An "upset" was what some described Paul Wylie's successful trip to the podium to receive the Silver Medal at the 1992 Olympics in Albertville. However, for those who followed his career, as an eligible (and professional) skater, know different. "I think it was surprising to people because I hadn't broken into the top group until 1992," said Wylie. "There were a lot of factors that kept me from really nailing the World's, school being one of the larger obstacles. Once I graduated, however, it seemed to work in my favor, as I was able to come at the Olympic year with a real freshness. I put in some serious work. Evy and Mary watched every day as I continued to get more and more consistent, and they warned me not to be surprised by a high finish in Albertville. "The way you are skating, you could win this thing," Evy would say. I didn't believe I could medal until I continued to skate well once I arrived in Albertville. Nobody was looking for me to do anything but choke until the Short Program was over, then I became the medal hopeful. I think there were several judges and officials who liked my style and liked the way I combined the jumps and the program." Wylie began competing in the pairs discipline with Dana Graham in 1977 and continued through 1981, while also competing as a single novice skater in 1979. Known for his intricate and fast footwork, he always ranked in the top five at the US Nationals from 1983 through 1992. "The two years after the Olympics were huge for me. I was gaining respect for new programs, JFK (see left photo), Why God?, and The Untouchables, pulling off triple axels in many of the events," said Wylie. During his professional career, Wylie continued to improve, both technically and artistically, enhancing his programs which always had a theme.

Paula: Congratulations on graduating from Harvard! You began with an interest in Law and changed to Business. Why was this and what degree did you finally earn (major and minor)?

Paul: During the six years I skated pro after Albertville, I spent quite a bit of time thinking about what I wanted to be when I grew up. I think during that time, I was exposed to the world of business, more than I had been as an undergrad, and I began to wonder about applying for the MBA program. I applied to Harvard Business School during my last year with Stars on Ice (97-98), because I wanted to have the option of either earning an MBA or doing the combined program (JD/MBA). I decided to start with the MBA, because in the end, I wasn't sure I wanted to do both programs, as I had been out of school for seven years and I hadn't had the practical experience many of my colleagues had doing internships and associates programs. I reasoned that if I committed to one program, the commitment was only two years for B-school as opposed to law school's three years, and the program seemed to offer me a greater degree of flexibility. The first three months of Business School were quite a grind, and I decided I didn't really want to repeat the first-year experience the following year at Harvard Law School. So in June 2000, I graduated with an MBA from Harvard Business School. I suppose I'll always wonder what I missed at HLS, but I figured 35 was old enough to be graduating from Grad School, 37 would have made me feel like a professional student.

Paula: Typically, MBA students complete some sort of internship in their last year. What did you do for yours?

Paul: During the summer, I worked for Mercer Management Consulting as a summer associate. I worked closely with the HR group of a utility company undergoing a merger integration. During the second year, I did projects for ESPN.com/Disney and a start-up called u-inspire.com, but no formal internships.

Paula: How did your fellow MBA classmates deal with your celebrity status?

Paul: I was truly just another student at HBS, and I think most of the students there had never heard of me. There were a few exceptions to that rule, however. Because the Jimmy Fund show is at Harvard, many of my classmates attended the show and gave their support. There were several skating fans in the class who liked to get together to "talk skating." And the funniest was the number in the HBS Show, which is like a revue written and produced by the student, entitled, "What would our Paul Wylie do?" set to the tune from the song about Brian in South Park, the Movie. Primarily, my focus at HBS was on my studies, and you spend your whole first year in a section of 80 people where they get to know you as a student and as a person.

Paula: Did you participate in the intramural hockey team?

Paul: Second year, I played on the B Team. I was not good enough to play with the A team -- but Kate was. She played goalie for them against the New England School of Law, and then for the Bladies, the HBS women's team, where she had some impressive games against Tuck and MIT.

Paula: What are you doing now and what are your short-term and long-term goals concerning your new career?

Paul: I am working as Director of Business Development for Broadbandsports, which is an internet company syndicating sports content from four different lines of business, AthletesDirect.com, SportswritersDirect.com, RotonewsDirect.com, and FresstyleDirect.com. Long-term goals concerning my career are to build the skills necessary to either run a company or to be a principal investor/producer for other ventures.

Paula: The big question that everyone is asking about is your career in skating. Is it over? Have you retired? Are there any plans to participate or skate in any shows or events in the future? Can you elaborate on your current thoughts, plans, and/or decision(s)?

Paul: I have no plans to perform at present, but I wouldn't rule it out. I just had shoulder surgery to repair a piece of bone on the humeris (I think a very old injury), and I don't live very close to a skating rink.

Paula: What was your favorite program as an amateur and a pro?

Paul: Amateur: Toss-up between the Mission and Henry V; Pro: Schindler's List

Paula: Will you continue to host "An Evening With Champions?"

Paul: I always take things one year at a time. This show means a great deal to me, especially because of the way it helps the children of the Dana-Farber. Broadband has given me the Friday to come out to Boston from LA, so I will be there this year. Incidentally, this year will mark the 31st year of the show, and my 17th. The line-up is really great! Order tickets at (617) 493-8127. How's that for a plug?

Paula: What do you consider to be the definitive moment of your pro skating career and why?

Paul: Los Angeles World Challenge of Champions, 1992. I think this was the watershed for my pro competitive career, and one of the top five performances I have ever given (also included would be SkatesX2 and Celbration of a Life). I skated first, and I had re-worked the Miss Saigon program to include a triple axel. I was pretty nervous, but wound up just really skating solidly. I beat Viktor on one of his great nights and Brian Boitano, who had never been defeated as a pro.

Paula: Are there any plans to do color commentary at future figure skating events?

Paul: Yes! Talks are under way for this year, but I don’t think the deals are finalized. More later.

Paula: Are there any plans to coach in the future?

Paul: Unfortunately, I don’t think so. I would love it if there were some way to be a Little League coach, to work with younger skaters, but not to be their primary coach. So few children learn the fundamentals these days. They just walk into a rink and start to jump. And very few coaches teach children to point their toes and stretch. I learned these things from John Curry when I was ten (he taught me for two weeks, for an hour a day).

Paula: Are you still accepting fan mail and if so, can you provide an address?

Paul: I have to apologize to most people who have ever sent me fan mail. I'm not good at keeping up with my own correspondence, and I didn’t want to have someone else do it, so I have tried to answer most of it -- I apologize if I did not send something. The best way is probably still through IMG's New York office: 22 E. 71st St., NY, NY 10021

Paula: Are there any skaters who affected you in a positive way by who they were as people? If so, can you elaborate?

Paul: Yes, and so many it would be hard to fit them in here. The whole cast of Stars on Ice made my professional career so much fun and so interesting, especially Scott Hamilton, for his example of perseverance, will, innovation and his Scott-ness and Kristi for her work ethic, integrity and her drive to push herself to her limits, technically and artistically. Nancy was my training partner for nine years, and a great friend. She would send me encouraging notes through the tough times in school. I also learned from Brian Boitano, who was so quiet in his confidence and a genuine great guy, and the more rambunctious, but really fun Chris Bowman. We had a great time competing against one another other, and we all brought a totally different personality to the sport. Dick Button, and Misha Petkevich, for their different ways of transcending their skating careers through business, and for paving the way for me at Harvard. I think Janet Lynn for her skating style, abandon, interpretation of music, love for what she was doing and genuine faith and Christian example, as well as JoJo Starbuck for her encouragement along the way.

Paula: Now that you are no longer skating, can you live your life in relative anonymity or are you recognized and approached in public, and if so, does your wife find this difficult to deal with?

Paul: I live in LA now. It is very random and happens very seldom, but yesterday, an older woman recognized me in a little taqueria (taco stand). She so sweetly asked me, "Is your name Paul Wylie?" Kate has experienced it since we began dating in '97, and she has found the fans to be polite and appreciative. She has no issue with it, unless I stay at the reception too long.

Paula: After you parted company with Carlo Fassi, how did you come to choose Evy and Mary Scotvold as coaches?

Paul: I had competed against their skaters for years, in the Midwesterns. Their skaters had really good figures and good jumping technique, and I had appreciated Mary's choreography, since "The Bump" by Gordie McKellan! They had three of my childhood skating heroes, Gordie, Terry Kubicka, and Scott Hamilton.

Paula: Was there ever a piece of music that you were encouraged to skate to, but you really didn't care for too much?

Paul: I always had a lot of choice over my music, except for times when I was doing a show with specific music chosen. In those cases, the producers worked very hard to find something that "fit," and I found a pleasant surprise - I wound up liking the music they had selected. Alright, too diplomatic an answer: "Davy Crockett" was a tough fit!

Paula: Have you ever had a program choreographed by Sandra Bezic?

Paul: Many pieces in Stars on Ice, but never a full solo.

Paula: Do you feel pressure from your fans to keep a foot in the performing world of skating?

Paul: Not really.

Paula: Are there any plans in the future for a book?

Paul: No plans at the moment.

Paula: Do you keep in touch with Dana Graham, your former pairs partner?

Paul: Yes. We had a good laugh at Nationals about it being 20 years since we won the US Junior Title. TWENTY YEARS!!!!

Paula: How have the last two years been? Have you felt like a fish out of water?

Paul: Sometimes. It has been a huge adjustment, and it has mostly been exhilarating to learn a whole new discipline. But there are all sorts of bankers and consultants who could do the work in their sleep. I really had to work, and sometimes it was discouraging. HBS is a place where you have to come to class prepared and you are graded 50% on your participation in class. I found myself feeling very strange the first year, sitting in the same seat every day, all day, learning the required curriculum, accounting, marketing, finance, economics, etc. One year before, I was in a different city every day, performing, moving, jumping, creating, entertaining. This was a large change, but now that I am through with the program, I think I appreciate my skating career so much more.

Paula: Why did you eliminate the slide spiral from your programs after The Mission and as a professional?

Paul: I don’t know. We did knee slides and spread eagles and other stuff, I guess. I'll have to ask Mary.

Paula: Since the U.S. Nationals will be held in Boston this year, will you be there in any official capacity?

Paul: I have not been asked to do anything but appear in a Public Service Announcement for the Nationals.

Paula: What do you miss the least about skating? What do you miss the most?

Paul: Least: breaking in skates and getting my blades mounted.

Most: Interpreting the music, and the feeling of freedom, and abandon that comes when you are seemingly zooming around the ice. Also, the camaraderie of our Stars on Ice cast. I think my favorite day was when they created the lighting, and turned our the Olympic Arena in Lake Placid into a theater.

Paula: Many fans and observers of figure skating feel that the ISU has assumed an uncomfortably money-centered (as opposed to athlete-centered) role in the sport and that eligible skaters are increasingly in danger of having their best interests as athletes ignored by the ISU and their own federations (who seem more concerned with, say, TV contracts than with wise scheduling of important events). As both a former Olympian and a professional skater, do you feel we will ever see a skater's union (perhaps similar to the Screen Actors Guild) or comparable organization in response to this changing emphasis among skating's governing bodies?

Paul: Tennis, golf, and all of the team sports seem to benefit from the leverage of banding together. The question is, will the athletes band together in a judged sport or will they remain concerned about jeopardizing their ranking? The top skaters are the ones with the leverage (and I mean five or six at the tippy-top), and would one decide to break ranks just to gain an advantage? Did you see Survivor?

Paula: A lot of skaters say touring is a lonely life. How difficult was it for you and how did you deal with it during your years on the road.

Paul: Touring is definitely a lonely life. In fact, one of the reasons I decided to stop touring was the fact that I wanted to move on to a more stable time in my life, especially for my relationship with Kate. I think the way I dealt with it was to stay in touch with as many friends (mostly from college) as I could who lived all over the country. Although I'd only see them for a day at a time, I was able to connect with all sorts of folks across the country. I also made it a point to go to church on Sundays, and I made and kept in touch with all sorts of friends that way, too.

Paula: Your collaboration with Michael W. Smith at the Vail Festival was very enjoyable. Any chance of more of this in the future?

Paul: I had a blast working with Michael. Nobody knows that he took a break from the Amy Grant Christmas tour to come to Vail. He lost his voice while there, mostly because of losing a lot of sleep, and was unable to sing for the next few nights of that tour -- it was a huge sacrifice. I loved the show, and felt so blessed to have him work with me. I have kept in touch with him since then, and we've discussed some cool stuff. I would love to work with him again in some capacity, but I'm not sure what I will be able to do skating-wise in the next few years. (I have not skated at all.) You should know that he is coming out with an instrumental album, and his label, Rocketown Records, has taken off with new artists (Watermark, Ginny Owens and Chris Rice).

Paula: How difficult was it for you to skate pairs, and do you ever take your wife "skating?"

Paul: Skating pairs was great. Remember, however, that was 20 years ago!! It was difficult to learn the overhead lifts and death spirals. Split-double twist was exceptionally hard, as Dana and I were not very different in size, and I needed to spend some more time in the gym. We were sort of naturally good at synchronization, however, and I think that, along with good side-by-side skating was our strength. We had great coaching from John Nicks, and I especially remember the polishing that choreographer Terry Rudolph did for us. Every move in the program was gone over by a fine-tooth comb.

Paula: Are there any plans for children in the future?

Paul: Yes, but in the future.

Paula: How has the absence of training figures affected skating? Has it been good or bad for the sport?

Paul: The absence of the training of figures has coincidentally resulted in more fairness in the overall results.

Paula: Do you have any political ambitions?

Paul: No.

Paula: What have been your favorite foreign countries to visit? What foreign languages do you know and did you pick up any Russian during all those years with Russians on tour with Stars On Ice?

Paul: I love France. I can't help myself. I think it may be because I learned to speak French in high school and I had several wonderful teachers who focused on culture, especially Mme. Boldrey and Mme. Wesche. It may also be because I won my medal in Albertville, and the Miko Masters and Lalique Trophies in Paris. It could also be the food and the fact that my parents took me there when I was young. I don't speak any othre languages, although I did take Japanese in college (senior year). I can say a few greetings, and I remember the syllabaries and a few kanji (this is too bad). I really enjoyed traveling just about everywhere. It was an amazing experience to have been competing during the Cold War period, and to have traveled to Russia, Czechoslovakia and East Germany during this time. These countries are way better off now. I also loved South Africa.

Paula: When you were performing a number, you always seemed to immerse yourself into a character or the music. You have a special of way of being in character but still connecting with the audience or pulling them in. I was wondering if you had any special training to develop this technique?

Paul: I took Acting 1 at Harvard, but I think it's just that Mary and I built many layers of complexity around the choreography and the music.

Paula: Do you ever visit websites fans have made for you?

Paul: Yes. It can be overwhelming. It's very flattering.

Paula: From time to time you must hear musical selections that would make great skating programs! Are there any songs that you'd like to skate to?

Paul: The other day I was listening to a CD with Scheherezade, Capriccio Espagnol and Danse Macabre. All of these struck me as amazing music for skating.

Paula: How much of a say does a skater have in the choreography of his/her program? Is the music selected by the skater and then turned over to the choreographer, or is it a joint venture all the way? Mary Scotvold did a wonderful job as your choreographer and I have wondered how much of the programs involved your input as well.

Paul: I don't know how it works with others, but Mary and I were very much collaborative. She would spend HOURS on the first three seconds, the opening pose and the movement right out of it, as if that were the "footprint" that would lead off the rest (and it usually did). We talked a lot through the process, and I would do a move, and then she would modify it or edit it.
As far as the music was concerned, I often brought the music to Mary. I would go out and buy a TON of CDs and listen. I would then bring the ones I thought worth listening to. I could always tell from her reaction, whether this was going to be something that worked out. Before the Olympics, I received many tapes of suggestions. One had Henry V on it, and I said I thought it was too redundant and didn't go anywhere. She said, let me have a listen. She came back the next day and said, I totally disagree. We had been throwing around Daphnis and Chloe, and I knew I wanted to do French music. La Valse had been a suggestion from Mike McGee, and this worked out well for the short. My mother had always loved the Saint-Saens 3rd Symphony (as a former organist), and I thought it might be the long. Mary's idea to fuse Henry V and the Saint-Saens was pure genius, and that's what really made Albertville.

Paula: Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule! Your fans miss you and hopefully one day you will grace us with your awesome footwork. Good luck to you and your family and much success in all your future endeavors! Is there anything you'd like to add or to say to your fans?

Paul: Thanks for all of the years of support! I feel blessed to have had the experience.