| BLADES: What's your favorite program? Cousins: That's a no-brainer. My favorite one was the Olympic one I did in 1994. It was just so much fun. I had this idea and took it to some friends of mine in Britian who ended up teaching me for a while there, Steven Pickavance and Karen Barber. My idea was to encompass as many Olympic sports in one program and see if I could make it authentic and not look cheesy. It worked out pretty well, I think. A lot of people have liked that number. I really enjoyed performing it because it was paced really well. It had all the right things in the right places, and I skated it better than most of my programs. BLADES: Your favorite exhibition program? Cousins: I have a program called Belfast Child by Simple Minds.It's very powerful, and I for some reason just totally relate to the piece. I feel my most comfortable when doing that number. Alot of numbers will grow on you. A lot of numbers will grow away from you. I feel like that one has always stayed with me from the start to finish. I'm always excited when I get to skate to that piece. BLADES: If you weren't skating, what would you be doing? Cousins: Professional soccer player, without a doubt. I would do that or be in acting/TV, something like that. But first passion is soccer. BLADES:Can we see you doing that some time down the road? Cousins: I doubt that my body will hold out!! I've always wanted to try out for a pro team, whether it's in the States or in Canada. Just for fun. Just to see if I could make the grade now. I highly doubt it. I really enjpy the sport and it's a beautiful game to watch. Scott (Hamilton) always teases me and says. "Oh whopping great big nil-nil-tie. It must be alot of fun to watch!" but I'm like "Dude, you have to go watch it!" But it's soemthing I'd like to do because it's a very powerful sport. It's also a thinking man's game and I like that. BLADES: You mentioned acting? Have you done any? Cousins: Actually, I did some this summer. I went to LA and did a little bit. Nothing big, just two very short, digital films that go straight to film festivals as teasers for the main films. One was like 12 minutes long and the other was 20 minutes long. It was fun. Nothing huge, just a creative process. I enjoyed it alot, but it is not the be-all and end all. But it's something I like to do. BLADES:Can you name the films? Cousins: One was called Tacfire. The other one was called The Illusion. {Cousins will also be appearing in the full-length feature film On Edge, starring Jason Alexander. Scott Hamilton also appears in the movie.} BLADES: Do you ever think you will go into coaching? Cousins: I'd like to stay involved with grass root skating and help out as much as I can whether it's in Canada, Britain or the States. I do a little bit at the Mariposa (Skating Club in Barrie, Ontario) with Doug (Leigh) and Robert Tebby and those guys. They are very good to me, and they were amazing with me in my amatuer career. They totally flipped it around for me, so anything I can do to help those guys, I will. BLADES: Is there a misconception about you that you would like to clear up? Cousins: That's a good question. Alot of people perceive me as the clown, as someone who doesn't take anything seriously. I'm a deep thinker, and not many people know that. Everything is very -I don't want to say calculated-it's preconceived , usually. Anything I do. I feel like people think I am a flash in the pan, but I don't feel like that. I've learned alot from what's happened to me in my past and I try to apply it every day to the future. What you see is what you get with me. There's no hidden agenda. Most people think there is, but there's not. {Main Page} |