Four-time Japan champion Satoko Miyahara will have her free skate for the coming season arranged again by veteran choreographer Lori Nichol, jackfigure.com has learned.
Nichol, a member of the World Figure Skating Hall of Fame, has set up at least one program for Miyahara every season since the 2013-14 campaign, which was the Kyoto native’s second as a senior skater.
Last season Nichol choreographed Miyahara’s free skate to “Schindler’s List.” Nichol, who is Canadian, had designed Miyahara’s short program the three seasons preceding that.
Miyahara finished second (Cup of China) and fourth (Cup of Russia) in her two Grand Prix assignments in 2019-20, but did not qualify for the Grand Prix Final for the first time in five years.
The 22-year-old Miyahara, a two-time world medalist, moved to Toronto last September to train under coach Lee Barkell at the Granite Club. She was scheduled to compete at the world championships last month in Montreal that were postponed due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
The love of competition is difficult for an elite skater to give up.
The rush of being on the ice, the camaraderie with fellow skaters, and the adulation from fans combine to make for an intoxicating mix.
So when a skater considers ending a retirement and pulling on the boots for real again, it should not come as a total surprise.
Such is the case with former Grand Prix medalist and fan favorite Daisuke “Dice” Murakami. The 29-year-old has revealed to jackfigure.com that he is pondering a comeback after two seasons away from competing.
Murakami, who has been coaching in the small town of Sherwood, Oregon, for the past year, said that he has been approached by the U.S. Figure Skating about skating again for the Stars & Stripes.
The Kanagawa native, who moved to Southern California at the age of nine after his family won the green card lottery, competed for the U.S. for four seasons (2003-04 through 2006-07) before switching to Japan.
Now, some 14 years later, Murakami could be completing the roundtrip back to skate for his adopted homeland.
“This past summer I was able go to the Broadmoor summer competition in Colorado Springs,” Murakami stated in a telephone conversation. “There have been times here and there where I was debating on whether to compete again. Anyone could say that I am old in the sport, but when I am skating, which I do practice occasionally just on my own, I could still do a lot of the elements that the current skaters do nowadays.”
Murakami, who won the NHK Trophy in 2014 and medaled three times on the Grand Prix circuit for Japan, then dropped the bombshell news.
“This past summer at the Broadmoor I was approached by the U.S. federation and they did offer that I could be put on Team USA and I could compete for them,” Murakami commented. “I actually tried to go through with it. There is a process that has been done. We did approach the Japan federation, to see if we could get a release.
“That was supposed to happen at this year’s world championships (which were postponed due to COVID-19),” Murakami continued. “The U.S. federation was supposed to talk to Japan. I don’t really push for anything, I’m just seeing how things go. If it is meant to be, it is meant to be.”
Murakami, who earned a bronze medal for the U.S. at the Junior Grand Prix in Mexico in 2006, was optimistic about the possibility of skating for results again.
“There are doors open for my opportunity, and we will just see how it goes,” Murakami said.
Currently a resident of Portland, Murakami says he will need some work to get back in condition, but that he has no injuries to overcome to do so.
“I’m not in my tiptop competitive shape right now,” Murakami confessed. “I can’t tell you that I could do a full long program run through right now with a couple of quads in it. But as long as I commit to my training, I don’t think it will be very hard for me to get back into shape. I would need a few months to get ready.”
Murakami’s last appearance in an official event was in December of 2017, when he finished fifth at the Japan Championships in Tokyo.
Two-time Olympic champion Yuzuru Hanyu has given his fans many memorable moments throughout his illustrious career. Along with all of the medals and world records, the superstar has made an indelible impression with the athleticism and interpretation in his programs.
After winning the world junior championship in 2010, he began his first senior season on the Grand Prix circuit later that year. He burst onto the international scene with his bronze medal at the 2012 world championships in Nice, France.
What follows are the top five skates of his career as analyzed by jackfigure.com:
Three years later, Hanyu’s mind-blowing skate to “Hope and Legacy” remains the greatest single performance in the history of the sport. Vaulting from fifth place after the short program to win his second world title, he landed four clean quads in a showing that brought the crowd in Helsinki’s Hartwall Arena to their feet.
What resonates most about his incredible effort that magical night is how effortless it was. He glided across the ice from element to element as if he were a leaf blowing in the wind. As time passes, what he did on that night continues to grow in stature.
His fusion of physicality and grace in that program remains one for the ages.
2017年 世界選手権（フリープログラム）
3年の歳月が流れた今も「Hope and Legacy」のメロディーにのって驚異的な滑りを見せた羽生はフィギュア歴代最高峰のプログラムであると言っても過言ではないだろう。ショートプログラムで5位に入ってものの、フリーで4本の4回転を決め、ヘルシンキの観客を見事に魅了した。この大逆転で彼は2度目の世界チャンピオンとなった。
Just three months after suffering a serious injury to his right ankle that prevented him from practicing for several weeks, Hanyu returned to the ice in dramatic fashion with his performance to Chopin’s “Ballade No. 1.” Upon finishing his program, Hanyu said, “I’m back.”
The tension inside the venue was palpable as he took his position at center ice. Hanyu’s legion of fans breathed a collective sigh of relief after seeing how he performed at the Gangneung Ice Arena that afternoon.
Hanyu set a new world record with a total score of 330.43 points to capture his third straight Grand Prix Final crown. Just two weeks after setting world bests in the short program, free skate and total score at the NHK Trophy in Nagano, he topped all three again in Barcelona with his skate to “Seimei.”
This was Hanyu’s at his physical peak, before he suffered serious injuries in consecutive seasons two years later, and it was truly a sight to see.
Having missed several weeks of training with his injured right ankle, Hanyu’s stamina ahead of the free skate in South Korea was a real question. Would he be able to make it through the entire free skate and retain the lead he had built up in the short program?
In what was his finest hour, he fought hard to land his first three quads, before wobbling on the landing of his fourth to “Seimei.” He then battled on before nearly going down on the landing of his final triple lutz, before steadying himself and thrilling the crowd with his hydroblade and Ina Bauer.
With the stakes being the highest imaginable, Hanyu made history by becoming the first man in 66 years (since Dick Button in 1952) to win a second straight Olympic gold medal.
Eight years later, this remains a seminal moment in Hanyu’s career. The young star jumped all the way from seventh place after the short program to make the podium by claiming the bronze medal in Nice, France, at the age of 17. Even though he fell once, his drive and determination from start to finish were phenomenal to “Romeo and Juliet.”
This performance provided a glimpse of a superstar in the making, with Hanyu attacking the program while also displaying great interpretative skills throughout. For many of his fans, this remains one of the favorite programs in their hero’s career. It was his final competition with Nanami Abe as his coach.
Last week the Shiga Prefecture Skate Federation announced they were canceling the Gensan Summer Cup, an annual event that attracts many of the top senior and junior skaters from around Japan, due to COVID-19.
The competition, scheduled for Aug. 10-13, is an important one for skaters in the runup to the Junior and Senior Grand Prix seasons. Yuhana Yokoi and Kazuki Tomono were the senior champions in 2019, while Rino Matsuike and Mitsuki Sumoto were the junior winners.
The view here is that this decision, made almost five months ahead of time, was hastily premature. As of Thursday, Shiga had reported just eight cases of COVID-19. This number will likely increase before the virus is tamed or dissipates, but what if the virus has died out by the middle of May or early June?
Will the officials in Shiga then reverse course and put the event back on again?
In February I attended the Four Continents Championships in Seoul, where officials were highly organized and checked the media’s temperature each time they entered the venue. We had to fill out forms granting organizers the right to do this, and they were similarly strict with spectators.
The Gensan Summer Cup certainly takes time to organize and execute each year, and in addition to the virus, there is the obvious concern that a great deal of energy would have to be invested in planning something that might not happen.
The health and welfare of the skaters, fans and staff at the event must be paramount. However, I don’t think pulling the plug so far in advance sends the right message. Young people and athletes need some hope and encouragement at such a precarious time as now.
Other sports, including baseball (NPB) and soccer (J. League), are taking it month-by-month in deciding when it will be safe to have games. For the Gensan Summer Cup, I feel 60 days before the event would be an adequate timeline for a decision.
It seems to me that at the very least, the competition could be staged without spectators, with just skaters, coaches, judges and parents in attendance. All would be required to be checked each day.
Organizers would likely say that this would be difficult, because the revenue provided by the spectators helps pay for the event. However, I have a solution to that: stage a crowdfunding campaign to cover the costs for holding it and stream it online.
Knowing the passion of Japanese skating fans, I am certain they would gladly help pay for the skaters to have a chance to take the ice and watch them in action.
We can only hope the virus can be brought under control in an expeditious manner, so skaters can begin working on their programs for the coming season and people can resume their normal lives without fear.
Even though the season was short-circuited by the postponement of the world championships, it was a successful one for American Bradie Tennell.
The 22-year-old earned the bronze medal at the Four Continents Championships in Seoul in February just weeks after finishing second behind Alysa Liu at the U.S. nationals in North Carolina.
In an exclusive interview with jackfigure.com, the Illinois native discussed a wide range of topics, including her thoughts on stars Yuzuru Hanyu and Shoma Uno, her feelings about teammates Nathan Chen and Vincent Zhou, her work with innovative choreographer Benoit Richaud, and more.
“This season has gone pretty well for me,” Tennell stated. “There were of course things that could have gone better. Overall, I think it is an improvement from last year. Every year my goal is to better than I was before.”
Early influences
Tennell, who began skating when she was two years old, talked about the skaters who influenced her growing up.
“Yuna Kim was one of my idols,” Tennell recalled. “I remember watching her win the (Olympic) gold in 2010 on TV and was like, ‘Wow. That was amazing.’
“When I was much younger, I really loved watching Michelle Kwan and Sasha Cohen. I loved watching Kristi Yamaguchi as well.”
Tennell then praised one of skating’s veterans.
“More recently I like Carolina Kostner. I love the way she skates,” Tennell noted. “No one can skate the way that she skates. Just so beautifully. She is one of my inspirations for the artistic side of skating.”
Thoughts on Mao, Yuzu, Shoma
Asked about Japanese skaters she admired, Tennell identified one of the sport’s legends.
“Mao Asada was one of the early skaters to have a triple axel,” Tennell commented. “It was so powerful and so big. I just loved watching it when I was younger.”
Tennell then cited a couple of her contemporaries for praise.
“Among my competitors, Rika (Kihira) is amazing to watch, and Kaori (Sakamoto), who also works with Benoit. I love watching the different programs that he develops with her and then with me,” Tennell said. “It’s very cool because has such a creative range of genius to explore. I always love to see what he comes up with.”
When it comes to the Japanese men, Tennell spoke about two-time Olympic gold medalist Yuzuru Hanyu and Shoma Uno.
“Yuzuru and Shoma are both amazing,” Tennell remarked. “Yuzuru is just like everything he does is just so smooth and so precise. It is a joy to watch them. Shoma has such powerful jumps.
“It is incredible to watch two skaters who are so different, yet alike in some ways. They both bring such different elements to skating.”
Tennell, who was ninth at the Pyeongchang Olympics, is already looking ahead to 2022.
“My ultimate goal right now moving into the Olympic season is the Beijing Games,” Tennell said. “I want to be on the team and be the leading U.S. lady then.”
Collaboration with Richaud
Tennell provided the back story on how she came to work with Richaud.
“I met Benoit back in 2017 at junior worlds. I remember I thought he was kind of scary at first because he was wearing all black and had a black fedora on,” Tennell stated. “Now I have come to learn that is just Benoit. He loves his black hats.
“I remember the first time I worked with him it was like a new level. I thought at the time, ‘I don’t know if I will be able to do this.’
It is clear that Richaud’s influence on Tennell has been profound.
“We work as a team. If I say something doesn’t feel right, then he will find a way to change it or to make it fit my style,” Tennell commented. “We work so well together. I am so grateful that I have him on my team. He is so supportive and works so hard for his skaters.”
Tennell, who finished fifth at this season’s Grand Prix Final, admitted that Richaud’s intensity had her on edge at the outset of their collaboration.
“He was intimidating in the beginning, but not now, because I know he cares so much,” Richaud remembered. “That makes me want to work that much harder for him. Because sometimes you coaches can see the potential you have, even when you don’t see it in yourself.
“I know he is always striving to push me to new heights and push past my limits, as a coach should,” Tennell continued. “When I work with him, his intensity is the driving factor.”
Reviving skating’s popularity at home
I asked Tennell what she thought the U.S. needed to do to recapture it previous glory in skating.
“We need to make people more aware of the sport and what is going on in it,” Tennell said. “Let them know we are still here. Figure skating is such a great sport. I don’t think people realize the hours and hours of work that goes into these programs.
“If people knew more of the background and what goes into it, maybe that would spark their interest more.”
Tennell spoke of her impressions of two-time world champion Chen and 2019 world bronze medalist Vincent Zhou.
“I think Nathan is such a positive influence on the sport. He is such an amazing athlete,” Tennell commented. “Watching him skate is captivating. He brings so much to the sport. I think the U.S. is so lucky to have him.”
Tennell is happy that Zhou has returned from his brief hiatus from skating.
“Vincent is also a great athlete. I’m really excited that he is skating again,” Tennell proclaimed. “He had to take a small break back in the fall. I’m glad he is back. He was on the podium at nationals and was on the world team.”
Pivotal point in career, looking ahead
I wanted to know at what juncture Tennell realized that she might make it to the elite level.
“When I won my U.S. junior title (2014-15 season), is when I felt that I had found my place in the world and skating was my thing,” Tennell reflected.
Tennell plans to pursue her education in the coming years and also says she would like to give coaching a shot.
“I do want to get my college degree. I am very interested in the health sciences, like kinesiology,” Tennell said. “I think I might do something along those lines.”
About being behind the boards someday, Tennell admitted she wants to pass on her expertise to future generations after her career is over.
“I do love coaching, so I think I will also coach at some point in my life,” Tennell stated. “I’m not sure how serious of a coach I will be, but I know I will be coaching. I love the sport and have a passion for it. As long as I am able to stay healthy, I will skate as long as possible.”
Tennell indicated that she would relish the opportunity to skate in shows in Japan.
“I have done ‘Carnival on Ice’ at the Japan Open, but that is it at this point,” Tennell noted. “I would love to take part in any show in Japan.
She concluded our chat with a message for her Japanese fans.
“Thank you so much for all of the support. I love you guys so much,” Tennell commented. “It is amazing to read all of your messages, all the kind words you send me. I can’t wait to come back to Japan.”
There is nothing greater in sports than watching a young skater come into their own. The years of hard work begin to bear fruit with results improving and the upward trend evident for all to see.
Such is the case with Tomoki Hiwatashi, the reigning world junior champion.
The 20-year-old Hiwatashi claimed his first medal at January’s U.S. Championships in Greensboro, North Carolina, taking the bronze behind Nathan Chen and Jason Brown, with a stirring free skate that saw the crowd give him a standing ovation when he finished.
In an exclusive interview in late January, Hiwatashi talked about his latest achievement.
“I’m just really excited about what I just accomplished,” Hiwatashi stated in a call from his training base in Colorado Springs, Colorado. “I have gotten a lot better than last year and am really happy.”
Hiwatashi has made a habit of surging at major competitions, having won the U.S. title at four different levels in his career, while also medaling twice at the world junior championships.
I wanted to know if there was a special motivation or reason for this.
“I guess I’m just not good at preparing myself for events early in the season,” Hiwatashi candidly remarked. “I kind of start peaking at this time of the year. It’s really just about preparation. I need to get better at that in the Grand Prix seasons. That will be my goal for next season.”
Damon Allen, who coaches Hiwatashi along with Christy Krall, feels his student has a special gear he calls upon when needed.
“Tomoki’s assets are his dynamic jumping abilities, great show stopping tricks like his amazing split jumps and cantilever,” Allen wrote in an email. “He has been able to demonstrate a great competitive spirit and can rise to the occasion when needed.”
Hiwatashi, who was fourth after the short program, landed two quadruple toe loops and seven triples in his free skate to “Petrushka.”
I wondered if Hiwatashi was making a push for the podium in his free skate or just wanted to give the best performance he could.
“I was just trying to do my best. I just really wanted to perform and give it my best and enjoy that moment of being there,” Hiwatashi commented. “I didn’t feel like I was able to do that at the Grand Prix series.”
The native of Englewood, New Jersey, came in fifth and 10th in his two GP assignments this season.
“I thought that competition – the nationals – may be my last competition of the year, so I wanted to really enjoy it,” Hiwatashi noted.
Making the moment even sweeter was the fact that both of his parents, who hail from Kobe, and one of his two older sisters were on hand to see him capture his first medal at the U.S. nationals.
Before the Four Continents, where he finished ninth, I asked Hiwatashi what elements he needed to improve on for the event.
“The first quad toe/triple toe – that jump was shaky on the landing (at nationals),” Hiwatashi noted. “I would like to do better on it at the Four Continents. The second triple axel was also a little shaky. I was going into it and I thought I shouldn’t be messing this up. But the thought of messing it up kind of affected it.”
Hiwatashi intended to stick with his programs this in Seoul.
“I’m not planning any changes to my programs at Four Continents. I just want to do the same thing I did at nationals and keep the consistency,” Hiwatashi said. “There is not much time between nationals and the Four Continents to make changes.”
It was clear the crowd on hand in North Carolina got behind Hiwatashi in both of his programs.
“I really appreciate the audience for doing that,” Hiwatashi said. “Especially for my short program (“Love Runs Out”), because with that music it is very important to have the crowd on my side. If I can do that and have people enjoy watching me, that means it is a successful program.”
Hiwatashi impressed in the second half of his free skate with a triple lutz/euler/triple flip combination.
“I have been working on it and the consistency has been good,” Hiwatashi stated. “I am confident now that I will be able to do it well.”
Some controversy arose at the end of the U.S. Championships after Hiwatashi was passed over for Vincent Zhou for the third spot (after Chen and Brown) on the U.S. team for the world championships in Montreal that were postponed.
Hiwatashi was magnanimous about not getting the nod, supporting the decision of U.S. Figure Skating in picking Zhou.
“I’m totally fine with it, to be honest. I didn’t do so well in the Grand Prix series,” Hiwatashi noted. “The only competition I have done well at this season has been nationals, so I really understand their decision to pick Vincent over me because of how great he did last year and how great he did at nationals.
“He is the world bronze medalist at this point. I feel like sending him is that right choice. If I were in their spot to decide who would go to the worlds, I would have probably picked Vincent over myself to.”
The blow was cushioned by Hiwatashi’s own expectations going into the nationals.
“I really didn’t expect to go to worlds. I’m excited to be going to Four Continents,” Hiwatashi commented. “I think deciding on the skater based on one competition is not correct. Because at times I have not been able to do what I wanted, and what people wanted me to do, I feel that their decision was the right choice to make.”
Hiwatashi’s attitude reflects both his class and upbringing.
“I’m excited for Nathan, Jason and Vincent to go out and do their best to get the three spots so I can actually go in that spot maybe next year,” Hiwatashi said.
Decision to go with Zhou explained
I asked legendary skating writer Phil Hersh for his take on the choice of Zhou over Hiwatashi.
“The world bronze had to be decisive,” Hersh declared in an email. “And Vincent skated very respectably at nationals on almost no training.”
Hersh thinks it might have been better for both Hiwatashi and Zhou to have one more competition before the decision was made.
“It seems as if it would be better if USFS asked both to go to the Four Continents and then made a decision, but there is no provision for that in the selection process,” Hersh noted. “Plus the Four Continents is so soon (after nationals) with a long trip it would be hard to draw conclusions from it.”
Hersh then explained the criteria the USFS uses to make calls like this one.
“The selection system in place values the previous year’s results as well as results of nationals and GP,” Hersh wrote. “Vincent skipped the GP series where Tomoki was 10th and fifth. In their other head to head this season, Vincent was third and Tomoki fourth at the US International Classic.
“Vincent was second and Tomoki fourth at 2019 nationals, and Vincent won not only world bronze but the Four Continents bronze (Tomoki was eighth),” Hersh continued. “That trumps Tomoki’s world junior title. If you look at the whole ‘body of work’ applicable, it’s easy to see why they took Vincent.”
With the abbreviated season now finished, I have collated a top 10 list of the best performances by Japanese skaters during the 2019-20 campaign. The list places a priority on results in major competitions like the Grand Prix Final and national championships, while taking into account mitigating factors like injury, record scores and big moves up the standings.
1. Yuzuru Hanyu – Four Continents (Short Program)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWp3PHPhUoE Hanyu established a new world record in Seoul where he scored 111.82 points on the way to winning the Four Continents for the first time. Back in South Korea for the first time since winning his second Olympic gold medal at the Pyeongchang Games, Hanyu gave an elegant performance to Chopin’s Ballade No. 1.
2. Yuzuru Hanyu – Skate Canada (Free Skate)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMEXeWxK5Zs Hanyu set a personal record under the new scoring system of 212.99 points by landing four quads to capture Skate Canada for the first time by nearly 60 points. Hanyu was back at full health following two injury-plagued seasons as he racked up a total tally of 322.59 in the victory.
3. Shoma Uno – Challenge Cup (Free Skate)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DhumVvNoW3I Uno was fantastic in The Hague, showing that his short collaboration with Stephane Lambiel is continuing to bear fruit. He cleanly hit three quads and gave an absolutely beautiful performance to “Dancing On My Own.” It’s a pity that more fans were not able to witness his effort in person.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p59n88Bflyg Following her victories at the Japan Championships and Four Continents, Kihira finished off her season with a third straight win in a stellar showing in the Netherlands. She landed both of her triple axels (one in combination) on the way to topping the podium as she looks to carry the momentum into next season.
Rika Kihira – Japan Nationals (Free Skate)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7ljAyfE3PM Having lost to Kaori Sakamoto in 2018 after entering the event as the favorite, Kihira was exquisite in notching her first senior Japan title. A year after winning the Japan Junior Championships, she landed six triples and earned level fours on all of her spins and step sequence to “International Angel of Peace” in the triumph.
Shun Sato – Junior Grand Prix Final (Free Skate)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rAIEjbfk_Mw Just two weeks after losing out on the Japan Junior Championship to rival and friend Yuma Kagiyama, Sato came from third place after the short program with a magnificent performance to capture the title. His show of power under pressure, while landing three quads and five triples, in Turin, Italy, exhibited his past potential for the future.
Yuma Kagiyama – Youth Olympics (Free Skate)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jI0oNjkW0yc Prior to the season, Kagiyama said his goal was to win the Japan Junior Championship and thereby earn the berth to the Youth Olympics. After accomplishing the first part of that goal, Kagiyama stormed back from third place to claim the gold medal in Lausanne, Switzerland, with a scintillating free skate. His reaction after his winning score was posted was one of the highlights of the entire season.
Yuma Kagiyama – Japan Championships (Free Skate)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDU46q9l3Ok Kagiyama, the son of two-time Olympian Masakazu Kagiyama, joined Uno and Hanyu with a steady showing to “Tucker” before a packed house in Tokyo. Coming off a disappointing fourth-place finish at the Junior Grand Prix Final two weeks earlier, Kagiyama displayed his significant skills at Japan’s biggest domestic event of the season.
Wakaba Higuchi – Japan Championships (Free Skate)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aX58U_l_QWs With a spot for the world championships (that wound up being cancelled) on the line, Higuchi came through in the clutch after struggling through a poor Grand Prix season. The 2018 world silver medalist displayed her grit in what was a crucial performance for her career after battling a foot injury the previous season.
ハーグでの宇野の滑りは実に素晴らしく、ステファン・ランビエールとのコーチ契約を結んだことが鍵となっているようだった。「Dancing On My Own」に合わせて3本の4回転を華麗に決めた宇野は会場を大いに盛り上げた。ヨーロッパで開催された大会であったため、多くのファンが彼の輝かしい滑りを生で見届けられなかったと思うと非常に残念だ。
2018年に開催された全日本フィギュアで坂本香織に敗れた紀平だったが、今季は優美な演技を披露しシニア枠での初優勝を果たした。全日本ジュニア選手権を制してから一年、6本の3回転に成功し全スピンでの最高評価レベル４評価を獲得、そして「International Angel of Peace」へのステップシークエンスも見事に成し遂げた。
Today I am very happy to announce the launching of my own figure skating website – jackfigure.com. This will be a reader-funded site that will focus on providing exclusive news, interviews and columns on Japanese skating.
International skating will be covered as well, but the primary focus will be on Japanese skaters. My goal is to cover as many events as possible in person. This includes domestic competitions, the Grand Prix series and world championships.
For the past 25 years, as I have covered several Olympics and other major competitions, I have been writing skating stories and driving web traffic to other companies. But from now own I will be doing it for you readers and myself.
I want to write stories that readers want to read about skaters, coaches, executive and others in the skating community. So I will be asking for your suggestions in addition to your support of this project.
This will not be a subscription site. I want all to able to access the content, so there will be no paywall. Readers will be able to give monthly donations on Patreon, a Japanese crowdfunding platform, or directly through PayPal. There will be rewards for those who do contribute.
I am looking forward to the challenge of providing you with compelling content and beginning this journey together.
