New U.S. Pair: Rockne Brubaker & Lindsay Davis

[DarrellH]

The euphoria has now officially ended! lol

[orbitz]

You can't have a team where the guy is the star.

Dean was arguably the star in T&D.

I always look at the hot guy in the pair anyway

[stjeaskategym]

I don't always agree with your comments...but on this you are spot on. Just wondering why no one else has seemed to comment about this? She is very blocky and no pointed toes or stretched pair lift positions and I understand there are some issues there. IN this case the guy will be the star and you are right it doesn't work...the girl is the photo the guy the frame or it is an unbalanced pair period.

I don't usually comment on body's and girls especially pair skaters because I think it is horrible to make a girl be "thin" or a certain way to be a good pair...but I have seen that Caitlin has lost sooo much weight recently and that Gretchen and Andrew when they first started the first year to the second year how much weight she lost...I just worry they will focus on Lindsey being pair girl "thin" and it worries me...she has a gymnast body not super thin and it does affect her lines on the ice. I just worry for her future albeit premature...I just hope it does not happen or there is some expectation she will morph into a super thin partner..instead of embracing her natural frame...

I have a similar worry, although it's probably too early to worry since they really haven't started anything yet. Rockne will be the shortest partner Lindsay has ever had, and I worry a bit about the pressure there might be on her to get smaller for him. She has always been at a healthy adult weight with an athletic build and it would be disappointing if she was to struggle with weight pressures to try to get this partnership going quickly. Hopefully he's been in the weight room a lot even when he wasn't skating. He said a year or so ago that he dropped a lot of his muscle because Marley was so short that he felt he didn't need it. Well Lindsay of course is not only taller than Marley but has an actual adult build, so Rockne needs to be bulked up.

As for her lines vs his lines...the concerns are understandable. But if the option is to skate with Lindsay or not skate at all, which do you choose? At least she knows how Sr pairs works, is mature (including being past puberty issues), knows what Sr international competition is like, and hopefully won't freak out from skating with someone of Rockne's caliber.

[olympic]

I guess I'm missing a few things here. I don't find Lindsay's line to be all that bad. She looks like she achieves good extension on her lifts and good positions on the landings of her jumps. Also, Keauna was bigger than Lindsay at the end of M/B v 1.0's career together in 2010. They've also paired together earlier than most pairs who split post-Worlds, so they have even a little more time for the upcoming season to get used to each other.

I'm not proclaiming them no. 1 US pair, but I think they can do very well for themselves.

[ioana]

I'm not proclaiming them no. 1 US pair, but I think they can do very well for themselves.

Now you're being reasonable and taking all the "fun" out of this. Much better if we have bipolar reactions from one page to the next .

[leafygreens]

It's hard for people to separate S/K's relationship from their partnership because their relationship is so in-your-face. But that's no reason to not support their partnership if they get some good results internationally. If they break up, so what. It would have lasted no less than most of our platonic U.S. partnerships.

[figureit]

Now you're being reasonable and taking all the "fun" out of this. Much better if we have bipolar reactions from one page to the next .

lol

I agree....I think they will be fine...I also agree that Rockne has to bulk up a lot and the emphasis should be on him getting stronger not on her getting thinner. Her lines are not all that bad...and her jump positions are decent too.I don't think you can compare her to Keauna given the artistry of one to the other....there was so much struggling in the beginning of Davis and Ludwig not sure if anyone knows why? The only time I saw a good performance was Nationals..and that was online not sure if anyone was in the stands that has a better comment on her lines and artistry cause it is clearer in person I think? ALso still curious as to what issues she had with Mark? HE seems like such an easy going guy that is concerning if there was issues they could not work through not sure if anyone has any inside info on that? and if they think it will effect her and Rockne's relationship???


..always interesting for sure

[A.H.Black]

Dean was arguably the star in T&D.

I always look at the hot guy in the pair anyway

I was thinking that myself. In the paso doble from 1984, I always look at him. I don't see any reason I wouldn't watch Rockne most of the time.

[Ziggy]

figureit and johndockley92, this is what I was hinting at earlier! Sad to say but I really don't see her potential at all, especially compared to Keauna. I know there is apparently no one else available but I felt he really rushed into his partnership with Marley, who was ridiculously young for him and now Davis?? Really?

He doesn't have a choice. He's very short for a pair skater.

[~tapdancer~]

Personally I think Rockne and Lindsay will be a good match physically. We'll see.

[NadineWhite]

I was catching up on figure skating late last night and read about this pairing, and my very first thought was Tail Babilonia was right on the $, she called it first. And my second thought was Y E A H!!!!

Seriously, I think they are going to rock, she's a fab technical skater, has personality (love her & Ladwig's exhibition skate), and most importantly they actually LOOK like a pair (meaning two halves of a perfect whole) ~ same black hair, same build, same coloring, same style of skating, et al (they could pass for brother & sister) ~ and an added bonus is that she's the perfect height for Rockne (4'11" to his 5'9") and she already has had a ton of pairs experience (Rockne won't have to lose valuable time to teach her like he did with Mary Beth). And last but not least she's a grown woman at 20 yrs. old (not a little prepubescent girl). Oops, one more thing, they BOTH are looking at longevity...

I was watching her & Ladwig's FS on youtube and it shows a lot of promise, I can imagine Lindsay & Rockne skating a similar program. Of course all skaters are not perfect and can always grow, be it pointing toes, more stretch, better line, refinement, consistency, etc. And I expect with time Davis & Brubaker will as well.

By the way, I agree with the poster that said Lindsay Davis looks like Paula Abdul, especially when Paula was younger, like in this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEJCylX-m_A

Finally, CONGRATULATIONS to Rockne & Stefania on their upcoming nuptials, ahhhh, what a perfect pair they will make, especially if they were skating together, even their names Berton & Brubaker....

[aftershocks]

^^ Thanks for that early PaulaA vid -- she sure had some moves. I'd say there is a resemblance with Lindsay, uh aside from busts, perhaps.

Thanks tapdancer, NadineWhite, and others commenting with optimism and congratulations re Lindsay/ Rockne pairing! I think Lindsay is quite pretty as well as a proficient pairs partner, from what I've seen of her so far.

Good luck to Rockne and Lindsay -- can't wait to see what they come up with re programs. Congrats again also to Stefania and Rockne!!!

[Sylvia]

Hopefully he's been in the weight room a lot even when he wasn't skating. He said a year or so ago that he dropped a lot of his muscle because Marley was so short that he felt he didn't need it. Well Lindsay of course is not only taller than Marley but has an actual adult build, so Rockne needs to be bulked up.

Especially after Rockne lost (gasp! ) to 12-year-old Junior champ Vincent Zhou in an impromptu push-up challenge at Nationals! http://youtube.com/watch?v=SBw3N4t6DQw (starting around the 4:30 mark)

[euterpe]

I was thinking that myself. In the paso doble from 1984, I always look at him. I don't see any reason I wouldn't watch Rockne most of the time.

No matter who Rockne was partnered with, I always watched Rockne!

[micronrd]

Another good video to see by Felicia Beck a little over a year ago at the Champions Division https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KF4SjCfl_tk

I was catching up on figure skating late last night and read about this pairing, and my very first thought was Tail Babilonia was right on the $, she called it first. And my second thought was Y E A H!!!!

Seriously, I think they are going to rock, she's a fab technical skater, has personality (love her & Ladwig's exhibition skate), and most importantly they actually LOOK like a pair (meaning two halves of a perfect whole) ~ same black hair, same build, same coloring, same style of skating, et al (they could pass for brother & sister) ~ and an added bonus is that she's the perfect height for Rockne (4'11" to his 5'9") and she already has had a ton of pairs experience (Rockne won't have to lose valuable time to teach her like he did with Mary Beth). And last but not least she's a grown woman at 20 yrs. old (not a little prepubescent girl). Oops, one more thing, they BOTH are looking at longevity...

I was watching her & Ladwig's FS on youtube and it shows a lot of promise, I can imagine Lindsay & Rockne skating a similar program. Of course all skaters are not perfect and can always grow, be it pointing toes, more stretch, better line, refinement, consistency, etc. And I expect with time Davis & Brubaker will as well.

By the way, I agree with the poster that said Lindsay Davis looks like Paula Abdul, especially when Paula was younger, like in this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEJCylX-m_A

Finally, CONGRATULATIONS to Rockne & Stefania on their upcoming nuptials, ahhhh, what a perfect pair they will make, especially if they were skating together, even their names Berton & Brubaker....

[Rock2]

If you guys dislike Caydee's skating, wait till you closely watch Davis. Don't mean to be overly critical, but Rockne is a much better and prettier skater than Lindsay. You can't have a team where the guy is the star.

Um, Artur Dmitriev?

Rockne can skate to ANYTHING. He's totally compelling to watch.

There are otherRadford pairs that couldRadford benefit from really promoting the maleRadford partner as a meansRadford to elevating the pairRadford overall....

[Sylvia]

Another good video to see by Felicia Beck a little over a year ago at the Champions Division https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KF4SjCfl_tk

Thanks for posting the link to this November 2011 trio piece choreographed by Felicia Beck and featuring her, Rockne and Lindsay for the Artists Showcase choreo competition!

[aftershocks]

^^ Yes indeed, thanks so much. I didn't know that Rockne and Lindsay had ever skated together before, albeit in a trio performance. And, they are both friends of Felicia Beck's. Their work together obviously took place at a time when Rockne was partnered with Mary Beth. Was Lindsay no longer skating pairs at the time? When did she and Themi break-up? Did her break-up with Themi have something to do with injuries?

Anyway, that was a quite good performance of Felicia's choreo. Nothing blocky in it or about it either!

Also, might as well post some more videos, of Rockne and of Lindsay with their former partners. I see lovely skating by all the pairs in these videos, even if the video quality isn't great:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRDStKNCyx4 Themi and Lindsay

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1AClvdHEZOc Themi and Lindsay

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVGTdtSM6js Lindsay and Mark

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RV1jjbkoI-o Lindsay and Mark

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgxIwaimbeM Rockne and Keauna

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=peUgSqnkSj0 Rockne and Mary Beth

No matter who Rockne was partnered with, I always watched Rockne!

Dean was arguably the star in T&D.

I always look at the hot guy in the pair anyway

[Ziggy]

Oops, one more thing, they BOTH are looking at longevity...

Only they'll split the moment they fail to make the Sochi team. ;P

(I do hope they make it over pony trekker/lumberjack, though)

[LilJen]

Mark my words, people. Davis/Brubaker will wipe out poverty and hunger and bring about world peace.