EXCLUSIVE Photos & Interviews + All the Latest News! GET THE INSIDE EDGE! SUBSCRIBE EAD IT R N YOUR TODAY! O NE, D, IPHO IPA OR KINDLE U.S./CANADA NOOK 1-844-357-2044 Online @ ifsma g azine.com YUZURU HANYU TAKES A FRESH APPROACH APRIL 2021 NATHAN CHEN CAPTURES FIFTH NATIONAL TITLE TRIO OF NATIONS Crown New Champions ALEXA KNIERIM & BRANDON FRAZIER A WINNING COMBINATION SEASON of CANADIAN SK ACTEHRSA ALLLL ERNEVGVEEDS UP WITH NO PLACE TO GO Aljona Savchenko’s remarkable journey to international stardom and, ultimately, the top step of an Olympic podium was one of determination and a relentless pursuit for perfection. Aljona Savchenko The Quest For Olympic Glory With Robin Szolkowy & Bruno Massot A fascinating story of fearless perseverance to be the best in the world, what took place behind “Who is afraid the scenes, and the obstacles of the wolf does Aljona Savchenko not go into the overcame to forest.” finally claim an —Aljona Savchenko Olympic crown. TATJANA FLADE NOW AVAILABLE AS AN EBOOK @IFSMAGAZINE.COM Contents 24 Features VOLUME 26 | ISSUE 2 |APRIL 2021 ALEXA KNIERIM & 6 BRANDON FRAZIER A Winning Combination YUZURU HANYU 12 Takes a Fresh Approach F F E D SEASON OF CHALLENGES A 16 Y Canadian Skaters All Revved Up A J / G With No Place to Go N I T A K S E R U G I F . Ê S . U ON THE NATIONAL PRIDE Y COVER S 24 E U.S. Skaters Light up Las T R U Vegas; Chelyabinsk Challenges; O C : O Nagano Triumphs T O H P A CREATIVE FORCE 36 French Choreographer Benoît Richaud Finds His Niche 6 INVESTING IN AN 47 INCLUSIVE FUTURE U.S. Figure Skating Honors Mabel Fairbanks Departments 4 LETTER FROM THE 45 THEY SAID IT EDITOR 46 INSIDE EDGE 44 INNER LOOP 48 2021 COMPETITION 46 QUICKSTEPS SCHEDULE COVER PHOTO: ROBIN RITOSS 2 IFSMAGAZINE.COM APRIL 2021 Holiday on Ice is looking for ice skating performers for its 2021-2022 season: Principal soloist skaters (male/ female) Principal adagio pair teams Ensemble skaters (male/ female) Interested candidates are invited to send their portfolio including a resume, pictures and a recent video to [email protected] For more information visit: holidayonice.com/jobs Candidates must be 18 years of age or older www.holidayonice.com | @holidayoniceshows | @holidayoniceshows The Russian ladies dominated the Jump Festival held on Feb. 5 in Moscow. Elizaveta Tuktamysheva, Kamila Valieva, Anna Shcherbakova and Alexandra Trusova collected 1million rubles (US$13,400) in prize money. APRIL 2021 IFSMAGAZINE.COM 3 A Brighter World on the Horizon new year has brought with it many bright glimmers of As we go to print, the 2021 World Championships remain on the hope that the world is getting back on track, with many ISU calendar. A final decision will be made March 1 on whether the sporting events taking place globally, including a number competition will be held. No spectators will be permitted to attend and of figure skating competitions. Sweden is sourcing volunteers from within its borders. Likewise, the It is undeniable that the Russian Figure Skating World Team Trophy in Japan is still on track to take place in late April. TFederation has been a major force in keeping the sport in the forefront, Yuzuru Hanyu returned to competition after a 10-month absence, live streaming all of its competitions to keep the world engaged. The winning his fifth national title in late December. He spoke to the press innovative concept of a team event, which took place in early February, at the championships and we have a full recap on what he has been was one I thoroughly enjoyed. It also held a ladies versus men jump doing and what his plans are for the season ahead. competition that was a lot of fun to watch, even though it was a given At the end of this issue you will find a full list of competitions for before it started which side would be victorious. The men were certainly 2021, which includes the time schedule for Worlds, the senior and junior no match for their female counterparts. Grand Prix Series, the Olympic qualifier and the rescheduled test event. While many other countries have held national championships, No television schedules are available at this time, as networks were the Canadian skaters have had no competitions in a year, other than still awaiting the final decision on the World Championships. the virtual 2021 Skate Canada Challenge, which aired online in early For the latest updates and information please connect with us on January. Originally slated as the qualifying event for nationals, the Facebook or visit our website at ifsmagazine.com. championships was cancelled before both segments of Challenge had aired. It has been a frustrating time for the nation’s elite skaters, many Warmest regards, of whom will close out their careers in 2022 — and would like to do so on the highest note possible. However, not having competed for a year Susan D. Russell has left many feeling they are now behind the eight ball, so to speak. Publisher PUBLISHER Susan D. Russell [email protected] NORTH AMERICAN EDITOR Robert Brodie EUROPEAN EDITOR Tatjana Flade DESIGNED BY Laurea Media EDITORIAL Brooklee Han, Elina Paasonen, Elvin Walker, Akiko Tamura JAPANESE TRANSLATOR Maria-Laura Mitsuoka PHOTOGRAPHY Tatjana Flade, Vicki S. Luy, Robin Ritoss, Olga Timokhova, Flavio Valle ADVERTISING/SALES [email protected] CORPORATE OFFICE International Figure Skating/Laurea Media 270 Queens Quay West, Suite 1301, Toronto, ON M5J 2N4 Please include your name, mailing and e-mail addresses and a telephone number in all correspondence to International Figure Skating. SUBSCRIPTIONS (U.S./Canada) 844-357-2044 International: 973-627-5162 WEBSITE www.ifsmagazine.com International Figure Skating is published bimonthly by Laurea Media, 270 Queens Quay West, Suite 1301, Toronto, ON M5J 2N4. Subscriptions: US$29.99 Canada US$34.99, International US$49.99. Subscribers should allow 4 to 6 weeks for change of address to become effective. POSTMASTER: Send changes of address to International Figure Skating, PO Box 3000, Denville, NJ, 07834. Subscriptions ordered are non- refundable unless otherwise promoted. Return postage must accompany all manuscripts, drawings and photographs submitted if they are to be returned, and no responsibility can be assumed for unsolicited materials. All rights to letters sent to International Figure Skating will be treated as unconditionally assigned for publication and copyright purposes and as subject to unrestricted right to edit and to comment editorially. Requests for permission to reprint should be sent to the Publisher. The title International Figure Skating is registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Contents copyright © 2018 by Laurea Media. All rights reserved. Nothing may be reprinted in whole or in part without written permission from the Publisher. Printed in the U.S.A. CPC PUB #0913103. 4 IFSMAGAZINE.COM APRIL 2021 WILLY BIETAK PRODUCTIONS, INC. CASTING NOW CASTING: • Male and Female Soloists • Pair/Adagio Skaters • Dance Teams • Comedy and Variety Acts For our worldwide award- winning productions and Royal Caribbean cruise ships Please send a current skating video, resume and photo to: Sylvia Froescher, Producer [email protected] 1404 Third St. Promenade, Ste. 200 Santa Monica, CA 90401 For more information, visit Phone: (310) 576-2400 BietakProductions.com/casting SILVER BLADE TOURS, INC. Skating Tour Experts for 40 Years! DELUXE TOUR PACKAGES TO SKATING EVENTS IN THE U.S. & AROUND THE WORLD! 2021 SKATE 2022 FOUR AMERICA CONTINENTS LOCATION/TBA LOCATION/TBA OCTOBER 2021 FEBRUARY 2022 2021 SKATE 2022 WORLD CANADA CHAMPIONSHIPS LOCATION/TBA MONTPELLIER, FRANCE OCTOBER 2021 MARCH 21-27, 2022 2022 U.S. 2022 SKATE CHAMPIONSHIPS AMERICA NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE LOCATION/DATE JANUARY 3-9, 2022 TBA Claudyne Cassella Hutchinson TEL: (386) 943-4071 - FAX: (386) 738-2512 2672 FLOWING WELL ROAD, DELAND, FL 32720-8903 USA [email protected] www.silverbladetours.com EXPERIENCE THE THRILL AND EXCITEMENT OF LIVE COMPETITION! APRIL 2021 IFSMAGAZINE.COM 5 Alexa Knierim & Brandon Frazier ALEXA KNIERIM AND BRANDON FRAZIER, who teamed up less than a year ago, have had a golden run so far this season. They claimed the 2020 Skate America title in their competitive debut in October and captured the 2021 U.S. national crown in January. BY TATJANA FLADE S S O T I R N I B O R : O T O H P hey have been in the now without partners gave rise to much voice that she was just as enthusiastic top echelons of the U.S. speculation about a possible pairing of and excited as I was to potentially have pairs program for many Knierim and Frazier. Five days after a tryout.” years. Competing with Denney and Frazier announced the end The tryout took place in March, just as different partners, Alexa of their partnership, Knierim and Frazier the COVID-19 pandemic was starting TKnierim and Brandon announced the beginning of theirs. to take hold in the U.S. Both said from Frazier had shared a “When Alexa and Chris’ journey ended, the first moment they took each other’s long-time rivalry. All that changed a year it was literally just weeks before Haven hands, it felt good and it felt right. “When ago when their respective partnerships and I ended ours,” Frazier recalled. “I was we did our first lap of crossovers, there was came to an end. the first one to reach out to Alexa to talk some kind of immediate bond,” Knierim Scimeca, as she was known at the time, about the idea of a tryout. recalled. “That was all I needed to feel to joined forces with Chris Knierim in 2012.