By Kate Bartlett
Jordan Bauth is a professional figure skater and digital content creator best known as a Royal Caribbean cruise ship ice skater and a travel/lifestyle vlogger with over 123K YouTube subscribers. She is a former competitive skater who won a gold medal at the 2012 Youth Olympics and now shares behind-the-scenes content of her career and travels to over 60 countries. She is a proud Buffalo native and often films here in her hometown.
Jordan has always been interested in filming and videography and started a YouTube channel in middle school. “Social Media was much different when I was growing up,” remarks Jordan, who is now 28. “I loved watching make-up tutorials and shopping hauls. I thought it’d be fun to film my own.”
While she filmed sporadically during high school and college at Buffalo State, it wasn’t until her first cruise contract in 2019 that she became more consistent. “I was researching for my first contract as a professional ice skater on a cruise ship, trying to see ‘behind the scenes’ what life was like as a crew member, but I couldn’t find much content,” explains Jordan. “I decided to film my life as a figure skater on Royal Caribbean; I had no idea that what started as a hobby would turn into my full-time career.”
Jordan’s personal brand channel (@Jordan Bauth on YouTube) has grown to over 123K subscribers over the past 10 years and aims to curate positive content including travel, figure skating, cruise-ship crew life, fashion, fitness, daily routine and more. “I strive to show all the things I love and capture my life as it is,” explains Jordan. “My goal is to put out positive content that inspires and motivate people wherever they are in their lives.”
her friends and fellow cast members.
Figure skating has been a major part of Jordan’s life for as long as she can remember. Growing up with both parents as athletic coaches (mom, figure skating, dad, baseball), she started skating when she was four years old and had a competitive, focused mindset. She competed nationally and internationally, representing Team USA at 14 years old in the inaugural Winter Youth Olympic Games in January 2012 in Innsbruck, Austria. After a hip surgery at 20 years old, Jordan pivoted from competitive skating to performing when she was offered her first cruise contact as a performer on the ice cast with Royal Caribbean in 2019. “It was a dream come true,” says Jordan. “I’d always wanted to perform, and this opportunity blended my love for travel with performing.”
Jordan started sharing more of her figure skating and fitness goals on YouTube with positive response. “I wasn’t sure how it would be received, but my audience grew steadily as I shared skating on my channel,” explains Jordan. “It was a natural progression blending performing, travel and cruise ship life as I simply filmed my daily life.”
As her channel has evolved throughout the years, Jordan has learned a lot both personally and professionally about being a digital content creator. Not only have her videography skills advanced, but she’s learned to stay true to herself. “You can’t please everyone,” explains Jordan. “It’s a hard but important life lesson to learn. I appreciate all the comments I receive, but I’ve learned not to take the negative to heart and stay true to what I believe.”
Jordan continues to keep an open mind about future endeavors and lives by the motto ‘say yes to life.’ With a goal-oriented mindset, she hopes to reach 200K subscribers while continuing to create positive content that inspires and motivates viewers. “I try not to have any hard-set goals,” explains Jordan. “I have ideas for future plans, but I don’t want to force anything. For now, I want to travel as much as possible and continue to say yes to life.” She just returned from hosting her second group trip with Atomic Travel with plans for another 2 trips to Italy in 2027.
While she has traveled the world, visiting over 60 countries through her cruise career and personal endeavors, she continues to call Buffalo home. “There’s just no place like Buffalo,” explains Jordan. “It’s the City of Good Neighbors. Everyone is so kind; it’s a city with a small-town feel. It’s great to see so many up-and-coming neighborhoods and new businesses, from cafes to breweries. There’s a lot to be discovered here in the Buffalo area. Plus, the food is unmatched. I’ve had pizza in Italy and pastries in France, but there’s nothing like Buffalo pizza and wings or a Paula’s donut.”
Jordan embodies the concept of designing the life you want to live. With the continued evolution of digital content creators and social media platforms, young entrepreneurs have various platforms to express their passions and ultimately create their own brand. She encourages anyone interested in starting a business, YouTube channel or anything creative to just ‘go for it.’ “You’re never too young or old to pursue your passions,” encourages Jordan. “Stay true to yourself and don’t let the fear of failure hold you back. You can create the life you want to live.”
For more information follow Jordan on YouTube @Jordan Bauth, Instagram and TikTok @jbauth.