If you're a fan of Swedish men's figure skating...

...then I highly recommend that you try to get your hands on a copy of Filter February/March Issue #18. I've already mentioned this Swedish magazine on Schultheiss' thread, but now that I know more about the 22-page article, I felt that it deserved its own discussion topic.

"Isens ensamhet" (translation: "Ice Loneliess") focuses on the struggles and rivalry of Sweden's current top 3 male skaters: Kristoffer Berntsson, Adrian Schultheiss and Alexander Majorov. (Filip Stiller is mentioned as well.) Figure skating rarely gets any attention in Sweden, so this 22-page article is a treasure trove for fans who wish they knew more about their lives outside of the actual competitions. Along with beautiful photos, interviews, stories of their youth and the daily grind of training, the report also includes coverage of the 2010 Swedish Nationals.

This is what the front cover of Filter Issue #18 looks like: http://www.magasinetfilter.se/artiklar/filter-18.aspx If you have an iPad or an iPhone, you can purchase the magazine here: http://qiozk.com/paper/filter/-18-2011 For those of you who don't live in Sweden and prefer a physical copy, a Japanese fan informed me that this is one way you can order it: I emailed the editor of Filter, Mattias Göransson, asking if there was any way we can buy the magazine from outside Sweden. He replied quickly and seems friendly. According to him, ordering a copy of the magazine would be about 150 SEK (50 SEK for the magazine plus postage, which will be around 100 SEK).

Here is a teaser description of the article: Sveriges bästa manliga konståkare kämpar mot hockeykillar, nedstämdhet, ömma kroppar – och varandra. (Translation: Sweden's best male figure skaters fight against hockey guys, depression, sore bodies – and each other.) These are some small preview images from "Isens ensamhet":


http://i54.tinypic.com/106cz2w.jpg

http://i53.tinypic.com/2qbeqmx.jpg

http://i52.tinypic.com/10yqbs1.jpg

http://i51.tinypic.com/15z5un4.jpg

http://i52.tinypic.com/jpww8z.jpg

http://i51.tinypic.com/33544d2.jpg

http://i51.tinypic.com/2ilhc2e.jpg

http://i52.tinypic.com/16jfp53.jpg

http://i51.tinypic.com/1io0v8.jpg

http://i55.tinypic.com/2zs7148.jpg


Although I don't understand Swedish, I'm trying my best to translate the article into English. I have a Swedish-English dictionary and a Swedish grammar book, plus I have a few Swedish-speaking acquaintances who are willing to assist me with idiomatic words or expressions. I'd be happy to share my work, but I need to know that there is at least one person who's interested.

I'm too lazy to do this myself, but I've always liked the skating of Berntssen & Schultheiss. ( I really like Joshi Helgessen too. She did so well at SA this year, and can ldo all the types of jumps off correct edges ) I hope you'll keep us informed!

siberia, I'd greatly appreciate it if you were able to translate it. Check your private messages.

Okay, two votes. That's good enough for me! To ease myself into the Swedish language, I've started with a couple of photo captions:



Table of Contents photo; page 16 (http://i54.tinypic.com/106cz2w.jpg):
GLITTER. Athough Adrian Schultheiss is Sweden's most successful skater internationally, Kristoffer Berntsson is the most popular at home. This spring they will face-off for the last time.


Photo; pages 38-39 (http://i53.tinypic.com/2qbeqmx.jpg):
ICE LONELINESS. For five years, Kristoffer Berntsson was Swedish figure skating's perfect son-in-law*. Then martial artist Adrian Schultheiss emerged with more advanced jumps and a pierced lower lip. Everything was established for a final showdown when a Russian prodigy blended into the game.



* "Svärmorsdröm" means "mother-in-law's dream", but considering that "stora" (grand or great) was in front of it, I felt that "perfect son-in-law" sounded less clumsy in English.

Skaters' profiles; page 41 (http://i52.tinypic.com/10yqbs1.jpg):

KRISTOFFER BERNTSSON
Born: July 13, 1982 in Gothenburg
Personal best: 206.29 points (2007 World Championships in Tokyo)
Merits (selection): Five-time Nordic champion, gold at seven Swedish Championships (along with an additional two which were not counted when there were too few competitors), ninth at the 2007 Worlds, plus a seventh and an eighth place finish at the European Championships.
Trivia: Is according to SVT's figure skating commentator Roger Blomqvist, "...our greatest figure skater of all time. What they were doing in the '20s was a different sport."



Two of Koffe's national titles don't "count"??! I'm assuming that "too few competitors" would be 2 or less, but that would mean Filip Stiller's 3 wins (1998, 2001, 2002) and Adrian's 2005 gold medal are also "invalid". Moreover, Kris was the victor at three Swedish Nationals where he had only one other challenger (1999, 2000, 2007), so shouldn't he be a 6-time national champion (and not 7 as the author claims?) :scratch:

ADRIAN SCHULTHEISS
Born: August 11, 1988 in Kungsbacka
Personal best: 218.26 points (2010 World Championships in Turin)
Merits (selection): One-time Nordic champion, one Swedish Championships gold, fifteenth place at the 2010 Olympics, ninth at the 2010 Worlds, sixth at the 2008 European Championships.
Trivia: Likes reptiles and has a boa constrictor and two barbed agamas at the parental home in Tibro. The Russian consul in Gothenburg, David Mnatsakanyan, specially composed the music for Adrian's program last season.



ALEXANDER MAJOROV
Born: July 19, 1991 in Saint Petersburg
Personal best: 180.73 points (2010 JGP Czech Skate in Ostrava)
Merits (selection): One-time Junior Swedish champion, one silver and two bronzes at the Swedish Nationals.
Trivia: Alexander's mother Irina sews his figure skating costumes. Until two years ago, Alexander had a different gait. "I tried to be cool and did hip-hop style, it was a bit of a way to compensate for people thinking that it's a silly sport."



This article was published in mid-January, so obviously the author didn't mention Sasha's recent victory at the Nordic Championships.

Thanks, siberia82, for all the little tidbits, especially about Adrian! :thumbsup:

Lol, I remember back in November when I was getting ready to go to Skate America I looked up each one of my favorite skaters to see what they liked, so I would know what gifts to throw them out on the ice. And Adrian's reptile fetish is the one I recall the most. Very unusual & interesting.

Also, I know that Rachael Flatt has two Old English Sheepdogs named Lucy & Ethel, whom I adore because I LOVE OES, had one for 15 yrs. that went everywhere with me; he was even allowed to be used as a service dog at the group home I worked at because only he could calm this one resident there, whom was prone to terrible temper tantrums, but as soon as he hugged my Bubba (affectionate nickname I used for my OES) all anger left him.

Here's to all mammal & reptile lovers! *cheers*

And here's hoping Adrian does well at Worlds!

arty:GOOOOOOOOOOO ADRIAN!!!!!

p.s. totally off-topic, but here's hoping that Sweden's newly married (they were married 8 mos. ago in one of the best most romantic royal weddings I've ever seen!) Crown Princess Victoria & Prince Daniel are blessed with a baby this year. Lol, yes I've heard the rumours.

The following was translated by one of my Swedish-speaking assistants, with some minor editing done by me. (English is not her first language.)



Page 40 (http://i52.tinypic.com/10yqbs1.jpg):

Adrian Schultheiss is sitting on the edge of his bed in his studio apartment in Gothenburg and watches his aquarium with an empty gaze in his eyes. He apologizes for the messy state of his place.

- Up until two years ago, I used to clean up, but after that, I couldn't be bothered to do it anymore. So I've stopped.

In the middle of the room there are two big, black garbage bags full of empty cans. Adrian hasn't disposed of them because there are so many that it would be embarrassing. Under a coffee table with lit candles there are some plastic bags. They contain dolls, teddy bears and other stuffed animals that Adrian's fans have thrown onto the ice. Between the bed and a small couch, he has squeezed in a training bike. The walls are full of photos of him skating and of paintings that he has painted himself. Taped on a shelf, there's a piece of paper with a drawing of a podium. He has drawn a smiley on the gold medalist's spot. Beneath it are the words, "I can. I will."

It has only been a few days since Adrian got back from the competition Skate America in Oregon, where he and his coach of seven years had a falling out and decided to part ways. He is upset and confused, and doesn't yet know how to schedule his training for the future. For the time being, he has an arrangement with two junior coaches, Maria Bergqvist and Johanna Dalstrand, who will coach him until the Swedish Championships.

- I care about my coach, but as in all relationships, there have been lots of disagreements. In the last four years, there has been a lot of s***. It has been locked up. We can't talk anymore.

Adrian really wants to break into the world's elite, but this season has been dogged by problems. On top of the rows with his coach, he has suffered pain in his groin and was forced to change skating boots because he was unlucky to get a bad pair. All are unfortunate circumstances, but such things happen to an athlete. Adrian's main problem is far worse: he doesn't enjoy it anymore.

Most of you have already read this part, but I've corrected some small errors which were in the original translation.



Page 40 (continued):

- I'm very confused right now. Lately I haven't been happy. I think I'm depressed. It's been like this since the 2008 Worlds: first it was really a lot of things happening, then I was depressed during the summer and couldn't find any happiness in my skating. And this year there has been so much crap with everything. I have goals, big goals, but sometimes I have stopped dreaming. If I can't find the joy in skating again, I'm going to quit after this season.

Adrian is leaning forward, sitting on his bed.

- My girlfriend comes to watch my practices sometimes. That helps. Then I don't feel so alone. I land the harder triples and perform nicer spins then.

Adrian's life revolves completely around figure skating. He trains in the morning, then he goes home and rests for a few hours before he's back at the rink for the next session. The evenings are sometimes spent with his girlfriend, who studies at the university and lives with her parents. His busy schedule ensures that he no longer has any other friends in Gothenburg. He mostly socializes with a group of foreign skaters that he meets at competitions. When he's at home, he usually sits on his bed and watches the aquarium. He loves his fishes and can watch their behaviour for hours on end.

As if that weren't enough, the fishes seem to be ill. He shows me a note which is the result of many hours of studying in front of the aquarium where he has carefully recorded what the fishes are doing. It says things like: "coughing up food" and "body shivers". He has also calculated their breaths: 80-110 breaths per minute instead of 60, which is normal. Adrian will take the list to a pet store to get help with a diagnosis and buy the right medication. He suspects gill parasites.

siberia82 said:

<snip>
Lately I haven't been happy. I think I'm depressed. It's been like this since the 2008 Worlds: first it was really a lot of things happening, then I was depressed during the summer and couldn't find any happiness in my skating. And this year there has been so much crap with everything. I have goals, big goals, but sometimes I have stopped dreaming. If I can't find the joy in skating again, I'm going to quit after this season.
<snip>

Click to expand...

Hope he finds his mojo back. At some point, all competitive skaters must move on, but even if Adrian (and Kristoffer) might not make it onto Worlds podiums, they offered up something different that was their own. I enjoy watching both of them, and (selfishly speaking) I'd hate to lose the opportunity to see them competing.

That is so sad. He sounds depressed indeed. And the double whammy for elite athletes is the restrictions on what drugs you can take, even if needed.

bigsisjiejie said:

even if Adrian (and Kristoffer) might not make it onto Worlds podiums, they offered up something different that was their own. I enjoy watching both of them, and (selfishly speaking) I'd hate to lose the opportunity to see them competing.

Click to expand...

ITA. :agree:

dorispulaski said:

That is so sad. He sounds depressed indeed.

Click to expand...

It's very unfortunate that Adrian is trapped in a dark place emotionally, and the Swedish fed doesn't seem to have the financial resources to get him the help he needs.

This part was translated by yours truly:



Page 40 (continued):

A hundred years ago, Sweden was the best in the world of figure skating. Ulrich Salchow, a daily reporter for Dagens Nyheter, took ten World Championship gold medals between 1901 and 1911 – an achievement that is still his alone today. When figure skating became part of the Olympic program for the first time, Salchow danced home with the gold. At a competition the following year, he performed a jump that no one had seen before: the Swede went backwards on one foot and jumped back from an inner edge, rotated one turn, and landed on an outer edge. The jump, which was named after him, is today one of the sport's six basic jumps.


Page 41 (http://i52.tinypic.com/10yqbs1.jpg):

During the '20s, the architect Gillis Grafström took over as Sweden's – and the world's – top male figure skater. He won three World Championships, and was so appreciated for his ability to draw figures on the ice with skates that the German city of Potsdam named a street after him.

After Grafström, the rest of the 20th century passed without any male Swedish figure skaters making their way up on to the big international scene.

Then came Kristoffer Berntsson.

I also translated this section:


Page 41 (continued):

As a five-year-old, his parents enrolled him in both hockey and figure skating school – the rink was only a few minutes walk from the townhouse in Landvetter. After only half a year, Kristoffer skipped hockey school to devote more attention to figure skating. A whole bunch of boys were trained by the Hungarian former figure skater Andrea Dohany, who during the same period started Team Surprise – the world's top team in synchronized skating some years later.

Since all the figure skating clubs have difficulty attracting guys, they often do their utmost to keep those who begin despite everything. Andrea encouraged Kristoffer and the others to venture more and more ambitiously. When the boys approached puberty, however, her job became increasingly difficult. Suddenly, her sport had everything that they were against: classical music, weird outfits, dance, a demanding discipline, and a blatant lack of role models that the boys could identify with.


Page 42 (no picture):

When Kristoffer was 14 years old, the last of his old figure skating buddies had quit. He had trained 15 hours a week for the past two years, and many in his entourage felt that it was a lot for such a young guy.

Remember everybody, send him something, show him that you care. I know when I'm down or have been at my very worst, I recall those loved ones of mine that have showed that they care, be it a phone call, a hug, a smile, a card, anything. I know it's cliche, but honest to God it is the thought that counts.

I think it was siberia82 that posted the address a while ago, but I'm going to post it again for those that care:


SWEDISH FIGURE SKATING ASSOCIATION
Idrottens Hus
Fiskartorpsvagen 15A
114 73 Stockholm
Sweden


***Note: oops, I'm talking about Adrian Schultheiss***

Does he have a twitter account? or facebook? If so, encouraging notes there mighyt help.

At US Nationals, Ryan Bradley said that it was the sheer volume of social networking (facebook and twitter) encouragement by fans that caused him to come out of retirement to win in Greensboro.

And just yesterday, Jeff Gordon, who hadn't won in 66 races in NASCAR, and won in Phoenix, cited how much the twitter and facebook encouragements of fans in the dark times meant to him.

So if Adrian has twitter, or facebook, I hope someone will post the link here, so we can post.

Good idea, dorispulaski! :thumbsup:

I completely forgot the internet, I'm sure if Adrian has a twitter or facebook account siberia82 will know.

Myself, I'm old-fashioned, I prefer snail mail, but the internet is quicker when it comes to email, there's no denying that.

Any way to show Adrian we care I'm sure will be appreciated mucho! :agree:

Nadine said:

I'm sure if Adrian has a twitter or facebook account siberia82 will know.

Click to expand...

Ha ha ha, since when did I become the "expert" on Sweden's top male skaters? Honestly, I don't think I know that much about them; I just happen to keep an eye out for articles and interviews (and I don't necessarily find all of them).

To answer your question, I've been told by other fans that Adrian does have a Facebook account. I've never tried to find him on that site, though, since I'm "old-fashioned" like Nadine and prefer to send snail mail.


I will be posting the paragraphs I've been working on later tonight, in case anyone was curious. :yes:

Write Adrian via his official web site:

http://adrianschultheiss.t35.com/