Haven Denney/Brandon Frazier: “We’re ready to step up to the plate and handle anything that’s thrown our way”

Haven Denney/Brandon Frazier
Photo by David W Carmichael

The 2019 Internationaux de France will be the third event of the 2019–20 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating. It will be held at Patinoire Polesud in Grenoble, France between November 1–3. 

The two-time Skate America silver medalists (2014, 2016), 2014 CS Lombardia Trophy champions, 2013 World Junior champions and 2017 U.S. national champions Haven Denney and Brandon Frazier are among the competing skaters. 

They talk about their programs, the Lion King movie, their switch from roller skating to figure skating, their favourite Harry Potter books, and explain why they split up back in 2008 and paired up again a few years later. 

Your most successful Grand Prix event so far is Skate America, where you’re two-time silver medalists and placed third this year. Does that mean that skating at home, in front of the home crowd, is easier for you? 

Brandon:

No, I wouldn’t say that. When I think back to all the Grand Prix’s international skating, all the Skate Americas we medalled at, they were very tough competitions. They were stacked. And I remember we didn’t really think too much. We just gave our all.

I think competing in the homeland does bring a little bit more of that energy, that’s the benefit of it. But at the end of the day, it’s just the same as any competition. We just keep trying to perform our best.

Haven:

I think we enter into any competition with the same goals and the same mindset. Whether it’s a little competition at our home rink, or the National Championships, or a Grand Prix, we try to treat it all the same. 

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