Steenberg Skates to a Different Drum

Tommy Steenberg

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

Born in Honolulu, Hawaii, Tommy Steenberg would seem more at home on a surfboard than on ice skates. But the 18-year-old, who now resides in Annandale, Virginia, chose figure skating as his sport and it was a good choice. Steenberg ran his total of Junior Grand Prix gold medals to three this past season when he won in Romania and Liberec. Qualifying for the ISU Junior Grand Prix Final for the first time, he finished sixth in Sofia, Bulgaria. To start the 2007-08 season, Steenberg finished sixth at the Junior Grand Prix in Lake Placid, New York.

Steenberg is competing in seniors at U. S. Nationals, finishing 13th in 2006 and 14th in 2007. Competing as a senior for the third time this coming season, he feels ready to make a jump in the standings. In prior years, Steenberg medalled in consecutive years at U. S. Nationals in intermediate (silver in 2002), novice (bronze in 2003), and junior (pewter in 2004). In 2003, when Steenberg took the bronze medal in novice, he landed his first triple lutz even though he had sprained his ankle the week before the event.

"My goal is always to keep getting personal bests and improve on my scores each competition," Steenberg said. "I've been trying to improve my skating skills and to have good edge quality and speed. After one more year on the Junior Grand Prix Circuit I want to compete on the Senior Grand Prix Circuit."

Steenberg began skating when he was six. After his family taped the skating at the 1994 Olympics, he kept doing jumps on his living room floor because he wanted to skate. "Performing is probably what first attracted me to skating," he said. "My parents thought it was a phase." But they eventually started him in lessons. He landed his first double axel at 12, and then learned all his triple jumps in exactly one year. "It was 365 days from when I landed my first triple salchow on August 31 until I landed my first triple lutz on August 30," he recalled.

In March 2006, he landed his first triple axel. Since then, he has been practicing the quadruple salchow, toe loop and lutz but has not landed any cleanly. "Though I would like to continue working on quads, I feel that keeping a consistent triple axel is most important for this coming year," he said. Steenberg is using a triple lutz-triple toe combination in the short program and will include a triple-triple and triple axel in the long this season in juniors.

Audrey Weisiger coaches Steenberg, who trains in Fairfax, Virginia. He works for two and a half hours a day on ice, five days a week, and does another four hours off ice weekly. He's involved heavily in his own choreography. "I especially like doing choreography," he said. "I've always helped with parts of my programs and each year I have more influence in them. I want to do some programs on my own soon, but it's always good to get input from other people."

Both of Steenberg's programs are new this season. "I always have two new ones," he said. "I like to try something different every time." For his short program, Steenberg is using "Le Corsaire" by Riccardo Drigo, choreographed by Chris Conte. "This is a big contrast from last year's Drumline program," he said. "I have been focusing on having neater positions in order to really convey ballet on ice. This is completely different from Drumline, which had more modern, quick positions. One of the things I like about this program is that it varies from a lyrical beginning to a powerful middle section, ending with a faster pace."

Pasquale Camerlengo choreographed his long program to the music "Bolero" by Maurice Ravel. "I am really excited with how this program has turned out and can't wait to perform it. Del Arbour is making outfits for both my short and long." Steenberg is using Josh Groban's "Remember When It Rains" for his exhibition program. "I enjoy this program a lot because it's fun being able to skate to lyrics, and I had fun choreographing this program mostly off-ice with Debbie Street," he said. Off ice, he listens to a lot of music, including Justin Timberlake, All-American Rejects, and Keane. He has played the piano, trumpet and cornet and used to solo in his school band.

Steenberg was an honor student at W. T. Woodson High School where he graduated as a member of the National Honor Society and the Spanish Honor Society and placed third in a countywide Spanish poetry contest. In 2006, he was selected as a member of the State Farm U. S. Figure Skating Scholastic Honors Team for skaters who displayed excellence in skating and schoolwork. He plans to study English or statistics in the future and hopes to become a skating coach and choreographer. Steenberg coaches part time now to help pay for his skating.

To relax, Steenberg enjoys being with his friends, reading, watching television, and going online.