Most Influential Pairs Skaters, Not Including Dance | Golden Skate

Most Influential Pairs Skaters, Not Including Dance

Who do you think has influenced a/o advanced pairs skating the most?


  • Total voters
    52

KatyaFan

Rinkside
Joined
Jun 17, 2004
who do you think has influenced pairs skating and/or has helped advance the sport of pairs skating (not including dance pairs)? Sorry about the short list, but the max list is 10. :D
 
Last edited:

RealtorGal

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 27, 2003
I'd have to say IRINA RODNINA and... IRINA RODNINA! The woman won THREE Olympic gold medals and something like 10 World titles with two different partners: Alexandr Zaitsev (ex-husband) and Alexei Ulanov (who devastated her when he married a skating rival).
 

lulu

Final Flight
Joined
Aug 4, 2003
I think influencial & advanced the sport are two different topics. (IMO :) ) For influencial I think it is those pairs who have a style, that you can see the effects of that in other pairs.
For advanced the sport-I see that as all skaters who have added something technically & artistically to the sport.

Top of my list is the Protopopovs: They started not only the Russian domination of the sport, but the influence of the Russian ballet into skating. As well, as embodied Uncle Dick's favorite phrase about pairs "two should become one"

Rodnina & Zaitsev/Rodnina & Ulanov really influenced pairs in the 70s-a lot of the other Soviet Pairs were like mini Rodnina/Zaitsev clones back then. :laugh: But, they were the ones who really introduced the more athletic aspects of skating-speed, lifts, jumps etc.

Valova & Vasiliev are somewhat underappreciated, but they were the first pair to do consistant side-by-side triples & they were the first wildly successful pair using the Moskvinaesque choreography.

Gordeeva & Grinkov have advanced the sport through their technical perfection-they were remarkably consistant (save Katia's growth spur years) and almost everything they did was "textbook" As, pros-they added a new sense of Artistry to their skating. And in 1994-1995 meshed together their artistry & technical abilities.

Mishkutenok & Dmitrev/Kazakova & Dmitriev took the Moskvina choreography, along w/ Artur's strong involvement in the choreography & took it to a new stratosphere. Adding a new, unique, artistic dimension to pairs skating. And Artur himself has had influence on the state of male pairs skaters-and I think we now expect the men to be more "active" on the ice. When before, they were the silent partners.

Berezhnaya & Sikhaurlidze have advanced the sport by being themselves & at the sametime-sort of a middle point between the strong artistry & choreography of M&D and the techincal perfection of G&G.

I think Shen & Zhao have opened pairs skating up to Chinese athletes like never before, and are have helped made China a powerhouse in pairs.

Not to be nitpicky-but Klimova & Ponomarenko are an ice dance couple not pairs ;)
 

Vash01

Medalist
Joined
Jul 31, 2003
Two of the most influential pairs of all times:

Belousova-Protopopov (The Protopopovs): turned pairs into a ballet like art form.

Rodnina-Zaitsev: Brought great athleticism to pairs.

It is hard for me to pick one of these two pairs as the most influential.

Vash
 

Piel

On Edge
Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 27, 2003
Agree with the above and would add that here in North America at least Underhill and Martini especially as pros :love: .
 

mariana

On the Ice
Joined
Aug 18, 2003
The Protopopovs
Rodnina & Zaitsev
Gordeeva & Grinkov
I think this tree pairs where the most influential pairs of all times, each on their own way helped pairs skating to become the way it is today.
 

lulu

Final Flight
Joined
Aug 4, 2003
After my essay long post if I had to narrow it down to just two pairs: without any doubt it would be
The Protopopovs
Irina Rodnina

As Vash said, the Protopopovs introduced the ballet and what we associate with modern pairs skating.
Irina Rodnina introduced athleticism to the sport.

And a sign of influence, if you look at any pair that has followed them-you can see the influence of Protopopovs & Rodnina on their skating.
 

Olenska

Rinkside
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Like many said, I think that Irina Rodnina and the Protopopvs were the most influential. The reason why we have to look so far back, I think, is that pair skating does not evolve that much. Now,before you throw rotten eggs, hear me out: Pairs skating has certainly increased in difficulty, but were there that much innovation in the last, say, 40 years? Was there a big revolution in pair skating that I haven't heard of? Because, basically, there has been variations on the lifts, the death spirals, the spins, etc. But real, groudbreaking change?
 

ouridol

On the Ice
Joined
Aug 17, 2003
Protopopovs, Rodnina, and G/G. My favorite will always be G/G. They were just magical. I think S/Z has potential to become one of these pairs, though.
 

Vash01

Medalist
Joined
Jul 31, 2003
I think the Protopopovs made pairs skating into "Two shall skate as one". I have not seen tapes of many of the past pairs but it seemed like before the P's they were mostly athletes. P&P made pairs skating into an art form.

I don't see S&Z revolutionizing pairs skating except from the Chinsese perspective. They put China on the map of pairs skating and opened doors for other Chinese pairs (Pang & Tong, Z&Z). The big throws are certainly impressive, but there have been pairs that did big throws. I see this as just an improvement over what already existed. When G&G started skating, their throws were much bigger than other pairs', but that is not what made them a great pair. I don't see G&G as actually revolutionizing pairs skating,but they were the most perfect pair ever. They combined the athleticism of R&Z and the artistry of P&P to create a dream pair.

I would say M&D took the next BIG step after R&Z in pairs skating. They brought in the male partner as an equally important part of the pair. They are missing from this list, probably because their career was relatively short, even though they were Olympic champions and 2x world champs. They went beyond the traditional pairs moves and created works of art on the ice, using the two bodies, and particularly the incredible flexibility of Natalia Mishkutenok. K&D continued the trend and B&S created their own moves using Elena's flexibility, while being elegant like G&G and fast like R&Z. However, I attribute the next revolution after R&Z to M&D. So here are the pairs that have been most influential:

The Protopopovs
Rodnina-Zaitsev
Gordeeva-Grinkov
Mishkutenok-Dmitriev

G&G cannot be left off the list because of their perfection and popularity. Many later pairs took their inspiration from G&G- among them were B&S, Meno & Sand, and may be others. That makes 4 influential pairs. If I had to pick just one, I would pick the Protopopovs who laid the foundation.

JMHO of course.
 
Last edited:

patsue1947

Rinkside
Joined
Jun 23, 2004
The Protopopovs--most definitely! The were well matched, they brought elegance and style to pairs. Rodnina--and which ever partner. They brought speed and athleticism--also started the short female with the tall, strong male (which I have never cared for). I much prefer the "matched look of the Protopopovs and Tai and Randy.
 

Dee4707

Ice Is Slippery - Alexie Yagudin
Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 28, 2003
Country
United-States
I voted for B&S, I just love them.

Dee
 

VIETgrlTerifa

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
lulu said:
I think influencial & advanced the sport are two different topics. (IMO :) ) For influencial I think it is those pairs who have a style, that you can see the effects of that in other pairs.
For advanced the sport-I see that as all skaters who have added something technically & artistically to the sport.

Top of my list is the Protopopovs: They started not only the Russian domination of the sport, but the influence of the Russian ballet into skating. As well, as embodied Uncle Dick's favorite phrase about pairs "two should become one"

Rodnina & Zaitsev/Rodnina & Ulanov really influenced pairs in the 70s-a lot of the other Soviet Pairs were like mini Rodnina/Zaitsev clones back then. :laugh: But, they were the ones who really introduced the more athletic aspects of skating-speed, lifts, jumps etc.

Valova & Vasiliev are somewhat underappreciated, but they were the first pair to do consistant side-by-side triples & they were the first wildly successful pair using the Moskvinaesque choreography.

Gordeeva & Grinkov have advanced the sport through their technical perfection-they were remarkably consistant (save Katia's growth spur years) and almost everything they did was "textbook" As, pros-they added a new sense of Artistry to their skating. And in 1994-1995 meshed together their artistry & technical abilities.

Mishkutenok & Dmitrev/Kazakova & Dmitriev took the Moskvina choreography, along w/ Artur's strong involvement in the choreography & took it to a new stratosphere. Adding a new, unique, artistic dimension to pairs skating. And Artur himself has had influence on the state of male pairs skaters-and I think we now expect the men to be more "active" on the ice. When before, they were the silent partners.

Berezhnaya & Sikhaurlidze have advanced the sport by being themselves & at the sametime-sort of a middle point between the strong artistry & choreography of M&D and the techincal perfection of G&G.

I think Shen & Zhao have opened pairs skating up to Chinese athletes like never before, and are have helped made China a powerhouse in pairs.

Not to be nitpicky-but Klimova & Ponomarenko are an ice dance couple not pairs ;)

I just have to totally agree with everything you said.
 

soogar

Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 18, 2003
I'm sorry , how could you even leave out the Protopopovs. They practically invented the way pairs is skated today with the death spiral.
 

Vash01

Medalist
Joined
Jul 31, 2003
I voted for the Protopopovs and there was a discussion about them and Rodnina earlier in the thread. You may not have read the whole thread.
 
Top