⛸️ Shomarin Finishes 4th in Debut! Halloween Tribute and More, Figure Skating News for November 1 🎃 - 2026.11.01 | Figure Skating

Hello, fans! 🙋‍♀️ The ice news is heating up on the very first day of November!

🎭 Shomarin Finally Makes Their Ice Dance Debut!

Honda Marin and Uno Shoma, the pair known as 'Shomarin', took the stage at the 52nd East Japan Figure Skating Championships ice dance event ^[1]. This is the team we told you about when their debut was approaching! They scored 58.68 points to finish 4th out of 7 teams ^[1].

Skating to flamenco music, they shared their breath through the Poetic Pose, and their sharp movements and expressive faces brought out the mood of the music ^[1]. The debut was meant less for chasing high scores and more for finishing the prepared program without major mistakes. Uno said, "I'm proud that we could finish to the end without any mistakes or accidents," while Honda reflected, "I could trust the training I had built up" ^[1]. As a first competitive outing, it felt especially moving 🥹

This return also marks a special milestone: 28 months since her last competition. Honda rose as a rising star in Japanese figure skating after winning the 2016 World Junior Championships and taking silver the following year, and she ended her singles career in January 2024 ^[1]. After continuing with ice shows, broadcasts, and photo shoots, she returned to competition when she and Uno announced their ice dance partnership in May 2026 ^[1]. A video of the pair's practice drew over 8 million views on social media, showing how big the expectations in Japan are ✨

There is still room to grow. Key challenges include reaching higher levels on the golden waltz pattern and twizzles, central elements of the rhythm dance ^[1]. Still, at a public practice in July, they previewed a unique program with a lift using Uno's signature element, the Klimkin eagle ^[1]. The top three were 'Utamasa' with 71.43, 'Rikashin' with 65.79, and 'Ikuko' with 65.68, and Shomarin trailed the leaders by 12.75 points ^[1]. Yoshida Utana and Morita Masaya of 'Utamasa' competed for Japan in the team event at the Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics ^[1]. The top group is clearly tough.

Honda and Uno are aiming for the 2030 Winter Olympics as a long-term goal ^[1]. And Shomarin skates again in the free dance today, November 1 ^[1]! Let's cheer them on as they try to turn the potential they showed in their first outing into real competitive strength 📣

🍂 Skate Canada Scene, Full of Halloween Spirit!

Photos from Skate Canada International, held October 30 in Kelowna, Canada, have been released ^[4]. They show Alisa Efimova and Misha Mitrofanov of the United States performing their pairs short program ^[4], while Ava Kemp and Yohnatan Elizarov of Canada also took the ice ^[3]. France's Kévin Aymoz reacted to his scores after his men's short program ^[2].

Aymoz's performance video is especially fun! In a Halloween-themed post, he showed a dedication performance to Captain Jack Sparrow 🏴‍☠️ Isn't that charm adorable from a Grand Prix stop? ^[5]

Let's keep supporting every moment on the ice, starting with Shomarin's free dance today! See you next time with more news 💙