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The Figure Skaters Online chatroom gives fans the unique opportunity to engage in live conversation with world class athletes who have their official Web sites hosted at Figure Skaters Online. Skaters that have participated in the live chats include Brad Griffies, who competed in senior men's at the U.S. Championships, and former Eastern Sectional Champion Brittney McConn. World Championship team member Jennifer Kirk also held a live chat with fellow Boston Skating Club competitor Colette Irving, a former U.S. Champion as a novice Johnny Weir also participated in a live chat with fans before the Grand Prix season started in fall 2005. On a break from the Champions on Ice tour in July 2006, Evan Lysacek also held a live chat. No chats are currently scheduled at this time. [TOP] Figure Skaters Online contests give visitors the chance to win prizes while surfing through the nearly twenty Figure Skaters Online athlete pages. Many of the contests focus on answering trivia questions, finding hidden links and solving puzzles. Figure Skaters Online is currently running the By the Numbers contest through Jan. 27. Four lucky fans who use clues about Figure Skaters Online athletes to find a secret number will win a signed cover of Vital magazine autographed by 2007 U.S. Champions Brooke Castile and Ben Okolski. To enter, visit the contest page on Figure Skaters Online's Guide to the U.S. Championships. A previous contest, "Johnny Weir: Poetry on Ice," asked fans of Johnny Weir to write original poems about the 2006 Olympian. From the more than 100 participants, Renate Linnenkoper from The Netherlands was selected as the winner by Weir and his mother Patti.
To read selected poems, visit the "Johnny Weir: Poetry on Ice" page. Winners of previous contests have received Champions on Ice post show passes to meet the Figure Skaters Online skaters who participate in the summer tour. Other contest prizes included autographed photos, subscriptions to skating magazines and other skating memorabilia. The most recent "Mystery Skater" contest asked visitors to use clues to figure out which Figure Skaters Online athlete is profiled. The contest ran through the end of January. Visitors who solved the mystery of the "Mystery Skater" contest were entered for a chance to win an autographed 8x10 photo of the mystery skater, Alissa Czisny, competing in 2005 at Skate America. The photo was donated by Leah Adams. Sidarta of Richmond, Virginia, won the photo. [TOP]
The Figure Skaters Online interviews give fans the unique opportunity to ask questions—from serious to silly—to the nationally ranked athletes who have their official Web sites hosted at Figure Skaters Online. Former Figure Skaters Online athletes and even athlete's fans have also had the opportunity to field questions for interviews. Currently in the hot seat is 2006 Nebelhorn Trophy and 2007 Finlandia Trophy silver medalist Parker Pennington. Since making his senior debut at the 2002 U.S. Championships in Los Angeles, Pennington has qualified for every national championship since, with his highest placements being sixth in 2003 and seventh in 2007. Pennington is the 1998 U.S. Novice Men's Champion. After winning his first national crown, he went on to win three straight medals on the junior level. He is the 1999 U.S. Championship junior men's bronze medalist, 2000 U.S. Championship junior men's silver medalist and 2001 U.S. Junior Men's Champion. He has skated in 12 events on the Junior Grand Prix series. Pennington finished first at 2000 Junior Grand Prix Czech Republic, finished fifth at 2000 Junior Grand Prix Ukraine, second at 2002 Junior Grand Prix Arizona, second at 2002 Junior Grand Prix Italy, third at 2002 Junior Grand Prix Final and finished first at 2003 Junior Grand Prix Poland. Pennington is no longer accepting questions. [TOP]
For Mother's Day 2007, fifteen Figure Skaters Online athletes took the time to thank their mothers—for everything from 5 a.m. drives to the rink to listening to them talk on long airplane rides—by posting a message on the special Mother's Day page. Many skaters also contributed photos of them posing with their moms in various places from a California pier, to the streets of Paris, to Times Square, to the World Junior Championships and more. [TOP]
How is John Coughlin spending his summer? What three things would Naomi Nari Nam want to have on an island? Who would Johnny Weir cast as himself in a movie? What book is Dan Hollander reading? Published during the summer months of the off-season, the Figure Skaters Online "Summer Series" provides visitors with the opportunity learn about the interests and opinions athletes have beyond the sport of figure skating. The 2007 series has athletes weighing in on everything from Blades of Glory to current American President George W. Bush. Other questions include:
In the 2006 series, more than a dozen Figure Skaters Online athletes revealed interesting responses to questions about everything from eating lunch to magazine covers. Questions included:
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