One of the best ways to learn a skill is with expert tuition. This summer, American skating coach Jon Robinson has returned to Hong Kong to train young skating enthusiasts at Megabox's ice rink.
Robinson is an accomplished skater in the three main areas of performance skating: freestyle, couples and dance. He has many years of performance experience; one of his best jobs was being a principle skater for Walt Disney's World On Ice in Australia, Canada and the United States.
Robinson says local skaters in Hong Kong are quite different from the skaters he trains in the US. He says Chinese skaters are 'pretty good' because they are powerful and focused.
Robinson's motto is 'express the music, be powerful, skate fast, skate edgy and look nice'. He also says it is very important to have fun, which is why he tries to be animated and energetic during his lessons. He credits his success as a trainer to his high-energy interaction with his students, and the fact he demonstrates everything to them. That way, he says, he can infect his students with his passion and keep them focused.
Robinson says local interest in skating has increased over the last decade, but there is still room for more awareness. He believes that more broadcasts of figure skating events on local television will get more people out on the rinks.
With more people tuning in to performances by world-class skaters such as South Korean Olympic gold medallist Yuna Kim - whom he claims to be 'the best that the world has ever seen' - Robinson is confident more people will take up his beloved sport.