Interview With Amber Corwin

Competing on the senior level both nationally and internationally for over a decade, Amber Corwin was a skater who throughout her career demonstrated a delicate balance between very strong technical skills and artistic depth and sensibility. With programs to music by artists like Sarah McLachlan, Henry Mancini, Loreena McKennitt, Natalie Merchant and Alexander Borodin, Corwin displayed versatility in her program choices and was never afraid to branch into different artistic directions - she never "played it safe". She was also the first U.S. ladies skater to land a triple/triple combination in the short program at the U.S. Championships in 1997, is a two time medallist at the Four Continents Championships, and a graduate of California State University, Long Beach, where her degree in fashion merchandising and marketing certainly helped her in her design of many of her own costumes. Amber took the time to talk about her skating career, favourite skaters of today, her program choices and to share a very exciting personal announcement in this "exclusive" interview:

Q: In 13 trips to the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, 5 trips to the Four Continents Championships and numerous Grand Prix and other international events, what moments from your eligible career really shine in your memory as being the most special?

A: Wow, I have so many... I think my top favourite memories are spending time at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, where I met most of my best friends. Also, international competitions that stood out to me the most were Vienna Cup (my first international) and Four Continents in 1999 in Halifax Nova Scotia, Canada (best team ever and great skate).  My most memorable National Championship was in Atlanta, Georgia in 2004.

Q: You were coached by Charlene Wong and Scott Williams, two outstanding skaters in their own right. What was your relationship like with these two and do you think working with coaches who had a background in professional skating and performance benefited your skating moreso than working with a coach without that experience?

A: I definitely feel that I benefited from having such incredibly talented and young coaches.  They were able to skate and train with me and shared so many of their own experiences and advice.  Having a background in professional skating is very important in my eyes, because it allows you to let go and perform (which is what it's all about).  They encouraged me to participate in professional shows during my amateur career, which is what I attribute to my longevity and love of skating.

Q: One of the things I'm dying to ask you about is your "Ophelia" free skate. Natalie Merchant is one of my all time favourite musicians. There's such a depth and soul to her music that it's almost like listening to beautiful poetry. This particular song has been interpreted as being about everything from a series of feminine archetypes to describing past lives and reincarnation. What brought you to this music and what was your concept for this program (which I loved by the way)?

A: Thank you! My Ophelia character was choreographed by the late and talented Brian Wright.  She was based off of Shakespeare's character in "Hamlet".  I loved the intensity and passion that this character evoked and enjoyed slowly going mad as the program evolved.  I've always felt very connected to the lyrics and realism of female vocalists such as Natalie Merchant, Sarah McLachlan, Everything But The Girl and Loreena McKennitt.  I chose music that I felt I could relate to on a deeper emotional and spiritual level.  I also liked that it separated me from the others.

Q: I have to ask you the same thing about your short program the following year (2003) to "Touch" by Sarah McLachlan... We totally have the same taste in music!

A: This music calmed my soul... It felt as though each time I performed it, it was spiritual walk through the park. It allowed me to block everyone else out and to just waltz through. It was a selfish self referential piece, which I needed in that time in my life.

Q: After retiring from eligible competition, you moved on to do some professional skating and to work in the fashion industry. What are you focusing your time and energy on most now and do you miss performing?

A: I miss performing very much, however, I do not miss the crazy tour schedule and living out of a suitcase as I travelled from hotel room to hotel room.  I am actually quite the homebody and although I love to explore and travel, I prefer having a home base.  I worked in the fashion industry for a few years (styling celebrity clients), and then jumped into a five year career as an advertising executive.  These were incredible experiences and I wouldn't change any of my career choices, but I really missed skating and feeling creative.  I became burned out... I left my corporate job last summer and now I am teaching and choreographing and working on a few marketing side projects.  This allows me to be on the ice, spend time with my family at our country/farmhouse, travel the world and do all of the hobbies I love like gardening, cooking and making wine.

Q: What is your favourite skating program - by any skater or team - of all time and why? -

A: Very tough question! I would have to go with John Curry's Olympic program ("Don Quixote").  I've watched it so many times and it's just so clean, fluid and flawless.  He was a skating God.

Q: You were doing triple/triples before they were cool. When did you land your first triple/triple jump combination and how did you maintain such consistency on your triple jumps throughout your career?

A: Ha, thanks! I landed my first triple toe/triple toe during the 1996 training season.  After that, it just kind of stuck with me.  I don't want to say that it was easy, but it just came naturally to me.  It was my security blanket.  My coaches and I used to call it my secret weapon!

Q: What is your favourite song right now?

A: My all time favourite song ever is "Elsewhere" by Sarah McLachlan.  I also love anything by Everything But The Girl and The Rolling Stones. Sting is top on my list too. As for current music, I think my favourite song playing now is "Summertime Sadness" by Lana del Rey.

Q: Who are your favourite skaters to watch these days and of the current flock of U.S. ladies, who do you think are the skaters to watch?

A: I love watching real ladies skate on the ice. It's harder to find with the new system as it's always a race to fit everything in. I like Ashley Wagner as she is modern classical. I love watching Agnes Zawadzki because she reminds me of me when I was her age (she's sassy and athletic). Christina Gao is a lovely girl with a great attitude and quiet determination.

Q:  Having competed under both the IJS and 6.0 systems, which do you believe is the most fair for skaters?

A: I prefer the 6.0 system because when that system went away, so did the legacy of figure skating.

Q: What is one thing about you most people don't know?

A: I'm nineteen weeks pregnant with my first child (a baby girl).

Q: What advice would you give a skater who's thinking about giving up?

A: If your heart is in it, you will always shine through. Stay in the moment and appreciate 'the now'.  Surround yourself with a positive team!

Skate Guard is a blog dedicated to preserving the rich, colourful and fascinating history of figure skating. Over ten years, the blog has featured over a thousand free articles covering all aspects of the sport's history, as well as four compelling in-depth features. To read the latest articles, follow the blog on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and YouTube. If you enjoy Skate Guard, please show your support for this archive by ordering a copy of the figure skating reference books "The Almanac of Canadian Figure Skating", "Technical Merit: A History of Figure Skating Jumps" and "A Bibliography of Figure Skating": https://skateguard1.blogspot.com/p/buy-book.html.

Diane Towler-Green And Bernard Ford: The Mother And Father Of Modern Ice Dancing

Once upon a time, long before Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean became their country's first and only Olympic Gold Medallists in ice dancing with their iconic "Bolero" free skate, long before Sinead Kerr and her omnonomy brother John were working it in kilts, Great Britain had established its early dominance in ice dancing. From the time ice dancing was first included in the programme at the World Figure Skating Championships in 1952 until 1960, four different pairings from the UK had each won a World title: Jean Westwood and Lawrence Demmy, Pamela Weight and Paul Thomas and Courtney Jones with both partners June Markham and Doreen Denny.  After a four year dominance by the Czech team of Eva Romanova and Pavel Roman, the British team of Diane Towler-Green and Bernard Ford again dominated the world of ice dance for four straight years (1966-1969). The polished British team are considered the first 'unofficial' Olympic ice dance champions, when the top ten couples in the world were invited to compete in an exhibition event at the 1968 Olympic Winter Games in Grenoble, France. Of the win, Ford joked, "They didn't give us gold medals. But they did buy us a meal in a good restaurant."

Towler-Green and Ford were true pioneers of modern ice dancing, credited with introducing dance lifts, twizzles and pairs spins to a sport that was a strictly lift free zone. When Ford lifted Towler-Green off the ice at the 1964 British Championships, the team won their first medal at the British National Championships, which was followed by 4th place finishes in their first European and World Championships the same year. Naturally with any change to the status quo, their 'risque' lift, which was only "a small space between her feet and the ice" according to Ford, wasn't well deserved by everyone. "Some people loved it as the new direction, some said the rules might have been made to bent, not broken," explained Ford. Ice dancing was completely different at that time, with much more focus on the compulsory dances than on free dancing. "When I was training a lot of work went into the compulsories," explained Towler-Green in a 2007 Absolute Skating interview. "They were broken down and practiced until they were perfect. My coach wanted them perfect! We worked just as hard on the OD and FD, but technically, our coach was very strict on the compulsories. When I competed we worked on all the different Compulsories all the time, as they were drawn at the Championships itself. We had to do more sequences then as well." In total, four compulsory dances (including an Original Set Pattern Dance starting in 1968) and a free dance were skated during Towler-Green and Ford's era.

Lifts soon became commonplace in ice dancing thanks to Towler-Green and Ford, who continued to add variations and height to their revolutionary "trick". Though they certainly did a new trick to the ice dancing trade, there was more to Towler-Green and Ford than a gimmick. They had deep edges, speed and challenging footwork all on their side. Ford was no stranger to athleticism, having beat 1976 Olympic Gold Medallist John Curry in singles competition early in his career (only to beat BY Curry in ice dancing early in their career as well). Their dominance from 1965 to 1969 was absolute: they won a triple crown of the British, European and World titles every year during that period with programs like their well known "Moon River" exhibition and 1968 "Zorba The Greek" free dance and retired from ISU eligible/"amateur" skating in 1969, performing in ice shows together in Britain, Poland and Russia until Ford moved to Canada in 1971, and Towler-Green opted to stay in London, uninterested in full scale touring. Both Towler-Green and Ford were appointed as Members Of The Order Of The British Empire (MBE) by Queen Elizabeth II and continued to make outstanding contributions to the sport both before and after their induction to the World Figure Skating Hall Of Fame in Colorado Springs, Colorado in 1993.

Towler-Green returned to her former skating club, where she and Ford were coached by the famous and skilled Gladys Hogg, and coached former rival Janet Sawbridge and her partner Peter Dalby to a bronze medal at the 1972 European Championships. Three decades later, she coached both her daughters Candice Towler-Green and Phillipa Towler-Green to British junior ice dance titles and appearances in world competition,, among other World and Junior World competitors. After emigrating to Canada, Ford has since coached in Toronto, Edmonton and Seattle, Washington, and served on the ISU's ice dance technical committee where he co-invented the Cha Cha Congelado, a popular compulsory dance. He also coached 1988 Olympic bronze medallists Tracy Wilson and Rob McCall early in their career, which was evident in their athletic, detail oriented style.  

On their career and success, Towler-Green has stated "we were both hungry for success and worked as hard as we possibly could. We both gave 100% and never gave up even if we had bad results, bad skates or nasty comments." Ford has stated "we were told we were innovative, but we were just doing stuff we consider very basic right now. I don't know what the hell they were doing before." I know what they hell they've been doing since - interpreting music other than traditional ballroom dances, performing thrilling and innovative lifts, dance spins and footwork, and without Towler-Green and Ford's pioneering efforts in this department, ice dancing would not be the draw that it is today.

Skate Guard is a blog dedicated to preserving the rich, colourful and fascinating history of figure skating. Over ten years, the blog has featured over a thousand free articles covering all aspects of the sport's history, as well as four compelling in-depth features. To read the latest articles, follow the blog on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and YouTube. If you enjoy Skate Guard, please show your support for this archive by ordering a copy of the figure skating reference books "The Almanac of Canadian Figure Skating", "Technical Merit: A History of Figure Skating Jumps" and "A Bibliography of Figure Skating": https://skateguard1.blogspot.com/p/buy-book.html.

Turning The Tables: Answering Your Questions!

Since I decided to start blogging about my biggest passion in February, I've been so fortunate. I've got to write about the sport and art I love and also interview some fabulous people I honestly never thought I'd have the chance to. From Tai Babilonia and Randy Gardner to Anita Hartshorn to Doug Mattis to Rory Flack Burghart and many, many more skaters I first saw and adored on television to stars of today and tomorrow, I'm just blown away but what a cool experience interviewing people in skating is. I learn something new from every perspective and experience, and that's why I think there is such value in sharing everyone's stories. If we're not learning and seeing that EVERYONE's contribution is valuable, then we are not seeing the bigger picture. I recently invited you to ask me YOUR questions via Facebook and Twitter and I'm happy to answer some of your questions. I don't pretend to know everything, because I don't, as you'll see in the first question I was asked, but if I can find out, I'm happy to! Without you reading what I'm writing, I'm just talking to myself so I really appreciate all of the kind words and feedback I've received from all of you since I started blogging. So without further ado, some answers to your questions:

Q From Muffy Brennan on Facebook: "I'd like to know P. Chan's music to his LP this yr?"

A: Thanks for the question, Muffy! I did some very light digging and found out that Patrick plans to keep his "Elegie In E-Flat Minor" short program. As for his free skate, in a March 18 interview with PJ Kwong, Patrick stated that his new free skate is "a favorite piece of mine". Keeping in mind this is an Olympic season and this is Patrick Chan, I'm not expecting to him to go in any outrageous direction. I'm expecting he'll likely play it safe. David Wilson is choreographing his free skate so you know it's going to be 'put together' and certainly excellently structured. I'm going to go out on a limb and guess something like "La Tosca", but who knows? I'm sure we'll all know soon - and I'll make a point of announcing it when I found out.

Q: From @sport_folio on Twitter: "I don't know a thing about your skating career, how far did you get?"

A: Thanks for the question! I wasn't going to any Olympics, that's for sure. I started skating WAY later than most people did and I was deathly afraid of jumping, so when I skated I competed mainly in "artistic" or "interpretive" events, which are/were judged on your ability to interpret your music and portray a theme moreso than jumps, a lot like professional skating or theatre on ice, only solo. I was always more interested in interpreting and expressing music and the "in betweens" than jumps - spirals, hydroblading, etc. I also performed a program every year in our club's ice show, which was always a lot of fun. I competed at Nova Scotia Provincials three times in artistic, finishing 2nd in artistic the first year, 3rd in freestyle and 2nd in artistic the second year and then, the final year (2000) I finished 1st in artistic, skating to "Out Of Africa" - loved that music and program! Being a LOT older than a lot of the skaters I was competing against, it got a little demoralizing and awkward and I really didn't want to be a 17 year old competing against 10 year olds anymore. I also got certified as a Skate Canada judge while I was skating and sometimes judged and skated in the same competitions (obviously not in the same events). It was definitely an odd feeling to be lacing up my skates to go on the ice and getting death stares from little Susie's parents who were upset I put her 9th in the junior bronze ladies competition. I was really fortunate to have some really amazing coaches when I skated - the person who first taught me to skate was Susan Tuck, who ran the recreational program at our club for well over a decade and was/is a really amazing person. I worked with another coach for a year as well, but my main coach throughout my skating was Katy Leask (now Katy Martins) who was amazing because she really had a knack for choreography, a great sense of humor and "got" me. After Provincials in 2000, I went off to university, competed in 2 smaller competitions (one in Adult Artistic) and then the last time I performed was at my club's ice show in 2001. I skated to Emm Gryner's "You Do Something To Me" (which is haunting) and had my best skate ever actually. That's the note I chose to stop on, a positive one.

Q from Jenny Hall Engleka on Facebook: "If you could have lunch with three skaters (living or dead) who would it be? And what would you eat?"

A: First of all, amazing question, Jenny! Second of all, what a difficult question to answer. As much as I'd love to sit and chow down with some of my all time favourites like Liz Manley, Anita Hartshorn and Frank Sweiding, Katarina Witt, Robin Cousins, The Duchesnay's, Laetitia Hubert... the list would honestly go on forever. Good thing I love to cook and eat I guess. I'd honestly have to go with three of the most compelling and fascinating people that havereally so deeply impacted the sport and I think I'd have a million questions for. One of them sadly isn't with us anymore: the brilliant John Curry. He really transformed professional skating and ice theatre and was not only a gorgeous skater but a fascinating person who so fully lived his life. The other two would be Toller Cranston and Dick Button - two brilliant minds and gifted skaters who richly influenced ISU eligible AND professional skating. They are both incredibly knowledgeable and very funny people. What would we eat? Something out of Brian Boitano's cookbook. It would only be appropriate. Either that or Fricot, which is a traditional Acadian (Nova Scotian) stew that can contain more than one meat at the same time (whatever's available) - so sow and cow - Salchow, get it? Good thing I have a day job. But in all the seriousness in the world, here's a recipe: http://www.foodgeeks.com/recipes/french-canadian-ragout-fricot-20568. It's delicious. I'm sure John would have - and Toller and Dick would - love it!

Skate Guard is a blog dedicated to preserving the rich, colourful and fascinating history of figure skating. Over ten years, the blog has featured over a thousand free articles covering all aspects of the sport's history, as well as four compelling in-depth features. To read the latest articles, follow the blog on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and YouTube. If you enjoy Skate Guard, please show your support for this archive by ordering a copy of figure skating reference books "The Almanac of Canadian Figure Skating", "Technical Merit: A History of Figure Skating Jumps" and "A Bibliography of Figure Skating": https://skateguard1.blogspot.com/p/buy-book.html.

Happy Birthday Michelle Kwan!: Her Impact And True Legacy

In 1994, I watched the World Figure Skating Championships in Chiba (Makuhari), Japan with absolute fascination. After the Olympics, many of the skaters who had reinstated from the professional ranks to compete in Lillehammer had since opted to return to the professional ranks and still other amateur skaters had decided to turn professional. Ekaterina Gordeeva and Sergei Grinkov, Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean, Oksana Baiul, Nancy Kerrigan, Tonya Harding, Kurt Browning, Katarina Witt and many others simply weren't in Chiba, and it made for a compelling competition.

Without Nancy and Tonya, America's two representatives in the ladies competition in Lillehammer, things were wide open. Representing the U.S. were U.S. bronze medallist Nicole Bobek and silver medallist Michelle Kwan. After a rough performance, Nicole failed to advance from her qualifying group and all hopes were on Michelle, a dimunitive skater with an array of consistent triple jumps (up to the lutz) and a musical sensitivity beyond her years. Despite the potential and technical ability that Michelle showed, I simply wasn't buying it. Elaine Zayak, who had finished fourth at U.S. Nationals that year with a gorgeous performance, was in my opinion the skater that should have been competing in Chiba. I've always (and still am) not a fan of these young skaters who can jump but are still girls. It's called ladies, and if you're a kid, you should be in junior or novice even if you can jump like the seniors. I want maturity. I want skaters to have style, have flair and be there like The Nanny. I digress...

Two years later, a completely different Michelle Kwan showed up on the inaugural season of the Champions Series (now known as the Grand Prix). With programs to "Romanza/Fiesta Flamenca" and "Salome", she had completely rebranded herself with a new, more mature look with hair, costumes and make-up to match a more expressive, refined style brought out in both programs choreographed by Lori Nichol. The Michelle Kwan who we would grow to know and love was born.

In 1996, Michelle won her first of FIVE World Championships, NINE U.S. National titles and TWO Olympic medals. She was the first five time ladies champion since Carol Heiss Jenkins (1956-1960), is tied only with Maribel Vinson Owen for the most U.S. ladies national titles. Her competitive record is absolutely glowing in general if you think about it - in her twelve consecutive trips to the World Championships, not once did she finish out of the top ten. That's pretty crazy in itself. One also can't overlook the fact that in her last 7 trips to Skate America, a prestigious Grand Prix event featuring top international competitors, she won EVERY TIME. She also won dozens of professional/pro-am competitions during her career, including the Equal World Pro Open, Masters Of Figure Skating Competition and U.S. Pro Challenge.

What makes Michelle so special really isn't just the name or the results. It's what she did on the ice. Her short programs, long programs, interpretive free skates for pro-am events and exhibition programs all had one thing very much in common: they were wholly and completely programs from start to finish. The music was expressed. Care was put into the characters and ideas being portrayed. Her "amateur" programs were good enough to be professional programs or the kind of works we'd see in an Ice Theatre. She made us forget she had to do a jump combination, a triple jump out of steps and a double Axel. We were too busy enjoying what she was doing to remember that these were necessarily competitive programs.

She perservered through injury, coaching changes and Olympic disappointment with a healthy, admirable attitude, never gave up or lost her joy for the sport. You can't fake a true love for skating, and if you think you can, you're not the actress you think you are. There was something genuine and otherworldly about Michelle's skating. If you're not convinced, sit and watch programs like "Fields Of Gold", "Dante's Prayer", "Ariane", "Winter", "East Of Eden", "Concertio Di Aranjuez". In fact, I urge you to do just that today, on Michelle's birthday. Take five minutes, watch one of her performances and just take in how GOOD she was. Take in how good her programs were. You didn't see any wonky IJS step sequences - you saw skating at it's prettiest and best. You saw depth. Thank you Michelle Kwan, for your wonderful skating and wonderful smile.

Skate Guard is a blog dedicated to preserving the rich, colourful and fascinating history of figure skating. Over ten years, the blog has featured over a thousand free articles covering all aspects of the sport's history, as well as four compelling in-depth features. To read the latest articles, follow the blog on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and YouTube. If you enjoy Skate Guard, please show your support for this archive by ordering a copy of the figure skating reference books "The Almanac of Canadian Figure Skating", "Technical Merit: A History of Figure Skating Jumps" and "A Bibliography of Figure Skating": https://skateguard1.blogspot.com/p/buy-book.html.

Interview With Axel Médéric

With a name like Axel, you can't honestly be surprised he grew up to be a skating star. His parents from the Caribbean island of Guadeloupe, Axel Médéric is a former French National Champion, Olympian and competitor at the World Championships, European Championships and many other international events. He also holds the distinction of being one of the very first few skaters of color competing on the world level. After turning professional in 1993, he went on to tour with Disney On Ice, win the 1997 U.S. Open Challenge Cup professional competition, skate at the Hong Kong Ocean Park and compete in the World Professional Figure Skating Championships in Jaca, Spain. A musical and artistic skater, Axel always brought something different to the ice every time he performed and he was an absolute pleasure to watch! Now retired from the sport, he took the time to answer my questions about his skating career, experiences and more:

Q: When and how did your skating career begin?

A: I started skating when I was 6 years old just because my parents neighbors had two girls the same age as my brother and I that were going ice skating for the first time on Wednesday and saturday afternoons. I went there because I just wanted to see what an ice rink would look like in real life. I had only seen ice rinks on television screens. One Wednesday afternoon, Didier Gailhaguet (now the President of the French ice skating association) was just a young figure skating coach scouting for fresh young talent to enroll in his new ice skating school. He asked me if I would like to skate every day and made me do different moves and figures on the ice. It was fun. He also asked my parents the permission to do physical tests off the ice in a stadium at the "Institut Nationale Du Sport" in Paris. He invented my parents to come to his office for a chat about my potential as a figure skater. Little to my knowledge, the following year I was changing schools and going to skate every single day! I loved it and was very excited to go to school every afternoon in downtown Paris and skate every morning. I started to get some results at a very young age in novice category, then in junior I finished 8th at the Junior Worlds and I grabbed the junior national title in 1986. Two years later, I was second at the senior Nationals and got selected to go to the 1988 Olympics in Calgary. I finished fifteenth overall. The following year, I was French National Champion at the age of nineteen.

Q: You competed at the 1988 Winter Olympic Games in Calgary. What was your Olympic experience like?

A: The Calgary Olympics were the first time of my life I got to skate in a huge stadium full of a great audience supporting very single skater on the ice that day from last to first; it was an amazing spirit during the whole competition that lifted you up and made you feel like you can achieve anything on that day. It was at the same time very intimidating but very exciting and unique.

Q: Was the "Battle Of The Brian's" a media circus or a welcome distraction?

A: "The Battle Of The Brians" between Brian Boitano and Brian Orser was a great way to get even more public attention to the male figure skating events. The ladies and dance events always got so much attention but it was a great opportunity to use that to turn the spotlight on the men's event!

Q: What prompted you to turn professional?

A: After ten years on the French national team I felt like I had done all the best competitions I could (except Skate canada and Skate America) and I got a knee surgery when I was 20. It took me five years trying to get back on the top three steps of the national podium and all the best I could seem to do was finishing 5th or 4th. I felt I had still a lot to express in the sport and as I was lucky there was also a professional side to figure skating with competitions, shows and travelling tours. I was willing and able to take a chance to see the world if that was offered to me.

Q: You won the 1997 U.S. Open Challenge Cup. What are your memories of this competition?

A: Yes, I won the U.S. Open Challenge Cup, but a stupid rule of not reaching enough points overall kept me from skating in the Master Cup the next day among great champions with major exposure in the United States. I felt a great satisfaction to win and a great disappointment at the same time, specially because I did my part of the job to win. It felt like the organization and the judges just did not kept their promises towards the winner of the Challenge Cup that year.

Q: What is your current involvement in the sport?

A: I am not skating at all anymore. I just take great pleasure watching shows and competitions on TV. I don't feel like being part of the sport anymore. I just don't have time for it and I feel like I have grown out of it a bit nowadays.

Q: You were a teammate of Isabelle and Paul Duchesnay. What can you tell us about them?

A: They were nice teammates but except for two or three competitions a year and national tours in France, they were very secluded as they were practicing in Germany and were raised in Canada.

Q: What has been the most significant moment in the history of figure skating of all time?

A: Debi Thomas being the first black skater to win an Olympic medal.

Q: What is one thing about you many people don't know?

A: One thing I have never hidden but maybe only people in figure skating always knew is that I am gay. I have never felt the need to come out as it never have been a problem for those that liked or loved me during my skating years. I never really cared to make a big fuss for something I've always considered as an "off the ice private matter". I am now really comfortable in my life and with who I am.

Skate Guard is a blog dedicated to preserving the rich, colourful and fascinating history of figure skating. Over ten years, the blog has featured over a thousand free articles covering all aspects of the sport's history, as well as four compelling in-depth features. To read the latest articles, follow the blog on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and YouTube. If you enjoy Skate Guard, please show your support for this archive by ordering a copy of the figure skating reference books "The Almanac of Canadian Figure Skating", "Technical Merit: A History of Figure Skating Jumps" and "A Bibliography of Figure Skating": https://skateguard1.blogspot.com/p/buy-book.html.

Interview With Victoria Muniz

There's more to Puerto Rico than Alexis Mateo and Yara Sofia. BAM! Echa pa'lante! I'm telling you the truth, hunty.  The U.S. territory, which is a Caribbean island north of the Dominican Republic is not only to Marc Anthony, but to a relatively new figure skating association first represented in international competition by Victoria Muniz. Having represented Puerto Rico in four World Championships, Victoria shared some huge news about her upcoming 2013/2014 season, related stories of her competitive experiences and talked about skating in Puerto Rico:

Q: You were born in Guam, train in the United States and represent Puerto Rico internationally, and are actually the first skater to represent Puerto Rico internationally at an ISU Championship. What did this moment mean to you?

A: I was extremely grateful to have the opportunity to compete for Puerto Rico. I was excited that I was representing my father’s side of the family. I have always been proud of my heritage and this was a way to show how proud I was of being part Puerto Rican.

Q: In competing at four World Championships (2008, 2009, 2010 and 2012), what were your experiences at each of these competitions and what did you learn most from them?

A: 2008 Worlds was my first senior international and it was definitely the most exciting. I went into that competition with no expectations. I was relaxed the entire time and really was a learning experience. It showed me how the seniors competed and practiced. 2009 was definitely the hardest competition I had ever done. Being from a small federation I was used to nobody showing up or cheering for me or even knowing who I was, but that year Worlds was in my training home town of Los Angeles. Everyone that I knew was there to watch me. I remembered I got extremely nervous and just at one point didn’t even want to go out on the ice for the short program. My coaches could not get me together backstage after the six minute warm-up. I was crying up until I stepped on the ice to compete. I was so prepared for the competition but I let my nerves of performing in front of a home crowd get to me. It was definitely terrifying. I still remember the immense roar of the crowd and I felt the ice shaking under my feet. I was not prepared mentally for the magnitude of being in front of my home crowd. 2010 Worlds I was having a mental breakdown most of the week. I was afraid that I was going to implode like the year before. My friends and family back home had to keep constant contact with me and try to keep me calm all week. I remember most nights I could not sleep, but by the time it came to competition I had let all the doubts go and stopped psyching myself out. 2012 Worlds I was just happy to be there after missing Worlds the year before due to problems within the federation. It was definitely my favorite Worlds. I was the most prepared I could have been. I loved every second on the ice. Everything felt like it lined up perfectly. The biggest thing I learned from competing at Worlds every year that it takes a lot of mental strength to be at these types of competition. You could be at your best physically but if you aren’t right in the mind then everything can disappear in an instant.

Q: How do you keep busy when you're not on the ice?

A: I am currently a full time student in college majoring in kinesiology. I want to pursue Sports psychology and Physical Therapy. I also have a part time job at a department store so I usually keep a busy schedule. The busier I am, the happier I am and the better I skate.

Q: Who are your favourite skaters and who is your favourite skater that you have competed against?

A: My favorite skater has always been Michelle Kwan. She has definitely had a huge impact on my skating and it’s who I’ve always wanted to skate like. Being in Los Angeles, I have been able to train at her rink on and off. I’ve even gotten a few tips from her as well. She’s definitely a class act both on and off the ice.
My favorite skater that I have competed against would have to be Yu Na Kim. Her technique and speed across the ice is amazing. I always liked sharing the ice with her on practices.

Q: How do you see Puerto Rico's skating program developing, both since you started representing them, and in the foreseeable future?

A: I had the pleasure of coaching in Puerto Rico for 2 months in the summer of 2012. The rink is very tiny and the ice is not the best. The girls that I worked with I absolutely adored. Unfortunately, the program has not developed at all. They only had one skating coach and unfortunately he moved to Florida. So there is nobody coaching at the rink in Aguadilla where I taught. When I started skating with the federation, there was a very small program and there was a coach from Canada that taught there for awhile a couple of years ago. I would like to see a better future for figure skating in Puerto Rico, but under the current control of the President of the federation I don’t think there will be any development. It’s sad and heartbreaking because at one time I hoped that I could make a difference and have a future Puerto Rican skater from the island take my place in competition.

Q: Do you plan on competing at the Nebelhorn Trophy and trying to qualify for Sochi this fall? 

A: As of April of this year (2013) I was released from the Puerto Rican Federation due to unfortunate circumstances. I felt that it was in my best interest to part ways with the federation. It was a tough decision with the Olympics next year, but I could not participate any longer in a federation that treated their skaters as badly as they treated me, my coaches and my family. At first I was very disappointed in knowing that I was losing my chance at the 2014 Olympics, but now I am completely happy with my choice. Yes, the Olympics were my dream, but being able to enjoy skating again is much more important to me. I will continue this season competing within the USA to try to make it to U.S. Nationals.

Q: How has skating been going for you so far this summer? Are you working on new programs?

A: Skating this summer has been tough. I am taking summer classes which have kept me extremely busy. I have classes four days a week from 7:30am until 1pm. It's definitely not an ideal schedule for me, but I am making it work. I have already put out my new short program in a competition in my home rink and will be participating in Skate Detroit at the end of July. I have a new short program to "Cinema Paradiso" that I absolutely love, choreographed by one of my coaches Alexander Chang. I am keeping my Astor Piazzolla "Tango" freeskate from last season since I had a very disappointing season due to injury and problems within the federation.

Q: What kind of goals have you set for yourself in skating and have you achieved them so far?

A: My goal for this season is to qualify for U.S. Nationals. I have been to Sectionals before as a junior when I first started skating and that’s where I was approached about joining the Puerto Rican federation.

Q: What is your favourite and least favourite thing about the sport?

A: My favorite part of skating is being able to portray a story within a program. I love that for a couple of minutes that I can pretend to be someone else. My least favorite part about the sport would have to be the judging system, especially the PCS. I have had one competition where my entire PCS score got lowered because two judges blatantly disliked me and were way off line with the other judges. I just feel that the judges have too much control still.

Q: If you could have three wishes, what would they be?

A: My first wish would be to be able to repay my parents for all the money they spent over the years to help me reach my dreams. My second wish would be that Puerto Rico could finally develop a program and eventually become one of the power players in the sport. My third wish would be to be able to sing. I wish I had a good voice, but unfortunately I can’t carry a tune.

Skate Guard is a blog dedicated to preserving the rich, colourful and fascinating history of figure skating. Over ten years, the blog has featured over a thousand free articles covering all aspects of the sport's history, as well as four compelling in-depth features. To read the latest articles, follow the blog on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and YouTube. If you enjoy Skate Guard, please show your support for this archive by ordering a copy of the figure skating reference books "The Almanac of Canadian Figure Skating", "Technical Merit: A History of Figure Skating Jumps" and "A Bibliography of Figure Skating": https://skateguard1.blogspot.com/p/buy-book.html.

One Hit Wonders: Skaters Whose Time On The Top Was Fast And Furious

Dexy's Midnight Runners, Lou Bega, Vanilla Ice and even composer Johann Pachelbel have one thing in common. They are remembered as "one hit wonders", musical artists that achieved massive popularity with their respective hits "Come On Eileen", "Mambo No. 5", "Ice, Ice Baby" and "Canon in D", but not artists that sustained their success into long lasting careers. The sport and art of figure skating is no stranger to the concept either. Injuries, inconsistency, illness and life choices have all played a role in the careers and journeys of figure skaters for decades. Let's take a look at 6.0 of figure skating's greatest one hit wonders and the impact that they made on the sport.

NETTY KIM

Photo courtesy Toronto Public Library, from Toronto Star Photographic Archive. Reproduced for educational purposes under license permission.

I couldn't think of a more fitting start to these stories than in my own backyard. Winning her first and only Canadian senior ladies title right here in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1995, Netty Kim was a lovely skater who unfortunately never was able to match her success at Nationals that year. After the 1994 Canadian Nationals, Josee Chouinard and Karen Preston both turned professional, and that left a wide open field. The favourite was 1994 silver medallist Susan Humphreys, but injury plagued her and she ended up finishing 3rd, behind Kim and a fresh faced young skater right out of the junior ranks named Jennifer Robinson. Netty, who trained at the Upper Canada/North York Skating Club in Thornhill, Ontario under Bob Emerson, went on to compete at the 1995 World Championships in Birmingham, England but was unable to advance out of the qualifying rounds. Working at her family's Toronto convenience store throughout her career with her sister, she returned to Nationals the next two years, placing 7th and 5th respectively. One thing about Netty's skating that really stood out in my mind was the grace and elegance she possessed. She wasn't trying the triple lutz in her programs, and that was something that really hurt her at the time, but she had a lovely quality to her skating and certainly earned her place in the record books. A graduate of York University, Kim now works as a Sales Talent Agent in Toronto, Ontario.

DMITRI DIMETRENKO

Imagine winning the European Figure Skating Championships at 19 years of age (with 8 triples, including a triple/triple combination) on your first try - on two left blades - and then coming back the next 5 years and placing 6th, 7th, 7th, 8th and 8th. That's only part of the story of Ukraine's Dmitri Dmitrenko. The Kiev born skater began skating in 1977, and throughout his career truly stood out, as he often composed and arranged his own music for his competitive skating programs. Viktor Petrenko's 1994 comeback really hurt him, and a third place finish at that year's Ukrainian Nationals kept him off the Olympic team in Lillehammer. It wasn't all bad news for Dmitrenko though. He did rebound to earn a trip to the Nagano Games in 1998 and win a bronze medal in his 7th trip to the European Championships in 2000, but his last two trips to the World Championships saw him in 23rd and 22nd places. It's a shame his career ended on a low - when we was landing his jumps, they were huge, and he had a real creative streak in his skating.

KIMMIE MEISSNER

I don't really think Kimmie is a "one hit wonder", but her quick rise to success and short time on the top is  honestly so remarkable that I felt she really deserved mention here. What Kimmie Meissner accomplished in her eligible skating career was nothing short of outstanding. She was only the second U.S. ladies skater to complete the triple axel in competition, the first being Tonya 'Stop Saying Mean Things About Me, Barack Obama' Harding. In just two short years, she became World Champion, Four Continents Champion and U.S. Champion. By 2008, things unfortunately were unravelling a little for Kimmie. A sprained right ankle left her in 7th after falling three times in her free skate at the 2008 U.S. Nationals. She was still selected for the World team that year and managed a 7th place finish. Injury still plagued her that fall, when she finished 8th at both of her Grand Prix assignments, which would be her last two eligible competitions. She's really blossomed as a performer though, going on to skate in shows regularly while studying at the University Of Delaware and even competing at the Medal Winners Open pro-am event last season. If it's possible, I think she's a better skater now than she ever was when she was performing those triple/triple combinations.

RUDY GALINDO 

Again, one hit wonder isn't really a fair statement AT ALL but his time on the top of the U.S. men's skating podium was short and oh so sweet. In perhaps one of the most thrilling displays the sport has ever seen, Rudy Galindo had the skate of his life at the 1996 U.S. National Championships in his hometown of San Jose, California and won the competition, realizing his dream after years of tragedy and life challenges that seemed to plague him after his highly successful career as a pairs skater with 1992 Olympic Gold Medallist Kristi Yamaguchi ended in 1990. He went on to win the 1996 World bronze medal ahead of skaters like Elvis Stojko, Alexei Urmanov and Philippe Candeloro and promptly turned professional, having great success in professional competition and touring with Champions On Ice and Elvis Stojko's Tour Of Champions. Now a coach in San Jose, is giving back to the sport that has given him so much, and given us so much as well. No one can work it like Rudy! One of my favourites. Would have loved to see how he would have figured into things in Nagano!

EVELYN GROSSMANN

I can't even imagine the pressure that must have been on this young skater from Dresden, Germany. Fresh off Katarina Witt's second Olympic win in Calgary, Alberta, German skating fans were looking for the next Katarina, and who better to fill her shoes than Evelyn Grossmann, a pupil of who else but Frau Jutta Muller, Katarina's legendary coach? After Katarina turned professional following the 1987/1988 season, Evelyn won her first East German title in 1989 and went on to place 7th at the European and World Championships that season. The NEXT year, she won the European Championships on her second trip there and placed 8th at the World Championships in Halifax. Things got a little interesting after that. She did win silver in 1991 at the Europeans, but that was her last trip there. Injuries plagued her throughout the rest of her career. She moved from her training base in Chemnitz in 1993, changing coaches and training in Oberstdorf. Her results in the German National Championships slid over the years. She finished off the podium until her last Nationals in 1995, bested by skaters like Tanja Szewczenko and Marina Kielmann. Her last competitions were Champions Series (Grand Prix) events in the fall of 1995, and her results were poor. She retired from competition and started coaching in Germany. She also worked as an international figure skating judge and technical specialist for the ISU.

Skate Guard is a blog dedicated to preserving the rich, colourful and fascinating history of figure skating. Over ten years, the blog has featured over a thousand free articles covering all aspects of the sport's history, as well as four compelling in-depth features. To read the latest articles, follow the blog on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and YouTube. If you enjoy Skate Guard, please show your support for this archive by ordering a copy of the figure skating reference books "The Almanac of Canadian Figure Skating", "Technical Merit: A History of Figure Skating Jumps" and "A Bibliography of Figure Skating": https://skateguard1.blogspot.com/p/buy-book.html.

Interview With Meagan Duhamel

To clear something up right off the bat, I get excited about each and every interview I do. I wouldn't reach out to a skater, choreographer, judge, historian or fan if I didn't feel they had something to contribute: a story to tell or just something special in general. Since I started this blog, I've been lucky enough to interview some of my idols - skaters like Tai Babilonia and Randy Gardner, Anita Hartshorn, Rory Flack Burghart and many, many more. I honestly can't even get over it. My surprise grew when 2013 Canadian National Champion Meagan Duhamel agreed to do an interview! Meagan, with her partner Eric Radford, is the current reigning World bronze medallist and a serious threat not only for a medal in Sochi in the pairs competition, but a gold medal at that. Meagan and Eric are honestly a cut above any team in the world right now technically, with difficult lifts, consistent side by side AND throw triple lutzes, good choreography, speed and passion. Meagan comes from a background in singles skating, having won the Canadian junior national title in 2003 and competed 7 times at the Canadian National Championships as a singles skater on the novice, junior and senior levels. Her first pairing earned her a win at the Golden Spin Of Zagreb competition with partner Ryan Arnold and a trip to the Junior World Championships. In 2007, with partner Craig Buntin she won her first of 6 medals at the Canadian National Championships in senior pairs and her first of 5 trips to the World Figure Skating Championships and Four Continents Championships. When she teamed up with Eric Radford in 2010, the success was fast and furious. They have finished in the top ten in the World Championships the past 3 years and in winning bronze this year at the World Championships in London, Ontario, were only 1 point behind the reigning Olympic medallists Aliona Savchenko and Robin Szolkowy of Germany, actually beating them in the free skate. Make no mistake, Meagan and Eric are one of the teams to beat in Sochi! It was my absolute pleasure to ask Meagan about her accomplishments to date, first tour with Stars On Ice, new programs and much more. Grab yourself a cup of tea or coffee - this is a great read!

Q: Having competed in 5 World Championships with 2 different partners as well as making 5 trips to the Four Continents Figure Skating Championships and winning the Canadian national title three times (twice as a pairs skater and the junior ladies title in 2003), what is your proudest accomplishment when it comes to your competitive career?

A: First of all, you just reminded me how lucky I am to have achieved so much with my skating! I have a few moments that I am very proud of. Number one would be when Eric and I won our first national title in 2012. We both took the longest route possible towards that moment and when we finished our long program in Moncton that year we were overwhelmed with emotion. I will never forget that night; it really changed our lives. Coming a distant second to that moment was in 2008 when I made my first world team with Craig Buntin. I will always remember running in the stands to see my parents and crying with them. We had done it together and I knew how special it was for them.

Q: What direction are you and Eric going in program wise next year? What can we expect? 

A: Eric and I have two great programs choreographed for the upcoming year. Our short is set to music that Eric composed. He had an orchestra do it this spring and it turned out great. We are using this program as a tribute to all those who have helped us along our journey to the Olympics. Our long is to music from "Alice In Wonderland" by Danny Elfman. It is a very different program for us. It's a very theatrical program and we are trying to show the world a different side to our skating, as well as play to our strengths as a team.

Q: What is your ultimate goal in Sochi and what do you think it's going to take to get on that podium?

A: Our ultimate goal is to stand on the podium in Sochi and push the Russians for the gold. We understand everything that this involves. Eric and I recognize our weaknesses as a team and we are working on minimizing those and maximizing our strengths. Like usual, we have been very clever about our base values, making sure they are higher then anyone else. We have added the reverse lasso into our program, giving us a higher base value then last season. We have also been working on all the little details, like flow, polish, speed and unison, to give our component scores another push. 

Q: This was your first year touring with Stars On Ice. I was front row center in Halifax and you guys were fantastic! What was the touring experience like and where did you come up with the idea for Artists Against Bullying's "True Colors"?

A: We had a blast touring with Stars On Ice! We loved every minute of it. Performing every night definitely helped our skating and performance abilities. As far as the "True Colors" program, we had a hard time finding the right music for the tour. Eric and I have our comfort zone and our choreographer Julie Marcotte is always trying to get us out of it! I found the music because I heard it on the radio. It was a cool remix and I felt really connected with the song. Eric and I share a similar taste in music so I was sure he'd like it as well. And then Julie presented us with the idea of using a prop and we came up with the scarf idea! We were so nervous that night in Halifax, wondering if we'd drop the scarf or get it stuck on one of us. Luckily that didn't happen and we were overwhelmed to get a standing ovation at our first show in Halifax. 

Q: What are your long term plans and how long do you hope to be competing as an eligible skater?

A: Eric and I have a plan until Worlds 2014. After that, we will reassess our career and decide what to do. We have only been together for 3 years now. We are still young compared to some of our competitors so we feel we can keep competing for a few years, as long as our bodies allow it! Why not? We are living our dream and love what we do. 

Q: You and Eric skated earlier this year in the FABULOUS Liz Manley's show, a fundraiser for DIFD and Youth Services Bureau of Ottawa and teen mental health. Why is this issue so important to you and right now in general?

A: We felt so honored when Liz Manley invited us to take part in her ice show for mental health. We feel like mental health is a bit of a taboo subject and it needs more recognition. People need to know and speak up about it. No one, teenagers or adults, should have to suffer alone. We hope Liz will do the show again and we can raise more awareness.

Q: Who are your favourite skaters of all time? Who is one skater or person involved in the sport you've never met but would love to?

A: My favourite skaters of all time - that's a long list! Tara Lipinski, Michelle Kwan and Irina Slutskaya were my idols as I grew up. I watched Tara's 1998 Olympic long program every single day for years. I know all the commentating and choreography by heart! I also did the same thing for Sarah Hughes 2002 Olympic long program! Xue Shen and Hongbo Zhao are also big idols to me. They overcame so many hurdles and skated with so much passion but what I admire most about them is the fact that every single year, they came out better then the previous year. They listened to their critics, stayed positive and worked hard on their weaknesses. True heroes in my eyes. 

Q: What is one thing about you most people don't know?

A: Good question! Well, I am a Vegan. I think lots of people know that though. I am also a Certified Holistic Nutritionist and hope to work in that field with young skaters in the future. I love animals and adopted a dog from the SPCA in 2009. He was 12 years old when I got him. I also have a cat, Zara. I play on a mixed baseball team in the spring and summer with my boyfriend and Eric and I played on a dodgeball team this winter. Also, I am a huge figure skating fan - literally a fan. I love to follow the sport and certain skaters. I realize that probably makes me sound a little weird.

Q: What is your favourite quote?

A: I love so many quotes! My favourite is "when the going gets tough the tough get going" and "great moments are born from great opportunity". 

Q: What keeps you loving the sport every day?

A: I truly do love skating. There's nothing I would rather do. I love the challenge of pushing myself to the limit and seeing how far I can go. I love the feeling of accomplishment after achieving a new goal. I love performing for a crowd. I love the feeling of flying! And I love everything that skating has given me. Life long friendships, goals and dreams, the opportunity to travel the world, and life lessons about dedication and hard work.

Skate Guard is a blog dedicated to preserving the rich, colourful and fascinating history of figure skating. Over ten years, the blog has featured over a thousand free articles covering all aspects of the sport's history, as well as four compelling in-depth features. To read the latest articles, follow the blog on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and YouTube. If you enjoy Skate Guard, please show your support for this archive by ordering a copy of the figure skating reference books "The Almanac of Canadian Figure Skating", "Technical Merit: A History of Figure Skating Jumps" and "A Bibliography of Figure Skating": https://skateguard1.blogspot.com/p/buy-book.html.

Interview With Victoria And Connor Hasegawa

Melanie Hoyt photo

Happy Canada Day! What better a day to celebrate two of Canada's rising skating stars! With energy, musicality and youth on their side, the brother/sister duo of Victoria and Connor Hasegawa are two skaters who are going places. Having competing at Skate Canada Junior Nationals at the pre-novice and novice levels and winning the bronze medal in Novice Ice Dance at the 2010 competition, the team (originally from Montreal, Quebec) made the move to the junior ranks in 2011 and won the bronze medal on the junior level at the Canadian Nationals in 2011. The following year, they dropped to 5th and last year they moved up to 4th place. After training with former Canadian National Champions and World Silver Medallists Marie-France Dubreuil and Patrice Lauzon, this dynamic duo switched coaches and are now taking from ice dance legend Marina Zoueva. Connor and Victoria took time out of their off season training to share a bit about their plans, goals and love of the sport:

Q: When did you first start skating and what drew you to ice dancing?

A: Most of our early skating was actually just goofing around on public ice with our Mom, and we were usually focused on getting a hot chocolate afterwards! For a few years, we only skated with friends in the winter; we were occupied mostly with school and music (we both played – and still play – piano and violin); we were also involved in swimming, soccer, tennis, golf, and horseback riding, so we kept pretty busy. In 2002, we finally signed up for formal skating lessons at our local club’s tiny CanSkate program. We took semi-private lessons once a week (the club really was tiny!), then private lessons, and by 2004 we were taking tests and competing in the StarSkate stream. In StarSkate we discovered the possibility of maybe even taking our dance tests with each other as partners. Our club’s dance coach entered us as a team in a few StarSkate dance competitions... and after a few first out of one finishes (haha!) we discovered that no one really competes in dance at the StarSkate level. We asked our coach where we could find more competition and he told about the world of competitive ice dance. In the summer of 2006, we enrolled in a summer “ice dance camp” where we were introduced to the elements of ice dance: dance spins, twizzles, lifts, the basic components of footwork sequences... The works! We had our first ever free dance choreographed (by René Lohse, no less!) and registered for Sectionals. After placing 18th out of 20 in the Pre-novice category at Quebec Sectionals, we decided to “get serious”, make our first coaching change, and so began our ice-dancing career!

Q: You were coached and choreographed by Marie-France Dubreuil and Patrice Lauzon, who are Canadian Champions, World medallists and overall pretty fabulous skaters themselves. What is your relationship with them like and who are you currently working with?

A: We were coached by Marie-France and Patrice from July of 2010 until August of 2012; we couldn’t believe that they had agreed to coach us... Just a couple of years earlier, we’d been admiring their picture on the National Team poster in our club’s office! In September of last year, we decided to move to Canton, Michigan to train with Marina Zoueva and her team. We’ve been training here in Canton since last September and absolutely love it. Funny to think that Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir were on that same National Team poster; we can’t believe we get to train with them!

Q: You are both originally from Quebec and trained there as well. As Quebec is a province with a LOT of depth to its skating program, how do you think you broke out of the pack and progressed so quickly?

A: It’s true that Quebec has a strong skating program, and we’re proud to represent la Belle Province! We don’t necessarily feel that we broke out of the pack, per se... We actually think that it’s been a slow and steady journey for us. We like to think that our various coaches have each contributed to our progress over the years, each of them adding something new and exciting to our skating experience. In this way, we feel very fortunate to have worked with such a variety of talented individuals, all passionate about the sport. Having had access to such a wealth of experience and knowledge is, we believe, part of what has set us apart. We also have wonderful parents, who have always helped us get the most out of every experience, and have helped us make the big decisions... All in all, we feel very lucky!

Q: After winning a bronze medal at 2010 Junior Nationals in novice, you moved up to junior and finished 3rd in 2011, 5th in 2012 and 4th in 2013. Is moving up to senior the plan for next season and have you started working on new programs? What programs can we expect from you next year?

A: We actually made the late-season decision last year to hold off on our senior debut (after having made the late-season decision to change coaches), in order to re-focus; we had some deficits that we as well as our coaches felt needed to be addressed and we wanted time to solidify certain aspects of our skating before making the move to Senior. Now that we are making our debut as a Senior team, we are very much looking forward to the season ahead, and with such a great pattern dance as the Finnstep, we expect it to be a challenging but incredibly fun year! Yes, music choices have been made and choreography is underway. Our intent is to take our two programs, give our audience a taste of our evolving partnership and style, and display our continuing progression.

Q: What Canadian skaters do you most look up to?

Tessa and Scott! Training with them daily is such an incredible treat: not only are they fantastic skaters, but they’re also just really terrific people; funny, warm and incredibly encouraging & supportive! The last time we crossed the border, the Canadian border officer shared a really funny story about Scott, the point of which was to tell us how impressed he was by how friendly and down to earth Scott was (he doesn’t know him personally, but has been the one to let Scott through the border several times). His parting words, as he sent us on our way, were: “You’re lucky to have such a grounded role model; when you guys make it big, just remember that he’s the kind of person you want to aspire to be like” (he also added that we should remember that there are cool customs officers!) We still have to do the occasional double take and pinch ourselves. Training with Olympic champions ...this is such an amazing opportunity and experience! There are so many wonderful Canadian skaters who we’ve grown up watching. We admire and have such respect for Joannie Rochette; not only is Joannie an amazing and lovely skater, but as a person, she is very friendly and approachable. Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford are also favourites of ours (we had the good fortune to skate with them at the beginning of their partnership – which in itself makes us cheer excitedly for them whenever we see them compete); Meagan is such a firecracker and exudes such confidence and determination – a great role model for young skaters! We could go on and on... There are many Canadian who have been inspiration to us along the way: Kurt Browning, Elvis Stojko, Jamie Sale & David Pelletier, to name a few.

Q: When you first competed internationally on the Junior Grand Prix circuit, was it an overwhelming experience or something that pushed you to improve? How do you think international competition can improve and grow a skater's overall experience in a way competing within your own country can't?

A: Oh my goodness! Our first experience on the Junior Grand Prix circuit was... well, an experience like none we had had before! Both elements of our team were new to the scene: us, as skaters flying to Japan for our very first international assignment, and Patrice, as a new coach, this was his first international coaching experience. I think it’s fair to say that none of us was really prepared for all the possibilities of a young team’s first competition, along with two brand new programs (after making a coaching change in July, we had choreographed two new programs – and only finished choreography for the Short Dance in August!) Despite our somewhat bumpy start, we are, to this day, tremendously grateful that we were given that first opportunity; it totally changed our perspective – about everything. We believe that international exposure is essential to a skater’s development. Being exposed to competitors from different countries gave us insight to the possibilities, and solidified our desire to pursue our passion. Generally speaking, we think that it helps athletes to decide where (and if) they want to fit in the world of figure skating. In our case, it also changed our approach to training. It provided us with a better understanding of what skills we needed to develop and what direction our training needed to take in order to compete with the ‘big kids’ (seeing is believing!) It adds a dimension of motivation that one doesn’t necessarily find amongst one’s fellow domestic teams; even though there are a number of extremely strong teams in North America right now, which makes for great competition, one gets used to seeing the same teams at the same competitions from year to year, so the international competitions mix it up, keeping you on your toes... And, well, anyone who has had the opportunity to participate in a JGP knows that the whole experience makes you feel extremely lucky – travelling around the world to do what you love, meeting people from different countries who also do what you love, it’s really quite amazing.

Q: What are your favourite TV shows?

A from Victoria: We don’t actually watch very much TV here in Canton (aside from the occasional episode of something online), but whenever we’re at home in Montreal, I watch shows like Modern Family, Mythbusters, Iron Chef America, Criminal Minds, The Late Show, Frasier... A little bit all over the map!

A from Connor: I prefer books and movies, but when I do watch TV (when we’re in Montreal), I usually stick to the Food Network and Craig Ferguson (connecting with my Scottish half)!

Q: Where would you most like to travel if given the opportunity?

A from Victoria: If I had to pick 3 places where I would want to travel to for skating, I would say Germany, Japan, and France – pretty much anywhere in those countries. Connor and I both went to German school - from preschool to partway through grade school - and I’d love to be immersed in the language again (seeing as I’ve forgotten nearly everything!)

A from Victoria and Connor: As for Japan, even though we were raised as Canadian kids and barely speak Japanese (not more than the average tourist, in any case!), we would love to see more of the country of our heritage. Japan is one of our favourite countries – we both love the culture, the history, the landscapes, the traditions, the people, the food, the figure skating fans... everything about it makes us want to visit!

A from Connor: And France; well, vive la France! When we were in Lyon and Courchevel last year, we felt so at ease and comfortable, it was almost as if we were at home. I would love to explore and discover more of Europe– Italy, Spain, Germany, Scotland, Poland...

Q: Who do you think will be on the podium in ice dance at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics?

A: Of course, like so many ice dance fans, we’re excited to see the top two 2010 Olympic medalists - Virtue and Moir and Davis and White - back, skating their hearts out for another crack at the gold medal! This season brings to a climax what we think has been one of the most epic skating rivalries since the Battle of the Brians! Both teams are simply stunning to watch and a huge inspiration to us - and all the ice dancers of this generation, I’m sure! At the same time, I’m sure that we’re all going to have our eyes on the battle for the bronze medal; there are a number of great teams – it’s a deep field – who will be vying for their spot on the Olympic podium. It will be an especially intense year in the world of ice dance!

Q: My sister skated as well (although we both skated singles) and we have a wonderful relationship. What do you enjoy most and least about skating with a sibling?

A from Victoria: That is so nice to hear! What I enjoy most about skating with Connor is the relaxed environment that we have found we can create in training as well as when we compete. We seem to have reached a point where we are able to have a kind of bubble around just the two of us, and it’s really nice to be able to work within that dynamic. Also, there’s something about being able to ask your partner if you have something in your teeth that is just so comforting! We try to do separate off-ice activities though, so that we don’t spend too much time together.

Q: What are your long term goals in the sport?

A: Ultimately, our long term competitive goal is to be on the World podium, as well as the Olympic podium. To get there, we have refocused on development with the objective of progressing steadily during the upcoming years. As for non-competitive goals, we want to actively contribute to innovation in the sport and its continuing evolution. With all the exciting teams that are in the sport right now – and those coming up through the ranks – we know we’re in good company and competing is always going to be an enjoyable experience!

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