A conversation with U.S. international competitor Molly Oberstar

I recently had the chance to talk with 20-year old Molly Oberstar, a U.S. senior national and international competitor. Molly is the reigning Midwestern Sectional champion and went on to place 15th at Nationals. In addition, she competed in the Karl Schaefer Memorial Trophy in Vienna, Austria last fall and finished 6th in a field that included two-time World medalist Carolina Kostner.

In this Q&A, Molly talks about her skating career, her programs for the upcoming season, and how she landed a starring role in the upcoming "Ice Castles" movie remake. Enjoy!

Eric: How many years have you been skating?
Molly: 15

Eric: Why did you start skating?
Molly: A family friend had a daughter that had started skating, and that's where the idea came from. My parents got me started in group lessons and there was no turning back from there!

Eric: How many hours do you train each week?
Molly: 10-13

Eric: Favorite skater(s)?
Molly: Michelle Kwan (I got to spend time with her on the Ice Castles set - it was amazing!!!) ...she is beyond inspiring. I don't think there will ever be anyone like her again.

Eric: What's your favorite skating moment?
Molly: Short program at the 2008 U.S. Nationals in St. Paul, Minn. For one thing, I skated last in the entire event. It was my first nationals as a senior lady and I was thrilled to have that many people in the stands watching me. It was also in my training town, and near my hometown. I had lots of friends and family in the audience - most with signs. It just felt like the "real thing" that night. I skated a clean program and absolutely enjoyed every minute of it. I don't think I'll ever forget the feeling.

Eric: What's your most embarrassing skating moment?
Molly: Forgetting my "Be a Clown" program at a St. Cloud competition when I was about 9? Haha, maybe that's too long ago, but I still remember skating around in circles doing the same choreographed hand movement and trying to pretend like nothing was wrong. I've had lots of skating frustrations, but not too many embarrassments.

Eric: How many U.S. Championships have you competed in?
Molly: Five - Atlanta (novice, 2004), Portland (junior, 2005), St. Louis (junior, 2006), St. Paul (senior, 2008), and Cleveland (senior, 2009).

Eric: Do you have any pre-competition rituals or skating superstitions?
Molly: Nothing too drastic. Every day I put my left skate on first. I don't know why, but it just feels right!

Eric: What was most difficult about making the transition from training in Duluth, Minn., to training in the Twin Cities?
Molly: Well at first, my mom and I were driving back and forth from Duluth to the Cities a few times a week. It was exhausting. After that, we stayed at my uncle's house for awhile. More stability, but still not a place to call my own. It's nice, now, having an apartment to come back to. The skating transition wasn't difficult. Ann Eidson and I clicked immediately and got right to work.

Eric: What's been your favorite country to visit?
Molly: Austria! Last year I had the pleasure of going there for my international competition. We were in Vienna. It was gorgeous. I love the old city center and the stone paved walking streets downtown. Beautiful old churches and palaces, too. I would love to go back when I could have more time to explore.

Eric: Can you talk about your programs for the upcoming season?
Molly: My long is the same - "La Kahena". It's a really exotic, different kind of music. My choreographer, Sebastien Britten, told me it originates in North Africa. We created this spirit character that has been locked up in chains for so long and is released and seeing the world again for the first time. It's sort of a journey of finding yourself, which is easy to identify with. I love my new short. It's "Stairway to Heaven" performed by Rodrigo y Gabriella. I get to be fierce and powerful and saucy the entire time. My kinda thing. I love being able to give attitude while performing it.

Eric: How long do you see yourself competing?
Molly: That's hard for me to say. Right now I'm taking it a year at a time. So far I've been able to skate and go to school simultaneously. That's been and will be helpful in the future. We'll see!

Eric: What are your goals in skating? Outside of skating?
Molly: This year I hope to get another international and place within the top 4 there. Following that, I hope to advance back to Nationals and skate two programs to be proud of; I'd like to place in the top 8. Outside of skating I'm deeply interested in the business of fashion. I'm currently going to school for Fashion Merchandising. I am unsure of the exact career path I would like to take, but I know that I'd like it to be in this field. Sometime in the future I'd like to explore some more exciting cities - maybe for an internship. I've been thinking about New York.

Eric: What would you be doing if you weren't a skater?
Molly: I'd love to be a dancer. I find "So You Think You Can Dance" so inspiring. Every time I watch it I desperately want to take a contemporary dance class. I have yet to find time for that, though!!

Eric: Are you close friends with any other elite skaters?
Molly: I'm good friends with Adam Rippon and Eliot Halverson. I wish we were closer! I very rarely see either of them, but they're two of my favorite people.

Eric: How did you get involved with the "Ice Castles" movie remake?
Molly: I was contacted by a casting agent via email. I'm still unclear as to exactly what happened, but I know that I was suggested by Sandra Bezic and/or David Wilson - both choreographers on set. I had to do a few video auditions and then suddenly I was heading to Canada. It all happened very fast. It was an unforgettable experience. I learned so much about performing in front of cameras. It was very useful for my own skating career. Working with Sandra and David was amazing. I'd worked with David in previous years, so it was great to see him again. Sandra, on the other hand, was a kind of celebrity to me. I was so honored to be able to learn from her. I also loved the acting. I hope that I can continue to do some of that in the future. Everyone that I met and interacted with was wonderful - I didn't want it to end!