Two days before New Year's Eve, I knocked a cup of coffee all over my laptop. I was absolutely weak. I had spent many, many hours reworking several potential follow-up's to my first book. Not being the sharpest tool in the shed sometimes, I hadn't backed any of my work up. I rushed my computer over to a local repair shop for them to try to salvage whatever data they could, trying to be optimistic but deep down worried that all of my hard work had gone down the drain like the coffee I wrung out of a J-Cloth. The next week, I got a call saying that my laptop was as good as new and I hadn't lost any of my data whatsoever. It is truly a New Year's miracle that any of that work is even seeing the light of day and I couldn't be more excited to share it with you... which brings me to some really exciting news.
I'm thrilled to announce that you will very soon be able to add two more amazing figure skating books to your collection!
.png "Cover of the figure skating reference book \"Technical Merit: A History of Figure Skating Jumps\"")
If you've already picked up your copy of "The Almanac of Canadian Figure Skating", you will know that it is very much a reference book. "Technical Merit: A History of Figure Skating Jumps" is a completely different style of book. If you enjoy the style and flow of the Skate Guard blogs, this book will be right up your alley. If you're a lover of skating history, it is very much a book you will struggle to put down. "Technical Merit: A History of Figure Skating Jumps" chronicles the history and evolution of figure skating jumps from a historical perspective, with chapters on the waltz jump, toe-loop, Salchow, loop, flip, Lutz, Axel, backflips and pairs throws, side-by-side jumps and twist lifts. At the end, there are jump charts and a listing of firsts under the IJS System. As the topic has long been a subject of debate by some, I have meticulously footnoted the book from start to finish so you can see exactly how I did my research. I'm so honoured to share that the foreword for the book was penned by 1962 World Champion Don Jackson, the first skater to land a triple Lutz in competition.
.png "Cover of the figure skating reference book \"A Bibliography of Figure Skating\"")
Like "The Almanac of Canadian Figure Skating", you will find that "A Bibliography of Figure Skating" is absolutely a reference book. It is truly the ultimate guide to reading about figure skating! The book catalogues non-fiction figure skating books and periodicals dating back to the late 19th Century, with helpful tips on tracking down hard-to-find skating literature. If you ever wonder how I do my research for my blog, want to grow your skating library or learn more about your favourite skaters, this book will prove to be a wonderful resource for you.
You can pre-order the Kindle eBook editions of both books now and receive automatic free international wireless delivery on January 27 via Amazon Whispernet. Hard-cover and paperback editions will both be available for purchase on Amazon on or before February 1. It is my sincere hope that you will enjoy flipping through these fascinating books as much as I enjoyed researching them and putting them together.
Pre-order link for "A Bibliography of Figure Skating": https://a.co/d/2yfHhTL
Pre-order link for "Technical Merit: A History of Figure Skating Jumps": https://a.co/d/8mkzhtM
I would love to hear what you think about these books and "The Almanac of Canadian Figure Skating" - please leave an honest review on Amazon and/or Goodreads! It would be an incredible help in getting this important history out there to more people.
Skate Guard is a blog dedicated to preserving the rich, colourful and fascinating history of figure skating. Over ten years, the blog has featured over a thousand free articles covering all aspects of the sport's history, as well as four compelling in-depth features. To read the latest articles, follow the blog on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and YouTube. If you enjoy Skate Guard, please show your support for this archive by ordering a copy of figure skating reference books "The Almanac of Canadian Figure Skating", "Technical Merit: A History of Figure Skating Jumps" and "A Bibliography of Figure Skating": https://skateguard1.blogspot.com/p/buy-book.html.
Skate Guard is a blog dedicated to preserving the rich, colourful and fascinating history of figure skating. Over ten years, the blog has featured over a thousand free articles covering all aspects of the sport's history, as well as four compelling in-depth features. To read the latest articles, follow the blog on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and YouTube. If you enjoy Skate Guard, please show your support for this archive by ordering a copy of figure skating reference books "The Almanac of Canadian Figure Skating", "Technical Merit: A History of Figure Skating Jumps" and "A Bibliography of Figure Skating": https://skateguard1.blogspot.com/p/buy-book.html.