Backstage at any figure skating event, just before they leave the solitude of the tunnel and step out onto the ice, one of America’s top ice dancing duos makes time for a ritual that puts them in the right mindset to perform.
Here is where they share an intimate moment that is more than what it appears.
For almost a decade, Kaitlin Hawayek and Jean-Luc Baker have used an abnormally long hug to soothe their nerves, synchronize their breathing and get in unison before they compete. They say the pre-skate embrace helps them block out the cacophony of the arena and the pressure to win and focus solely on each other.