Arts & Entertainment
Adam Rippon makes Olympic debut, helps Team USA take bronze
the figure skater came in third
Adam Rippon made his Olympic debut on Monday and helped Team USA secure the bronze medal.
The 28-year-old rookie finished third in the men’s free skate with 172.98 points contributing to the team score. Mikhail Kolyada for Olympic Athletes of Russia came in second and Canada’s Patrick Chan scored the top spot.
ADAM RIPPON. Because he slays. #WinterOlympics https://t.co/fmMl0C4Amf pic.twitter.com/fkG1KgiTb0
— NBC Olympics (@NBCOlympics) February 12, 2018
While Rippon made the top three, some viewers were upset judges scored Kolyada and Chan higher than Rippon, even though both figure skaters fell.
I’m about done with figure skating. The American was amazing (and didn’t even come close to falling), yet he’s behind two dudes who hit the ice. I just don’t get it #Olympics #WinterOlympics pic.twitter.com/U56ePCTnQp
— Michael Wooten (@wgrzMichael) February 12, 2018
Wait! So, both athletes for Russia and #CAN fell but, @AdaRipp is in third?!!! ???Just throw the whole #Olympics away. #Olympics2018 #WinterOlympics #PyeongChang2018 #TeamUSA #FigureSkating #USA
— Annette Williams ♊️ (@LadyGemini71) February 12, 2018
So apparently you get more points for attempting a jump than successfully completing one. #flawedsystem #AdamRippon #2018Olympics
— Sha’ Hall (@shahall34) February 12, 2018
Patrick Chan and Olympic Athlete from Russia can fall over the damn ice repeatedly and score higher than Adam Rippon’s perfectly executed program?#Olympics pic.twitter.com/mDNKzRRG8w
— Excuse you the Olympics are on (@mikalapaula) February 12, 2018
Rippon has also been a star off the ice with his candid interviews. In an interview with NBC Sports’ Mike Tirico, Rippon was asked what was on his mind when the competition started.
“I want to throw up,” Rippon replied. “I want to go over to the judges and say, ‘Can I just have a Xanax and a quick drink. I’ll be fine.’ But I kept it together. I just took it one element at a time.”
Adam Rippon why would you say this to everyone watching around the world? Give me a Xanax and a drink ? What does everyone think about this rant? Rt answers if its ok or not ok. Thank you all for your honesty my peeps. Lil boys & girls looking up to you #representUSA #BeALeader pic.twitter.com/Z2O9YyBpLq
— Joe Mendez (@2jmen10) February 12, 2018
Rippon also revealed that the last Olympics he and Mirai Nagasu, who became the first American woman to nail a triple axel in the competition on Monday, were disappointed to not be competing and ate burgers on Nagasu’s rooftop.
“And tonight, you know, the Olympics are truly magical, because we came out here tonight, and—we’re roommates here, staying at the Olympic Village—we gave each other a hug, and I said, “You know, Mirai, we’re here! We did it!” And we both went out there and we both had these great skates today. To do that for our team is just, like—it’s so amazing,” Rippon says.
In another interview, Rippon “highly recommends” coming to the Olympics.
Watch below.
@Adaripp is an artist on ice and a hysterical interviewee pic.twitter.com/C2UlHRIVL8
— Joe Lynch (@branniganlynch) February 12, 2018
a&e features
Eastern Shore chef named James Beard Finalist
Harley Peet creates inventive food in an inclusive space
In a small Eastern Shore town filled with boutiques, galleries, and the occasional cry of waterfowl from the Chesapeake, Chef Harley Peet is most at home. In his Viennese-inflected, Maryland-sourced fine-dining destination Bas Rouge, Peet draws from his Northern Michigan upbringing, Culinary Institute of America education, and identity as a gay man, for inspiration.
And recently, Peet was named a James Beard Finalist for Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic – the first “Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic” finalist representing the Eastern Shore.
Peet, after graduation from the Culinary Institute of America, took a position as sous chef at Tilghman Island Inn, not far from Bas Rouge. Falling in love with the Eastern Shore, he continued his passion for racing sailboats, boating, gardening, and fishing, and living his somewhat pastoral life as he opened Bas Rouge in 2016 as head chef, a restaurant part of the Bluepoint Hospitality group, which runs more than a dozen concepts in and around Easton, Md.
Coming from a rural area and being gay, Peet knew he had his work cut out for him. He was always aware that the service and hospitality industry “can be down and dirty and rough.”
Now as a leader in the kitchen, he aims to “set a good example, and treat people how I want to be treated. I also want to make sure if you’re at our establishment, I’m the first to stand up and say something.”
The Bas Rouge cuisine, he says, is Contemporary European. “I’m inspired by old-world techniques of countries like Austria, Germany, and France, but I love putting a new spin on classic dishes and finding innovative ways to incorporate the bounty of local Chesapeake ingredients.”
His proudest dish: the humble-yet-elevated Wiener Schnitzel. “It is authentic to what one would expect to find in Vienna, down to the Lingonberries.” From his in-house bakery, Peet dries and grinds the housemade Kaiser-Semmel bread to use as the breadcrumbs.
Peet works to support the LGBTQ community inside and outside of the kitchen. “I love that our Bluepoint Hospitality team has created welcoming spaces where our patrons feel comfortable dining at each of our establishments. Our staff have a genuine respect for one another and work together free of judgment.”
Representing Bluepoint, Peet has participated in events like Chefs for Equality with the Human Rights Campaign, advocating for LGBTQ rights.
At Bas Rouge, Peet brings together his passion for inclusion steeped in a sustainability ethic. He sees environmental stewardship as a way of life. Peet and his husband have lived and worked on their own organic farm for several years. Through research in Europe, he learned about international marine sourcing. Witnessing the impacts of overfishing, Peet considers his own role in promoting eco-friendly practices at Bas Rouge. To that end, he ensures responsible sourcing commitments through his purveyors, relationships that have helped create significant change in how people dine in Easton.
“I have built great relationships in the community and there’s nothing better than one of our long-standing purveyors stopping in with a cooler of fresh fish from the Chesapeake Bay. This goes especially for catching and plating the invasive blue catfish species, which helps control the species’ threat to the local ecosystem.
Through his kitchen exploits, Peet expressed a unique connection to another gay icon in a rural fine-dining restaurant: Patrick O’Connell, of three Michelin starred Inn at Little Washington. In fact, Peet’s husband helped design some of O’Connell’s kitchen spaces. They’ve both been able to navigate treacherous restaurant-industry waters, and have come out triumphant and celebrated. Of O’Connell, Peet says that he “sees [his restaurants] as canvas, all artistry, he sees this as every night is a show.” But at the same time, his “judgment-free space makes him a role model.”
Being in Easton itself is not without challenges. Sourcing is a challenge, having to either fly or ship in ingredients, whereas urban restaurants have the benefit of trucking, he says. The small town “is romantic and charming,” but logistics are difficult – one of the reasons that Peet ensures his team is diverse, building in different viewpoints, and also “making things a hell of a lot more fun.”
Reflecting on challenges and finding (and creating) space on the Eastern Shore, Peet confirmed how important it was to surround himself with people who set a good example, and “if you don’t like the way something is going, fuck them and move on.”
Team DC, the umbrella organization for LGBTQ-friendly sports teams and leagues in the D.C. area, held its annual Night of Champions Awards Gala on Saturday, April 20 at the Hilton National Mall. The organization gave out scholarships to area LGBTQ student athletes as well as awards to the Different Drummers, Kelly Laczko of Duplex Diner, Stacy Smith of the Edmund Burke School, Bryan Frank of Triout, JC Adams of DCG Basketball and the DC Gay Flag Football League.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
The 2024 National Cannabis Festival was held at the Fields at RFK Stadium on April 19-20.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
Covering the @NatlCannaFest at RFK Stadium for @WashBlade . Stop by the LGBTQ+ booth and pick up a paper if you are here. pic.twitter.com/is7hnsaPns
— Michael Patrick Key (@MichaelKeyWB) April 20, 2024
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