April 09, 2004

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Palo Alto Online

Eyes on the prize

by Elizabeth White

Princeton Kwong isn't especially tall when he's not wearing his ice skates. Yet, when the lanky 14-year-old takes to the ice, he skates with the poise, grace and presence of someone who demands the attention of everyone around him.

As he circles the rink at Logitech Ice in San Jose, Kwong is as smooth as the ice below him as he practices his footwork, his triple toe, and his triple Salchow. What actually takes all his energy and gumption appears effortless to an untrained eye.

Kwong has spent years putting all he can into the craft of figure skating to make it look like it comes naturally. And if recent history is any indication, it certainly seems like it does.

The Gunn High freshman won the U.S. Novice Men's Figure Skating Championships, and the two competitions leading up to it, in early January in Atlanta.

He used that to spin off his new career at the junior level. In his first competition last week at the Gardena Spring Trophy 2004 in Selva di Val Gardena, Italy, Kwong placed second in the Junior Men's Free Skating Program (behind American Traighe Rouse) and third in the Junior Men's Short Program - trailing only Rouse and Tomas Janecko of the Czech Republic.

Clearly, Kwong appears in it for the long run.

"He has never wanted to give it up," said his mother, Emmy Kwong. "When you progress and there's rewards, it motivates you to continue."

Like many Palo Alto-area teens, Princeton Kwong said he does indeed like to be the best at his pursuits, whether it's playing the flute for the El Camino Youth Symphony, swimming for Palo Alto Stanford Aquatics (when he was 10 he broke the Pacific Association record in the 50- and 100-yard breaststroke events) or pursuing his first love, ice skating. Kwong doesn't stop at being the best at school, on the Peninsula or in the state. This young man, with his extraordinary and unusual talent -- especially for his young age -- is looking to be the best in the world. "Originally when I started skating I wasn't thinking of going serious," said Kwong, who began skating across the Bay in Dublin when he was 7 after a few family outings to a local rink. "In the beginning, I wasn't always at the top. But, as I got older, I got better. I love having a goal at the beginning of the season and meeting that goal."

The next goals for Kwong will be the U.S. Junior Regionals in October, sectionals in November and nationals next January. All this is in preparation for the big prize: Kwong has his eyes set on the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver, B.C. For now, his goal is to land the triple Lutz, considered by many to be the second most difficult triple jump, so he can bring it into competition. At the U.S. Novice Championship, Kwong landed five triples. Next season he anticipates starting work on a triple axel.

"His greatest strength in the past few seasons is his consistency," Emmy Kwong said. "He competes well; he has strong nerves."

Kwong's coach, Sergei Ponomarenko, who won gold in ice dancing at the 1992 Albertville Olympics, agreed. He said there are many skaters who can jump perfectly in practice but never land anything in competition. No matter when he's on the ice, Kwong delivers, Ponomarenko said.

That skill comes from long hours of practice. Kwong always skates six, often seven days a week, for at least 1 1/2 hours. Emmy Kwong said the tight schedule is hard on her son and that the better he gets, the tougher it will get. "His life is very routine, the discipline is a lot stronger," she said, adding that at least he doesn't have to get up early to practice in the morning, as many skaters do. "We've never really had to push him to get up to competition level." Unlike many skaters who quit school to skate full-time, Kwong is continuing his studies and his skating - an undertaking that requires an almost unearthly amount of dedication. Kwong says the key to not getting overwhelmed by his responsibilities is the support of his school, family and friends.

"I have to have a lot of time management and a lot of determination to do well in everything that I do," he said. "I don't want to do bad in anything that I do."

Based on his tough schedule and the way he sticks with it, it doesn't seem likely that will ever be the case.

On a typical day, Kwong goes to school and then straight to the Logitech Ice center, where he skates for at least 1 1/2 hours. The rest of his day is dedicated to homework (in the coming years the straight-A student will be taking Advanced Placement classes), dinner, swim practice three times a week and getting some much needed and deserved shut eye. The next day, it starts again. Some Saturdays he gets off, on others he skates in Belmont.

"I kind of miss going to friends' houses over the weekends to play. I've only done that once or twice," Kwong said. "Weekends are my real time to catch up on schoolwork." He often has to complete his work ahead of time when preparing to travel for a competition.

Knowing he can't skate forever, though, Kwong also has set academic and professional goals for himself. Despite his first name, which comes from an uncle, he hopes to go to Stanford University - it's close to his mom; dad, Raymond, a software engineer; and 6-year-old brother, Samuel - to pursue a career in sports medicine. He's suffered from tendinitis in his knee and ankle, so he understands the pains athletes endure.

"Hopefully I'd treat future skaters if they were injured," he said. "I'll still be in the skating world after I quit because they hire doctors to be medics at world and national competitions."

Until then, Kwong will develop the composure of a doctor on the ice.

"Before I get on the ice and skate I feel very nervous, jittery," he said. "But as soon as I take the ice it's just like everyday practice. I go into like a robot mode and all the nerves just go away."

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