Deniss Vasiljevs turns 26 on August 9, 2025. So, who better than the Latvian skater to launch our new series of 26 questions (one for each letter of the alphabet)?
Most used App?
Spotify
Bedtime?
Between 10.30 and 11.
Your Comfort food?
Mangoes. Dried mangoes, normal mangoes, whichever way mangoes. Frozen mangoes. Mangoes.
Any recurring Dreams?
I’m on the green lawn with a few beautiful sapins [firs], these trees with spikes and fallen cones, and a little pig, and they’re just enjoying the greenery, the grass, this coolness of the forest, being on your plot of land.
An Embarrassing moment?
There are many of those. I had too much coffee at some point [in practice], and I was trying so hard to skate very well, and it was just going all over the place, and I was like a nut in those moments. I was having a lot of fun, I was making people laugh, and I was also completely childish.
Favorite Fan encounter?
I think it was a random moment, when I was somewhere and not expecting… I was walking in Milano, actually, after the Cortina Test event for the Olympics, and it had been two days already since the event. Just a random fan, first she asked if I’m Deniss Vasiljevs, and then she wished me luck and support, and it was just so random among so many people in the rush hour.
Goal that you’re working on right now?
I’m trying to keep my emotions more or less balanced all day, because I find I’m being too easily affected…. When [my mood is] too high, bring it lower; when it’s too low, bring it higher by simply appreciating little things and just how great of a life I have.
Holiday memory?
Laughter. One thing that I like about vacation, there is always a moment of difficulty because everything is new, and the moment of laughter when you are accepting it and you’re just enjoying whatever comes, and you’re so easy. There is no destination. You just enjoy life.
Biggest Inspiration?
I would say that water thing [Deniss points at a lawn sprinkler] that spreads a lot of water and keeps the grass alive. I would say, being able to contribute, spread, inspire, to be useful to more than yourself. It’s one of the biggest motivations or inspirations that really drives forward any sort of enterprise or whatever you start: the desire to be useful.
Your Jam session song?
I would say… not a jam but something consistent every day is my absolute unbeatable “British Grenadier March from 1777”. At some point in a competition – it was Nationals actually, everyone was warming up and I’m like, ‘Guys, do you mind if I put on some music?’ because it was too tense. I’m just putting this on, rinse and repeat, rinse and repeat for like 40 minutes. And Steph [Stéphane Lambiel, Deniss’ coach – ed] is like, “What is it? A psychological warfare or what?” Because it was the same music, and then the drums, and it’s basically just a march.
But, for me, it meant a lot. It always pushes forward and motivates the action. And it’s at a good pace. It’s not rushed, it’s not slow. It’s this perfect rhythm of just walk, walk, walk, walk. One step at a time. And this song is…yeah, it is a lot to me. My jam.
A Keepsake that you would never part with?
That would be my medallion, the silver medallion of the gryphon that I allow myself to wear only if I really did something good, when I fulfil what I am trying to fulfil. Like right now, for a week, I’m banished from using it, and this is something that speaks to me a lot. So it is my own personal condition that allows me to wear that particular piece of jewelry that is important to me, and it is very genuinely something that inspires and motivates me a lot.
Lyrics that you get stuck in your head?
Well, yes, but they kind of get unstuck at the same time. Right now I don’t have something.
Favorite Movie?
I really love The Intern.. It was De Niro and I don’t remember the actress but she’s also very good. It’s one of those movies that is absolutely not something I would be watching all the time. But I always come back to it when it’s a difficult situation, and it really helps me to bounce up or decompress…Surprisingly, a lot of people don’t like it, they find it too boring or plain, but to me, it’s my comfortably hugging, cuddling movie. It’s very genuine, it brings a smile, and that’s all I really need when the shit hits the fan.
Niche interest of yours?
I really would love to have an opportunity to learn how to horse ride and to do it with skill and elegance. Yeah, it’s one of those things I maybe wanted for a long time but never had the courage or even the realization I wanted to, until recently, and it became my new kind of interest.
Your go-to Outfit?
For summer, it’s the kind of light long pants, not jeans, with a polo-type short-sleeve shirt.
I predominantly like the dark blue kind of color, but it could be grey pants with a red top, or navy blue, marine pants with the same top. My favorite color in this case would be Prussian blue.
Favorite Podcast?
I had for some time interest in Diary of the CEO, but I would not say that’s my favorite. It depends, really. I’m a big fan of this YouTube channel that posts new things about upcoming games. One game that I’m waiting for for seven years is called Anno: 117 Pax Romana. And it’s absolutely my all-time favorite game. And I’m constantly checking if there’s new news or new things from it.
That game means a lot, and I love it. I can’t wait until [it comes out in] November to take a vacation from everyone and just play. That’s the only downtime I allow myself really, to do something kind of useless. It’s just a week before the Grand Prix, so I will be agitated. I will not dive too deep to forget to actually do the work!
I feel guilty if I spend a moment not doing something useful or productive. Even watching YouTube. Even if it’s something intelligent, it does not feel good because it does not involve action, and if there is no action to follow, it feels like empty time…but one day I will understand the beauty of stillness and just appreciating a moment
Quote you live by?
I have a very good quote, but it’s more of a meditation of mine. So it will be: “I’m calm like a mountain in the storm. Composed, I’m assertive. Assertive, I’m determined, determined to succeed, I’m sharp and disciplined with humility and respect.” So this is my kind of meditation.
A good quote I really like recently is: “Anything worth doing in life is worth overdoing. Moderation is for cowards.” But this comes from the Navy Seal Ethos.
In life, no matter the situation, you can always see things differently. There are times to be too much, there are times to be full of temperance. But the point is, when it comes to action and passion, when everything aligns – in your physical, mental, intellectual, emotional, social, and private [worlds]…you feel a breakthrough and – if you feel a breakthrough, you keep going in it and it drives you and gives you fulfillment. You transform as a person, and the experience of that is worth – not overdoing, but growing, growing and growing.
Favorite Restaurant?
I would say my favorite restaurant is my own kitchen, because it has the most versatility. All the meals are being prepared based on my mood, authentically, and so far, no complaints or unhappiness with the nourriture. So I will clearly say there is no more comfortable way to eat than on a very nice day with food prepared at home, eaten somewhere out in a sort of picnic way, in nature, with a view. Particularly in the spring, there are no flies, and all insects are still sleeping. You sit all evening until it starts to get dark…until the stars [appear]. You know this ambience is not recreatable by any restaurant, but beats all of them 10 out of 10.
Best Smell?
Smokey cherry. Because that’s a perfume I really like, that I got for my lady.
Training day essentials?
I could say something as silly as underwear. But if I’m a bit more professional…it depends on the day and the kind of training. I work out in many different ways. So, I always bring…
Anna: Your skates?
No, I don’t even use socks all the time. I work out in many different ways. There is always something different about it. So I would say underwear because it’s the one thing that is always on me, and I always have spares.
Who or what do you think is Underrated?
I would say, what is underrated is bold action. Most of the time, if you want to do something, you ask, “Oh, is it a good idea, or not a good idea?” And people often kill these ideas before it is materialized. So it’s very underrated to just do the action without taking any opinions, just because you have a feeling and you feel passionate about it. And then basically…if it’s good, great. If it’s not good, sorry.
A View that takes your breath away?
Let’s say, the best view would be [yourself]. Clarity of what you want, when you can connect with yourself. I think this is my best view, and it doesn’t happen very often, no matter how much you try to understand or align yourself. But there are those moments when you arrive to this kind of calmness to really understand what you, not just want, but also what you need. Something that you feel driven to achieve, and you just go for it.
It’s a confusing answer, sorry.
Your Whereabouts on a day off?
I really like to be at home – and to be outside, and to be somewhere else entirely, or to have a drive. It depends on the week, it depends on the situation, it depends on the weather, it depends on where I am. If there is one thing that I definitely want on my day off, it’s peace of mind. No matter where physically I am, it matters that I feel good with myself, I feel fulfilled, I feel satisfied with my work, my life in that moment, and I really feel that I can do whatever I want right now because nothing is burning.
That becomes less and less possible as I actually grow more. Or maybe because my goals and my vision got further away and longer-term, but it’s harder and harder to find this moment of stillness, to just appreciate the moment, and just to enjoy the bliss I have. There is always a goal, and you always run somewhere. And inaction is actually what recovers you so much.
An eXperience that changed you?
It doesn’t matter the action, it matters how you reflect on it and how you understand it. If you can harness something new, it absolutely changes you. It can be something as simple as one morning you drank a cappuccino instead of running, or while preparing for the day actually you took time to observe that your plant loses leaves because it was overwatered or underwatered. Moments like this give a perspective, so it changes you. So it’s not like I can say there’s one thing that absolutely transformed my life. I had those moments reoccurring again and again and again and again. A moment you understand a certain level of just gratitude for what you have… and that no matter how much we strive, we’re just grateful that this moment is here and that you catch it.
During the COVID time, I started really to delve deeper in Taoism and the idea of this present, and Buddhism, and trying to understand more than just stoicism, grind, and excessive work. It somehow gave me this ability to understand that you should not always just run in the direction you want to go. There is value in simply quality active recovery and rest for your psychology, for your body, for your emotions. The best ideas come when your gas tank is full. I used to work so much, in a way, stupidly, just because it was work, and today I’ve started to become much more selective and work better. And as a result, I have a much better feeling about myself, too. I would say that COVID was almost one of the best times to recalibrate and relearn or change the perspective, because you were simply freaking stuck, and you could not do the same things over and over again. It completely knocked you off your usual course. And, somehow, I think it improved me.
A Year that you would like to visit if you had a time machine?
Ha!
Frankly speaking, if I had a time machine, I would love to observe myself from, let’s say 10 years from now, 2035. I’d love to see what I did, and I want to do it better. Or, on the opposite, [to go back in time] and understand what I did and try to understand why I did this. I am curious about my past, but I already have some understanding, and I’m so curious about my future, and how my emotions will guide it, or if it’s rational, what is going to make this decision? So I would love to see where the course I am taking today leads me, and how I get there, so that I can make a choice. Do I continue it, or do I change somehow? I just want to know that I will be good, let’s say in 50 years, and based on that, I want to just remove some of this stress and anxiety of the future. It’s not enough to just walk; you’ve got to walk with purpose… It was much easier when you had school. They told you, do this. Now you actually have so many opportunities, and have to make a decision knowing that one cancels the other. It often leads to analysis paralysis rather than actual action…
I want to have less fear in my life. Just period, I want to be grounded. I want to really feel whatever I’m doing, I’m doing my best. Not to always have doubts about my strengths. Because I am quite analytical and scholarly, yet I’m doing something artistic that is purely emotional. Am I actually using my true talents the best way? Because I love mathematics and studies, yet I’m doing something that is absolutely sideways from that. I like to think, I enjoy peace and stillness – and yet I’m moving my butt all day.
I really want to master myself. I want to know how to put myself in the state I want to be in. I don’t want to be just floating on the boat and see where it takes me… I don’t want to react too much to things because they’re good, and I don’t want to be affected too much by things because they’re bad. It’s weird, but instead of searching for excess or this extreme of these spectrums, I actually want to find the ability to put all of that in perspective…I can understand things rationally often, but I still act based not on intellect but on my emotions. It’s so powerful, and how do you resist it? …I don’t want to have this waste of energy resisting myself so much. You fight yourself more often than you fight anything else. So I don’t want to fight with myself. I want to connect with myself and be in alliance.
What is your Zodiac sign, and do you believe in the zodiac?
Yeah, in a way, because it’s very convenient. I’m Leo [the lion], so I’m this gorgeous, beautiful animal of extreme power, dense muscle, and a freaking killing machine, but at the same time ⁓ so playful and so family oriented and so genuinely very protective of my territory, and you know, there is this animalistic ferocity about it. Absolutely, I’d like to be Leo. I wouldn’t choose some of the zodiac signs, but I would definitely choose that.
It’s interesting because all of this is a culture, right? This all evolved based on some sort of perception, and if people believe…there’s a good saying, ‘if you call a person a pig a hundred times, on the hundred-and-first, they will start to oink.’ I knew that I was a lion, probably the time before I even learned to say mama, papa. So based on that, probably the noble animal, this very strong animal, somehow really influenced me. It shaped my mind and who I am.
It’s all a balance. If you can benefit from it, take it. If you cannot benefit from it, well, throw it out of the window…It’s more about how we perceive ourselves through the perception of others in reaction to us. Does that make sense?
Why do you even really care what others think? If it’s about how you feel about yourself, if you have this certain detachment from outside and yet being very respectful and sensitive to things around you…I don’t know, it’s like, even in competitions…there is no point to focus on things outside of your control. I have met a lot of people who were too obsessed about exactly this external [perspective]. I have met people who were absolutely indifferent to it. And both cases are bad. So I would say the people that are able to be very demanding of themselves and yet very tolerant of others, are the best kind of combination. It makes it a great pleasure and a privilege to work with them.”
More:
Deniss Vasiljevs: ‘I Want to Challenge Myself’ (2023 Interview)
