Month ‘93 - Amazon S3



|[pic] |Adam Rippon |[pic] |

| |Hometown: Clarks Summit, PA | |

| |Residence: Los Angeles, CA | |

| |Birthdate: November 11, 1989 | |

| |Height: 5'7" | |

| |Club: Skating Club of New | |

| |York | |

| |Coach: Rafael Arutunian | |

| |Choreographers: Tom Dickson, | |

| |Jeffrey Buttle | |

2016 U.S. Champion *ISU Four Continents Champion * World Competitor

|Career Highlights |

2016 - U.S. Championships - 1st

2015 - Golden Spin of Zagreb - 2nd

2015 - Rostelecom Cup - 4th

2015 - Skate Canada - 4th

2015 - Finlandia Trophy - 2nd

2015 - World Championships - 8th

2015 - Four Continents Championships - 10th

2015 - U.S. Championships - 2nd

2014 - Trophée Eric Bompard - 5th

2014 - Skate Canada - 10th

2014 - Finlandia Trophy - 2nd

2014 - Four Continents Championships - 8th

2014 - U.S. Championships - 8th

2013 - NHK Trophy - 4th

2013 - Skate America - 2nd

2013 - Gardena Spring Trophy - 2nd

2013 - U.S. Championships - 5th

2012 - NHK Trophy - 8th

2012 - Cup of China - 4th

2012 - World Team Trophy - 2nd (team)

2012 - World Championships - 13th

2012 - Four Continents Championships - 4th

2012 - U.S. Championships - 2nd

2011 - Trophee Eric Bompard - 4th

2011 - Skate Canada - 4th

2011 - Four Continents Championships - 5th

2011 - U.S. Championships - 5th

2010 - Skate America - 4th

2010 - Skate Canada - 3rd

2010 - World Championships - 6th

2010 - Four Continents Championships - 1st

2010 - Figure Skating Championships - 5th

2009 - Trophée Eric Bompard - 3rd

2009 - World Junior Championships - 1st

2009 - U.S. Figure Skating Championships - 7th

2008 - Skate America - 8th

2008 - World Junior Championships - 1st

2008 - U.S. Figure Skating Championships, Junior- 1st

2008 - Junior Grand Prix Final, Gdansk - 1st

2007 - Junior Grand Prix (Romania) - 1st

|Background |

At the 2015 U.S. Figure Skating Championships, Adam Rippon combined athleticism and artistry for an extraordinary and memorable performance. Winning the free skate and finishing second overall, he set a new standard for U.S. men’s skating.

What made it all the more impressive was that he had begun the season doubting his place in the sport and wondering whether his impressive early achievements, two World Junior Championships, were the pinnacle of his career. He found an inner resolve and a passion for the sport that fueled him in training. It didn’t matter what other people thought. He was determined to show that hard work pays off.

“I focused on the hard work that I was putting in rather than the placements that I thought I should be getting or what I thought people were expecting me to have,” Rippon said.

Rippon considered the U.S. Championships in Greensboro, NC, a do or die moment. When he achieved a record-setting score in the free skate, a new chapter in his career began.

“I started to believe in myself a bit more,” he said. “I definitely want to take that confidence and all of the experience—the good and the bad—into next season,” said Rippon. “I feel like experience is a tool that I have that a lot of my competitors don’t.”

He is also in the best shape of his life. Now happily settled in Los Angeles, the native East Coaster has embraced the Pacific Ocean and the natural beauty that surrounds the area as well as the vibrant culture. Days off will find him hiking in Runyon Canyon, admiring the view at Griffith Observatory, going to the beach or checking out a museum.

Growing up the oldest of six children, Rippon developed a sense of responsibility that he has carried into his skating. He learned how to balance multiple tasks, focus, see things through and give his best even on a bad day. It also gave him some practical skills that enabled him to be self-sufficient when he left home to train.

Among the tasks he has recently taken on is choreography. Long known as an artistic and expressive skater, Rippon always had ideas for programs, but never formalized them until U.S. ladies medalist Mirai Nagasu asked him to create an exhibition program.

“Then we came up with long program ideas and we decided I was going to do her long program,” he said. As they worked on that, Nagasu also asked him to choreograph a new competitive short program. In addition to those programs, he collaborated with Cindy Stuart on three-time U.S. Ladies Champion Ashley Wagner’s short program and created programs for some younger skaters in the area.

“I realized, I really like doing this,” Rippon said. “It helped me to become a better skater because I was explaining things I never had to think about before. I felt it made me more knowledgeable of what I was doing instead of just going and doing it. Now, I have to explain it and fully understand the movement.”

Watching the skaters perform his choreography in competition was a bit surreal, especially when Wagner and Nagasu were in first and fourth place after the short program at the U.S. Championships. For a first-time choreographer, that was heady stuff. Envisioning movement for others helps Rippon think outside the box and be open to new ideas in his own skating.

Rippon has described the time each year where preparations begin for a new season as his favorite time of year. He loves finding new music and working through the choreographic process to create the programs he will use in competition. For the 2015–16 season, he has worked with Tom Dickson for his short program and Jeffrey Buttle will choreograph the long program. A brilliant and award-winning choreographer, Buttle is known for his unique style and use of music, and Rippon is excited to see what this new collaboration will bring to his skating.

“I’m at a point in my career where I don’t want to play it safe. I want to take risks with my music and try different themes,” Rippon said.

After enormous success in international junior competition, the 2009-10 season was Rippon’s breakthrough in the senior ranks. He won a bronze medal at Trophée Eric Bompard on the Grand Prix circuit and claimed gold at the ISU Four Continents Championships—coming from seventh place in the short program to take the title with an incredible free skating performance. He has continued to do well in Grand Prix events, winning medals at Skate Canada and Skate America, and earned two top 10 finishes at the World Championships.

Each summer, he takes dance classes in different genres, and that influence is apparent in his line, finesse over the ice and superb musical interpretation.

Rippon has showcased his lyrical skating in tours and shows in the U.S., Canada, Germany, Italy, Korea, China and Japan.

Last year, he and Wagner got to have a decidedly Hollywood experience when they attended the Academy Awards. They walked the red carpet, attended the ceremony and went to the Governor’s Ball. The best friends are now developing a blog about their lives as elite athletes and residents of SoCal.

“[The Oscars were] surreal,” he said. “The acting community seems so much like the skating community—everybody kind of knew each other. It was such a great experience to be there. When (host) Ellen DeGeneres was doing the world’s most retweeted selfie, it was so cool seeing it happen. I have pictures on my phone of the selfie being taken. It was an awesome night.”

Fans can follow Rippon on Twitter and Instagram @Adaripp and on his Web site, .

Quick Facts

Best Dish He Cooks: “I’m into eating really healthy. I have fruits, vegetables, chicken and some red meat. I don’t eat a lot of different things, so the best thing I can cook is probably grilled. I love to grill steaks and chicken on the grill.”

Favorite Meal: “Sushi from Fusion Sushi in Manhattan Beach. I could eat there every day.”

Favorite Place to Shop: “I always like going to Urban Outfitters.”

Dream Vacation Spot: “I would love to go to Ireland one day. My family is Irish, so I would love to see it.”

Dancing with the Stars: “I think I’d be okay. I like to dance and I feel like I could pick it up quickly, but I have never skated with anyone so partnering might be the challenging part. … Skaters are all competitive people so we always want to do our best.”

Most Stressful Moment: “It wasn’t competition; it was taking my driving test. I would say out of all the high pressure circumstances I’ve ever been in, the driving test was maybe number one. I was almost in a full bath of sweat when I had to parallel park, but it somehow all worked out. Now, I’d say I’m a pretty good driver. Skating on busy sessions actually helped my driving because you’re always aware of what’s going on around you and how to react to it.”

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FACT SHEET

FACT SHEET

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