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WKLB Radio Interview Transcript | | Location: | WKLB 99.5 in Boston, MA | | Date: | April 16, 1999 (airdate) taped the previous week | | Participants: | Todd Eldredge interviewed by JW | | Transcribed by: | Mary | JW: This weekend's a very busy weekend for everybody in town. We've got the marathoners heading in for the 103rd running of the Boston Marathon on Monday. Also, coming into the FleetCenter, a very special show, John Hancock Champions on Ice. And I had a chance a couple of days ago to speak with our very own Todd Eldredge who's from the Chatham area. And what I want to do for you now is to play back that interview. We talked about all kinds of things in skating so if you don't mind we'll play the interview now. This is me and Todd Eldredge, we did this a couple of days ago right here at WKLB. It's 11 minutes after 7:00 o'clock.
JW: My guest right now is five time US Champion and 1996 World Champion, Chatham's Todd Eldredge. Todd, thank you for joining us this morning.
Todd Eldredge: Thanks for having me.
JW: And you're in town because well, a. you're from this area and you've got friends in this area and also John Hancock Champions on Ice, two shows at the FleetCenter, this Sunday. Now what's it like doing a show like this.
Todd Eldredge: Oh, it's a lot of fun. This year, it's kind of a new thing for us, we have a whole new closing number that Sarah Kawahara's choreographing for us and it should be a fun theme. It's a little swing thing going on there.
JW: It's a swing thing, so it's going to be like Gap Khaki.
Todd Eldredge: Ah, I really don't know as far as the outfits go yet, we'll see what they do for us.
JW: Now the line up, not only is it you, but Michelle Kwan and Oksana Bauil and Brian Boitano, Viktor Petrenko. Now we have all these quality skaters for one night or one afternoon, two shows, how does everybody vie for ice time. Are there fights backstage? Do you draw straws on who gets the most minutes.
Todd Eldredge: Yeah, whoever gets the longest straw gets the most minutes, no. No, we all have set practice schedules that we all do and the guys practice at a certain time, the ladies, and the pairs and the dance all do separate times.
JW: Tell me about some of the backstage stuff that's happened. Can you tell any of the wild antics? Who's the wildest character of the group?
Todd Eldredge: (laughing) Uh, gosh, everybody has their own little *different* thing going on...
Linz hotel rooms JW: Annoying habits.
Todd Eldredge: Yeah, there really isn't like one person that's a certain standout that does kind of goofy things to everybody else. Everybody kind of plays jokes on everybody. (Laughing)
JW: Let's talk a little bit right now about the current state of competitive skating. You've always been a very powerful skater, and a very elegant skater as well. What do you think of the current status where we have all these people doing quads and it seems like you have to be this incredible athlete now to perform on ice. Do you think athleticism is taking up too much of the judges' scoring right now.
Todd Eldredge: , I don't think that there is too much emphasis placed on the jumps. I think there is a lot obviously and I think that's normal for any sport, it's a progression and it's one of those things that everybody tries to raise the level and raise the bar and as long as they don't lose sight of what general skating is all about and edges and the flow and things like that, then I don't see any problem with it.
JW: What about the recent controversy of the judges at the Worlds in Helsinki where apparently a couple of judges were playing footsie with each other and trying to give away some signals as to how they were going to be scoring.
Todd Eldredge: I didn't actually see the coverage that they had on the TV but to hear about it and if you've seen that that kind of thing goes on, it's interesting. I don't know, it's crazy and I mean those are a couple of different people, there's a panel of nine up there and if only two people are doing it, then it's not so bad, but if only one person can make the difference.
JW: I'm sure he's got a Dr. Scholl's contract now coming up one of these judges afterwards. (Todd laughs)
JW: Now when you're performing, do you ever look the judges in the eye, when you're going around?
Todd Eldredge: Oh yeah, oh, definitely yeah. You know, you want to have contact with the audience as well as the judges and I think that can kind of bring them into your routine. You know, whatever you're doing, the feeling you're trying to get across if you have eye contact with them, that really I think that includes them in your routine.
JW: Just like you know the skaters on the circuit, do you know the judges, too?
Todd Eldredge: Some of them. Some I do because I've been around the sport for long enough years, enough years, and you see some familiar faces and then that's always fun though when you're kind of going around and you see somebody that has judged you before and you have kind of a rapport with, it makes it a little easier out there.
JW: Some pitchers keep books on umpires, do you keep books on judges? (chuckling)
Todd Eldredge: I don't have any books, but a lot of times when you look at the list of judges when they're drawn before you go to an event, you look at the list and you go, oh, no, not that one. (Laughing). Yeah, the names, but, no books.
JW: I mean it must drive you crazy, but it drives my wife and me nuts the way judges sometimes will judge skating events. They are their own opinions and they're supposed to judge within certain parameters but other than that it's their own call.
Todd Eldredge: Yeah, well, that's what's so great about this John Hancock Champions on Ice - there's no judges. (Laughing) So we love it. We just go out and have fun.
JW: Do you, is there somebody on the tour that you like to compete against?
Todd Eldredge: Uh, actually Elvis Stojko and myself, we've been competing against each for the last ten years and we have a good rapport. We're both kind of into cars, we like cars a lot and he has a Porsche and I have a Ferrari so we ...
JW: Oh nice (laughing)
Todd Eldredge: We got together in Detroit a couple of years ago and had pictures taken with our cars and stuff.
JW: Any skaters that you don't like to skate with or against?
Todd Eldredge: Not really, no, basically I'm out there doing what I want to do and I don't, I try not to let anybody else interfere with that and I don't really notice anybody trying to be a nuisance or anything like that and, I think everybody respects each other and what they have to do to go out there and do their best and just kind of say, well, okay give it your best shot and, do that it that way more or less.
JW: Who do you think is at the top of their game as far as men and women?
Todd Eldredge: Well, Michelle Kwan, obviously, even though she didn't win the World Championships this year, she's probably one of the best female skaters that the US has ever produced and as far as the guys, Alexei Yagudin who's won the Worlds last year and then again this year he's a fantastic skater. He's done a lot and he's still only, I think, 19, so (laughing).
JW: Yeah, what's with those Russians, they used to just win pairs and dance and now they're taking the individual crowns.
Todd Eldredge: Oh, they took everything this year (laughing). But, no, it's, they have a great program over there I guess I think. I talked to a couple of them and a lot of them said that, they're a lot hungrier to do well so that they can end up where they can actually leave Russia because of the problems they've had over there and different things like that. You know, that way they can kind of get out and come over here and tour around for a little bit.
JW: Did you see that Lucinda Row, is her name Rauh.
Todd Eldredge: Lucinda Ruh,
JW: Ruh is her name? From Switzerland?
Todd Eldredge: Yeah
JW: Was that phenomenal? That spinning she did.
Todd Eldredge: She's unbelievable. I don't know how she keeps the speed that she does and gets into some of those positions. It's unbelievable.
JW: And they were focusing on the fact that she could spin so fast in one little teeny area.
Todd Eldredge: Yeah.
JW: And just do so many bizarre moves with her body while she's spinning around. I was just flabbergasted by that.
Todd Eldredge: For her, for her to stay in that one area and to spin that fast, with all those different positions, I don't know how she does it, it is, it's amazing.
JW: So, now, I want to say again John Hancock Champions on Ice, Sunday, April 18 at the FleetCenter, two shows and what can we expect from your routine?
Todd Eldredge: Well, I've got a new routine this year.,
JW: What music are you using?
Todd Eldredge: It's music from the play Chess, the song's called Pity the Child and it's, it's kind of along the same lines as some of the routines that I've done before and it's not slow, but it's a kind of a slow, powerful piece of music and a lot of emotion. So it's, it's.
JW: It's all in your pieces.
Todd Eldredge: Yeah, yeah, one of these days I'll do something off the wall and crazy...
JW: We like that about you.
Todd Eldredge: ..but uh not this year. (Laughing)
JW: We like that about you. Because you do that so well.
Todd Eldredge: Thanks.
JW: John Hancock Champions on Ice, this goes on for how long and then what are you doing after that. I'm talking about 1999 what are your plans for the year?
Todd Eldredge: We go through til June 19.
JW: Okay.
Todd Eldredge: And then, after that, I've got a few celebrity golf tournaments that I'm playing in and just kind of take the summer and take it easy and get new material ready for next season.
JW: Now you retained your eligibility?
Todd Eldredge: Right
JW: Now what does that mean, is there a difference now between amateur and pro. Has it changed in the last few years?
Todd Eldredge: Uh, well, it's, it's really a fine line, let me tell you. It's there's certain, if you want to keep your eligibility you have to do events that are sanctioned by either our governing body USFSA or the International Skating Union. You don't do an event... or if you do an event that isn't sanctioned by them, then you lose your eligibility and you can't compete at the World Championship or the Olympics or any of that. I've kept that eligibility and hopefully next year I'll do the same thing that I did this year with kind of doing some of the Open competitions and pro-ams more or less and then hopefully retain the eligibility and see what happens a couple of years down the road for the Olympics in 2002.
JW: That's great, but I don't want to make it seem like your old, but you've been doing this for awhile and you do it very well, so I can't see why not for a couple of years longer and.
Todd Eldredge: Yeah, well as long as you stay in good shape, you can go as long as you want.
JW: As long as Scott Hamilton?
Todd Eldredge: Yeah (laughing) Exactly.
JW: He's almost as old as Dick Button now, isn't he?
Todd Eldredge: Well, I don't know about that. (Laughing) No, I think he just turned 40 last year, so he's .. And he's doing great.
JW: 1996 World Champion, 5 time US National Champion (he's clapping). Chatham's Todd Eldredge this Sunday at the FleetCenter, John Hancock Champions on Ice. Have fun and come back and visit us again.
Todd Eldredge: I will
JW: Todd Eldredge at the studio just a couple of days ago as he's getting ready for the big show, two shows, Sunday in the afternoon and the evening at the FleetCenter. It's John Hancock Champions on Ice as I just stated so it should be a lot of fun and just a ton of skaters that you know and you've been following for years will be over there performing so head on out if you get the chance, get some tickets.
prenotazione locanda Turin Hank: Nice job JW
JW: Get them tickets. Todd's a very nice guy. | |
