Jason Brown only had two days on the ice before he had to film his submission for the Peggy Fleming Trophy.
That was a first for the 2019 and 2020 Peggy Fleming Trophy champion, and not the way he would have preferred to prepare for a competition—but 2020 is a year full of firsts. Athletes are learning to adjust in their sports just as much as the world is adjusting to daily life during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The event itself, which is in its third year, marked the first virtual competition in the sport's history. The Peggy Fleming Trophy was originally set to take place as part of the Broadmoor Open in Colorado Springs, Colorado, but when that was canceled, event organizers adapted the event to be a virtual one.
Seventeen skaters recorded their programs at their own rinks across the continent and submitted them to a remote judging panel. The performances, scores and interviews were then compiled into a 109-minute production that was released on Friday, July 17, and is
available on-demand on the U.S. Figure Skating Fan Zone.
The scores and placements remained a surprise to all the skaters except Brown, who as the winner had to film an interview for the production in advance of the release. He won with a score of 129.20, followed by
Andrew Torgashev (120.59) and
Timothy Dolensky (119.53).
"With everything going on and so much uncertainty, it was nice to still be able to do something, even if it was virtual, so I like the way they adapted it and made it work," Brown, the 2020 U.S. silver medalist and 2014 Olympian said. "It's new and it's different, and I don't think anyone knew how it was going to unfold or how submissions would work, but I think they did a great job with trying to be creative. I think the skaters enjoyed working toward a goal and being able to perform again."
Brown trains in Toronto but had returned to his hometown near Chicago in March and spent most of the quarantine period with his family. After three months away from skating, he spent the final two weeks on the ice with choreographer Rohene Ward, whom he has worked with for over 12 years. Brown then drove back to Toronto and spent 14 days self-isolating to minimize the risk of exposure before returning to the Toronto Cricket, Skating and Curling Club.
Skaters could record their programs as many times as they chose but had to submit one unedited performance. Brown recorded his program to "Melancholy" by Alexey Kosenko, which Ward had choreographed as a possible short program for the 2020-21 season, twice; it was filmed on his second and third days back on the ice.
"This was very different," Brown said. "For me, I actually had two days after I was quarantined 14 days before I had to film it. So, I only had two days to train it. I knew I didn't have the energy to do it again right then and there if I didn't do it right. I knew I would be wiped for the day if I didn't, but I think that was the pressure. I didn't have the same kind of pressure with everyone watching, the way that a competition typically feels like; that being said, you still want to get it right in one take, or as close to one take as you can."
Courtney Hicks, who finished sixth (111.48) as the highest ranking woman in a competition that combines both ladies and men's skaters in one category, recorded her program to "Sorry" by Halsey five times.
The program, which will be used for her short program this upcoming season, was choreographed by Jordan Moeller and recorded on Hicks' phone by
Sierra Venetta, both fellow Peggy Fleming Trophy competitors.
Hicks, the 2011 U.S. junior champion and an eight-time U.S. Championships competitor at the senior level, has competed in the event all three years.
"It was definitely a little bit weird," she said of performing for a competition with no audience. "It wasn't actually too difficult though, because at least knowing it was for competition and not just an exhibition or a run-through, there was still some of that pressure. Also, knowing there weren't infinite tries, you wanted to get it done well as quickly as possible because it's much easier that way."
The Peggy Fleming Trophy is unique in that it focuses on the artistry and creativity of a performance more than the short program and free skates that skaters perform throughout their regular season. Each program runs 3:30 minutes and required four jumping elements, three spinning elements, one step sequence and a signature move.
"In normal competitions you have to be really mindful of being able to do the technical elements because that's such a large portion of it, so you're much more focused on that, and the choreography tends to be not quite as intricate as it would be for Peggy Fleming," Hicks explained.
"It's really nice to hear the music and know what you want to do with it because the focus is so much less on the jumps. It's so much easier to fully perform to the music and maybe do more difficult choreography that you wouldn't usually put into a competitive program."
She watched at home in Colorado Springs, Colorado, with several of her training mates: Sonja Hilmer, Moeller, Torgashev and Venetta.
"Seeing the scores come out, watching yourself literally compete and not knowing the scores yet was really, really strange, but it was a lot of fun to sort of relax and also not be super relaxed because you don't know the outcome," Hicks said.
Brown watched solo from his home in Toronto, but had his parents, cousins, aunts and uncles watching in Chicago and texting him throughout. Though he had to be told in advance that he won, Brown did not yet know his score.
"Watching for my score was really bizarre!" he recalled. "It was so funny because it was so quick. It was like ripping off a Band-Aid. I was literally done skating and hit my final pose, then it's like, 'And the score is….' It definitely takes the suspense and anxiety away."
Brown and Hicks both say they are training as if there will be a season this fall and would prefer to be over-prepared should competitions be delayed or canceled due to the pandemic. They are also open to the idea of more virtual events if the success of the Peggy Fleming Trophy influences the look of future competitions.
"I'm all for it," Brown said. "I think the biggest thing is, as athletes, it's just so nice to work toward a goal. We're so goal-oriented and so focused on taking those steps. The biggest thing on my mind is the 2022 Olympics, and it's about taking the steps to get back on the Olympic team and to be there in Beijing. The virtual events are another way of dealing with adversity on the road to 2022, and it brings in a different challenge and a new normal."
