Successful New Partnership Provides Validation for Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frazier as Individuals

The world has long known Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frazier to be great figure skaters. The results back that up in spades, proving they are two of the best to represent the U.S. in pairs over the past decade. But it wasn't until this season that Knierim, 29, and Frazier, 28, were reminded of that themselves.
 
In eight seasons with her now-husband Chris Knierim, Alexa won three ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Series medals, three U.S. titles and a 2018 Olympic Team Event bronze medal. Frazier, competing with Haven Denney for the same duration – though they first teamed up for inline skating in 2002 and then on the ice in 2005 for three seasons – also reached the top of the U.S. Championships podium and won four Grand Prix medals.
 
Skating with those partners for almost the entirety of their pairs' careers meant Alexa's identity on the ice was shared with Chris – both for the public and in her own mind. She admits she did not think of herself as an individual on the ice without Chris. The same was true for Frazier with Denney.

It took the end of those career-making previous partnerships and the forming of a new "super team" of sorts to reaffirm for both Knierim and Frazier that they are, in fact, strong, capable skaters on their own.
 
"Brandon did so many amazing things with Haven, and his accomplishments with her were wonderful, and Chris and I also did a lot of amazing things together," Knierim began as she explained this realization. "I find it so cool and motivating to see Brandon and I do new amazing things together because it almost validates that you as an individual are great.
 
"I've always thought about how Chris and I have achieved this and that because he's my other half and we're amazing together. But now that I am by myself and taking on this new challenge with Brandon – and now we're successful – it's almost like a validation that me as an individual, I am great, and with this new partner I can do great things too. It opened my eyes a little bit to seeing what value I can bring to our sport with someone else."
 
Frazier echoed Knierim, adding, "With Haven, I felt like when we accomplished great things it was always because we did it together. I skated with Haven since we were babies, and it felt like you both do it and you both add 50 percent, that makes a whole, and it's so great. But when you go and venture off and do something with a new person, I do think a little bit more of your individual self gets discovered about what you did bring to the table and what you still can bring."
 
Pairs fans can rest easy knowing this newfound individuality and self-discovery does not mean a singles career is in the future for either skater.
 
"Hahaha, no way, that stuff is way too hard for us!" Knierim exclaimed.
 
She and Frazier are eager to continue building the foundation of their partnership and see how far they can take it. So far, it appears they sky's the limit.
 
After barely six months together, Knierim and Frazier finished second in the virtual International Selection Pool (ISP) Points Challenge in early October and, later that month, won the 2020 Guaranteed Rate Skate America by 7.37 points. It was the first Grand Prix gold medal for either skater, albeit in a mostly domestic field due to COVID-19 precautions.
 
Instead of celebrating the win or allowing time for it to soak in, they went right back to work. Their coaches had them in intense training upon their return, as if there was another Grand Prix the following week.
 
"This is one of the ways Alexa and I are the most similar: we acknowledge a job well done, we are both more than proud of what we've been able to do in the little time we've had, but we both got back and knew we had to start working on the stuff we need to do better," Frazier said. "It was just a foundation type of competition for us."
 
The team credits its early success to two primary factors: the one-of-a-kind season caused by COVID-19 and compromises.
 
No athlete wants competitions canceled – especially in their pre-Olympic season – but for Knierim and Frazier it has turned out to be a blessing in disguise. The time that would have been spent traveling and competing in any other season became extra time for this new team to jell and learn how to skate with one another. They were able to fast-track their partnership.
 
Knierim and Frazier also learned early on that compromise would be their greatest strength. They are bringing the best of their past experiences together, including the team around them.
 
Frazier moved from Florida to California so they could train under Knierim's coaching team of Todd Sand, Jenni Meno, Christine Binder, Rafael Arutunian (for jumps) and Nina Mozer (via Zoom twice a week from Russia), plus the addition of Chris Knierim.
 
As a compromise, they brought in Renée Roca to choreograph both their programs this season. Roca had choreographed several programs for Denney and Frazier, including their popular Lion King-themed free skates, but was new to Knierim.
 
"It was exciting for me to be able to try a new choreographer, but also more exciting that I was able to give Brandon something familiar while he was going out of his way to come here, which was completely foreign and new to him," Knierim said. "I was very biased in my opinion of choreographers in the beginning because I was so accustomed to using Benoît [Richaud] in the last two seasons, which I really loved. But at the same time I was also very aware of how much I always adored Brandon and Haven's programs, and the reason I liked them is because of the choreography, so I saw that as an eye opener that I should try Renée because I'll probably get something I love if I love their programs as much as I did."
 
The compromises have been paying off, and next on the list is Frazier's goal to match Knierim's joy during competition programs.
 
"I feel like I do smile here and there, but when she smiles you go from playing T-ball to the New York Yankees," Frazier quipped.
 
"When I was skating with Chris, he would refer to my teeth as chompers," Knierim added. "When judges would say he wasn't expressive enough, he would blame the fact that my teeth were big, so I'm very appreciative that Brandon just says that I have a nice smile."
 
"Even at the end of our long program, she'll smile, and I'm kind of tired but her smile has a way to bring that extra energy and push us to the end," Frazier said.

Fans can follow Knierim and Frazier next week on the 2021 Toyota U.S. Figure Skating Championships Virtual Fan Experience. The site provides quick access to everything fans need to know about #ToyotaUSChamps21, including TV and streaming schedules, feature stories, Fantasy Skating presented by Xfinity, HomeLight Home Ice Bingo and more!