Golden duo share stage with rivals

The Canadian figure skaters who captured hearts around the world with their grace and composure in the wake of last year's Olympic judging scandal share the ice with their Russian rivals in Calgary tomorrow.

Pairs skaters Jaime Sale and David Pelletier, who finished second in Salt Lake City but were eventually awarded the gold, will skate with co-gold medallists Elena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharulidze, not as rivals or competitors, but as friends tomorrow night at the Saddledome.

In the program, dubbed Power Play, former world champion Todd Eldredge from the U.S. recites a poem while Sale and Pelletier skate on the ice first, followed by Berezhnaya and Sikharulidze.

"People think it's a reflection on the Olympics but it's not really like that," Sale told the Sun about the program in the HSBC Stars on Ice tour. "It's mainly about how we're all our own people, we're all unique and how we can't be judged, and also how we stand out in front of people and feel naked sometimes."

Besides the two pairs teams, the show boasts a star-studded cast filled with Olympic, world and national champions, including four-time world champion Kurt Browning, two-time Olympic bronze medallists Isabelle Brasseur and Lloyd Eisler, Olympic and four-time world champion Alexei Yagudin, world bronze medallists Kyoko Ina and John Zimmerman, six-time Canadian champion Jennifer Robinson and eight-time British champion Steven Cousins.

"We have an awesome cast," Sale said. "We've had no problems in this tour. None. It's been very positive and we have a nice mix of veterans and rookies."

The Stars on Ice tour, which Sale describes as "the best show in the world," incorporates both group numbers and solos and wows the audience with its innovative choreography, music, lighting and costume design.

Sale and Pelletier have two new programs made specially for the Stars on Ice tour. Christopher Dean choreographed Come Fly With Me and Sandra Bezic choreographed Lovin', Touchin', Squeezin', a sensual number that has captivated the audience in the U.S. and Canada.

Skating in Calgary will be special for Sale, who was born here and grew up in Red Deer.

Sale and Pelletier were part of the 61-city U.S. leg of the Stars on Ice tour. The Canadian tour started in Halifax last month.

Sale says they received a positive reception from U.S. fans.

"The reception we get from the audience is great. We've put in new tricks that we couldn't do as amateurs," she said.

Sale and Pelletier were able to watch the pairs program at the world figure skating championships in Washington in March and say they have no regrets turning professional.

"We just realized we turned the page with that and we were very content," Sale said. "We had a definite peace watching it (the worlds)."