WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
Still inspired by skating by LOIS ELFMAN
T
he way most people see their high school or college reunions is how Tiffany Chin views the U.S. Figure Skating Championships.
For the 1985 U.S. Champion, two-time
World bronze medalist (1985 and ’86) and 1984 Olympian, the U.S. Championships give her the chance to reconnect with colleagues and old friends.
“Tere’s a real acknowledgement of U.S. ice skating history and the past,” said Chin, 45. “Tey embrace the multitude of champions and U.S. skating’s really rich history. “I’m so proud, and I feel very honored and humble to be in such company as Tenley Al- bright, Peggy Fleming and Dorothy Hamill — so many greats. Te current generation, too. I’m so proud to see skating developing as it has.” Chin is very much in the thick of today’s
skating world, working as a coach and techni- cal specialist. Although she has been serving on technical panels for several years, the 2012 U.S. Championships in San Jose were her first U.S. Championships in that capacity. She called the senior ladies and novice men’s events. “It was really exciting,” she said. “Nationals
are a great experience. We go early and we watch the practices. We become familiar with the kinds of things that an individual can do. Of course, what happens in the moment is what’s called, but at least it gives us a range of what’s going to be in the program.” Chin finds being a technical specialist of
great help in her coaching, as it gives her a broad- er understanding of the IJS and how it applies to a skater’s performance. In what often are consid- ered gray areas, she’s much more clear on what to emphasize with her students and how their programs should be structured.
“Holding the U.S. title and choosing our champions is such a prestigious thing,” Chin said. “Terefore, I think nationals kind of have that aura and the kids know it and step up their preparation and performance.” Chin is living proof of that statement. In
her first U.S. Junior Championships in 1980, she placed second. A broken foot delayed her se- nior debut in 1981, but she made the best of her situation by winning the World Junior title that spring in London, Ontario, Canada. She earned her first U.S. senior medal and World Team spot in 1983.
Parenting skills serve coach well
As a coach, Chin has been at the boards at the U.S. Championships several times, most no- tably with Bebe Liang, who she accompanied at the novice, junior and senior levels. Most memo- rable was Liang’s auspicious senior debut in 2001 at the age of 12. After her son Kyle, now 8, was born, Chin scaled back her traveling for several years to be closer to home. She’s started ramping it back up recently. Kyle likes to join his mother on the ice once
at week at the Toyota Sports Center in El Segun- do, Calif. She said his kid’s perspective on skating is delightful, and she loves this time together. “It’s our time to skate around and talk about
the day,” Chin said. “Tere’s not much real ice skating going on. We’re still going forward and turning to the left.” Chin has several mementos from her com-
petitive days, some of which she displays and some she keeps tucked away. In fact, some are tucked so far away that she’s pleasantly surprised when she unearths them during a cleaning spree. “I was rummaging through some stuff and I
Today Tiffany Chin is a coach and technical specialist. Family time with husband Steven Kan and son Kyle keeps Chin grounded.
found this old dark blue World Team jacket,” she said. “I found all my patches — beautifully em- broidered patches and chevrons — and I put them on one arm. I still wear that jacket at competitions. It’s kind of neat and reminds me of that time. “Also, I can tell someone’s age who recog-
nizes it,” she added with a laugh. “You’d know it from being there.” As a competitor, Chin was coached by Frank
Carroll and John Nicks. She said her own coach- ing style has changed over time, most notably after becoming a mother. “I’m hoping that I’m really coming into my
own,” she said. “A lot of times we — especially skaters — will gravitate to what we did in the past. I think a lot of people tend to see me as a technician, but I had a strong artistic streak and a strong dance background. So I’d like to think of myself as a good all-around coach. I still choreo- graph programs from time to time. “Of course, having that experience of com-
peting on that world level is invaluable. Tere is a certain experience in rising and coming up, staying, winning and losing. Knowing all the dif- ferent facets of competing.” Chin coaches a talented group of young skaters, including an athlete from Hong Kong and another from Australia. Being a mother has given her greater insight into how kids process information, and she’s adjusted her coaching style a bit. She loves the challenge of teaching new things and finds those moments when the
“light bulb goes on” very exciting. Family life provides balance In addition to motherhood, Chin’s 15-year
marriage to Steven Kan gives her balance and emotional strength. Kan works at Pulse Research Lab, which manufactures sophisticated technical
Chin was known for both technique and artistry.
8 JANUARY 2013
PHOTOS COURTESY OF TIFFANY CHIN
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