Former world champs Knierim/Frazier content with life away from competitive ice: ‘We’re living in the present’

On a freezing cold afternoon in late November, the world champion pairs team of Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frazier walk into their Midtown Manhattan hotel in search of warmth.

They’re in New York City the week after Thanksgiving to perform at an opening ceremony for the Bryant Park ice skating rink, a popular tourist destination that is better known for novices taking nose dives than it is for overhead triple twists and side-by-side jumps.

"It's a little different this season, when we're not full of training coming to these shows," says Knierim as she rubs her hands together for friction. "I feel like we have a little bit more enthusiasm... we're not drained or burned out."

World champions in 2022 and runners-up in 2023, Knierim confirms what is already well-known in figure skating circles: The two have stepped away from competition for the foreseeable future, so much so that Alexa (and her husband Chris, her former skating partner) have moved back to Illinois as Brandon has remained in southern California.

“Right now, we are living our best lives... as best as we can,” says Frazier. “If there was ever an opportunity - or we both at heart looked at each other - and wanted to come back, we know we would have that conversation together. And maybe we'll have that. Maybe we won't. We don't know.”

What we do know is that they have left an international pairs scene that is rife with opportunity, as reigning world champions Miura Riku and Kihara Ryuichi have struggled with injury this season, while Russian teams remain on the sidelines due to an International Skating Union ruling on their eligibility.

Could they make a comeback in the next season or two with Milano Cortina 2026 in mind?

“We’re just going with the flow,” Knierim explains, both non-committal and honest. “I will tell you: I don’t jump anymore. I don’t practice to the point of... in a month, if we say, ‘You know what, let’s try [a comeback]?’ I don’t live my life that way.

“[But] I don't think we put a timeline or any kind of restrictions on how long this could be.”

Knierim & Frazier: Life now - and reflecting on tumultuous end to last season

For now, both are content. Frazier is pursuing a business degree with an interest in going into finance, but he’s stayed looped in at Great Park Ice, where he and Knierim formerly trained. He’s assisting coach Jenni Meno with some of their top pairs teams, and will be at this weekend’s (25-28 January) U.S. Championships in a coaching role.

“My plan is not to be a coach down the road,” Frazier said. “[But] I’ve always wanted to see what it feels like to be one. So I am soaking up as much as I can right now. I enjoy it; and it keeps me in the rink.”

Alexa and Chris Knierim made their move back to Illinois - where they had been living before relocating to California - soon after the 2022/23 season finished, with Chris taking a job as a skating director at a rink in the Chicago area.

“I'm just really living in the present moment and not looking past each week at a time,” Knierim said. “I'm really happy teaching. I teach singles and pairs. I look forward to doing the shows (with Brandon) that come up sporadically, but I'm just trying to stay involved as much as I can without having to be all about my skating.”

The end of their season last year was an emotional one, after the other half of their coaching team – Jenni’s husband Todd Sand - suffered a major heart attack while at the World Junior Championships in early March.

Both he and Jenni missed the trip to Worlds in Saitama, Japan, which was already potentially a last appearance at the global event for the then-reigning world champions.

“He makes progress every month, but it’s still a long road to recovery for him,” said Frazier. “He’s come into the rink a few times... and he’ll always give his opinions. He’s focusing on his recovery.”

“It didn’t effect the way that we skated,” added Knierim about Sand’s absence at Worlds, where choreographer Shae-Lynn Bourne accompanied the team. “But it was a burden on our hearts to know our guy wasn’t with us.

They team would comport themselves beyond well, winning the silver medal behind Miura/Kihara.

“That was a really difficult time and the reason it was so difficult was because there was so much uncertainty,” she said. “Now we’re happy to know he’s doing fine. I think about Todd’s impact on us... his love and selflessness through our journey together.”

Up for grabs pairs: 'It's about being aggressive'

While they’re not actively training together, that doesn’t mean they don’t have at least one eye cast on the pairs discipline, where Miura/Kihara missed the first half of the season and no one team took full control on the international stage.

Is there a void in the sport right now?

“It's sad to see the decline in the quality of pair skating right now,” said Knierim. “But I think it's temporary. I think in the next few years there's going to be a big push for new teams and juniors coming up and bring [the level] back up.

"Right now, it just feels so empty."

Knierim’s not wrong: This season on the Grand Prix Series, the average winning score in pairs was 200.66. In 2021, leading into the Beijing Winter Games, the average winning pairs team scored 223.77, a difference of 23.11 points.

“It’s going to come from those teams that push,” explained Frazier. “The top three spots in the world are going to go to teams that don’t just skate safe, they’re aggressive. ... When you throw the Japanese back into the mix, I think that’s going to push the field, too.”

While the up-for-grabs dynamic in pairs as a whole could feel like added motivation for Knierim and Frazier to make a return, the duo hasn’t felt that extra pull. They’re actually experiencing something neither has felt in some 20 years since starting competitive skating: A healthy separation from it.

“It feels like the whole world... there’s so much pressure and focus and you feel like there’s so much consequence to not skating well,” Knierim said. “It’s just so heavy. And now I’m watching the Grand Prix while brushing my teeth or eating a bag of chips and when it’s over I go on with my day.

“It doesn’t feel like this magnified thing for me, anymore,” she said.

“I felt that after Worlds [last year],” agreed Frazier. “We did tour in Japan after Worlds and before World Team Trophy... and it was more fun; I really treated it as a show. And it was the best I ever felt competing. Well, that and the Olympics.”

“If I could give any of the skaters now advice, I would say enjoy it more than the stress of making the errors. It really can consume you.”

Knierim/Frazier on stepping away - and reflecting

While they put any sort of decision-making process about making a return on the shelf, Knierim/Frazier are satisfied with what’s in front of them, including not feeling fully certain as to how to relate to their competitive careers.

“I don’t tell a lot of people I’m a world champion,” Knierim admitted. “Maybe it’s a bashfulness... or insecurity? I don’t have an answer right now as to ‘what I’ve learned.’ Circle back with me on that one.”

Brandon said he sometimes get identified at work as “the Olympian” or “the world champion,” and it’s something he tends to shy away from, not wanting the extra attention. But he also recognises the work they did as a team is not only applicable in skating.

It can go beyond, too.

“I think about standing on the world podium – twice, going to the Olympics, winning a Grand Prix,” he said. “And that will always be a reminder to me that – no matter what industry I’m in – if I keep my foot on the gas, be smart and work hard, you can achieve what you want.

“I kept my foot on the gas when I took Alexa’s hand for this partnership and I knew she wanted the same thing and wanted to work hard for it. That’s why we were able to do what we did.”