Pairs skaters Keauna McLaughlin and Rockne Brubaker announced this week the end of their on-ice partnership. The two have skated together for the past four years and are two-time U.S. National champions and the 2007 World Junior champs.

Seventeen-year-old McLaughlin said she plans to take a year off from competitive skating to focus on school, while Brubaker will continue skating, according to a U.S. Figure Skating press release. He is currently in search of a new partner.

Brubaker, 24, said it has always been his goal to win World and Olympic medals, and he plans to keep working towards that objective.

Grand Prix Schedule Announced

The dates and locations of the upcoming season's Grand Prix events has been finalized.

October 22 – 24: NHK Trophy (Nagoya, Japan)
October 29 – 31: Skate Canada Kingston, (Ontario, Canada)
November 5 – 7: Cup of China (Beijing, China)
November 12 – 14: Skate America (Portland, Oregon, USA)
November 19 – 21: Cup of Russia (Moscow, Russia)
November 26 – 28: Trophée Eric Bompard Cachemire (Paris, France)
December 9 – 12: Grand Prix Final (combined juniors and seniors) Beijing, China

Look for more about the upcoming competitions in the Sept/Oct issue of International Figure Skating.


The Ice Theatre of New York (ITNY) begins its free summer series next month at the World Ice Arena in Queens. The Summer Ice Concert Series runs every Saturday from July 10 through Aug. 14.

The shows will feature performances by the ITNY ensemble, along with competitive skaters and up-and-comers. Guests scheduled for this summer include Felicia Zhang and Taylor Toth and Danielle and Alexander Gamelin.

The six free shows each begin at 7 p.m., and the public is invited to stick around afterwards to skate on the rink. Admission for the later skate is $8 and an additional $5 for skate rental. The skating session runs until 9:50 p.m.

Canada to Host 2013 World Championships

It was announced this week that the International Skating Union (ISU) World Figure Skating Championships for 2013 will be held in London, Ontario. The event is scheduled for March 10 through March 17 at the John Lebatt Centre and the Wastern Fair Sports Centre will serve as the practice arena.

The proposal to host the event was compiled by Tourism London on behalf of the City of London and Tourism’s local hospitality partners. 2013 will mark the 10th time since 1896 that a Canadian city has hosted the Worlds, the last time being Calgary in 2006. Tickets and additional event information will become available in the spring of 2011.