Rachel Blount: In time for regional opener today, skater finds competitive edge

Figure skaters don't usually experience epiphanies while crashing to the ice. Then again, Rohene Ward rarely does anything in a conventional manner.

The Minneapolis skater had matured in untold ways over the past two years, blossoming into a stronger adult and a more committed athlete. When he fell twice in a summer workout -- and twice rose and soldiered on -- coach Page Lipe met him with a hug. "You are truly a competitor now," she said, triggering a realization that still stirs his emotions.

Ward would have lost his composure after a tumble in his younger days. With a newly evolving mental toughness to buttress his sky-high jumps and soulful artistry, he enters the Upper Great Lakes Regional Championships, which open today, feeling like a real competitor at last. That's just in time to begin his qualifying process for the U.S. championships in St. Paul.

"That was one of the best things I ever heard, because all these years, that's what I've been trying to achieve," said Ward, 24. "When she said that, I knew it was true. That's why it meant so much. I honestly believed it, and that breakthrough made a huge difference for me."

Ward spent Monday at his home rink, Parade Ice Garden, preparing for the regionals in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He is one of only two senior men competing, meaning he will advance to the Midwestern Sectionals in November. The top four senior men at Midwesterns will qualify for the national championships in January at Xcel Energy Center.

Nearly two years have passed since Ward last skated at the U.S. championships. He finished 17th in 2006 in a performance that typified his career. Ward seduced the audience with his enormous charisma, but once he fell in his free skate, his focus evaporated and his program unraveled.

His love for competition kept him in the sport through years of inconsistency. He'd grown tired of settling for something less than his full potential. After setting a two-year plan for personal growth, he enlisted a life coach to help him become more consistent in his habits. He approached practice with greater discipline and learned to cope with mistakes.

Lipe, who has coached Ward for 13 years, marveled at his evolution.

"He knew he was holding himself back," she said. "He admitted that to himself in the last year. He's more reliable, more responsible, calmer. It's been nice to see."

It's all part of the journey for Ward, who made his first breakthrough years ago. Raised in north Minneapolis, son of a black father and Puerto Rican mother, he used to glide away from his hockey teammates to practice jumps and spins. His mom, Evelyn Harris, got him into a learn-to-skate program; such mentors as Lipe and former coach Gailene Norwood polished his talent and provided friendship and financial help.

Ward skated in Puerto Rico's nationals in 2004, which led his mother -- who had not spoken to her father in 40 years -- to reconcile with him and introduce Rohene to a slew of newly discovered relatives. Earlier that year, he finished 16th at the 2004 U.S. championships and later trained part-time with Robin Wagner, who coached Sarah Hughes to the Olympic gold medal in 2002.

Wagner helped set Ward on his current path of self-discovery. In the one season she co-coached him with Lipe, she taught him to harness his considerable emotion and how to make his workouts efficient and satisfying. He now lands his jumps more consistently, including the quad toe loop and triple axel that are part of a new long program set to music from the movie "Dragon."He really understands the technical part now," Lipe said. "He can fix a mistake in the air. And he's coaching some young skaters, which has helped him grow. He's really come a long way."

As Ward works to become a better athlete, he remains an artist at heart. When he competes in Friday's short program and Saturday's free skate at the Upper Great Lakes, he will show off the dancelike footwork, dramatic flair and elastic spin positions that have always defined him. If he can stick to his plan, he will carry his new title -- competitor -- into a fourth appearance at the U.S. championships.

"Before, I wasn't ready to be a national champion in any way, shape or form," Ward said. "That is something I want to be, and I have a much better idea now of how to get there. I expect so much from myself now."

Rachel Blount • rblount@startribune.com