Mention their first international assignment, 2011 Finlandia Trophy,
and it’s eye-rolling time for Madison Chock and Evan Bates. “We did our short dance, and it was decent,” Bates, 24, said. “But we hadn’t
practiced our bow. So, of course, we turned away from each other and yanked our arms. We totally blew it. All I could think was, ‘Are the judges watching?’” “It was so embarrassing,” Chock, 21, said. “We were just relieved we
got through the program. And then there we were, going in different direc- tions, and it was ‘Eww!’” Te two Michiganders can be forgiven for the gaffe. After all, their
partnership was only four months old. Now, two years later, they communi- cate without words. “Te slightest squeeze of the hand, we know exactly what to do,” Bates
said. “I’ll say something, and Madi will say, ‘I was just thinking that.’ Tose unspoken things, only time and a lot of work can develop.” “I can’t believe [Finlandia] was only two years ago,” Chock said. “We’ve come a long way.”
Taking a chance Ice dance couples are usually paired up by their coaches, but Chock and
Bates came together on their own. In June 2011 Chock’s partner of five years, Greg Zuerlein, retired from competition to pursue his education. Chock, who had recently placed ninth in the world with Zuerlein, was left adrift. Bates, meanwhile, was reexamining his career and long-term partner-
ship with Emily Samuelson, with whom he placed 11th at the 2010 Van- couver Olympics. His Achilles tendon injury had forced them to sit out the 2010–11 season. When they regrouped in the spring of 2011, he thought the spark was gone. “We had quite a bit of struggle to rekindle what we had and it became
kind of frustrating,” Bates said in 2011. “Te skating was not [feeling] the way it was supposed to feel.” Te partnership ended that June. With her elegance and beauty, the petite Chock did not lack for on-
ice suitors. Igor Shpilband, who coached both teams in Canton, Mich., ar- ranged several tryouts. “She took some time and consideration,” Shpilband said in 2011. “She
had an excellent tryout with Keiffer Hubbell. He’s a great skater, but she chose to skate with Evan. It wasn’t my idea.” Others fretted about the skaters’ height difference; at 6 feet 2 inches, Bates is nearly a foot taller than Chock. But Shpilband doesn’t think it is an issue. “With many of the lifts in ice dance today, it helps to have that differ-
ence,” he said. “Tey make it work for them.” Success was not immediate. After respectable placements in their two
Grand Prix events, they arrived at the 2012 U.S. Figure Skating Champi- onships intent on winning one of three ice dance spots on the U.S. World Team. Entering the free dance just two points out of third place, they skated a smooth, subtle program to Chopin’s “Prelude in E Minor.” In the end, though, they placed fifth. “It was all very quick; we had just started growing together,” Chock
said. “We thought, ‘OK, this is something we need to just move past and see what we can do better next year.’” “We wanted to be on the World Team right away and we were disap-
pointed,” Bates said. “But we went to the rink on the Monday after nationals and got right back to work.”
A man with a plan More change, and a key decision, waited. In early June 2011 Shpilband and his longtime coaching partner Marina Zoueva parted ways, with Shpil- band moving his training site to Novi Ice Arena, 20 miles north of Canton. After a few days of deliberation, Chock and Bates joined him. “It turned out to be the best thing that could have happened to us,”
Bates said. “All of our success is a product of Igor’s plan for us. We were his main focus. “We got out early last season; we did Lake Placid Summer Competition,
we did Nebelhorn Trophy, but it was really after our Grand Prix events we started to feel the effects of our training plan. Come January we were fit, and through World Team Trophy at the end of April we had good performances.” At the 2013 U.S. Championships, Chock and Bates placed second to
Madison Chock’s sensuality and theatrical flair is on full display in the team’s programs. The outgoing, analytical Evan Bates is a strong partner. SKATING 23
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