Wanna know what Louie just can’t travel without? Check out this NBC interview during the U.S. Snowboarding Grand Prix where he took 1st Place to find out and get to know team “Chito” a little better!
Posts Tagged ‘louie’
Louie’s 5 Things
Thursday, September 17th, 2009Improving Everyday
Thursday, September 17th, 2009
Louie’s second blog post for People Magazine online expresses his frustrations with learning an entirely new sport, but also, more importantly, his improvement and enthusiasm. After flying to Park City, then to Chicago, and back to L.A., the couple has had a crazy week of practicing, especially now that it’s “crunch time.” With less than a week before the season premiere, you can bet that Chelsie is pushing him hard, with or without Olympic photo shoots to attend. Here’s what Louie has to say about his progress:
Dancing for me is coming along. Every day I feel like I am progressing and getting better. I am not going to lie though; I have had many frustrating moments. The one thing that dancing is teaching me, which I never thought I would learn, is how to deal with frustration. I am a competitive person, in ANY sport I do. What I am realizing is, I can’t expect to be an amazing dancer overnight. Although I think I am doing better than a lot of people would have expected, I have to understand that I am not going to be Derek Hough in just a few weeks. OK, I can never be a Derek Hough.
It is crunch time and now I am ready to step it up. Finally, I have all the steps down and it is now time to fine tune them and add a little extra flare. Moving my hips more in the salsa, watching what my hands do, getting my posture on point for the foxtrot and so on, will be my focus this week. Yes, I am not going to lie, I am nervous for the first show. How can I not be? I am doing something I am not comfortable with in front of the world on live TV. On the flip side, I am excited to get it going. I have been dancing every day, learning and listening for three weeks now and I am ready to show everyone what I can do. Whatever happens this first week, I have had more fun than I ever thought I would.
Louie talks “Dancing” in the U.S. Olympic Team Media Summit Newsletter
Thursday, September 17th, 20092010 U.S. Olympic Team Media Summit Newsletter, Sept. 11
Louie was featured this month in the U.S. Olympic Team Media Summit Newsletter (that’s a mouthful), and it’s obvious that his upcoming appearance on DWTS is causing quite a stir.
“You can laugh at me all you want,” Vito said. “I just need your vote.”
The Ohio native says it’s a good way to stay in shape and allows him to take his mind off of snowboarding. But halfpipe snowboarding and dancing couldn’t be more different, so trading his board for ballroom shoes has been a bit of a challenge.
“My snowboarding posture doesn’t really work for the ballroom,” he said. “In snowboarding you can take a trick that everybody does and put your own twist and your own flare on it, but [in the ballroom] you have to do it that way. There’s a correct way. It’s a little stricter lifestyle than snowboarding is.”
To see how Louie fares, checkout Louie and Chelsie and watch the season premiere of Dancing with the Stars starting Sept. 21.
Louie featured in L.A. Times
Saturday, September 12th, 2009Click to read the article
If you haven’t found it already, Louie was featured on the L.A. Times Olympic Blog. Take some time to get to know him better! Here’s a excerpt:
“To be honest, I’m not a ballroom dancing type of guy,” Vito said. “I have pretty much no idea what is going on.” Vito is trying to follow the tips (orders?) given him by his pro partner, Chelsie Hightower, 20, who is in her second year on the show.
“She is teaching me not to do the wrong step and trip over my feet,” Vito said. Vito said “Dancing with the Stars” first approached him for the 2008 season. When that didn’t work out, he thought they wouldn’t ask again until after the Olympics. When the call came again last spring, it was too good to pass up, but he has no illusions about where it could take him.
“I’m a snowboarder,” he said. “I’m supposed to be a snowboarder on the show.”
Vito could be tied up dancing until November, but he has gotten the show’s approval to take time away for snowboard training if needed. He figures the four to six hours of dance practice a day will keep him fit.
“I have talked to other athletes who said they were in a lot better shape after doing the show,” he said.
Vito also thinks being out of his comfort zone will help him on the halfpipe.
“If I can get in shape to do something I’m not comfortable with in front of 22 million (TV) viewers a week, it should be a breeze to be in front of the people who are at a (snowboarding) competition,” he said.
