Interview With Michelle Leigh

With over thirty years of coaching experience under her belt coaching the best of the best - including Elvis Stojko, Jennifer Robinson, Steven Cousins, Takeshi Honda, Jeffrey Langdon and Alaine Chartrand - Michelle Leigh is really without question one of Canada's top coaches. A recipient of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2013, Michelle has worked with skaters from over twenty countries and is now the Director Of Competitive Skating at Ontario's Oakville Skating Club after focusing her coaching at the Mariposa Club for many years. As part of Skate Guard's Canada Month, I think it was only too important that I had chance to speak with one of Canada's greatest skating coaches and Michelle was an absolute pleasure to interview. We talked about what inspires her, her own skating career, coaching under the IJS judging system and much more in this interview I think you'll just love:

Q: You have thirty three years of coaching experience and in that time, you've worked out of the Mariposa School Of Skating and coached at three Olympic Games, fourteen World Championships and thirty Canadian Championships. I'm sorry... but that's incredible! Just saying. The list of students you've coached has been like a who's who of skating - Elvis Stojko, Yuna Kim, Takeshi Honda, Jennifer Robinson, Steven Cousins and even so many other great skaters who have gone to successful coaching careers of their own like Jeff Langdon, Ben Ferreira and Peter Johansson. I know this isn't an easy question, but if you look at of thirty years of coaching, what moments have stood out as just being the most magical - the moments you look back at and go "wow"?

A: Well, I think as a coach the most memorable moments are the tough times or when you see someone who hasn't had an easy go of things that finds a way to become successful achieve their goals because you know what has gone into all of it. I have a lot of admiration for a skater like Elvis Stojko who won two Olympic medals, three World titles and seven Canadian titles and did it against odds when there were so many people who said it couldn't be done. That impressed me a lot. Then I look at someone like Jennifer Robinson, who moved away from home and had such a hard time with being homesick. It was really difficult for her. She was crying every day but saying "I want to stay". It was so hard for her but she achieved her goals. When she finished seventh at the Olympics... wow! To me that was SO impressive. Then there's someone like Takeshi Honda. He was SO young when he came to North America and didn't speak any English. People really do this for their dreams. I have a lot of admiration for that.

Q: As a skater yourself, you won the bronze medal at the novice level at the 1977 Canadian Figure Skating Championships in Calgary. What are your memories of this competition and what can you share with us about your own skating career?

A: I would say that I loved to train, jump and show off but I had very little in the way of mental skills to compete. I think that's what I took from my own experience of not being able to put out what I could do practice. I had no mental strategy, no training, no help in that sense. I think because I was so lacking in that area, I was always very conscious of helping people in that sense so that they could really compete. My own competitive experience was just so helpful in that way. I ruptured my Achilles at sixteen and all of those Olympic dreams that I had in my head were devastated but it was a blessing in disguise that I injured myself. I feel I'm a better coach than competitor.

Q: Doug Leigh (who coached Brian Orser as well) has also really been your partner in coaching as in life over the years. How did you keep your home life and work life separate and not 'bring skating home with you'? Is that even possible for a coach?

A: Doug and I haven't been married for six years. We're great friends. Our son is twenty three; he was eighteen when we separated then divorced. There was never any issue at work, if anything things got better with the two of just having a working relationship. When we were married, I can't say skating didn't come home with us. I don't think you can't have it come home with you when you are coaching on an elite level. You kind of live it 24/7. We were lucky our son was involved in hockey and lacrosse and through road trips for sports, our son was really our social life. I still coach in Barrie but I'm actually the Director Of Competitive Skating in Oakville now. It's a really progressive club and it's a wonderful environment. It was a great opportunity to try something on my own. It's been awesome. I'm working seven days a week right now but that's by choice.

Q: How difficult was transitioning from coaching under the '6.0 system' to under the current IJS system - particularly in working with so many skaters that really learned to skate one under one system and had to reinvent themselves under another?

A: I think it's a lot better to coach under this system. It was really tough when we were coaching Elvis for example and he doesn't medal and you don't know... how do you help? How do you explain it to a skater? Now, you kind of know how to explain the results to the athletes and to families more easily with things on paper. You take the hints from the feedback from the judging system. I like it in a way, however I'm worried they're getting carried away with making spins harder and harder for example. It feels like you're always trying to figure out the system and you lose time and money instead of working on important things like quality and speed. You'll never get the quality of skating people want to watch under this system because it focuses on manipulating instead of developing. I'm a little afraid that they keep making it more complex. It's scary for the future. How much money and time is being spent on insignificant developments?

Q: Adelina Sotnikova, Yuna Kim, Carolina Kostner in Sochi... what do you think about all that jazz? 

A: I don't know I have a good answer for that. I don't watch a lot of skating on TV and I already knew the results before I watched all three of them skate. I know most people were really upset about the results so I was actually I guess impressed that Adelina Sotnikova's skate wasn't as bad as people were saying. I think they're all fabulous and have different strengths. I'd really like for the athleticism to stay in the sport. The jumps should always be worth the most. If they are just spinning or skating an edge, how exciting is that going to be for people to watch? I sure have a lot of admiration for Yuna Kim though. She makes everything look SO easy.

Q: One of the perks of coaching so many international skaters is the travel! Of all of the places you've visited over the years, what was your favourite? What's one place you've never visited that you've love to?

A: I have been so lucky when it comes to travelling. I went to my first international competition in Sapporo when I was nineteen. My bucket list is probably just to stay home and spend some time because I've been so busy with work. I don't travel as much anymore, but I still do. I really enjoy capital cities - Ottawa, Paris, London, Washington, Prague - it's just beautiful! I think capital cities tend to have a focus on history which I really enjoy. There's no real place I'm really wanting to go aside from spending some time at home.

Q: Who are your three favourite skaters of all time and why?

A: I think I'm going to have to go back to my first answer. The skaters who came to the rink side on crutches and came to rehabilitate themselves... You know, I'm more attached to the whole journey than the finished product because of living it with so many people. Skaters who come to a lesson everyday and can't wait for that lesson and give 100% every time... they're wonderful! It really is a gift to be a coach. I treasure those relationships, when they have respect for the relationship and skating.

Q: What's one thing most people don't know about you?

A: Most people probably don't know I qualified for and ran the Boston Marathon five times. I also got academic scholarships from U Of T, Western University and Queens. I was a real brain in high school!

Q: What's the biggest lesson that your students have taught you?

A: I think I would have to say that everyone is different. There's no one way to teach everyone. You have to treat them the way they want to be treated - it's kind of the opposite of the Golden Rule in a way I guess. I think that's the main thing. You have to get to know a person to get the most out of them and how to push their buttons a little I guess.

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.

Expanding Your Library: 6.0 Must Have Canadian Figure Skating Books

I won't lie to you. Eartha Kitt crooning about "champagne taste and a beer bottle pocket" definitely applies to me in SO many senses. I love the finer things in life - great books, great music, great food, great wine - perhaps even to my detriment sometimes. We're all allowed to be a little indulgent sometimes though, right? You've got to live a little! One of my greatest appetites that I've taken great care in sating is for my most prized possession over the last several years: my library. I'm not one to buy into the whole 'E-Reader'/Kindle fad; to me there is something almost holistic about curling up and flipping through the pages of a great book. With it being Canada Month on the blog and all, I thought it absolutely fitting to share 6.0 wonderful books about Canadian figure skating (many written by great Canadian skaters) that your own libraries are in desperate need of, whether you know it or not. I've even linked to them on Amazon if you don't feel like hunting them down at Chapters yourself but another thing to keep in mind is tracking down books at used bookstores - they're one of my not so secret haunts and you can find so many treasures! Without further ado, books, books and more books:

THE PASSION TO SKATE: AN INTIMATE VIEW OF FIGURE SKATING

As Bezic muses in the book "the dream begins the first time you feel your blades cutting across the hard, cold surface and discover the effortless motion of gliding. The first time you find yourself believing, if only for a few moments, that you are the most graceful or the most powerful person in the world." This wonderful coffee table style book written by Sandra Bezic reflects on her decades of work as both a skater herself and much respected choreographer and includes beautiful photographs of many skaters she has worked with over the years, including Katarina Witt, Kristi Yamaguchi, Lu Chen, Brian Orser, Barbara Underhill and Paul Martini and Kurt Browning. There's also a wonderful feature on Ekaterina Gordeeva and Sergei Grinkov as well. 

THE TOLLER CRANSTON COLLECTION: ZERO TOLLERANCE: AN INTIMATE MEMOIR BY THE MAN WHO REVOLUTIONIZED FIGURE SKATING, WHEN HELL FREEZES OVER, SHOULD I BRING MY SKATES? AND ICE CREAM: THIRTY OF THE MOST INTERESTING SKATERS IN HISTORY

Please just don't get your hands on one. You'll be doing yourself a great disservice. Toller Cranston's THREE wonderful books, published in 1997, 2000 and 2002 respectively, all provide an absolutely hilarious, candid and refreshing view of the sport as only Toller can provide. Lorrie Kim offers a wonderful review of Toller's first book "Zero Tollerance" at http://www.plover.com/rainbowice/ztri.html. Lorrie offered the most eloquent and perfectly fitting interpretation: "As I read, I formed the image of Cranston as the most brilliant, the most breathtaking bird -- which, I realized as I approached it, was trembling under its plumage, its warm breast pounding with a panicky beat. He is different from the rest of us, yes. And it is glorious, yes, and worthwhile. But a person cannot love the difference, only admire it. Love is for the warmth, for the trembling, for the heart beneath the feathers which is the same as the rest of us, and glorious, and worthwhile." Lorrie said it beautifully and I cannot concur more or recommend these books enough.

THE GOLDEN AGE OF CANADIAN FIGURE SKATING

This one is an absolute gem. Published by David Young in 1984, this book is impeccably researched with assistance from judges like Jane Garden and coaches like Wally Distelmeyer, Ellen Burka, Osborne Colson and Ray Lockwood and follows Canadian figure skating history from the early days of Norval Batie and Louis Rubenstein through both World Wars and well beyond. It offers great insight into the careers of skaters like Cecil Smith, Barbara Ann Scott, Frances Dafoe and Norris Bowden, Barbara Wagner and Bob Paul, Maria and Otto Jelinek, Donald Jackson, Petra Burka, Karen Magnussen, Toller Cranston and Barbara Underhill and Paul Martini. It has proved a wonderful resource in my own writing and if you can get your hands on a used copy of this one, you're going to want to.

AS I AM: MY LIFE AFTER THE OLYMPICS

Elizabeth Manley's 1999 book (her second - the first being entitled "Thumbs Up: The Elizabeth Manley Story" and published shortly after her amateur career ended - is a great read. Honest, refreshing and soul bearing, Liz talks no holds barred about the good, bad and ugly of her skating career, including her battles with depression and weight, her years with the Ice Capades, allegations of substance abuse, relationships, coaching and much more. Setting aside the fact that I'm such an admirer of Liz and her story, I really have to tell you this is worth taking the time to track down and read. You're getting the real deal here.

TESSA AND SCOTT: OUR JOURNEY FROM CHILDHOOD DREAM TO GOLD

As much as I thoroughly enjoyed Brian Orser and Kurt Browning's books for instance, I really thought it would simply be rude not to include Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir's book in this 6.0 list. In collaboration with Steve Milton (who I actually can't say enough good about), Tessa and Scott share the story of their lengthy partnership from humble beginnings to Olympic gold in this 2011 book that's just too gorgeously illustrated not to earn a spot on your bookshelf or a spot of honor on your coffee table when you have company coming to watch skating.

FIGURE SKATING AND THE ARTS: EIGHT CENTURIES OF SPORT AND INSPIRATION

To roughly quote the Sister Mary Clarence and her swinging sister friends from the film Sister Act, "In my opinionation I think it's tops; my opinion is it's the cream of the crop. As a matter of taste - to be exact - it's my ideal as a matter of fact". This book really IS that good. Olympic Silver Medallist and two time World Champion Frances Dafoe has simply outdone herself in presenting one of the most comprehensive books on figure skating history - and its relation to art - ever compiled and written. While the book isn't completely centered on Canadian figure skating history, it is full of treasures from figure skating's origins on frozen lakes, rivers and ponds to today. I think you'll adore this one.

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.

Interview With Alexandra Paul and Mitch Islam

Teaming up after a tryout in Barrie, Ontario in February 2009, Ontario born Alexandra Paul and Mitchell Islam incredibly won the Canadian Junior ice dance title and the silver medal at the World Junior Championships in their first season competing together. Winning the bronze medal the following season on the senior level at Nationals, Alex and Mitch dropped to fifth at the Nationals the next year. Making a change and moving to Detroit to train with Pasquale Camerlengo and Olympic Silver Medallist Angelika Krylova paid off in dividends. This past season, their skating improved by leaps and bounds and the dazzling duo of twenty-something's regained their spot on the podium at Canadian Nationals and earned spots on Canada's 2014 Olympic and World teams, finishing in the top ten at their first World Championships as a team. This WONDERFUL ice dance team took the time out of their training schedule to talk to me about their training, debut at Olympics and Worlds, focuses going forward, favourite skaters and much more in this interview you'll just love:

Q: You've won the Canadian junior title and two senior medals at the Canadian Figure Skating Championships, medals internationally at the World Junior Championships and Nebelhorn Trophy and have represented Canada at both junior and senior Grand Prix events and at the Four Continents Championships, World Championships and the Winter Olympic Games. Looking back at your skating career so far, what are your proudest memories or most special moments so far?

A: Our World Junior silver medal will always be near the top of our list. We had barely been together a year and the work we put in in such a short time to get to that level is something we're both very proud of. This season, qualifying for the Olympics is something we'll never forget. It was like a weight had been lifted off of our shoulders. The sacrifices we've both made over our careers were all worth it; it was a dream come true. Finally, earning a top ten finish at our first World Championships last month in Japan has certainly become a highlight.

Q: You train with two of the best ice dance coaches and choreographers in the business, Pasquale Camerlengo and World Champion Angelika Krylova. What makes them great coaches, choreographers and people?

A from Mitch: Pasquale and Angelika are a perfect team. As people and as coaches they complement one another so well. Pasquale is a creator and Angelika a trainer. What makes things work at Detroit Skating Club is that we're all a big family; we all care about one another and that starts from the top.

A from Alex: Our coaches complement each other so well. Pasquale is the one who imagines the programs and sees a vision in his head, Angelika pushes us to our limits each and every day. We also have an amazing technical coach Natalia (Annenko) Deller. She teaches some of the best basics in the world.

Danielle Earl photo

Q: You both balanced elite skating careers with post-secondary educations at Laurentian University. How do you find the time and what do you take from skating that makes you better students and vice versa?

A from Mitch: We're actually now taking classes at Oakland University in Rochester Hills, Michigan. I'm majoring in Political Science and minoring in Journalism. For me, balancing school and skating is something I've done for so long that I've gotten pretty good at it. Pursuing both sport and academics has taught me how to time manage effectively and shown me the benefits of being proactive and well prepared.

A from Alex: Being able to attend classes has been so beneficial for me. It has been such a great balance between the athlete life and a 'normal' life. I'm currently majoring in Political Science and minoring in Philosophy. Going to school while I'm still skating has really taught me how to balance my time and make sure I stay on top of all the things in need to get done.

Q: What have you learned most from competing internationally and what has been the strangest or most interesting thing you've seen in your travels worldwide?

A from Alex: It is so amazing being able to travel around the world, seeing new places and meeting new people all while competing for Canada. The most interesting things I've seen in my travels are the streets of Tokyo. The signs and pictures all over the buildings with all the lights and the huge crowds of people walking through the streets everyday was so amazing to see.

A from Mitch: I feel very fortunate to continue to have the opportunity to travel around the world to compete. Being able to briefly experience various cultures through my travels has been incredible. The strangest thing would have to be being taken from the arena to the hotel in Istanbul in a taxi whose driver thought it would be fun to race the driver of another taxi which had Alex and her family aboard. We were racing down Turkish side streets doing well over 100 km per hour!

Danielle Earl photo

Q: If you could only eat one food for the rest of your lives, what would you eat?

A from Alex: Sushi!

A from Mitch: Sushi!

Q: Mmm... Now I want sushi! What's one thing most people don't know about you?

A from Mitch: I like to play video games.

A from Alex: I love to cook but I hate baking.

Q: Who are your three favourite skaters of all time and why?

A: The two of us share the same 3 favourite skaters. Marie-France and Patrice: We loved their skating. They were smooth and powerful and he was the perfect frame for her. A couple of their free dance performances at Nationals stand out as the most amazing performances either of us have seen live. Jeff Buttle: Jeff has always been an idol because he was the first elite skater we got to see on a daily basis, training in Barrie at Mariposa. Jeff helped both of us realize the work and sacrifice that goes into making it to the top. His artistry is without compare. Tessa and Scott: We feel fortunate to have had the chance to compete with these two. They are one of the greatest ice dance teams of all time and what we've learned just from watching them skate is invaluable. They have certainly become mentors and friends.

Q: You made a big jump from Olympics to Worlds in placing in the top ten, which was SO deserved by the way! What were your main focuses in training between Olympics and Worlds and what areas will be your main focus going forward?

A from Mitch: I think we were overwhelmed in Sochi. With all the distraction that comes with the Olympics, I think we lost focus a bit. We lost sight of what we were there to do, which was just to do our jobs. We were too cautious in Sochi and it cost us. The few weeks between the Games and Worlds, we definitely had a bit of a chip on our shoulder. We knew we'd underachieved in Russia and we were eager to show the world what we could really do in Japan.

A from Alex: Going forward, our main focus will be continuing to progress in the way we train. We have to learn to attack our elements more and look fearless when we compete. We want to make ourselves look more mature and more like we belong in that 'last warm up group'.

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.

Interview With Jayson Dénommée

I have to say... I was a big fan of Jayson Dénommée's skating when he was competing but I am an even bigger fan now after having chance to interview him for Canada Month here on the blog! For those of you who may not be super familiar with Jayson's career, I'll give you the run down. He represented Canada from 1996 to 2003 on the senior level internationally, competing on the Grand Prix circuit and Four Continents Championships and winning medals at both the Ondrej Nepela Memorial and Nebelhorn Trophy. In 2001, he won the silver medal at the Canadian Figure Skating Championships right behind Emanuel Sandhu. Always a showman on the ice, he was always one of those skaters you couldn't help but root for when you watched him skate. Now removed from the skating world and actually doing the same thing I'm doing - blogging - Jayson was kind enough to take the time to talk about his competitive career, the 6.0 versus the IJS judging system and even offer some great advice to skaters competing today. I think you're really going to like this one. I did!:

Q: Your career included some wonderful accomplishments - the silver medal at the 2001 Canadian Nationals (where you beat some pretty incredible skaters - Jeffrey Buttle, Ben Ferreira, Ravi Walia, Fedor Andreev and Jeff Langdon among them), medals at both the Nebelhorn Trophy and the Ondrej Nepela Memorial, Grand Prix assignments around the world, two trips to Four Continents. Reflecting now, what are your proudest moments and most special memories?

A: This is going to sound strange but it's not while I was a senior competitor that I felt the proudest. It was at the 1995 Quebec Provincials when I was still in the junior category. I had moved to Montreal the year before and it had been a difficult year for me adjusting. I stepped on the ice for my free program and I landed my triple axel for the first time in competition. When I finished my program, everyone in the arena was on their feet and I had my first standing ovation. This is the first time I felt validated has an athlete. Any medal is always a good feeling but it's moments like that that define you.

Q: After winning the silver medal in 2001, the following three seasons didn't have the same kind of results. In all fairness though, you were competing against some pretty incredible skaters in 'your era', Elvis Stojko, Jeffrey Buttle, Emanuel Sandhu among them. When and why did you reach the decision not to continue through to 2006?

A: Well, I actually tried. I changed coaches in 2003 because of a disagreement with my previous coach and I started to train really hard. I was on top of my game physically but I pushed the limit a little too hard just before the 2004 National Championships. I ripped a ligament in my right groin. I went to Nationals injured for the first time in my life at twenty six years old and I must admit I didn't prepare myself mentally as well as I did physically. I was doing double clean programs every day at the rink just before leaving and when I stepped on the ice in Edmonton, I felt old for the first time in my life. After that, I went back home to rest, thinking I would prepare for the following next two seasons leading up to the Olympics. I got married that summer and after that, my injury wasn't getting any better. The weight of training every day for twenty years had taken its toll on me.

Q: You were always known really as a showman out there and a crowd favourite. I remember programs like your "Pick Up The Pieces" short program that really just had the audience in the palm of your hand. Were you always an outgoing person or is that something that came with time on the ice?

A: I have always been comfortable on the ice because I knew I was playing a part and it has always come naturally to me. I always loved that aspect of figure skating. But that being said, it was only in my early twenties that I managed to express myself verbally. I was a very shy and individual teenager and by being at the rink during most of my spare time, I didn't spend much time with friends or people not directly involved with my skating.

Q: You were one of many skaters personally quite affected by the judging system change, growing up with the 6.0 system and rounding out your career with the 'new' IJS/Code Of Points system. How hard was that transition for you and your coaches at the time and what do you think about how the system has developed since then?

A: I honestly didn't really give it a chance because I fundamentally didn't believe the previous system was all that bad. This is my own opinion but I always felt the problem could have been fixed by just paying the judges. It would be easier to prevent alliances if you could penalize a judge for not being objective or impartial. To me, the new system looked promising at first because of its intention and by its nature. I don't wan't to sound like this is a rant because I know I would never measure up to any of the top skaters in the new system. I never had the quality of skating skills they have nowadays but I feel that most of the skating is becoming generic these days. Don't get me wrong. I admire Patrick Chan because he is an amazing skater and even a greater champion off the ice but everybody is a copy of him on the ice now. My favourite skater at the Olympics was Jason Brown this year. Not the best technician... but what an entertainer that kid is! Again, I grew up watching Scott Hamilton, Kurt Browning, Robin Cousins and Brian Orser so I have to be nostalgic for skaters with a lot of personality and that's what I miss the most from skating right now.

Q: These days you are married, based in Varennes, Quebec and work in video editing and online blogging as well with a site called Geek Ou Nerd! What do you enjoy most about your work and what advice would you offer someone like me who's trying to make a mark with blogging about figure skating?

A: Even though I was an athlete for twenty years of my life, I've always been a nerd and I fully assume it. It took me a long time to find out who I was after my skating career was over. Skating was a big part of my life and filling the void it left wasn't an easy thing. For me, it was editing videos and writing about geeky things. If I have one piece of advice to give to anyone is that life is too short to hesitate on doing the things that move you or drive you. Set yourself goals but don't put too much emphasis on achieving them. The journey is quite spectacular. Take my word for it. I did not get an Olympic medal but I had an amazing career.

Q: Wonderful advice definitely. I couldn't agree with you more. I'm also curious as to when the last time you were on the ice was and if coaching or performing professionally is something you would ever give consideration to at this point in your life?

A: Sadly, It was almost a year ago that I last taught skating. I really miss it but it's getting harder to teach. I wish I could teach my own kids as well but there are so many rules and paperwork to be done just to be able to step on the ice. I miss the interaction with younger skaters and just to be able to pass on some of the passion I got from my coaches to a new generation. I think I don't fit in the new skating model anymore but I'm okay with it. The new generation will do a great job I'm sure.

Q: What's one thing most people don't know about you?

A: I'm addicted to sci-fi movies. I can't get enough of them.

Q: Who are your three favourite figure skaters of all time and why?

A: Kurt Browning, Brian Orser and Steven Cousins. These guys were great on the ice but even greater off the ice. I was lucky enough to tour with them for a few shows and they showed me great support when I was the new kid on the block. Kurt is a living legend; he is figure skating. Brian was the first skater I ever saw on television and I was really impressed by his triple axel. Steve was a great competitor but it is as a professional skater I learned to appreciate him. I always felt this guy was really happy to be on the ice and doing what he really loved.

Q: What advice would you give to a skater who was having a hard time dealing with the pressures of competitive skating?

A: Wow, this is not an easy question! When you prepare yourself well, pressure is less of an issue because your body will do what needs to be done. This is why we repeat jumps and programs so many times during a season. Always remember that everyone feels pressure no matter what. Always try to establish what works for you with your coach. Competition simulations or invitationals become vital tools in figuring out what works for you before the most important events. Also, your attitude is ninety nine percent of the time the cause or the solution to a problem. I remember that most of the kids at my training center would be sad all day when they didn't have good practice session. I would always try to be positive even after a bad day. I remember a younger skater (his name was Kevin) coming to me after one of my worst weeks of training in months and he asked me why I was in a good mood even after a very bad week of training. I said to him: "I refuse to let one day, one week or even one month, define how I'm going to walk out of the rink". I always felt that I was lucky to be skating and even a bad day at the rink, was still a day spent on the ice.

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.

Interview With Alexandra Najarro

Alexandra Najarro's skating career to date has been a lesson in dedication. Rising through and finding great success in the novice and junior ranks, Alexandra has spent the last four years competing on the senior level in Canada and twice in that period has finished in the top five at Nationals. She's represented Canada internationally on the Junior Grand Prix circuit, at Junior Worlds and the Four Continents Championships as well in 2012. Alexandra, who is certainly a very fluid and artistic skater as evidenced through her work with choreographer Shae-Lynn Bourne, is a student of two time Canadian Champion and Skate Canada Champion Tracey Wainman. She took the time to speak with me about her accomplishments to date, working with Tracey Wainman, goals going forward in skating and much more in this wonderful Canada Month Skate Guard interview:

Q: After winning the Canadian novice title in 2008, you've had a steady rise of success over the years, three times finishing in the top six at Nationals (including this year as well). You have also represented Canada internationally on the Junior Grand Prix circuit, the World Junior Championships and the Four Continents Championships as well. What are your proudest moments or most special memories from competition so far?

A: Well, I would definitely say that my most special moment was at the 2011 Nationals where I finished fourth and made it on the national team for the first time. In the competitions leading towards those Nationals, I was really struggling with my short programs. It was some sort of a mental block I had to overcome since in training, they were done clean almost everyday. I was at a point where I didn't know if I could compete well again. I started doubting myself. So, to finally reach that potential and skate clean at a senior National Championship was very emotional for me, and truly a special moment.

 

Q: You're coached by two time Canadian Champion Tracey Wainman in Richmond Hill, Ontario. What makes Tracey a great coach and the best coach for you?

A: There's a lot of aspects that make Tracey a great coach. She has the ability to put you in the right mindset for training. She knows what to say in any situation. She's able to push you hard, but knows when it's time to pull back a bit. She's an excellent trainer. She's the best coach for me because I respond to her training habits and we see eye to eye on many things. I want to be trained properly and she knows exactly how to do it.

Q: What are your main goals for the 2014/2015 season and what can you share about the programs you will be skating?

A: My main goals for this season are improving my jump arsenal in programs, to improve consistency of jumps, getting a senior international and placing in the top three at Nationals. As for programs, I will be keeping both programs from last year since I barely got to truly perform and compete with them. My short program is a tango with a twist. It starts off as a traditional quick tango but later changes into a more modern beat. As for my long program, it is the music from the motion picture "Sabrina". This program is soft and very emotional. I am fully embodying the character from the movie. Every part of the solo follows a story line and the transformations of the character.

Q: You speak four languages (English, French, Polish and Spanish) which I think is just incredible. I do well to speak one most days. Your parents mother tongues being Spanish and Polish, have you ever had chance to visit Poland or Spain and what are the most interesting aspects of both culture's traditions?

A: I have not yet had the pleasure to visit Poland, but I would really love to one day. My dad is actually from Nicaragua. As a family, we went there years ago to visit family and for a nice vacation. It was a great trip but I would also love to visit Spain one day as well, preferably Barcelona.

Q: Who are your three favourite skaters of all time and why?

A: My three most favourite skaters of all time are Sasha Cohen, Yuna Kim and Daisuke Takahashi. All three of these skaters always have the ability to make an impact on you with their skating. Sasha was basically a beautiful ballerina that could skate. Her facial expressions and emotions in her programs were so captivating and she truly was one of the best performers. Yuna as well. She always skates really beautifully and I was a fan ever since I first watched her. On top of that, she has amazing jumps with great flow. I also just admire her as a person. I admire her strength and her mental toughness. I wasn't too much of a fan of Daisuke's at the beginning but his 2012 long program absolutely captivated me. I was instantly a fan from that point on. He also has that ability to move you emotionally and captivate you with his performances. He is truly an artist on the ice.

Q: What's one thing most people don't know about you?

A: One thing people don't know about me is that after skating, I would love to pursue an acting career. It's the other thing that I love doing or would love to do.

Q: What do you love most about figure skating?

A: For me, the thing I love most about figure skating is the fact that it combines both beauty and strength. The jumps are so exciting to do and to watch. At the same time, I love the performing aspect of skating as well. As a skater, you get tell a story on the ice, to captivate the audience even more. It's just so versatile, and when all the pieces combine it's just so magical to watch.

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.

The Don's Of Canadian Figure Skating

If you were at a figure skating competition in Canada in the 1960's, you really had to watch yourself. The very last thing you probably wanted to catch yourself doing was yelling out "hey, Don!" and causing a buzz of absolute confusion. In total, four men named Donald all won Canadian Figure Skating Championships in a decade. What are the odds of that even happening? What's in a name though, right? Apparently in this case, a lot. Let's take a look at the four incredible champions of Canadian figure skating that shared the same name, all won national titles in the swinging sixties and all left the sport better than they found it:

DONALD JACKSON

King of Blades by Stanley Clish, National Film Board of Canada

Canadian figure skating history without Donald Jackson is like golf history without Tiger Woods, hockey history without Wayne Gretzky or basketball history without the guy that said "but we need these baskets back!" Simply put, Donald Jackson is a skating legend. He made history by performing the first triple lutz in competition at the 1962 World Championships in Prague (in then Czechoslovakia) winning the World title that year, won four Canadian titles and two North American titles, won the Olympic bronze medal in 1960, developed his own line of skates, performed well into his sixties, coached a new generation of skaters and even inspired Brian Orser to become a competitive figure skater. What I always really appreciated about Jackson's skating wasn't just the quality of his jumps and spins but his longevity in the sport. As recently as 2008, he performed at the ISU Adult Competition in Obertsdorf and he often performed in professional competitions and even local ice shows throughout his career, eager to give back to the sport and encourage greatness in others.

DONALD KNIGHT

After winning the Canadian junior men's title in 1961, Donald Knight of Dundas, Ontario went on to win a bronze and two silver medals on the senior level before winning three consecutive Canadian senior men's titles from 1965 to 1967. He represented Canada at the 1964 Winter Olympics where he finished in the top ten, won the bronze medal at the 1965 World Championships and the 1967 North American Championships in Montreal as well - not at ALL bad for a skater who faced an enormous amount of competition from the other Don's (and 1964 Canadian Champion Charles Snelling) at home in Canada. A student of Ellen Burka and Sheldon Galbraith, Knight turned professional following the 1966/1967 season and toured for eleven years with Ice Capades and Holiday On Ice in Europe. He coached in both Burlington and Oakville, Ontario for many years. Knight was well known throughout his career for being an exceptional skater when it came to school figures as evidenced by this anecdote from legendary coach Sheldon Galbraith: "In 1967 at the North American Championships in Montreal, I was working with Donald and he had just performed the forward change bracket school figure for the judges. He had drifted off axis after the backward change of edge and missed his alignment, but had received good marks. It was the same figure Donald Jackson had skated poorly in 1962 at Prague, just five years earlier. I told Don that the American coaches had noticed this and had gone rallying to their judges. I told Donald 'you had better skate a cracker jack of a double three change double three because those coaches are after your hide'! Donald did just that! He was one of the few men in Canada that I had seen who could skate the 24 turns absolutely clean! Donald was a rarity."

DONALD MCPHERSON

Photo courtesy Toronto Public Library, from Toronto Star Photographic Archive. Reproduced for educational purposes under license permission.

"I started skating when I was two years old," explained 1963 Canadian, North American and World Champion Donald McPherson of the Stafford Figure Skating Club in David Young's book The Golden Age Of Canadian Figure Skating. "We lived in a small apartment in the middle of town, and there was no place for me to go out and play. My mother read in a newspaper that a skating club was starting in the fall, so she got me a pair of skates". Already entering and winning competitions at age six, it was clear that skating was in the future World Champion's blood. McPherson represented Canada at the 1960 Winter Olympics in Squaw Valley, where at fifteen he placed in the top ten. The devastating Sabena plane crash that claimed the life of the entire U.S. figure skating team slowed his rise to the top internationally but afforded McPherson extra time to hone his skills with coach Dennis Silverthorne. A complete lack of funds ended any hope of McPherson continuing his competitive career beyond the 1963 season and training to compete at a second Olympic Games. When the offer came to turn professional and tour with Holiday On Ice in Europe, he took it. McPherson moved to Europe, skated his heart out, battled with diabetes and passed away in Germany in 2001 at the age of fifty six. On his competitive career, he stated: "to be a champion, you have to have the desire to prove that you can be the best, even if it means giving up everything else. It's a marvellous feeling when you finally achieve your goal, but the work along the way means so much more."

DONALD PHILLIPS

After teaming up in 1964 and coming of age in the sport by winning the 1966 Canadian junior ice dance title, success came quickly in the senior ranks for British Columbia's Donald Phillips and his partner Joni Graham. Winning the 1967 and 1968 Canadian ice dance titles, the team from the Kerrisdale Figure Skating Club went on to represent Canada internationally at the World Figure Skating Championships in both 1967 and 1968. The team also found success at the 1967 North American Figure Skating Championships held in Montreal, where they won the silver medal. Phillips and Graham were coached by Jean Westwood, who with partner Lawrence Demmy became the world's very first European and World ice dance champion in 1952. Based out of Vancouver, Phillips and Graham represented Canada in the ice dancing 'demonstration' competition that was held at the 1968 Winter Olympics in Grenoble. Donald Phillips described ice dancing to an unfamiliar audience in a 1968 Andy O'Brien Ottawa Journal article called "Joni And Don Dance Into The Spotlight": "In ice dancing, there is never any degree of separation. The basic aim is for the couple to look like one unit. A dance team must work long hours at checking that legs and bodies are matched at all times, otherwise the one unit look is lost".

What's in a name? If it's Don and you're talking Canadian figure skating, the answer to that query appears to be greatness.

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 the 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.. 

Interview With Sasha Alcoloumbre

I'm going to tell you right off the top that this particular Canada Month interview is just fascinating. Sasha Alcoloumbre's story is really a very interesting one. Let's see... he competed at a national level for years (winning medals at Québec Sectionals, Skate Canada Challenge and Canadian Novice Nationals), was coached by Shawn Sawyer, is an avid student of dance and has even ventured into doing choreography and coaching - all of this while pursuing a university education. I think you'll find in reading this interview that not only is Sasha a hard-working and multi-talented young man but a wonderfully well-spoken person as well. We talked about his recent decision to retire from competitive skating and the highlights of his career, working with Shawn Sawyer, his passion for dance and movement and much, much more. Get ready for a great read:

Q: You've had a lot of success in your competitive career - medals at Québec Sectionals and the Canadian Novice Nationals and have competed on the senior level at Nationals the last three years. What are your proudest moments or most special memories from competition? 

 A: I am lucky to have collected so many wonderful memories from all of the years of competition! It is quite challenging to choose the most outstanding moments, but here are some of the ones I most vividly remember… Competing at my very first Skate Canada Challenge in 2007 (Eastern Challenge as it was then), I skated two great programs at the pre-novice level which earned me a trip to Nationals and a completely unexpected silver medal. I was surprised and extremely happy because I had surpassed my goals and expectations. Winning the short program at Novice Nationals in Calgary the following season, as well as the Bronze medal overall was magical. The best part was performing the short program, and delivering the performance as cleanly and fluidly as I could.  I also skated a surprisingly good free skate at my first Senior Nationals in Moncton in 2012, after having skated so poorly the night before. Performing as I did in the short program allowed me to get rid of my own limiting expectations, and gave way for a memorable four and half minutes on the ice.  Another great moment was getting my short program choreographed by David Wilson (along with other trips to Toronto for touch-ups). The time spent with him on the ice was truly wonderful; he taught me a lot in a very short amount of time. There are evidently so many more great memories from competition, but some of the best moments come from the simple day to day training, getting new programs and outfits, spending time with training mates, along with some great travels for training camps such as in Andorra and Switzerland lead by the wonderful Manon Perron.

Q: You spent two years working with the fabulous Shawn Sawyer. What made him a joy for you to work with? 

A: What I really liked about working with Shawn was his open-minded approach; he encouraged my own sense of creativity and self-expression and allowed me to grow into myself as a performer while still focusing on training. I always loved his skating because of his creativity and innovation, so it was very cool to have his insight on my own skating as well as learn from his experience as an athlete. He is a funny and lively person and it was a pleasure to be coached by him for those two seasons.

Q: You have participated in Quest For Creativity before and obviously have a passion and flair for choreography. Is Quest For Creativity or YAS something you would get involved in again and for that matter, is choreography a world you would like to explore more? 

 A: Yes, I have participated in YAS, but unfortunately only for a short period of time. I underestimated the amount of work it would take and got very busy with school, training, and teaching, so I had to pull out of the competition after only submitting two videos. I think it is a wonderful concept! If I ever have the time, I will definitely try participating again. As for choreography, it is a domain I've been actively exploring over the last few years: creating some of my own competition and show programs, and occasionally choreographing for other skaters. While I was skating, I would dedicate a bit of time here and there (usually at the end of the training day) to moving freely to music that inspired me. This past season, I incorporated it into my training much more regularly because it is the aspect of skating I most enjoy. I continuously explore movement since it is my favorite mode of self-expression, and hope to do so for the rest of my life. I would definitely love to keep choreographing.

Q: This past season was your last competing. How did you reach the difficult decision to retire from "amateur" skating and what will be your next adventure? 

A: Retiring from the competitive world was indeed a very difficult decision, but luckily it happened gradually. By the end of last spring, I had lost the motivation that had sustained me throughout my career thus far; I started to think seriously about my future before committing to another full season of training and eventually decided that it was time to move on with my life. I ended up teaching most of the summer alongside my longtime choreographer and coach, Suzanne Luis, who had started her own skating school. Seeing the students train hard and progress over the summer reminded me of all the wonderful moments and motivation I had as a young boy being taught by Suzanne. I was additionally very inspired while pursuing advanced training as an Essentrics (dynamic stretching and strengthening) instructor with the founder of the technique, Miranda Esmonde-White. She is an inspiring woman and has had a hugely positive influence on my physical training and health. By the end of the summer, I found more joy than ever before in being on the ice and decided to start training again for one last trip to Nationals, this time with very different goals in mind and with Suzanne as my coach. I focused less on the competition and more on the day to day training, which I thoroughly appreciated. I challenged myself in many new ways and learned a lot in the process. I am now teaching a lot of Essentrics, as well as teaching and occasionally choreographing on the ice. I'm hoping to finish up my undergraduate degree in the next year, and look forward to keep pursuing all of my passions in the coming years.

Q: What has been the most difficult or heartbreaking moment that you've had to face as a figure skater and how did you rise above it? 

A: The most difficult period in my career was being seriously injured. In the summer of 2009, I sprained my ankle on a really bad fall in training, and damaged many stabilizing ligaments. My ankle was a disaster, and extremely weak. It was my landing leg (which is also the take-off leg for the loop, flip and lutz jumps), so getting back to the ice was challenging physically and emotionally. I re-injured it a few times in the same year, which added to the trauma, but with good recovery time I slowly got stronger. The following spring, after a rocky season, I regained confidence in my strength and started landing triple loops, flips and lutzs, which I couldn’t successfully land before the injury. That is also around the same time I started doing Essentrics with Miranda, which helped regain full range of motion and power in my ankle, as well as in the rest of my body.

Q: What is the last book you read? 

A: Dostoyevsky’s "Notes from Underground" is the last book I read, but I've been sporadically reading some of David Sedaris' wonderful essays.

Q: You're pursuing an education in the Liberal Arts. If you never had taken that first step on the ice and could have pursued any other passion in life with 100% of your time and energy, what would it have been?  

A: I love the Liberal Arts, but it is not something I want to pursue professionally. It is rather a great way to expand my knowledge, challenge my thoughts, improve my writing, and better understand the world.  If I had never skated, I would have loved to be a professional ballet dancer! I love that ballet challenges every single muscle in the body and I believe it is an extremely pure form of movement. I would have loved to be part of some great company, such as the New York City Ballet or the American Ballet Theatre. What a dream it would be to dance on stage at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City.

Q: Who are your three favourite skaters of all time and why? 

A: Oh that’s a hard one! I'll give you three of my favorite skaters because there are many more that are worth being mentioned (such as Joannie Rochette, Stephane Lambiel)... Michelle Kwan, because she would skate from her heart every time she would perform, because she is so down to earth and genuine, and because she maintained her level of competition for so many years. Daisuke Takahashi, to me, is the epitome of a figure skater. He is extremely versatile, always has a great presence on the ice, and is brilliantly agile. Carolina Kostner because of her endless and elegant lines, her effortless jumps, and fluidity. She moves like a dancer... I’m sold.

Q: What's one thing most people don't know about you? 

A:  Most people don’t know that I took ballet and contemporary dance classes during the 2011/2012 season at l'École Supérieure de Ballet du Quebec, a great ballet school in Montreal lead by Anik Bissonnette. I had started taking classes with Samuel Abramian (a ballet master and Bolshoi graduate) in order to improve my jumps. I eventually decided to do their summer intensive as I was simultaneously preparing for the season. I danced more in the summer, and skated more once the season started, but I kept going to a few classes until the end of year show in which I participated... all of this while taking a few classes in university and teaching. I guess the REAL thing people don't know about me is that I always make room for more things in my schedule than I should. I LOVE being busy and productive!

Q: What do you love most about figure skating? 

A: The feeling of utter freedom when I’m on the ice; there is absolutely nothing like it. I always feel untouchable, just like a bird in the wild.

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 the 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.

The Roaring Twenties Of Canadian Figure Skating

As culture shifted in the world's great cultural centers like London, Paris, New York City, Berlin and Los Angeles with the advent of a new era following the drudgery and strife of World War I, economies around the world boomed and flapper dresses, the Charleston and art deco were all the rage. Canadian figure skating enjoyed that same surge in popularity following World War I. After a four year span where the Canadian Figure Skating Championships were not held from 1915 to 1919, they returned in 1920 with a flourish.

Jeanne Chevalier and Norman Scott

Jeanne Chevalier and Norman Scott, who had won the 1914 Canadian (and  first American!) pairs title returned to dominate the singles competitions that year and the duo of Alden Godwin and Douglas Nelles claimed top spot in the pairs competition, which Chevalier and Scott did not team up to contest for. Chevalier and Scott were not to rest easily though that year. Joined by Winnifred Tait and J. Cecil McDougall, Jeanne and Norman won the fours title as well in 1920, a very popular tradition in Canadian pairs skating that saw two pairs teams join forces to skate a program together that continued to be held on a national level as late as 1997.

Canadian men's skating during the 1920's would be dominated by Melville Rogers, who won five Canadian titles from 1923 to 1928 and also (like many skaters of the era) competed in multiple disciplines. Rogers found success on the international stage as well, earning his rightful place in the history book as first male singles and pairs skater from Canada ever to compete at the Winter Olympics in 1924 at the Chamonix Games. Rogers also won two North American men's titles and three North American fours titles and went on to serve as the Canadian Figure Skating Association's President for two terms following his retirement from competitive figure skating in 1937.

A rare glimpse at the 1924 Winter Olympics in Chamonix from Frazer Ormondroyd (no footage of these wonderful Canadian skaters, unfortunately but gives you a wonderful glimpse into skating during that era)

Rogers' pairs partner at the 1924 Winter Olympic Games in Chamonix was none other than the same lady who would represent Canada in the ladies event (becoming the first Canadian ladies to compete at a Winter Games) Cecil Smith. David Young's book "The Golden Age Of Canadian Figure Skating" noted that Rogers and Smith were not originally intended to be Canada's sole representatives at those historic first Olympics for Canadian figure skating. Young explained that "originally, former Canadian champion Duncan Hodgson of the Montreal Winter Club, and the reigning ladies' champion, Dorothy Jenkins of the Minto Club, Ottawa, were selected to go as well. Marjorie Annable of the Winter Club, and John Machado of the Minto Club, were back-up skaters in case any of the original four had to drop out. In the end, however, only the Toronto pair travelled to France, as the others withdrew. 'They had no opportunity to practice,' was the reason. 'There has been no ice at Montreal or Ottawa, whereas Toronto has an artificial plant at the Dupont Street Rink.'" With most events still being held outside domestically in those days, it seems so funny but foreign to us today that a mild winter could be the reason for a skater's Olympic dreams being dashed. Cecil Smith, who competed mainly against Constance Wilson for much of her career, became a very popular and respected skater through her career. An account of Cecil's first Canadian title win (where she unseated Wilson) in Young's book reads: "Both did splendidly in the school figures... and their free skating performances were equally artistic and were both skated with the acme of grace and proficiency. Some favoured Miss Smith... for the delicate lightness of steps throughout, her airy leaps and her beautiful spins; others thought that Miss Wilson was a shade more finished and that in evenness and confidence of execution she had a slight advantage..." Smith again defeated Wilson in 1926 (winning both the figures and free skating) and would go on to become the first Canadian skater to win a World medal at the 1930 World Figure Skating Championships when she won the silver just behind Sonja Henie. An account of her medal winning performance from Young's book reads: "Miss Smith, who in her school figures had shown a subdued grace that won her the esteem of the critics... made her bow with a long swan glide, ending with a one foot spiral, and then set off to dance in complete abandon. Afterwards, the beautiful Canadian girl declared that she was startled for a moment as she looked up at the crowded galleries. Then, as the crowd, sensing her wonderful grace and poise began cheering, she set forth to outdo herself. Her performance was received by loud applause." Not to be outdone, Wilson would win a World medal of her own in 1932.

Although Smith (who won her first international medal in 1924 in Manchester, England) won two Canadian ladies titles, she would not win a Canadian pairs title like her Olympic pairs partner Rogers (who claimed the title in 1925 with Gladys Rogers). Wilson would win the 1926 Canadian pairs title with Errol Morson and then win a handful of titles in the late twenties and early thirties with her older brother Montgomery Wilson, who won the 1932 Olympic bronze medal. Constance Wilson's successes were in their own right remarkable - an account in Young's book describes the student of Mr. Gustave Lussi as "Pavlova in her prime, but Pavlova with winged feet and light as a fawn..." - and her fourth place finish at the 1932 Games remains to this day of one few top finishes by Canadian ladies skaters in an Olympic event, including her in a small but prestigious club amongst the likes of Barbara Ann Scott, Liz Manley and Joannie Rochette.


Montgomery Wilson

I think in examining this era of Canadian skating a couple things really stand out to me: the fact that Canadian skating really wasn't so much a nation wide affair by any stretch of the imagination but really a competition between a select few clubs such as Toronto's Old Orchard Skating Club, the Minto Club and Montreal Winter Club, that people changed pairs partners faster than some people change their hairstyles and that skating was really a family affair in those days. I'm not only referring to the Wilson's but also to the Smith's - Cecil would often skate in exhibitions and shows as a 'sister act' with her sister Maude. It really was a different time but it was when Canada was first making its mark internationally and we owe a lot to these pioneers of Canadian skating that paved the way for the Barbara Ann Scott's, Kurt Browning's, Toller Cranston's, Tessa and Scott's and Patrick Chan's to come.

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 the 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.