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Beauty and the bruisers
TV competition brings together Olympic figure skaters, NHL stars
| Source: |
Edmonton Journal |
| Date: |
June 24, 2009 |
| Author: |
Dan Barnes |
Lanny McDonald in Spandex? Yikes.
Bob Probert and Tie Domi going toe-pick to toe-pick? Seems wrong. But it could happen when reality television mashes hockey and figure skating together in something called Battle of the Blades, a seven-week series of live Sunday performances and Monday results shows on CBC, starting Oct. 4.
This is skating with the stars, if you will. Eight former National Hockey Leaguers teamed with eight former Olympics-eligible female skaters in a series of pairs competitions set to theme music from the genres of arena rock, Motown, the Rat Pack and classical.
Tragically(Broken) Hip might also be on the playlist. And some of the NHLers will no doubt be putting the 'K' in Lutz.
Probert, for instance, would be more likely to pull a quad than to land one during the show, but he's enthusiastic. In fact, he admits to having a favourite figure skating move that he'd love to try.
"The flying camel. There is one called that, right?" he asked Tuesday. "I think that's what I saw when I was watching Dorothy Hamill when I was younger."
That a man who was the NHL's premiere enforcer back in the day watched figure skating as a kid may be a massive enough jolt to the senses, but consider that Probert will be flying around on figure skates, performing 90-second pairs routines. Spins, jumps, throws, lifts, the whole shebang.
"I've got to get back into the gym," said the former Red Wing. "Those girls weigh about 100 pounds. My son Jack is about 75 pounds, so I was lifting him over my head, just to see how hard it was going to be. It's way tougher than I thought."
Strangely though, it was not that tough a sell. Domi bought the concept right away when it was pitched to him by the show's creator, Kevin Albrecht, a sports agent and TV producer who has been working on the idea for two years.
Also confirmed as competitors are McDonald, Glenn Anderson, Stephane Richer and Craig Simpson, with two more former NHLers yet to be named. The eight female skaters have not been signed, but all will be Canadians who are no longer amateurs. The series will be hosted by skater Kurt Browning and Hockey Night in Canada host Ron MacLean. Each week, a pairs team will be eliminated in a vote of the viewing public.
"I first started thinking about it when Kurt was recruited for Celebrities on Ice on Fox," said Albrecht. "The show didn't work because the celebrities couldn't skate that well. I thought if I could get NHL guys, it would work."
Each pair will work for at least four weeks in September with a figure-skating coach and famed choreographer Sandra Bezic. The NHL players are also going to the National Ballet School of Canada in Toronto to get in touch with their softer, more flexible side.
"It is a serious time commitment," said Albrecht. "It's just like Dancing With the Stars. You put a lot of time into it if you want to be good."
Probert wants to be better than Domi.
"Now, we'll be battling in another arena. It should be fun," said Probert, who had some legendary scraps with the former Leaf. "Don't forget to vote for me."
All 16 performers will be paid a "small fee" according to Albrecht, and the show's producers will make a total of $250,000 in donations to the charities of the participants' choice.
So they seem to have covered enough of the bases. This isn't another Skins Game starring athletes with enough money playing a meaningless game for more money. Thank goodness.
That said, I hate reality television. But I just might watch this. It has enough car-crash possibilities to draw in the bloodthirsty. And who doesn't want to see Domi try a throw-double-Axel?
That's the kind of reaction Albrecht said he gets from everybody.
"Not one person has told me they wouldn't watch it. What's more Canadian than hockey and figure skating?"
Well, hockey and beer, I would think. But the point is taken. All across the land, figure skaters and hockey players have grown up, together and apart in arenas large and small.
"Lanny said to me, 'How do you think (wife) Ardell and I got together?' She was a figure skater. He said when he played junior in Medicine Hat, Ardell came out on skates before the game with the Canadian flag for the anthem."
Skater Kristi Yamaguchi married defenceman Bret Hedican. There are success stories.
But generally speaking, back in Probert's day, male hockey players didn't have much respect for male figure skaters.
"I have three daughters and they all figure-skated. My son, Jack, when he was four or five, he wanted to figure skate. I said, 'Come on, Jack, let's play hockey.'He said hockey is boring, skating is more fun. He finally converted to hockey and I was kind of relieved. But figure skating is an incredible sport."
Oddly enough, Skate Canada recently took some heat in the media for its alleged attempt at toughening up the sport's flamboyant image. Skate Canada officials were actually trying to emphasize the athleticism needed for the performances.
After four weeks of intense training in September, testimonials from Domi and Probert may well do Skate Canada's work for them.
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