Interview with Adam Rippon

 

by Olga Flügge, October 2009, Paris

на русском языке читайте здесь

 

Adam, TEB is over, you finished third.  First of all congratulations on your bronze medal. How do you rate this first competition for yourself?

 

You know I am happy with how I skated the short program. I am happy that the long program was strong enough to reach third place. But I know that I have still a lot to do to approach the programs to make them better. But as the first competition of the season I am happy with how I skated.

 

What are your goals for this season and how do you want to achieve them?

 

My goal for this season is just to skate my best and improve each competition. And I think the only thing I can achieve that  is to go home and take on each competition and apply forward my training to skate better and better.

 

The music peaces, you are using, are Jonathan Livingston Seagull by N. Diamond for the short and Concerto for violin and orchestra by S. Baber for the long programs. Tell us please why you have chosen it?

 

Well, the free program music I found with D. Wilson. We found it a little bit by accident. But I really fell in love with the music. And the story that David and I have created it is a really special to me.  With a short program we were completely stumbled because we had no idea what to use.  Finally David just came to me, played the music on the ice, I listened and fell in love with music, so I am very happy with the music in this year.  

 

 

Who is cutting your music?

He is a friend of David Wilson. His name is Hugo, but I do not know his last name. He is an absolutely incredible DJ.

 

To which kind of music you always wanted to skate but never did so far?

 

I think the one peace of music, that I always wanted to skate is maybe the “Meditation” by Massnet, it is just one of my favourite peaces of music. And maybe I will use it for the exhibition or competitive program. I love it. But I fall in love with some other peaces.

 

You have trained with a Russian coach. Now you are working with a Canadian. Is there any difference concerning the approach to training process generally?

 

You know I have had Russian coaches for all my life and now I skate with B. Orser in Canada.  I have never chosen a coach because of the nationality, just based on their knowledge and their mentality to achieve getting the athletes mental prepared and physically prepared. The only thing I can say the coaches I have been working before, were very prepared to  help me a lot, but what I need right  now is a coach like Brian, ready to help to prepare myself  and also to lead me. I just really like the environment I am skating and I am happy to be skating there.

 

Are you an obedient student? Can you argue with your coach?

 

I think, when I was a little bit younger, sometimes I would just be. If things were not going well, I would not be, but I would be very frustrated. I think I am getting older and I am not getting as frustrated as easily. Of course there are times before competition you just get  a little bit nervous. But what to say about Brian, in such situations he would say: “Ok, stop, calm down and we start over.”

 

Do you have any other coaches you work with on or off the ice?

 

Yes, I have a trainer off the ice that I work with. I also work with another coach in Canada. His name is Ghislain Briand. I work with Tracy Wilson as well and David Wilson. I am really lucky to have the team supportive and competent to help me to go onwards.

 

You are doing the quad in practice. Are going to put this jump in free skating at Nationals?

 

I do practice the quad.  I had to stop practising it a little bit because I have a little bit an ankle injury this summer. But I will be training it very soon. It is hard to train a jump that you have consistently during a season, when you are getting ready for the competitions and practiсing the programs. I am not sure that I would be adding it in my free skating at Nationals because I am just focusing of doing two clean programs.

 

How is your ankle now?

 

It is much much better. I have worked with an amazing  physio to help me rehabilitate faster and it is  in a progress and it is very steady. It is improved very quickly so I am very happy that it is much better. I see I still have it taped, but it is just more mental.

 

 

Do you take an active part in making choreography or do you just follow the ideas of Mr. Wilson?

 

I think with any skater who is working with a choreographer, it is not like the skater just stands waiting for instructions. I think what makes each of David´s program unique and different is that he asks to skate to music  just doing something  and then he says “I like that” and we make something write now. It is so just a collective of all ideas come together. And I think it makes easier for me to skate because it ´s my movements and I am really like my programs more.

 

Do you take courses in ballet or modern dance?

 

I used to take them in hip-hop when I was training in New Jersey very closed to Manhattan. But write now I just have not enough time. I really wish I could take them again, I enjoyed them a lot.

 

Does P. Wylie serve as your mentor for this season?

 

I have not worked with P. Wylie this season. At the end of last season it was very helpful because I was making my coaching transition, I skated with him a week, and he really helped me to refocus and to show me the right direction I need. I am grateful him to help me.
 

Are you involved in the designing of your costumes?

 

Absolutely not. With the costumes I have no idea what the music is telling me to wear. The women, who designs my costumes is very in touch with David.  I like my costumes but who knows may be I will change them later in the season.

 

How do you manage with nerves before competitions?

 

I think that how I managed is just to tell myself I have done all jumps in practice, that I am ready. I usually just take a breath. I get to my position and start my skating.

 

Where do you see your strength and your weakness as a skater?

 

I think my strength is may be the interpretation to the music. I really love to interpret the music. I do not know if it is one of my strength but I think it is one of my passions. And about my weaknesses I know that I have to work on my speed and on height of my jumps and on the quad jump for sure. It would be a biggest of my weakness now.

 

As whom do you see yourself in 10 years? Just imagine…

 

You know of course I would love to imagine that I have achieved all of my skating goals and I am touring a fantastic sold-out tour. You know I have no idea because if you asked me three years ago “Where do you think you will be in three years?” I would not ever believe that I will be skating at the Grand-Prix and living in Canada. So you never know. I will work harder and hopefully in my 10 years I will be where I won.

 

Adam, thank you for this interview. We wish you good luck in Japan and in Spokane.

 

 

Olga Flügge, October 2009, Paris