"I'll admit it: this past week was my first real foray into competitive figure skating. Only later did it dawn on me much to my regret that I'd been blissfully unaware I was rubbing elbows with figure-skating luminaries like Olympian-turned-commentator Adam Rippon and Cordero Zuckerman, better known to fans as Denali Foxx of RuPaul's Drag Race, whose breakout persona fuses drag and figure skating."
"What I found was a community that is fiercely competitive and deeply loving. I watched Alysa Liu, Amber Glenn and Isabeau Levito crack jokes about keeping one another on their toes. I spoke with young St. Louis-area skaters who volunteered to haul away hundreds of pounds of stuffed animals tossed onto the ice after routines."
"There were moments that stopped me cold: Sonja Hilmer's women's short program, choreographed to the sound of her blades slicing the ice; the undeniable personality Starr Andrews brought to every movement in her Beyonce-laden program; and watching Ilia Malinin the "Quad God" in person, a skater truly in a league of his own."
Competitive figure skating pairs elite athleticism and artistry with tight-knit community bonds and fierce rivalry. Skaters, staff, volunteers, and fans demonstrate humor, practical help, and devotion, including volunteers hauling away stuffed animals tossed onto the ice. The community rallied around Maxim Naumov as he returned to nationals and medaled after his parents died in a regional jet collision with a military helicopter. Performances produced arresting moments, such as Sonja Hilmer's blade-focused short program, Starr Andrews's Beyonce-infused expressiveness, and Ilia Malinin's extraordinary jumping ability. Celebrity figures and crossover performers added color and visibility to the event.
Read at www.npr.org
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