Looking Ahead

Vise and Trent hope throw quad Sal lands them a spot on the World team

Scottsdale, Ariz., based pair looking to 'accomplish another milestone at nationals'

By Jamie M. Blanchard

Tiffany Vise and Derek Trent are the only skaters to land a throw quadruple jump in an ISU event

(January 12, 2008) — Choreographer Catarina Lindgren describes Tiffany Vise and Derek Trent best. "They're fighters," Lindgren told Figure Skaters Online in an interview before the team finished fifth at the 2007 U.S. Championships.

Vise and Trent have been faced with challenges since they teamed up together in summer 2003. First, Vise rotates counterclockwise while Trent rotates clockwise, making them naturally skate away from each other after elements like jumps and spins—something that only a few pairs have been able to overcome successfully.

"When they have to separate for jumps and spins, you have to come up with ways they can separate for them and come back to each other," Lindgren said. She choreographed the Latin short program the pair used in the previous two seasons.

Other challenges include relocating from longtime coach Irina Vorobieva in Colorado Springs, Colo., to Doug Ladret and his wife Lara in Scottsdale, Ariz., following a ninth place finish at the 2005 nationals. Trent also injured his back in October 2006.

But despite their challenges, Vise and Trent have remained focused on their goal of becoming one of the top teams in the nation and the world. They are veterans of the international scene and the Grand Prix circuit, with placements including sixth at 2006 Skate America, fifth at 2006 Skate Canada and fifth at 2007 Skate Canada.

On Nov. 17, the team secured a fourth place finish at Trophee Eric Bompard—and perhaps more importantly, a spot in figure skating history—by becoming the first pair to land any throw quadruple jump in an International Skating Union competition. Vise and Trent will attempt the throw quad Salchow again at nationals.

During a break from their preparations for upcoming U.S. Championships in St. Paul, Minn., where they hope to make both the podium and the World Championship team for the first time, Vise and Trent sat down with Figure Skaters Online to answer questions from their fans.

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Jamie (Arizona, USA): Tiffany Vise and Derek Trent will always be known as the first pair to successfully perform a throw quadruple in an International Skating Union competition. Has it sunk in yet?
Tiffany: Yes it has, although I still can't believe it happened. It is really nice to have all my hard work finally pay off especially getting through all the bruises. We have been getting more consistent with the throw and it was a matter of time for us to complete it cleanly in competition.
Derek: Wow. It is a great feeling to be the first pair to land the quad throw in competition. I am very proud of Tiffany.

Robin (California, USA): How hard was it for you to learn the throw quadruple Salchow?
Tiffany: It really was not as hard to learn a throw quadruple salchow as I thought. One day, the throw triple was going very well and I looked at Derek and said "I think we should try a quad."  He looked at me with a funny face and kind of ignored what he just heard. Later on in the practice session I said it again and he agreed to trust my idea. We decided that the quad was not that big of a difference from a triple but just one more rotation, so we tried it and three days later I landed it.
Derek:  Tiffany looked at me on a practice session a year ago after landing some great throw triples and kept saying, with a grin, "They feel great..." I assumed she was thinking about a quad but ignored her and we went onto other elements because I had seen others attempt quads in practice and get injured.  Towards the end of the session, she said, "I want to try it."  I played dumb and asked, "What?" On her second attempt she was on her feet backwards, and by the end of the week she was landing them. I would say that it was not hard to learn the throw, it has been harder to keep consistency in the programs and in competition with the throw. There have been some bumps and bruises along the way and we have taken months off of practicing the element but it is becoming more of a daily element. 

Liz (Pennsylvania, USA) and Tatianna (New Jersey, USA): How does it feel to be in the history books as the first pair to ever land a throw quadruple Salchow?
Tiffany: It's incredible though when I see it printed in the books, I will feel very proud.
Derek: Wow! Still sinking in. 

Kendra (Colorado, USA): You have tried the throw quadruple without much success before Trophee Eric Bompard. Did the one in Paris feel any different?
Tiffany: No, it didn't. The only thing different was that Derek and I worked together and trusted ourselves to do it. We had confidence going into it.
Derek: After a weak, terrible six minute warm-up, we went out there to go for it and not worry about success or failure. We put our trust in each other and in our practices. The confidence and trust led to us accomplishing the throw.

Stephanie (California, USA): The throw quad Salchow was not included in your free skate at Skate Canada but it obviously was at Trophee Eric Bompard. What changed between Canada and France that made you two put it back into the program?
Tiffany: We were actually going to do the throw in Skate Canada but truthfully practicing a throw quadruple at 6:30 a.m. for our warm-up is not fun at all. To land the throw you need quick reflexes and that early in the morning I did not have that. So when it was time to skate the long program a few hours later, we decided to go for a clean program without the quad.
Derek: We decided the morning of the long that we would concentrate on doing a clean program and leave the throw out. The Grand Prix can be a little intimidating and nerve racking and we wanted to focus on besting our previous score and remove some of the pressure associated with the quad. In Paris we decided that we felt ready to incorporate the throw and went for it. The rest is history.

Mandy (Minnesota, USA): Should we expect to see the quad in at the U.S. Championships in St. Paul?
Tiffany: You bet!! We are excited to accomplish another milestone at Nationals.
Derek: Yes.

Mary Jane (Colorado, USA): Thanks for answering some questions Tiffany and Derek. You've had a wonderful season so far—I can't wait to see what happens for you two in St. Paul. What are your goals for nationals and the rest of the season?
Tiffany: We want to place in the top two and earn a spot on the World team.  It has been our goal for as long as I can remember to be on the World team.
Derek: The World Championships. And of course it would be nice to win the title.

Carlee (Colorado, USA) and Amber (Texas, USA): Do you think you could win the U.S. Championship this year?
Tiffany: Yes I do. What we have learned in the past Championships is that anyone can be at the top.  It all depends on how you skate, and if we skate the way we have been competing then we have a great chance to be the next National champions.
Derek:  We are going to put our best out there and anything is possible. 

Amber (Texas, USA): Who do you consider your biggest competitors at nationals?
Tiffany: Well obviously the veterans, past champions, and some newcomers will be our biggest competitors. Derek and I really like to focus on ourselves going into a competition and not think about anyone else. When we concentrate on ourselves and try to do our personal best, it ends up very rewarding.
Derek: I think the U.S. has great depth in pairs this year and it should be a great event.

Mary (Michigan, USA): Do you think the quad will be necessary to win nationals?
Tiffany: Yes I do. I feel we need to stand out from the rest of the group.  The throw is not necessarily the only element to win the competition. We will need to have a well rounded program and skate the best we can do.
Derek: I imagine landing the throw will help but we do not look at as a necessity. There are many other elements in the long program and everything else is just as important as the throw.

Cathy (New Jersey, USA): So far this season, what do you think your biggest accomplishments are?
Tiffany: The throw quadruple Salchow and skating cleanly. The consistency we have had in all of our Senior Grand Prix events has really improved this year. We are very proud of ourselves to have all of our hard work pay off.
Derek: Besting our personal best at every event.

Sergei (Russia): Tiffany and Derek, what do you feel are the highlights of your career? What have been the most difficult parts for you in skating?
Tiffany: This whole season so far has been our biggest highlight of our time together. The hardest part of our skating has been showing that mirror skating can be skated well. Proving to the judges that mirror skating can be skated creatively. It has been a learning process and each year we keep learning how to improve it more.
Derek: The throw! Making the final warm-up last season at Nationals. Competing in the Grand Prix circuit for the past two years and making the final warm-up in Paris this year against a strong field. The most difficult thing has been gaining acceptance on a domestic and international stage for our mirror skating.

Heidi (Illinois, USA): Tiffany and Derek, I love that you two are a mirror pair. I really think that your style is refreshing. Do you think that the judges have been more receptive to the style now that you have been on the Grand Prix circuit for two seasons?
Tiffany: I feel the judges are getting more comfortable with mirror skating.  We have had some great feedback from international judges that have applauded us for doing it so well.
Derek: I definitely think it helps to be seen more.

Jimmy (Massachusetts, USA): I read on your profile page that you two are both choreographers. How did you two start choreographing programs? And how much of this season's programs did you choreograph?
Tiffany: At this point in our skating careers, we both have ideas on how we would like our programs to look like. We know what our easiest transitions are from element to element and this year we thought it would be great to put a bit of our own flavor into the programs. Both Derek and I choreographed our short program. We also changed our long program choreography this year to fit our personality.
Derek: Tiffany and I did our entire short program this season. The challenge with our mirror skating has always been in the connections, as we have to alter directions between lifts and throws and other elements. This makes it difficult to maintain flow and also stay within the time limit. It was fun to be able to incorporate what we have learned over the years skating together in order to put together a program that highlights our strengths and transitions. Doug , Julie (Patterson) and Irina have all added some highlights, but the body of the program was a joint effort by Tiffany and me.  

Emory (Delaware, USA): Why did you keep your free skate from last season?
Tiffany: We normally keep one out of the two programs each year. We had our short for two seasons, so we decided to change the short and keep the long program. We feel this year that the long program is more comfortable and easy to skate to because it is our second year of training it.
Derek: We liked the program and did not end the season with a strong skate of the program.  Tiffany and I re-arranged the elements and transitions while keeping the music. We have also worked toward incorporating more emotion and connection, and this is always easier with a piece of music that we already know well.

Liz (Pennsylvania, USA): What piece of music are you just dying to skate to?
Tiffany: Not exactly for what Derek and I should skate to, but since I was very young I always wanted to skate to Pachelbel Canon.
Derek:  I think it would be great if lyrical music was allowed in competition and would open the door to so many other possible music choices. I don't know if I can narrow it down to just one choice… Do you have any ideas for next season? I particularly like long program music that tells a story. 

Erin (Florida, USA): Do you two help design your skating costumes? Which ones are your favorites?
Tiffany: Both Derek and I give our input on the colors of our outfits.  We let the designer know what we are kind of looking for and what music we are skating to and they do the rest.  We are lucky enough to use Randall Designs who also create the outfits for Dancing with the Stars. Every outfit that they make for me is currently my favorite.
Derek: We work with Randall Designs to do our outfits. Randall Designs has a store here in Phoenix and they do work for Dancing with the Stars. We draw ideas from previous ballroom dresses to bring the creativity to the ice. Tiffany's awesome dresses are the work of the team at Randall.

Karen (Washington, USA): Tiffany, you always look beautiful on the ice. The hairdo that you had for last year's short program at nationals was fantastic. Do you do your own hair and makeup or do you have a professional person to help you?
Tiffany: Normally I do my own hair and make-up.  At Nationals, we do have the choice to have a professional do it.  So I take advantage of them doing it because it is a lot of fun and they do my hair a little different and unusual. 

Melissa (California, USA): I am so proud of you two for sticking together through the tough times so that you could accomplish all of the good things that you have done for your country this season. It's no small feat to be the first pair to perform the quadruple throw. Derek, how is your back holding up with all those throws? I wish you both impeccable health for the New Year.
Derek:My back is much better then it was last season. I think I will always have some pain, but it is not limiting our training or hurting our performance. 

Saul (Toronto, Canada): I really admire the dedication that you both have. Are you both still in college, working and skating?
Tiffany: All of the above. I attend Scottsdale Community College where I am a Kinesiology major.  I work part-time at a restaurant as a server and also coach skating as well. My life is busy and I wouldn't have it any other way. I feel having many different things to do in my life besides skating creates a nice balance.
Derek: I am in my final semester of graduate school. I will graduate in May with an MBA in International Business and Management. I also coach many hours a day in addition to our training schedule. 

Jake (Arizona, USA): Besides preparing for nationals, what are you two up to? Tiffany, are you planning to run in the rock and roll marathon again next month?
Tiffany: I am definitely not going to run the marathon. Last year it was fun but hard and challenging. It is also a week before Nationals and this year I want to put all my effort into training our programs. 
Derek: We both went home for the holidays and took some time off over the weekend of New Years. 

Kelly (Washington, USA): I was a sweeper at the nationals in Spokane. I want to know what you like to do when you're with your friends.
Tiffany: I like to have movie nights with my friends. I love to play miniature golf and go bowling. I do have a four-year-old dog (Bailey) which is a husky mix, so she takes up a lot of my free time.  I love taking her to the dog park and play with her friends.
Derek: I like to leave skating at the rink.  I like to travel, go to the movies, discuss politics and current events—I know it sounds boring—and eat!

Dane (New York, USA): What are three words you would use to describe your partner?
Tiffany: Determined, organized and creative.
Derek: Courageous, strong and dedicated.

Brittany (Maine, USA): What's your favorite place to eat at?
Tiffany: I love to go out and eat Sushi.
Derek: I love hot and spicy foods so anything Thai or Mexican.  And I love Extraordinary Desserts in San Diego. 

Brittany (Maine, USA): What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?
Tiffany: Banana gelato.
Derek: I like Ben and Jerry's Karamel-Sutra.

Mary (Michigan, USA): What are your New Year's resolutions?
Tiffany: My New Year's resolution is... I don't have one. Every time I make one, a couple months into the new year I seem to forget about it.
Derek: Finish my degree this semester, stop eating gluten and make the world team.

Jamie (Arizona, USA): Tiffany and Derek, thank you for taking the time out to answer questions from your fans as you prepare for the U.S. Championships in St. Paul. Is there anything that you would like to add?
Tiffany: I hope to see many of you at the U.S Championships and please feel free to say "Hi" to Derek and me. Also, cheer really loud for us!
Derek: Thank you for everyone's support! We truly appreciate everyone that comes to the events and cheers us on. 

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For more information on Tiffany Vise and Derek Trent, visit their official Web site Tiffany Vise and Derek Trent Online at www.viseandtrent.com.

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