Pavel Kaska keeps coming back

GRANADA – He was at the 2009 Winter Universiade in China, he was at the 2011 Winter Universiade in Turkey, he was at the 2013 Winter Universiade in Italy.

And now Pavel Kaska is competing for the last time, at the 2015 Winter Universiade in Granada, Spain.

“It feels good, this is the last season in my career and I want to enjoy the competition feeling,” said the figure skater from the Czech Republic.

And lucky for him, he has had that feeling a lot over the past two months.

Just a week before the Games, he was competing in Sweden at the European Championship where he placed 17th overall. Then he flew directly from one competition to the next.

“I am a bit tired out on the ice,” he said after his first skate in the Universiade Igloo.

But Kaska won’t let his fatigue weigh him down because he knows this is the last shot he’s got at a Universiade medal.

After graduation, the 26-year-old wants to give back and coach young children in figure skating.

Plus, he will have more free time to participate in his number one favorite sport; windsurfing.

“I like the water,” he said with a smile. “I like the feeling of surfing.”

And he must love water in all its forms because figure skating has been in his life since he was seven years old and hopes it will be in his life for many more years.

“I love figure skating,” he said. “It’s surfing on ice.”

Kelcey Wright, U-Media Reporter