Skating backwards in an all-white suit: Meet the accidental star of this year’s Winter Olympics

Jordan Cowan operates the steadicam before the pairs figure skating short program at the Winter Olympics. (Ashley Landis/AP via CNN Newsource)

Dressed in his all-white tuxedo and matching skates, camera operator Jordan Cowan has become an accidental star at this year’s Olympic figure skating events in Milan.

Videos of the 35-year-old filming skaters as they leave the ice have gone viral, in part due to his attire but also the elegance in which he manipulates his camera-rig while gliding on the ice – sometimes on one leg and often backwards.

His role is to capture those intimate moments just seconds after a performance has finished, becoming the first camera operator in Olympic history to be allowed onto the ice.

His newfound fame has proven to be a great source of both bemusement and validation for Cowan, who has been honing his craft in the background for years.

“Honestly, it’s really special,” he told CNN Sports, laughing at the absurdity of becoming a breakout star at the Games.

“I’ve been working at this in the shadows for so long and, honestly, I was worried the suit would be too flashy but I’m just so happy that everyone’s accepting it and everybody likes it.”

• These are the best images from the Winter Olympics

Combining two passions

Cowan was a competitive figure skater himself for much of his life, retiring in 2012. Filming competitions became a way of staying in the sport he loved, while also exploring his love of film.

He started by posting short skating clips on social media, which began garnering attention. What started with a small following gathered momentum as he continued to create experimental films about the sport, working with skaters and coaches he knew from his competitive career.

Early on, Cowan saw how his skills could be used for bigger productions and started reaching out to shows. It wasn’t long before was invited to become the first skating camera operator on “Dancing on Ice.”

It proved to be the first step on his path to the Winter Olympics and his work started being seen by the “right people.”

“I got to be this artist on the ice, and it taught me a lot about film because you have this freedom of movement, and I got to use cool camera technology and experiment with it,” he said, speaking about those early days after retiring from competive skating.

Then came his own Olympic call-up, something he knew might prove to be a little controversial within the sport.

No camera operator had ever stepped onto the ice during Olympic competition and he expected some criticism from those who wanted the ice to remain a “sacred” place for the athletes.

But having spoken with people inside the skating community, he knew that his craft could elevate the coverage and bring the audience closer to the amazing narratives being painted on the ice.

Developing trust

Importantly, he’s developed a level of trust with many of the skaters, having filmed them in either training or competition over the years. It’s all combined to allow him to capture intimate moments of both joy and sadness in a way never seen before on the Olympic stage.

“A lot of it has been experimental, finding out what looks good, without distracting them and without making them feel like there’s a camera on them. I’m a very camera-shy person myself,” he said.

“The best compliment I get from skaters is that they forgot I was even on the ice with them. That’s the gold standard if you’re still able to capture something as it truly was, without interfering and affecting it.

“At an event like the Olympics, you want to come in and add something new and not take anything away.”

But knowing a lot of the athletes personally comes with its challenges. There have been performances this year where Cowan has been holding back the tears, unable to separate himself from the emotion.

That notably came to the fore when filming his childhood friend Paul Poirier win bronze for Canada in the ice dance event alongside partner Piper Gilles.

And while he says the excitement he felt might have made the camera lose focus momentarily, it all contributed to capturing the rawness of such a seismic moment.

“I know my camera so well that I think my emotions can come through the lens,” he said. “It’s all manual, so it’s like playing an instrument.

“If I feel sadness, I think it’s just impossible not to show that in the frame. I’m also staying as professional as I possibly can, but at the end of the day, we’re here to tell a story. I’m not going to hide that.”

What about the all-white suit?

Then comes the question of the all-white suit. On one hand, Cowan thought wearing a block color might help him blend into the background but he also wanted to dress up for such a big occasion.

He used the example of filming the Oscars, and how it would be strange for someone not to follow the black tie dresscode. After all, the dancers on the ice are wearing custom-made costumes which are dripping in diamonds and crystals.

His suit is actually made by one of the figure skating tailors and is constructed of fabric which allows him to move freely while also looking dapper.

“It’s Milan,” he said. “It just felt like apropos to dress elegantly.”

So what next for Cowan now that he’s nearing the end of his own Olympic debut? Well, that question is yet to be answered. You’d think more international skating competitions will follow, with the next Winter Games four years away.

But he’s also keen to apply his skills to commercial film, hoping to one day work with directors such as James Cameron and Steven Spielberg on Hollywood blockbusters.

“I would also love to shoot summer sports as well,” he said. “You know, the Summer Olympics.

“There are just so many things out there I want to do, and we’ll see what happens, but that’s the wonderful thing about the exposure. I wasn’t expecting to go that viral, but maybe if people like the way I skate backwards, they’ll like the way I walk backwards as well.”

By Ben Church, CNN