Grant Hochstein has retired: “Skating has been more than just a sport; it has shaped me into who I am as a person.”

Sylvia

Sylvia

Flight #5342: I Will Remember You
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Congratulations to Grant on a long and rewarding career. I'm happy that he sounds so fulfilled and will continue to make skating his life. And I'm really happy that he stayed in long enough to have those wonderful, memorable peak performances late in his career. All the best to him and Caroline! :cheer2::respec::encore:
 
Thank you, for sharing your gifts and love of the sport with all of us.

You are already imparting your knowledge and wisdom to the "next wave".
Your students are fortunate to have you and Caroline as their coaches, mentors and inspiration.

I wish you both much joy, happiness and accomplishment in the years to come.
 
Sylvia said:
USFS published a press release today; here's a "farewell" interview published today by FSO: http://figureskatersonline.com/news...t-it-has-shaped-me-into-who-i-am-as-a-person/

ETA that Grant made Nationals at every level starting from Juvenile in 2003 to Senior this past season (15 times total) and only missed qualifying once (in 2006 in his first year as a Junior).
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Great interview with Grant. I will miss him. His students will be lucky to have him and Caroline to guide them. And best wishes to them on their upcoming wedding!
 
I do think sometimes some soundtracks are too bombastic though I get so sick of certain gorgeous, wonderful classical pieces that are recycled over and over again. Of course this happens with soundtracks too. "Les Mis" is one of those soundtracks and yet it felt fresh to me when Grant used it. I believe Grant does as good a job as Paul Wylie did at finding the music that moved him. I often enjoyed his selections and his emotion-filled interpretations. I thought him truthful. No wonder one would never want to leave the ice. I look forward to seeing his students (and their musical selections.) Congratulations Grant on a sterling career. We will hear more from you in the years to come. (And Caroline is awesome too!)
 
Great interview with Grant. Grant was the highlight of my Worlds 2016 trip to Boston. Since I waited until the last minute to decide to go and buy tickets, my seats were probably the worst in the house. I was so far away that I don't really remember most of the other skaters' performances because they all looked like little ants down below. What I do remember is that Grant really brought the house down with his amazing, musical and carefree performance. Everyone up to the cheap seats, where I was at, was standing, clapping and cheering for him way before the end of his program. A couple of older ladies near me even asked where he was from and how old he was. I think he was the highlight of the entire free skate, at least in my opinion. Grant is definitely another one of the skaters I would love to have a lesson with, if only I lived closer. Wishing him and Caroline a wonderful career in coaching!
 
Best of luck to Grant Hochstein! And congrats to him and Caroline Zhang on finding each other and committing to forging a life together. :cheer2:

The beauty of Grant's skating and his dedication to pushing himself to be the best he could be is a stellar example of what the sport is all about. How lucky we are to have witnessed Grant's career up close and personal. :encore: And how lucky are his students and the sport he has graced so courageously for so many years!

A huge shout out also to Peter Oppegard and Karen Kwan Oppegard (his coaches/choreographer). And to Michelle Kwan whom Grant has so eloquently praised for inspiring him to be the skater he made himself into.

Grant exemplifies the reasons why I love this sport so much. The wonderful people, the magic they create from generation to generation, the lessons learned and passed on. :saint:

Thank you Grant Hochstein! Many continued blessings to you and to those you love.
 
Aww, Hochstein! I just loved his blend of technique and presentation. He never really was given the "artist" title like Brown and Rippon, but to me, he was every bit as artistic. And the 2016 Worlds LP and 2018 nationals SP are some of my very favorite performances of the quad. :respec:

Hochstein was also the inadvertent subject of one of my favorite skating memories with Mr. Grace. It was Mr. Grace's first time seeing live skating, and he was kinda lost. So I started telling him how to identify jumps and told him a good "cheat" for the toe loop is that it's the only jump where the skater is on the right foot and picks with the left. Then the next skater to skate was Hochstein. We watched and when he finished, Mr. Grace proudly says, "That guy did four toe loops!" At which point I had to back up and say, 'no, those were lutzes and flips. Hochstein rotates the opposite way so everything I just told you is backwards for him.' :rofl:

Thankful for the memories and looking forward to seeing him coach.
 
And now having finished reading the interview and seeing Grant's message to fans, I'm crying. Thank you Grant for sharing your career with us, and for being such a wonderful human being. Kudos to you and to Caroline for keeping your upcoming wedding private and personal. Have a blessed day full of memories you will always cherish and fondly recall.

I also want to thank Grant and Caroline for caring about animals and for sharing the story about their pets and the cats they have helped. Anyone who is feeding outdoor cats should do everything they can to try trapping and neutering (with help from a local animal group) so that the strays can get medical care, and spaying/neutering, which will cut down on the unwanted cat population. Those strays who can't be domesticated can be released back to their outdoor territory, if they are in a safe area where they will continue to be fed.

And dearest Grant, please don't be sad about the stray mother cat you rescued no longer allowing you to pet her. I think she was letting you know during the time she allowed contact that she understands you are trying to help her and she was thanking you. Because she's been outdoors for so long, it will be difficult for her to accept staying indoors. Having her freedom is in her blood. So after thanking you, she may have pulled back because she may not want to take the step of completely depending on you. She may not be able to give up her independence. One thing you can try is finding an animal behaviorist/communicator or cat whisperer to attempt communicating with the cat and finding out what she wants. It is possible. Not through words, but there is a mechanism for it which skilled, intuitive specialists are able to accomplish. I'm sure you can find a good local animal communication specialist in your area of California, if you want to go that route. If not, you may have to simply release the mother cat back outdoors and continue to feed her. ETA: With time, attention and patience, it might be possible for the cat to accept full reliance on human care, but only if that is what she truly desires.

Thank you so much for rescuing your sweet pets: dog Kingston, and cats Qui Qui, and Daisy, and for finding homes for the kittens you couldn't keep. :saint:
 
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I always enjoyed Grant's skating because he has such musicality and was so expressive on the ice. He had a quiet elegance to his basic skating. Plus he has such a great personality and was always so enthusiastic. I wish him the best on this next stage of his life, and am so glad he had a moment like Worlds in Boston to highlight his skating career.
 
Grant's skating was always sublime. He brought the old war horses to life! Boston 2016 was a glorious moment that I too will never forget. I will miss him very much and I add my best wishes for a peaceful and content life mixed with more moments of pure joy.
 
blue_idealist said:
I'll be sad to see him go. Caroline hasn't announced anything either way, has she?
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No, she hasn't officially announced anything although she's coaching along with Grant. Seeing how dismal the Chinese female skaters have been, perhaps Caroline has been courted to compete for China??? (Just totally speculating.) Her triple loop-triple loop is pretty impressive, and she can still do a Biellmann although her trademark "pearl" spin is gone. Wouldn't that be exciting if Caroline could represent China in 2022?
 
livetoskate said:
No, she hasn't officially announced anything although she's coaching along with Grant. Seeing how dismal the Chinese female skaters have been, perhaps Caroline has been courted to compete for China??? (Just totally speculating.) Her triple loop-triple loop is pretty impressive, and she can still do a Biellmann although her trademark "pearl" spin is gone. Wouldn't that be exciting if Caroline could represent China in 2022?
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Hmm, never thought of that! It would be nice to see her compete if she still wants to, whether that's for the US or China.
 
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