Everything about Battle of the Blades, eh?

Battle of the Blades’ Kurt Browning on winning the battle

From Bill Harris of QMI:

Go figure; Kurt Browning says a win is a win on Battle of the Blades
Kurt Browning seems a little sheepish as he says it. But there’s no need for him to be. We would expect this sort of attitude from a world-class athlete. “You like winning,” Browning says. “I’m sorry, but you like winning.” Browning was attempting to explain what happens to the participants on Battle of the Blades. The fourth season of CBC’s reality-competition series, which pairs figure skaters with ex-hockey players in a figure-skating competition, wraps up with its big finale on Sunday, Nov. 17. Continue reading.

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Two teams eliminated on Battle of the Blades

Sinead Kerr & Grant Marshall (1)

From a media release:

IT’S AN EXTRA CHILLING WEEK SIX AS TWO PAIRS ARE ICED IN THE FIRST EVER DOUBLE ELIMINATION ON BATTLE OF THE BLADES

At the conclusion of tonight’s red hot “Tribute to the Winter Olympics” episode, two pairs found themselves frozen out of the competition on CBC’s BATTLE OF THE BLADES – a first for the series. Jessica Dubé and Brian Savage along with Marie-France Dubreuil and Mathieu Dandenault would start as the bottom two pairs, with the lowest combined scores and votes from last week’s “Iconic Duos” episode, and entered the “Skate Off”. After each pair skated, Jessica & Brian received the lowest overall score and were automatically Iced as a result.

It was a demanding homecoming for guest judge and reigning BATTLE OF THE BLADES champion David Pelletier, as he and fellow judges Jamie Salé and P.J. Stock would determine the second pair to be Iced based solely on their lowest overall score for tonight’s routines. With their marks tallied, the judges’ scores sealed the fate for Sinead Kerr and Grant Marshall, the final pair to be Iced tonight in the first ever double elimination on Battle of the Blades.

First-time BATTLE OF THE BLADES contender Jessica Dubé is a World Pair Bronze Medallist, three-time Canadian Pairs Champion and two-time Olympian. Her partner Brian Savage won silver with Team Canada at the 1994 Winter Olympics and was assistant captain of the Montreal Canadiens for nine seasons during his 12-year NHL career.

Sinead Kerr, a two-time Olympian in 2006 and 2010 and a seven-time British Ice Dance Champion, partnered with Grant Marshall, who overcame temporary paralysis as a junior hockey player to play 700 NHL games and become a two-time Stanley Cup champion with the Dallas Stars and the New Jersey Devils.

The judges toughest decision to date results in $12,500 cheques for Jessica`s charity Multiple Sclerosis of Canada, Brian`s charity Ten Rainbows: Meghan`s Wings, Sinead`s charity Autism Speaks Canada and Grant`s charity Parachute (Think First).

The pressure is on for the Season Four finalists Violetta Afanasieva and Jason Strudwick, Amanda Evora and Scott Thornton and Marie-France Dubreuil and Mathieu Dandenault.

New for Season Four are the Mini Blades competitions. CBC in partnership with Skate Canada invited select clubs to host their own Mini Blades competitions, to serve as a fundraising initiative and spotlight local skating clubs across Canada. The results are in and fans can watch and vote for the Mini Blades performances online at www.cbc.ca/battle until Tuesday, Nov. 5 at 8 p.m. ET. MEDIA NOTE: There is no voting for tonight’s pairs, voting will resume after the Nov. 10 performances.

Also new for Season Four, BATTLE OF THE BLADES fans will have the opportunity to earn extra votes and participate in the show like never before, with special games and challenges for supporters to help their pairs get closer to the ultimate $100,000 prize for charity. Next Sunday, Nov. 10 at 8 p.m. (8:30 NT) the finalists will skate two routines – one new and their favourite routine from this season. The audience votes will be the only factor in determining the Season Four champions as the judges’ scores will not be counted. The winner will be crowned in a special gala presentation on Nov. 17.

BATTLE OF THE BLADES is the highest-rated original Canadian format of all time. Combining athletes from two of Canada’s favourite sports, figure skating and hockey, eight World and Olympic figure skaters pair up with eight NHL hockey greats in the ultimate skating competition for charity. Anchoring CBC’s 2013 Fall Sunday night schedule, BATTLE OF THE BLADES airs at 8 p.m. (8:30 NT) on CBC.

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Six pairs remain in Battle of the Blades

SINEAD KERR & GRANT MARSHALL BATTLE OF THE BLADES OCT

From a media release:

CANADIAN WEEK IS VERY FRIENDLY TO PARTNERS SHAE-LYNN BOURNE AND ANSON CARTER AS THEY ARE SAVED FROM BEING ICED BY JUDGES ON BATTLE OF THE BLADES

After the scores were tallied and the votes were counted following last week’s performances on the “International Beats” themed episode of CBC’s BATTLE OF THE BLADES, Shae-Lynn Bourne and Anson Carter joined Sinead Kerr and Grant Marshall as the bottom two pairs required to enter the third ominous Skate Off for “Canadian Week” of Season Four.

Entering this week’s voting period, Shae-Lynn and Anson were tied for the lowest overall score, while Sinead & Grant did slightly better with just one tenth higher marks. After tonight’s Skate Off, the judges’ tough marks came with heated criticism but the outcome was resolute – Shae-Lynn & Anson were saved using the ING DIRECT d Save in a sensational decision by Kurt Browning and fellow judges Jamie Salé and P.J. Stock. The judges exercised their one and only save for Season Four.

Internationally revered figure skater Shae-Lynn Bourne, World Ice Dance Champion, 10-time Canadian Ice Dance Champion, three-time Olympian and member of the Canadian Figure Skating Hall of Fame, is skating with Anson Carter, who played 16 NHL seasons for the Washington Capitals, Boston Bruins, Edmonton Oilers, Columbus Blue Jackets, Vancouver Canucks and Carolina Hurricanes.

Sinead Kerr, a two-time Olympian in 2006 and 2010 and a seven-time British Ice Dance Champion, is partnered with Grant Marshall, who overcame temporary paralysis as a junior hockey player to play 700 NHL games and became a two-time Stanley Cup champion with the Dallas Stars and the New Jersey Devils.
New for Season Four, performances and eliminations are combined into an action-packed hour of television. The two pairs who receive the fewest votes for their performance, in combination with the lowest judges’ scores, enter a “Skate Off” in the following week’s episode and their fate is in the judges’ hands. Voting for tonight’s performance for the remaining six pairs will remain open on www.cbc.ca/battle until Tuesday, Oct. 22 at 8 p.m. ET.

Also new for Season Four, BATTLE OF THE BLADES fans will have the opportunity to earn extra votes and participate in the show like never before, with special games and challenges for supporters to help their pairs get closer to the ultimate $100,000 prize for charity. Next Sunday, Oct. 27 at 8 p.m. (8:30 NT) the theme is “Iconic Duos”, with the remaining pairs to skate as famous or historically significant twosomes.

The remaining six pairs are:

  • Violetta Afanasieva & Jason Strudwick
  • Shae-Lynn Bourne & Anson Carter
  • Jessica Dubé & Brian Savage
  • Marie-France Dubreuil & Mathieu Dandenault
  • Amanda Evora & Scott Thornton
  • Sinead Kerr & Grant Marshall
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