Photographs by Yoriko Suzuki
Spain’s Lara Sundberg and Héctor González Elvira are a brand new junior ice dance workforce coming collectively from completely different backgrounds to construct an on-ice partnership that resulted in a prime 20 end at their first World Junior Championships. Get to know the workforce as they mirror on their first season collectively and the journey that introduced them to ice dance.
What are your earliest reminiscences of skating—have been you each drawn to ice dance from the start?
Lara Sundberg (LS): Would possibly sound humorous, however I really hated skating at first, so my earliest reminiscences of skating are of me crying on the way in which to apply as somewhat child. (Very overdramatic of me, I do know). Clearly, in the fitting surroundings it will definitely grew on me. I used to be by no means drawn to bounce although. Even when tried it with my cousin after I was 11, I discovered it kind of boring at that age. Then, a few years in the past I began to really feel drawn to bounce very all of the sudden. I believe it had all the pieces to do with rising up and realizing what sort of issues I really get pleasure from.
Héctor Gonzalez Elvira (HGE): I’d say that my first reminiscence of skating is the actually first time I put my skates on and skated. I used to be 10 or 11 and my buddy, Angela, invited me to her celebration, which was in one of many ice rinks that we’ve in Madrid. Earlier than that I’d by no means heard about ice skating, I didn’t even comprehend it existed. So, I went for the birthday, acquired on the ice and it was superb. I bear in mind everybody attempting to avoid wasting their lifes by leaning on the boundaries and, being humble, I used to be simply gliding and laughing at my associates.
Hector, you competed as a singles skater till 2024. What made you determine to modify to ice dance?
HGE: I really began in ice dance and after one season I made a decision to do singles as properly. After all, if you begin to develop and enhance within the self-discipline you want extra time, extra work, camps, competitions. The second of selecting one of many disciplines got here and I needed to discover the choices I had: do I need to skate overseas? During which self-discipline? Am I prepared for this problem? Lastly I made a decision to do strive outs and see what occur and properly I discovered the right associate and determined to maneuver to Finland.
Lara, you competed in synchronized skating and as a part of Group Fintastic, you received the 2023 World Junior Syncho Championships (and the 2024 World Junior Synchro silver medal). What did being a part of this workforce imply to you? How did being a part of this workforce put together you to your ice dance partnership?
LS: Being a part of Fintastic was so particular. To me it meant belonging to a type of household, as a result of I grew up amongst that group and had all my dearest associates within the workforce. I imply, even after leaving the workforce, the group continues as part of my life. The folks of Fintastic and Rockettes are so supportive of my journey with Hector. My outdated coach Kaisa, who I’m actually shut with outdoors skating, really even works with us generally. My different two ex-coaches Nina and Spiri are additionally each a really encouraging power in my present ice dance profession.
I believe that a few years with the workforce have labored properly as a basis for my dance partnership. I grew to worth teamwork and at all times loved the method of constructing belief and friendship. Really, though it’s very completely different, working with only one individual has many issues in frequent with synchro, whereas additionally being an thrilling new chapter for me.
Why did you determine to modify to ice dance and what have been your largest challenges/changes?
LS: Throughout my final season in synchro I used to be struggling mentally, as a result of it felt like I had grown out of the game. I used to be usually watching the practices of Mauri and Neil’s {couples} on the rink and really bear in mind pondering how superb it will be to skate in that coaching group. (These days I do, life is insane). I used to be uncertain what to do as a result of though I dreamed about ice dance, I didn’t even dare to consider it as a severe risk. I simply thought that changing into an ice dancer can be unimaginable due to my background and lack of expertise. In some way, I ended up going for it anyway simply to see what occurs, and was ready to attend for a associate for a few years. Because it seems, I didn’t even have to attend that lengthy. I used to be blessed with a really heat welcome from Neil, who organized our tryout with Hector simply a few weeks after I joined his group.
For me the most important problem in ice dance has been growing a unique type of skillset and likewise being extra seen as a person on the ice, though I get pleasure from it. An enormous adjustment was additionally getting used to the weekly quantity of coaching in our group, which is double in comparison with what I used to have. I additionally needed to swap to on-line learning to release the varsity hours for practices.
HGE: Concerning the most important problem of ice dance, I personally consider that studying to skate with a brand new associate is probably the most sophisticated a part of ice dance. We want such a pleasant understanding of one another’s skating to have the ability to really skate collectively. I believe that was (and nonetheless is) the toughest and most fun a part of switching to ice dance.
Inform us about your tryout and if you determined to skate collectively?
LS: For me the tryout was a loopy expertise, actually. It was such a short while after I began dance, so it was like I used to be all of the sudden swept into a unique dimension or one thing. Neil knew Héctor from manner again and when Héctor requested him about potential companions, we ended up going to Madrid for the tryout. It was really Héctor’s 18th birthday once we went, so we joined his celebration straight after arriving, which was enjoyable. Subsequent morning we began the tryout. It went rather well, I loved all of it though I used to be a bit misplaced with the precise skating a part of it. Additionally, I didn’t perceive Spanish on the time and I didn’t even know Neil very properly earlier than that journey, so it was all very new.
HGE: Yeah it was cool, for me it was a humorous second to do the check out as a result of my remaining exams of highschool that are additionally the way in which to get into the college. It was attention-grabbing to have the stress of learning and of being with Lara and the coaches on a regular basis.
The place are you at present coaching, and what does a typical coaching day appear to be for you?
We’re coaching in Helsinki. We have now apply from morning till the afternoon from Monday to Friday and the schedule range a bit relying on the day. We at all times have two ice classes of an hour and a half every, one hour of dance and generally fitness center.
For instance, on Wednesday we get up at 7:00 am and go to the rink to do ballroom at 8:45. After that we’ve a 1,5h ice apply, a break to eat, after which a second ice session of 2h this time. After which we finish the day with fitness center, ending round 15.30pm.
After all after the coaching we do our personal stuff resembling working, learning or just sleeping.
Inform us about your coaches and choreographers. What do you want most about working with them?
Personally one of many issues that made us need to transfer right here to coach was the coaches and the surroundings they’ve right here. Neil is our head coach and it’s loopy how a lot he cares about us and the way a lot effort the goes by means of to make us higher skaters and other people. Though Mauri is especially teaching the seniors, it’s additionally superb to have him as our help and to have the ability to take his large expertise and data with us.
We additionally actually benefit from the dance lessons and on-ice choreo work with Sini Parkkinen, who has really choreographed our applications with Neil. We really feel actually proud and grateful for this superb workforce that helps us to work for our goals. We really feel so supported every single day and we see the large effort they put in to show us all the pieces they know and to be there for us normally.
What off-ice coaching or preparation has been significantly useful to your growth as a workforce?
As we talked about, the dance lessons have been actually helpful all through the season. For the free dance, as we had a Foxtrot/Swing model, our ballroom instructor Jutta’s lessons have been completely superb. We have now practiced so many kinds from Rhumba to Viennese Waltz, and that’s actually helpful to develop that connection inside the couple.
Inform us about your applications this season. What impressed your music selections and total themes?
LS: So within the RD we have been skating to “Sing Hallelujah”, which is a tune I at all times favored, so I steered it. Then, we ended up pairing “I Like To Transfer It” with that. Héctor hated each of these songs at first, however then he gave in and ended up liking them, as he normally does.
HGE: Concerning the Free Dance, it was humorous as a result of we had the music already (a recent tune) and even had began the choreography when Mauri all of the sudden got here from Italy and mentioned no. He instructed us that we had a lot potential for doing one thing completely different than the bulk, and he steered doing this extra conventional model of ballroom, so we did a quick analysis of music and made this system with Neil in lower than per week as I needed to go to Spain for the break. However actually, Mauri’s concept labored rather well!
This was your first season competing internationally. What have been a few of your most memorable experiences/largest classes realized?
Earlier than our first competitors, which was the JGP in Varese, we have been so excited to compete collectively. All the things was new and perhaps a bit scary, so this season we realized the right way to handle competitions, what every of us want from the opposite and the right way to help the opposite when they’re a bit extra drained.
LS: For me probably the most memorable expertise was maybe Nationals. I used to be really very drained at that time of the season and felt nervous to compete for the title in that state. We succeeded although, and as a reminiscence the competitors is so particular. I actually love the ambiance at Spanish nationals, the heat and quantity of cheering is actually uncompared. Referring to that, my private lesson from the primary season is that feeling off doesn’t robotically equal worse outcomes, so it’s at all times greatest to belief the method.
HGE: I’d personally say that the JGP in Abu Dhabi was one of many largest challenges of the season. It was an extended journey, lengthy occasion, one thing that I hadn’t skilled earlier than and my physique felt fully off throughout the competitors. It was exhausting to skate and carry out a pleasant program, nonetheless we did our job, we acquired the minimal for Worlds there and it was step one on studying the right way to handle these type of occasions.
What groups or skaters encourage you?
Our workforce for certain, we’re so fortunate and grateful to share ice with a few of the prime {couples} of the World: Juulia (Turkkila) & Mathias (Versluis), Yuka (Orihara) & Juho (Pirinen), Natalie (Taschlerova) & Filip (Taschler) and Natacha (Lagouge) & Arnaud (Caffa). They’re our inspiration. The way in which they skate and the quantity of labor they placed on their applications is loopy. Not simply within the skating facet, additionally as folks they’re completely superb and the most effective workforce we might ever think about, so our journey can be because of them.
You completed twentieth on the 2026 World Junior Championships, did you will have a objective heading into this occasion? What are your ideas in your performances at this competitors?
Our objectives have been altering by means of the season as we achieved them. To start with our objective was merely to get the minimal and make a reputation for ourselves within the worldwide ice dance group. After getting the minimal within the JGP circuit we have been aiming for the Nationwide Title. As Spain had just one ice dance spot for Junior Worlds, we wanted to win nationals to earn it. After that, the ultimate objective that we set was after all to qualify for the Free Dance at Worlds.
There was an important feeling after the Rhythm Dance, we have been fairly nervous and contemplating that it wasn’t one in every of our greatest performances, we have been delighted to qualify with it.
HGE: I bear in mind being within the crowd with all my household and associates once we came upon we had certified. It was like being in a dream, we had the chance to carry out our free dance.
LS: I used to be really additionally with my household after I came upon, and with all the opposite those that got here from Helsinki to Tallinn to help us. I felt so grateful to share that second with them, as a result of these are the those that care probably the most. We have been so completely satisfied to be within the Remaining, and though we didn’t skate our greatest free dance, it was particular to get to carry out it in that setting.
What does it imply to signify Spain internationally in ice dance?
LS: I at all times say that I really feel very at house in Spain, and that’s due to the folks there, particularly within the skating group. The federation took me in with open arms for the reason that very starting, and all of the skaters, coaches and fogeys type of adopted me instantly. Very Spanish of them, actually. The insane half about it’s that there’s a language barrier, as a result of my Spanish continues to be in course of and their English is mostly weak, however even that didn’t cease them from making me really feel included. Principally, Finland is perhaps my house nation, however I’ve a complete one other household in Spain, and that household is the skating group. I couldn’t be extra grateful to signify that household. It has been such a present.
HGE: Spain is my house nation. My household and associates are there and I’m actually proud to signify my very own nation. It makes me actually completely satisfied to have the ability to develop the Ice Dance in Spain, this sport is perhaps small in my nation nevertheless it has at all times had so many superb athletes: Javier Fernandez, Sara Hurtado, Adrián Diaz, Sofia Val, Sonia la Fuente. All of them have opened the door, they took the step of placing Spain within the prime of skating, they proved it’s potential for a Spaniard to reach this sport. With the ability to comply with their steps and holding the Spanish flag in competitions is a big honor.
Are there explicit expertise or features of your skating you’re hoping to develop subsequent season?
LS: I wish to develop our skating expertise. Personally, I nonetheless really feel very new to the ice dance approach, in any case it’s been lower than two years coaching this. That’s my objective. I’d additionally like to seek out one thing particular for the brand new applications.
HGE: Now that we aren’t swamped with competitions, I’d like to enhance my flexibility and my energy. It’s the second to hit the fitness center and develop muscle so we are able to do loopy lifts and jumps on the ice. After all, a job that’s at all times there may be the connection of our couple and the skating expertise, so we’ll be engaged on that to convey cool performances for subsequent season.
Once you’re not coaching, what are some actions you get pleasure from doing collectively that don’t have anything to do with skating?
We wish to play pool or go for matcha for instance, we additionally usually do issues along with the entire coaching group. One attention-grabbing factor is that generally on Saturday evenings we go to play this Mafia recreation in a social café. We additionally dwell proper by one another so generally we simply examine collectively and normally when the household of both one has a get-together, the opposite one joins. Every household type of has an additional child haha. For Easter we’re really going to Lapland collectively.
What music or artists do you at present have on repeat outdoors the rink?
LS: I’ve such a scale proper now. I’ve been listening to 80s music a lot recently and likewise Finnish pop, however actually I’ve additionally had Sam Fender’s “Rein Me In” on repeat since October.
HGE: I’m so obsessive about Hamnet proper now, I watched final weekend and OMG I used to be crying a lot and it was simply superb.
Please share something you want to our readers to find out about you as a workforce.
An attention-grabbing truth is Lara is beginning to converse with a Spanish accent (learn this with a Spanish accent). We’d like to start out dance as an additional pastime collectively as soon as we discover the time within the weekly schedules. One thing humorous about us can be that we maintain saving one another in conditions when the opposite one is in hassle. For instance, as a result of we dwell shut, we maintain the keys to every others residences for at any time when the opposite has locked themselves out.
Observe Lara (@lara_sundberg) and Hector (@hector.ggnz) on Instagram. They’re additionally planning to start out an account on Tiktok for doing dance traits collectively.
