She is one of the most gifted French skaters of her generation and at 48 today, Surya Bonaly has one of the most impressive track records in French skating. Champion of France 9 times, 5 times European champion, the native of Nice has had an exceptional career. Quickly becoming very popular in France, she decided to leave her country of birth to settle in the United States at the end of her career. She became an American citizen in 2004 and settled in Las Vegas with her fiancé, Peter Biver.
Passing through France as godmother of the World Figure Skating Championships, Surya Bonaly gave an interview to Parisian in which she talks about her life on the other side of the Atlantic. She explains in particular that she is now a coach for young apprentice skaters, a visibly very profitable activity if we are to believe the daily newspaper since each hour of lessons for the former champion is billed at 90 dollars (about 82 € per hour)! So when asked if she plans to return to work in France, the answer is quite clear: “I am open for everything, but in the United States, coaching is private, so we are paid by the lesson. We have less security but if we work well, we can earn a good living. In France, it is more difficult because we are paid monthly and that’s it”.
In France, there is a procedure which is long and difficult. And then you still have to find a place…
Enjoying a very comfortable standard of living in the USA, Surya Bonaly does not really imagine herself returning to her native country, but money is obviously not the only obstacle to a return. “I go where I am offered, where there is money, demand. In the United States, we take a test every year to be a skating teacher, whether we are a champion or not, we can train. Afterwards, it all depends on the technical level that we bring to the clubs or to the students. In France, there is a procedure which is long and difficult. And then you still have to find a place…”, she explains, a bit discouraged. Happy with her life abroad, Surya Bonaly definitely does not intend to settle in France anytime soon, as she explains very well in an interview.
Find Surya Bonaly’s interview in full on the Parisian website.