{"id":5506,"date":"2011-09-28T23:48:27","date_gmt":"2011-09-29T03:48:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/figureskatersonline.com\/news\/?p=5506"},"modified":"2017-09-03T21:50:36","modified_gmt":"2017-09-04T01:50:36","slug":"hochstein-aims-for-flu-shot-consistent-triple-axel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/figureskatersonline.com\/news\/2011\/09\/28\/hochstein-aims-for-flu-shot-consistent-triple-axel\/","title":{"rendered":"Hochstein aims for flu shot, consistent triple Axel"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>By Amber Lewis<\/em>
\nSpecial to Figure Skaters Online<\/em> <\/em><\/h5>\n

__________<\/p>\n

Talking to Grant Hochstein is like catching up with an old friend.\u00a0 The Detroit based skater has an easy going demeanor, likes to crack jokes and will share the best and worst parts of himself. And if there is one thing you need to know about him, it is that his love of skating is absolute and his dedication is unmatched.<\/p>\n

The road to the top hasn\u2019t been smooth for the 21 year old, but each set back only seems to make him stronger moving forward, something he hopes to show this season. Figure Skaters Online chatted with Hochstein as he prepared to leave for the Ondrej Nepala Memorial Trophy, Sept. 29-Oct. 2, in Bratislava, Slovakia.<\/p>\n

Ondrej Nepala Memorial will be Hochstein\u2019s third senior international event.\u00a0 \u201cMy main goal is to get out two really strong programs,” he said. “For the most part I\u2019ve been doing that this season.\u00a0 To keep building and keep being consistent and get that triple Axel out there this season.\u00a0 A medal would be nice, after the heart wrenching finish last season [at Finlandia].\u201d<\/p>\n

At his first senior international event last season, Hochstein skated a solid free skate but missed the medal stand by .01,<\/p>\n

He has a feeling this season will be different.\u00a0 Hochstein has performed well at his summer events, winning his second Collegiate national title and the Thornhill Summer Competition held in Canada.\u00a0 “Thornhill was a good competition and it gave me confidence to push myself even more and keep training more,” Hochstein said.<\/p>\n

He also landed his first triple Axel in competition in Ann Arbor this May.\u00a0 \u201c[The triple Axel] was a long time coming, but we went back and broke the technique down.\u00a0 It was tough but it makes it even more sweet when you work hard to do it,” said Hochstein, nothing that he\u2019s planning two triple Axels in his programs this season.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s become part of my repertoire and I expect that.\u201d<\/p>\n

He\u2019s also working on a quad but does not plan to attempt one until at least the 2012-13 season.\u00a0 \u201cThey were going really well and I was almost landing them,” Hochstein said. “They\u2019re something I need to keep working on.\u00a0 They\u2019re getting more consistent in practice.\u00a0 It\u2019ll be there next year.\u201d<\/p>\n

For the 2011-12 season, he is skating his short program to \u201cClair de Lune”. He describes his short program music as quite interesting.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s almost a reverse arrangement where the violin is the main instrument,” Hochstein\u00a0 said. “Usually it\u2019s a big orchestral version.\u00a0 This one is more subtle piano and harp in the background.\u00a0 It\u2019s gentle but strong and it\u2019s beautiful.\u00a0 I knew that\u2019s what I wanted to skate to for a really long time.\u201d<\/p>\n

His free skate was not such an easy decision, going through four different pieces of music before finally settling on \u201cThe Mission”.\u00a0 He said, \u201cI want to be able to skate to it with every ounce of my being and I love training it every single day.\u201d<\/p>\n

His favorite part of the program is that he doesn\u2019t have to play a character.\u00a0 \u201cI really love skating and that\u2019s the feeling I want to deliver with these programs.\u00a0 Regardless if you\u2019re first or last, I love skating and I want to show that off.\u201d<\/p>\n

While Hochstein is focused on skating, he is trying to balance the sport with school, making for an intense schedule. \u201cMy life is just crazy,” he said. “I go to school full time.\u00a0 I\u2019m taking 13 credit hours this semester.\u201d<\/p>\n

He attends school from 9:30 a.m.- 12:40 p.m. or 1:40 four days a week before returning home to let out his dog, Kingston.\u00a0 He then spends two-three hours on the ice in addition to working out and taking ballet and pilates classes.\u00a0 He also teaches for an hour or two each day and comes home around 6:30 in the evening to start his homework.<\/p>\n

To keep everything in check, Hochstein says that you have to leave everything else at the door.\u00a0 \u201cYou kind of have to forget everything else and focus on school when you\u2019re at school. With my schedule right now, I get to come home and have a half hour to unwind and refocus.\u00a0 It\u2019s not easy, but I\u2019ll have a degree in two years.\u00a0 A lot of other skaters can\u2019t say that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hochstein said one of the benefits of attending college is that it keeps him grounded.\u00a0 He shared an amusing story of his plight to get his absences excused in his French class while he attends his international events.\u00a0 \u201cWhen people don\u2019t know who you are it\u2019s humbling.\u00a0 I\u2019m really just a person.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hochstein started coaching to pay his bills, but has found that it is one of his passions.\u00a0 \u201cI love taking kids to competition,” he said. “It\u2019s rewarding, knowing it\u2019s my guidance that\u2019s helped them achieve the goals they\u2019ve set.\u201d\u00a0 He does admit that being behind the boards makes him more nervous than competing himself.<\/p>\n

Coaching also gives him perspective on his own skating.\u00a0 \u201cIt helps you take a step back and break things down and makes you more aware of technique and aware of body positions.\u201d<\/p>\n

Coaching is something he would like to pursue once his own career is over.\u00a0 \u201cWhen you take a step back and say when I\u2019m done skating what am I going to do, I really love teaching skating,” Hochstein said. “That\u2019s the direction I want my life to take.\u00a0 To be able to give back.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hochstein and his coach Lindsay O\u2019Donoghue have one of the longest relationships in the skating world.\u00a0 She\u2019s been his coach since he started skating at 9 years old.<\/p>\n

“Lindsay and I have a fantastic relationship,” he said. “She\u2019s been there for me for personal things and skating things.\u00a0 One of the reasons I love skating so much is that I have such a great relationship with my coach and I can share everything with her.\u00a0 I\u2019m very lucky and privileged to have her.\u00a0 It\u2019s a comfort to have someone who knows what you\u2019re thinking and knows how you\u2019re feeling without saying anything.\u00a0 I do believe she has everything it takes to take me to the Olympics.\u00a0 She knows exactly what I need and what I need from her.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hochstein also looks to close friends 2008 U.S. Novice Ladies Champion Kiri Baga and Kate Charbonneau, a Canadian skater, for support.\u00a0 \u201cOur careers have taken the same path,” he said. “We all went to Junior Worlds together and we were 5-6-7.\u00a0 Last year was a bit rough on all three of us.\u00a0 This year is the comeback year and we\u2019re turning a new leaf and riding the wave and it\u2019s fun to share it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hochstein has taken advantage of all the travel opportunities he\u2019s received as a skater.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been very fortunate that I\u2019ve gone to cool places and I\u2019ve been able to take side trips,” he said. “I love Tokyo.\u00a0 It was so out there and different.\u00a0 Budapest was beautiful.\u00a0 After Junior Worlds, I went to Paris with Kate and Kiri.\u00a0 Each place you go to is different and cool in it\u2019s own way.\u201d<\/p>\n

On his upcoming trip to Slovakia, he has a few spots he wants to hit and is going to Rome for four days after the competition.<\/p>\n

Hochstein heads into Ondrej Nepela Memorial following a disappointing 12th place showing at the 2011 U.S. Championships in January. At nationals, he caught the flu bug that was going around and competed his free skate with a 102 degree fever.\u00a0 He joked that his goal for this season is to get a flu shot.<\/p>\n

He\u2019s also aiming for a Top 6 finish at nationals.\u00a0 \u201cIf I keep working hard and I keep pushing myself every day I think it\u2019s very reasonable,” Hochstein said.<\/p>\n

He believes the key is to be aware of what everyone else is doing but not dwell on it.\u00a0 \u201cLast year I was more concerned with what other people were doing and not what I was doing.\u00a0 I can\u2019t control what other people are doing.\u00a0 I\u2019ll keep believing in myself and good things will happen.\u201d<\/p>\n

As for long term goals, it can be summed up in one number: 2014.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s something I\u2019ve always dreamed about.\u00a0 The Olympics is what everything is about.\u00a0 It\u2019s a dream since I was 9 and skating in my basement.\u00a0 I\u2019d love to say that I\u2019d stick around for 2018, but you have to be realistic about what your body can go through.\u00a0 We\u2019ll see where skating takes me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hochstein is more than willing to put in the hard work needed to make an Olympic team and understands what a long, difficult journey it can be.\u00a0 \u201cI was a very good novice,” he said. “The next year [as a junior] I got injured at sectionals and couldn\u2019t jump for a year.\u00a0 It took me a really long time to get back to where I was.\u00a0 I\u2019m older but still new at all of this. \u00a0Last year should have been my age 16.\u00a0 It was a very interesting road to take to get to where I am.\u201d<\/p>\n

One of his best attributes is his humility.\u00a0 He doesn\u2019t take anything for granted and truly appreciates every opportunity he receives.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t have things handed to me.\u00a0 When you really need to work for things, it makes it sweeter and you appreciate it more.\u00a0 This year I was really hoping to get a senior B.\u00a0 It gives you chills to hear \u2018representing the United States of America.\u2019\u00a0 It\u2019s such a privilege and so many people don\u2019t get to hear that and experience all the things I\u2019ve got to experience as a member of Team USA.\u201d<\/p>\n

He\u2019ll be chasing his first senior international medal in Slovakia, but at the end of the day, he doesn\u2019t feel that medals will define his career.\u00a0 \u201cI love skating,” Hochstein said. “I love skating so much.\u00a0 That\u2019s what I want people to remember.\u00a0 That I skate with my heart and it came across to the audience.\u00a0 Maybe I won\u2019t win the most national titles or an Olympic title but I want to people to remember me because I made them feel a certain way when I skated.\u201d<\/p>\n

__________<\/p>\n

Photo courtesy of Leah Adams<\/h5>\n

Figure Skaters Online strives to be an accurate source of information related to the sport of figure skating. To report an error, please e-mail the <\/em>news editor<\/em>. Include the article date and title in your e-mail.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Grant Hochstein starts his season at Ondrej Nepala Memorial Trophy, Sept. 29-Oct. 2, in Bratislava, Slovakia.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5506","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-challenger-series"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/figureskatersonline.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5506","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/figureskatersonline.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/figureskatersonline.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/figureskatersonline.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/figureskatersonline.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5506"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/figureskatersonline.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5506\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5873,"href":"https:\/\/figureskatersonline.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5506\/revisions\/5873"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/figureskatersonline.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5506"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/figureskatersonline.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5506"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/figureskatersonline.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5506"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}