About Us

KID SPOTLIGHT

March 2002

James Johnson

Age: 9 and a half

Hometown: Buena Park, Calif.

Club: All Year FSC

Skating level: Pre-juvenile. I'm working hard to be juvenile by Southwest Pacific Regional Championships.

Favorite skaters: I like Alexei Yagudin and Evgeny Plushenko because I can feel their personality when they're skating. It's especially great watching Timothy Goebel practice. He jumps so high that he even makes the quad jumps look easy. I also like Tara Lipinski because she was a roller skater first.

How often I skate: I skate five to six times a week for one hour at a time and plan to gradually increase each one hour practice to two hours. I also roller skate a couple of days a week.

How long I've been skating: I could roller skate forward and backward by the time I was 15 months old (my mom is a roller skating coach). I started ice skating classes when I was 5 and private lessons with Wanda Guntert when I was 6. My coaches are Frank Carroll, Wanda Guntert and Russ Witherby. They make me work hard, and I still have fun. They are great!

Favorite jumps/moves: The double Salchow and double toe Walley are my favorite jumps, but I really like trying new and different spin positions.

Favorite skating moment: I was so excited the first time I skated on the same ice as Frank Carroll and Michelle Kwan. My favorite moment was the first time Mr. Carroll gave me a lesson.

What I like about skating: I like the challenge of advancing from one jump or spin to the next. I also like it when people watch me, whether they are strangers or friends.

Goals: My short-term goal is to skate well in juvenile this year and make it to the U.S. Junior Championships next year. Someday I would like to be an Olympic skater!

What else you should know about me: Last year, I was the juvenile boys (age 9 and under) Indoor National Roller Figure Skating champion (the same event Tara Lipinski won). I speak, read and write in Spanish and English. I'm also working on Italian and sign language. At school, I'm learning to play the trombone, I'm a “Peace Maker,” and I started a kickball team. I also love to read!