with yourself, you can do that. I want to be a relatable example.


And I want to say something to the dad out there who might be concerned that his son is a figure skater. I mean look at me; I’m just a normal son from small-town Pennsylvania. Nothing changed.


I’d just like to be a good role model. I’ve been honest with myself the whole time. I worked hard and loved what I did.


SKATING: Switching gears. You both train with Rafael Arutunian. How would you de- scribe him as a coach?


Ashley: He’s a teddy bear wrapped up in a grizzly bear’s clothing. Don’t get me wrong, if you’re having a bad day and he’s in one of those moods, he will tear you to shreds. But he is so passionate about what he does. He’s obsessed with the technical side of skating, but he really cares about you as a person. I can have a bad day on the ice and he could be screaming at me, but as soon as I get off the ice, he will ask me, ‘It seems like something’s wrong.’ And I will think, ‘OK, where were you the last three hours of my life?’ He real- ly cares about his students, and he is obsessed with being the best. He knows what he can do but he’s also so humble. Tis year, winning [PSA] Coach of the Year was so good for him because Raf very rarely takes a step back to see what he does. Tese last Olympics could have been my last, but Raf gave me four more years of my career and I cannot thank him enough. Adam: Rafael took me from a really bad place and it’s definitely been a complete process to get me to the place I am now. Rafael believes that I can do this.


SKATING: At the 2015 U.S. Champion- ships, Ashley, you reclaimed the U.S. title, your third. Adam, you earned the silver medal and had people on their feet. Describe your experiences.


Ashley: It was about showing up prepared. Raf got us to a place where we could rely on what he had us do all season. Nationals is nev- er easy. I don’t think you will ever go out and say, ‘I can do this.’ I think you will always go out and say, ‘I hate skating. Why do I do this? Why is this my job? I’m crazy!’ Adam: And you say, ‘In 10 minutes it will all be over.’


Ashley: We left there and silenced a lot of people. Tat’s what this was more about. We’re older for our sport — by no means are we old — but we are late bloomers. Adam: Absolutely. I think at the beginning of last season, people were ready to write me off, and I think with the rivalry Ashley has with Gracie [Gold], people thought Gracie would win again.


Ashley: So it was more that we had some- thing to prove and we would not be pushed out. It was more standing our ground. We’re here to stay.


SKATING: How close do you live to each other in Los Angeles?


Ashley: Fifteen minutes. He has a key to my place and I have a key to his. We live at each other’s houses. For big events, like the Nickel-


26 OCTOBER 2015


odeon Kids’ Choice Awards, Adam came over and we got ready. He’s seen me dig through my closet and I just throw things. But the time we coordinate outfits the most is for nationals. Nationals is like our Oscars. Adam: It’s our Fashion Week.


Ashley: All we want to do, besides winning a national title, is to be named icenetwork’s ‘Best Dressed’ by Sarah [Brannan] and Drew [Meekins].


SKATING: What about the new hair colors? Did you give each other advice? Adam: We talked to each other and were like, ‘Are you sure you want to do it? Well, I’m go- ing to do it anyway!’


Ashley: If Adam says, ‘I’m going to dye my hair hot pink,’ and I say no, he’ll do what he’s going to do. So I make a suggestion. If he says, ‘I want to get a fire-engine red hairstyle,’ I’ll say something like, ‘How about you go get some hair chalk and get a red streak?’ Adam: And that happened. I wanted fire-en- gine red, and I got hair chalk. Ten I was like, ‘I don’t want to do this anymore.’


Ashley: So it’s more like I’ve learned how he works and processes things and I put out fires where I can. It’s like with your kids: You need to let them fail to realize that was a bad thing to do, kind of like the ‘Hair Incident of 2014.’ Adam: Sometimes I throw caution complete- ly to the wind because you know what? A lot of times it doesn’t matter. It’s just hair.


Ashley: But I will say this — because you need to be embarrassed for this — he was blowing out his hair and would say, ‘Ugh it’s such a process!’ Adam: I didn’t have time for it.


Ashley: So his roommate gets his hair chem- ically straightened. ... Adam: … And while he was doing it one day, I said, ‘Oh, can you throw some of that on me, too?’ I had a weave on top of my hair and if I pulled my hair too hard, it would fall out. I was Beyoncé.


Ashley: No, because Beyoncé would have put on a wig. You were Crazy Eyes on ‘Orange is the New Black.’ Te chemicals fried his hair. It was dead. Adam:: It had to grow back.


Ashley: And every day I reminded him about it.


SKATING: Any other ‘Hair Incidents’? Adam: After the Olympics, Ashley and I were like, ‘Let’s go celebrate.’ So we decided to go dancing. Ashley and I were dancing and I was doing a lot of head movements, and I did a head roll into her mouth.


Ashley: I literally chomped on his head. Adam: I had to go to the hospital the next day. And I’m like, ‘Oh, I hit it on a cabinet.’ I had to get liquid stitches. I do have a scar, see? Ashley’s literally always on my mind.


Ashley: So I mean, we’re good partners. We’re partners in crime.


Ashley Age: 24


Hometown: Alexandria, Virginia Career highlights t 5ISFF UJNF 6 4 DIBNQJPO (2015, ’13, ’12)


t t


medalist


0MZNQJD UFBN CSPO[F 'PVS $POUJOFOUT


champion


t 5ISFF UJNF (SBOE 1SJY 'JOBM medalist


Training journey CURRENTLY: t -PT "OHFMFT 3BGBFM "SVUVOJBO PREVIOUS: t


– Aliso Viejo,


t t


California (John Nicks) – Wilmington,


Delaware (Priscilla Hill) (Shirley Hughes)


– Alexandria, Virginia


Fashion sense t "DBEFNZ "XBSET 'MPPS MFOHUI shimmering gold Mark Bauer gown


t /JDLFMPEFPO ,JET 4QPSUT Choice Awards: Floral skirt and pink crop top AQ/AQ by Revolve Clothing


t &WFSZEBZ .BEFXFMM 'PS -PWF and Lemons, Aritzia


Hair color t /BUVSBM #SPXO t -BTU TFBTPO #MPOEF t $VSSFOUMZ "VCVSO


Adam


Age: 25 Hometown: Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania


Career highlights t 5XP UJNF 6 4 TJMWFS NFEBMJTU (2015, ’12)


t 5XP UJNF 8PSME +VOJPS champion (2008–09)


t t


6 4 KVOJPS DIBNQJPO +(1 'JOBM DIBNQJPO


Training journey CURRENTLY: t -PT "OHFMFT 3BGBFM "SVUVOJBO PREVIOUS: t


t t


Dungjen, Yuka Sato) Orser)


o %FUSPJU +BTPO o 5PSPOUP #SJBO


o )BDLFOTBDL /FX Jersey (Nikolai Morozov)


Fashion sense t "DBEFNZ "XBSET $MBTTJD CMBDL tux and bow tie by Vera Wang


t /JDLFMPEFPO ,JET $IPJDF Sports Awards: Skinny jeans, favorite yellow T-shirt and sky blue blazer by Topman


t &WFSZEBZ PO UIF JDF o Lululemon; off the ice – Topman, Uniqulo, Marine Layer


Hair color t /BUVSBM #SPXO t -BTU TFBTPO #MPOEF BOE brown and a few shades in between


t $VSSFOUMZ 4JMWFS


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