The Rocker Skating Podcast

The Rocker Skating Podcast brings you real-time, bite-sized, quality figure skating analysis from three unapologetic skating nerds who live and breathe the sport. Hosted by insiders Jackie Wong, Michelle Ellis, and Tara Nichols we serve up sharp, smart commentary the moment the blades leave the ice. No fluff. No wait. Just the insight you crave—whether you're a superfan or just skate-curious. Tune in for fast takes, fierce opinions, and the kind of deep knowledge only true skating geeks can bring.

Preview: Cup of China

The Grand Prix train rolls on to the second stop — and even Jackie and Michelle can’t quite figure this one out. Cup of China is serving up one of the most unpredictable lineups of the season, and no amount of spreadsheets can make sense of it.From a chaotic men’s field that could go any direction, to wide-open women’s and pairs events, and a dance roster full of intrigue, this GP stop is pure mayhem in the best way. Michelle and Jackie try to make predictions, laugh their way through the madness, and brace for whatever surprises the weekend throws next.

10-23
46:27

News of the Week - 10.13.25 - 10.19.25

Jackie and Michelle break down a packed week in the skating world — from a wave of unexpected withdrawals (and a few dramatic ones) to updates across the Grand Prix circuit. It’s a mix of disbelief, sympathy, and classic Rocker Skating laughs as they recap all the news from October 13–19.

10-21
11:43

Grand Prix France Recap

It’s been a weekend — and Jackie and Michelle are feeling it. From wild men’s performances to standout ice dance moments, they break down everything that made Grand Prix France one of the most exciting (and chaotic) events in recent memory.

10-20
01:13:45

Preview: Grand Prix France

🎧 Join Jackie, Michelle, and Tara as they preview the 2025 Grand Prix de France at Angers IceParc, the first stop in the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating 2025–26 season.We’re talking all the top figure skaters:Women’s Singles: World Champion Kaori Sakamoto, rising stars Jia Shin and Young You, and who’s ready to steal the spotlight.Pairs: Deanna Stellato-Dudek & Maxime Deschamps attempt a historic backflip vs. Riku Miura & Ryuichi Kihara.Ice Dance: New team Fournier-Beaudry & Cizeron take on veterans Guignard & Fabbri and Fear & Gibson.

10-17
33:37

From Tayside to Trialeti

It’s a whirlwind week in figure skating as the Junior Grand Prix wraps up and the senior Grand Prix looms. Michelle and Jackie recap everything from the Tayside and Budapest Trophies to Georgia’s big sweep at the Trialeti Trophy — yes, the one with the Bronze Age-inspired cups. Plus, the latest on back-to-back competitors (hi, Jason Brown!) and how some rising U.S. pairs are suddenly making noise. All the skating, none of the scrolling. Listen along and tell us what you think will happen in France!

10-14
58:35

News of the week - 10.6.25 - 10.12.25

📰 News of the Week: October 6–12Michelle and Jackie break down all the latest in figure skating — Sui and Han’s long-awaited return to the ice, China’s new Olympic selection rules, and early Grand Prix storylines taking shape. Plus injury updates from Wakaba Higuchi, Sota Yamamoto, and Niina Petrokina as the season ramps up. Catch the week’s biggest skating headlines and a little real-talk along the way.

10-13
09:50

The Denis Ten Memorial

The Denis Ten Memorial men’s event brought major energy this week — and we’re breaking it all down! 🏆Mikhail Shaidorov showed up as the world silver medalist, dropped a pile of quads, and walked away with gold (despite some....questionable component scores) over Nika Egadze. And yes, Jason Brown is back with those buttery edges and a clean triple Axel to claim bronze.Jackie and Michelle also talk about skates from Canada’s Matthew Newnham and China’s Yudong Chen, and Korea’s Sihyeong Lee. It’s a packed recap full of big jumps, sharp takes, and just enough chaos to keep it fun — because this deep into the Challenger Series, you know we’ve got opinions.

10-06
35:12

News of the Week - 9.29.25 - 10.5.25

There’s been a lot of skating lately — and we’re here for it. Jackie and Michelle are back with a full recap of this week’s action, from Trophée Métropole and Cup of Nice to the Italian test skates and the Junior Grand Prix in Poland.Adam Siao Him Fa is finding his form again, Davide Lewton Brain is still out there doing his thing, and we’ve got thoughts on all of it — the highs, the hiccups, and the hilarious commentary that only comes when you’ve watched one too many short programs in a row.So grab your coffee (or your rinkside snack of choice) and catch up with us — your skating friends who always have opinions, laughs, and a little bit of chaos to share. ⛸️✨

10-06
27:22

Nebelhorn, Nepela, & Lara Naki Gutmann!

Jackie and Michelle are back at the mic to break down a jam-packed week of skating chaos. From the surprisingly stacked pairs field at Nebelhorn to Fear/Gibson and Carreira/Ponomarenko’s dance battle, they cover it all—plus Amber Glenn casually tossing out two triple axels, Mone Chiba’s eyebrow-raising scores, and Jia Shin’s electric short program. Plus, it's the "Gogonaissance" as Stephen Gogolev’s season kicks into high gear with an Olympic spot on the line.And yes, that IS an interview with "SharkNaki" herself, as Lara Naki Gutmann joins Jackie for an Olympic-season chat.

09-29
01:03:04

News of the Week - 9.22.25-9.28.25

Another week, another set of program announcements, music changes, and debuts! Plus, more JGP action from the week. Jackie and Michelle catch you up on this week's news in skating.

09-29
14:32

Chinese Nebelhorn: Who got the last Olympic Qualifying Spots?

Three all-nighters later, Jackie and Michelle are here to talk Chinese Nebelhorn—where the travel was rough, the scoring was sketchy, but the competition still delivered. Was this new format worth it? We’ve got thoughts.

09-22
01:03:03

News of the Week - 9.14.25-9.20.25

This week we’re breaking down some tough injury news for Team USA—Luca Broussard’s continued bad luck and Camden Pulkinen’s untimely setback. But if there’s one thing we know, Camden thrives in chaos. We also dig into the big headlines coming out of Japanese Regionals, from surprise shake-ups to fresh storylines heading into Olympic season. It’s all the news, all the analysis, with a little bit of fun along the way.

09-22
11:20

Chinese Nebelhorn: Who's in, who's out, and how does this all work?

Skate to Milano, a.k.a. Chinese Nebelhorn, is almost here, and Jackie and Michelle are diving right in with the first official preview of the Rocker Skating Podcast season. They’ll catch you up on what’s at stake, how Olympic qualifying works, and for the first time ever, share their predictions with each other on air. If you want to know who might grab those last Milano spots—and toss in your own guesses along the way—grab your headphones and get caught up before the competition kicks off!

09-18
48:49

A Lombardia To Remember + JGP Thailand

Jackie and Michelle break down all the action from this year’s Lombardia Trophy, where the men’s field gave us a real early-season showdown: Yuma Kagiyama, Adam Siao Him Fa, and Ilia Malinin all went head-to-head, and yes — there’s a lot to unpack.Also on the rundown: Alysa Liu’s Olympic season programs made their debut, and we’re talking music, layout, vibe, and what it all signals for the rest of her season. Meanwhile, Lara Naki Gutmann (aka SharkNaki) reminded everyone why she’s a fan favorite — and why you never sleep on a Challenger.And for the ice dance crowd: Michelle takes us through the Junior Grand Prix debut of Hana Maria Aboian & Daniil Veselukhin — one of the most promising new teams on the circuit.

09-15
51:42

News of the Week - 9.8.25-9.14.25

Miss the latest in Ice Dance drama or "where are they now" moments? That's what we're here for. Jackie and Michelle take you through another week of Olympic season figure skating news.

09-15
06:42

The Wild Week of Kinoshita + JGP Varese

If this week was any indication, the Olympic Season is about to kick into ultra-high gear. With "an embarrassment of riches" in the early competitions this week, Jackie and Michelle had plenty to break down, including their obsessions this time around (hint: Saki Miyake makes more than one list!).

09-08
40:45

News of the Week - 9.1.25-9.7.25

Missed the program announcements and event headlines from the last week? Never fear, Jackie and Michelle are here!

09-08
14:07

All Eyes on French Masters (and the quad twist that wasn't)

In this episode of the Rocker Skating Podcast, Jackie Wong and Michelle Ellis dive into a big week in figure skating, starting with all the buzz from the French Masters. They break down standout performances across the board.They talk Kevin Aymoz and Adam Siao Him Fa.But of course, the debut of Ice dancers Laurence Fournier-Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron stole the show — though the jury’s still out on whether the programs really showcase what makes this team unique.Over at the Junior Grand Prix, Yujae Kim impressed with lightning-fast rotations. Minkyu Seo, skating to choreography by Patrick Chan, showed real star potential. In pairs, Guo and Zhang landed a huge quad twist... or, did they? (They did. Even if the caller didn't catch it.)

09-01
40:16

News of the Week - 8.25.25-8.31.25

Jackie and Michelle tackle this week's news headlines... and for some reason, the “Dun dun... dun dun... dun dun dun dun...” of Jaws softly playing in the background...

09-01
08:57

Let the (Junior) GP begin!

This week, Jackie and Michelle tackle the opening Junior Grand Prix event in Latvia, the announcement of entries for the Skate to Milano event later this fall, and their obsessions of the week.

08-25
37:02

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