Skater Stories: Winter Deardorff

The former U.S. nationals pairs competitor with the perfect name for the sport spent last season with Disney On Ice.

I try not to play favorites with Disney On Ice shows. Every one of the current touring shows has something I love and something for everyone. But last season, one of the shows that stood out for me was Into The Magic. It’s the show I saw three times in one day in Hartford, which helped inspire the novel I wrote. It’s also the show I saw to end the season in Long Beach, the first time I’d ever seen a show outside the Eastern Time Zone.

One of the skaters who was on that tour last season was Winter Deardorff. Prior to joining Disney On Ice, she’d been a pairs skater who competed at U.S. nationals — and one time couldn’t compete, which was among the stories she shared when we chatted about her career.

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Q: With a name like Winter, it seems like you were probably born to do this, but how did you decide to get into figure skating?

A: The movie Ice Princess. I am a through and through Ice Princess girlie, and I think I watched that movie so many times as a child. That was, like, my comfort movie. My mom grew up in Kentucky, and so she knew about this hole in the wall rink, and that’s where I started my lessons, ‘cause we lived in Ohio. And it was a 30 minute drive across the river. So nothing too crazy. But, yeah, my full name’s Winter Noel. I’m a walking Hallmark Christmas card. I was born the first day of winter. It was, like, meant to be, honestly. It’s kind of funny.

Q: So, aside from the late great Michelle Trachtenberg, were there any skaters that you admired growing up? Anyone that you were like, I want to be that person?

A: Oh my gosh, I loved Rachael Flatt’s energy. That’s my first idol. I mean, Sasha Cohen, I remember watching her in the 2006 Olympics, like briefly. I just remember little moments as a kid because I was 6 when that was going on. Then, of course, Ashley Wagner, Gracie Gold, that era was just phenomenal. And then when I got into pairs skating, Aljona Savchenko. Oh, my Yuna Kim was my idol for the longest time. I loved her skating skills. So I really loved just watching skating all the time.

Q: You started as a single skater in novice and then switched to pairs. What made you make that switch?

A: My coach brought it up to me, actually. We were out here for a camp in 2016, and I get on the plane, and my coach turned next to me. She goes, ‘Oh, by the way, you have a try out with Max Settlage. I go, ‘Oh, awesome. Oh, oh. Okay, I didn’t know I was doing that on top of the camp, but amazing.’ So we had a very extended long tryout, and it lasted all the way into 2017, and then that’s when I didn’t really do too well in sectionals that year. I didn’t even make it to sectionals. But, yeah, I just really love everything about pairs. I kind of felt like I was hitting a stump in my singles career with the triples that I was getting and acquiring, and I just fell in love with pairs and having your hand in hand with another person on the ice. You’re not out there alone. This camaraderie that is so inviting. I just love everything about pairs. There was so much to work on.

Q: This might be, this is a broad question, but what did you like most and dislike most about being a competitive skater?

A: Dislike the most politics and the money behind politics and how that really gets in the competitive world more than you think. And then I loved meeting new people, and going internationally was probably one of the favorite things I got to do, and meet different people from different cultures and compete with them, ‘cause, like, everyone is such an amazing athlete. And it was really cool to see and compete against them.

Q: Probably not your favorite topic, but I want to go back to 2021. You’re a week out from nationals, and then you have to withdraw due to a COVID close contact. How difficult was that?

A: Extremely difficult. I mean, we were in a headspace where things felt so uncertain that even showing up to the rink every day was hard, and we didn’t want to do it. So, when we got the news, I kind of felt two feelings. I was relieved that I didn’t have to go, ‘cause I didn’t know how good our program was gonna be in the end, because we really didn’t get to train as well as we could have. But I also was really disappointed because that was my closeout chapter with my partner, who I went to junior Worlds with, Mikhail Johnson, uh, formerly named Mikhail Gumba. So it was hard. But, you know, reflecting back, I’m... I don’t know if I want to say ‘happy,’ it happened, but there was a lot going on during that season, and there was more to it than just coming in contact with COVID, unfortunately.

Q: Now, it wasn’t long after that that you made the switch to show skating. So what made you go that route?

A: After the 2021 season, I then went into my partnership with Jake Pagano, and my last nationals was in Nashville. And after that, I just felt so burnt out. I was done, but I kept going. I was gonna try and represent Australia with Ryan Dodds. We went to Australia. We competed in May. And again, I was so burnt out, that I just needed to step away from the ice. So I didn’t even step foot on the ice for almost a year. I didn’t even go into the rink for almost a year, and then I started coaching, and I fell in love with coaching, and kind of re-found my love for skating and being back on the ice, and wanted to give shows another opportunity.

A: And how did you get your start with Disney On Ice?

Q: I sent an application video to Chantal [Stringer] and Andy [Buchanan], and I sent out a few, actually, to a few different companies, but Disney was the first one to reach out. I was leaning more towards Disney just because it was gonna work better with our move back home to Colorado. I kind of, like, manifested it, and really was hoping for the best, and, sure enough, I got on, D32 [Into the Magic], and I was ecstatic. Then she asked me to be on a silk camp and the aerial team, and it was a whole ‘nother field. I’ve never done anything like that, and I never thought I would be able to do anything like that, so I was so grateful for the opportunity. was a lot of fun. It was a lot of fun. Challenging, and it was amazing.

Q: Now, you’ve gotten to play quite a few different roles in Into the Magic, D32. Do you have a favorite?

A: I wish I would have gotten to do Rapunzel. That one was, I... Man, that one kind of breaks my heart thinking about it, ‘cause I was supposed to do it here in Colorado, but I didn’t get the chance. I got to do Anna, which was so much fun. But that was the only [princess] I got to do, actually. I wish I got to do Belle, but my partner did not get to be approved, so, yeah, it was a little sad, but Anna was, I would say, Anna was my favorite.

Q: What was that experience like? Because, I mean, that is a huge role and one that kids obviously love. So, skating as Anna and having the crowd react to you out there. What was that like?

A: Oh my gosh, I felt like I was in my five year old body, or not, like, five year old body, but I just felt like a kid again, and that I could just really experiment with this character. My entire career, I’ve only skated as myself, so that itself was a huge challenge and something different to navigate in skating, which I love. Sometimes skating can get stagnant, you know? And you want to find a new area to explore, and this was just the right thing. And seeing how the kids reacted to her, it just made my heart so warm, and I felt so grateful.

Q: Now, what does a typical day look like for you when you’re on tour with Disney on ice?

A: We start load-in for the crew on Wednesdays. Class starts on Thursdays. We would usually get in around noon, 1 o’clock, depending on what group you were in for silk camp. We would have silk rehearsal, we would have blocking, light rehearsal. We hada little break to eat some food, and then a show on Thursday [night]. So Thursday is a pretty long day. Fridays are pretty long, and then Saturdays are your three-show day. But you always have people to talk to. I always listen to music. I love listening to music during my days. I don’t know why. It just puts me in a good zone for my work day. We would get out of there around 9:30. Not too crazy. Go home, to the hotel, cook your hotel dinner. We would always have ground beef, rice, cheese, some salsa. You gotta get your protein in.

Q: One thing that’s stood out to me from getting to know the skaters in the various shows is how close everyone is. So what is it like traveling together, making friends, and then maintaining those friendships even after people switch shows or leave the tour?

A: Oh, it’s so fun. All my friends are touring the Middle East and Europe this season, ‘cause I’ve only been on one show, but, I mean, in the skating community everyone knows everyone somehow, right? Through a friend, through coworkers, whatever. So I got to see some of the old people that I’ve already known in skating for quite a while. I used to train with Blake Eisenbach, who is Prince Charming on D32. I actually was really good friends with his old skating partner, and my roommate, who I toured with on Disney, amazing. Olivia Ziegler. She’s so cool. And so inspiring. Like, she was someone I looked up to my entire tour because it was my first one and I was just trying to take it all in and learn as much as I could and see as much as I could.

So we always went to coffee shops and tried to have Airbnb stays for the weekend because you always have Monday through Wednesday off. And so after someday shows and like loadout, we would be like, ‘oh, my gosh, we should totally stay here a few extra days and then drive up to our next location.’ It was just really trying to take advantage of every moment you could. She’s so cool. It’s really fun making all these different connections from all over the world, and knowing that if you were to go to a Japan or Italy, you would have a connection there. And a friend there, which, it makes it more welcoming. Sometimes it can be scary going somewhere new, but knowing that you have someone there is nice in my opinion.

Q: You said you’re coaching. You’re obviously keeping your skills sharp. So skating and being on the ice takes up a lot of your time. But I’m curious, what do you like to do in your downtime when you’re not skating?

A: I love being outdoors with my dog, Zeke. My German shepherd. He is my pride and joy. I can talk about him for hours. We love hiking. I love exploring. The state of Colorado is enormous, so I love just exploring the outdoors. I also work at a bar. I have been working in the bit and beverage industry since I was 16. So that’s just kind of my second nature. I loved the opportunities that come out of it. People, the coworkers that I have there, ‘cause it’s like a little family. I work there Friday night, sometimes Saturday nights, after coaching, and, yeah, I keep myself busy. That’s for sure.

Q: How much do you keep up with the competitive side of figure skating these days?

A: I stopped after 2022 for a minute, just because I was just so burnt out. U.S. Figure Skating, and the politics behind it kind of ticked me off, not gonna lie. So I try not to get too involved, because then I get angry, but I would say I keep up with my main peeps. So, Amber Glenn, I love watching her, and I’m obsessed with her. I love everything that she does, and I’m rooting for her all the way. Pairs, I don’t really keep up with pairs, honestly. I mean, Sui and Han, I’m excited and so stoked for Sui and Han to come back. I’m ecstatic for the Shibutanis to come back. So all of the comeback stories, I would say I’m following more so than the Grand Prix [season]. And I also listened to The Runthrough, which keeps me updated.

Q: All right, so I wanted to wrap this up with a quick little lightning round here. What is your favorite move to perform on the ice?

A: A butterfly. Wait, are we talking solo or pairs? Butterfly is my solo go-to, my party trick. And then any throw. I love doing throws.

Q: So, I have to ask someone who is terrified every time I see a throw. How are you not terrified being thrown?

A: Oh, my God, the only time I actually get to fly. It’s amazing. It’s the best part about pairs. I love everything about it. There’s nothing better than landing a solid throw and being, like, ‘hell yeah, I just did that.’ And owning it. It gives me chills thinking about it.

Q: All right, favorite Disney song of all time?

A: Oh my gosh, I love this question. Okay, um, oh, my gosh, I have so many. Oh, my gosh, there’s so many good ones. Okay, recently, it has been Moana, her new one from the second movie. I have been belting that song. “Beyond.” I love it. I just, whenever I hear it, it stays in my head forever, and I cannot get rid of it. It inspires me.

Q: Favorite Disney movie of all time?

A: Lilo and Stitch.

Q: Feel like you already answered this one, but I’ll ask again: favorite figure skating movie of all time?

A: Oh, Ice Princess. Duh.

Q: There are six basic kinds of jumps in figure skating: loop, toe loop, flip, Salchow, Lutz, and Axel. Which one is your most hated?

A: Lutz. I hate Lutz, but I actually have been training it because I’m taking my junior and senior free skate. That’s a fun fact about me. I have competed internationally for senior pairs, and I am still a novice singles lady. I have my senior moves and my senior pairs, and I’m working on getting my senior freestyle.

Q: If you hadn’t been a skater, what career would you have?

A: Oh, I would be a surfer. For sure.

Q: Really?

A: Yes, I don’t know why, but the water calls me, and I just think surfing is so freaking cool.

Q: Do you surf?

A: I tried to. Like, whenever I get the opportunity to, I will definitely give it a go, but I haven’t committed at all. And I can’t really surf here in Colorado. But I want to. It would be fun.

Q: Last but not least, one piece of advice you would give to anyone starting out in skating.

A: Have fun. And just take everything in and give yourself grace, ‘cause you have a long journey ahead of you, and just enjoy the moment. I wish I was told that more, honestly.