Question about pairs vs. singles Ice Skating

[Corie]

Is there a reason why a figure skater would choose to do Pairs
instead of competing as a single?

What are the reasons for choosing one over the over?

[Andi98989]

I'm not a skater, but it seems like pairs would be the more challenging of the two since you have to be in sync on so many things, plus you have the throws and things that you don't in singles. Perhaps after people feel really comfortable with singles and they want an added challenge they move on to pairs?

I'm curious about the decision between regular pairs and ice dancing.

[codex57]

In America, I honestly think most (not all, but most) choose pairs either because they already have potential partners lined up when they dance (or people push them towards partners) or they realize quickly they aren't gonna cut it at the single level for whatever reason (typically technically).

Ice dance, I think it's just why people pursue dance in the first place. Or, they REALLY can't do the technical jumps and stuff anymore. If you notice, a lot of ice dancers are older than the singles/pairs couples.

In Europe, I have no idea about the motivations. They have a lot more classical and artistic influence in daily life so I can see them pursuing ice dance as a first choice.

This is all my personal opinion based on what I've witnessed on the West Coast.

[StantonHyde]

I think size has something to do with it for women. You have to be teeny teeny to be a pairs skater--the guy is throwing you and the higher you go, the better the scores. (obvioulsy you have to land it right too:tongue5:)

The singles skaters females seem more muscular--they do a lot more jumps etc.

[crl]

I'm just guessing, but I would think it has to do with what they are good at. People who aren't as good at the jumps, but are better at staying in sync would go wtih pairs. I vaguely recall there was an American female skater several years ago who competed at a high level in both, but ultimately chose singles. I think many people would chose singles simply to avoid the risk of a partner blowing it on them.

Catherine

[ett]

I'm just guessing, but I would think it has to do with what they are good at. People who aren't as good at the jumps, but are better at staying in sync would go wtih pairs. I vaguely recall there was an American female skater several years ago who competed at a high level in both, but ultimately chose singles. I think many people would chose singles simply to avoid the risk of a partner blowing it on them.

Catherine

Kristi Yamaguchi skated pairs and singles before she focused solely on singles starting in 1990.

[Roni]

I wouldn't sell pairs skaters short on the jumps--they still have to do them. The Olympians were all throwing side-by-side triples last night. They are the easier triples (toe loops & salchows, vs. flips and lutzes), but it's still not easy. Some pairs skaters have a sibling to skate with--Kitty & Peter Carruthers, for example, in 1984. Like someone said, female pairs skaters have to be small. Not every skating rink offers pairs skating, so it may depend on where you live. The Carruthers' had to actually move from MA to Delaware to train. A lot of rinks also don't have ice dancing. It probably depends on what a skater's background is and what they are drawn to.

[american_mama]

eta: I realized after writing this post that I only know of skaters who did both and that in many of those situations, the pairs appeared to be a second choice after singles. But there must be many, many skaters who have done pairs from pretty much the beginning of their competitive careers, and I am only guessing at why they chose it.

Perhaps the acrobatics or partnership aspect of pairs skating appeal to them? I am not sure the ladies physique has much to do with it, because I would think a physique that works with pairs would also work with singles, but it may have something to do with it for the men in pairs, who are often taller, heavier and stronger than a man in singles.

In ice dance, I think people often choose that because of a love of dance, more expression and creativity, more acting/theatricality, jumping ability irrelevant compared to singles or pairs. And physique: women can be taller, men can be less strong. A naturally flexible, graceful skater may be rewarded highly for those attributes in ice dance.

But I have also heard of a number of elite skaters who switched etto pairs after getting stuck at a certain point in singles, typically because they can't jump well or consistently enough . Single ladies need to do, what, six or seven triple jumps of all types in a long program vs. maybe two? in pairs. Naomi Nari Nam switched to pairs, successfully, after years of injuries that completely sidelined a very promising singles career. Nicole Bobek tried to do it, unsuccessfully I believe, in an attempt for a second chance after a terrible Olympics.

Kristi Yamaguchi, an Olympics gold medalist in singles, and Rudy Galindo, a US and world medalist in singles, skated pairs for a while for fun, as a way to break up the drill of singles skating (so she says in her book "Skating for Dummies"). Yuka Sato, a Japanese world champion in ladies singles, competed professionally as a single AND a pairs with her husband, American pairs champion Jason Dungjen. Eketerina Gordeeva, two-time Olympics pairs champion with her husband, was forced to switch to singles (in her professional career) after her husband and pairs partner died. She later married men's singles Olympic medalist Ilia Kulik and they occasionally performed professionally as a pairs couple.

It may also have to do with the depth of singles skating in the US, which is huge. The top ladies skaters in the US are probably within the top 10 ladies in the world, and it's often the same for the men. US pairs skating is not nearly as deep, so a skater who has a hard time breaking into the top of US singles skating may medal at nationals as a pairs skater. I am vague on this, but I recall a short-haired brunette girl from like 10 years ago who skated both at nationals and I think won a medal in US pairs, but was nowhere close to the medal stand in singles. I remember her because she was very young, (eta: turned out to be 17), and her partner was older (eta: he was 28, their names were Shelby and Brian), and I thought it was very ewww watching them skate. (eta: The images don't hit me as badly now when I looked at them again. And the age difference isn't as unusual as I guess it seemed to me then, although I definitely like a couple that looks closer in age better.)

In the 1980's and before, of course, there was also the issue of school figures which were required in singles and constituted a big part of your score. I assume pairs did not have to do them, so in the past, probably some people switched to pairs because of that.

This all implies pairs skating is easier than singles, which is not what I mean to say. I love pairs skating. eta: And I don't deny the inherent difficulty in it - throws, lifts, combination spins, spirals, synchronization, the psychological elements of competing in a team - difficult elements that are completely absent in singles.

[codex57]

America Mama summed it up really well. What she described is what I've seen. That's why I specifically mentioned I was just referring to the American skating scene. I don't know culture, the level of competition, history of pairs, etc that exists in other countries. For example, with such a rich pairs history in Russia, I can totally see a lot of pairs couples picking pairs as their first choice. And I don't deny the difficulties in pairs.

Naomi Nari Nam was my sister's primary competition. As A M said earlier, after injuries cut short her singles career, her size meant that pairs held more promise than dance. She was always known for the speed of her jumps and spins. My sister was always contrasted with her and praised for her artistic lines, sprials, etc. Of course, since my sister looked twice as big as Naomi, I don't think it's shocking that judges saw her relatively long limbs and viewed them as "beautiful lines." And yes, because of her size, she dabbled in dance after injuries cut short her singles career.

However, these two examples just highlight the fact that pairs does not have the same degree of difficulty in jumps that singles has. No, I'm not discounting the enormous difficulty in coordinating with a partner to do a triple throw. However, each individual pairs skater just has to do triples. Single ladies at this point are into the quads. Back when ladies were trying to land a triple axel as a goal, the pairs could still land doubles and have that viewed as a difficult move. It's just one step behind... in terms of jumps, but that's what most casual viewers (and even judges IMO) focus on.

[tnrnchick74]

I will also add that size, natural ability & coaching preference has a lot to do with it.

I used to skate singles & dance...

Singles because that was my dream, and dance because once I hit a growth spurt it was very hard to jump as high.

If you are very small/petite, are decent jumper, excel at spins, and have no fear...pairs is for you. Yes, they are doing triple jumps - but not all of the top level "hardest" ones (though I see that changing as the years progress).

Dance - I was a natural at dance because I picked up ballroom moves easily, "paired well" with most guys (in dance its not about super tall/string guys and tiny women), and it gave my bad knees a break...