Interview with Mirai & Caroline

[lcd]

It takes a lot of poise to be put in these types of situations - and given how the media is probably so eager to twist even the slightest hint of rivalry into some sort of blood sport clash just to sate the lowest common denominator to capture viewers... these young athletes are doing just fine

I agree with Andalusia's comment. Also agree with comments about how 'weak' the interviewer was... if one wants thoughtful answers, ask more thought provoking questions...

 

[antmanb]

Does it really have to be your adorable little ice goddesses vs. Tonya? I'm only asking for a promotional material that doesn't make me puke.

How old are Mirai and Caroline - 14, 15? What exactly are you expecting to hear from little girls about the world? LIttle girls who by and large know not much more than rink and home. All you are likely to get is sacharine sweet answers, especially once they had even the tiniest amount of PR training. Kids who do well in this sport often do so by following the advice of the people around them. They often remain more "childlike" longer than their non figure skating counterparts. You might need to adjust your expectations or just keep a sick bag near you at all times.
Ant

 

[Hsuhs]

What exactly are you expecting to hear from little girls about the world? LIttle girls who by and large know not much more than rink and home.

Yeah, got it, way too high expectations for the US ladies media appearances, shouldn't have had, my bad.

You might need to adjust your expectations or just keep a sick bag near you at all times.

That, or just keep avoiding ladies as much as possible, and concentrate on guys like:
- Timothy Goebel and his thoughts on quads, 2002 Olys and later on CoP,
- Yags and Plushy and their recent cat-fights
- Johnny Weir, well, everything between 2004 and 2007
- Daisuke Takahashi, who was once forced to eat a fried scorpion
- Stephane Lambiel, who wrapped himself in an American flag for a pic, America Here I Come!
- Brian Joubert, who ate Bambi for dinner, and his "Jeff is a great guy, but"
- Many other accidental FS mens entertainers

 

[ChrisH]

I don't know why they insist on interviewing them together and talking up their friendship, though. I mean, they clearly aren't that good of friends, given that they don't know about each other's TV-watching habits, or what's in their backyards.

Yet they are more friendly than they appear in public. The interview revealed that they've been associates since their youth and have had a friendly rivalry. I wonder if they choose to be roommates at Champ Camp. Caroline is having both GP events with Bebe (who is also based in the Los Angeles area). I wonder if they'll be traveling together then ...

I believe that these 3 ladies skate at different rinks due to where their coaches are based, although it makes sense that Caroline and her coach are based at Kwan's rink due to their shared heritage.

---
The interview appeared unedited. It didn't look all that good but we got the full context of the answers. I would have preferred a more in depth interview.

 

[chuckm]

I take exception to Medusa's comments about comparing Caroline, Mirai and Rachael to Jeff Buttle (of all people), and calling them all 'boring', I guess because they all skated so well and so consistently at JW/Worlds.

I guess if they messed up majorly like a certain Stephane Lambiel did, these skaters would be less boring?

Anyway, Caroline and Mirai were 14 at 2008 JW, and Rachael was 15. I just wonder how 'interesting' Medusa was at 14 and 15.

 

[Nigel]

Personally, I think IceNetwork did a disservice to the girls (Mirai and Caroline) by doing the interview together. The girls are individuals and in order for the interviewer to highlight their unique qualities and allow them to respond to the questions without undue influence from the other, the interviews could have been done separately....same questions, including a referral to their friendship, and then edited and merged. Also, the interviewer could have been better prepared for working with 15 year olds.
I think the juxtaposition of questions and individual answers would have played up their personalities as well. Flatt's individual interview was much more explorative in terms of questions and allowed her personality to show through. Wish they had done that with Mirai and Caroline as well.

 

[feraina]

I take exception to Medusa's comments about comparing Caroline, Mirai and Rachael to Jeff Buttle (of all people), and calling them all 'boring', I guess because they all skated so well and so consistently at JW/Worlds.

I chuckled at Medusa's comment, because what came to mind was: but of course, that's because Jeff Buttle skates like a girl.

I happen to like ladies' skating much more than anything else, precisely because of its femininity, elegance, grace, beauty. I understand that not everyone cares as much about these virtues as others: say athleticism, power, originality. Of course, ideally one would like to have all these attributes, but most figure skaters excel in some attributes more than in others.

Maybe those who prefer men's skating over ladies' also prefer modern dance over ballet. Surely it's just a matter of taste...

I see nothing wrong with girls skating like girls, and those of us who enjoy this type of skating should be left alone to it.

 

[Medusa]

Anyway, Caroline and Mirai were 14 at 2008 JW, and Rachael was 15. I just wonder how 'interesting' Medusa was at 14 and 15.

It was very very interesting. At least so I've been told.

Being young also doesn't mean that you are not interesting, my opinion is that most people are more interesting at 14 than at 24. I know many girls who wanted to conquer the world at 14, wanted to fly jets, cure diseases, move to Africa and help people, learn at least a dozen languages, try to revolutionise the Catholic Church, lead Greenpeace, open an art gallery in Paris... Lots of them are now, at 23, working e.g. at a bank and waiting to get married. Which is their decision of course and I have to respect that. But these girls were more interesting to talk to a decade ago.

I chuckled at Medusa's comment, because what came to mind was: but of course, that's because Jeff Buttle skates like a girl.

I admire Jeff and enjoy his skating - it was in no way intended as an insult towards him, it's just that I happen to think that a world (and a figure skating competition) consisting of Jeff Buttles only would be rather boring. Just as a world consisting of Lambiels only would be boring, and a competition of just Jouberts would be boring. I also didn't want to insult the girls - but I still find it hard to believe that they are this "bland".

 

[werelump]

Being young also doesn't mean that you are not interesting, my opinion is that most people are more interesting at 14 than at 24. I know many girls who wanted to conquer the world at 14, wanted to fly jets, cure diseases, move to Africa and help people, learn at least a dozen languages, try to revolutionise the Catholic Church, lead Greenpeace, open an art gallery in Paris... Lots of them are now, at 23, working e.g. at a bank and waiting to get married. Which is their decision of course and I have to respect that. But these girls were more interesting to talk to a decade ago.

...I also didn't want to insult the girls - but I still find it hard to believe that they are this "bland".

I'm sure there is much more to Caroline and Mirai's personality than what we see. It's not because they are trying to hide their personalities, it's probably a combination of the fact that they are more reserved in front of the press and camera than they would be around their close friends and family as well as sheer nerves. In Caroline's case, her nervousness is very apparent. Even if she really wanted to let loose and let her personality really shine, I doubt it'll be very easy for her. The majority of young people I know cannot handle interviews so naturally and charmingly like you imagined. Let alone, handle it like that at 15. That ability either comes naturally (extroverted people and people with great interpersonal skills) or with time.

But in regards to bland skaters: I respect and admire skaters who try to be good rolemodels, but I would prefer if people were more candid in interviews instead of just saying what they think is the right thing to say. Personally, I read and watch interviews to get to get more insight or information about someone, not so I can walk away with nothing but, "Wow! Ain't that person nice!" or for a lesson on public relations.

 

[feraina]

I know many girls who wanted to conquer the world at 14, wanted to fly jets, cure diseases, move to Africa and help people, learn at least a dozen languages, try to revolutionise the Catholic Church, lead Greenpeace, open an art gallery in Paris...

And these girls are dreaming of going to the Olympics and maybe winning a gold medal, while working their asses off to get there. They are two very lucky girls to be so close to actually living their dreams. I find that very exciting and very interesting sort of life.

How is winning an Olympic medal less ambitious/interesting than flying jets, curing diseases, moving to Africa & helping people, learning a dozen languages, etc.? There are more women achieving these other goals than winning an Olympic medal. Just think how many women become pilots, doctors, charity workers, or language experts in a year, never mind in four years?!

Anyway, the point is that these other goals are certainly no more lofty or ambitious than what these two girls are trying to achieve.

Or are you objecting to the fact that they only have one such lofty/ambitious goal, and not multiple ones that they're dreaming of and working toward simultaneously??

Btw, I didn't mean to imply that you were insulting Jeff Buttle's skating. I think there's absolutely nothing wrong with feminine skating -- my favorite male skater, Johnny, probably skates more like a girl than anyone else. My point is that some of us love figure skating (or artistic skating in some other languages) largely because of the more artistic aspect, not the athletic one. Men can skate faster, jump higher, but I just don't find them all that exciting: they are sloppy in their positions in the air and on the ice, they don't usually try to interpret very soulful, maybe even melodramatic music, some of the best male technicians (and who score highly) haunch their shoulders and don't stretch their knees or point their toes. All those little details really bother me, for me it detracts from the artistic presentation.

Figure skating is a funny sport, it tries to be artistic and athletic at the same time, so invariably there is tension between the two at times, and fans can easily differ in opinion on what they care more about. In particular, there's this sense that male skaters should try to be more of an athlete than an artist, because balletic skating is not real athleticism or something. In Ballet, there's not this much tension, and there, male dancers have less scruples about dancing "like a girl", if what that implies is being musical and artistic, pointing their toes, fluttering their hands, being subtle & delicate in their movements. So you see much less an attempt of male dancers to move away from these ideals of beauty in physical movement. In skating, I feel like guys are often actively trying to counter the image that male skaters move like women, hence the greater diversity in musical selection, and range of movements.

It's like what Tolstoy said about happy/unhappy families, something to the tune of: "all happy families are alike (and boring) because they achieve perfection in the same way, but unhappy families each have their unique (and interesting) story because have their own reasons for their unhappiness."

Just a theory. And I'm not even sure that I presented it very clearly.

 

[KeineZeite]

Anyway, the point is that these other goals are certainly no more lofty or ambitious than what these two girls are trying to achieve.

ITA. I'm awfully surprised that many people here are like demanding clients.:yes:

This is a bit off the subject, but just for your information,
this is the very interesting interview to Ms. Charlene Wong, the primary coach of Mirai Nagasu.

"SkateCast_No17_CharleneWong"
http://web.mac.com/rogueelement/iWeb/skatecast/Podcast/C51FD464-D397-437E-BBB8-460D6EF28E23.html

My family and I love Charlene as a skater as well as a coach.
She is mature and very smart.
It takes ages to conduct an insightful interview like Charlene.
Besides, the key to success is a clever interviewer like this lady, I suppose.

 

[camion]

Thanks for the link KeineZeite. Charlene is sure funny about her skaters. I'm surprised Mirai had such a disastrous season b4 winning nationals. I'm not too familiar with Amber Corwin, but I remember from a friends' dvd that she entered the nationals a couple no.of times. I wish her the best since from the discussion she seemed like a really hard worker.

 

[Tinymavy15]

Thanks for the link KeineZeite. Charlene is sure funny about her skaters. I'm surprised Mirai had such a disastrous season b4 winning nationals. I'm not too familiar with Amber Corwin, but I remember from a friends' dvd that she entered the nationals a couple no.of times. I wish her the best since from the discussion she seemed like a really hard worker.

yeah thanks for bringing up the skatecast KeineZeite!

I subscribe to that podcast so i listened in fascination the first day it came out. I trained at Charlene's rink a few years ago and she really is an amazing person. I love hearing her voice again. I never saw her working with Marai, i think i switched rinks before Charlene started working with her, so i found it so interesting how Charlene was so no-nonsense about her star pupil. Instead of "yeah, she is SO talented" and all of that she was very practical about it all. funny yet smart.

Amber was a very interesting skater. She has the best 3 toe/3toe combo in the buisness, but had a lot of problems with the lutz... very tall, gangly skater, but interesting.

 

[fiercemao]

Lots of hand-wringing and crazy over-analysis. It's just a freaking interview. Relax.

 

[antmanb]

Amber was a very interesting skater. She has the best 3 toe/3toe combo in the buisness, but had a lot of problems with the lutz... very tall, gangly skater, but interesting.

Really? I know it's been a while but i'm fairly certain that Amber Corwin was heralded the poster girl for pre-rotated toe loops or toe axels?

Ant

 

[PolymerBob]

I don't quite remember where it was, either here or the USFSA web page. But somebody posted one of those .......... "Hey kids, ask Caroline Zhang a question" .......... type of posts a few months ago. I guess people write in their questions, Caroline answers them and they get posted at a later date. But I haven't heard nor read anything more about it.

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

I admire Jeff and enjoy his skating - it was in no way intended as an insult towards him, it's just that I happen to think that a world (and a figure skating competition) consisting of Jeff Buttles only would be rather boring. Just as a world consisting of Lambiels only would be boring, and a competition of just Jouberts would be boring. I also didn't want to insult the girls - but I still find it hard to believe that they are this "bland".

There was a time when sevral posters thought Johnny skated like a girl. I would ask them. Which girl? because the girl's I know are often quite different from one another. So it was decided that Johnny skated 'feminine-like' to which I wanted a description of what masculine-like is, without giving an example of another male skater perceived to be masculine. The subject dropped from view.

So for Buttle, I have to ask for the definition of a masculine-like skater without the use of naming one perceived to be masculine.

I agree with you, though. Competitions can be very boring unless you enjoy the Sport. SOI has much more to offer in variety.

 

[Mathman]

I don't quite remember where it was, either here or the USFSA web page. But somebody posted one of those .......... "Hey kids, ask Caroline Zhang a question" .......... type of posts a few months ago. I guess people write in their questions, Caroline answers them and they get posted at a later date. But I haven't heard nor read anything more about it.

I think this "hey kids, ask your favorite skater aquestion" is a recurring feature on the USFS site. IIRC the Caroline Zhang one was in early April, and the next week it was Mirai.

I think you have to subscribe to Skating magazine to see the answers. (Not sure about that, but I don't remembr ever seeing the questions and answers on the main USFS site.)

So for Buttle, I have to ask for the definition of a masculine-like skater without the use of naming one perceived to be masculine.

I'll give this a shot.

I think in the Western tradition, "masculine" means powerful, rough-hewn, and without finesse or grace. Muhammad Ali ("float like a buttlefly, sting like a bee") was a feminine boxer, while Joe Frasier ("I smash your head in, you fall down") was a masculine boxer.

Patrick Ewing was a masculine basketball player. Michael Jordan was a feminine basketball player. Brett Farve = masuline, Peyton Manning = feminine. Pindar = feminine poet. T.S. Eliot = masculine poet. Berkeley = feminine philosopher, Locke = masculine philosopher. Fumie Suguri = feminine skater. Will Farrell = masculine skater (oops, sorry, I wasn't supposed to give examples ).

I'm not sure how useful this dichotomy is, but there you go!

 

[blue dog]

I think this "hey kids, ask your favorite skater aquestion" is a recurring feature on the USFS site. IIRC the Caroline Zhang one was in early April, and the next week it was Mirai.

I think you have to subscribe to Skating magazine to see the answers. (Not sure about that, but I don't remembr ever seeing the questions and answers on the main USFS site.)

I'll give this a shot.

I think in the Western tradition, "masculine" means powerful, rough-hewn, and without finesse or grace. Muhammad Ali ("float like a buttlefly, sting like a bee") was a feminine boxer, while Joe Frasier ("I smash your head in, you fall down") was a masculine boxer.

Patrick Ewing was a masculine basketball player. Michael Jordan was a feminine basketball player. Brett Farve = masuline, Peyton Manning = feminine. Pindar = feminine poet. T.S. Eliot = masculine poet. Berkeley = feminine philosopher, Locke = masculine philosopher. Fumie Suguri = feminine skater. Will Farrell = masculine skater (oops, sorry, I wasn't supposed to give examples ).

I'm not sure how useful this dichotomy is, but there you go!

Or...Tonya Harding (Masculine)
Katarina Witt (Feminine)

In response to the Amber Corwin query--it was such a shame her best year at Nationals was probably one of the best years for a lot of girls. She skated near perfectly, but so did...Angela, Kwan, and Hughes...
As to interviews--I don't think we will ever be pleased with skaters during interviews. There were some who could not stand Johnny's "honesty" while others loved it. The same with these two young women.

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

I think I get it. If a man wants to sew, he should sew with a Rugged Outdoor Sewing Kit . If a lady wants to replace the backyard fence, she should use a Milady's Tood Kit .