Tuesday, March 19, 2024

A competitive pair

January 30, 2014
	<p>Haslett, Mich. resident Sam Parks, 14, and East Lansing resident Devin Pascoe, 15, skate Jan. 22, 2014, at Suburban Ice East Lansing, 2810 Hannah Blvd. The two began skating separately when they were three years old. Danyelle Morrow/The State News</p>

Haslett, Mich. resident Sam Parks, 14, and East Lansing resident Devin Pascoe, 15, skate Jan. 22, 2014, at Suburban Ice East Lansing, 2810 Hannah Blvd. The two began skating separately when they were three years old. Danyelle Morrow/The State News

Photo by Danyelle Morrow | The State News

East Lansing resident Devin Pascoe, 15, and Haslett resident Sam Parks, 14, are among the top five juvenile pair figure skaters in the United States, ranked fourth. Now freshmen in high school, they’ve skated since they were three years old.

“I was a gymnast and quit gymnastics to make time for skating,” Parks said. “(My sister and I) were doing gymnastics one day and my (skating) coaches were there and they speak Russian and my mom is Russian … She heard Russian, and she’s like a very social person, so she walked over and started talking to them.”

Four years ago, the two began their partnership as a pairs team. The only difference from single skating, according to Pascoe, is awareness of the other person.

“Instead of trying not to crash into everybody else on the rink, there’s one person right next to you and it’s harder to maneuver around,” she said.

With practice once or twice a day, upwards of five times a week, Park’s mother said they “work long hours without an off season. After Nationals, one of Sammy’s friends asked him how long his off season was … Sammy’s reply: four days, until Monday morning.”

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