OCTOBER 2019 IFSMAGAZINE.COM 23done pairs all my life. I have always had
somebody at my side,” Guarise explained.
At the same time, he was developing a
successful career in roller-skating. In 2008,
he and his partner Sara Venerucci won
the World title. He quit the sport, saying
he had reached all his goals and had no
motivation to continue.
“I didn’t see a future for me in that sport,
so I decided to find a job. I moved to Milan
and started a modeling career.”
By chance, he moved into an apartment
just across the street from the Agora ice
rink. An Italian journalist, Filippo Ferrari,
who covers roller and figure skating,
suggested to Guarise that he try pairs
skating again.
In early 2010, he returned to the sport.
It was not an easy transition, as the feeling
of the blade on the ice versus roller skates
on wheels was very different.
His search for a partner turned out to be
the difficult part. Guarise first teamed up
with a Russian skater, Elena Yarkhunova,
and trained with Oleg Vasiliev in the U.S.
and Russia. When that collaboration ended,
he briefly skated with two other partners.
At the same time, Della Monica was
having second thoughts about retiring.
When Guarise’s new coach contacted her
in the fall of 2011 and asked if she was
interested in a tryout, Della Monica agreed.
After three weeks of training, the Italian
federation asked them to skate a short
program at nationals, but as they had no
long program ready they were unable to
compete at Europeans that season.
The duo went to the Bavarian Open
in February 2012, where they earned the
minimum technical scores. A month later,
they competed at Worlds in Nice, France.
The duo ranked 15th out of 20 teams
and one spot ahead of another new
pair, Vanessa James and Morgan Ciprès
of France.
“For me, my second full figure
skating competition was the World
Championships,” Guarise said with
a laugh.
Both recalled that it was not easy initially
and they had to overcome many hurdles,
but each day they made progress. “We
had many financial problems, nowhere to
skate, just many different situations. But
we overcame it all,” said Guarise. “Now we
just have fun. That’s the secret: Try to have
fun all the time even when the weather
outside is very bad.”
Della Monica and Guarise are now a
well-respected team within skating circles.
Their outgoing personalities have made
them popular with their peers and also
with fans.
The two get along well but are not
romantically involved. “We shared so much
time together it’s almost like being brother
and sister,” Della Monica explained.
Guarise said they support each other
“in situations of life because life is not just
figure skating. If you think only of figure
skating you can be the best sportsman of
all time, but your life can be a disaster.”
Though they do not always agree on
everything, both said they leave any
differences at the rink and do not let it
affect their partnership or friendship.
“I’m a really quick fighter, I would say.
If I think one way and you think another
way, I like to argue, sometimes strongly,”
Guarise admitted. “But when we finish,
Nicole tells me what her problem is, and
I tell her what my problem is, and we
finish it.”
Della Monica recalled that was not the
case with her former partner, Kokon. “That
was the hardest part with Yannick because
we used to fight a lot, like for maybe a
week. It’s better like this — five minutes
and it is over.”
Away from the ice, Guarise’s favorite
pastime is fishing. “It relaxes your brain
and your body,” he said, adding that he
and his girlfriend eat whatever he catches.
Della Monica enjoys cooking in her
spare time and said she always tries to find
something new for her boyfriend “because
he gets bored with what I prepare.”AIMING HIGHER
The team has set specific goals for next
season, one of which is to improve their
results. Last season showed the Italian duo
they have the potential to be among the top
teams in the world, and both believe they
can improve in many ways, particularly
with the quality of their elements.
“Now, to be a top level skater you need
to find your own way — you cannot be like
somebody else,” Guarise said. “Everyone
in different countries tries to find their
way to make them unique. We need to
focus on this as well. For example, our
short program last season was good and
it was our style. Our ‘Rocky Balboa’ show
program suited us so why not do another
program similar to that? We are lucky to
have all the elements — we just need to
train and to be in good shape. Everything
else is outside the elements that will create
the results.”
For the upcoming season, Della Monica
and Guarise turned to former Italian ice
dance champions to create their programs.
Anna Cappellini and Luca Lanotte crafted
the short to “Crazy in Love” by Beyoncé,
while Massimo Scali choreographed the
free to “Pilgrims on a Long Journey” by
Couer de pirate and “Saturn” by Sleeping
at Last.
Della Monica and Guarise will open
their Grand Prix season at Cup of China,
followed by NHK Trophy.
The duo has committed to the current
Olympic cycle and will decide on their
future plans at the end of the 2021-2022
season. Both would like to stay connected
to figure skating, perhaps as coaches.
However, since it is not easy to make a
living coaching full-time in Italy, they may
consider remaining on the police force and
coach part-time.
One of their future goals is to help
develop the pairs discipline in their
country. Both know that after they retire
there will be no one in Italy to step into
their skates, as no pairs teams are currently
being developed.
“The young boys and girls do not know
what pairs skating is, and prefer to skate
singles, even though maybe they are not
so good. They don’t even want to try pairs,”
Della Monica explained.
Guarise said that the necessary talent
exists within the country, but skaters “just
don’t know where to go right now,” but he
and Della Monica will be happy to guide
them down the pairs path. IFSFor me, my
second full
figure skating
competition
was the World
Championships.
—Matteo Guarise