CALGARY, Alberta — Three-time world champion Elvis Stojko proved he is still the undisputed king of Canadian figure skating on Saturday, posting a trio of 6.0s to capture his sixth national crown.
Earlier in the day, pair skaters Jamie Sale and David Pelletier treated the 12,000 fans to one of the most memorable performances ever skated at a Canadian championships.
Their reward was perfect 6.0s from five of the seven judges and their first national title.
Skating to the soundtrack from "The Mummy", Stojko, 27, opened his program with a quadruple toe-double toe combination and followed with seven flawless triples.
"I feel good to be back and on top of my game," said Stojko who struggled last season in his comeback from a serious groin injury.
"Those sixes (for technical merit) were real nice. I feel good about my skating," said the twice Olympic silver medalist, calling Saturday's performance his best since the 1998 nationals.
Settling for silver for the third time was Emanuel Sandhu, 19. He soared through seven triple jumps but fell on his quad attempt and second triple Axel. Ben Ferreira, 20, ranked third.
All three medalists will compete at Four Continents in Osaka in February, while Stojko and Sandhu will represent Canada at the world championships in France in March.
Sale and Pelletier mesmerized the crowd with their dramatic depiction of "Love Story" which moved many in the audience, including 1984 world pair champion Barbara Underhill, to tears.
Five judges were so inspired, they awarded perfect scores for artistic impression.
"They had us all in the palm of their hands," Underhill said. "There's not a team in the world today, or maybe ever, that can do that in a competitive arena."
With just one miscue by Sale, who singled a planned double Axel, the duo unseated reigning champs Kristy Sargeant and Kris Wirtz, who had skated an elegant and also near-perfect program to Debussy's Clair de Lune.
Valerie Saurette and Jean-Sebastien Fecteau took the bronze.
Pelletier, who joined forces with Sale just 18 months ago, said: "You always dream of having a 6.0 but I know it's only a number and I'm treating it like that. I just feel very great about what we've done."
Sale and Pelletier, who missed the world championships last year due to injury, and Sargeant and Wirtz, ranked sixth in the world, will pack a powerful one-two punch for Canada in France.
The women, on the other hand, produced a series of tumbles, stumbles and bail-outs.
Jennifer Robinson ended up on top, despite cleanly landing just two triple jumps—both salchows—to take her third national title.
Michelle Currie managed three triple jumps but fell twice in claiming silver.
Annie Bellemare, who edged out Nicole Watt for third, also did three triples and hit the ice three times.
Watt, 14, the miniature dynamo skating in her first nationals at any level, counted four triple jumps in her program, stayed on her feet, and won her second standing ovation in as many days. Robinson will get the lone world team spot available to Canadian women.