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KIDS' QUESTIONS
December 2007
Kids' Questions with Amanda Evora and Mark Ladwig
Amanda Evora and Mark Ladwig enjoyed a breakthrough season last year, finishing fourth at the 2007 State Farm U.S. Championships in Spokane, Wash. The longtime pairs team kicked off this season with a fourth-place finish at Skate America in Reading, Pa. They hope to have another strong U.S. Championships and qualify for the World Championships for the first time.
What is your favorite element in pairs and why?
Rachel Cole, 13
Farmington Hills
Mark: I love to do lifts. I think coming up with new and interesting lifts is actually my favorite part. We spend every spring trying new positions and variations of many traditional lifts until we find something that fits the rules and looks good.
Amanda: My favorite element in pairs is throws. There's no greater thrill than to land a throw with lots of speed and flow. Sometimes they can be scary, but when they're done correctly, it is a great accomplishment. My favorite throw is the throw triple Lutz, which I started to do two years ago.
Did you guys skate singles before you began skating pairs? If so, for how long?
Lauren Gerber, 13
Valley Cottage, N.Y.
Mark: I skated singles from age 12 to 19. The highlight of my singles career came at the Upper Great Lakes Regional in Peoria, Ill., where I won the short program in novice. I finished fourth overall and made sectionals for the first and last time in singles.
Amanda: Yes, I started skating when I was 6 and continued to compete in singles until I was 18. It wasn't until the age of 15 that I expressed an interest in pairs. As my pairs career started to progress, it was hard for me to juggle singles and pairs because I had started college and worked at a job part time. Therefore, I chose to concentrate on pairs.
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| Amanda Evora and Mark Ladwig |
Do you both always agree or sometimes disagree on skating decisions such as new music or new choreography and costumes, and how do you handle that?
Amber Ruiz, 13
Colorado Springs, Colo.
Mark: Our coach, Mr. Leitch, has the final say, but in our team-coaching environment, everyone brings a lot of suggestions to the table. Mr. Leitch sorts through everyone's ideas to select the best fit for me and Amanda.
Amanda: As Mark mentioned, at our skating school we believe in team coaching. Everyone adds their own input, including me and Mark, to help make the best decisions. What's great about team coaching is that by sharing our ideas, we become more creative and innovative in the music, choreography and costumes we decide on. Typically, we like to choose two different themes for the short program and free skate; therefore, we're able to show a variety of things we can do in both programs.
I have been tying to learn front splits to help with my spirals, but I can't quite do it. Do I have to be able to do the splits to do decent spirals and other skating moves? If so, can you give me any advice?
Rebecca Dolling, 15
Forks, Wash.
Mark: I believe practicing your splits is the only way to get them lower. I work constantly on my own split and only this past season have I seen noticeable improvement. I feel figure skating mixes pure sport with the art of dance. The more flexible you become, the more able you will be to express many different types of music and skating moves.
Amanda: Don't give up on your splits. I know they are hard, but they will improve only with practice. Mark and I practice not only on gaining more flexibility but also strengthening our flexibility. One off-ice exercise to accomplish this is to hold your spiral position for 10 seconds, followed by pulsing your spiral position with small upward pulses of the back extended leg for another 10 seconds, in which you repeat the holding and pulsing twice. You will want to repeat this exercise for three sets, both legs.
Mark, what has your experience been training in the ProFlex hinged boot? I have had some serious back problems and I am considering switching. Are they worth it? Thanks!
Mark Jahnke, 16
Ketchikan, Alaska
Mark: Always consult your coach and a physician with regard to major back pain; he or she can help you find the source. I love the flexibility I get in the ProFlex boots. At first, the new boots feel like getting a cast removed, since you have been locked in a traditional stiff boot for years. It will take a little time for your ankle to strengthen, but the reward is greater range of motion for skating's more demanding moves. I believe I feel fewer aches and pains from skating since switching to Jackson boots. The reason I feel fewer aches is because the boots allow my joints to function as naturally intended.
What was your experience like at Skate America?
Julie Anderson, 9
Boise, Idaho
Mark: The city of Reading did a great job hosting Skate America. Because U.S. Figure Skating's judges school was held in conjunction with the competition, we saw a lot of U.S. officials we usually only see at the U.S. Championships. This made it a great “practice” to simulate how it will feel under pressure in Minnesota. Despite placing fourth, I felt we belonged competing among the worlds' best and hopefully will be able to show that this year.
Amanda: Skate America did feel like a “mini-nationals,” with familiar faces and the same competition procedures. I thoroughly enjoyed my experience in Reading. Everyone I met was friendly, from the people watching in the stands to the security guards who checked our credentials everyday. It truly means a lot to be an athlete participating in such a supportive environment.
Which current pairs team do you admire most and why?
Sami Jennings, 12
Richardson, Texas
Mark: I find the dedication of the Chinese teams to be the most admirable quality of all the pairs teams active today. They train with the knowledge that winning can bring them a much better life.
Amanda: My favorite pairs team to watch is Xue Shen and Hongbo Zhao from China. There is so much to admire about them, from their passion for this sport and for one another to the sacrifices they have made to be where they are today. This is something I hope one day Mark and I can show in our skating. It is an honor to be competing in the same level as Shen and Zhao.
What do you guys like doing outside of skating?
Candace Williamson, 17
San Diego, Calif.
Mark: I work a lot to support my skating. I sharpen skates, mount blades, cut music for skaters, serve as a waiter at a restaurant called Gio's and teach skating to young Basic Skills students. After all that, I do not have much free time but I like to read and go to the local dog park with our dogs and my wife, Janet, and relax.
Amanda: Although I don't get much free time due to skating, school and work, my favorite thing to do in Florida is go to the beach. Ironically, I try not to stay too long in the sun since I am already dark. However, relaxing under an umbrella, listening to music and being around friends at the beach is what I love. For my birthday coming up, I'm quite excited because my boyfriend, Jeremy, will be taking me to SeaWorld for the first time.
What do you guys plan to do after your skating careers are over?
Julie Sorensen
Santa Fe, N.M.
Mark: I will go to college and get a degree. Like most high school seniors, I have too many interests and I am still saying to myself, ‘What specialty do I want to get a degree in'?
Amanda: I am still looking for my calling after skating. I'm attending the University of South Florida, majoring in business administration, hoping it will benefit my future endeavors. One thing I am sure about is I want to give back to the sport of skating for everything it has done from me.
What is your fondest memory from the 2007 State Farm U.S. Championships?
Cassie Hilburn
Bozeman, Mont.
Mark: I remember the crowd being amazing; I could hear them with us through every element. I vividly remember the silence going into our last element, a drag into lasso-overhead, and the explosion of applause when we ended with a somersault dismount. Amanda and I normally call out how many crossovers as we head into our ending position, but because of the crowd cheering, I never heard her and we both ended on instinct. It felt triumphant to do a good free skate. Medals and places are second to feeling like you've skated your best at that moment.
Amanda: I must say my fondest memory at the 2007 U.S. Championships was the moment we finished the free skate. There is no better feeling than finishing a program, accomplishing your goals and the crowd cheering you on. I actually dreamed that moment for a long time before it happened, and I sure plan to have many more moments like that. Medaling was frosting on the cake.
