As well as their other challenges, Maia had her freshman year at college this season. The Shibs have always been very serious about education, and dealing with college at the same time as growth and injuries, has to have been difficult.
I can't wait to see what happens, too!
I'd go with humor; there is very, very little of it in competitive ice dance at this point. The only example last year, AFAIR, was Z&G's Zombies. And yes, Math is right, that's what choreographers are for. The Shibs work with Corky Ballas as well as Marina. I'm expecting them to have an awesome quickstep SD especially since quickstep is right up their alley (quick, precise steps).
I think the Shibutani's have been fairly treated. They are in the mix.
The imp in me can't wait to see what happens in U.S. ice dance after Davis and White (and also Virtue and Moir) retire. Will Chock and Bates automatically be anointed? Will Shpplband's stable dominate Zueva's, giving Igor the last laugh?
I can't wait to see what happens, too!
The thing that stands out to me, outside their ice, is their dry and witty sense of humor. They make those really funny videos on YouTube and they write funny and witty blog posts on IceNetwork. I don't understand why that doesn't quite come out in their programs.
FWIW, Tessa was 17 and Scott was 19 at their first World Championships in 2007. Meryl was 20 and Charlie was 19. The Shibs first WC was at age 16 and 19. So I think V/M and D/W worked out whatever growth spurt issues they had at the junior level. And when they were going through juniors, YouTube was just starting, so their rise in the junior ranks were a lot more low key.
The age difference is also a factor for the Shibs. 2010 was not great year for them. They fell off the podium at WJC after getting silver the year before. Alex was 18 years old, the age Maia is now, and he definitely sprouted like a weed that year. So the age difference has been a problem because basically they had to go through not one but two different growth spurts as well.
My hope is that Maia is done growing for the most part and that they could get used to their current bodies and take it from there.
I'd go with humor; there is very, very little of it in competitive ice dance at this point. The only example last year, AFAIR, was Z&G's Zombies. And yes, Math is right, that's what choreographers are for. The Shibs work with Corky Ballas as well as Marina. I'm expecting them to have an awesome quickstep SD especially since quickstep is right up their alley (quick, precise steps).