Canadian pairs duo Brooke McIntosh, Benjamin Mimar excited for senior Grand Prix debut on home ice

Despite making their partnership official just days before the pandemic hit, Brooke McIntosh and Benjamin Mimar are still one of Canada's newest and youngest Canadian pairs teams ready to make their senior Grand Prix debut Oct. 29 at Skate Canada in Mississauga, Ont.

"It's definitely been a wild ride," McIntosh said recently. "I don't think we would've thought that we'd have two Grand Prix going into our first senior season when we first got together."

Having said that, there seems to be few nerves about the debut.

"A lot of people don't know us yet," Mimar said. "So it's exciting to show everyone who we are."

While both are professional and dedicated to skating  — Mimar relocated from Laval, Que., to Etobicoke to partner with McIntosh, who's from Toronto  — they have opposite personalities. 

Seventeen-year-old McIntosh, who is the sister of Canadian swimming sensation Summer McIntosh, is soft spoken, bringing a seriousness to the team. Mimar, 23, is more playful and tries to bring the funny.

"If I get one laugh from her [at practice], I prefer that day," he said. "So I think that's why we…"

"Work well together," McIntosh said, finishing his sentiment. 

Asked whether Mimar was funny, she replied with a smile. "Sometimes." 

Whatever their evolving dynamic is, it seems to be working. The duo won bronze at the world juniors this past spring and started this season with a bronze at Finlandia Trophy.

It's no doubt the two had an unconventional start. After meeting, they skated together for four weeks before making the partnership official, only for the pandemic to hit. That put an end to training together and added a new challenge in creating chemistry.

"We couldn't communicate and get a good relationship because we didn't