The Battle (of the Blades) Has Ended

The battle has ended and the warriors can retire their blades. Only, unfortunately, the result wasn't what I'd hoped. Expected, perhaps, but not hoped.

The “battle” I'm talking about is a uniquely Canadian type of warfare. It's “The Battle of the Blades” where lumbering hockey players are magically transformed into elegant ice dancers. This is the third season and I've been a fan since day one. It really is wonderful to see hockey players develop not only their skating skills but also their personalities. They become more confident, more artistic and by the end they're so good you wish they were coming on tour to your local arena.

Last season was actually my favourite. They had such a strong cast. I truly believe it wouldn't have taken that much more effort to make Valeri Bure and Ekaterina Gordeeva a genuinely competitive team, they were that good. It took a long time for viewers to warm up to them, though. They were far too frequently - and completely undeservedly - in the bottom pair, skating off for survival on Monday night. Maybe people resented Russians dominating a Canadian event. So I was really pleased that justice prevailed in the end and the best team won the prize.

I don't think that was the case tonight. My personal favourites, Marie-France Dubreuil and Bryan Berard came second, and I think that was right. It's first and third I have a problem with. I think the true winners were Tanith Belbin and Boyd Devereaux. They were elegant and talented, had a real unison and connection with each other and the audience, and really exemplified the ultimate goal of turning hockey players into figure skaters. They truly were ice dancers.

But as so often happens in the real world, showmanship won out over substance, tricks over talent, and the number one spot ended up going to Tessa Bonhomme and David Pelletier. She is the first female hockey player on the show, and I think that gave her a big fan base from the get go. And David, of course, is legend. He's massively talented ... and insanely strong. That's what they capitalised on. He could pick Tessa up, spin her around, do the kinds of things he'd spent a lifetime training for and that the hockey players could never match. His partner was almost an afterthought, a plaything.

I think Tessa was pretty brave to allow herself to be picked up and tossed around, but I don't think she really developed enough as a skater herself. In a solo she was hesitant and very mediocre. She was stiff and not particularly flexible (not even as much as some of the guys!) The moves she did attempt were basic - I could have done almost as well. So that's where my complaint lies. Yes, their routines did look quite spectacular, but it was David making Tessa look good. She didn't develop as a skater nearly as much as many of the guys. David won the competition; Tessa was a pretty postscript.

Ultimately, though, all eight pairs are winners. They all advanced their skills and performed incredibly. All their charities are winners too, because every bit of the prize money involved in the show is donated to worthy causes. And the audience members and television viewers who were treated to eight weeks of skating magic win as well. A battle with no losers; what could be more apropos, what could be more Canadian.