The Rocker Skating Podcast

We finished a long day 2 of the 2026 Grand Prix de France is complete. Jackie has his quick recap and reactions from the free dance and women's free skate, plus he goes through the men's and pairs short and look ahead to Day 3

The first day of the 2026 Grand Prix de France is complete. Jackie has his quick recap and reactions from the rhythm dance and women's short program and look ahead to Day 2

It's Grand Prix time! Jackie and Michelle preview the first Grand Prix of the season - it's Grand Prix de France, where Olympic bronze medalist Ami Nakai got the ball rolling with an upset win last year. She will be facing another tough women's field. For the men, Adam Siao Him Fa looks to win at home and rediscover his consistency.Plus, we talk about Dedication Night on Dancing with the Stars Week 6 and how our fave star Amber Glenn did this week - spoiler, it was AMAZING

The week before the Grand Prix Series starts and the Challenger Series brought us its largest competition yet at Budapest Trophy. Jackie is solo today but will go through the topsy turvy from Budapest, plus the Russian Grand Prix Stage 1 and other competitions that happened this weekend.After the recap, Jackie answers your burning questions for the season.

Emilea Zingas and Vadym Kolesnik went from outside shot at getting an Olympic spot last season to fifth at the Olympics and World bronze medalists. It was a transformational season for them.Jackie talks to them about their experience at the Olympics, how they go into this season as the World bronze medalists, their new Bolero free dance, and their goals for the season.

Amber Glenn does the samba this week in Super Bowl themed week on Dancing with the Stars! How did it all go? We will find out! And we will also talk about Ilia Malinin's short program announcemnet today.Plus, we only have ONE competition to preview this week for once - Budapest Trophy is our last weekend before the Grand Prix Series starts. And it's jam packed with a whole bunch of skaters. Kevin Aymoz, Daniel Grassl, Kimmy Repond, Alina Gorbacheva, Olivia Smart / Tim Dieck, and more headline the event.

Michelle and Jackie have a lot of thoughts about the scoring this weekend at Denis Ten Memorial - much like Trialeti Trophy last week. But Alexandra Ignatova (Trusova) and Vladislav Dikidzhi impressed and made statements in Almaty. We also had a bunch of planned and unplanned history lessons for this episode.Plus, we recap the final Junior Grand Prix of the season in Gdansk before the Final, and talk about the 24 entries to the Junior Grand Prix Final

This week's Denis Ten Memorial will be the best chance yet for Alexandra Ignatova (Trusova) to earn a Grand Prix alternate spot. She will be up against Dina Khusnutdinova, Mariia Zakharova, Yujae Kim, and Sofia Samodelkina, who makes her season debut. We also talk through the final Junior Grand Prix of the season before the FinalPlus, we have our hot off the presses reactions on Amber Glenn's Week 4 performance on Dancing with the Stars.

Trialeti Trophy was an interesting competition in many ways - big scores for Georgian skaters at home, Niina Petrokina battles Adeliia Petrosian in the women's event, and more debuts, including Anastasiia Metelkina / Luka Berulava and Anastasia Mishina / Aleksandr GalliamovPlus, we talk about a ridiculous lineup at Tokyo Regional Championships with Ami Nakai, Yuna Aoki, Mone Chiba, Rion Sumiyoshi, Kao Miura, and Rio Nakata. And Lucas Broussard makes a solid return to competition in the US

And somehow, Jackie goes on a tangent about the 2010s phenomenon known as Chanflation

Michelle and Jackie preview this week's Trialeti Trophy and the sixth Junior Grand Prix of the season (Ljubljana). More AIN skaters, including Anastasia Mishina/Aleksandr Galliamov, will be looking for a shot at getting onto the Grand Prix alternates list at Trialeti, while we see season debuts from European champions Nika Egadze, Anastasiia Gubanova, and Anastasiia Metelkina/Luka Berulava.Plus, we have our first impressions of Amber Glenn's week 3 on Dancing with the Stars, where she performed a Foxtrot to Toto's Hold the Line.

The Challenger doubleheader did not disappoint. We saw the season debuts of a lot of skaters this weekend at Nebelhorn Trophy and Nepela Memorial. Christina Carreira / Anthony Ponomarenko, Lia Pereira / Trennt Michaud, Olivia Smart / Tim Dieck, Mikhail Shaidorov, Daniel Grassl, Evgeni Semenenko, Julia Sauter, Haein Lee, and more competed this weekend.Jackie and Michelle also recap the fifth Junior Grand Prix in Batumi this weekend

Season Retrospective 25/26 just came out! (Go to https://store.rockerskating.com) Jackie talks to renowned figure skating photographer Danielle Earl, whose photography is featured in this book, about her origin story as a photographer. And we highlight some of our favorites from Season Retrospective. I hope you'll have a look!

It's a double-Challenger week this week. Jackie and Michelle preview Nebelhorn Trophy and Nepela Memorial, both of which will feature World medalists in multiple disciplines. The fifth Junior Grand Prix event will also be taking place this week - in Batumi, Georgia.Plus, Amber Glenn goes into Week 2 of Dancing with the Stars with a tango to Harrison's All the Things She Said (Heated Rivalry stans, it's time).

Amber Glenn had her debut on Dancing with the Stars last week, and we are so excited! Plus, on regular skating news, Lombardia Trophy, Junior Grand Prix Ankara, and Russian Test Skates happened!

Mark Hanretty has become a fixture on the commentary scene in international figure skating competitions. He and Ted Barton are halfway through another Junior Grand Prix series.Mark joined Jackie to talk about the new season, the new rules, and how he gets to know everything about every skater and their programs. And there's no interview with Jackie and Mark without a lot of nerding out on figure skating.

It was a light(er) weekend of skating, but there was still plenty of it, including John Nicks Pairs International and Tallinn Open, won by Aleksandra Boikova / Dmitrii Kozlovskii, Mihhail Selevko, and Niina Petrokina.Plus, the third Challenger event happens this weekend with Lombardia Trophy and it is yet another superb women's field. And the fourth Junior Grand Prix takes place in Ankara - Michelle and Jackie preview both of those events.

Kinoshita Group Cup was as advertised - the competition field was deep, the Russian and Belarusian skaters were back in senior competition, and there was some great skating, especially in the women's event.Jackie and Michelle recap the weekend of skating in Japan, including Mao Shimada, Vladislav Dikidzhi, Aleksandra Boikova / Dmitrii Kozlovskii, and Diana Davis / Gleb Smolkin winning their respective events. And Alexandra Ignatova (Trusova) lands a quad lutz!

Olympic Champions Riku Miura / Ryuichi Kihara made history for Japan as the first ever Japanese Olympic pair champions, and they made more history in July with THE DESTINY, an unprecedented show featuring the best pairs and ice dance teams in the world .They are joined by the show's choreographers, Kaitlyn Weaver and Mitch Islam. We talked about Miura/Kihara's Olympic triumph, the behind the scenes with THE DESTINY, and what they are up to now that they aren't competingInterpreting and translation: Momo PodolskyCover photo: Danielle Earl Photography

The second Challenger series event of the season is upon us, and it's a big one. Some of the best from Japan and Russia are in Tokyo for this showdown. Michelle and I preview this event, which will feature the first international appearance of Alexandra Trusova (now Ignatova), Mark Kondratiuk, Aleksandra Boikova/Dmitrii Koslovskii since the 2022 Olympics. Japan sends their strongest, including Mao Shimada, Yuna Aoki, Rio Nakata, and Shun Sato.

Plus, I got to sit down for a quick chat with Jacob Sanchez about his new programs, a short program with Misha Ge...

Jackie is back from Champs Camp and Summer Sizzler and Michelle has lots of questions for him! Plus, the second Junior Grand Prix just took place, and France's Masters de Patinage happened this weekend as well.We also talk about the announcements of Alysa Liu skipping the 2026-27 season and the (literal) return of Deanna Stellato to the United States to compete with new partner Danil Siianytsia

Sofiia Dzepka and Lev Lazarev won their respective events at Junior Grand Prix Xi'an as Russia and Belarus athletes compete again in the international figure skating competitions as Individual Neutral Athletes.Michelle and Jackie recap what happened at the first JGP of the season, preview next week's JGP in Latvia, and talk about US Figure Skating's Summer Sizzler event this coming week

A primer for figure skating fans new and experienced - we never actually talk about what the figure skating season is. For most skaters, the start, end, and length of their season is actually much different than for the skaters who are expected to go to Worlds.In this bonus episode of the Rocker Skating podcast, Jackie talks about how the season differs depending on the skater, and why the season has lengthened for top skaters over the past decade.

It may have only been a domestic event, but Kinoshita Kansei Summer Cup was a battle in the women's event, where Mao Shimada and Yuna Aoki had a close battle for the title. Michelle and Jackie also preview the first Junior Grand Prix of the season in China

The updated rules and values starting in the 2026-27 figure skating season mark the biggest evolution in the scoring system since 2018. Understanding what a score means this season means recalibrating what "good" actually means. In this bonus episode of the Rocker Skating podcast, Jackie breaks down the rules of thumb for understanding scores, with base value examples from Ilia Malinin, Alysa Liu, Ami Nakai, Mao Shimada, and Yuna Aoki.

It's the Season 2 premiere of The Rocker Skating Podcast! Michelle and Jackie are back to discuss the opening events of the 2026-27 season, including Cranberry Cup, Quebec Summer Championships (featuring the anticipated debut of Hannah Lim / Zachary Lagha), and various domestic events in Japan and the US.

We also talk about the rule changes and the reinstatement of Russia and Belarus athletes as AIN skaters

The newly-formed ice dance partnership of Marjorie Lajoie / Jean-Luc Baker has been buzzing in figure skating community for weeks now. Jackie had a chat with them about their origin story as a team and what they hope to accomplish with this new reset on their respective skating careers

A huge piece of news this week was that the 2030 Winter Olympics will have one more figure skating discipline, and that will be Synchro9. So what is Synchro9? How is that different from traditional synchronized skating? What does FIFA and the World Cup have to do with all of this?

Cindy Kim, who won three US titles with the Haydenettes and is the coach of Team Image Junior, joins me to break down the fundamentals of Synchro9.

The day before the 2026-27 season officially begins, the ISU released its decision to partially lift the ban on Russia and Belarus on ISU and international competitions. A quick look at what that means for skaters and competitions this season.

The 2026-27 Grand Prix assignments were revealed today, and of course, we've got all kinds of feelings about them! The selection procedures were amended just a bit for this season, so there was a bit of confusion, especially about the seeded skaters. But Jackie brings you all of his first impressions about who's in, who's out, and which events have the most interesting fields!

Jackie is fresh off his trip to the 2026 ISU Congress, the first time that media has been invited to cover it in person. He has a lot to bring back from Congress, including clarifications on a lot of questions that skating fans had (what do you mean two free skates?!), changes coming to the Grand Prix and "Big Worlds," and rule changes in singles and pairs for the upcoming season.

Also, Jackie and Michelle cover the latest off-season news, including the formation of Marjorie Lajoie / Jean-Luc Baker as the newest Canadian ice dance team.

"Athletes are the heart and soul of the sport, and we need to recognize the amount of work that the athletes put in."

On this episode of The Rocker Skating Podcast, Jackie sits down with International Skating Union President Jae Youl Kim at the 2026 ISU Congress to talk about the changes to prize money and future competitions, how proposed changes are being done and where athlete representation comes in, what he's looking forward to in the next Olympic cycle, and the ISU's current stance on athletes from Russia and Belarus.

This episode was recorded on May 24, 2026. Things may have changed since then.

Michelle and Jackie are back for an emergency off-season news episode. This has been one of the biggest rollercoaster off-seasons we've seen. Kaori Sakamoto got married? Marin Honda and Shoma Uno are coming back as ice dancers? Majorie Lajoie and Zachary Lagha split up? WHAT IS HAPPENING!?

Part 2 of our final event recap of the season wraps up Worlds with Women, Pairs, and Men — and there was a lot to close out the year.

Jackie and Michelle break down Kaori’s fourth world title and what it meant to see her finish the season with that skate after everything this Olympic year asked of her. In the Men’s event, they get into Ilia’s bounce-back Worlds after Milan and Yuma delivering the kind of redemption performance fans were hoping to see.

They also talk through the Pairs event and what it meant to...

The final recap of the season is here, and Part 1 dives straight into Ice Dance.

Jackie and Michelle break down the podium — what it means for Zingas & Kolesnik, the U.S. breakout team, and why Fournier Beaudry & Cizeron continue to dominate. They unpack the Lewis & Gibson scoring drama, including that “straight arm” deduction that cost them big, and highlight other standouts — including the viral moment of the night: Smart & Dieck skating their Dune Pt. 2 free dance for the last time, and more.

Don't forget to nominate your Performance of the Season, NOW!

Jackie and Michele are back to preview the Men’s and Ice Dance events as we head into this very unpredictable post-Olympic Worlds. The fields are set (mostly…), but history says anything can still happen—and honestly, that’s part of the fun. Who are YOUR podium picks?

Jackie and Michelle are back to break down the Pairs and Women at this year’s post-Olympic Worlds. Who’s skating? Who’s out? And what wild moments are in store? One thing’s for sure—whatever unfolds, it’ll be unforgettable, as Jackie’s… very unique memories of past post-Olympic Worlds prove. Pairs and women up first—let’s dive in!

Canadian pair champions Lia Pereira / Trennt Michaud round out our week of interviews before we head to the 2026 World Figure Skating Championships.

They join Jackie Wong to reflect on their past four seasons, from coming in sixth at Worlds in their very first season together to having some dream Olympic performances in Milan.

Next up on our pre-World Championships interview extravaganza are 2022 Four Continents champions Caroline Green and Michael Parsons, who join Jackie Wong ahead of their third appearance at Worlds in Prague.

We learn so much about their approach to skating and choreography, including the narrative of their free dance this season and how their programs and elements have evolved as the season has gone on. And it turns out, Caroline is quite adept at the puns.

It's the week before the 2026 World Figure Skating Championships, and not surprisingly, the withdrawals are still rolling in. Jackie is here to talk about who has opted out of Worlds and what the implications are, especially for qualifying Worlds spots for next season.

On the heels of their Olympic bronze and on their way to 13th World Figure Skating Championships together, Canadian ice dancers Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier join Jackie Wong to reflect on their season.

They talk about their third Olympics experience, having a camera crew document their past year for Netflix's Glitter and Gold, and why they wanted to finish their season at Worlds.