"Swiss interviews" on Absolute Skating

[reut]

Peter Grütter and Salomé Brunner talk about their past and present students.

Catching up with Mister Grütter
http://www.absoluteskating.com/inter...3gruetter.html

Salomé Brunner: "I work with the people who really want to create"
http://www.absoluteskating.com/inter...mebrunner.html

The situation with Swiss skating is pretty sad at the moment, I'd say...

[spikydurian]

Thanks reut. Aren't there any promising young Swiss skaters in the pipeline?

[kirkbiggestfan]

Anna Ovcharova and Salome Brunner. What a dream pairing! Anyone has recent videos with this years' choreography?

[kwanfan1818]

Thank you so much, reut!

[dinakt]

Thank you so much, Reut! So far I only read Brunner's interview; I absolutely loved it. I wish she choreographed more for current competitive skaters. Can't wait to see Anna O.'s programs next year.

[Katarzyna]

Thank you, reut!

Can't wait to see Anna O.'s programs next year.

Me too!

[pinky166]

Excited to see Ovcharova competing internationally again next season, I do not really care that her jump technique is (and hopefully it's improved under Grutter, who is a good technical coach) because she is so voidy and expressive . I'm pulling for her to make Euros so there can be a voidy diva showdown between Glebova, Silete, and herself

[pinky166]

Also the Filipino girl, Paricheto (sp?) I think, has skated quite well at a few big events this season and is also coached by Grutter I believe.

[reut]

Glad you liked the interviews. At least one more to come.

Aren't there any promising young Swiss skaters in the pipeline?

Both Grütter and Lambiel are absolutely excited about one boy, Noah. Peter talks about him a bit in his interview and you can see his photo. He works with Peter in Geneva and once a week he also worked with Stéphane in Lausanne (Stéphane started to teach there once a week a few children). But he is still very-very young.

Anna Ovcharova and Salome Brunner. What a dream pairing! Anyone has recent videos with this years' choreography?

I couldn't find any unfortunately. And I was really curious to see what they created for this season.

Thank you so much, Reut! So far I only read Brunner's interview; I absolutely loved it. I wish she choreographed more for current competitive skaters.

Me too, I wish she did... But she is not the one who will make the first step. Even those a few who worked with her this season (Adrian, Justus), it was their initiative, not hers. Probably she feels absolutely "fulfilled" artistically working with Stéphane... And they work together a lot: during the last three seasons he is not competing they choreographed around 15(!) programs for him.

Also the Filipino girl, Paricheto (sp?) I think, has skated quite well at a few big events this season and is also coached by Grütter I believe.

I guess you didn't read the interview? Because Peter talks about her there.
Her name is Alisson Perticheto. And once she represented Switzerland.

[npavel]

... I wish she choreographed more for current competitive skaters. ...

As far as I know she worked for Opera on Ice. I don't know exactly, but she was there and I think she is the official choreographer and worked with Stephan and Carolina

[reut]

As far as I know she worked for Opera on Ice. I don't know exactly, but she was there and I think she is the official choreographer and worked with Stephan and Carolina

Yes, she works with "Opera on Ice" and "Art on Ice" productions. Most of the photos in the interview were taken during the rehearsals of the "Opera on Ice" actually. A bit more about her work with Carolina and Stéphane can be found here.

But it can't be called a "choreography for current competitive skaters" dinakt and I were sorry about.

[IceIceBaby]

Thanks! Stephane's eye problems caused by the spins sound scary. I guess all the exceptional spinners have to pay a some sort of price eventually.

[pinky166]

Haha I had only read the second article, about Brunner, at that point. Now I read the other and you are right, thanks. I really enjoyed Allison's Sleeping Beauty program this season.

[Sylvia]

Here is Alisson Perticheto's "Sleeping Beauty" FS, choreographed by Peter Grütter, at 2013 Junior Worlds (her current ISU personal best FS score): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shvigWldk9w

She will be 16 in September and placed 5th in her senior international debut at Gardena Spring Trophy this week (88.30 3rd in FS, 137.05 total). Her ISU bio: http://www.isuresults.com/bios/isufs00013053.htm

Thanks very much for the interviews, reut!

[manleywoman]

Thanks! Stephane's eye problems caused by the spins sound scary. I guess all the exceptional spinners have to pay a some sort of price eventually.

That does seem to be the case. But then, the jumpers get bionic hips, so . . .

[Katarzyna]

Thanks! Stephane's eye problems caused by the spins sound scary. I guess all the exceptional spinners have to pay a some sort of price eventually.

Lucinda Ruh – reading in her biography what ultra-fast spinning can do to one’s body was scary!

I hope Stephane takes care of his body now, though I wish he’d decided to comeback for Sochi with big jumps still working. But I always thought that beside personality he`s also such a great skater, as his motivation was not so much winning medals, but passion and love for the sport and deep desire to perform.


This part of the article on Ovcharova really made me sad:

And I think she really loves skating. Her mother said to me that now she got her girl back, now Anna is like she was when she was little, with this happiness in her like when she was a child. During the hard times Anna had lost this happiness.

Gives you an impression how hard competition is in Russia among the girls and how it gets even harder when skaters get injured / in troubles in such a fierce field.

[Celine82]

I was lucky enough to see Anna Ovcharova's programs this past season, they were brilliant. I didn't actually know her other than by name and hearsay ("Mr Grütter has a lovely new Russian girl" kind of talk) and was just blown away by her short program. I was actually shaking through it, it was absolutely gorgeous. The free was nice, too, but I prefered the short. I can't wait to see what they come up with next and I really hope that she gets to represent Switzerland.

[reut]

Thanks! Stephane's eye problems caused by the spins sound scary. I guess all the exceptional spinners have to pay a some sort of price eventually.

It was sad and scary indeed. Luckily after a month and a half pause this summer he was able to come back to ice. He says he learned a new technique of how to spin and breath. Some say he now spins more slowly too, don't know, didn't notice that.
And it's not only eyes. His back often needs special treatment and massages, he said. Also because all the spins are made in one direction they make his body develop unproportionally. They even thought it was one of the reasons for the serious adductor injury he had back in 2008, the one which made him to retire.
Me personally I would love him not to spin at all. There is so much more in his skating than his brilliant spinning ability. On the other hand I read here in some feedback for the show that someone was upset because Stéphane didn't perform some specific spin. I guess he can't stop spinning because people always expect him to spin...

Here is Alisson Perticheto's "Sleeping Beauty" FS, choreographed by Peter Grütter, at 2013 Junior Worlds (her current ISU personal best FS score): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shvigWldk9w

I know this is what profile states but I'm quite surprised to see Peter mentioned as a choreographer. Never heard of him choreographing for his students. Usually Salomé is the one who choreographs for his students, but I don't know what was the case here. Still, not sure the profile is correct...

That does seem to be the case. But then, the jumpers get bionic hips, so . . .

Stéphane had surgeries on his both knees too. The sport on such a high level is very dangerous and bad for the body, for jumpers, spinners and all the others... Unfortunately they pay a very high price for us to enjoy watching them all...

I hope Stephane takes care of his body now, though I wish he’d decided to comeback for Sochi with big jumps still working. But I always thought that beside personality he`s also such a great skater, as his motivation was not so much winning medals, but passion and love for the sport and deep desire to perform.

He definitely had the very strong motivation to win medals. Without it he wouldn't be who he is.

[spikydurian]

Stéphane had surgeries on his both knees too. The sport on such a high level is very dangerous and bad for the body, for jumpers, spinners and all the others... Unfortunately they pay a very high price for us to enjoy watching them all...

I agree with you that although Stephane's spins is well known, he is a very rounded skater and has more to offer than spins. If the spins are giving him those health issues, then he should stop or slow down his spins. He's a popular performer and his other aspects of his skating skills can draw people other than spins.

That's right isn't it. These elite skaters endure bodily injuries to reach elite level skating and we benefit by watching their displays of brilliance but yet some people find it so easy to criticise and belittle these skaters when they feel justified to do so.

[Katarzyna]

He definitely had the very strong motivation to win medals. Without it he wouldn't be who he is.

He definitely had. With not so much I meant less than others like e.g. Joubert or Plushenko, who are still competing (and struggling ). I think it’s great that Stephane can now show his very best as a professional skater.

On the other hand I read here in some feedback for the show that someone was upset because Stéphane didn't perform some specific spin. I guess he can't stop spinning because people always expect him to spin....

If some spectators are upset in ways of criticizing that Stephane cut down the level of his spins despite they harm him, then I'd recommend they go out and try themselves.

That's right isn't it. These elite skaters endure bodily injuries to reach elite level skating and we benefit by watching their displays of brilliance but yet some people find it so easy to criticise and belittle these skaters when they feel justified to do so.