Loving Life Behind the Boards

It was always his rink of dreams, a favorite patch of frozen water that was ever so familiar to Brian Joubert throughout his illustrious career. Today, when he gazes across that ice surface in his hometown of Poitiers, a city of 87,000 located in west-central France, it is filled with aspiring young talents the French skating star wants to guide along the same successful path he once walked.

Joubert sees it all from a completely different perspective these days — one of a coach who could not be happier with his current place in the skating world.

While Joubert has not quite hung up his own blades for good, it is clear that his focus is in a different place now.

“I love coaching. It’s so interesting and it’s so difficult,” the 34-year-old said with a broad grin of his current role. “It’s very difficult to be a coach, but I love it and now I don’t want to skate anymore. I still do some shows in France, but I want to be