Discover The History Of Figure Skating!

Learn all about the fascinating world of figure skating history with Skate Guard Blog. Explore a treasure trove of articles on the history of figure skating, highlighting Olympic Medallists, World and National Champions and dazzling competitions, shows and tours. Written by former skater and judge Ryan Stevens, Skate Guard Blog also offers intriguing insights into the evolution of the sport over the decades. Delve into Stevens' books for even more riveting stories and information about the history of everyone's favourite winter Olympic sport.

Sequins, Scandals & Salchows: Figure Skating in the 1980s

 Book cover for "Sequins, Scandals & Salchows: Figure Skating in the 1980s" by Ryan Stevens

Sequins, Scandals and Salchows: Figure Skating in the 1980s is an extraordinary history of a decade when figure skating was the talk of the town and its stars were household names.

This one-of-a-kind book expands far beyond iconic moments like Torvill and Dean's Bolero and The Battle of The Brians, exploring intriguing connections between figure skating and real-world events that shaped the decade, including The AIDS Pandemic, The Cold War and The Fall of The Berlin Wall. 

Brimming with fascinating facts and eye-opening insights, the book chronologically highlights the competitions, shows and skaters that made figure skating everyone's favourite winter sport.

A must-have collector's edition for any knowledgeable fan of the sport who came of age in the 80s - or wishes they did.


Why wait?
Winner of Best Sports Book - 2024 Firebird Book Awards


"A journey through one of the most exciting decades in figure skating history when the sport was at the height of its popularity and its stars were true icons... An essential read." - Suzie Housley, Midwest Book Review

"Ryan captures the era with a colorful account of a decade of figure skating... full of conflict, sadness and excess, one that changed history for all of us. The details and research are off the charts. Amazing." - Randy Gardner, World Pairs Skating Champion, 2-time Olympian

"Meticulously researched, highly compelling, entertaining, memorable and significant... Ryan Stevens is clever, acerbic, witty, compassionate, positive, and realistic. He loves and understands figure skating and he writes really, really well. This is a wonderfully readable and historically important book." - Phillippa Cranston Baran, author of "Toller Cranston: Ice, Paint, Passion

"Whenever I need to learn anything about figure skating history... Ryan Stevens is my go to guy. He even knows stuff about Tai & Randy that I didn't know!" - Tai Babilonia, World Pairs Skating Champion, 2-time Olympian

"I can't imagine the amount of work... This book drags out pieces of history that will really grab people's attention." - Matteo Morelli, This Week In Skating podcast

"Exceptionally well constructed... A triumph... I'm now so obsessed with 80s skating that I've resorted to grainy videos online and am loving every minute, after loving every page of Stevens' book. Very highly recommended."- Asher Syed, Readers' Favorite

#TheSk80s board on Pinterest
Sounds of #TheSk80s playlist on Spotify
1980s skating video playlist on YouTube
Interview on Skate Ontario's Let's Talk About It podcast
Interview on The Indie View
Guest Blog on Totally Cool '80s
Review from Readers' Favorite

Book cover for "Sequins, Scandals & Salchows: Figure Skating in the 1980s" by Ryan Stevens
Sequins, Scandals & Salchows: Figure Skating in the 1980s is available in print and eBook editions where books are sold. 

Order your copy today!