aftershocks
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I really enjoy watching this team. They have great skating skills, and are so lovely to watch. What an amazing story how they hooked up in 2012 and rose to the top so quickly as juniors. A match made in heaven when that happens. 
They were in fourth after the SD at NHK, and likely would have finished in fourth had not Coomes and Buckland faltered in the FD. However, kudos to Kaitlin and Jean-Luc for skating so beautifully and thus putting themselves in a great position to medal (ultimately winning bronze)! They have really improved noticeably with both programs as this season has progressed. I'm excited to watch their development under Krylova and Camerlengo.
Nicky Slater commentated their FD on British Eurosport. At the end of their performance, Slater talks about how great their official website is, so I'm including a link, along with their FD video. Listen to what Slater says at the end of their FD. His mother, Joan Slater, used to train Jean-Luc's mother, Sharon Jones Baker, an ice dancer for Britain with Paul Askham. What a small world is figure skating!
http://hawayek-baker.ice-dance.com/ Nicky Slater calls their site a model for other skaters to emulate
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTo16xDpbc4 NHK Trophy FD
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2o_k_yvFW6E old clip of Jean-Luc's Mom skating with Paul Askham
Jean-Luc's dad, Stephen Baker, was a British pairs skater (he skated at the 1976 World Championships). Wikipedia says Jean-Luc was born in England, and his family moved to Washington state when he was four. Jean-Luc has a black belt in taekwondo! His expertise in that martial art must be quite helpful with balance, coordination, confidence, and movement quality on the ice. Of course, in addition to his having skated most of his life, and also the fact he and Kaitlin train with ballet.
Kaitlin was born in Buffalo, New York. She is interested in studying neuroscience. She has two hockey-playing brothers.
I like the quotes on their site, especially: "Champions are dreamers who never gave up."
They were in fourth after the SD at NHK, and likely would have finished in fourth had not Coomes and Buckland faltered in the FD. However, kudos to Kaitlin and Jean-Luc for skating so beautifully and thus putting themselves in a great position to medal (ultimately winning bronze)! They have really improved noticeably with both programs as this season has progressed. I'm excited to watch their development under Krylova and Camerlengo.
Nicky Slater commentated their FD on British Eurosport. At the end of their performance, Slater talks about how great their official website is, so I'm including a link, along with their FD video. Listen to what Slater says at the end of their FD. His mother, Joan Slater, used to train Jean-Luc's mother, Sharon Jones Baker, an ice dancer for Britain with Paul Askham. What a small world is figure skating!
http://hawayek-baker.ice-dance.com/ Nicky Slater calls their site a model for other skaters to emulate
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTo16xDpbc4 NHK Trophy FD
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2o_k_yvFW6E old clip of Jean-Luc's Mom skating with Paul Askham
Jean-Luc's dad, Stephen Baker, was a British pairs skater (he skated at the 1976 World Championships). Wikipedia says Jean-Luc was born in England, and his family moved to Washington state when he was four. Jean-Luc has a black belt in taekwondo! His expertise in that martial art must be quite helpful with balance, coordination, confidence, and movement quality on the ice. Of course, in addition to his having skated most of his life, and also the fact he and Kaitlin train with ballet.
Kaitlin was born in Buffalo, New York. She is interested in studying neuroscience. She has two hockey-playing brothers.
I like the quotes on their site, especially: "Champions are dreamers who never gave up."
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Their programs have been beautiful.
