Muniz Puts Puerto Rico on Skating Map

Victoria Muniz

July 9, 2007
Article & Photo © J. Barry Mittan 

Puerto Rico's first international competitor is Victoria Muniz, an 18-year-old who was born in Agana Heights, California. She began competing for Puerto Rico in 2004. "I was skating at a competition and someone asked my coach if I was Puerto Rican," she recalled. "He gave her the number of the federation so we called them and talked with them for a long time. We finally finished all the paperwork to get clearance. My father was born in Puerto Rico and both of my grandparents still live there. We often go there to visit them. I do shows in Ponce in Puerto Rico."

Muniz finished 16th in the qualifying round in her first ISU championship event, the 2006 Junior Worlds. In 2007, she placed 17th overall in a field of 52, a huge improvement. Earlier in the season, Muniz placed 10th at the ISU Junior Grand Prix in The Hague, Netherlands and 11th in Mexico City. Next season, she plans to both junior and senior events. She hopes to continue at least until the next Olympics, but said, "I'm not going to keep competing until I'm 30."

She didn't start skating until she was about ten and a half years old. "There was an ice rink near my house and I thought it might be fun," she said. "My parents wanted me to be in ballet or gymnastics, but I said neither." She landed her first triple salchow at 14 and has landed up to a triple lutz. Last season, Muniz used a triple salchow/double toe loop combination in the short. For the long, she tried triple toe/double toe/double loop and triple loop/double toe with a double axel/double flip sequence. She is working on a triple toe/triple toe for next season.

Marisol Brilliant coaches Muniz, who trains in Los Angeles and Vacaville, CA. She trains for two or three hours a day on ice, six days a week with an hour of off ice work every other day. "Victoria is a hard worker," Brilliant said. "She listens and trains hard and really wants it."

Muniz usually finds her own music. "I usually change both programs every year because I like trying new things," Muniz said. "Learning new programs is fun. I usually find the music on the web. The short was something that I thought I could skate well. The long was just music I liked."

Victor Kraatz choreographed her short program to "Scott and Fran's Paso Doble" from the "Strictly Ballroom" soundtrack. Louis Vachon did her long program using "Ninkou Latora" from Cirque du Soleil and "Piano Fantasy" by William Joseph. She used "Wild Horses" by Natasha Redingfield for shows.

For the 2007-08 season, Muniz said, "I'm changing my long program music. It'll be selections by Deviations Project and 'Art on Ice' by Edvin Marton. My show program is now 'Please Remember' by Leann Rimes." Cindy Stewart is choreographing Muniz' new long program.

Off ice, she enjoys listening to all kinds of music, dancing and collecting stuffed animals. She also spends a lot of time on the computer, playing video games, chatting and surfing.

Muniz has graduated from high school and plans to attend college. "I'd like to do something in sports or with animals," she said. "I love animals."