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Wednesday, Nov 25, 2009
Call him talented, call him Tinkerbell, just don't call him Esther: Skater Johnny Weir talks about training, Kabbala and Michelle Kwan's dowdy look.
Mar 16, 2005 | At age 20, two-time U.S. National Figure Skating Champion Johnny Weir is America's best hope for a medal at this week's World Championships in Moscow (he is currently in 7th place, entering Thursday night's free skate), and a real threat to break Russia's domination of the event at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino, Italy. We met over coffee during his recent stay in New York to talk about the road to the Olympics, Russia's Evgeni Plushenko, and the challenge of drawing attention to the men's side of a sport historically dominated by women. Our conversation touched upon Weir's practice of Kabbalah, his love of fur, and his reverence for Paris Hilton.
As we talked, I began to sense that I was in the presence of something entirely new in the world of men's figure skating: a man who has never asked himself the age-old puzzler, What would Brian Boitano do? Indeed, Johnny Weir is an original. From his new love to his new Balenciaga bag to his old nickname "Tinkerbell," almost nothing was off the table in a wide-ranging talk with America's next great gold medal contender.
What is it like to be so exalted at such a young age?
It's really interesting because a few years ago I had a lot of problems with my skating and with how things were going in my competitions and things, so a lot of people started to write me off and say, "Oh, he's not going to really culminate and become what we think he can be." So to kind of shove it in everyone's face, and show everyone that I can do this, and that I was really born to skate and that sort of thing, it's really the icing on the cake.
What was your point of inflection?
I had trouble in the nationals in Dallas, which is 2003, and I hit the, the wall, when I was competing.
Literally or figuratively?
Really, I hit the wall. Like, I was stuck in between the ice and the wall, and I fell down and I kind of popped my back out of place, and I got up and I was so stunned, like I just went, "Oh my God!" And, um, people thought I was faking it and then I tried to keep going with the program and I fell again. My kneecap, like, moved out place. So I was really injured, and I stopped ... I decided, you know, I'm not going to hurt myself anymore. I'm done.
And I took a lot of criticism for that.
And that was, at the same time, what allowed you to come back and become a champion?
Because without something bad happening I don't think you can really appreciate the good times in things, and that's in anything, your career, your personal life, or anything like that.
Your style has been original, but at the same time you are in a sport historically dominated by women. How do you think that the way that you see the sport differently could affect its place in the American sports psyche?
Well I'm kind of hoping that with all of the young skaters right now, since most of us are 20 or younger, um, that it kind of brings a new generation into the sport ... But my style, personally, is just me being free and trying to express myself, and figure skating is different from other sports because you have the opportunity to be athletic but at the same time you can make it an art form and really present yourself in a different light, and not do things the same way that everyone else does. And that's just always been my philosophy on my skating, and I love being a little bit different than my competitors and it's nice. And I'm hopefully going to inspire younger skaters to be their own skater, and kind of march to their beat.
You have a real interest in fashion. Who are some of your favorite designers? Did you watch "Project Runway"?
I don't watch TV. I just tune in for "The Simple Life." Have you seen it yet, with Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie?
I saw Season 1. Not Season 2.
Season 2's done now, and they're on Season 3. So that's the only TV I watch.
Are you a Paris Hilton fan?
Yeah, I think she's hilarious.
What do you like about her?
I like that she's famous for really not doing anything. And I like her because she rolls with it and she is a huge celebrity now, and she's famous for being famous, as someone quoted at one point, and she definitely goes to her own tune, and I think that's admirable ... But as far as design and stuff, I like the people that are a little bit different. As far as women's clothing, I really like Heatherette. I think they're crazy with everything they do with the rhinestones and the paint, and I think it's very cool. But as far as stuff I wear, I just like things that are different and things that are well made. And it doesn't necessarily have to be a Roberto Cavalli jacket or, um, like a Balenciaga bag. Which I bought yesterday.
