Kulik's Krew thanks Spotlight on Skating for permission to reprint this interview which will be published by Spotlight on Skating

Kulik Still a Star on Ice

By Nicole Neroulias

“Yes, the management company decided to have me back for a while,” said 1998 Olympic champion Ilia Kulik with a laugh. “It’s the best tour around, so I’m always happy to do it. Every skater wants to do it; it’s the top-notch entertainment show in the world.”

The 27 year-old Kulik is speaking of  “Stars on Ice,” which he joined in the fall of 1998, spending four seasons as a full-time cast member. This year, he’s back for 14 guest spots, performing two solo programs and taking part in the opening and closing numbers.

The Moscow native, who took up the sport at age four, shot across the eligible skating scene like a comet. After claiming the 1995 World Junior title, he surprised everyone by winning the 1995 European Championship, defeating his countryman, 1994 Olympic champion Alexei Urmanov, in the process. The following year, he took the silver medal behind Todd Eldredge at Worlds. The next 18 months were up and down, but under the guidance of renowned coach Tatiana Tarasova the then 20 year-old Kulik peaked at precisely the right time and won the 1998 Olympic title, taking first-place marks from all nine judges with a breathtaking free program to Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue."

“It was my very best performance. The pressure was unbelievable; each practice seemed like a competition. I couldn't sleep during the day. It wasn't possible, I was so nervous. But I knew what to do on the ice," said Kulik.

These days, family comes first. Married since 2002 to Ekaterina ("Katia") Gordeeva -- who won two Olympic pair titles with her late (first) husband Sergei Grinkov -- Kulik now calls Avon, Connecticut home. In June 2001, Kulik and Gordeeva had a daughter, Elizaveta, who joined Goordeeva’s daughter Daria Grinkova. Many mornings Kulik can be found at the ice rink in nearby Newington, coaching 12 year-old Daria, who competes at the juvenile level and sometimes appears with her mother in exhibitions.

Q: You've signed on to do 14 stops with "Stars on Ice," and your Katia will appear in 28 shows. You only overlap in a handful; is that so that one of you can stay at home with the children while the other tours?

A: No, it’s just the production company’s choice. Once in a while, (the children) come with us to a show, but they are in school.

Q: How do you feel about the children skating?

A: Daria, she skates for probably about four years. The little one, we just put a couple of days ago ice skates for the first time. It was a lot of fun. It’s the perfect time to start, when they’re not afraid to fall yet, because pretty much all they do is fall all the time anyway.

Of course, I do believe that this is a very good way to raise a kid. I think it’s a very good sport to develop the character and the body. It’s a very good way to stay healthy. Also, your mind really matures because of all the critical situations you introduce. You’ve got to be very strong. It’s a great, great way to grow up. (Daria Grinkova finished fifth at the 2005 New England Regionals.)

Q: After winning the Olympics, you moved to the Los Angeles area for several years. Why did you relocate to Connecticut after living in California?

A: The ice skating time is much easier to find out here. And Katia used to live in this area for quite a while and we had so many skating friends and they all kind of moved to Connecticut. It’s very nice to be closer and to feel the support from each other. We know everybody so well, everybody’s been traveling together. You have to be close, because you go (on tours) for four months and these people become your best friends.

Q: What other skating are you doing besides “Stars on Ice”?

A: I’m doing occasional shows. I’ve been going to Europe and Japan. I was working the last couple of years in Japan a lot, so maybe this spring I will go again to Japan. I’ve got to stay in shape. I teach a little bit at the rink in Newington. I try to get back on the ice as much as possible, but with a family and a busy life, it is pretty difficult. Right now, I try to practice every day, but sometimes it’s very hard with the kids and also teaching. When I’m getting ready for the show, it’s about two or three hours a day. If I just need to stay in shape, I just go for an hour. When preparing for the Olympics, I was going six or seven hours a day.

Before a show, I dedicate myself. I go twice a day and really make myself as fit as possible. But right before a show, I just do a regular warm-up. You want to conserve your energy and really be great at the show. You don’t want to waste any energy.

Q: How difficult are your “Stars on Ice” routines?

A: I have a couple of tricks, but no quads. I hope nothing will go overboard! (Laughs) It’s a different routine. When you’re practicing for competition, the conditions are usually perfect, the lights are up and you always warm up. When you’re doing a show, it’s totally different. There are all of these lights, the ice surface is smaller and you don’t have the usual six-minute warm-up. Your program is not about difficult (elements); it’s about creating the mood and the illusion and the fun for the audience.

Q: What is your favorite part of the show?

A: It’s probably the finale. I always like finales so much because the energy just builds up through the whole show, and for the finale, I always have so much fun. The energy is just amazing. Usually the audience likes the show so much that for the finale, there is a standing ovation. People are really appreciating the whole show.

Q: The last four Olympic gold medals in men’s figure skating have been taken by countries belonging to the former Soviet Union. Why do you think this is the case, and will it continue?

A: In Russia we had big bases where skaters would be completely dedicated to their training. We ran a lot, lifted weights, and did a lot of ballet, a little dancing. We pretty much covered all-around training. We had coaches who really were checking us out the whole day long; we weren’t just getting one private lesson a day.

The system in America is very different. Sometimes, I’m amazed at how people in America are really on their own, compared to Russia, where your coach watches every step. And everything was free under the Soviet Union system.

I think right now, what you see is still the result of that. But now it’s so much changed because the system changed. Things are really changing in Russia and it will be interesting to see how it is reflected in figure skating. It was so good it will be hard for it to change positively. We’ll see how they handle it.

Q: Who are your favorite skaters to watch?

A: I enjoy watching amateur skating right now. I see how the guys are progressing with the quads. The new system is really confusing me, too. I’ve been doing it my whole life long, but it takes a while for me to realize what’s going on. I watch mostly Russian skaters, because we’re all such good friends. We’ve been traveling all the time and practicing all the time together. But I cannot say who I’m rooting for, because we really have a close community. (Laughs)

Q: What is your advice for aspiring figure skaters?

A: Under this new (judging) system, I’d try to say something, but then I might find out that it’s not going to get them any points! I’ve been out of the amateur loop for too long.  You have to have love for the sport. Do it every day, and you’ll be good enough, but you’ve got to have love for the sport.