Carriere Hoping Hard Work Pays Off at U.S. Championships, and Beyond
By Amy Rosewater
(1/20/2007) - When Stephen Carriere was just 13 months old, doctors had to repair the tubes in his ears. The procedure was supposed to improve his hearing.
Little did anyone know at the time that it would help launch his skating career.
“When he got his hearing back, he was afraid of motion,’’ said Carriere’s mother, Patti. “Someone suggested getting him involved in a sport with motion, like gymnastics or figure skating. I was going to put hockey skates on him, but he saw everyone jumping in figure skates and said, ‘I want to do that.’ ’’
His mother signed him up for an eight-week session at a small local rink near his hometown of Wakefield, Mass., outside of Boston. He flew through the lessons, rising quickly through group lessons. Ultimately, a local coach named Sue Hamill noticed his talent and offered free private lessons.
This week, Carriere enters the 2007 State Farm U.S. Championships as the reigning junior men’s champion and is making his senior-level debut at the event.
“My goal at nationals is to make my mark and have a great debut at seniors,’’ Carriere said. “The transition between junior and senior is really about creating your own style. Hopefully, my choreography will become more fluid. It’s not like in juvenile, when you’ve got to land a double Axel to win.’’
True, Carriere, just 17, has his work cut out for him at the senior level. He will be facing the likes of more seasoned skaters such as three-time U.S. champion Johnny Weir, two-time World bronze medalist Evan Lysacek and longtime U.S. Championships participant Scott Smith, with whom Carriere trains in Boston.
But Carriere is a dogged competitor, having won all but one event he has entered this season, including two Junior Grand Prix stops and the Junior Grand Prix Final. The only competition he didn’t win was the World Junior title. He was fourth, but even there he won his qualifying round.
Carriere has been training with Mark Mitchell and Peter Johansson at the Skating Club of Boston. Mitchell was a three-time medalist at the U.S. Championships; Johansson is a former Swedish national champion.
Hamill worked with Carriere in Stoneham, Mass., where Nancy Kerrigan trained. Hamill once worked with Johansson and upon her urging, Carriere made the move to the SC of Boston. Hamill remains close to Carriere, and he even arranged for her to be the surprise of his mom’s 50th surprise birthday party.
But there’s no doubt the move to Mitchell and Johansson has been a good one for the growth of his skating.
“What I really like about them is they were both amateur skaters and they have that experience,’’ Carriere said. “They’ve been around and they’ve had good coaches, too.’’
Carriere is even working with choreographer Jamie Isley, who crafted some of Mitchell’s competitive routines. Carriere’s short program music is “Stray Cat Strut;” his long program is to a medley of jazz music by Buddy Rich.
When asked to describe Carriere’s look on the ice, Mitchell said, “He’s not trying to be a mini someone else. He’s trying to develop his own style, his own look. It’s exciting, kind of a cool look.’’
Technically, Carriere has already proven himself a formidable competitor.
 A very determined skater, Carriere was landing single Axels when he was about 8. He landed his first triple jump, a Salchow, at 13. While most young men dream of driving on their 16th birthday, Carriere had a different goal: he wanted to land a triple Axel. He fell short of that goal, landing his first triple Axel about two months later. All of this made him that much more determined to land a quad before he turned 17.
“June 2nd,’’ Carriere said. “I remember the day.’’
Carriere was referring to June 2, 2006 – 13 days before his 17th birthday and the day he first landed a quadruple toe loop.
“I was really pumped up by another kid’s music and I said to myself, ‘Let’s go do it.’ ’’ Carriere said. “I came back the next day and landed more. I had to do a show in Maine over the weekend, and I remember doing it in practice there.’’
He landed his first quad in competition in July at the Liberty Summer Competition held outside of Philadelphia. He didn’t attempt one in the Junior Grand Prix series and, chances are, he won’t try one this week in Spokane, Wash. But fans might see some in practices.
“I’m training them, but I want to skate a good clean program,’’ Carriere said.
Part of his motivation to land quads stems from watching his rink mate Smith practice. When Smith first came to Boston a few years ago, he was landing quadruple Salchows and triple Axels.
“He was a mentor to me,’’ Carriere said. “It’s kind of weird now competing with him. I’ve gained a lot from him at the rink and his attitude. I really wanted to be like him.’’
But Carriere didn’t really need much outside motivation to push him.
“He’s a perfectionist,’’ Mitchell said. “Even as a little kid, he was like that. I have to tell him to slow down sometimes.’’
Carriere is that way off the ice, too. He is a senior at Wakefield Memorial High School, where he takes a full course load, including an advanced placement biology class. He leaves school around 2 p.m., and then heads to the rink for three consecutive sessions. He follows that up by working out and doing his homework. It’s little wonder that he’s a member of the National Honor Society.
“He has to have straight A’s,’’ Patti said. “It’s got to be A’s or he’s not happy.’’
The stress of skating and school is equally high. While he is focusing on the U.S. Championships – his most important competition of the season – he is also awaiting word from Harvard, Northeastern, Tufts and Boston universities. Once this season, he practiced for a show, then took his SATs and performed afterward.
In the midst of it all, he’s competed internationally, in Hungary, The Netherlands and Bulgaria.
“I don’t know how he’s made it through this season,’’ Patti said.
Perhaps the drive is in the family genes. One of Carriere’s cousins is Caroline Hallisey, a U.S. speed skater who competed at the 1998 and 2002 Olympic Winter Games. Halissey is – follow this now – the daughter of Carriere’s dad’s sister. Over the years, she has sent Carriere trinkets from speed skating competitions, including the Olympics.
Said Carriere, “My goal is to have two Olympians in the family.’’
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