It’s hard not to feel the excitement buzzing around figure skating as we look forward to the beginning of Nationals on January 22 in San Jose, California. The US Figure Skating Championships annually attract more than 1,500 figure skating athletes, coaches and officials to the host city, not to mention hundreds of skating fans just like you!

The competition is sure to be fierce with so many talented skaters, and Riedell is proud to have many competitors hitting the ice in our skates. We’ll see Rachael Flatt (2010 Nationals Champ) back on the ice again. She’s been positive after an ankle injury this season but is looking forward to competing. Her long program will be performed to the song “Firebird,” which she says is symbolic of the changes she is making in her skating this year.

Besides watching the talented skaters compete, one of our favorite parts of Nationals is connecting with skaters and coaches from all over the country, so for you lucky fans and skaters who are attending, please stop by our booth to say hello.

We’re sure to see some strong performances this year, and we wish our Riedell skaters and all of the competitors in San Jose good luck at Nationals!

Here’s a list of our Riedell skaters who will be competing in San Jose:

Ladies:

1. Rachael Flatt (senior)
2. Cassie Andrews (senior pair)
3. Kiri Baga (competing at the senior level for the first time)
4. McKinzie Daniels (also competing at the senior level for the first time)

Men:

1. William Brewster (senior)
2. Alexander Johnson (senior)
3. Richard Dornbush (senior)
4. Joshua Farris (senior)
5. Emmanuel Savary (junior)
6. Ernie Utah Stevens (novice pair)

For more info on Nationals, including a schedule of events, visit skatesanjose2012.com.