Hoffman Estates skater looking to medal at nationals

Tomoki Hiwatashi is the correct spelling of the skater's name.

Most teens approaching their 16th birthday have their hearts set on acquiring their driver's license, but not Tomoki Hiwatashi of Hoffman Estates.

He celebrates his 16th birthday Wednesday, and he has his eye on one thing: getting to the podium after Thursday's free skate portion of the U.S. Figure Skating Championships going on this week in St. Paul, Minnesota.

It's not that far-fetched. Over the last five years, the young figure skater has won the championship of most every level he has competed in, including winning the juvenile title in 2011, intermediates in 2012 and the novice division in 2013.

An injury sidelined him for part of the 2013-2014 season, but Hiwatashi came back last year, and finished fifth among skaters in the junior division. Needless to say, he's determined to claim a junior championship this year.

"He has a big chance to be successful," says his coach, Alex Ouriashev, who formerly coached Olympic medalist Gracie Gold at the same rinks where he now coaches Hiwatashi, Center Ice of DuPage in Glen Ellyn and Glacier Ice Arena in Vernon Hills.

"He's well balanced, with a good jumping ability," Ouriashev adds. "My goal is definitely to get him to the podium."

Hiwatashi skated his short program on Tuesday to James Brown's popular song, "I Feel Good." After the program, he was in first place going into Thursday's free skate.

Hiwatashi said before the competition began that the short competition is a minefield, loaded with pitfalls.

"I feel more pressure in the short program," he said. "There are more jumps, so if you mess up one, it really hurts you."

And jumping is one thing Hiwatashi likes to do.

In his long program, set to music that animates the comic actor, Charlie Chaplin, he will attempt as many as eight triple jumps, including the triple axel, arguably the hardest jump in figure skating.

"I just keep doing it over and over," Hiwatashi said during his last days of practice. "I feel like the rotation is getting better and I'm getting higher."

Hiwatashi says he has been skating since the age of 5, ever since his parents took him to the ice arena at the Triphahn Community Center, when it opened in 2000 in Hoffman Estates.

"I tried going out on the ice and I thought it was really fun," he says. "My parents signed me up for lessons."

Group lessons in Hoffman Estates led to private coaching the next year and competing at the national level within five years.

Skating has become so important that Hiwatashi now is home schooled for high school, after attending Carl Sandburg Junior High School in Rolling Meadows, with an adjusted schedule.

"My goal is to skate two perfect programs," Hiwatashi says, "and land my triple axel."

His coach knows that his young skater will get points just for attempting the triple axel, but he also knows his determination and competitive streak on the ice to land them.

"He's definitely got the whole package," Ouriashev says, "but the ice is so slippery. You never know what can happen."