Siblings find passion in figure skating

GURNEE – By January 2011, nearly 1,000 kids and adults will participate in the “Learn to Skate” program at Rink Side Ice Arena in Gurnee.

But only a few will stick it out to become some of the best figure skaters in the area, like Ryan and Nicki Otto, who have skated since they were 6 and 3, respectively.

“These kids are very serious, high-level competitors,” said Janel Wamboldt, skating director and ice arena director of Rink Side. “They do just about as much as you can do in this sport.”

The siblings, now 16 and 13, have turned figure skating into a serious passion.

Nicki Otto has been to regionals five times. Ryan Otto has been there six times, and also has competed in junior nationals three times in individual freestyle. He took home 10th place in the nation  in freestyle two seasons ago before moving to the novice men’s level this past year – just two levels from the top senior level. Nicki Otto skates three levels away from the top in intermediate ladies.

The two also made junior nationals twice as a pair in ice dancing – a ballroom-inspired form of figure skating.

Despite their commitment to the sport, the two still maintain excellent grades and come from a top-notch family, Wamboldt said.

"They don't make kids like this," Wamboldt said. "You just don't find kids like this every day. It's an honor to be trusted with their well-being."

Skating is life
Ryan and Nicki Otto's dedication to figure skating dictates how their entire family spends each waking moment.

The kids train six days a week, driving 45 minutes from their home in Greenfield, Wis., to work with Wamboldt. That includes leaving before 3:45 a.m. on Thursdays to get in a training session before school. Before Ryan Otto could drive, that meant either Mike or Jennie Otto – the siblings’ parents – were transporting them to and from the ice rink.

Both athletes miss a few hours of school each week to fit in training, but Ryan Otto, a junior, still has a 4.3 weighted grade-point average and takes honors classes. And Nicki Otto, an eighth-grader, takes a freshman-level English class at the local high school.

Ryan Otto then balances off-the-ice fitness training six days a week with a job at Rink Side and a second job at another rink in Wisconsin, while Nicki Otto trains off the ice every other day and still finds time to perform in spring musicals at school.

It’s just a way of life, Nicki Otto said.

“Now … it’s like eating,” she said of figure skating. “You can’t image life without it.”

The family still tries to have dinner together at least twice a week, Mike Otto said. And Friday nights, they meet other family members at Ruby Tuesday.

"We try to keep it as normal as we can," Mike Otto said.

What they give up
As if their daily schedule wasn't hard enough to keep up with, other demands of their sport push each athlete to the edge physically and mentally.

“I spent two years trying to get my double axle down,” Ryan Otto said. “Then I ended up losing it, and I spent another six months trying to get it back.”

“It’s like being constantly denied something you work so hard for,” Nicki Otto said of the same jump, which requires two-and-a-half revolutions in the air before landing.

But when she finally gets a new trick and she’s on the ice performing, all the hard work is worth it, she said.

“On the ice, it’s a feeling of everything being where it’s supposed to be,” Nicki Otto said. “It’s a sanctuary for you; it’s where you go to escape.”

Figure skating is an expensive sport, too. A new pair of ice skates can cost anywhere from $1,500 to $3,000, Mike Otto said. Coaches, choreographers, ice time and other factors also play into the mix.

The Ottos make it work, though. Mike Otto works the 3 to 11 a.m. shift as an X-ray technician at a Milwaukee hospital, picking up as many extra hours as he can. Jennie Otto is a middle school teacher who also teaches piano lessons on the side.

The kids understand what their parents are doing for them.

“I don’t like knowing that they could be doing a whole lot of other stuff with their money,” Nicki Otto said. “Knowing you’re disrupting someone else’s easygoing life is tough. I know they love it, but it’s hard knowing they’re giving up so much so you can do this.”

Still, the family said it’s worth it.

“You do give up a lot [in ice skating], but it’s worth it,” Ryan Otto said, noting he’s learned patience and perseverance through skating. “It teaches you a lot. I think I’m going to be ahead when I start my real job or get to college.”

Mike Otto said his children have learned valuable lessons in work ethic and time management, and his wife said they have gained confidence.

"We are also very close as a family because of this sport ...," Jennie Otto said. "The kids work their schedules around the two nights during the work week that we can actually have family dinner... .  The kids wouldn't miss this time. How cool is it that a couple teenagers actually want to spend time together as a family? We'll take it as long as we can get it!"

A future in skating
Wamboldt said the Otto kids are on the right track toward a very successful career in figure skating. But it's a very competitive sport.

“They may have a completely full life in skating … they can win regionals, they can win sectionals, they can be national champions and never be in the Olympics,” Wamboldt said.

That’s OK with her two skaters.

While both expressed an interest in some day competing at the Olympic level, the Otto siblings said they would use skating in different ways.

Ryan Otto already coaches younger skaters, and he said he would like to get a sports management degree at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside and continue to coach while developing workout programs for figure skaters.

Nicki Otto, meanwhile, would like to use skating to travel, performing ice shows around the world.
That's a reflection of her children's different mindsets within the sport, Jennie Otto said.

“It’s funny they both do the same sport but it manifests themselves differently,” Jennie Otto said. “Nicki needs the emotional release. She’s a very emotional, creative person … for Ryan, it’s a challenge. It’s an athletic pursuit for him.”

What they do share, she said, was a passion for figure skating. That’s why she and her husband have supported their children through thick and thin.

“We both really believe that kids ... have to find a passion in life,” she said. “Life is all about finding something that motivates and inspires you, and once you find that, it’s vital to build and nurture it. Our kids were lucky enough to find that passion early in life, and we’ve felt strongly that it’s our responsibility as parents to support that pursuit ... . Having a passion can help keep kids on the straight and narrow when they could otherwise go astray. I think that’s worth more than any sport could ever cost.”

If you go ...

On Wednesday, Dec. 15, Rink Side Ice Arena will host a free holiday open house for the public. From 4:30 to 6:30 p.m., Santa and Mrs. Claus will be available in the lobby for free photos, and holiday baked goods will be on sale.

From 5 to 5:30 p.m., a free holiday ice show will take place, featuring Ryan and Nicki Otto and other ice skaters. From 5:30 to 7 p.m., the public is invited to skate for normal admission fees.

For more information, call 847-856-1064, ext. 302, or visit www.rink-side.com.