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Johnny WeirAmerica's Olympic Strong Shot Puts Things Into PerspectiveDecember 30, 2005
Kathleen: Why are you of all people worried about your complexion? People would kill to have your skin. Johnny: (Laughing) Thanks! But I'm really OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder) about it. Stress wreaks havoc on the face. I hate those people with perfect skin who when asked about their regimen say something like, 'Oh, I just wake up in the morning, dab rosewater on my cheeks, and I'm ready to go!' Kathleen: You are one of those lucky people. So what are your plans for Christmas? Johnny: My Dad always makes a huge dinner and this year it's filet mignon and lobster. Kathleen: So you're going for the 'holiday surf-and-turf'? Johnny: Yes, we go all out for Christmas. We're not that religious, but we all really appreciate the ability to sit down together – my brother, myself, the parents, and the dogs – chill out, and enjoy a holiday together. I can't remember the last time I had a day off and haven't had to 'think about skating.' Normally I'd even practice on Christmas, but this year the rink is closed. We're also doing a little Hanukkah celebration as I'm a Kabbalah practitioner. For me, it's not necessarily about going with the Jewish or the Christian traditions, but about the faith. I was just joking about it with my Mom as she knows I'm a bit of a Judaic history buff so she'll probably light a menorah for me. Kathleen: That's pretty open-minded, considering your Mom raised you as a Christian. Johnny: We're all Catholic and my Mom was raised like a good little Catholic girl, but she didn't push it as hard onto my brother and I. Religion is great. It gives you something to believe in, and my brother and I get to decide what, if anything, we want to follow because she recognizes that you can't just stamp your beliefs onto your kids. Kathleen: I remember a funny Salon.com interview with you from last season where you talked about your Kabbalah string coming off, but that unlike Madonna you would not be adopting the name of Esther. Johnny: Oh yes, I remember that and all of the angry emails that came with it. I read my own fan mail and many people really went ballistic! They either hated that interview or loved it, but the ones that were the most upset definitely took things out of context. It was about my wearing fur comments. Those are some of the same people that wouldn't go at all out of their way to save their fellow man, but they practically make death threats if you wear fur. I think some people have a need to protest something – they're bored – and then they form this angst that fills that need. Come to think of it (laughing) I see a lot of that in the skating world! Kathleen: Who impresses you in the skating world this season? Johnny: I'm really, really impressed with the Japanese team. I haven't always been the biggest fan of Japanese skating, but they have done so incredibly well this season. The team has real depth going way down into the Juniors with so many talented kids. And they actually are kids – so young. Daisuke Takahashi and I trained together this past summer in Connecticut and he's really nice and also a very supportive person. What I like are talented people that are kind on top of it. He's great and I'm a huge supporter of his. The new one – Nobunari Oda – is also quite talented and I can't think of a negative thing about him (laughing) except that he beat me twice this year. Ladies skating is not my favorite thing, but the Japanese girls are great. Shizuka (Arakawa) was rough this year, but she's so strong and her performance at Cup of China blew me away. I've trained with her in Simsbury ( Connecticut) so I see her on good days and bad days. Slutskaya (Irina) as always I support. I know her from the Champions On Ice tour and she's just this big personality, and still very strong. Kathleen: What do you think of the young 15-year old Japanese phenom-jumper Mao Asada? Johnny: She's a beautiful jumper and a crazy-flexible skater. Mao is really impressive to watch but I think I have a valid opinion on her performances that she is still a little girl skating against women. That was once said of Tara Lipinski and even Michelle Kwan, so it's no big deal, but personally I would like to see Kwan, Cohen and Slutskaya do well in Torino. |
If it's Johnny Weir, you just know it's going to be an unorthodox interview. When the reigning two-time US National Champion reached me by cell phone the night before Christmas Eve, I was twenty-people deep into a checkout line at Target buying stocking stuffers. He was at home in front of a mirror, working some magic on his face with the aid of a buzzing appliance that promised to destroy blemishes before they appeared. Not to be completely outdone, I turned on my own electric device - a tape recorder - and we caught up on his life, and the season so far, as the Olympic Games rise on the 2006 horizon only weeks away.