With the recent announcement that they are leaving behind the competitive and professional world of figure skating, the upcoming Canada-wide has become all the more special for CanadaB次元官网网址檚 Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir.

The pair have been skating together since their teens, going on to claim numerous gold medals at the Olympics and win the hearts of figure skating and ice dancing fans around the world. They are now headlining what will be their last tour, and Moir said itB次元官网网址檚 a bittersweet feeling.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 been going very well, weB次元官网网址檙e really pleased with how the tour is coming together. ItB次元官网网址檚 been a tad bit more emotional than we expected with it being our last tour, its kind of been an interesting mixture of emotions,B次元官网网址� Moir said in an interview with Black Press Media.

B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 a lot of people on this tour that weB次元官网网址檝e been skating with for so many years, and a lot of castmates that weB次元官网网址檝e always wanted to bring home to Canada and show off their skills across the country. ItB次元官网网址檚 a really tight group and weB次元官网网址檙e very excited to start.B次元官网网址�

Moir admits that he is not normally on social media, but the outpouring of B次元官网网址減ositive vibes and supportB次元官网网址� they received from Canadians after he and Virtue announced their retirement made him grateful he had a platform to connect with them.

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B次元官网网址淭o feel the positive vibes and support we got from Canadians and the uplifting messages, itB次元官网网址檚 just a great reminder that Canadians have always been there for Tessa and me,B次元官网网址� said Moir.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 been one of the only moments in my life where I was happy I had social media because we were able to communicate with our fans. And just stripping down our retirement and creating a message for the people who have always been there has created kind of a buzz. But the support weB次元官网网址檝e always had through our career kind of quadrupled overnight.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 nice for us as weB次元官网网址檙e stepping onto new chapters of our life to know that we made a little bit of difference.B次元官网网址�

This tour has been a way for Virtue and Moir to finally check some goals off of their figure skating bucket list, by bringing together other talented and highly-decorated athletes as well as having choreographed routines to the music of Pink Floyd.

B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e trying to switch things up, so weB次元官网网址檙e excited about our new platform with how we want to deliver the sport. We love the new band, the Birds of Bellwoods, out of Toronto that opens up for us. Then we come out and its 90 to 100 minutes where weB次元官网网址檙e going to give fans as much skating as we possibly can in that time,B次元官网网址� said Moir.

B次元官网网址淭heyB次元官网网址檒l be seeing much more of us than theyB次元官网网址檙e used to. We have a smaller cast with nine athletes and weB次元官网网址檙e just going to be doing everything we can to entertain the fans. I hate saying this, but itB次元官网网址檚 a really fun group and theyB次元官网网址檙e all so talented, so if this exists we throw an B次元官网网址渋ce skating partyB次元官网网址� every night.B次元官网网址�

While those familiar with Moir and VirtueB次元官网网址檚 performances might imagine that the sport and choreography come easily to them, Moir said rehearsals for this tour are almost more gruelling than Olympic training.

This is because they are expected to deliver complex routines in a longer time frame than when they are competing at the Olympic level. He said he was joking with Maxim Trankov, a Russian figure skater on their tour who bested them at a previous Olympics, and he admitted: B次元官网网址渉e didnB次元官网网址檛 think he had trained this hard when he was preparing for the Olympics.B次元官网网址�

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B次元官网网址淚t is a gruelling rehearsal schedule. We have some fantastic professionals that we work with. TheyB次元官网网址檝e just been driving us to rehearse. We want to take this to new levels and we told them that from the beginning so they make us put in hour after hour,B次元官网网址� said Moir.

B次元官网网址淟ike today, we started at 8 a.m. on the ice and going at a high level right until 5 p.m., which is a lot of hours of figure skating as an elite athlete. Everyone showed up a couple of weeks ago for rehearsals, we show up in shape and our rehearsals are ready, so weB次元官网网址檙e just doing the parts that we all do together that arenB次元官网网址檛 possible to do at home.

B次元官网网址淓veryone thinks this is just a show, itB次元官网网址檚 not the Olympic games. But being able to control 90 minutes is much harder, and you have to be in better shape to be able to execute it.B次元官网网址�

Moir said he can see himself and Virtue involved in the world of figure skating and ice dancing in a different capacity in the future, not as competitors but possibly mentors or coaches. He said they have always wanted to use their careers to inspire the next generation of athletes that anything is possible.

The Rock the Rink tour stops in Penticton at the South Okanagan Events Centre on Oct. 6 and tickets are available at .

To report a typo, email: editor@pentictonwesternnews.com.

Jordyn Thomson | Reporter
 
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