Dornbush qualifies for JGP Final; looks to improve

USA’s Richard Dornbush has seen a few ups-and-downs in his career, but has established himself as one of the top men at the junior level. He qualified for his third consecutive ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final this fall after finishing fourth and first in his two events in Graz, Austria and Dresden, Germany.

“I definitely think that the Junior Grand Prix in Germany was better than Austria,” noted the 19-year-old. “The short was definitely much better and so was the long. I felt pretty good about how I skated and how it went.”

Last year, he had competed in Dresden as well and finished fifth, but this year he came back to win. Was it a kind of redemption? Dornbush didn’t quite think so.

“Somewhat,” he responded. “I think it was…

A quick start for ice dancers Kosigina and Moroshkin

Sometimes when a partner is ‘dumped’, you might just end up with a better one. This is exactly what happened to Evgenia Kosigina and Nikolai Moroshkin. After both their previous partners left them, they teamed up and made a splash on the Junior circuit this season.

After just skating together for a few months, the young Russian ice dance couple placed third at the Junior Grand Prix in Courchevel, France, and then went on to win the event in Dresden, Germany – qualifying for the ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final.

It happened in a whirlwind, and 15-year-old Kosigina is still bewildered.

“I didn’t expect at all this to happen as…

Gao makes early season statement

In the United States, summer “club” competitions are to skating fans what preseason football is to football fans.  Each year, skating aficionados all over the world discuss summer performances with such gusto that figure skating message boards endure multiple board wars about which skater is the next Michelle Kwan. This season is no different, and the skater du’jour comes in the form of Christina Gao.

Though just sixteen years of age, Gao has started to build an impressive resume in her very short career. Since finishing in last place at the 2008 U.S. Championships in the novice ladies competition, Gao has started to rocket up the standings on the junior level. A bronze medal at the 2009 U.S. Championships put her into the spotlight for the first…

Show Skating Alive and Well in LA

On a balmy autumn evening, thousands of skating fans filled the Staples Center in Los Angeles to take part in the North American premiere of 2010 All That Skate LA. The show, presented by Olympic Champion Yuna Kim’s management agency AT Sports, gathered an impressive roster of figure skating royalty, and brought them together for a spectacle unlike any other skating show to date.

From the opening of the show, it was apparent that this show would be different from other skating shows. The lighting design for instance, was catered to each skater’s specific program theme, and was enhanced by a video screen that flowed choreographed images to the skater’s music. The skaters chose programs that were not only entertaining, but also demonstrated a high level of technical difficulty.

The show’s Artistic Director, David…