Torvill & Dean Mack & Mabel first performance

For those of you who asked so nicely, here's something else from my archives. This is the first ever performance of Mack & Mabel, at the St Ivel, Richmond, in Oct 1981. Hope you enjoy!

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• Torvill
• Dean
• Mack
• Mabel

[mattiasmiekalainen]

Does anyone have the exhibition version of this routine with the bowler hat incorporated into the sequences?

[quillerpen]

Not quite sure what you mean here. T&D used a bowler in one of their show routines, but that was after they turned professional, not Mack & Mabel. Karen Barber & Nicky Slater did a Chaplin routine the same year T&D did Bolero and they used a bowler in the exhibition version of that programme that they did for galas, but I never saw T&D use one in their amateur days.

[premierrules]

Just a quick question - should this not be Richmond 1981? This was their free dance for the 1982 season so surely this was their debut performance at St.Ivel 1981? Just checking. Lovely performance.

[quillerpen]

Yep, you're right! Good catch. i've amended my notes.

[s3dh3k]

So once again...who it the greatest ice dance team to ever skate???

[skatingaddict123]

christopher dean has to be the fittest man ever when wearing catsuits.

I mean look at his thighs :O

love torvill and dean <3

[ThatLadyCAD46]

This makes me shiver! They come from Nottingham my home city! And I used to talk to Jayne Torvill when she worked at the Norwich Union Office in Nottingham and I was in an Insurance Brokers Office. They are such nice people too! She used to send memos to me about Insurance. This is the best thing I have ever seen English sportspeople do!!!

[duckyloo1964]

Absolutely wonderful and as an added bonus, Richmond Ice Rink! Many thanks

[xwingclass]

6.0 6.0 6.0 6.0 6.0 6.0 6.0 6.0

still after nearly 30 years.

[pywacket12]

@mattiasmiekalainen the "bowler hat" routine isn't Mack & Mabel... it's called "Hat Trick" and is available on YouTube, posted by sk888tefanusa

[brousseaua]

When I saw T&D's performance at the 1984 Olympics I paid $85.00 for the "ABC Sports presents Best Of the 1984 Olympics" VHS tape" just for T&D and I didn't even own a VCR yet! Christmas 84 my husb gave me a JVC/VCR. It cost him over $500 and it wore out almost 20yrs later! Back to T&D, I taped a show from PBS about them called "Path to Perfection." Their unison is still spot on and they are truly the best that ever was. I am fr Canada glad to see Ice Dance isn't dominated by Russions now.

[muscleboi4use]

I keep coming back to this wonderful clip, as a first outing for a routine, it is perfect in every way and remains so. Also what is incredible is that the Richmond ice rink was such a small rink. For them to fit every move into a much smaller space, is also amazing. Thank you so much for uploading this!

[shadowmia22]

@skatingaddict123 -- Of course when christopher dean isn't wearing catsuits, he becomes less fit

[kasmumma]

fab fab fab Quillerpen, thanks for posting

[swbird132]

Timeless!

[nzfigureskater]

totally amazing - something to look up to, ice dance is truly harder than people think! everything has to be perfect! coming from a beginner doing compulsory pre-primary, i hope that oe day i can move up to somwhere like that!