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Looking Ahead Vise, Trent find success despite differences Mirror pair aims for a chance to compete at the World Championships in Tokyo
(January 22, 2007) — Tiffany Vise and Derek Trent have a different method for success than the other pairs competing this week at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Spokane, Wash. While most teams find their niche in unison skating, where two pairs skaters perform the same element in the same direction while in unison, Scottsdale, Ariz., based Vise, 20, and Trent, 26, are a mirror pair—the only competing this week. Mirror skating, where two skaters mirror each other while performing the same elements, is rare among the top pairs in the sport. Olympic bronze medalists Jill Watson and Peter Oppegard are one of the few to succeed. Mirror skating is caused when partners rotate in different directions, clockwise and counterclockwise, for jumps and spins. "I think overcoming the fact that we jump opposite is a huge success," said Trent, who rotates clockwise. She naturally rotates counterclockwise. "It's a big disadvantage, they both have to learn to skate in the opposite direction, but they stuck to it," said Catarina Lindgren, who choreographed their Latin themed short program. "They're fighters." "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," she said about a disadvantage to mirror skating. Trent agrees about the obstacles with their style. "When we do jump opposite, we have to come up with elements to come back together," Trent said. "We lose time during the transitions so we have to pack everything in differently. It's a little more difficult making a nice appearance in layout for our programs." But there are also advantages to being a mirror pair—it is as Olympic Champions Jamie Sale and David Pelletier said, "refreshing." "We are the only mirror pair at this level as far as I know," Trent said. The usual style of skating, along with a planned throw quadruple triple Salchow in the free skate, could be the edge the pair needs to earn a berth to the World Championships in Tokyo, Japan. "Our ultimate goal is to make it to the World Championships," Trent said. ____________________________________ For more information on Tiffany Vise and Derek Trent, visit their official Web site Vise and Trent Online at www.viseandtrent.com. [TOP] |
The Inside Edge
