Another PAIRS ROLLER SKATING masterpiece

Sk8swan

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I posted about artistic roller skating here in the past and I thought this needed to be shared. This young pair is probably the best in the history of the sport, unmatched technically and I would say also artistically. Venerucci who won 10 world titles with different partners could have been artistically slightly better than these too, but they are 19 and 22 rispectively so they can still improve. Less than a month ago at Italian nationals they were able to perform this 'masterpiece' inspired to Leonardo da Vinci's sculpture work, despite having lost their coach (probably the best roller skating coach ever) in a car accident in March. That tragedy put their career in jeopardy, as they were both thinking about giving up the sport without their mentor.... needless to say luckily they decided to continue to honour his work with them.

Enjoy: https://youtu.be/GZYwM2XbZ8c
 

Bonita

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Thanks, now I have to get a tissue! That was gorgeous!

I'm such a sucker for spins on roller. I can land my singles on roller, but my best spin is a terrible one foot upright.

I went to U.S. Nationals years ago in Nebraska and was sobbing during some of the pairs spins. I also cried buckets the one time I saw Lucinda Ruh live.

Yes, I am weird. Thanks for sharing. Ridiculous it's not an Olympic sport!
 

Sk8swan

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One would think it would be more widespread because it is cheaper than ice

Not being an Olympic sport is what prevents roller skating from spreading to other nations who have no tradition in the sport... so basically, there is no way out!
 

Winnipeg

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If it was made an Oly sport, I think other nations would jump to it especially nations that do not have a lot of ice like Brazil, etc
 

Sk8swan

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If it was made an Oly sport, I think other nations would jump to it especially nations that do not have a lot of ice like Brazil, etc

Yes sure but the problem is that the IOC has no will or interest in adding a sport that is not matching some criteria like "worldwide spread".
 

Winnipeg

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It almost looks like ice (the surface is so white?) I am used to seeing gym like floors or brown wood or something?
 

Seerek

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If I'm not mistaken, the previous applications for Summer Olympics inclusion were for a full suite of roller sports, so roller hockey, speed skating and even roller derby were also part of the application.
 

Sk8swan

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If I'm not mistaken, the previous applications for Summer Olympics inclusion were for a full suite of roller sports, so roller hockey, speed skating and even roller derby were also part of the application.

And iirc only skateboarding made it to Tokyo 2020
 

Sk8swan

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It almost looks like ice (the surface is so white?) I am used to seeing gym like floors or brown wood or something?

Competitions can be held on different surfaces. I would say that it has become more common over the past few years to build a special skating surface on the arena floor and white color has been picked more often (imo precisely to create the ice effect ;) )
 

Cachoo

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That was an Olympic quality program. They could put this in the Summer Olympics and find viewers without any problem.
(Certainly fs universe would be interested.)
 

Sk8swan

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That was an Olympic quality program. They could put this in the Summer Olympics and find viewers without any problem.
(Certainly fs universe would be interested.)

That's why I shared it here 😉 It's two different sports for sure yet they are very similar. So I'm pretty sure ice skating fans would enjoy appreciate it... expecially in case of extremely talented athletes like these two and such high quality performance!
 

Sk8swan

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Wow! That is really impressive. Apart from the technical accomplishment, they have fantastic unison.

Yes, their unison is quite remarkable, especially considering they are not training together full time! They live is different cities quite far apart and they both compete in singles as well so they split their training between singles and pairs... unique talents really!
 

Sk8swan

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aftershocks

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And this is what they are up to for the upcoming World Championships... needless to say they are in a league of their own! And needless to say this has never been done in pairs roller skating! https://www.instagram.com/p/BoTx5H7C...=12gdll9atxugy

Don't tell me that was a pairs quad lutz on roller skates? :eek: Their unison is what's most impressive!

But I think the emphasis for them right now is on technical precision rather than artistry. And there appears to be a number of limitations involved with the rollers that affect their ability to exhibit a smooth, flowing style like what we see in pairs skating on the ice. Clearly, the sport of roller skating has borrowed a lot of moves and patterns and overall program construction from pairs figure skating, right down to simulating the ice surface. But should they?

I realize there is a different basic technique involved with roller skating, unavoidably. It is defnitely fun seeing some of the very different abilities they have and how fast they can spin, and how they have to upend their rollers to spin on the tips which probably enhances speed during spins. I didn't notice a lot of close interaction and touching between the partners, as once again, they are likely limited in certain aspects due to the bulkiness of the roller skates.

From 2008, here is Sara Venerucci with our very own Matteo Guarise (he was also a singles champion in roller skating, prior to becoming a figure skater). Obviously, they have better lines, connection and musical expression:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRf_rr2hp00
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8A_MCNf8em4

Here's Matteo roller skating in singles competition. He always had that special something. I'm glad he came to figure skating. He'd accomplished everything possible in roller skating:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWchxdV_UKM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QA2kmbjpJNM Bellissima! :encore:
I'd love to see Matteo perform a program with Della Monica to some version of the second half music of the latter program. :D
 
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aftershocks

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Venerucci who won 10 world titles with different partners could have been artistically slightly better...

I'd say Venerucci was way more than slightly better artistically, especially when she was partnered with Matteo Guarise!
:eek: at V/G's 3:33 - 3:37 move: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRf_rr2hp00 V/G are way more connected and expressive than the technically spectacular and exciting to watch Tarlazzi/Lucaroni (who still have a lot of room for growth artistically and emotively).

The team of Tarlazzi/Amadessi was quite good:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRpjB6pQQTU
 

Sk8swan

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Don't tell me that was a pairs quad lutz on roller skates? :eek: Their unison is what's most impressive!

First of all thanks for your post :) If you refer to the instagram video I posted, that was a sbs triple flip. No pair in roller skating has ever landed clean sbs triple jumps other than these two, let alone a 3flip! And yes their unison is stunning... even more so if you consider they are not training in pair full time, living in different cities and having to train for their own single career as well. They are just a natural match.

But I think the emphasis for them right now is on technical precision rather than artistry. And there appears to be a number of limitations involved with the rollers that affect their ability to exhibit a smooth, flowing style like what we see in pairs skating on the ice. Clearly, the sport of roller skating has borrowed a lot of moves and patterns and overall program construction from pairs figure skating, right down to simulating the ice surface. But should they?

I agree with what you're saying here... One of their aim was to push the boundaries in pair roller skating adding elements noone has ever performed before like sbs triples... to perform such elements on rollers requires MUCH more power and strenght than doing those on the ice... What they do have which makes them outstanding is the effortless speed in their performances which is very rare to see in this sport. Their late coach, who died last march in a car accident, was very much into ice figure skating and took lots of inspiration to create their programs, they used to travel to international fs competitions like gpfinals and worlds. So figure skating has definitely an influence on them. But I also like to think that figure skating got smth from roller skating as well....difficult entrances and dismounts has always been typical in roller pairs, the reverse lift has been a "compulsory" lift for ages while only in recent years figure skaters added that lift (considered among the most difficult) to their programs. I remember how British Eurosport commentators where :eek: at Marika Zanforlin & Federico Degli Esposti's 'no hands' reverse lift at their European debut back in 2008... and for them it was just a 'basic' lift!

From 2008, here is Sara Venerucci with our very own Matteo Guarise (he was also a singles champion in roller skating, prior to becoming a figure skater). Obviously, they have better lines, connection and musical expression:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRf_rr2hp00
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8A_MCNf8em4

I've been knowing Matteo since he was a kid and followed him throughout his career in roller and figure skating... so I can tell I'm one of his biggest fan :D. I've always thought he had the best back and posture ever in roller skating and she was good too but to me she has never been at his level. Matteo's talent is immense, if you think he managed to reach a very high level in figure skating switching sport in his 20s... exceptional! All this said I believe that for the relatively short time they have been skating together (less than 5 yrs), not even full time, Rebecca and Luca are a better match than Sara & Matteo who have been paired as very little kids like 6yrs old so basically they have skated together a lifetime. To me R&L are a natural wonderful match. They have proved to be able to skate incredibly difficult and intricate programs to different types of music and adapt to different styles despite being very young (she's only 19). I guess it's a matter of taste but in the roller world they are considered probably one of the best pair ever not just for the technical side: seeing all 10s for the second mark from all judges at Worlds, I don't think it has ever happen in the history of the sport!

Here's Matteo roller skating in singles competition. He always had that special something. I'm glad he came to figure skating. He'd accomplished everything possible in roller skating

Matteo and Sara have been competing in singles as well (it's pretty common in roller skating to do more than one discipline) but neither of them has ever reached world level. Luca and Rebecca are Senior Men and Junior ladies multi-World Champions so their talent is immense.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QA2kmbjpJNM Bellissima! :encore:
I'd love to see Matteo perform a program with Della Monica to some version of the second half music of the latter program. :D

:lol: I would love that too!
 
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Sk8swan

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I'd say Venerucci was way more than slightly better artistically, especially when she was partnered with Matteo Guarise!
:eek: at V/G's 3:33 - 3:37 move: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRf_rr2hp00 V/G are way more connected and expressive than the technically spectacular and exciting to watch Tarlazzi/Lucaroni (who still have a lot of room for growth artistically and emotively)

I was actually referring not to Sara Venerucci but to her father Patrick Venerucci who is something like 10 times world pair champion :D
This 2001 Worlds in Florence https://youtu.be/i6hPV35F_b4
Ok so I was wrong Rebecca & Luca were not the first one to score all perfect 10s at Worlds LOL
 
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Winnipeg

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The pair spin...........I'd hate to get whacked with a skate in the face (did you see the part where his skate went over her as she laid back?!).
 

Sk8swan

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The pair spin...........I'd hate to get whacked with a skate in the face (did you see the part where his skate went over her as she laid back?!).

This https://scontent-mxp1-1.xx.fbcdn.ne...=0542990b1521ab0526d08a85929fd8a9&oe=5C54F7B0 ;)
Last year they were doing this with an even more difficult variation (he spinning on heel while on camel position) but eventually abandoned that as he hit her and she fell breaking her finger... that happened during thei lp at World Games...https://youtu.be/VMhXokyx6kY She was very brave and kept skating till the end of the program but very risky element indeed!
 

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