I'm obsessed with PJ Kwong (see below right). Every time I watch, read or hear about skating competitions or skating news, I immediately say to myself, "What would PJ think about this?" PJ is a Canadian skating broadcaster (she was the announcer at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics), commentator, blogger, author, coach and one of those rare birds who has genuine subject matter expertise from the inside and out. She's been a skater and coach and I think that combination lends itself to some unique insights when she critiques a skater's program and performance.
So during this Grand Prix season, I've been reading all of PJ's articles for CBC Sports as well as following her Tweets @skatingpj, listening to her podcasts and commentaries on television and finally decided that I needed to ask her the three burning questions that I would ask if we were meeting up for dinner. So here they are...
In this pre-Olympic year, in each discipline, what are you looking most forward to?
PJ Kwong:For ice dance, I wanted to see Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir. When I had a visit with them in the summer, and they were talking about 
this Carmen free dance program, it started me thinking that on an artistic level, they are making me rethink 'how high is up?' In the men, I was interested to see if Patrick Chan's change in choreographers was going to be able to make the impression he was hoping for. In a tie for first place of what I want to see, I want to see Evgeni Plushenko competing at Worlds. In pairs - I want to see the Russians Tatiana Volosozhar and Maxim Trankov blow the roof off the discipline. In ladies, seeing Yu-Na Kim back at worlds and Mao Asada back on track. It's already been an interesting season!
In all your years of covering figure skating, can you pick a few memorable moments (good or bad) that stand out?
PJ Kwong:The pairs event at the Salt Lake City Olympics in 2002 and what followed. It was like being in the middle of a tornado. Second would be Shen and Zhao and Virtue and Moir winning their Olympic titles in Vancouver in 2010. Also want to add Chengjiang Li and Takeshi Honda at Four Continents 1990 - inaugural event and their joie de vivre was infectious. Also Nobunari Oda and Mao Asada and Yu-Na Kim in the same Junior worlds event in Kitchener, Canada. Those are just off the top of my head -- in truth there are too many to count!
Who are your all time favorite skaters that would comprise your dream skating show?
PJ Kwong:Kurt Browning, Isabelle and Paul Duchesnay, Stephane Lambiel, Evgeni Plushenko, Virtue and Moir, Shen and Zhao, Yu-Na Kim, Sale and Pelletier, Mao Asada, Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean, Janet Lynn, Dorothy Hamill, Toller Cranston, Michelle Kwan, Alexei Yagudin....um...I could go on - but it would be a very loooooooooooonnnngggggggg show!
Can't get enough of PJ? Listen to PJ then! She did a great interview for ManleywomanSkateCast and you can also read the transcript of the interview here.
