virtue and moir #18 - ruffles and truffles

[iggie]

you know, i remember the instant i became a fan of v/m. it was the nationals where they skated valse triste. she was wrapped over his leg and her toe picks scratched the ice. now, it accented the music beautifully. before, i had noticed that they were dancing while everyone else was skating but i saw them if i saw them. but after that dance, but i started to follow them.

http://youtu.be/1tlzGpZI2NY?t=27s

when did you all become fans?

[aka_gerbil]

Sometimes, you see a skater or team and fall in love with them instantly. Sometimes, it takes awhile. For me, as I put it, V/M had to earn my being a fan (as opposed, to say, Castile/Okolski who I loved the very first time I saw them skate).

Although I followed skating very closely when I was a tween/teen, I sort of lost interest when I went to college and grad school, only watching on occassion. 07/08 was the first season I was really back and keeping up with things closely. The first time I really remember watching them was the GPF that year. The commentators where talking about how promising they were, especially given their ages, and I felt I should make it a point to watch them. (I watched the GP that year, but don't remember watching them, even though I think it's likely I saw them.) I watched their FD and ended up being pretty "meh" on them at the time. By the time worlds came and went, I still was pretty meh on them and a little annoyed with all the comparisons to T/D.

Then 2009 Worlds and Pink Floyd happened. I'm a huge B/A fan, so I was mostly biting my nails and being nervous for them, but V/M started to win me over that night. I remember watching and thinking "this is amazing and awesome."

I've loved them more and more each season, and I finally admitted to myself during Canadian Nationals this past season that I'd come to uber them.

[Cherub721]

I can't really pinpoint when I became a fan either. I saw their 2004 junior worlds FD, loved it, and thought they wuzrobbed, but didn't ever think they'd become my favorites. I didn't pay that much attention to them in 2005 and 2006. Their FDs in 2007 and 2008 were lovely but not really my cup of tea. The moments that really stand out for me are the 2007 Worlds OD, 2008 Worlds CD, and the 2009 Worlds FD where I was like that they could perform that way with her injury and almost no run-throughs. I definitely liked and respected them and I was rooting for them to be Olympic champions, but not obsessively so.

I guess it was in Vancouver where I really fell for them and wanted to tape every interview and watch every little practice clip of them.

They certainly had to earn my respect, and that makes fandom more rewarding. I usually prefer the voidier Russian/French skaters. I'm not Canadian, not a fan of the NA school of ice dance, definitely not a fan of Igor and Marina, and don't really care for the pure and romantic style.... so in theory I shouldn't be a V&M fan, but they're just *that* good that they transcend all that. I've never seen an FD that was skated as effortlessly as Mahler in Vancouver. Breathtaking.

They've pretty much spoiled many of my past favorites for me. I was watching K&P's Air FD and thinking "nice lift; that would make a good entrance for a V&M lift." And I watch Pasha and Marina Anissina and think ah, if only their lines were as nice as Tessa's. It's actually really annoying.

[Macassar88]

you know, i remember the instant i became a fan of v/m. it was the nationals where they skated valse triste. she was wrapped over his leg and her toe picks scratched the ice. now, it accented the music beautifully. before, i had noticed that they were dancing while everyone else was skating but i saw them if i saw them. but after that dance, but i started to follow them.

http://youtu.be/1tlzGpZI2NY?t=27s

when did you all become fans?

I didn't watch Ice Dance until after the 2010 GP season. I stumbled on Tessa and Scott's Mahler performance at the olympics and loved it. Then I watched their OD and Gala and Compulsory and got hooked on the sport. Now it is my favorite skating discipline.

[girlscouse62]

I stopped watching figure skating when i was offended for Bourne and Kratz approx 2000; and by chance turned on my tv for 2010 OG. It happened to be ice dance Od and I was immediately hooked on T/S like Macassar, and I fell in love all over again.

[The Accordion]

Nationals 2004 - their junior championship. Everyone in the stands was crossing fingers and toes that she wouldn't outgrow him.

[Emdee]

For me also 2004 Juniors.
I was very caught up with the Bourne & Kraatz wuz robbed scenarios and the 2002 pairs stuff before that. I remember Tracy saying that they wer going to be champions one day. Then they didnt go to Torino Olys and I was very angry that Wing and Lowe were givent the opportunity but never in my wildest dreams did I believe that T&S would win the Olys in 2010. I had always thought 2014 would be there year.... and now I hope it is there year!

[pani]

First i heard about them i think from Shae-Lynn Bourne. If i remeber right, they skated at B-K last show in Chaptman. Then i watched Russian FD on youtube and was wonder why they took so low place.
Then i wish team from Canada won JWCh, but i like C-L and D-W Fds more at 2006 JWCh, but V-M FD were most difficult FD i ever saw from them (i mean transitions).
But an uber i become from there debute at SC. After Waltz Triste i was in shock it was something special

[jl22aries]

For me, it was youtube, really early on during their debut senior's season, 06/07. Random youtube; this is where I have to thank "videos you might like" because I'm sure it was from me obsessively youtubing Jeffrey Buttle that their OD cropped up on my recommendations list. I remember thinking that tango was just the sexiest thing, and that valse triste was a rare instance of beautiful music, movement, and human specimens combined. I loved them immediately and to this day those two programs stand up there amongst their best for me. I was also really drawn to Tessa's red hair, for some reason. I think she rocked that shade and it made her star quality something particularly fierce.

[zilam98]

For me, it was youtube, really early on during their debut senior's season, 06/07. Random youtube; this is where I have to thank "videos you might like" because I'm sure it was from me obsessively youtubing Jeffrey Buttle that their OD cropped up on my recommendations list. I remember thinking that tango was just the sexiest thing, and that valse triste was a rare instance of beautiful music, movement, and human specimens combined. I loved them immediately and to this day those two programs stand up there amongst their best for me. I was also really drawn to Tessa's red hair, for some reason. I think she rocked that shade and it made her star quality something particularly fierce.

i agree about her red hair, and wish she kept it. canton might have had their own little diva, at least hair-wise

[girlscouse62]

I remember in an interview somewhere along the way that Scott said he preferred dark hair, then catching himself and saying something cute about Tessa's red hair. Shortly after that she was back to dark hair again!

[pani]

I remember in an interview somewhere along the way that Scott said he preferred dark hair, then catching himself and saying something cute about Tessa's red hair. Shortly after that she was back to dark hair again!

And at first (how i remember) Scott said his eyes not so well distinguish colors

[Pratfall]

For me , it was that TV clip showing the novice winners...I had been watching the Jr coverage and liked the Moirs ( Scott's brother and their cousin ) and I remember being intrigued when ( I think it was) Debbie Wilkes said " and there's another skating Moir we'll be showing you later.." Even in that tiny clip , and young as they were , you could see that quality of "really dancing", so I was watching for them ever after . I loved the Russian dance ( yes, how well I remember the agony of fearing she might out-grow him )..and I believe Valse Triste brought a tear to my eye every time I saw it.

Before I knew it , I was a "lifer"..

[sequins]

Like a few others the first time I saw them was when CTV showed them when they won the 2004 Nationals (Jr. title) I instantly loved them and knew they were something special. I admit I don't pay a whole lot of attention to the Jrs. but they made such an impression on me that the following year I went to watch the Jr. Worlds FD in Kitchener just to see them. They were second but I was forever hooked. They made up for all the B&K heartache, but I can understand why some gave up. I think we all thought any North American teams chances of ever dominating the sport of ice dance was a pipe dream at best. Thank goodness we were wrong.

BTW & this is probably going to sound really dorky, but I think it's so neat that V&M gained so many new fans through the 2010 Olys. and that for many it was the first time seeing them. I remember how nervous I was and how excited I was when they won. Just to know that many of you were seeing them for the first time and they won you over is just very cool.

[girlscouse62]

I was so totally taken by their elegance, synchronicity, and amazing lines. I was simply hooked by their incredible chemistry. Their connection was unlike anything I had ever seen before or since, and that includes T&D and GG. I watched everything I could find on you tube, and read everything on the net. Then, hallelujah, I discovered FSU and all you wonderful people. Many thanks. I,m now a of all of you.

[skatingfan04]

For me it was their OD from the 2005 Canadians. I remeber I was just flipping channels on the TV and happened to come across figure skating and stopped. I actually hadn't seen the sport in years. I had watched occasionally as a little girl, but I remeber the 2002 judging scandal turned me off of it and I stopped. V/M happened to come on, and I was completely enthralled by them. I remember rushing over to my mum in the next room and telling her there was something she had to see on the TV. I was so curious about them that I Googled them that day. And with that, I was done. I've been an absolute diehard figure skating fan ever since. The type who checks FSU ten times a day without fail.

[jl22aries]

i agree about her red hair, and wish she kept it. canton might have had their own little diva, at least hair-wise

I know!!! I still have hopes it will make its return.

Also was rewatching this interview:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xy4P5...feature=g-vrec

which completely renewed dreams of a coaching partnership in their future. Anything that projects a future of them continuing their involvement with the sport, together. Any other possibility is a little heartbreaking. Sigh, just have to enjoy the hell out of the next two seasons, come whatever may.

[twinktwink]

when did you all become fans?

Great question iggie, its been really interesting reading everyone's responses.

For me it was a quiet Sunday in 2008, there wasn't much on the telly and then I flipped onto BBC2 and they were showing highlights of Worlds. I hadn't watched figure skating for around 6 years after Yagudin had retired along with A/P. They had been my favourites for years and after the stress of Yagudin's rivalry with Plushenko I swore to myself that I wouldn't become an uber of anyone again because it was too much for me

Anyway, so I'm watching Worlds and Tessa and Scott come on and I was just transfixed by them straight away. I had never seen anyone skate like that before, so pure and free and it was supposed to be a competition!! It was stunning and that was it, I was in love and from then on I searched through all of youtube to find everything else they'd done. They are single handedly the reason that I got back into figure skating and I'll be forever grateful that I stumbled upon them that Sunday afternoon.

[twinktwink]

Wow this thread has just flown by. I've been so busy with work, family and Euro2012 that I've missed out on most of the conversation but its been great to come back and read through what everyone else has written and I could easily forget that this is the off season, this place is brilliant!

[walei]

Sorry for the intrusion but this freakshow just had another dream involving V/M.

For my final exam of an unknown class I had to pretend to be Scott Moir and skate the Latin SD with Tessa Virtue at a competition. I didn't have any skating costume so I was trying to fish out the information from Tessa on where Scott sends his dry clean and Scott overheard us and kindly lend me his costume LOL. Scott as also kind enough to let me borrow his skates and he was telling me the proper steps of putting on a pair of figure skates... whatever that means.

Right before we step onto the ice I notice Tessa was in her FF red dress and she smirk at me saying something about the prof want to make it hard on us so we are skating to the FF FD instead. I was a nervous wreck because IRL I barely skate, but in my dream I was just winging it not doing anything substantial except desperately holding onto Tessa for my dear life. We skated past some commentator and I overheard her saying how elegant we were on the ice .

Anyways back to the topic of when we fell in love with V/M. Like a few poster above, I kind of lost interests in ice dance after the retirement of B/K. I was rooting for D/L of course but wasn't that invested in whatever was going on at the time. I remember watching V/M's programs after 2006 and liked what I saw but still wasn't too interested until I read about Tessa's injuries in the 2008-09 season and tuned into their 4cc FD to Pink Floyd. I loved it because I love modern and contemporary themes in figure skating ever since the Kween's A Day In The Life SP back in 2000.

And when they did the goose... hook, line, and sinker!