Last night as I flicked through the TV channels hoping to find something, anything, of interest to watch, I was delighted to come across the US paired ice-skating championships and was just in time to watch the top six couples go through their competitive routines. This form of ice-skating is the one I love best, and I have always wished that I could glide so effortlessly and gracefully across the ice on a thin blade of steel, rather than lurching from foot to foot before sliding into a puddle of melted ice bum first.
The standard of skating, choreography, innovative and daring moves was unbelievable, and you can only wonder at the cheek of the commentators who pass critical remarks on a move that you are quite sure would score at least 12 out of 10! Perhaps they are all ex-skaters and are suitably qualified, but at the time you feel that the performance is unworthy of anything but the highest praise. I certainly didn't envy the job of the judges. I would love to know how many times they crash to the ice when practising the lifts and other manoeuvres involving high speed rotations.
I still remember the performance at the 1984 Olympics in Sarajevo by Jane Torvill and Christopher Dean. It has remained imprinted in my memory as the most elegant, passionate and yet fluidly executed performance I have ever seen, flawlessly skated to Ravel's Bolero. They received the first perfect score in ice-skating and it was a privilege to have been able to watch them thanks to television. The choice of music played a great part in their success, as it was as fluid as the skating. I googled their names to make sure I got the year right and was amazed to find that the video was all over YouTube! You can tell that I don't use the search option very often!
I watched it again and it was like seeing it for the first time. It has lost none of its magic over the years and although techniques may have advanced since then, their obvious chemistry and elegance, in my opinion, keep them in their position at the top.
If you've never seen them, look them up now. You won't regret it.
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