THE CANADIAN PRESS
VICTORIA — Kirsten Moore-Towers and Dylan Moscovitch have been together just 18 months but find themselves poised to capture their first Canadian pairs figure skating crown.
Their position is a result of a post-Olympic year of change and the good fortune of finding an instant connection when they first stepped on the ice together in 2009.
"It’s weird," said Moore-Towers of how quickly they connected.
Added Moscovitch with a laugh: "Spending too much time together."
Moore-Towers, from St. Catharines, Ont., and Moscovitch, from Waterloo, Ont., won the pairs short program Friday to continue their climb up the skating ranks. The two, who captured two silver medals this season on the Grand Prix circuit and were sixth at the Grand Prix Final, scored 64.73 points to secure the lead heading into Saturday’s long program at the Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre.
"I feel like a rock star," Moore-Towers said. "I had a ball, it was so much fun. We’re very pleased we could come here and keep everything the same, just be us, our two goofy selves, and just go out and do what we love to do."
Paige Lawrence of Kennedy, Sask., and Rudi Swiegers of Kipling, Sask., scored 59.38 points with their short program to sit second. Mylene Brodeur of Stanbridge-Station, Que., and John Mattatall of Wallace, N.S., scored 58.78 points to sit third.
Cynthia Phaneuf of Contrecoeur, Que., leads the women after winning the short program with 60.77 points.
The 22-year-old was just 16 when she won the Canadian title in 2004 before an emerging Joannie Rochette captured six straight. Rochette is taking the season off to contemplate her future, and Phaneuf is hungry to regain that crown.
"When I came here I didn’t hide myself from it, I said it openly, I’m here to win, and I’m not going to say that I want to skate well and be proud when I get off the ice," Phaneuf said. "I want to go home and have the gold around my neck, and I know what I have to do to have the medal."
Alexandra Najarro of Vaughn, Ont., was second with a score of 52.12. The 17-year-old had no idea she was second, and had already boarded the bus back to the hotel by the time Phaneuf skated.
"I’m new to this," Najarro said with a laugh, after being pulled off the bus to speak with reporters.
Amelie Lacoste of Delson, Que., was third with 50.86.
Vanessa Crone of Aurora, Ont., and Paul Poirier of Unionville, Ont., took the first step toward their first Canadian senior ice dance title winning Friday’s short dance.
Crone and Poirier scored 65.80 points to narrowly beat Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje of Waterloo, Ont., who finished with 65.64 points. Alexandra Paul and Mitchell Islam of Barrie, Ont., were third with 61.57 points.
"We were definitely close to Kaitlyn and Andrew, they’re great competitors, they’ve been skating so strongly all season," Poirier said. "I didn’t see it, but I’m sure they delivered a really solid performance, so I think it’s great that the whole competition stepped up to the plate, that everyone skated at their best."
Crone and Poirier edged Weaver and Poje by less than a point to nab the second ice dance spot on the Canadian team for the Vancouver Olympics.
"It’s nothing we haven’t seen before, but we’re used to this position and now we can fight and not hold anything back for (Sunday’s free dance)," Weaver said. "We don’t feel we need to save anything and that’s a lesson we learned last year."
The pairs field is wide open this season with the absence of former world bronze medallists and defending Canadian champions Jessica Dube and Bryce Davison. Dube is skating singles this season after Davison underwent season-ending knee surgery, finishing fifth in Friday’s short program with 48.81.
Moore-Towers and Moscovitch were fifth at last year’s Canadian championships and feel fortunate to battling for gold a year later.
"This season has been a dream season for us, it’s been an awesome ride so far, and being in this position is really exciting, last year feels like 10 years ago, but at the same time, post-Olympic year, there’s always a whole lot of things that can happen and change and we just happened to be ready at the right time."
There will also be a new ice dance champion this season in the absence of Olympic and world gold medallists Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir. Virtue is still recovering from surgery this past fall on her legs, and the two will make their season debut at the ISU Four Continents next month.
This week’s Canadian championships determines the team for the world event in Tokyo in March. Canada has three spots in men’s singles and ice dance, and two in women’s singles and pairs.