József Mózes Berei (Pepe) and his competitor, Nora Rothenbühler, take to the ice with a Hungarian folk song and in matyó clothes. The young athletes have been preparing for the 2025 World Junior Figure Skating Championships in Debrecen for a year. Now they also revealed how they found each other and what the Swiss girl said when her partner insisted that they compete in Hungarian colors.
In one year, a great harmony developed between József Mózes Berei (Pepe) and his partner, Nora Rothenbühler. The figure skaters made their debut in front of the public in August last year, and since then they have been taking every opportunity to practice in order to show their best form at the 2025 World Junior Figure Skating Championships in Debrecen.
Now we can find out how the 16-year-old Swiss girl got on the side of the Hungarian talent, why they decided to skate in Hungarian colors instead of Swiss, and how they present the Matyó pattern, Hungarian folk song and Hungarian culture to the world with their program this year.
First of all, we asked Mózes Berei: when and why did you decide to continue your career in doubles after singles?
"I just hatched from the "mating egg", I've been doing it not so long ago, I only got together with my partner around this time last year. The idea was formulated a few months before by my coach at the time, because I am tall and have a good body for it. When he told me that he would send me to Severin Kiefer, the Austrian doubles world champion, I immediately raised my head, because I grew up in Austria, I knew him, and I really liked the idea," said Mózes Berei, who also revealed that when he decided to continue in doubles , a difficult period in his life ended.
I had a lot of bad experiences and changed a lot. But I believe that every athlete has such periods, which are necessary in order to always manage to climb out of the pit
said the talent, referring to last year's events in the Hungarian National Skating Association (MOKSZ).
As is well known, in 2023 the MOKSZ presidency terminated the mandate of figure skating sector sports director Gurgen Vardanjan, and then initiated disciplinary proceedings against Júlia Gór-Sebestyén, the head of Sebestyén Korcsolya SE, which she led. According to the accusations, many young athletes fell victim to the coach's ruthless methods and style. Mózes Berei was the first to talk about how he experienced the transformation of MOKSZ.
We were also curious about how their first meeting with Nora Rothenbühler went. Did they know right away that they wanted to work together? And how did they find each other anyway?
"Our coaches already knew each other and organized a trial training for us in Austria. Nora traveled to me from Switzerland, we rehearsed for a week, and it turned out very quickly that we fit together"
- explained the athlete, who we also asked about what his partner said when he told him that he wanted them to play in Hungarian colors.
It must have been a surprise to him when he found out how much I insisted on this. But when he got to know his background and my related family history, he understood why it was so important to me.
Mózes Berei was still a little boy when he made a promise to his grandfather to return to Hungary, which he feels is his mission ever since.
"Nora is open to Hungarian culture, and I try to introduce her to everything important or less important about it. Last year, for example, we watched the fireworks on August 20 from the Fisherman's Bastion, we went on a boat trip on the Danube and in Esztergom, we visited the Basilica together."
added the skater.
So this would be the concept of next year's program. The foundation on Hungarian culture, which resulted in Matyó-patterned clothing and Hungarian folk songs.
Hungarians are persistent, hardworking and patriotic. Even after the biggest failure and defeat, we manage to get up again and again. My grandfather instilled these concepts in my heart and used other great Hungarians as examples who fought for the country they loved from the bottom of their hearts. Ten years ago, when I met fashion designer Tünde Hrívnák for the first time in Vienna, I told him these things and we agreed that one day, when the time comes, he would design a performance outfit for me. Now is the time for that.
Specialists worked on the clothes of Nora Rothenbühler and Mózes Berei for weeks. The staff included Papp Bernadett, master of the Matyó Folk Art Association, textile model designer Andrea Dormán and graphic artist Pál Gergely. The outfit is decorated with thousands of crystals, which crystal decorator Dia Deák applied to the textile.
"Returning to the music, we were already looking for our music at the beginning of March, what to run with, and it was obvious to me that I wanted Hungarian folk music, which will make the hearts of the Hungarian audience beat in February 2025, at the Junior World Championships. This is how we decided on Spring Wind Flows Water"
- revealed the young Hungarian figure skater, then added: their other goal is to introduce Hungarian folk music, traditions and culture to the world.
The twenty-year-old talent is very proud of the fact that he and his partner will show the world what Hungarian virtus is like in a dress made by a Hungarian fashion designer, decorated with Hungarian motifs, and accompanied by a Hungarian folk song.
Featured image: József Mózes Berei and his competitor, Nora Rothenbühler. Photo: Bence Tövissi / Index
