Tag Archive for: Community Story Series

Community Story Series – The Men Behind the Music

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Take a minute and envision what figure skating would be without music? We all know that music has the ability to amplify emotions, it can pump people up, and bring up feelings of happiness or melancholy. The difference of where a beat lands, or a certain instrument enters the song, can change everything. Meet Hugo Chouinard, the owner/founder of Sk8mix and the man behind much of the music in figure skating. How many routines do Hugo and composing partner, Karl Hugo, contribute to? (Yes, they are both named Hugo 😊) Well, at this year’s Olympic Winter Games, Hugo and Karl lent their talents to 51 different athletes from 14 different countries.

This is not Hugo’s first endeavour in figure skating. He used to be an ice dancer – and a pretty good one, in fact. Hugo and his partner finished fourth on the Junior Grand Prix circuit in 1993 and used to skate on the Canadian National Team before retiring from competition in 1995. At that time, when he was just 16 years of age, Hugo began tinkering with musical arrangements for his own routines and started out on a four-track tape recorder in his bedroom. One year later, he purchased his first computer system designed solely for music editing.

Over time, word got around, and skaters started coming to Hugo with requests for their own programs. Today, what started out as a way to improve his own figure skating programs, has grown into a full-scale business. On average, Hugo creates approximately 2,200 arrangements a year, for any level of athletes, some of which include original composition by Karl.

Cool fact! Most skaters design their music to fit their routine. What does this mean, though? To design the music to fit the routine? Well, sometimes it can be slowing down the crescendo, so it hits just perfectly on the throw in a pairs program. Or, it might mean having his partner Karl compose a song for an athlete from a video of their choreography, much like how movie soundtracks are composed. In addition to this, sometimes Karl will compose a musical bridge bringing two songs together. It is all dependent on the needs of the skater for that particular routine.

So, how much is there to the music that backs figure skating programs? Quite a lot, it seems. First off, you need to find the perfect music to highlight the skaters’ skills and Hugo has put together numerous Spotify playlists to help this crucial part of the process. There are strict rules about the length of routines. In Ice Dance, you must have audible beats throughout the program, so overlay composition is frequently required to make sure there won’t be any music deductions. According to Hugo, skaters from the National level and above often continue to modify their arrangement throughout the season, as choreographers and/or athletes rearrange and fine-tune their programs. This means the finished product that is unveiled at an event, such as this year’s Olympic Winter Games, has gone through numerous iterations before we see it in competition and it may be different from one competition to another. There is so much more to music than one could imagine.

This is quite the job, as Hugo and Karl create arrangements for artistic swimming and gymnastics, as well. When you add this to the work they do in figure skating, Hugo has created over 51,000 arrangements to date, adding up to countless hours in the studio.

Hugo and Karl really are the music men of figure skating. One could also argue given his previous participation as a skater and as a coach, as well as the top music service provider to the world’s most elite figure skaters, that Hugo Chouinard lives, breathes, and genuinely loves figure skating. Hugo has found a way, through the combination of his passions, to stay involved in skating for life and his legacy will live on in legendary and recognizable figure skating programs for all time.

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Skate Canada’s Skate for Life programs support and encourage skating for well-being, health and enjoyment. Information about our programs can be found at www.skatecanada.ca.

You can find Hugo Chouinard on Instagram @sk8mixhugo and via his website https://sk8mix.pro/.

The Skate Canada Community Story Series will cover exciting stories from our sections, community skaters and coaches. If you have a story from your club or section that you would like to share with us, we would love to hear from you. Please contact Skate Canada at [email protected].

A Community Story Series – “The Harder You Work, The More Results Will Come”

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Community Story Series – Andrew Evans – Episode 4 

“The Harder You Work, The More Results Will Come” 

Andrew Evans came to his coaching career the way many athletic coaches do; he was an athlete first. At the age of five his parents enrolled him in Skate Canada’s CanSkate program at Chinguacousy FSC in Brampton, Ontario.  

As life went on, Andrew became more involved in figure skating. Originally competing as a singles skater, Andrew eventually moved to pairs and began skating with partner Carolyn MacCuish. As a team, Evans and MacCuish enjoyed some success, culminating in 2007 when they were crowned National Junior Pair Champions at the Canadian Figure Skating Championships in Halifax, Nova Scotia.  

In 2008 MacCuish and Andrew went their separate ways. For the next few years Andrew found himself working with a variety of different partners but never producing “super impressive results.” Working with new partners was bringing something out in Andrew at the time that would eventually bring him to the next step in his career, coaching. As a pairs skater working with new partners, he often found himself teaching, and sharing his experience. A skill that lends itself exceptionally well to being a coach.  

Fast forward to today, Andrew is part of the coaching team at the Canadian Ice Academy and the Mississauga Skating Academy. To Andrew being a coach means, “helping skaters achieve their goals and learning lessons along the way. High-level sports help teach athletes discipline, punctuality, respect and perseverance. All skills athletes can use further on in life.”  

Like all things, coaching requires motivation, planning, and discipline. All of this in conjunction with his ability to oversee his own success keeps him motivated. Every day he works with an athlete, “there is always a next step to take.” It is about teaching skaters that it is normal to start with a goal, such as qualifying for Sectionals, then a few years down the road to set your sights a little higher. Andrew is there to help skaters learn, the harder they work, the more the results will come. A motto he also carries with himself as he continues to develop his coaching career.  

Andrew is a reminder of how dreams develop over time. His first ambition to skate competitively has taken many forms since he started skating at five years old. The one thing that has never changed though is his love of the sport. “Figure skating is my life. It’s how I met my wife, it’s what bonds me with my best friends. It’s taught me work ethic and discipline. I could talk about it all day, every day – and often do.”  

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Skate Canada’s Skate for Life programs support and encourage skating for wellbeing, health and enjoyment. Information about our programs can be found at www.skatecanada.ca. 

You can find Andrew Evans on Instagram @coachandrewevans. 

The Skate Canada Community Story Series will cover exciting stories from our sections, community skaters and coaches. If you have a story from your club or section that you would like to share with us, we would love too here from you. Please contact Skate Canada at [email protected]. 

Community Story Series – Skating Through Time

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Written By: Melissa Dimech

I was a very energetic and athletic child. I played various sports growing up and then one day, I fell in love with figure skating!

I seemed to have a natural ability to learn, paired with a fearless attitude, which in my opinion is exactly what someone needs to progress in this sport. My favorite aspect of skating is jumping. I absolutely loved jumping when I started skating and I still do to this very day!

As years went on, I tested, competed, skated in ice shows, taught others, and grew, not only as a figure skater but as a person. Figure skating contributed to developing some very important traits – discipline, determination and hard work! Growing up in a competitive sport shaped my life in many different ways.

As time went on, I grew older, my priorities changed, and life just got in the way. However, one thing that never changed is my huge passion for skating!

I’ve had a few breaks away from skating. My first break was close to a decade, which found me returning to the sport in my mid-twenties.

Returning to skating as an adult is exciting yet terrifying at the same time. Skating as a child and skating as an adult, is very different – not only physically but mentally. As adults, we tend to over think and that over thinking is an obstacle along the way.

Fast forward to the present, I am now 40 years old, this is my third comeback and I am loving it! I started an Instagram account (@meliskates) to track my progress, gather motivation, and to help other skaters by sharing my journey and experience. I’ve made some wonderful new friends from around the world, who also share a love of skating.

I still carry the desire and drive to keep skating and I enjoy every minute on the Ice. Luckily, I have also managed to pick up some new skills along the way.

So much has changed in this sport over the last three decades and being adaptable and open to change has proved vital to me in returning to this sport.

If you’re thinking about making your own comeback, my advice to you is to believe in yourself, and do what you love! Follow your heart and you won’t be disappointed.

Being on the ice, is one of my happy places! And I will continue to skate for as long as I can.

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Skate Canada’s Skate for Life programs support and encourage skating for wellbeing, health and enjoyment.  Information about our programs can be found at www.skatecanada.ca

You can find Melissa Dimech on Instagram @meliskates

The Skate Canada Community Story Series will cover exciting stories from our sections and community skaters. If you have a story from your club or section that you would like to share with us, we would love too here from you. Please contact Skate Canada at [email protected]