IFS June 2019: The latest issue of International Figure Skating goes on sale May 7. The magazine is available at Barnes & Noble in the U.S. and Chapters/Indigo in Canada. To order a copy or to subscribe click HERE.
In Saitama, Nathan Chen gave American fans reason to cheer when he claimed his second consecutive global crown in a runaway victory. Russia’s Alina Zagitova completed the sweep of all four major titles. Wenjing Sui and Cong Han of China rose to the top of the pairs field and French stars Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron were dominant in the ice dance discipline.
Kévin Aymoz
In a skating world that is primarily focused on jumps, Kévin Aymoz of France is one of the rare exceptions. Though the 21-year-old did not medal at any of his competitions this season, his musicality, interpretation, and presentation of his programs won over a legion of new fans.
It had been 13 years since a Canadian ice dance team stood atop a World Junior podium. Following Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir’s victory in 2006, Russia and the U.S. dominated the discipline for more than a decade, with Russia claiming seven titles and the U.S. five. But Marjorie Lajoie and Zachary Lagha put an end to that long run with their win in Zagreb.
At the beginning of the 2018-2019 season, many fans were excited that Russia’s Alina Zagitova and Evgenia Medvedeva would continue their competitive careers, and it was expected they would be dominant forces on the international stages. But, it was another young Russian — Sofia Samodurova — who made a splash on the international circuit this season.
A dynamic young skater from Mexico is blazing a new trail for his country — one he hopes will be the starting point for future generations to follow. With his engaging style and dashing good looks, Donovan Carrillo has been charming audiences around the world the past couple of seasons.
Like to travel but don’t like to pack? Cruising the world, performing for ever-changing audiences and getting paid to do it has been a dream job for thousands of skaters over the past two decades. Willy Bietak Productions, is the creative force behind the production of the skating shows that form part of the entertainment sector on Royal Caribbean’s 12 mega cruise ships.