Watson Takes Gold in New Zealand

Joel Watson

May 8, 2007
Article & Photo © J. Barry Mittan 

New Zealand's men's champion for the 2006-07 season was Joel Watson from Auckland. Watson won the country's junior championship twice and also garnered bronze and silver medals in senior men before reaching the top of the podium last season. Watson placed 21st and 14th in the last two Four Continents Championships and 17th in the qualifying round at the World Junior Figure Skating Championships in 2005. He was 42nd in his first Worlds in 2007.

Four Continents has given Watson his share of bad luck. Twice he had the flu while he was competing and in 2005, he broke a blade on the first day of practice. "A farmer had to weld it back together so I could compete," he said, "but it wasn't the same." He also had a lot of ankle problems that were exacerbated by the damaged blade. "Kimmie Meissner's father had to do surgery on my right ankle after I got back from Colorado," he said. "I was off the ice until the beginning of May."

Watson was a late bloomer when it comes to skating. He was never on the ice until he was nine when he went for a day out with some friends to a public skating session. Once he experienced skating for the first time, he was hooked and began taking lessons. "It was addicting," he said. "I liked the feel of the ice and I love jumping." Within three years, he was competing in New Zealand. By the time he was 13, he had landed his first double axel and within another year, had landed his first triple toe loop.

Last season, he used a triple salchow-double toe loop combination in his short program along with a double axel and triple toe. For his long, he added a triple toe-double toe, triple lutz, triple salchow, triple toe and a second triple axel. "I'm working on getting all my jumps more consistent," Watson said. "I'm working on triple toe-triple toe and I've landed triple flip-triple toe but they have not been consistent enough to put in my program. I've also been playing around with the triple axel and plan to work on it a lot in the summer."

The 21-year-old has trained with Tracey Poletis at the University of Delaware in the United States for the past two years. "I had to go to Four Continents and Junior Worlds a few years ago and my coach couldn't make it," Watson related. "Tracey had done a seminar in New Zealand that I attended, so I contacted her and came to Delaware to train for six weeks. I stayed at her house and just never left. I've been there two years now. Delaware's is one of the top training facilities in the World." He does four 40-minute sessions a day, five days a week on ice plus another couple of sessions of off ice training each week. "Joel puts in a lot of effort," Poletis said. "He always tries his best and he's learned how to rebound from adversity."

Alexander Kirsanov choreographed Watson's 2006-07 programs. For the short, Watson skated to "Lord of the Dance" by Ronan Hardiman. For the long, he used "Xotica" by Rene Dupere. "I always pick my own music," Watson said. "I find a lot on the Internet. My short program was new last season, but I had the long for two years. I heard it on the video at Junior Worlds. I usually change one program each year so for next season I'll have a new long. I'm kind of hoping to go classical next season."

For relaxation, Watson said. "I like to muck around on the Web, hang out with my friends, and listen to music. I generally listen to current rock and a little bit of oldies. I just chat on the Web. I don't play video games or anything. I like to play a little pool when I get the chance." He also likes to restore old cars.

Watson finished high school in New Zealand, where he was mainly home schooled, and plans to go to college after he finishes his skating career. He has just started teaching Learn to Skate classes in Delaware, but doesn't plan on being a skating coach as a career. "I want to compete until 2010, then think about a career." He said. "That's the plan."