After a year of quiet, empty arenas, Ice Desk will welcome spectators back to live skating at 2021 Guaranteed Rate Skate America — this time, with a new cohort of hosts.
Award-winning reporter Ali Reid will join returning analyst Mirai Nagasu and first-time analyst Polina Edmunds behind the desk in The Orleans Arena.
While this weekend will be her first time reporting live for U.S. Figure Skating, Reid — who has a background in skating and journalism — is ready to connect with skating fans in Las Vegas and across the world.
"It's been so long since we've been able to watch high-caliber skating in person, and since athletes have had a live audience to cheer them on," Reid, 25, said. "We want the show to be something fans can virtually watch and still feel connected to the atmosphere of international competitions."
"People will be tuning in from all over the world," Reid said. "This is an incredible time to shine a spotlight on not only the next generation of Team USA, but those who will ultimately qualify for the Olympics."
Reid grew up figure skating at the Skating Club of Southern New Jersey, where her mother was a coach. Throughout her 17 years as an athlete, when Reid wasn't on the ice, she was in front of the camera.
Before enrolling at Emerson College to study broadcasting, Reid earned a gold medal in moves in the field and competed in the intermediate ladies division. She also competed on Team Excel's senior synchronized skating team during her freshmen year before retiring to focus on journalism.
Reid is currently a morning reporter for WFMZ-TV, a station that caters to the greater Lehigh Valley region in Pennsylvania. Her on-air work throughout her career has won both an Emmy and Gracie Award for outstanding journalism.
"The reason I landed in morning news is because I love hard news and entertaining, feature journalism," Reid said. "Finding that balance in local news is huge because I want to have a presence in my community while working toward my future goals — like working with U.S. Figure Skating."
Reid has reported in outlets across the country, with opportunities to cover local skating shows and Disney on Ice tour stops. Being on the ice again reminded her just how connected she still felt to the sport.
"When this opportunity came up, it was a no brainer," Reid said. "Combining my love for ice skating with the news world is something I've always wanted. It's a dream come true."
Reid's co-hosts are ready to get back to live skating, too.
"Although it was a necessary precaution, competitions weren't the same without the support of the crowd," Nagasu, 2018 Olympic bronze medalist (team event), said. Last year was her inaugural season as an Ice Desk host. "I'm looking forward to talking about the Olympic season and watching debuts of Olympic programs."
Edmunds, a 2014 Olympian, echoed the excitement of her co-host.
"I'm ecstatic to be a host and analyst this season," she said. "I really enjoy covering all things skating, so fans can expect analyses, interviews and fun skating chatter at Ice Desk."
Fans can tune in to Ice Desk on U.S. Figure Skating's Facebook and YouTube pages throughout the competition. The full streaming schedule can be found on the 2021 Guaranteed Rate Skate America Virtual Fan Experience.
