Two-time Olympian Jason Brown costars in Vail Skating Festival’s Ice Spectacular

With every skate stroke and edge, Jason Brown exudes artistry and emotion. His “Riverdance” program at the 2014 US Nationals made the world take note, resulting in more than a million social media views. It also earned him a place in the Sochi Olympics, where he earned a bronze in the team event at age 19.

But, like any Olympic skater, he hasn’t always had an easy go of it, particularly in a sport so obsessed with quads, which he has struggled to land throughout his career.

“I won the US National title without a quad, but it was always about the quad,” Brown said. “From 2014 to 2018, I had this constant feeling of everything (being) wrapped up around the quad, and my value and my worth and what I could bring to the sport was all wrapped up in the quad. (Media) would say, ‘That’s awesome but (he doesn’t have his quad).'”

The mounting pressure eventually spiraled him downward.

“Every day was going to the rink, and every day was failing,” he said about not being able to nail quads consistently.

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He stepped on the ice at the 2018 US Nationals with the mindset: “Either you land a quad, or you don’t deserve a spot on the US Team,” he said. He hadn’t landed a quad during the two months prior, but he was hoping for that magic moment — the kind that would’ve made announcers burst with enthusiasm.

Not only did he miss his quad, but he also slid into the boards.

Ironically, it shocked his system so much that it broke the spell of all the media and skating messages he had heard about the ever-dominant quad.

“I refocused and said, ‘If I’m going to do this, I’m going to do this my way.’ I fell in love with the sport because of the artistry and creativity and self-expression as much as I fell in love with the sport because of the athleticism,” he said.

He also realized that his overfocus on quads had taken a toll on his artistry.

“I lost a huge part of myself and my love for the sport, so I started embracing that and bringing it back,” he said about his creative self-expression.

And it worked wonders: After missing a spot on the 2018 US Olympic Team, he made the cut to represent the nation in the 2022 Games, where he racked up two personal-best scores (one skating to “Schindler’s List”) and came in a respectable sixth place.

He had planned on retiring from competitions after the Olympics, but the “bug” returned as he performed in front of fans during the post-Olympic tour and then competed in a team event in the Japan Open that October.

“I thought, ‘Maybe I’m not ready to be done DONE,'” he said about competing.

Now, he’s pulling off what few would dare: He’s both competing and touring in shows. And, his 2018 decision to do it his way seems to be paying off. He placed second in the US Championships this year and scored another personal best free skating score at this year’s World Championships. Meanwhile, he continues a full show schedule with the likes of Stars on Ice and Japan’s Friends on Ice.

While skaters might be able to compete at eight competitions a season if they’re lucky, Brown benefits from getting in front of an audience up to eight times in a seven-to-10-day period during show tours.

“It has made such a big difference in being comfortable out in front of an audience,” he said.

Even though skaters don’t pack show routines with all of the technical requirements of a competitive program, he says the nerves are similar. And “you’re performing, and you’re emoting and being creative and expressive” — attributes that have earned him the right to represent the US in the Olympics and at Worlds.

He hasn’t performed in Vail since 2013, and he welcomes the opportunity that shows provide “to be a little more personable.” Not that he needs that kind of excuse: Throughout media interviews, his enthusiasm and love for fans and the sport is always evident.

With every performance, be it a competition or show, he strives to convey the joy of skating. Even his more dramatic music showcases his passion, immersing audiences in the character and mood.

“There’s nothing like skating a live performance, and then you take a setting like Vail and you take an intimate venue like Dobson, and you’ve got this incredible magical environment that I’m looking forward to — and then you add Nathan and Karen, and WOW,” he said. “It’s gonna be an awesome two nights.”