Re: My Ice Wars Review

> Indeed! That's the beauty about S & P's performances. Although their 
> programs are technically difficult, they don't come across that way. S & 
> P know how to present them effortlessly. That is the real challenge. 
> Being able to skate intricately, yet seamlessly.
> 
> B & S's performances, on the other hand, appear labored at times. That's 
> where the errors tend to step in. Intense, yes, but overall, you can 
> tell how hard they work at it.
> 

Oh, gosh, I don't see *that* at all.  I think both teams have just
about the best presentation that I can think of in recent years....I
suppose the other one that comes close (in just my perspective, of
course), is K&D, but sometimes *they* look 'labored' to me (but that's
just me -- and I mean just relatively.  Compared to the rest of the
field in recent years, K&D look wonderful.)  To me, B&S's unison and
musicality is almost magical, and S&P just create a togetherness on
the ice that is likewise breathtaking.  Both teams occasionally make
mistakes (who doesn't?) but I'd be hard-pressed to say that either was
labored.


I mean, I adore S&Z, but 'effortless' was not quite their forte, IMO. 
And -- what was the French team's name?  I have such a bad memory, and
it's late -- but they had great potential, but even there, it seemed
like a lot of effort devoted to doing technically advanced 'tricks',
which is fine if it works....but it didn't, very often.  And then in
the U.S., well, M&S were wonderful for many years, but not quite as
technically advanced as the top two or three teams....and I really
liked I&D, but again, 'effortless' isn't quite what I'd think of while
watching.  And I&Z came closer, but still.


I was not a fan of B&S's in the earlier years of their partnership. 
Truth be told, I really liked their skating -- I just thought they
were occasionally inconsistent, and I don't like it when people
describe skaters or teams as clearly the heir apparents, when three or
four years is a loooong time in skating.  And that's sort of where B&S
were in 1998.  But then, over time, they won me over.  Their skating
just seemed to get even better over time.  And S&P, pretty much ever
since they came on the scene, have been a delight.


I may be in a minority, but when it comes to making things look really
smooth and finished, these two teams are really close overall.  I only
wish we had more teams that could mix the technical difficulty with
the high level of presentation, with making it seem so 'effortless'. 
But perhaps I should just content myself with being happy that these
teams competed at all.



-- Kate