Asher Hill is looking for a new partner

Ryan O · Apr 27, 2014

Ralph & Hill end partnership; Hill to seek new partner

Canadian ice dancers Kharis Ralph & Asher Hill have ended their 13-year partnership on friendly terms. Kharis is retiring and Asher is looking for a new partner.

Asher Hill has posted a statement on Facebook/Twitter thanking Kharis for their time together:

https://twitter.com/AsherHill/status/460977490249265152

Asher Hill can be found on Ice Partner Search:

http://icepartnersearch.com/showbio.php?i=4826

Mathman · Apr 27, 2014

Have Ralph and Hill already announced a breakup? Is Kharis continuing, or has she made an announcement about retiring?

tulosai · Apr 27, 2014

Mathman said:
Have Ralph and Hill already announced a breakup? Is Kharis continuing, or has she made an announcement about retiring?

There was no announcement that I know of but his page on partner search is pretty clear that he's on the market. No clue what she plans to do. On the one hand I am sad about this sort of; on the other hand I guess I am not really sure if they were going anywhere.

Ryan O · Apr 27, 2014

Mathman said:
Have Ralph and Hill already announced a breakup? Is Kharis continuing, or has she made an announcement about retiring?

Usually official announcements (eg. Skate Canada press releases with statements from the skaters) don't appear until May or June around the time that the new National Team and international assignments are announced.

I expect it won't be until May before we hear official confirmation of Ralph & Hill, Moore-Towers & Moscovitch, Purdy & Marinaro etc.

Asher speaks well of Kharis in his profile on ISP, so it sounds like she is retiring to pursue other interests, and that only he is continuing with a new partner.

FS.Addict · Apr 27, 2014

Hayleigh Bell too is looking for a new partner (she won 2013 Canadian junior championships with Alistair Sylvester)....

Same thing for Wesley Killing (went to junior worlds with Tara Hancherow).

blue_idealist · Apr 27, 2014

Could Crone make a comeback?!

Ryan O · Apr 27, 2014

blue_idealist said:
Could Crone make a comeback?!

If she's still interested in skating. She's probably the only available Canadian dancer that's at Asher's level. Otherwise he would have to pick someone less experienced than he is like Poirier did with Gilles and then take a few seasons before his partner comes up to his level. While it can pay off (as it has for Gilles & Poirier), it can be risky. Getting together with another Senior dancer with lots of experience would mean they could hit the ground running.

tulosai · Apr 27, 2014

Of course, he may also be willing to pair with someone from outside Canada.While he lists Olys as a long term goal, all his other goals are achievable with someone of a different nationality, and Olys might be too depending.

Ryan O · Apr 27, 2014

Yes, another nationality is a possibility, but presumably Asher would want to consider a Canadian partner first. He's just seen his training mate Poirier go through the process of getting an American partner, waiting for her to be released, waiting for the citizenship to go through, etc.

So Asher will probably want to avoid all that red tape if he can.

Ryan O · Apr 28, 2014

Asher has announced it on Twitter:

1. Many ppl have been asking me and there is talk going around.I would like to tell you all myself that kharis and I have ended our partnership

2. Had a great 13yrs together. We grew up together and she is one of the best things that has everhappened to me. Happy to have her in my life

3. I will make a more official announcement later today on Facebook.

4. 140 character just wont cut it

https://twitter.com/asherHill

tulosai · Apr 28, 2014

Ryan O said:
Yes, another nationality is a possibility, but presumably Asher would want to consider a Canadian partner first. He's just seen his training mate Poirier go through the process of getting an American partner, waiting for her to be released, waiting for the citizenship to go through, etc.

So Asher will probably want to avoid all that red tape if he can.

Yes but then on the other hand, even with V/M retiring, there are many many countries where if he himself were willing to switch who he's representing he'd have a much better chance of getting on the World and Oly teams. In fact, he'd probably stand a better chance in any country but the USA and Russia. While I agree that ideally he'd probably like a Canadian despite this, as others have noted Crone is the only one at his level, and she is presumptively retired. So that leaves him to find some promising girl in her mid to late teens and hope that she develops nicely over the next 2 or 3 years if he is determined to stay within Canada. While this could certainly pay off big time, it is also a big time risk. So if I were him, despite the idealness of finding a Canadian partner, I'd also definitely be open to other options.

Of course though I am not him so I can only wish him luck and all due speed in finding a compatible partner who he is happy with and will hopefully be able to find success with :agree:

Thanks also for the tweets- he seems classy.

pangtongfan · Apr 28, 2014

Canadian dance is very top heavy at the moment, even with V&M's retirement. It will be very hard for any up and coming team to make a world team before 2019 unless they are really really good, or one of the current top 3 split up. It must be a hard situation for some of these skaters. A team like Ralph & Hill pretty clearly werent going to make another world team together, so not surprised that both might be looking for a new direction, or atleast Hill if Ralph isnt even continuing.

tulosai · Apr 28, 2014

pangtongfan said:
Canadian dance is very top heavy at the moment, even with V&M's retirement. It will be very hard for any up and coming team to make a world team before 2019 unless they are really really good, or one of the current top 3 split up. It must be a hard situation for some of these skaters. A team like Ralph & Hill pretty clearly werent going to make another world team together, so not surprised that both might be looking for a new direction, or atleast Hill if Ralph isnt even continuing.

Yeah this basically. It really is a pity too because they really weren't that bad... as I said above they'd have stood a good shot of making the world team in almost any other country.

Ryan O · Apr 28, 2014

pangtongfan said:
Canadian dance is very top heavy at the moment, even with V&M's retirement. It will be very hard for any up and coming team to make a world team before 2019 unless they are really really good, or one of the current top 3 split up. It must be a hard situation for some of these skaters. A team like Ralph & Hill pretty clearly werent going to make another world team together, so not surprised that both might be looking for a new direction, or atleast Hill if Ralph isnt even continuing.

True. There was a time when V&M retiring would have potentially opened up a spot for R&H, but now with G&P and P&I getting into the Top 10 at Worlds and moving farther ahead of R&H, it will be difficult for them to compete. There was a time when R&H were more competitive with the top teams (such as 2 years ago when they went to Worlds by beating P&I the year G&P couldn't go), but now that P&I have become more consistent and don't have the falls they used to have, R&H can't beat them anymore.

It was probably also difficult being overtaken by O&W the past 2 years (although they did beat them at 4CC's this year). I was hoping their good result at 4CC's might encourage them to come back and have a re-match with O&W at Nationals, but it sounds like Kharis is ready to retire. I think she's doing a degree at the same university as Poirier and she probably wants to be able to finish it by switching to full-time studies.

CaroLiza_fan · Apr 28, 2014

tulosai said:
Yeah this basically. It really is a pity too because they really weren't that bad... as I said above they'd have stood a good shot of making the world team in almost any other country.

I know Kharis' Mum is Filipino, so they could have gone down that route if they stayed together.

But does anybody know Asher's family background? Does he himself have any family claims to an alternative nationality?

CaroLiza_fan

Ryan O · Apr 28, 2014

CaroLiza_fan said:
I know Kharis' Mum is Filipino, so they could have gone down that route if they stayed together.

But does anybody know Asher's family background? Does he himself have any family claims to an alternative nationality?

CaroLiza_fan

Kharis was born in the USA, so she may still have American citizenship, but not sure about citizenship for the Philippines. Btw, her Dad died a few years ago, so it's great that her Mom has been very involved in her skating.

Don't know anything about Asher's background other than that he was born in Scarborough and has lived in the GTA his whole life.

chuckm · Apr 28, 2014

I always felt that Asher was by far the strongest dancer of the two. If he switches to another country, he could have a very successful career.

noskates · Apr 28, 2014

I don't even know who Asher Hill is......

Ryan O · Apr 28, 2014

noskates said:
I don't even know who Asher Hill is......

Long-term member of Canada's National Team with Kharis Ralph.

Ice dancers, they've been skating together since 2002, and are the training mates of Gilles & Poirier.

They were 4th at this year's 4 Continents:

http://www.isuresults.com/bios/isufs00010381.htm

blue_idealist · Apr 29, 2014

Ryan O said:
True. There was a time when V&M retiring would have potentially opened up a spot for R&H, but now with G&P and P&I getting into the Top 10 at Worlds and moving farther ahead of R&H, it will be difficult for them to compete. There was a time when R&H were more competitive with the top teams (such as 2 years ago when they went to Worlds by beating P&I the year G&P couldn't go), but now that P&I have become more consistent and don't have the falls they used to have, R&H can't beat them anymore.

It was probably also difficult being overtaken by O&W the past 2 years (although they did beat them at 4CC's this year). I was hoping their good result at 4CC's might encourage them to come back and have a re-match with O&W at Nationals, but it sounds like Kharis is ready to retire. I think she's doing a degree at the same university as Poirier and she probably wants to be able to finish it by switching to full-time studies.

Yeah, all that, plus Madeline Edwards and Zhao Kai Pang beat both O&W and R&H on TES at Nationals this year, causing them to be named to the World team, as opposed to the two older teams, who didn't even make the minimum TES scores.

Asher Hill is looking for a new partner

Ryan O

Mathman

tulosai

Ryan O

FS.Addict

blue_idealist

Ryan O

tulosai

Ryan O

Ryan O

tulosai

pangtongfan

Match Penalty

tulosai

Ryan O

CaroLiza_fan

EZETTIE LATUASV IVAKMHA

Ryan O

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