Phibbs & Patrick Online Biography

      With many promising young pairs skating teams coming up the ranks in the U.S., Emma Phibbs and Devin Patrick have already distinguished themselves as one to watch. The partnership is only a year old, but already the pair is one of the most talked-about junior teams in the country.

      Devin was born August 21, 1980, in Los Angeles. He began skating at age 11 because his mother didn't want to leave him home alone. He quickly moved toward pairs skating, and teamed up with his first competitive partner, Jessica Waldstein, in 1997. In their first year together, Devin and Jessica won the bronze medal in the novice pairs event at the 1998 U.S. Championships. The next season included an international debut for the team in Bulgaria, and a seventh place finish in the national junior event. Devin and Jessica parted ways that spring, and Devin went looking for a new partner.

      Emma, who was born August 30, 1986, and grew up in the Washington D.C. area, started skating after seeing another girl her age performing in a show. From the start of her career, Emma was drawn toward pairs skating because, as she explains, "it's about as close as you can get to flying." She began competing with her first partner, William Rasmussen, in the 1999-2000 season. As junior competitors at the U.S. Championships, the new team finished in tenth place. Later that year, Emma was on the lookout for a new partner.

      After Emma attended the U.S. pairs tryouts in Colorado Springs, Devin saw a video of her skating with one of his friends. He called her coach, and soon afterward, he arrived for a tryout. When that went well, the two decided to skate together. The first obstacle the team faced was the fact that they lived on opposite ends of the country. That was solved when Devin decided to relocate to Virginia.

      After Devin was settled in Virginia, the new pair worked hard to make their skating come together. In their first season of competition, Emma and Devin won the Southwest Pacific regional event and finished fifth in a strong field at the U.S. Championships. Now, with more experience heading into the 2001-2002 season, they hope to contend for the U.S. junior title and a spot on the World Junior Championships team.

      Though the two skaters have different hobbies off the ice, they both list their friendly relationship with each other as the strongest aspect of their partnership. Emma's interests include spending time on the internet, astronomy and animals. Devin enjoys spending time with his friends, whom he considers to be family, and would pursue a career as a stock broker if he wasn't involved in skating.

      With a partnership based on friendship and the common goal of becoming world-class skaters, Emma and Devin already have all the ingredients of success. As they head into next season with high hopes, there's no question they have the potential to make great things happen.

      Phibbs & Patrick Online is designed by April Knights in cooperation with Emma Phibbs and Devin Patrick. Questions and comments about the site can be directed to the webmaster.

      All contents of Phibbs & Patrick Online are the property of Emma Phibbs, Devin Patrick, and April Knights unless otherwise noted. Please do not reproduce any materials without permission from the owner(s).