Breakout Season for Canada's Craig

Marc Andre Craig

June 25, 2006
Article & Photo © J. Barry Mittan 

Canada's Marc Andre Craig had a breakout season in 2005-06. The 23-year-old from Sherbrooke, Quebec finished sixth in seniors at Canadian Nationals, then capped off his season by finishing fourth at the Four Continents Championships. Craig has reached the podium in three of his other four senior international competitions in the past two seasons, winning the 2004 Nebelhorn Trophy, taking the silver at the 2005 Golden Spin of Zagreb and placing third at the 2004 Finlandia Trophy. He has progressed slowly but steadily at Canadians, improving each season since a 19th place finish at his first senior Canadians in 2002.

"I actually skated pretty decently at Nationals," he said, "but I missed the triple axel. I was happy about the results and really happy about the short. I'm hoping to compete for at least the next four years, maybe longer if I continue getting better every year like now." After the season, Craig got his first taste of professional show skating when he participated with Elvis Stojko, Kurt Browning and Brian Orser among others in the Celebration On Ice tour in March 2006, his first tour ever.

Craig began skating when he was six because his older sister was a skater. He landed his first triple salchow at 12 and has landed all the jumps through the triple axel. During the summers, Craig has worked on both a quadruple salchow and quad toe loop, landing both but only two-footed. He is used a triple flip-triple toe and triple axel-triple toe in his 2005-06 programs and plans to work on a quad toe-triple toe combination in the summer.

"When I first started, it was all about the jumps," Craig noted. "The last two years, it's been more about the choreography. The new system made me work harder on spins and choreography and things that I wasn't working hard enough on." To that end, Craig retained Sebastien Britten, who found the music and choreographed both of Craig's programs for the 2005-06 season. "I usually pick my own music," Craig stated, "but Sebastien found the music on the Internet and said it would be great for me. For a long time, I used to skate to soundtracks, but this year I tried all different kinds of music - jazz, tango, classical, big band."

For his short program, Craig used two versions of "Sway", more frequently used as a samba in many original dances. One version was by Ruiz, the other by Dean Martin. For his long program, Craig used "I Will Wait For You." "The long program music is from an old movie, 'The Umbrellas of Cherbourg'," Craig said. Brian Orser and Kurt Browning choreographed Craig's new long program for the 2006-07 season, using music from the Big Bad Voodoo Band and "Summertime." Off ice, Craig mainly listens to electronic and techno music and some jazz. He learned to play the piano when he was younger, but doesn't play now.

Josee Normand and Britten coach Craig, who trains at Brossard, near Montreal. "I've been working with Josee for seven or eight years as a coach and with Sebastien the last three years," he said. He usually trains for three hours a day, five days a week with another two hours of off ice work, including ballet and gym work.

Craig has a Level 1 coaching certificate and teaches skating for 10-15 hours per week. "I plan to coach once I finish competing," he said. "I like it a lot. I can't imagine ever putting away my skates.

Off ice, Craig likes to hang out with friends, play soccer, go to all kinds of movies, and cook. He keeps souvenirs from each competition but gives away many of the stuffed toys to his cousins. He is also studying computers.