Jason Brown

[Mrs. P]

Florentina Tone, who did the Inside Skating piece from earlier this season did a really good job. Probably the most detailed interview from this season.

All that said, there was SOME interesting tidbits if you read between the lines (which the interviewer should have followed up on, but alas...) Like that fact that he probably would have done full blown SOI (I mean it's hard to say for sure, but it sounds like there was an option to do the whole tour) but he decided it was important to focus on training. Also that he didn't take any time off right after Worlds. That's a bit of a departure I think from past seasons, when he took his vacation right after Worlds then started on the next season. It sounds like he wanted to work on next season a little bit and then take a break so he wouldn't have to be at completely square one when he got back from vacation (i.e. getting the free skate choreographed early as opposed to July or whenever he did the S&G one). I think it's a good sign he decided to get the free choreographed first because he knew he needed more time on it as opposed to the short that seem to gel quicker.

And also this part

We kind of made it through, about halfway through the season, and we were like, ‘OK, let’s just stop a little bit about all the changes we were making and get settled with what we’ve done so far.’ It really helped me through the second part of the season to just get comfortable and confident—to get my confidence back, really. That’s why I’m using this time, unfortunately instead of being on tour, to really solidify, to continue to solidify more changes.

So obviously there's this sense he isn't done with the technique changes, but rather they decided to just solidify what stuck and then work on other stuff in the off season.

 

[Bookseller]

To state the obvious, if he just wants to give canned answers, he should stop giving interviews. What was so nice about his recent Instagram posts was that short as they were, they were in some way genuine.

I think it's a job requirement to give interviews. And I think he would be happy to not give canned answers (except maybe for the usually inevitable Q question.) He clearly would have been willing to talk about the boots. He mentioned them. He's pretty open. The interviewer either edited out the into or didn't follow up on it. Ashley Wagner was really good at not giving canned answers! Jason does avoid negative statements, but I think he's willing to talk openly if asked. But not giving interviews, is not an option.

 

[Bookseller]

Florentina Tone, who did the Inside Skating piece from earlier this season did a really good job. Probably the most detailed interview from this season.

All that said, there was SOME interesting tidbits if you read between the lines (which the interviewer should have followed up on, but alas...) Like that fact that he probably would have done full blown SOI (I mean it's hard to say for sure, but it sounds like there was an option to do the whole tour) but he decided it was important to focus on training. Also that he didn't take any time off right after Worlds. That's a bit of a departure I think from past seasons, when he took his vacation right after Worlds then started on the next season. It sounds like he wanted to work on next season a little bit and then take a break so he wouldn't have to be at completely square one when he got back from vacation (i.e. getting the free skate choreographed early as opposed to July or whenever he did the S&G one). I think it's a good sign he decided to get the free choreographed first because he knew he needed more time on it as opposed to the short that seem to gel quicker.

And also this part


So obviously there's this sense he isn't done with the technique changes, but rather they decided to just solidify what stuck and then work on other stuff in the off season.

The second half of Jason's season was definitely different than the first half. He did skate with confidence and he got really good results especially on the SP. The free certainly improved as well. So he's gotten comfortable with some of the changes and I guess he will now work hard on more changes in technique this summer. And I'm sure that he'll be working to attempt to solidify that doggone Q! It's interesting that Zhenya is also working on a 4S, so they can work on it together. They seem to like that.

 

[Tavi...]

Florentina Tone, who did the Inside Skating piece from earlier this season did a really good job. Probably the most detailed interview from this season.

All that said, there was SOME interesting tidbits if you read between the lines (which the interviewer should have followed up on, but alas...) Like that fact that he probably would have done full blown SOI (I mean it's hard to say for sure, but it sounds like there was an option to do the whole tour) but he decided it was important to focus on training. Also that he didn't take any time off right after Worlds. That's a bit of a departure I think from past seasons, when he took his vacation right after Worlds then started on the next season. It sounds like he wanted to work on next season a little bit and then take a break so he wouldn't have to be at completely square one when he got back from vacation (i.e. getting the free skate choreographed early as opposed to July or whenever he did the S&G one). I think it's a good sign he decided to get the free choreographed first because he knew he needed more time on it as opposed to the short that seem to gel quicker.

And also this part


So obviously there's this sense he isn't done with the technique changes, but rather they decided to just solidify what stuck and then work on other stuff in the off season.

Yes, I liked that interview - it was really good. I also liked the video interview Meryl did with him and I think both PH and Lynn R did pretty good ones this past season. It’s not that he can’t give a good interview. It’s that very often, whether it’s because of the interviewer’s skill / interest or word limits or because - as el henry says - he sometimes seems to avoid discussing certain things in depth, I end up wondering what the point of the interview was. If it’s to drum up interest in a local audience for a show like stars on ice, shorter / more “generic” is probably appropriate. But if the intended audience is Jason’s fans or skating fans in general, I don’t see the point of an interview that merely repeats a few standard points.

I wasn’t at all surprised that he didn’t do the full SOI this year nor am I surprised that he had the option to do the entire tour - it has seemed clear since he started at TCC that he’s very, very focused on changing his technique and making it to the next level. And he must know that with Vincent’s world medal and Tomoki finishing this season so strongly, he could struggle to make the World Team next year unless he makes significant progress, not just with the quads but with his competitive confidence. Because frankly, though he said that backing off on technical changes allowed him to regain his competitive confidence in the second half, his confidence still seems to be a work in progress. Whether that disastrous Worlds FS was due to nerves or something else, he can’t afford for that to keep happening. And that’s why I would have appreciated a more in depth interview here.

@Bookseller, I don’t really see interviews as a requirement- Hanyu only occasionally gives them. I’m sure that skaters are sometimes asked to do them to promote events, and in other cases, they want to do them to raise/keep their profile with skating fans. I just don’t think this interview (which did not seem to be for promotional purposes) - or any similar interview with repetitive information or canned responses - does much to engage fans.

 

[Mrs. P]

As far as I’m concerned not every interview will be amazing nor does every person follows Jason closely as his fans. For all we know there are people who don’t know some of the stuff that they talked about in this interview. So while this interview didn’t feed the curiosities of hard core fans of Jason or even skating, chances are there are still people that took away something from it.

So nothing he said was surprising, but it’s still nice to get that information confirmed and on record, ie that he is trying new boots and his summer plans.

It’s nice to get more information but at this point I don’t expect it.

Jason is an excellent communicator. It’s not his fault that he’s had practice perfecting his answers to the same questions people keeping want to ask him lol.

I think the interviewer didn’t have much time either. From what I’ve heard from others who do SOI interviews, they get like 15-20 minutes during the morning practice.

 

[Tavi...]

As far as I’m concerned not every interview will be amazing nor does every person follows Jason closely as his fans. For all we know there are people who don’t know some of the stuff that they talked about in this interview. So while this interview didn’t feed the curiosities of hard core fans of Jason or even skating, chances are there are still people that took away something from it.

So nothing he said was surprising, but it’s still nice to get that information confirmed and on record, ie that he is trying new boots and his summer plans.

It’s nice to get more information but at this point I don’t expect it.

Jason is an excellent communicator. It’s not his fault that he’s had practice perfecting his answers to the same questions people keeping want to ask him lol.

I think the interviewer didn’t have much time either. From what I’ve heard from others who do SOI interviews, they get like 15-20 minutes during the morning practice.

I don’t necessarily disagree. The time constraint was likely a factor, so thanks for mentioning that. And certainly just because I was disappointed with the interview doesn’t mean everyone else will be - but I will point out that it was posted on Figure Skaters Online, which hosts Jason’s website, among others.

In any case, the main point for me is that many interesting questions either weren’t asked or ultimately didn’t make it into the published interview. Perhaps someone will do a more in-depth preseason interview this fall. I hope so. I don’t follow him just because he’s a beautiful skater, but because he’s a really interesting person who has taken on some huge challenges in the past few years. So hearing him discuss growth, goals, overcoming challenges, etc. is of interest to me.

Regarding Jason being a good communicator - I agree that he can be and that it’s not his fault if he’s repeatedly asked the same questions. But like el henry, I think he sometimes chooses to deflect questions / avoid discussing or disclosing certain things. I have no idea whether that happened here, and there’s nothing really wrong with it - we all do it, and as someone who seemingly used to overshare (follow me on my Olympic journey), perhaps he’s just trying to find a better balance (as I said, I found his posts from Slovenia and Italy really genuine, and I like that he shared that small part of his life). JMO.

 

[Bookseller]

Last year my friend and I went to the ISI competition in Massachusetts where Jason was guest star. She paid for the meet and greet/photo signing, which we stood in line for an hour to do. He was so gracious and especially nice to budding skaters and their parents, We told him that were were going to SCI (which had been announced by then) and he was surprised and happy to hear that. I guess he didn't expect to run into people going to International Comps at an ISI meet. But at the time there was something else not revealed and I said that it seemed like it was a secret. It was something else to do with him and Zhenya. He looked down and said decisively "It's a secret." And that was that. I was expecting no more. It's been a year and I just can't remember what the secret was, but it was eventually revealed. ISI was in July and I think GPs were announced in June last year. So maybe it was Autumn Classic that hadn't been announced. So he can be very closed mouth or very effusive, as the situation calls for.

 

[Tavi...]

I remember you telling the story - I think you had either asked what Challenger event he would be at or if he would be at ACI.

 

[Bookseller]

I remember you telling the story - I think you had either asked what Challenger event he would be at or if he would be at ACI.

I think so. It's been almost a year and my life has been very crazy for the last few weeks. He was very good at deflecting but in a nice, direct way. BTW, we got our World's tickets. They are nosebleed seats. The seat selection process was a disaster. It will be fun! And I hope Jason is there. That would be the icing on the cake.

 

[Tavi...]

I think so. It's been almost a year and my life has been very crazy for the last few weeks. He was very good at deflecting but in a nice, direct way. BTW, we got our World's tickets. They are nosebleed seats. The seat selection process was a disaster. It will be fun! And I hope Jason is there. That would be the icing on the cake.

Oh congratulations! I doubt I will go - so pricy - but it will be fantastic I’m sure!

 

[Bookseller]

There are 6 in our group. They all wanted the best seats, but the best seats were gone before the tickets went on sale. And the ticket sale company apparently held back better seats until the sale was well underway. So the early birds did not get the worms this time. As I am being taken as a guest I have no complaints, and the upper level seats were cheaper. But they wanted seats on the ice and we have seats in the clouds. It will still be fun and exciting, and an experience I never hoped to have and am unlikely to ever have again.

 

[Bookseller]

Also as the competition gets closer and the actual skaters are announced, good seats at discounted prices might show up for sale. Don't give up hope!

 

[el henry]

So....

I am having a little bit of an ethics issue (?). The mother of a skater who trained with Jason yesterday has posted on Facebook, and her Facebook is public. And Jason took adorable pics with her son. But I'm not going to link here, well, because.

Why am I telling you this? Because according to her Facebook, Jason told her son that he, that is, Jason, is working on pre silver ice dance.. (There is actually a clip of the kid interviewing Jason, but I can't understand a word). So I did not know this, more TCC influence? Jordan Moeller's influence

So Jason is giving more interviews And evidently, which I think is great, very supportive of the son as one of the only boys at the workshop.

 

[Tavi...]

So....

I am having a little bit of an ethics issue (?). The mother of a skater who trained with Jason yesterday has posted on Facebook, and her Facebook is public. And Jason took adorable pics with her son. But I'm not going to link here, well, because.

Why am I telling you this? Because according to her Facebook, Jason told her son that he, that is, Jason, is working on pre silver ice dance.. (There is actually a clip of the kid interviewing Jason, but I can't understand a word). So I did not know this, more TCC influence? Jordan Moeller's influence

So Jason is giving more interviews And evidently, which I think is great, very supportive of the son as one of the only boys at the workshop.

Interesting! I would guess he’s learning pattern dances to improve his freestyle skating rather than contemplating a second career as an ice dancer (he’s kinda short for ice dance) but I guess we’ll see.

 

[el henry]

Interesting! I would guess he’s learning pattern dances to improve his freestyle skating rather than contemplating a second career as an ice dancer (he’s kinda short for ice dance) but I guess we’ll see.

Well maybe after 2022 . I think he's probably taller than Jean-Luc Baker, but I guess I shouldn't use one of the smaller ice dance men as a barometer. Although in skating skills and performance skills, not such a bad match

And of course, the testing might be a result of Tracy's influence. Just a little bit of ice dance knowledge there too

 

[Imov]

Its great to know Jason is continuously open to learning lots of things.
And I am sure he gave those kids the time of their lives.

 

[Ruthypegs]

Well maybe after 2022 . I think he's probably taller than Jean-Luc Baker, but I guess I shouldn't use one of the smaller ice dance men as a barometer. Although in skating skills and performance skills, not such a bad match

And of course, the testing might be a result of Tracy's influence. Just a little bit of ice dance knowledge there too

Jean Luc and Jason are both 1.70 m, according to their ISU biogs - however, Marco Fabbri is 1.65 m! Maybe Jason could do an Andrew Dodds and compete in both disciplines - I'd be up for that - double the chance to see Jason skate!

 

[Tavi...]

Jean Luc and Jason are both 1.70 m, according to their ISU biogs - however, Marco Fabbri is 1.65 m! Maybe Jason could do an Andrew Dodds and compete in both disciplines - I'd be up for that - double the chance to see Jason skate!

Hmm...I love Jean Luc’s skating but I’m not sure I believe he’s 1.70 meters, even if that’s what he puts in his bio. As to Jason, though, I doubt he would have time to train seriously in both disciplines, and I think the US ice dance field is so deep he’d have a tough time.

 

[dorispulaski]

Maybe pairs though...

 

[el henry]

Maybe pairs though...

OK, more "vaguebooking...."

I re-listened to the one minute clip of the young man interviewing Jason. Jason said that he did pairs as younger skater (which of course we dedicated Jason fans know)

Jason also said that "his coach" put him into pairs because he "so rambunctious" as a youngster that she was hoping that being responsible for another skater would essentially calm him down.

We've heard the rambunctious part as well. But I didn't know that was the reason for his venture into pairs....