2025 Canadian Nationals: SR Pairs' Free Program | Jan 18, 2025

[4everchan]

We often talk about Canadian ice dance as being our top discipline... but I am SO excited about pairs from these Nationals... I would dare to say that Canada is getting stronger in pairs considering the current top teams, the middle senior teams and the juniors who are incredibly good.

 

[DemTuppesSeine]

I'm sad for Deanna and Max. I mean, they won, but their reactions made it clear that this was not how they wanted it to go. Must be really frustrating when practices are going great but they can't bring that to the ice in competition. At this point I'm not sure if it's just Max having been ill, maybe it's also like a mental block? Anyway, I hope they put this behind them soon and do better at 4CC. I like the changes they made in the free. The theme is water and yesterday was the first time that I really "felt" that, if that makes sense.

 

[ladyjane]

Another lovely event. I thought Fiona and Benjamin showed they're really on the rise (this was much better than their short), the missed lifts by Cristina and Marty weren't scary, just a shame, Jazmine and Kieran have yet a way to go, I really enjoyed watching Kelly Ann and Loucas, Lia and Trennt were superb (fall or not - it's the best I've seen of them) and it was a pity Deanna and Max had a lesser outing this time. I hope this will turn around later in the season. 3 National titles in a row is still a great feat. Thanks to Skate Canada for letting me watch this again!

 

[FlossieH]

The forward outside death spiral was invented by the Protopopovs in the 1960s. It's been seldom performed by other pairs then or since because it's so very difficult technically. I've seen a couple of other pairs doing it in the last year or two, although I can't remember who offhand. I suspect they learned it as a challenge because Deanna has been performing it for several years.

The German pair, Hase and Volodin, do FoDs.

 

[Violet Sky]

https://youtu.be/4vrA5oqDofE?si=LheYvPWwTzVMJZT3 (Deanna and Max) FP

 

[Violet Sky]

https://youtu.be/ij_x0h12oQ0?si=2jymwKQVB8tBg3rJ (Lia and Trennt) FP

 

[Tbirdie]

Am I the only one that thought Lemaire was a bit tipsy lol

 

[SubRosa]

The forward outside death spiral was invented by the Protopopovs in the 1960s. It's been seldom performed by other pairs then or since because it's so very difficult technically. I've seen a couple of other pairs doing it in the last year or two, although I can't remember who offhand. I suspect they learned it as a challenge because Deanna has been performing it for several years.

Can you elaborate on what makes the FO death spiral so difficult?

 

[skylark]

The German pair, Hase and Volodin, do FoDs.

Yes, they do. And Minerva Fabienne's is much more beautiful and graceful than Deanna's. That might be in part because Minerva has such long legs.

 

[DemTuppesSeine]

Yes, they do. And Minerva Fabienne's is much more beautiful and graceful than Deanna's. That might be in part because Minerva has such long legs.

Yeah Minerva is quite tall for a pairs girl

 

[Diana Delafield]

The German pair, Hase and Volodin, do FoDs.

Thanks, I was pretty sure it was them, but didn't have the time to check back and see

Can you elaborate on what makes the FO death spiral so difficult?

I'm not sure if I can explain it in words. If you're on that deep an outside edge in a death spiral, you have to keep your body's balance centre tucked together more than on an inside edge, closer to over your foot. Hence the usual backbend arch in the BO, as opposed to the flat-out position of the inside death spirals. The slightest bump or rut in the ice will make you rock a bit forwards or backwards on the blade and you have to shift your balance back to the exact spot, which for me is just a shade back of the ball of the foot, in order to keep the edge pressed into the ice. The BO is more forgiving of that shift of balance. If you're slightly too far forward on the blade on a BO, you'll just scrape the bottom pick on the ice and for a fraction of a second slow your run. But touch that pick to the ice while on a FO edge and you're going to trip on it, double yourself up and land on your knee, probably twist the ankle at the same time, and get your arm wrenched out of the shoulder socket because your partner keeps pivoting but you've abruptly stopped. OK, that's the worst case scenario, but at best your position will buckle and the whole thing comes apart. Get your weight too far back on the blade in the FO position, and your blade could shoot out forwards from under you and you'll go splat, while your partner hauls you around quite inelegantly until he manages to stop his pivot and help you up.

It's possible to do the BO in a straight flat position like the inside spirals, in fact that was the style when I was learning them. I have an old newspaper clipping showing my partner and me doing a BO death spiral where I'm almost lying flat on the ice, with no backbend. It doesn't transfer clearly to the computer screen, though, and I avoid showing it to people because it was before I got braces and my upside-down smile looks like Bucky Beaver Goes Skating . I doubt if the FO one could be done in that position, though. Even Ludmila Protopopov didn't do it like that.

 

[SubRosa]

Thank you, your explanation was very clear, and confirmed my suspicion that maintaining the correct balance point is what makes the FO death spiral so difficult. We are seeing more of them now because that difficulty is well rewarded under COP. I remember Brasseur and Eisler performing it in the early 1990's, and the commentator mentioning how hard it is. Then not really seeing it again until Shen and Zhao started doing it. It is possible do an element search on Skating Scores to see how many pairs are doing it now.

(Also, now I really want to see that picture of you!)

 

[Flying Feijoa]

The forward outside death spiral was invented by the Protopopovs in the 1960s. It's been seldom performed by other pairs then or since because it's so very difficult technically. I've seen a couple of other pairs doing it in the last year or two, although I can't remember who offhand. I suspect they learned it as a challenge because Deanna has been performing it for several years.

In the current crop, apart from Hase/Volodin, Efimova/Mitrofanov also have a FO death spiral with a very nice (non-catchfoot) position. Efimova also did it with her previous partner Blommaert in competition. I'm not sure if she ever tried it with her ex-ex partner Korovin, but date-wise I think E/B and Deanna/Max both started showing the element around 2022 or thereabouts.
Efimova flies under the radar a bit, I think because of recent country/partner changes and not having the most solid jumps.

 

[jorge2912]

Christina/Marty. I love her dress. Lovely program. Their jumps are good.

i fallen in love with their FS , i like it a lot , music is beautiful and soft , her dress is wow and their choreo i like it . is like cotemporary ballet and is lovely really . was looking on Instagram and appears also Carina and Cristina Lyons , are they twins? i hope find Cristina and Marty Instagram.

yet i'm watching it and some surprises i found