Sonja Hilmer Gifts Team USA Skaters Custom Ink Portraits in Milan

Jane Smith · Figure skating 2026-02-18 11:37

Hand-Drawn Silhouettes Welcome U.S. Skaters to Milan Olympic Village

A life-size ink outline of every American figure skater waited inside the Milan Olympic Village last week, taped to a nightstand and rolled out on heavyweight Italian paper. Teammate Sonja Hilmer, 21, drew all 16 portraits between January’s U.S. Championships and the February 25 charter flight, turning arrival day into an autograph session before the athletes even unpacked.

Coach’s Text Launches Four-Week Art Sprint

Team leader Tiffany Hyden—Hilmer’s former solo-dance coach—sent a single request last August: create a “Milan-specific keepsake” that could lie flat in a suitcase, echo Italian fashion sketches, and ship before accreditation deadlines. Hilmer screen-grabbed competition photos, isolated each skater’s most recognizable shape—Ilia Malinin’s quad Axel preload, Madison Chock’s matador skirt flick—then projected the outlines onto 18-by-24-inch Blick paper. Imported Milanese ink and a size-6 round brush did the rest; one smear meant starting over. “A bad pull turned the sheet into fire starter,” she said.

Hair Replaces Faces in Instantly Recognizable Outlines

ISU costume rules make most skaters look similar from a distance, so Hilmer used hair as a fingerprint. Amber Glenn’s braided crown, Christina Carreira’s half-up rhythm-dance knot, and the wave Evan Bates creates when he releases partner Madison Hubbell became shorthand for identity. Men’s cuts were trickier: Jason Brown’s classic sweep required a single confident stroke, while Vincent Zhou’s shorter Olympic crop needed a dry-bridge technique to suggest texture under arena lights. “Buns, braids, fly-aways—each got its own nib width,” Hilmer noted. “The hair had to do the recognition work.”

Athletes Post Reactions Within Minutes

Skaters thought the tubes held venue maps until the paper unfurled. “Absolutely amazing—can’t wait to bring it home,” Glenn wrote on Hilmer’s Instagram. Ice dancers Carreira and Anthony Ponomarenko filmed a joint story tagged with the Italian tricolor emoji. Pairs skater Ellie Kam replied, “So insanely talented, Sonja.” From the practice rink Hilmer watched her phone explode: mid-session texts—“You captured the flip, thank you”—followed by her own triple-toe drill.

Fan Demand Turns Gift Into Merchandise Fundraiser

Within 48 hours Hilmer’s direct-message queue held 400 print requests. She now sells 8-by-10 reproductions and waterproof vinyl stickers through her Instagram, donating 30 percent to the Figure Skating Memorial Fund that once covered her ice-time bills. A Denver print shop handles bulk orders while she competes in the women’s short program; the scanner in her carry-on couldn’t keep up. “I never planned a side hustle,” she said, “but if the sport can fund the art that celebrates it, the loop feels right.”