HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1979-03-08, Page 11•
BY NORA McCABE
Prom the Globe and Mail.
Seene One: Beier
nez Louie
and Lloyed'Eisler skate down
the ice, side by side, angling
'toward the corner of the
a d t I k
,rens, They on �. at
each other as they thread
their way through the other
pairs practicing on the ice,
Left, right. left, tight, left,
right. Their legs_ pushpoWer
' fully as, they .accelerate..
Gracefully, they, reverse,
skating into the corner back-
wards, Lorri in the lead,
• reachingback to- clasp her.
partner's hand with that
instinct that good pairs de-
' ''"velop. ' As they come out of
the corner they crank up still
more speed in anticipation of
the exacting throw double
axel,
The newly crowned Canar,
dian jynior pairs champions,
stat itke trtnst Rodntnok
e ]fist
and AlextndercZaitsev,.the
phenomenal Russian:
husband -and -wife combin-
ation that has won the world.'
nix
airs championship si
times. The Russians execute
the most dangerous lifts. and
thtQws with a precisionthat
makes the moves sem as
safe as getting out of bed.
Their speed and power are so.
dazzling, that no one, it
seems, can dethrone them -
certainly not ;two l5 -year,
olds from; rural Ontario.
Kerry Leitch watches from.
the stands as. Lorri and Lloyd.
de one- :throw double Axel,
then another' and another.
He agrees that they skate
with the speed and power of
.the Russians.
They do because 'Leitch,
titett . east• at ' the Preston .
):=.retire Skating Club, figured
-out how .the Rtissians. 'alter
pairS ehamps. 'Sherri ',Baiter
;tt.orti's older sister) and
w warl
Robin Cowart. the el
junior championship, as did'.
his next Canadian junior
champs, Josie France and
Paul Mills, in 1977. In '197$:,
Beier and Cowan won the -
Canadian senior title; Lord.
Won the ,Canadian novice
singles; crown and, with
their strokes to; achieve that
awesome acceleration and
speed; It's easy, really'. They
open their legs wider, push-
ing out; fromthe hip socket.
All Leitch's pupils skate that
way. That'sp art of the secret ,
of his. nc:ess.
And Leitch' is successful,
In 1976,.his C'anh'dinn i' ninr
We're just catching up wtth
"Figure skating in Canada
is just •beginning to catch up
to the Russians,,' says Leitch
-warming to his favorite topic.
"our .methods are so. an-
tiquated. uated`. As far'as I'mq.
concerned, we're just
n d,
starting to getto where the
Russians were 10 years
ago."
Theain difference? The
m e
Russians: have a system
They have eliminated' any
guesswork, dissecting, the'.
sport to cover everything
from best ' body type to
storking technique and
skating h .Dots' modified to
absorp knee.' shock from
triple jumps.
Like the Russians, Leitch,
a heavyset 37, runnig •to'
paunchiness is a tough task-
master. A former baseball.
player who played'for New
York Yankee and St. Louis
Cardinal farm teams, he '
believes in working his
pupils until they collapse,
then working them some,
•
more.leeyells, he threatens,
he cajoles. He can be brutally
a
honest: He demands' s total
commitment and obedience.
if you dont like his
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Thurs kFri.f 'Sat
PARADISE
GAMBLER,
Next ,'Gek.
Mut*. Fri Sate
ALVIN SHOES
system, go somewhere else,
If hefeels a skater has no
realP romise, he'll recom-
he
sport.
another
"I have a great deal of
respect for the kids and a
great deal of feeling for
thein.. .but training comes
before friendship,"
Mrs. Eisler agrees: "We.
appreciate the discipline, ,:,
PP P
Children need discipline
Our., kids are brought up to
speak when they're spoken
Lloyd. Was xunne11t ;
y �
Canadian junior pairs and
sixth in the world junior
competition, Canadian junior
champions .Barbara tinder-
hill and. Paul Martini woo the
world junior title.
')'his year, -Leitch skaters
captured first and Second.
place in both Canadian. Dov^
ice and junior pairs and next
month Lorri and Lloyd, could
very well Win yet Another
world' 'junior title 'for the
,Leitch. stable, -in Augsburg;,
ermany.
"realistically. we !feel we
definitely should be' in the
m..dals," Leitch said.
Scent .''two: The cant*
bridge ,arena is humming,.
with 30, skaters n; motion,.
�,�m4?
stroking, spinning. -'uial ,
D4
Leitch strides in, deposits an
armful of records by the
to"
:
Lorri: and Lloyd are intel-
ligent (both arerneat;tl1e top.
of their Grade' 10 classes),
personable, wholesome'and,
super -organized. They _also
have that old young -old com-
bination• common inelite
athletes little mote : than
children but used to the
limelight: They do interviews
regularly, pose for pictures
so often. they known exactly
what moves, make.. the best
photos' and have;received'
keys to the tovvn of Mitchell
from the : mayor: They
already have fans — one,
Mrs, Clara ' Brown of
Seaforth, k nits them
matching sweaters every
year.
Lorri is the mouthpiece for
the team, "Lloyd says he lets
Lorri do the talking so she'll
be the one to Catch it if she
says something Mr. Leitch
doesn't like, Mrs, Eisler
Lio
s y sten, them lumbers
Soun ,d; Y e S
like
d w a dit* fetisergeant. el. Sellowits
o n:at
ill[ rte
summorts the kids, "Da pia
realize 'that :the top three
girls in the V.S. junior
•1 all
nationals s l deck tri '
t 1-
p,e lumps
and the chaMpion did seven.
triples, in her program. in-
cluding a triple ant 4n4 ,a
triple Lutz'„
HiisPup ils look sur abl
f t.. y
-impressed. Ater ,all, it was.
only a year ago int Ottawa
that Toronto'S Vero Taylor
was.tbe tir$t'slater to land a
triple: Axel .in competition':
'Lorri skates to centre ice.
She starts to circle slowly,
concentrating!. She steps for-
ward onto her left tot. khan.
takes off in a dout•letxel, She
falls, She . oes. tliroti gh thie
g
estcreise again : "and falls.
And again. Maybe 2Q times
.Jllu''0�'�+�.•fdr+'
THE
; ; Orr" ,,a1
;;. L
ICI'
'C—
MON
a fai:
she tries anti rts...,
Off in no
i ; her &orner,
t .
a
Lloyd is also. practising,
,dczuble.axels, He doesn't fall,
,but often lands tWo-f`oo:ted. ,
' 1.01
01 watches silently,ly He
knows today's pairs' skaters;
roust be strung singles` skat-
ers. good individual jumpers
and spinners. After :a while,
be turns. and Says the •xel is
hardestfor
often: the lump
skaters to master because it
is the only jump in which the
skater takes off from the
forwards foot.
Without mak-
ingexcuses, he explains, that.
while neither Lorri pr Lloyd
has mastered -the double axel
ast'Single 'u they cando
as. jump,
it ndfolded pair tw.
:ft bli;Comes and as goeas. Perhapshro,
Russia:
Canadian coac
says, Lorri giggles. Lloyd
nods and eats some more ice
cream. Leitch. grins in de-
light. ''Lorri lets Lloyd think
he's in charge until he gets
too smart. Then she takes
control," he says.
Thet
conversa io n turns toe
the upcoming junior
championship. ,M'erch, 28 to
P
31. Both teens says they are
not nervous. It is ' their
second time and they know
what to expect. They .have
been working all year toward.
They
a
returnvisit insist
they dont feel under
Y
particular pressure to win,'
just because former club
mates did,=
"It depend on who the,
Russians send," says Lorri.
"And the East Germans, the.
Czechs:, the Americans,'''
adds Lloyd. ''The Americans
are very'confident-.on and
off the ice,".' says:., Lorri.
"Yeah', they don't make
mistakes;" says Lloyd.
"You . should feel pre-
ssured, Leitch growls: ".It
should bother you, because'•
last year you got beat by kids.
who' shouldn't carry your
boots: The -'U D.S. kids beat.
Canadians: ' bctause
Canadians don't think., they
should win. You train on the
approach that you've done
more than other kids.. You'll
have done your long program
at'least300 times from start'.,
to finish, without leaving out
one thing, by the time you
get Gcrea..ny.A d
You
,
v
e
done all that extra land
training. That's meant to
give yon confidence.
. "We've tried to plan for
all emergencies, tried to
tigtire out 'everything that
could gQwrong so you'll have
done, it and: lou‘N - how to
handle it under pressure..
That's . why we even talk
about how to answer
questions from the nneilia so.
years ago. Both are plodders,
struggling' to master new
moves. Interesting, both
catch en at the same time.
And once they have learned a
nt
st e it as :'f it
u,they execute i
were as natural as breathing.
"They are the easiest pair
I've ever taught," Leitch
says. "If they.bave...a.glaring
weakness, it's that they try to
be*too perfect; They're very
competitive. Lorri's, strength
is:thatshe is organized; she'
s
thought. everything ,out.
that if someone asks wriu twn: Lloyd is consistent. Day in
.
hours,• before`you skate if you --and day -out, . he skates the
don't feel you have tozin tot--sa e. The boy needs that
.
Canada's honor; y'ou won't ' He has to, be so good he s
panic. You don't train for a
luck -out performance, You
don't win an hope."
Scene Four: 'Lorri. and
Lloyd are late for pratice.
They dash . into the arena..
The other skaters are fooling
around, improvising ex-
. hibition programs tor their:
annual carnival. Lorri' and
Lloyd will miss it to go to,
junior worlds.. They are.
working on lifts, still a weak
: 'area. Until Lloyd grew, they
were too close in size and
weight forhim to hoist her
over his head safely. Leitch;
aware of the risk, -didn't rush
them:
Lifts arestill trick Lorri
y
fell, before Christmas and
was knocked! out. Lloyd has
equally painful 'memories. If
COMMERCIAI,
HOTEL
SE AFORTH
BUSINESS AS.
•
during .our renovations
FINE F 11
F'i\I': I.`"TH:I�'1 11\MENT
eaforth Legion'
Lorri lands wrong., he cati gets
a knee in the groin.
Again Leitch watches,
"Two years ago when they
won Canadian novice, people
said they`d never make ' it
because Lloyd was too
Small. Hell. I'mnot a damn
fool. l checked his gen es:
His dad is 6 feet and chin
225 pounds., I threatened to'
hang Lloyd. les been proven
that if you hang a person by:.
the ankles :eery day, he'll
grown a couple of inches in a :
year.
Actually; Leitch says the
fact that Lloyd grew late was
an advantage, Because it was
impossible to rush them,.
thcy,learned each move pro-
perly,. Blessed from the start
with instinctive unison and•
consistency; they have pro-
gressed smoothly since they
were'pairer More than six
an. s Oat,
two sito,,INca
SUM. um. 1109
sat:Lsuit
MATINEE
1:3I P.M.
almost inconspicuous. 'He's
the , fratne. The girls is the
picture.,'
Lorri and Lloyd skate down
the ice side by side, , Their
legs push powerfully asthey
accelerate. Lloyd moves
alongside, lifts Lorca to, chest
level,. She does a split as she
rises, then twists three times
in . the .'air,: lands and they
skate on: The move, created
by Rodnina and Zaitsev, : is
called a split triple twist. As '
they approach the corner,
they reverse,'. skating back ,
wards, Lorri reaches back for
Lloyd's hand. Rounding the
corner, they once again open'
their stride,p gickin _ up speed
the same way the. Russian
champions do before they do
their finalthrow double axe(.
Leitch nods in approval.
Things areright on schedule.,
tion
Every
Saturday.
at
Blyth
Memorial Hall
12 ry4;. - 10 each
.1 share the wealth
SlS) jackpot 60 calls
every Sat at -8 p.m.
STARTS FRIDAY MARCH -4th - 15th
VERYONES IN -LOVE;
WALT.
pra,cuogl
evon Hiorttio, the
LITTLE
ORPHAN
[ AUTO1
r`
Vit.
Seaforth, Legion
Music 'by: Silver Dollar
Pan'cing 9-'1'.is*
f _ niis/ONES vrRi ilEka 6TOI ILiNSONago merr_
Staras r'iiiriar
Lunch Provided'
[i1RCK tAP't toxin's COLUMN fO" •
'111.00ritlA ' QfQUItX0 +rtttt,,
T.SPECIAL SAT. IMARCIt` t Qtl':'
I�AEK
THEATRE
..,_,.. ►»,tit „ .
ass: a best resort he will Ana
the blade of Lorri`s skate 't a
correct her imperfect takeoff:
Leitch: calls Lorri and Lloyd:
aver and tells themtut start
running throughtheir free
skating program, section by
' each
section. He scrutinizes xe s e .ch
tiny' detail, observing wryly
that; the new stunt, a cart.
wheel Lift, is not as polished
as usual because Lloyd has
dislocated, his lifting elbow
arm -wrestling with a girl,, As
the session continues, Leitch
and his charges discuss tiny
alterations designed to cor-
rect discrepancies in their,
timing. It is like watching a
dance choreographer at
work.
"Many coaches scared •
of teaching pairs,"' Leitch
says. "Pairs are the easiest
of all. It's just common sense
onceyou analyze what is
required in the moves, :it's
like building. Yoe put Due
block on top of another. Lorri
and Lloyd are the easiest
pairs I ever had, to. teach.,"
Scene Three: Supper at the
Knotty Pine Coffe Shop,
famous in the Cambridge:
area. for ' its mouthwatering
home -baked cakes. Lorri, .all.
of 4 feet 11't, inches and 94
pounds incu ing full
dentalal
braces) is eating a salad.
She's watching her weight.
Lloyd, who has grown nearly
a foot in the past year to a
solid 5 feet 81 inches, and
140 pounds, passes. up the
cake for. -a-;king-sized dish of
;vanilla ice'cream.
•.Also present are Leitch
and Lloyd's. mother, Bev.
She's doing' the :driving that
day: Three days a week after,
school Lorri and Lloyd.. come
from Mitchell and Seaforth
respectively, about 120 kilo--
metres each way. They skate
for three hours, followed by
90 minutes of off -ice training..
consisting of jogging 150 laps
around the arena,;running lip
and down thousands of steps
weight -lifting Andes many as.
250 sit-ups. Leitch says
skaters need strong stomach
muscles, even more than
strong- legs because . whhe
n.
they are tired, the stomach
droops, causing them, to
stroke improperly
That's the normal routine,
Before big competitions, the
two move sato Cambri4$e tet, taair itikcsrt ictA
a i-��, l "Agingu .
.,,. They
to shoesday" h�$8*Ur , .L
th►Y
DANCE
St. Pa?rCks
&o,
Cm!Y C9!.
ta Marchh
U
t�
rr
Music by Country T Y . e
A $5.00Recreation-LUNCH
i?
S onnsorre by: Commi'ttee'-
..._...si
Proceeds to Arena. Maintenance.
JLe1aurant
Por. Brunswick & Waterloo
Stratford, Ontario
Live Orchestra
Every Friday and Saturday Night
man and nc�
LunchA wideselection of A la carte
'dishesfor a
quick business lunch
or rnore elaborate. items to'
lingerand savor.
Dinner Relax and enjoy ,a memorable dinner, the
fresh -Halifax lobster are at their best. Have you tried
our escargotin cream, parsley arid garlic. butter
v Wed. & Thurs. we
sauce. Week Nights (Tues., e )
feature a fixed rice menu— 3 courses and coffee
$8,75 (children 54.50'
Frida
y -and Satur ay night dance to the Ken Varley
le
Y
-Trio aden oyour superb food; What better way to
s endra winter evening,
"The menus - including brunch - are: ever changing
and; never disappointing."
Diane A Lynn.amok*
t.ondon Free Press Oct, 27,1978
"Only in Stratford you say? That's right,
however no cause to say "pity". An
autumn Sunday in the tranquil and
handsome community that includes'
brunch at The Church is pure pleasure."
4 L ' Winston Colicas ' y
. Toronto Sunday Star Oct. 8, 1978
Please phone tor reservations •
(519) 273+3424. �.
LTuesunddatayyBrunch to Friday Lunch 12:00 - 2:00 .
Tuesday to Saturday Dinner 6:00 on
Licensed byl.L.B.O.
You are invited to attend
PECIAL GOSPEL SERVICES
continuing nightly (except. Saturday} 8:00-9:90 p, m
at, SEAFORTH DISTRICT' HiGH SCHOOL
tttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt
Speakers: MR JOHN`:SLABAUGH' — Uniontown, Ohio,
MR. GARY SHARP -. Midland, Ontario'
The time-honoured historic Christian Gospel is still relevant to our
times. In our age of uncertainties, the Bible's message still meets :.
mankind's basic need forforgiveness and peace.
The Gospel is good news, Christ,. the son of God, entered this world
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rose again to make good all of His promises to those who trust Him.
"For by grace are ye saved through faith; that not of yourselves: it Is
the 'GIFT OF GOD" (Ephesians'2:8].
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