'Champion Blades' Gears Up For Success
The
Chicago Tribune
MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota - The decor looks as if Cirque Du Soleil had set up shop
on Wall Street. On the desk, contracts and expense reports are mixed in with
sequin-encrusted fabric samples and cracked CD cases. Diplomas liberally
decorate the walls, along with baseball pennants and posters of panda bears.
It's the office of Kenji Tokuda, a Japanese-born U.S. businessman who, in the
last decade, has reinvented himself as a showman of Barnum and Bailey
proportions.
Formerly the owner and president of a talent agency, Tokuda represented
numerous athletes, in particular several high-profile figure skaters. Through
them, he developed a love for the sport, and in 1995 he sold his business to
begin a national skating tour.
"My partner thought I was a lunatic," Tokuda recalls with a smile.
"Of course, he wasn't complaining, since it gave him the chance to take
over the agency."
Since its debut season, which brought the performances of eight figure skaters
to a grand total of twelve cities, the Champion Blades tour has steadily grown
each year. Now hosting twenty skaters--including the reigning Olympic and world
medalists--for an itinerary of sixty cities, the company is preparing for its
most successful tour yet. Their plans include a Canadian tour leg, and an
ambitious schedule of special events.
It's not a wonder Tokuda is a busy man.
"It's a lot of work," Tokuda acknowledges, "but it's also a lot
of fun. The skaters are amazing. I rely on them to help make this tour the best
it can be, and they never fail in their energy and ideas. They're really the
reason my staff and I love our jobs so much. They're a joy to work with."
This year, Champion Blades it taking a novel approach to the tour's premiere.
They're staging a competition--with a twist.
"We're having fans tell us what songs they'd like to see the skaters turn
into a program," says Tokuda. "The skaters will be able to choose one
of the suggestions and skate to it. And from the suggestions that are chosen,
we're going to draw several names of fans and give them a VIP trip to the
show."
From the Champion Blades Fan Challenge, the skaters will begin their marathon
cross-country journey, working their way from west coast to east coast, then
traversing across Canada. Finally the skaters will fly from Vancouver to Hawaii
for a finale in Honolulu.
Along the way, the tour will make two more special presentations.
"I felt it was important for us to pay our respects to the lives lost on
September 11th," says Tokuda. "Not just for the American skaters, but
for everyone."
In both Washington DC and New York City, the cast of Champion Blades will
perform a special show as a tribute to the terrorist attacks of September 11th.
American skaters, Tokuda says, have been welcomed to give performances
celebrating their country, but he adds the tribute is not just about America.
"Figure skating is a very powerful tool for unity. With skaters from so
many countries training and performing together, there are friendships that
cross all national borders. It's important for us to show that to the
world."
100% of the proceeds from the tribute shows will be donated to charity.
Noted for his "fan-friendly" approach to managing the show, Tokuda
also states there are plans for autograph signings and various other
promotional events throughout the tour. "We've made several arrangements
with sponsors already. There should be several public appearances that the
skaters will find just as much fun as the fans."
The Champion Blades 2002 Olympic Tour begins in San Diego on April 27th, with
the Champion Blades Fan Challenge.