'Battle' rookies survive Boot Camp
Jul 30, 2010
As this year's crop of Battle of the Blades competitors arrived at Season-Two Boot Camp recently, their emotions, apprehension and determination could all be summed up in one wry statement.
"I should have gotten up earlier," groaned retired right-winger Kelly Chase as he gingerly stepped out onto the ice.
Five former NHL hockey players met up with a group of accomplished figure skaters in Toronto in July for a crash course (pun intended) in figure skating.
In preparation for the second season of the hit show that matches hockey players with figure skaters in an on-ice show-skating competition, the athletes were fitted with figure skates and taught to glide, perform to the crowd and skate with a partner.
This fall, after eight weeks of head-to-head competition, one winning couple will contribute $100,000 to its chosen charity.
Sandra Bezic, a season-one judge and a producer on the show, says this season's viewers can expect to see more behind-the-scenes footage than they ever saw during the show's inaugural 2009 season.
Viewers will get a glimpse into "the blood, sweat and tears that go into the training," beginning with a behind-the-scenes special that will air on September 26, Bezic said. "It's not always pretty--tempers flare, injuries occur--and it can get very intense as the competitive juices start to flow," she added.
This year's cast will make that "insider" footage of particular interest, according to Bezic. Already, she says, it is clear that season two will be bursting with personality.
"I think that every single cast is going to have a different dynamic," Bezic said. "And this group, these five at least, were just really funny. The overall humour was definitely different. They were a lot looser (than last year's competitors)."
Of the eight NHL players who will participate, CBC has announced three: retired right-wingers Theo Fleury and Russ Courtnall will join Chase in the competition. The other five NHL veterans will be revealed in September.
Due to scheduling conflicts, three of the unnamed skaters were unable to attend the summer Boot Camp and could face a steeper climb to catch up with their competitors.
Much like last season, national, world and Olympic champions will make up the strong cast of figure skaters who will guide their hockey-playing counterparts through their on-ice drills for the next several months. Season one's Christine "Tuffy" Hough and famed ice dancer and choreographer Shae-Lynn Bourne will both return to the cast.
Bourne, who was a finalist on the show last year with partner Claude Lemieux, says she jumped at the chance to return.
"I knew deep down that it was something I wanted to do," she said. "I wanted to do Boot Camp again."
Bourne and Hough will be joined by newcomer and 2010 Olympian Anabelle Langlois. Langlois says she was hesitant to join the show at first, but after Boot Camp, is confident she made the right decision.
"Over the years when you train as a figure skater at the rink you don't always get the respect from the hockey players so I didn't know how I felt about that, but I've met the guys and they are great," Langlois said. "I got on the ice and in the first five, 10 minutes, I was so comfortable. It was fun. It was a great experience."
This year's crop of skaters-in-training will have to prove that they can be as charming on the ice as they are off it, but Bezic believes they are already ahead of the game.
"I think the biggest difference (this year) is that there was no tentativeness by the players," she said. "The fact that there was a season one that all the guys could watch and refer to, it already set the bar higher than where the guys were a year ago," Bezic continued. "They're stepping in with this expectation. They're already almost to where the guys got at midpoint, last year."
Chase agreed, but is already eyeing the mountain of training that looms ahead of him as he prepares for the live shows that begin in October. "I wouldn't do it if I didn't think I could win," Chase said. "There's a lot of work to do, but that's the fun part of it. You can't be afraid of work."
Season Two of Battle of the Blades will premiere with a special behind-the-scenes episode on September 26 on CBC. Beginning October 3, competitors will perform a new on-ice program each Sunday night before returning Monday for a live results episode.
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