Rika Hongo | Page 29 | Golden Skate

Rika Hongo

rRainbow

On the Ice
Joined
Oct 22, 2018
Country
Japan
Interview with Rika on FS Life vol. 21 (5/29/2020): International shipping is available from this seller.
https://www.amazon.co.jp/フィギュアスケートLife-Vol-21-扶桑社ムック/dp/4594615392?language=en_US

Translation of excerpts:

--How did you spend your days while you took a season off? (Interview was in March in Naboya)
R: For the first time there was a 6-month period when I didn’t skate at all. I tried doing various things and I had fun, but I began to want to skate. I resumed practice, and after not skating for 6 months I realized skating meant so much to me.

--What made you decide to take a season off? Did you get exhausted?
R: Rather than being exhausted, I didn’t feel like going to the rink. I didn’t feel like skating either. I couldn’t go there at all. At the same time, I also thought, “I will be even worse if I take time off, because I’m already in bad shape.” and “Once I take time off, I may not be able to come back.” so I didn’t want to take a leave, and I was worried and stressed over it like that for a long time. Then I happened to remember the previous season and it occurred to me that when I was not myself it didn’t do me any good forcing myself as I couldn’t get good results, and I was no longer a young student and it may be a good idea to take a break once to do something else, rather than spending meaningless time repeating the same thing. I talked with my coach and he agreed with me. That’s how I finally decided to take a season off.

--You must have worried a lot.
R: I agonized over it. Even after I decided to take time off, I murmured inside “Awww,” for a while, but when I asked myself if I could skate, the answer was no. At times I was afraid I would not be able to come back, but I even felt resigned to that idea, thinking I should just accept the reality if things didn’t work out. Therefore, I left behind skating boots and gear in Canada (laughs).

....to be continued
 

surimi

Onward and forward, Sota!
Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 12, 2013
:thank: I am glad to hear that Rika H might be coming back! I look forward to the rest of her interview. I miss watching her skate.
I wonder if she's more confident about speaking English, now that she's returned from Canada!
 

rRainbow

On the Ice
Joined
Oct 22, 2018
Country
Japan
Part 2
--You took a plunge (laughs).
R: When I think about it now, I didn’t plan ahead (laughs). So I don’t have jackets and such other than skating boots now. I only asked my coach to please send me the boots. Rinka (Watanabe) chan happened to come to Japan for competition, and was kind enough to be my courier.

-- Your courier (laughs).
R: I told her I was so sorry (laughs).

--She would have never guessed you left them behind.
R: Indeed. So Rinka-chan said “Whaatt!” (laughs). But to be honest I almost felt like quitting skating. You might think I should have taken them with me, but I didn’t want my luggage to overflow.

-- (laughs) But things are working out now, after you made a bold decision to rest.
R: I think so. I enjoy skating now, so it turned out fine, hehe.
--What did you do while you took a break from skating?
R: Right after I returned to Japan, probably because of stress, I was under the weather. Therefore, I went to my grandma’s place in Sendai to stay with her a little while. I got to see my cousins whom I hadn’t seen for a long time, and I also went to visit my cousin’s school on open class day (laughs). I was fully enjoying Sendai participating in such small events and things like that, and around August or September I came back to Nagoya and took a job there. Probably about five months I was working. Miki (Ando) chan took me to dinner sometimes and I was so happy.

--Where did you skate when you resumed skating after a 6-month break? Chukyo?
R: I thought I would not be able to skate well after a long break, so I skated at Oosu rink. While my friends were there I skated a little bit in a casual manner for fun.

--Did you have fun?
R: Yes, it was fun. But I sucked so much that I laughed at myself. In the past there was a period of one month when I couldn’t jump because of my foot pain, but I could still be on ice during that one month. It was my first time skating after a six-month break, and I felt uneasy.

....to be continued
 

rRainbow

On the Ice
Joined
Oct 22, 2018
Country
Japan
Part 3
--Did you do stroking only?
R: At first it took me a little to figure out the right edges to get onto doing backward strokes, but on the first day back on ice I could do all double jumps. So I thought I could do triples and went for them, but triples were too tough for me after all (laughs). In fact my doubles were not good at all, either, I realized it’s important to keep practicing.

--During these days did you gain a new perspective?
R: Before, all I had been doing was skating and I never even had worked part time when I was a student, so I never realized how hard it was to work for money. Having done that, I appreciated even more that I could keep skating. Also, I was happy that I got to know how it was to work in the society. I was most worried about whether I would be able to work, but people around me helped me and I managed to hold a job, so I am not worried about the future so much. Knowing that I can hold a job I feel relieved. That said, the biggest change was that I wanted to skate again rediscovering the joy of skating. The best thing that happened to me was to reset myself and get back these feelings.

--What kind of job did you have? Servicing customers?
R: I worked at a jewelry shop which was affiliated with a certain designer brand. Hehe.

--Did you offer services to the customers such as recommending accessories?
R: Yes, I did (laughs).
--How did you do that?
R: When a customer walked in I said “Welcome” in this tone of voice, but I was told to say it with a higher-pitched voice (laughs). My mother also told me that I might do well in a restaurant, but I wanted to give it a try. All the customers were nice to me. I fumbled a lot when speaking, and friendly customers said things like, “Hey, young lady, you’re messing up. Are you okay?” (laughs). Once I started to stutter, I couldn’t stop.
--You couldn’t articulate any more.
R: I couldn’t stop fumbling for words. I was bad at speaking Japanese (laughs).

....to be continued
 

surimi

Onward and forward, Sota!
Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 12, 2013
Very enlightening interview, thank you.
I am happy to hear Rika found joy in skating despite the setback. Still, after a long time off the ice, doing doubles on day 1 back on the ice, counts as success, right?
 

rRainbow

On the Ice
Joined
Oct 22, 2018
Country
Japan
Part 4
Resetting herself, making a fresh start:

--I remember you had been putting together a new program before taking a break.
R: You’re right. I took a break even though I had a new program. During the time I was struggling to decide whether to stay or not, I had this concern; If I had not been able to give my all, I would have felt terribly sorry for Shae-Lynn (Bourne) who had made the program for me. Rather than doing a mediocre job, I wanted to perform when I became in good form mentally and physically to bring the program to life. That was one of the reasons why I decided to take time off. I wanted to make a fresh start. Hehe.

--Why are you giggling (laughs)?
R: I've just said cool stuff, but I ‘m just plain old Hongo (laughs).

--(laughs). About “Ghost in the Shell,” is the choreography cool?
R: Yes, it is. Shae-Lynn brought the music to me. She gave me several choices but she recommended it the most. I thought its tune was similar to the short program (from the movie “Kill Bill”), though.

--Which version of “Ghost in the Shell?” Movie or animation?
R: A mixture of both, the original animation and the movie. The beginning part is a bit Japanese style and ends with rat-a-tat-tat.

....to be continued
 

rRainbow

On the Ice
Joined
Oct 22, 2018
Country
Japan
Part 5
--Let me confirm this. You’re coming back in the game next season?
R: Yes, I intend to. If I’m not back in the game, you can assume that something happened (laughs). I have been practicing to get ready for the regionals, and I want to get back in shape as much as possible by the time I return to Canada.
--How is it going now?
R: I’ve got an axel and triple salchow and triple toe loop back. Oh, it’s interesting that these triples came back in the same order as when I first mastered them. Toe loop, salchow, and now lutz which is still not good but I can land it somehow. Flip was next. Loop is….. I would prefer not to be asked (laughs).

--So you got toe loop, salchow, and then lutz.
R: The day after I got the lutz back, I was able to jump the flip, and after a little while I got the loop back. But I think my jumps were reset during the time I was off ice, so I’m hoping the loop may become my strong jump.

--You are keeping it so that you won’t lose it.
R: I haven’t decided whether to keep it until I get coached or keep working on it.

--If your jumps were reset, you have ample opportunity to fix the issues.
R: At first I was working on the lutz and out of frustration I even tried to take off lutz from a super outside edge…. I don’t know how it is now (laughs). My eagerness to jump gets the better of me. I have the feeling that my senses are back, like I was jumping this way before. Still, when I think that I used to be able to jump the salchow and the toe loop without thinking anything, I realize that in the past I could land such difficult land as a matter of course, and that made me feel I shouldn’t have taken time off, ugh. That said, if I hadn’t taken a break, I wouldn’t be skating now. So it turned out fine, but there are times when I feel a little regret.

--If you hadn’t taken a break, you would have hated skating?
R: I would have quit skating. Actually, while I was on leave, I hardly watched skating. I’m glad I didn’t hate skating and quit, then all my efforts would have come to nothing. I’ve been practicing setting a small goal to reach each time, and it’s like going back to the basics and starting over.

.... to be continued
 

rRainbow

On the Ice
Joined
Oct 22, 2018
Country
Japan
Part 6
--Now every time you get your technique back it brings you joy..
R: It’s just like when I was a little kid. Back then I was delighted when I landed a jump. I was happy when I accomplished something new, and even when I couldn’t do it I was like, “I almost made it.” I feel nostalgic about these days. Anyway, I definitely need to get back everything by the Regionals, because everybody else is doing great these days. When I decided to get back in the game, I knew it was going to be absolutely tough. At times I even thought that I might be better off not returning to competition. Then I started to think that I would rather spend the fulfilling season like the ones years go than worry about competition rankings, because for the past several seasons my performances had been disappointing all the time. If I quit now I’ll regret giving up. That’s why I want to start over, and if I don’t do well, I’ll give up gracefully. If I do better than before, I’ll be glad that I’ve tried. Now I skate because I enjoy skating, and I feel good about myself. I used to be worried about results and at times poor results made me think that it was meaningless to keep skating. However I changed my perspective. Before, I felt like I pushed myself to be negative, but I decided to stop thinking that way. I tend to overthink even though I’m usually easy going like this right now.

--You said before in an interview that when it comes to skating you think negatively.
R: Exactly. But I’m getting better at overcoming negative thinking. It will be best if I get good placements and rankings, but first of all I want to satisfy myself by skating the best I can and the way I want.

--I hope you will have a good time at the Regionals.
R: It will be the first time for a long time to compete at the Regionals. I bet I’ll be nervous. But It’s already March now and September will come in no time.

--Yes, indeed. Still, we don’t have any idea when you can return to Canada…….
R: You’re right! I have to figure out what I should do in case I cannot come back to Canada.

--You can practice at Chukyo, but you won’t have any coaches.
R: There’s a limit to what I can do alone, but I will have no choice but to practice in Japan if I cannot get back to Canada for a long time.

--How about online instructions which is a recent hot topic?
R: Sounds cool (laughs).

.... to be continued to the last part
 

surimi

Onward and forward, Sota!
Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 12, 2013
Thank you! It looks like Rika's mental strength has improved considerably, and I'm happy to hear her say openly that she has re-evaluated her negative thinking. It correlates with what I myself have seen. In the season she left her Japanese coaching team, I watched her at Finlandia, in both practice and SP, and she looked unhappy most of the time. I am glad she is in a much better place now. I hope her newfound joy in skating takes her far. She's such a unique skater.
Good to know she is working on her take-off edge. If the jump resetting also applies to rotation, it woud be great for her chances in the Japanese field. She used to get hammered for UR, but if she gets rid of the calls, then sky is the limit.
 

rRainbow

On the Ice
Joined
Oct 22, 2018
Country
Japan
Last part
--What do you think of Megumu Seki coach?
R: He is fun to be around. How should I put it? He treats me in a totally different way from before. In the past I only talked about skating with Howa coaches including Nagakubo sensei…. Ah, I talked about video games with Nagakubo sensei, though.

--Euh? What kind of games did Nagakubo sensei play?
R: He played various games. Right after I came to Nagoya he used to play Dragon Quest, smartphone games and such. I often talked with him about mobile games.

--Do you talk with Seki sensei about things other than skating?
R: It may be what people do in Canada, but before practice he asks me things like “How are you doing today?” and “How are you feeling?” Other coaches do that too. I say to him stuff like “so-so” (laughs). Then Seki sensei teases me by saying “What do you mean by so-so?” so I sometimes say “Not much.” We also play Mario Kart together. Euh? I’m talking about games again.

--I’m glad you have a good time over there (laughs). What kind of performance are you aiming for?
R: Now that I think about it, it feels like I was in a dream, but…..before a break I had a streak of bad jumps at competitions, and I was so preoccupied with jumps that I was scared of competition and even afraid of going to competitions. But at times I enjoyed competitions, so I want to feel that way again. Also, I will be happiest if I can perform the program they made for me the way only I can do by giving it my twist. I would like to show the audience such performances. I was overjoyed by the people who told me they would keep rooting for me even during my leave, and it motivated me. I will be happy if they can see that even though I took a break I came back so that I can perform on ice what I desire to do, and that I love skating.
-
-Do you remember the seasons when you enjoyed competitions? Around the time you turned senior?
R: Back then my jumps were good and I achieved good results, so I enjoyed competing. Looking back, ”Riverdance” brought me the most joy.

--I enjoyed watching it too.
R: I loved the programs in the second senior seasons. I really loved the short program “Quidam” as well as “Riverdance.” I was just plain having fun performing. So I want to skate the way I used to do during my first and second senior seasons. Recently I want to do “Riverdance” one more time. It will be nice if I can, because I have only a few seasons left. I don’t want to miss my opportunity to retire, but I don’t think the time has come yet, so I want to keep working hard.

THE END
 

surimi

Onward and forward, Sota!
Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 12, 2013
Thank you! I was taken aback and greatly amused by the mental image of the great and dignified Nagakubo sensei gaming! And discussing games with his students. :laugh: Who would have thought?
Yay, I am glad there were many who were waiting for Rika's comeback, and who told her so. I hope she gets assignments if there is a season. After all, my Rika banner is still waiting patiently in my cupboard, washed and ironed and ready to be used again ^ ^ I hope Rika comes back and has a blast. I can't wait to see her happy.
I am surprised she didn't mention 'Frida', I thought it was a great program.
 

Jennibeultimate

Rinkside
Joined
Nov 11, 2017
Thank you so much @rRainbow for translating the article 😍😍😍

___

I hope someone can share a bit about Rika from this online talk show 🙏
 

sakurano

Final Flight
Joined
Oct 20, 2017
happy birthday

I hope to see her back on the ice a long time since her Frida and Kill Bill programs
 

sailormoon

On the Ice
Joined
Aug 9, 2016
Country
Japan
During the off season, she worked as a shop clerk at a local jewelry shop. Hongo thought about quitting figure skating. But she eventually decided to return to the sport and she resumed her training in January. I am glad to see her back as I assumed that she had already retired. Hongo is competing against Mako Yamashita who scored 65.64 in the short. The music for her SP is "The Song for My Brother" from her favorite Korean soap opera that she watched during the Covid-19 shutdown. It was originally "Kill Bill."
 
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surimi

Onward and forward, Sota!
Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 12, 2013
Rika's FP: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2Tdk7jk5Ks
She won the FP with a score of 115.78 and placed 2nd overall with a total score of 176.07. So happy to see her smiling again! I hope she does well at West Japan championships, too.
The music will take me a while to get used to but it's interesting, and I like her choreo. She nailed her jumps too. I just hope she changes the costume, this one looks like practice wear with sequins on it. Well, maybe it is a practice outfit...
 

bouncy

☀️
On the Ice
Joined
Oct 4, 2019
Rika's FP: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2Tdk7jk5Ks
She won the FP with a score of 115.78 and placed 2nd overall with a total score of 176.07. So happy to see her smiling again! I hope she does well at West Japan championships, too.
The music will take me a while to get used to but it's interesting, and I like her choreo. She nailed her jumps too. I just hope she changes the costume, this one looks like practice wear with sequins on it. Well, maybe it is a practice outfit...
I enjoyed her FS very much. Glad to see her back!
 

mikeko666

Final Flight
Joined
Apr 27, 2011
I love Rika's Ghost in the Shell! She said she wants to upgrade the jump contents. I look forward to Western Sectionals.
 
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