," said Kwan, "and I like it that way."
She had no plans to compete here until the U.S. Figure Skating Association sent out an SOS, possibly to keep promoter Toby Steward from taking a swan dive off the top of the Davenport. She hasn't committed herself to competing at the U.S. nationals in January, though she said, "I want to be there." Her motivation for making her way to the rink each morning is not necessarily tied up in a medal. When she agreed to come to Spokane, she didn't book a bunch of ice time in a scramble to get ready.
She went to Game 1 of the World Series, decked out in an Angels jersey. No word on whether it was designed by Vera Wang.
"My goals have changed the last few years," she admitted. "I've been in it more for myself, not for the actual medal or to win. Of course, that's your goal, but the most important thing is to push yourself to the limit and being challenged."
It was almost a year ago exactly that Kwan threw a seemingly self-destructive challenge at herself.
She showed up at Skate America without either choreographer Lori Nichol or longtime coach Frank Carroll, having separated from both in mostly graceful fashion, as befits her style. For her push toward the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City, she would coach herself.
She won this particular competition, though by most accounts Hughes should have (insert judging gag here), and went on to win nationals. But leading after the short program at Salt Lake, Kwan fell coming out of a triple flip and had to console herself with a bronze medal.
Four years before, she'd lost the gold to upstart Tara Lipinski by playing it too safe.
She seems to wear Olympic disappointment as comfortably as an old Angels jersey.
"I thought I would feel differently," she said, "but it's like, life moves on. It's OK. Here I am again. It's only competition. I had a wonderful experience at the Olympics and I've gotten a good reception in every city that I've performed in on tour. I think the tour actually helped me. It gave me a sense of what's fine, that one performance isn't going to make me a bad person or a good person.
"It happens. It was devastating because I wanted to win. But in another way, it's OK."
Given the winners' culture here in America, it is a testament to Kwan's unrelenting decency that she's as popular a figure without Olympic gold as she would be with it. Her endorsements continue to earn her upwards of $2 million or more a year. That's not Tiger Woods money, but then, Kwan hasn't had to forfeit her personality, either.
Nor is she some lovable loser. The fact that she's hooked up with Williams, a former national medalist himself as a singles skater, would indicate she's as serious as ever -- if not stressed -- about her skating.
"I can't speak for her," said Williams, "but as an observer and someone who has watched a lot of skating and competitors, she certainly is passionate about the actual act of skating and the training and performing as anyone I've ever seen. She seems to really love it, which makes it fun.
"And if it's fun, maybe that's a motivation."
Kwan will not second-guess her decision to prepare for the Olympics coachless -- and seeing what Hughes pulled off on the big night in Salt Lake, maybe even the tiniest mistake would have cost Kwan gold anyway. In fact, she recommends it.
"I think all skaters should try it once," she said. "If you have all lessons throughout your practice, you don't have time to think. When you're on the ice, you're all by yourself anyway. It was a learning experience, but it was important -- and it's important, too, to have a coach to guide you in the right direction.
"At the time, (not having a coach) is what I needed. There are regrets on certain things, but on decisions that important, you make it and you never look back."
Doesn't sound like a "Godfather" line, but it's pretty good advice nonetheless.
