Shoma Uno: “During the last seasons, there were times I struggled with my own skating as an active competitor. I couldn’t easily decide to retire but calling it a break might have created expectations of a comeback and be misleading.”
Shoma Uno about “One Piece on Ice” show, retirement and pro skating.
original source: sportiva.shueisha.co.jp dd. 2d September August by Yamamoto Yumeko.
In the interview with Web Sportiva Shoma Uno talks about his participation in ice show “One Piece on Ice,” and shared about his life as a pro skater. Here’s a translation of his comments.
“Q: Last year, you mentioned that all the members, who you could truly call friends, have gathered together. This is a reunion, including active competitors.
Shoma Uno: Yes. Kazuki Tomono and Rinka Watanabe, for example, had already participated in competitions this season. Yet, despite that, they join us in “One Piece on Ice.”
There are many athletes who prioritize their active careers, so the idea is to participate without causing any inconvenience. Nevertheless, everyone including Takashiro Shimada and Nobunari Oda requested eagerly, ‘Please let us do it.’
Of course, “One Piece on Ice” is not just my show, but because of the long time I spent on it, it is a show that has developed special feelings for me, and I’m simply happy that everyone cherishes it so much.
Q: Last year, you were still an active competitor. What has “One Piece on Ice” contributed to your competitive career?
Shoma Uno: Right after winning the World Championships, I wasn’t feeling very positive. The performance in terms of results was really good, and the fact that I could perform like that under those circumstances was wonderful. But considering the process leading up to it, it was very tough… I know it might sound exaggerated, but right after finishing, I felt more relief than anything, and I thought I would take a break from serious training for a while.
Last summer, trying “One Piece on Ice” for the first time, I re-engaged passionately with skating. Although it’s a slightly different genre, I felt the joy of being passionate. I remembered how I used to put the same intensity into my active career and realized again how much fun it is to immerse oneself deeply into something. It was that kind of show.
Q: Did your experience with “One Piece on Ice” influence your decision to retire from competitive skating and become a professional skater rather than just taking a break?
Shoma Uno: Compared to other sports, I think figure skating is very fortunate in that there are opportunities for skaters to continue their activities even after retiring from competition. If I hadn’t encountered “One Piece on Ice,” certainly…
Q: So it was one of many factors.
Shoma Uno: During the last one to two years, there were times I struggled with my own skating as an active competitor. I couldn’t easily decide to quit because, at times, I reached extremes (laughs). But I was once again reminded that skating isn’t just about competition, which led me to choose retirement rather than just a break.
I also thought calling it a break might create expectations of a comeback. From my feelings and based on my past statements and attitudes towards skating, I didn’t want to hint at something misleading. Retirement felt more appropriate.
Q: How is life after retirement?
Shoma Uno: Even during off seasons when I was active, I used to participate in ice shows back-to-back, but this year has been packed with the most shows. I’ve been traveling to shows in Switzerland and will continue to appear in “THE ICE,” “Prince Ice World,” and others.
I’m excited to see what happens in the on-season starting in October. If I were still active, I would be competing, but now that I’m not, I have more free time and am very interested in what kind of work and activities I will be undertaking.
Q: Last year you portrayed Luffy as an active competitor, but this year you’re portraying him as a professional skater. Is there something different about it this time?
Shoma Uno: Hmm, I wonder. Of course, even during last year’s “One Piece on Ice,” I wasn’t participating with the mindset of being an active competitor, so in that sense, it hasn’t changed. In other shows, I perform competitive programs and include complex jumps, but this was my first time doing a show so detached from competitive skating.
Q: So you took it on as something distinct from competition.
Shoma Uno: Yes, indeed. This year too, while rehearsing, I’ve come to think that figure skating really is a fantastic sport. Skaters excel at gliding on the ice, but identifying where they stand out as performers can be very challenging.
With the programs to be performed, there are various genres available like dance, ballet, and others where everyone has their specialties. And playing a character this time around, many figure skaters are quite unfamiliar with it.
But, I realized last year, we are indeed performers. We were able to put together “One Piece on Ice” proficiently within a short one-month rehearsal period. That we could establish it as a new ice show really shows that everyone is truly a performer, and it made me think again how incredible skaters really are.”
Related topics: Shoma Uno
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