When Josh Barish thinks about his favorite subjects in school, the 11-year-old Swampscott resident is able to narrow it down to two.

The first is math because he'd like to get better at it and the second is geography because he's been lucky enough to travel all over the world with his family already.

But both subjects also connect in some way to his other passion. Barish happens to be a national champion figure skater and it's a hobby that has allowed him to add to a large trophy and medal collection while bouncing around New England for competitions.

"I think that's why I love math and geography," said Barish, who attends Harborlight Montessori School in Beverly. "Math teaches me to work hard at something to get better at it and geography helps me when I have to travel around and learn about the places I'm going."

Barish, who took up ice-skating when he was 5 years old, won the Open Freestyle Silver event at the International Skating Institute's World Team Championships, which were held from July 26-31 in Marlboro.

Skaters from all over the world compete in the event and Barish beat Daniel Tioumentsev from El Paso, Texas, for the 10-12 age group title.

"I felt like all of my hard work paid off," Barish said. "It was a lot of fun."

It certainly wasn't Barish's first win and he's hoping it won't be his last. He won his age group at the Bay State Games last winter, which earned him a spot in the State Games of America that will take place in San Diego, Calif., next August. That event is affiliated with the United States Figure Skating Association, a group that's largely responsible for producing America's best Olympic skaters.

"If I could get rid of some of the trophies and medals in his room, it would definitely clean it up a bit," joked Lori Barish, Josh's mom. "He wants to go to the Winter Olympics and, if that's the case, then I'm happy to freeze in ice rinks wherever he goes."

 

A natural skater

Josh Barish tried just about every sport available to 5-year-olds.

He played soccer and baseball and never really enjoyed them. Then he decided to join a friend who was taking ice skating lessons.

Lori took him to the sporting goods store to buy ice skates and picked up a pair of hockey skates. Josh shook his head and opted for figure skates.

"He was adamant that he didn't want hockey skates," Lori said, "and the moment he put those figure skates on and went out on the ice, it was like he was born to do it."

Josh said he doesn't vividly remember his first time on the ice, but he does recall it coming rather easily at first. Before long, he was spinning and turning and trying new tricks every week.

For now, his keystone move is a single axle. But he's working on something called a "death drop." Sounds scary.

"It is a little scary, so I've been trying to work on it a little bit at a time," Barish said. "It's a little bit like a camel spin, which I can do now. So my goal is to be able to do it before we go to San Diego next year."

Barish isn't shy about his goal for that event.

"I'd like to win it," he said. "I think if I work really hard and keep trying to get better, I'll have a chance to do it."

 

American idol

Barish may still be two or three four-year cycles from competing for Olympic gold, but he sees that span as plenty of time to emulate his skating idol, 2010 Winter Olympic men's figure skating gold medalist Evan Lysacek.

"I just think he's a graceful and powerful skater," Barish said. "I'd really like to be a great skater like him when I grow up."

He's certainly putting in the hard work to do it.

Barish skates at least three times a week and sometimes much more if a big competition is on the horizon.

"He absolutely loves skating," Lori said. "He enjoys swimming and building forts in the woods with his friends, things that a lot of kids his age enjoy. But skating is where he seems to really be in his element. He's always ready to get out on the ice."

Local figure skating coaches Christine Hopkins and Jessica Proctor work with Barish now and they go wherever they can find ice time.

Sometimes that's Peabody or Lynn or Revere and sometimes it's as far as the Skating Club of Boston in Marlboro, a 70-mile roundtrip trek.

"I feel like I'm always in my car," Lori said. "But it's absolutely worth it. When you can help your children do something they really enjoy, you'll do whatever you can to help them out."

Barish also skates with the Viking Skating Club at Salem State College and he'll participate in The Little New England Championships starting on Sept. 10 in Providence.

"I'm not really sure who I'm skating against in all of the competitions, but I go into all of them hoping I can win," Barish said. "I think that's how you get better. You have to want to win."

For Barish, that means continuing to push himself on the ice. Whether that involves math, geography, or skating, Barish said the theme is consistent.

"I'm always looking for ways to improve and work hard to get better," Barish said. "I have some goals and that's how I think I can accomplish them."

Champion figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi and her Always Dream Foundation have come on board as partners with San Jose's Downtown Ice outdoor skating rink.

The relationship is already bearing fruit, as Yamaguchi's foundation helped secure Hawaiian Airlines as the rink's new title sponsor.

Maybe you don't often put ice skating and tropical paradise together, but it sure fits well with Downtown Ice's Circle of Palms location.

The San Jose Downtown Association, which produces Downtown Ice, approached Yamaguchi after her stint as grand marshal of last year's San Jose Holiday Parade.

Scott Knies, executive director of the Downtown Association, said she first took a few spins on the rink in January. "She loved it," he said.

Expect Yamaguchi, who grew up in Fremont and graduated from Willow Glen High in San Jose, to make at least one appearance at the newly christened Hawaiian Airlines/Kristi Yamaguchi Downtown Ice, which opens its 60-day run Nov. 19.

LET'S ROLL!: Break out the bowling shirts, San Jose.

The San Jose Redevelopment Agency announced Friday that San Diego-based Tavern + Bowl has signed a lease to move into the ground floor of the Globe apartments on South Second Street.

You might remember that six years ago, developer CIM announced that a different high-end bowling center, Lucky Strike Lanes, was going to set up its lanes in the 17,000-square-foot

space. That deal, it turns out, wasn't so lucky and fizzled.

CIM may have picked a winner this time, though. Tavern + Bowl, which has two locations in the San Diego area, seems to push its sports bar side more than the bowling on its website. But how could a place that has the movie "Kingpin" on a video loop not be a lot of fun?

Look for the Tavern + Bowl logo -- a skull and two "crosspins" -- to join the downtown streetscape in the first half of 2011.

BACK TO SCHOOL: Nearly 400 teachers who are considered frequent users got an early chance Friday to collect hands-on learning materials and classroom supplies at Resource Area For Teachers in San Jose.

The remainder of RAFT's approximately 8,000 members can start stocking up today.

U.S. Rep. Mike Honda, Santa Clara County Schools Superintendent Charles Weis and new San Jose Unified School District Superintendent Vince Matthews joined RAFT Executive Director Mary Simon in greeting the teachers.

Got a tip? Call Sal Pizarro at 408-627-0940 or e-mail him at spizarro@mercurynews.com.

Contact Sal Pizarro at spizarro@mercurynews.com or 408-627-0940.

Dear Editor:

I am so thankful to be part of a community and a sport, which are willing to give their energy, time and talents for the cause of cancer research and assisting cancer patients.

At 6:30 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 22, the city of Aspen is hosting a Summer Ice Skating Show and Barbecue to raise money for the "Shining Stars" organization in Aspen as well as the "Taussig Cancer Center," located in Cleveland.

I would like to thank the staff at the Aspen Recreation Center, skating director Elaine Kozel, the recreation director Tim Anderson, Revolutions Skating Club, guest performer and former Olympian Caryn Kadavy, as well as all of the skaters, coaches and parents who are volunteering their gifts to produce such a great event. It is so wonderful that skaters of all ages and abilities have the opportunity to share their passion for ice skating, both figure and hockey, for such a great cause.

We hope to see everyone at the Aspen Recreation Center on Aug. 22 for an evening of fun, family entertainment and a chance to support our local "Shining Stars" organization.

Michelle Hocknell

Carbondale

The man authorities believe was the leader in a Hudson County drug ring that also involved figure skater Nicole Bobek was sentenced to prison Wednesday after he accepted a plea deal.

Edward Cruz Jr., 40, of Belleville, pleaded guilty to three charges for his role in a $10,000-a-week crystal methamphetamine ring.

All together, 28 people were charged in the probe, including former United States figure skating champion Bobek, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute crystal methamphetamine.

Cruz pleaded guilty to first-degree maintaining or operating a controlled dangerous substance facility, said Hudson County Assistant Prosecutor Lisa Ledoux.

For that offense, Hudson County Superior Court Judge Kevin G. Callahan sentenced Cruz to 16 years in prison, his maximum sentence, with a parole eligibility in six years.

Cruz also pleaded guilty to charges of second-degree conspiracy to distribute crystal methamphetamine and violating the law on "certain persons who cannot have weapons," said Ledoux. Cruz received sentences of eight years, running concurrently, on each of the lesser charges, said Ledoux.

Although Cruz faced up to 20 years in prison before pleading guilty, Ledoux said she was pleased with the sentence and believed it was "very fair."