News and Views from the world wanderings of Pj Kwong.  Finally!  A place for all of the things I write and think about!

Thursday, September 9, 2010 6:44 PM
Posted By SkatingPj
 Getting the chance to chat with Scott Moir was a treat in itself; especially since I thought that when I interviewed his partner Tessa Virtue about the upcoming season, I assumed she was speaking for both of them.   Turns out I was off base and Scott wanted the chance to speak for himself.
Taking on more of the spirit of a “what I did on my Summer vacation piece” I asked Scott what he liked best about the summer time.  His response was immediate: “Fricket!” Huh? “I love playing fricket in the backyard with my family. It’s a game we made up in Ilderton with the family and when ‘the brothers’ (Charlie and Danny) get home that's their favourite activity.” Scott claims to be the best at it and frequently wins the tournaments. In case you want to play Fricket, you need a Frisbee and two poles with cups on them at some distance away – the object is to throw the Frisbee and knock the cups off for points.
It struck me that maybe he would be forthcoming with more bits and pieces, so I ventured: “Hey Scott did you ever fail a dance test?” He said “I’ve never failed a dance test butI did fail a skills test - skills 3 – and I cried a lot. It was a really hard one and it was back when skills tests were to the music. My Aunt (Carol) told me that I was only 11 and I would be ok.”
Who partnered the future Olympic Champion on dance tests? Up until the 14-Step, after which Tessa and Scott partnered each other, it was his cousin Kara Moir. “She was two years older and able to handle me.”
Beyond the easy going nature is a very thoughtful young man who finds his inspiration in a number of different places. For instance, he loves biographies and is always interested in how successful people have come to realize their goals. He recently finished reading a biography about UFC fighter Chuck Liddell and although he isn’t into UFC, he was interested in the training methods and approach. For the moment he is reading Sun Tzu’s The Art of War and says: “it is one of those general philosophies and it has in it its original text  and II take that an I think that I have a lot more reading to do  but so far it’s very interesting. There is some stuff about war and battle that doesn’t have a lot do about ice dancing but the theory? Yes.”
In 50 years time he hopes that he and Tessa will have had an impact on young people and will have inspired kids to get out and move and not just be in front of the TV. Scott says: “Kids don’t get out in the backyard as much as they even did when I was a kid and I would like to change that.”
Was there anything else new that he wanted to share? Yes. Scott is looking beyond his recent Olympic glory and is trying his hand at a new sport. It seems that there are these coupons in his rink for one free game at the nearby Super Bowl Canton and he and buddies Deividas Stagniunas and Chris Mior have taken up 10 pin bowling. Scott is having so much fun that he recently bought himself a brand new 14 pound gray and red ball (that he swears smells like cherries) with “brand new drill” (the finger holes) and his initials above the holes. Bowling?!?  Who knew?
Whether it’s bowling or bowling people over, Scott Moir is on to something.
 

 

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Categories: Catching Up With
 
Sunday, September 5, 2010 6:48 PM
Posted By SkatingPj
 More than anything, Kevin Reynolds is a very determined young man.Take the 2009 Cup of China where he was detained on his arrival in Beijing, due to the H1N1 virus.He ended up competing anyway despite feeling awful. “I felt sick and it was obvious.It was a tough experience” he goes on to say:”It sapped all the strength out of me and it was obvious in my performance.” 
What is refreshing is that there are no sour grapes here, Kevin is pragmatic and is willing to take the good with the bad.He sees his 4 Continents Bronze medal as a turning point in last season. Kevin says: “Although I won my first nationals medal, it was not what I wanted because I didn’t make the Olympic team.I saw the 4 Continents as an opportunity to redeem myself. I got over 80 points in the SP and going into the long program I had not been in that position of being in 1st. Being chased is different from being the chaser. I felt it was a great learning experience.”Speaking of the Olympic Games he does talk about it being difficult to have had the Games virtually in his backyard and not competing there. Channelling his energy on the ice he continued to work away and landed his first quad loop jump, during the Olympic Games time frame, which he says he is toying with putting in his free program this year. Kevin loves to jump and talks about being younger and relishing being at the rink to work on the next jump.  With solid quad Salchows and Toes in his arsenal and now the possibility of a quad loop he is undoubtedly this generation’s ‘Jump King” and I think if there was ever a skater to break the next jump barrier whether it’s a quad Lutz or Axel, Kevin could very well be that guy.
This year he has decided to keep last year’s short program to Moanin’ by Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers, choreographed by Shae-Lynn Bourne. That program was the key in his re-invention as an artistic and not just a technical skater. Kevin says: “Shae-Lynn re-did some of the choreography and I am going for a second Quad in the Short program. I am trying to go for history right there.” For the Free program, Shae-Lynn and Kevin, along with coach Joanne McLeod Free decided on a Strauss medley as a departure from last year’s modern theme. He says: “Something a little more elegant to show a change of styles. Shae-Lynn did the choreography and it was the first time she did a long program for me.”  
Kevin’s goals for this season are to improve on his Grand Prix performances from last year and to qualify for Worlds where he wants to make top 10. It seems like all is within his reach having competed and finished in 11th place at Worlds in 2010 as the last minute substitute for fellow Canadian Vaughn Chipeur who had to withdraw because of foot surgery. He will be competing at Skate Canada and Trophee Eric Bompard in France.
Kevin lives at home with his family and speaks with determination about the future: “I feel the goal right now is to reach Sochi in 2014 and that working would distract from skating and school can wait because I can always go back to it. Beyond that I don’t know. What I am going to do eventually? I haven’t thought about it at all.”

“To perform in front of so many people is an honour.” Kevin continues: Before the music starts, you are in the moment that you realize you don’t know how many people are watching you – it is an amazing feeling.” We feel the same watching you.
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Categories: Catching Up With
 
Tuesday, August 31, 2010 5:26 PM
Posted By SkatingPj
One might think that as Olympic champions it would be difficult for Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir to get training for the coming season.Tessa admits to feeling a little surprise at how easily they got back into training and how much they enjoy it.It’s a good thing too as their day at the rink can often go for 8 or 9 hours where they continue to train with Marina Zueva and Igor Shpillband.  Tessa says: “Scott and I talked about it and we want to be having fun training as well as competing.” She goes on to say: “Getting back to skating after a crazy season we know that the challenges will be to come up with innovation and stay within the rules.”
Tessa is the first to admit that with the introduction of the Short Dance, there are expectations of what that is supposed to be.For their short dance, Tessa and Scott have chosen to use tango rhythms on either side of the waltz music that they are using for the Golden Waltz portion of the program. Tessa says: “”The program has a kind of Great Gatsby era feel”. In describing the Free Dance, she says that they are using Samba/Rhumba/Samba rhythms and the two have been having a lot of fun working with ballroom dancers to perfect the expression.Tessa explains: “The music is pretty modern and not really old school. It’s very fast and starts off with a bang.” Is there was a “goose” lift in this year’s program, Tessa said: “We are using all new lifts” she added with a laugh “we will have to wait and see what names come up.”
Their goal for the season is simple.Tessa says “I mean I don’t think it’s a secret. We want to win everything” and they are working towards that end. Will it be a walk in the park? Tessa is pragmatic in her thinking that each season brings with it new challenges and this season will be no different. They will start their season with Grand Prix events in Canada and in Paris and will go on from there.She says: :”We can have fun and compete. So nothing has really changed.”
Have there been any special things that they have gotten to do since becoming Olympic champions? Tessa says candidly: “It is so cool for us because doing what we love to do and that is skate, has given us all kinds of interesting opportunities.” Take having dinner with HRH Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip recently in Toronto. Intrigued, I asked Tessa if she was nervous. She said that both she and Scott were really nervous. “We got invited along with (fellow Olympian) Jenn Heil and we wanted to make sure that we said and did the right thing. It was wild.” She said “they (the Royal Couple) were very nice and kind and made us feel very comfortable.” It was a lot to take in and she and Scott kept looking at each other in amazement. Tessa said they knew what to do and expect from an email that was sent to them outlining the protocol. She did have one moment of panic finding out last minute that she wouldn’t be able to wear the perfect knee length dress that she had selected. The hunt was on and she was able to find a lovely citrus green dress in the correct floor length.
For Tessa, her favourite moment from the Olympics was singing the National anthem on the podium. For me, my favourite moment of them as Olympians is finding out that, with help, they walked away from the Royal dinner with place cards whose names started with HRH.
Just part of the fun they agree has to be part of their skating and their lives.
 
 
**** Pj’s book Taking the Ice is available. Order at www.takingtheice.com ****
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Categories: Catching Up With
 
Sunday, August 29, 2010 7:08 AM
Posted By SkatingPj
Cynthia Phaneuf has seen it all in skating. Very early on, she was a National champion and was thought to be “the next big thing”.A catastrophic foot injury, a growth spurt and general life got in the way of fulfilling her potential at that time.I asked her what made her persevere.She says with a certain amount of pride that it is a quality that she has inherited from both her parents who have always fought through any challenges that they faced.Cynthia says: “you need to just go through things.If it doesn’t work you will know that at least you tried.You don’t know what would have happened so you have to go and see what happens.” It is this kind of practical advice that she would offer to younger skaters:“Believe in yourself” She laughs because she says that it’s advice that has been heard a million times before.She says:“I wish I could say something that hasn’t been heard.I would say you are special enough and that even if you are less talented but work more you can get it.I think everyone can do it and be successful in their own way.”
Her perseverance paid off this past season when she finished in 5th place at the Worlds.What about strategy for this season? “I am not going to really change my strategy but I learned a lot of stuff that I am going to use. I learned that you don’t have to be as ready as soon in the season.I want to find the right time to peak for Worlds not to be ready too early in the season.I have found sometimes when you are doing the same thing for 8 months it can be tough.So I want my programs to still be fresh for Worlds.”
David Wilson is the choreographer for her programs:  Toni Braxton’s Spanish Guitar with a remix of a few songs theis the SP .She says enthusiastically:”It’s Spanish and very different from what I have done before.”  The Free program is to Russian classical music whose name she is not sure of. She loves the fact that the way that it’s mixed you won’t recognize the very familiar theme until it jumps out about halfway through.
Part of Cynthia’s success can be attributed to her enduring relationships with the people that make up her team. Her longtime coach (and brand-new Mom of baby Stella) Annie Barabe is still very much in charge and is looking forward to attending both of Cynthia’s Grand Prix events with baby and the dad in tow. In the meantime for the day to day duties Sophie Richard and Yvan Desjardins have stepped forward to fill in the gap.
The Olympics were an amazing experience and that feeling has continued to bolster her self-confidence. She is looking forward to competing at Skate Canada and in Paris at the Trophee Eric Bompard and was delighted to get the text message from close friend Scott Moir that he and partner Tessa Virtue will be at the same events.
Cynthia says she is in great health and laughs off the pesky knee pain that she has when doing triple Salchows.Nobody is able to determine why it hurts so she deals with it in her practical way of taking care and backing off the jump a little when she needs to. What does she love about skating? She says:“it’s hard to say because there are so many things. Every time I go on the ice, even when I am anxious, I go and coming back home I feel better after I have skated. It is part of my life. I love the jumping stuff and the feeling of flying on the ice – I love the training I love to sweat on the ice.”

I, for one, think that this season it it’ll be time to see her competitors sweat.

***Advance Orders of Pj’s Book are available at www.takingtheice.com ***
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Categories: Catching Up With
 
Wednesday, August 25, 2010 4:36 AM
Posted By SkatingPj
Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje have packed a lot of experience into the last four years starting with Kaitlyn’s move to Canada from the United States in July of 2006 to train with Andrew. That first season they both describe as a whirlwind which included a bronze medal at the 2007 Junior Worlds and a trip to Senior Worlds. This past season was a bit of a mixed blessing in that they failed to qualify for the 2010 Olympics by .3.   Olympian Marnie Mcbean, who also didn't earn a spot in her 1st Olympic try,  told Kaitlyn you don't go to the Olympics for experience you go to win. The silver lining to their “Olympic cloud” meant earning the ice dance title at the 2010 Four Continents Championships. They shared a cool story from the 4Cs:during the Free, Kaitlyn felt something slipping along her neck early on in the program. Looking down, she realized that her pearl necklace had come undone so she grabbed it. During the skate, she and Andrew talked about what to do and thought she could throw the neckalce over the boards if they got close enough which didn't happen. She held on to the necklace through not only the dance spin but through the synchronized twizzles changing hands! Finally, during a moment facing away from the judges that she slipped the necklace in her dress: “Once I could feel it against my tummy then I could relax and start skating!”
The team is intent on capitalizing on their momentum from the past 2 seasons. They are slated to compete at Skate America and NHK and can’t wait to get at it. For this year's Short Dance, they are using a combination of Etta James' At last and Frank Sinatra's cheek to cheek.It was only choreographed last month by Pasquale Camerlengo who is one their coaches along with wife Anjelika Krylova with Shae-Lynn Bourne continuing to be their base coach. Kaitlyn says she was skeptical about the Short Dance start with saying “I am probably one of the only people on the planet who liked compulsory dances”. She has long since come around and says that this year’s programs are “quintessential us.”.
The Free Dance is set to music from The Moulin Rouge soundtrack and they both like it because they haven’t heard more then The Tango Roxanne selection used internationally by any other dance teams. Their goal was to try and balance their style with the rules requiring that the music be uplifting, have an audible beat, be danceable and have the program not be solely reliant on a story. (I say Hallelujah! Oops…my outside writing?) They have some new tricks up their sleeves including some really cool lifts. They have been working on one for the last 2 years with a Cirque du Soleil acrobat and they call it “the Rollup”
Kaitlyn says skating for her is one word: “Joy”. For Andrew it has meant a lifetime of experience. Off the ice he likes to tinker with his truck. It brings him back to a time when he used to spend time in the garage with his Grandpa Jozef Kriviansky who was a race car driver. They both talk about their rink in Detroit and the support that the skaters all show each other. That support however may not extend as far as the rink-wide online scrabble game that the skaters are playing one on one against each other. Currently in the lead? Kaitlyn and Alissa Czisny are neck and neck in the current game. Wonder if she can spell success? I can:

 W-E-A-V-E-R/P-O-J-E.

 

***Advance Orders of Pj’s Book are available at www.takingtheice.com ***
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Categories: Catching Up With
 

 
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