A 12 or 13 yr old Kiri probably would have never found a partner in Minnesota (or a pair coach). And that's way too young of an age to really justify moving away, especially for a beginner pair skater. When's the last time a decent pair team has come out of Minnesota? Pairs is just rare in this country. Even if you're a kid who wants to be a pair skater, good luck jumping over all the hurdles to make it work. It's a lot more likely that you could find a suitable ice dance partner. There are fewer physical limitations in ice dance.... You don't need to pair a 5 ft girl with a 6 ft guy, and the guy doesn't have to be he-man strong. But ultimately, most kids and their parents find it much less of a hassle to go into singles and focus on themselves instead of worrying about a partner who oftentimes ends up not being the right fit for various reasons. The fact that singles is what's popular on TV further increases skaters' interest in doing singles. Even for Kiri, she was 1 placement away from getting her Ladies free skate on prime time television... On the other hand, she skated her pairs program in the morning and NBC wasn't even willing to devote a full hour to pairs.Originally Posted by Jammers
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