What the Buck is up with Skating?

Michael Buckley

Skating isn’t like other sports, where when you enter an office or bar, the building is filled with the chatter of people talking about last night’s game or the new off-season acquisition. This doesn’t mean, though, that there aren’t huge skating fans in all sorts of social arenas.

Case in point: Few would watch the hit YouTube show What the Buck?! and know that host Michael Buckley is an avid skating fan.

If you’re a fan of YouTube, I’m sure you’ve seen an episode of What the Buck?! Hosted, written, and produced by Michael Buckley, WTB?! is a quick-witted trice-a-week program that delivers celebrity news and sarcasm in under ten minutes–think Perez Hilton and The Soup put into one. And hidden behind his infatuation with pop culture and gossip, Buckley harbors an intense passion for all things figure skating.

Buckley, or “Buck” as he is known to his loyal following of over 500,000 YouTube subscribers, has become an Internet sensation. Since quitting his job as an administrative assistant last year, Buckley has quickly turned his Internet persona and WTB?! into a lucrative career.

While fame for Buckley has been a somewhat recent development, his love affair with skating began during the 1988 Olympics, when he was instantly drawn to the drama coming from the ice.

“I was so excited to see Brian Boitano win the ‘Battle of the Brian’s.’ I was hooked for life!” says Buckley.

It wasn’t until eight years later, though, that Buckley ventured onto the ice himself. After graduating from college, he took up skating at a local rink and in only a month’s time landed his first axel. Almost immediately, Buckley experienced the thrill and sense of accomplishment that skating can bring.

“The first time I landed a double flip, I landed 15 in a row,” he explains. “I was so euphoric. I spent the rest of that summer in the same spot and always hoped for a repeat of that day. It never happened.”

Elusive jumps are by no means fun for a skater, but sometimes it can be even more difficult to be a fan, sitting at home, hoping your favorite skater wins, knowing you have no control over their performance. Buckley, as a Michelle Kwan enthusiast, often experienced this throughout her illustrious career.

“Watching skating, I remember Michelle Kwan’s long program at the 1998 Nationals, and I cried. I thought it was so beautiful. When Michelle won 2003 Worlds, I cried as well. I loved that program and was just so psyched she was still skating,” he said.

Although Kwan is no longer on the competitive circuit, Buckley continues to tune into skating broadcasts whenever he gets the chance. He does admit, though, that over the past four years his enthusiasm for the sport and its stars has tapered off slightly.

“Skating is pretty confusing for me now,” he begins. “With the new code and U.S. ladies not really in the hunt, my interest has waned since the last Olympics.

“It’s not like the old days where I didn’t eat, and I had to leave the room because I was so nervous when Michelle Kwan was skating.”

Despite this, Buckley plans to cover skating this season on his show, and he wants skaters to know that if he pokes fun at them in an upcoming video, it’s all in good humor.

“I have nothing but respect for all skaters. Even though sometimes I make fun of them on What the Buck?! they should know I’m mostly kidding.”

Image via BuckHollywood.com

I met Buckley many years ago, before the creation of YouTube and the rise of his star. The Michael Buckley I know is exactly as he appears in his videos–highly energetic, enthusiastic, and gregarious. He has a rare quality that is both self-deprecating and confident, and much of his success can be attributed to his unabashed honesty (as seen in this recent video) and ability to connect with people of all ages.

When Buckley and I were introduced, I was training on the Cape, and we frequently skated together on the same sessions. Every summer he would MC the annual ice show, and we soon formed a friendship.

I have a great memory of him from one of the summer shows. Following the event he stayed at the rink and taught a group of us the choreography from a local play he directed, Little Shop of Horrors. My friends and I loved one of the numbers, and we stuck around the small workout room well into the night, as Buckley taught us the steps from our favorite scene.

Despite a long day of ice show-related responsibilities, our energy grew as the hours passed by because of Buckley’s contagious excitement to teach us the choreography and adjoining song. He has such a brilliant and unique personality, which has translated into incredible success. This success, however, didn’t happen overnight.

“I had over 100 videos before anyone knew who I was. I just loved doing it and believed good things could come of it,” he says about his rise in popularity.

“I always tell people to create videos they love. Like anything in life, that’s the key!”

Since moving to Connecticut and turning WTB?! into a fulltime job, Buckley hasn’t found the time to practice his pesky double flip; but he plans to return to the ice in the coming months. He’s eagerly awaiting the start of the upcoming competitive season and is looking forward to the men’s event in Vancouver.

“I’m really like Patrick Chan. He seems like a little bitch! I mean that in a fun way. I hope Evan and Johnny both skate really well and bring us home some medals. Did you see those pictures of Evan in a speedo? What the hell was that? Was he reaffirming his heterosexuality again?” he joked.

With his star growing, Buckley is often inundated with questions of where he hopes his career will take him and if he plans to transition his success on the Web into a career in television.

“I would be thrilled to be doing this forever,” he explains. “This is way beyond my expectations. People assume I want to be on TV. Maybe, but it would take a heck of an offer. I really enjoy my freedom, and I love being home. At the end of the day, my heart belongs to the Internet.”

You can catch What the Buck?! on Buckley’s YouTube channel. He also does a live show on BlogTV every Sunday and Thursday evening at 10pm EST.