pair skating - Blossom on Ice

February 12, 2020June 15, 2020

Zoe Jones/Christopher Boyadji: “We first met at the ISU Adult Competition”

Zoe Jones and Christopher Boyadji paired up in April 2016 and have since won three national titles in a row. Last week, they took 4th place at the Bavarian Open, which took place in Oberstdorf, Germany.

In an interview with the “Blossom on Ice”, which Zoe and Christopher had given before the start of the tournament, the skaters commented on their performance at the European Championships in Graz and told what life troubles they had to face, as well as how they met at the competition among adult amateurs and decided to pair up.

You had a really good skate in Graz. How do you feel about your performance?

Christopher:

Honestly, I think we’re quite happy with it. There was one major mistake in the free skate, but it happens. Usually we’re very strong on the throw jump, so I think we were just unlucky this time. Normally it’s not a problem. Overall, we’re very happy with what we’ve done in Graz. Short program was clean. Free program was, let’s say, nearly clean. It’s a very good improvement for us.

Zoe:

It was a difficult few weeks leading up to this, with family life and things going on. It has just been very hard. So, I’m really happy with what we’ve done here.

November 21, 2019June 15, 2020

Alexa Scimeca Knierim/Chris Knierim: “We just want to do better each time”

The 2019 NHK Trophy will be the sixth event of the 2019–20 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating. It will be held at Makomanai Ice Arena in Sapporo, Japan between November 22nd and 24th.

The 2018 Olympic bronze medalists in the figure skating team event, the 2016 Four Continents silver medalists, the 2014 Four Continents bronze medalists, three-time Grand Prix medalists, and two-time U.S. national champions (2015, 2018) Alexa Scimeca Knierim and Chris Knierim are among the competing skaters.

They talk about the inspiration behind their free program, whether they plan on performing a quad twist at competition this season, how it feels to work with your spouse, and whether their pets get along at home.

Your free program is so beautiful. Would you please tell us about it? Who chose the music?

Alexa:

Well, actually we got inspired for the music when Mariah Bell used it. We were in a practice session in California with her, sharing the ice. At the same time I looked at Jenny, and I was like “something like this?”, and she was like “I was thinking the same thing”. Then Jenny and I brought it up to Chris and Todd, and we all felt like it was just what we needed for our next program.

October 31, 2019June 15, 2020

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

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.