I introduced my husband, Dan, to the Sun Valley Summer Ice Shows about a year ago. Figure skating is not a sport I would normally expect Dan to embrace. But in our seven years of marriage, I have succeeded in exposing Dan to a more sophisticated culture. And I can happily say that both of us now enjoy a variety of aesthetic entertainment on a regular basis.
Okay, so maybe it's not about the artistry. Dan's initial response to the Sun Valley Ice Show was, "This is way better than the boring stuff they do on the Olympics." The Sun Valley Ice Show is a bit like a circus-on-ice.
Last weekend, we found ourselves sitting on the west bleachers, waiting for the show to begin, watching the Zamboni circle the rink. I was excited to see Sasha Cohen.
Dan, on the other hand, said with eager anticipation, "I wonder if they're going to do that trick where they swing a woman by the legs, and her head gets so close to the ground that it looks like it's going to smack against the ice."
"You mean that trick I have to watch through my fingers, the trick where the crowd gasps in horror while you clap enthusiastically and egg the skaters on?"
"That's the one."
I handed him the camera. Dan also loves the challenge of photographing the skaters' most dangerous tricks in action.
And before you think it can't be that bad because I tend to exaggerate (as my husband is probably muttering right now while he reads this), here are some examples of those "most dangerous tricks."
One woman skates while hula hooping multiple hoops. Eventually, she graduates to a fiery hoop by the end of the show. One male skater places his female partner upside down on his shoulders as they glide around on the ice. Another male skater holds his ice partner above his head with one hand. In a different number, a skater holds his partner by her stomach . . . on his head. And that doesn't include the jumps, the back flips, and the throwing of one's partner across the ice.
While I am thrilled that I no longer have to pull teeth to get Dan to take me to an ice show, I am not so thrilled when we get back home, and he wants to try "ice skating" in our living room. I have had to fend off several attempts at being flipped in midair while simultaneously being thrown over the couch. And every now and then, Dan rushes toward me with every intention of lifting me over his head and balancing me on his index finger.
"You have to go limp," Dan instructed wisely. "Don't try to control it."
"How about we don't try ice skating moves in our living room at all?"
But truly, it's a win-win situation for all involved. I get to see live, phenomenal figure skating. Dan gets to see daring feats performed on frozen water. And our neighbors probably get to see some pretty lively entertainment through our windows when we get home.
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