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Regions' top figure skaters meet at new Taipei Arena

With afternoon temperatures hovering around 29?C, downtown Taipei seemed an improbable gathering point for 70 of Asia's best figure skaters.

Unseasonably warm temperatures weren't the only surprise on day three of the Asian Figure Skating Championships, as the Taipei Arena saw strange juxtapositions such as a pair of blond ice dancers from Uzbekistan, well tanned Thai figure skaters, a six-person delegation from North Korea and the unmistakable accent of the Chinese contingent.

A few days earlier, a "mini-summit" occurred as the South Korean team eagerly embraced their Northern compatriots, something of a rarity in other pan-Asian sporting competitions.

"This has been the surprise of the tournament," Secretary General of the Chinese Taipei Skating Union, Rich K.H. Lee, said. "The South Korea team was very happy to meet with the North Korean team. North Korea usually doesn't take part in other figure-skating competitions in Asia."

While figure skating may be a novel spectacle in Taipei, Lee said the national team has drawn upon overseas Taiwanese from Los Angeles and San Jose, California, and Dallas, Texas.

One brother and sister duo, Darryl Yang and Amanda Yang from the Los Angeles area, competed in the Junior Men and Junior Women's competitions on Friday.

An audience of some 100 people, mostly competitors awaiting their time on the ice, showed good sportsmanship by encouraging their fellow competitors.

The moral support proved necessary, as Asian figure skating is a lonely pursuit. Most competitors lug their own equipment, with nearly every competitor equipped with a backpack, wheelie bag and over-the-shoulder garment bag.

Some even changed into frilly dresses and tuxedos with long coat-tails while waiting in the grandstands, emphasizing the casual nature of the competition, and the fledgling nature of the sport in Asia.

There is, however, little that can compare to the beauty of ice dance, with handsome couples gliding gracefully through waltz-like moves. And to bolster spirits, there's the cheerful MC work of Jennifer Don, a former third-place winner in the US Juniors Pairs and Deputy Director of the International Affairs Office of the Chinese-Taipei Skating Union.

Don seemed at home behind the microphone, while taking extra time to read difficult Asian names or interpreting scores.

The Japanese men turned in impressive performances, although many acknowledge that they have sent their country's second team to Taipei.

The competition will conclude today at 6pm.
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