Interview With Ivan Righini

Competing for Russia for six years boded well for Ivan Righini, who wasn't Ivan Righini back then. Ivan Bariev won two Russian junior men's titles and placed as high as sixth on the senior level in Russia and seventh at the World Junior Championships in 2008 before deciding to represent Italy, the country of his mother's birth during the 2013/2014 season. Ivan adopted his mother's former surname Righini and found expeditious success representing his new home in winning the Italian Figure Skating Championships on his very first try. He also won the Bavarian Open international competition and incredibly placed thirteenth at his first senior World Figure Skating Championships this past season. A very strong technical skater, Righini's future in figure skating looks much brighter these days and I think he's certainly a skater whose name we'll be hearing a lot more from. He took the time to talk about his transition to competing for a new country, first World Championships, future in skating and much more in this interview I think you'll quite enjoy:

Q: You twice won the Russian junior title and won four medals on the Junior Grand Prix and competed internationally for Russia for some years before deciding to obtain a dual citizenship and represent Italy internationally (the country of your mother's birth). What brought on this decision and was it a difficult or an easy process?

A: It was pretty hard! For one moment, I wanted to stop skating but then I said to myself that it's kind of silly to stop after skating such a lot of years for nothing. The decision was made so unpredictably and now I'm happy to introduce Italy!

Q: You recently placed thirteenth at the 2014 World Championships in Saitama, Japan with some GREAT skating there. What are you most proud about your first trip to Worlds?

A: I'm so proud of myself that I could control my nerves in front of such a big crowd! For me, in the short program I was really shocked. I had never been to such a big competition so it was a big stress, but in the free I felt myself so comfortable. I did actually everything I could with one small mistake and skated easily. So I think debut was approved!

 Q: Looking forward to next season and beyond, what are your goals in skating and how will you work in training to achieve them?

A: My goals for next season are to put the quad in both programs, to compete on a hard level and to be for sure in the first ten on the Worlds and first five in Europeans. I am soon starting already to make new programs.

Q: What's your favourite Russian food and your favourite Italian food?

A: Russian food? I think it's pelmeni and borscht. For Italian food, I prefer pasta and pizza and I love seafood!

Q: What's the most difficult jump or jump combination you've ever landed?

A: The most difficult jump I tried was (a long time ago) the quad loop and hardest combination was triple Axel/triple toe/double loop.

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

A: I'm kind of a bad guy!

Q: If you could change anything about the way skating is judged, what would you change?

A: I actually like how everything is now. Maybe the points were so high in last time.

Q: If you could meet any figure skater in the world that you haven't, who would it be and why?

A: I already met my idols, Alexei Yagudin and Stephane Lambiel. I would like to meet Philippe Candeloro one time because I love the way he skated.

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

A: Alexei Yagudin has always been my idol. Stephane Lambiel's skating is just phenomenal and Patrick Chan has great skating.

Q: Describe your perfect day away from the rink - where would you go and what would you do?

A: My day would start by not waking up too early, having a great breakfast, then a walk in the center of Moscow to meet my friends and talk with them and then go back home, buy some food and watch movies.

Q: What do you love most about skating more than anything else?

A: I love figure skating! I love the crowd and feel how they cheer for me. I love to show myself!

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.

V Is For Vivacious: The Vera Hrubá Ralston Story

Every so often a skater's story comes along that is so compelling that it sounds like something straight out of a Hollywood movie. In the case of Vera Hrubá Ralston, figure skater turned Hollywood actress, the Hollywood movie analogy doesn't fall far from the skate guard.

Photo courtesy "Skating" magazine

Born in Prague in what was then Czechoslovakia in 1919, Vera Hrubá was the daughter of wealthy jeweler Rudolf Hrubá. She grew up in a Catholic family on the Berounka River and like many young skaters, enrolled in ballet classes before translating her love of movement to the icy dance floor. Her story (even from childhood) was far from traditional though. Before even taking up skating at the age of thirteen, she had already took up the habit of smoking and much of her early instruction on the ice didn't come from a skating coach but from her own brother. In four short years, she improved by leaps and bounds so much that it was her who represented Czechoslovakia at the 1936 European Figure Skating Championships and Winter Olympic Games. While at those Winter Games in Germany, like winner Sonja Henie she had an encounter with Adolf Hitler. Unlike Henie (who enthusiastically gave the Nazi salute), Hitler asked her if she would like to "skate for the swastika."She responded: "I looked him right in the eye, and said that I'd rather skate on the swastika. The Führer was furious."

After finishing seventeenth at those Games, Vera's competitive career only continued for less than a year more and saw her finish seventh at the 1937 European Figure Skating Championships in her home city of Prague. Following that competition, Vera toured the U.S. in ice revues and was offered a screen test for RKO Pictures but turned it down as she was engaged at the time. Her engagement fell through when her fiancee's parents refused to let him marry her as he was half-Jewish and her family was Catholic. On the fifteenth of March in 1939, Vera and her mother narrowly escaped the Nazi takeover of Prague by getting on the last airplane out of the city and flying to Paris, France. From France, they traveled to New York by boat and Vera's story took more than a few more interesting double twists and three turns.

Upon arriving in New York, Vera took up in residence among ice comedians and skating champions in the Ice Vanities Of 1939 tour. In 1941, she received 2400 marriage proposals when a Chicago newspaper ran a story that she may have to return to Nazi occupied Czechoslovakia when her visitor's permit expired. Later that year, her transformation from professional figure skater to movie starlet would begin when Herbert J. Yates, the president of Republic Pictures would cast her in his film "Ice-Capades".

Her film career would be widely criticized by film critics and public alike, her thick accent and mechanical delivery the brunt of many a joke. By 1943 however, Yates was offering her a long-term movie contract and she chose to Americanize her last name by adding Ralston... after the breakfast cereal. It was Yates' determination to make Vera a star that made her a star. He pumped Republic Pictures money into her career and even threatened exhibitors by withholding popular Republic films unless they played her pictures. She started by taking roles that played on her aptitude for skating (much like the hugely popular Sonja Henie skating movies of the period) but 1944's "Lake Placid Serenade" was to prove one of the last roles centered around Vera's skating. In 1945, she starred alongside legendary actor John Wayne in the film "Dakota". Despite the fact her film career was founded on Yates' determination to make her a star, director Joseph Kane said that "Vera could have made it rough on everyone, but she never took advantage of that situation. Although she never became a good actress, she was cooperative, hardworking and eager to please." The following year, she reunited with her father, became an American citizen and took up residence in Sherman Oaks, California.

Vera Hrubá Ralston and Roy Rogers

Two years later, Yates left his wife and four children to be with Vera. Yates' interest in Rudolf Hrubá's daughter was met with disapproval. Yates was forty years Vera's senior and her father would not prove supportive of the unlikely couple's relationship, opting instead to return to his native Prague. On March 15, 1952, Vera walked down the aisle and married Yates at the Little Brown Church In The Valley in North Hollywood.

The following years would include annual European trips with Vera's mother, one of which would earn Vera a special audience with Pope Pius XII in Vatican City. The newlyweds took up residence in Santa Barbara and her movie career continued with moderate success until she was featured in her last film "The Man Who Died Twice" in 1958. It wouldn't all be roses over the coming decade though. Yates would be the target of a suit by two Republic stockholders who claimed he used company assets to promote his wife as a star and in the spring of 1962, the couple would briefly estrange only to reunite months later. The following year, Vera's father would pass away in Prague and three years later, her husband Yates would pass away in the couple's Sherman Oaks home after suffering nine heart attacks. He left his wife half of his $10 million dollar estate and she suffered a nervous breakdown, travelling to Hawaii to recuperate.

Vera returned to California with her mother but in January 1973, that relationship also ended when her mother passed away in Los Angeles. The same year, she remarried and left her Hollywood life of glitz and glamour behind, marrying a Santa Barbara businessman named Charles Alva. Unlike Yates, Alva would be more than ten years Vera's junior.

In February 2003, her memories of a life on the silver screen and an Olympic figure skater a thing of the distant past, Vera passed away in Santa Barbara after a long battle with cancer. Although posthumously ridiculed by being included as a candidate for "The Worst Actress Of All Time" by the authors of the book "The Golden Turkey Awards" (which was instead won by Raquel Welch), Ralston's compelling story is one of a rich and unconventional rise to the middle during a golden era when the lines between figure skating and Hollywood blended and blurred. Skaters became movie stars, movie stars became skaters and in turn, many people took to the ice to experience their own taste of the magic. An unlikely star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame, Vera's impact on the silver screen is still one that's enduring and is proof and parcel that sometimes sheer will can be the deciding factor between success and obscurity.

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 Christopher Caluza

Born to Filipino parents, California's Christopher Caluza took up skating at age seven and after finding success as a national competitor within the U.S. made the difficult decision to represent the country of his parent's birth in international competition. It has paid off in dividends! Christopher has represented The Philippines at three World Championships and three Four Continents Championships and found success in international competition around the world. It was my pleasure to talk to him at length about his competitive career, plans going forward, his thoughts on the importance of the short program and much, much more in this must read interview:

Q: You have represented The Philippines at three World Championships as well as three Four Continents Championships and won medals internationally in events like the Bavarian Open and Lombardia Trophy in Italy. What are your proudest moments or most special memories from competition?

A: I believe my proudest moment was being in the process of competing for the Philippines. I always wanted to do it for a long time, even before I was a national competitor in the U.S.A. but I didn't want to unless I was a U.S. national competitor. After three years, it has definitely helped me grow as a skater and as a person. To me growing up as an athlete and a person at the international level in this sport is my proudest moment. My special memories competing were my first Philippine Nationals and my first three international competitions in the 2011-2012 season. It was my first year competing for the Philippines. Coming into the Philippines, I had to prove to the people and the federation that I'm here and ready. Before I competed, I knew about how some of the people felt about Filipino Americans "dropping into competition and leaving". My coach Natalia Bobrina talked about it and she told me that it shouldn't matter. So no matter what, I was there to set a good example and do my best. After winning the Nationals, I knew I had a commitment. I stopped going to school and focused on my training. My first international competition was in Oberstdorf, Germany. I didn't want to compete because I had school at the time. And not only that... I was kind of scared. My coach said that it shouldn't matter and every competition should be treated equally. I decided to go to Bavarian Open a week before 2012 ISU Four Continents. I was excited as well because I never skated internationally before. That week, I earned the first Senior B international medal for the Philippines and it was my first time. I never expected a medal, but mainly focused on my points. After that week, I qualified to 2012 ISU Four Continents the next week so it was a lot of traveling from the U.S. to Germany for three days, then back home in San Diego one day, then the next day, fly to Colorado. It was a crazy two weeks. I had competed in high altitude before so I was familiar on how to acclimate. Four Continents is where the federation determines who earned the right to go to the Worlds. I have friends who came to watch and it was an amazing feeling getting support from the U.S. crowd since I was from here. The long program was the hardest I've done. I had to focus on getting the energy back up and fight and especially showing fierceness and elegance. The crowd being behind me was an amazing feeling. When I finished my program, I saw some people standing and that was a good feeling. I over analyzed my program with my coach and I actually had mixed feelings towards how it went. When I saw my scores, I was like "not good" but when I saw myself on top of the board in my group, I was like "no way! what just happened?!" Everything was unexpected. Placing in the top twelve was one of the best things that has happened; not only for myself, but the Philippines. I earned my rights and spot for Worlds. I dropped out of school to focus on my training the next month. That week, I can remember how my practices went. When I came to Nice, France I was just in awe with the atmosphere. Practices for the Preliminary Round were amazing but I was lucky to have made it through because I was nervous for my first Worlds. Then in the next days, practices were crazy bad leading into the short program. The day of the short, I knew it wasn't going to go as I thought. I tried to stay focused on what I could do. Unexpectedly, I did well. When I competed my jump elements I knew it was time to sell it even more. I had fun because the tango was another way to show a side of me. I wanted to show that I can be sexy and intense. Afterwards, the feeling was amazing and intense. I didn't even hold my pose, I just fist pumped so aggressively with excitement. When my scores came in, I was very happy that not only I qualified but my components scores were high. Coming into the long. I knew it was my last skate. I had to get it together and do the best I could do. I told myself, "you qualified to the final round. You deserved to be here, and now show it".  I did everything I could and executed most of the elements leading into my last axel at the end. I touched down but I smiled and so did the audience. That was the skate of my life. My first Worlds and I was the unexpected person to make the finals. That was something I will never forget. Coming into the Olympic year, the previous season was a disaster in some parts but I came back a stronger competitor. I had to prove to my federation and the world I deserved to go to the Olympics. Even though I wasn't chosen to go, this past season was the strongest I've ever skated. I proved it five times fairly on how I deserved respect and I earned a lot of it during the season.

Q: You face a lot of competition right 'at home' from fellow Filipino men's skater Michael Christian Martinez. Comparing yourself with Martinez, what do you see as your strengths and weaknesses?

A. I wouldn't want to compare myself to Mr. Michael Martinez since he has his own strengths and weaknesses, as well as I myself have my own. Usually in my feelings, my own strength is mental usually. I try to stay positive and not think about winning but tell myself, "you are stronger than you think you are." In this sport my greatest competition is mainly myself. In this sport, the greatest competitor is in the athlete.

Q: Prior to deciding to represent The Philippines in 2011, you competed within the U.S. on the junior and senior level. Was this a decision an easy or a difficult one and what were the most challenging aspects of the whole process of representing a different country in competition?

A: The decision to switch countries was difficult and easy, in different ways, but it didn't mean I had to go compete for the Philippines right away. I had to earn my rights to compete for the Philippines. I didn't want to be one who just represents another country by just coming in. I knew that before I switched, I would have a huge responsibility and that responsibility is hard to come by. Therefore, it is very much a privilege to compete for another country... especially the Philippines. So I had to make a good impression my first Philippine Nationals. All three season I had to do my best. I also had to show my federation who is the strongest skater. No matter what competition, I always have a lot to prove. That was my greatest challenge. I also knew how some people from the Philippines would feel about an American coming in but I didn't let that affect what I do best because it just makes me feel even better about myself and motivated me.

Q: You mentioned that people from the Philippines may have taken issue to an 'outsider' coming in. How were/are you received within the Filipino skating community?

A: I have heard things from other people about what they think about Americans. Even before I was coming, I knew how some people from the Philippines would feel. When it comes to the Philippines. I am knowledgeable about the country's government and what the social statuses are like. I had to educate myself on what kind of country I'm representing so I know how to handle situations professionally. It is a normal feeling from what I can see. When I arrived, I was welcomed by coaches I've met on Facebook and YouTube. When I was there I didn't know anyone but a few of the coaches and they were happy to have me. From what I was told from parents and coaches from there, I have set a good example there from the beginning up to now. It was like a learning experience for the skaters and it was greatly for me as well. I never thought I was looked up to because it's just how I do my job everyday.

Q: What are your goals for the 2014/2015 season and going forward? Have you given thought to new programs and what have been your main focuses in training recently?

A: So far, I'm still in deciding whether or not to continue competing. Nevertheless, I'm still listening to different programs to which I can connect to and so will any audience. I am choreographing them as well because I love to express myself and I believe that when you skate, you are there to do your best but also have people talk about your performance more. It's like building a memory. My main focus is still practicing my triple axel. I am focusing on getting it clean and consistent because without this jump, I believe I'm not going to be taken seriously in this sport as it was shown in 2014 ISU Worlds in Saitama. I was very disappointed in my components scores especially. If I land my triple axel clean and consistent, that one jump can change everything I'm sure.

Q: What three songs could you listen to on a loop all day long?

A: "Freak Out" by Avril Lavigne, "Nocturne Op. 9 No. 2" by Chopin and "Waterfalls" by TLC.

Q: How important is having both a short program and free skate?

A: Very important. Both programs are a good way to show how a skater can be versatile or show how they can connect to the audience differently. Even though short is like a technical program it's still a program/performance. I treat every program the same no matter how much the rules change. I love expressing myself in both programs so I can separate myself from one genre to a different genre.

Q: Do you agree with bonuses being rewarded late in free skate programs for difficult jumps landed or do you feel backloading programs with difficult jumps when a skater is most tired is just asking for injuries?

A: For me, I believe it's very strategic and is very good. My programs from last season was a way of working strategy. There is a certain line to when the program doesn't look well balanced. I did notice how that it's backloaded with different skaters, and it's hard to find choreography. It always depends on the music and how the skaters find time to execute every element, which is why it is important to plan the program and train it properly. When it comes to injury, it also depends in how a skater trains their program. High level athletes can get hurt anywhere at any time, mainly off the ice. It would not matter. It always depends on how the second half is being trained. When I choreograph a program, I have to know my program well enough so I can execute more difficult elements at the right time. It's all about strategy and training.

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

A:: There are too many to pick from but from the start it was Tara Lipinski, then Michelle Kwan, and Alexei Yagudin.

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

A: I was born with one kidney. I have a learning disability so it was difficult for me in school but no athlete is perfect, you know. I have choreographed my own programs the past four years and during my time competing internationally. I usually provide movements then the coach looks and approves or not. I'm dating and I have another thing I want to say but shouldn't.

Q: What do you love the absolute most about figure skating?

A: I love figure skating because it taught me how anything is possible. I love how it taught me discipline and how loving what you are doing is very important. It has taught me professionalism, RESPECT mainly... self- respect, standing on my own feet, humility, and having good sportsmanship. I have met great people from around the world who know who I am which is one of the best things. It is a life learning tool that I want to use for my future endeavors.

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.

A Skating Safari: Bears On Ice, The Swan Lake, Flying Camels And More Than A Few Asses

Figure skating is something of an animal farm. To make it to the top echelons of the sport you have to be both as strong as an ox and as graceful as a gazelle. In turn, you've got some skaters performing with the elegance of a black swan and others with the reckless abandon of a bull in a china shop. They perform flying camel spins, shoot-the-ducks, Arabians and butterfly jumps. They face judgment from a jury of aging owls (who aren't always as wise as the idiom would suggest) but also have to deal with getting raked over the coals by less than supportive skating 'fans' worldwide: an eclectic group that certainly includes a murder of crows and more than a few asses. Yet others accept the status quo of the IJS judging system blindly like sheep because it's too difficult for them to make heads nor tails of. I come back to this quote from George Orwell's masterful allegory Animal Farm: "Several of them would have protested if they could have found the right arguments. Even Boxer was vaguely troubled...but in the end could think of nothing to say". Sometimes it's easier to just go with the flow and not rock the water safari boat, isn't it? At any rate, it's a safari out there on the ice sometimes. In this blog, I'll be your guide! Grab yourselves some binoculars and get ready explore figure skating's connection to the animal kingdom.

BEARS ON ICE

When I first heard of a show called Bears On Ice, I figured it was a Gay Pride Week event involving quite a few margaritas, but I was certainly wrong. In 2009, a Russian state circus company put together a show called Bears On Ice and brought it to Kyrgyzstan's capital city Bishkek. I can't even tell you how ridiculous and inhumane I think the whole thing is, but here's the story. Apparently Russian circuses think it's just fine to teach bears to do everything from ride motorcycles to ice skate, and in this case, they had bears on the ice rehearsing in skates for a circus production and circus administrator Dmitry Potapov was killed when the bear was dragged across the ice by his neck. One of his legs was nearly severed. Animal trainer Yevgeny Popov suffered deep scalp lacerations, bruising of the brain and lacerations all over his body in an attempt to save his co-worker from the bear, who had clearly had enough. And no wonder! You just don't do that. Seven years previously, a small child was attacked and killed in the same city's zoo by a bear that she reached out to pet. That bear too was on loan from Russia. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to grasp that training animals to do outrageous things like this is not only dangerous and inhumane and tragically, those who chose to do it paid the ultimate price. 

THE SWAN LAKE

When legendary commentator and two time Olympic Gold Medallist Dick Button said of Fumie Suguri's free skate in 2003, "there needs to be a little more in that Swan Lake" he certainly wasn't referring to the bevy of swans in the lake on this skating safari. From black swans to dying swans, skaters have revisited and recycled Tchaikovsky's memorable score for decades. It's an old standard in terms of skating music and certainly one that has been met with varying degrees of success in the homages skaters have played to it. Personally, when I think of the score, the performances that stand out in my mind are certainly Rudy Galindo's 1996 winning free skate at that year's U.S. Figure Skating Championships in San Jose, California, Oksana Baiul's short program at the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway and Ashley Wagner's brilliantly choreographed "Black Swan" free skate choreographed by Phillip Mills that won her the first of her two U.S. titles to date at the 2012 U.S. Figure Skating Championships, ironically also in San Jose, California, a city more known for its Sharks than birds. You also have, of course, the legendary two time Olympic Gold Medallists Ludmila and Oleg Protopopov whose exquiste classic interpretation of Tchaikovsky's music remains to this day one of the finest in my humble opinions. Though chronically overused as program music in my opinion, "Swan Lake" is big music and as these few examples prove, if it's used effectively, it can certainly create a stunning, stunning theme for a program.

FLYING CAMELS

Speaking of Dick Button, we have him to thank for one of the most uniquely named spins in figure skating.Although the idea of camels flying through the air seems more like something whimsical from a Dr. Seuss children's book than an ISU rulebook, the flying camel spin is based on one of skating's three basic spin positions and developed from the camel (or parallel spin) which was first performed in international skating competition by World Champion Cecilia Colledge in 1935. There has been debate as to who actually invented the camel spin. Many contend that it was Colledge; famed coach Gus Lussi (who coached Button) claimed rather that an Australian skater by the name of Campbell had invented the spin and the name had broken down from 'Campbell' to 'Camel'. Dick Button was the first person to take the spin and add the 'flying' feature and what was then known as the 'Button Camel' later became known as the flying camel spin. Prior to Button creating and popularizing the flying camel, the 'Campbell' or 'Camel' spin had been thought of primarily of a spin only traditionally to be performed by women, so when Dick created this piece of history he really turned the phrase 'when pigs fly' into 'when camels fly', proving that the impossible or unexpected could indeed be done.

MORE THAN A FEW ASSES

Sometimes more than a few asses can be just the straw that broke the flying camel's back. Not to put the cat among the pigeons, but the 1976 film "Network" has provided the world with more than a few iconic quotes. Peter Finch's character Howard Beale produced this gem: "I want you to get up right now. Sit up. Go to your windows. Open them and stick your head out and yell - 'I'm as mad as hell and I'm not gonna take this anymore!' Things have got to change. But first, you've gotta get mad!...You've got to say, I'M AS MAD AS HELL, AND I'M NOT GOING TO TAKE THIS ANYMORE! Then we'll figure out what to do about the depression and the inflation and the oil crisis. But first, get up out of your chairs, open the window, stick your head out, and yell, and say it: I'M AS MAD AS HELL, AND I'M NOT GOING TO TAKE THIS ANYMORE!" You know, that's exactly how I feel when I listen to the murder of crows - and more than a few asses - degrade and belittle the accomplishments of skaters and just about anybody doing anything constructive for the sport on anonymous figure skating forums and social media. I wrote the article Getting Up And Saying No (Part 1 and Part 2) to talk about bullying and harsh criticism of skaters by media and so-called 'fans' of the sport, often either anonymously or passive aggressively. It's funny. I got wonderful, wonderful responses on these pieces from anti-bullying groups, skaters and countless fans but yet the only place where these blogs were (ironically) harshly criticized was on anonymous skating forums. Never 'one to disappoint', internet skating forums are just full of love sometimes, aren't they? The negativity and snark that some skating 'fans' seem to consistently bring to the table and the overwhelming desire to throw skaters who don't perform up to these 'fans' personal standards to the wolves is enough to put a damper on anyone's skating safari. I personally have decided to make it my objective to keep the issue of bullying in the forefront going forward. Figure skating doesn't need venom and vitriol and you think otherwise, maybe it's you with the problem, not the skaters you're dragging into the trough on a daily basis.

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 Jozef Sabovcik

My first memory of watching Jozef Sabovcik skate was on a PBS special called "World Cup Champions On Ice", a skating production on a theatre stage that featured skating greats like Marina Klimova and Sergei Ponomarenko, Liz Manley, Caryn Kadavy, Petr Barna, Anita Hartshorn and Frank Sweiding, Charlie Tickner and Alexandr Fadeev. There was just something so captivating about Sabovcik's style on the ice that drew you in and commanded your attention. The 1984 Olympic Bronze Medallist and two time European Champion had an exceptional career as an "amateur". He won six Czechoslovakian titles and held the distinction of being the first person to land a quadruple jump in competition, although it was later deemed invalid because of an alleged touchdown of his free foot. 

Retiring from the "amateur" ranks in 1986, Jumpin' Joe went on to a hugely successful professional career, competing (and winning) in many professional competitions, touring around the world and making a huge name for himself and his larger than life skating style in the process. Now a coach and still performing at fifty, I talked to Jozef about his career, trademark backflip, Russian split jumps and tuck Axel, his programs, his thoughts on skating today and much more in this fantastic interview which took place in March.

Q: Your career has been filled to the brim with so many incredible experiences: the 1984 Olympic bronze medal, two European titles, six Czechoslovakian national titles and wins in professional competitions like the World Team Championships, U.S. Open and Rowenta Masters On Ice. What moments are you proudest of from your entire skating career and why?

A: Every competition has its own importance in my career because if even one of them was changed, I may not be where I am today. Obviously, the Olympics is up there, but I am very proud of defending my European title in 1986 and in the way in which I did it. As for pro moments, the U.S. Open is definitely one of them, because I was going through a bitter custody battle (which I eventually ended up winning) yet I was able to rise above it all and perform one of the best programs of my career. Then there was the moment at the 2002 Opening Ceremonies, when I stood among all those children of light with 80,000 people in attendance and half the world watching. It was truly incredible.

Q: Your professional career has been filled with so many REALLY memorable performances - "Trapped", "Ol' Man River", "Sarajevo", "Alone You Breathe" and "Heaven Can Wait" among them. Where do you draw your inspiration for the music you skate to, how would you describe your choreographic process and what programs that you've skated professionally were YOUR favourites to skate to?

A: Once I decided to skate to music that I listened to, it was pretty easy. It all started with Bruce and the reaction I got when I performed "Fire". From then on, it was just a matter of what song spoke to me at that time. Some numbers would come together as quickly as an hour, which was the case for "Heaven Can Wait". Others would take longer. My friend Stewart Sturgeon helped me with most of them. I would tell him an idea and he shaped it. Some of my early ones like "Fire" and "Heaven Can Wait" I still go back to to this day. I have been toying with the idea of bringing back my wife's favourite, "Secret Garden". There are others that I enjoy coming back to like "Lift U Up" by Gotthard. I don't know. They are all my favourites, but some of them like "Trapped", I cannot perform the way I did in the past so they are best left alone.

Q: Where did you learn your amazing tuck Axel, split jumps and backflip and how physically taxing is performing those moves when you skate today? I couldn't imagine!

A: Well, the split jumps I was doing since I was little. My parents were both ballet dancers and I was always naturally pretty flexible. The backflip was a long time coming, because I wanted to do it the first time I saw Terry Kubicka do it on TV at the 1976 Olympics. Although I could do it on the floor without any difficulty, my federation forbid me to try it on the ice, for fear of me getting injured. Once I retired it was the first think I set my mind to. I was trying to emulate Robin Cousins' pike backflip, but somehow it developed into my layout one. As for the tuck Axel, it was almost an accident. I was trying to do something like an Axel/hitch kick and I did something that ended up being my tuck Axel.

Q: Czech men's skating has two huge stars in Michal Brezina and Tomas Verner and Slovakia has a up and comer in Marco Klepoch. What was training in Czechoslovakia like 'in your day' and do you think we'll see more skaters rise out of both countries and contend in the future?

A: The sport today is totally different than when I was growing up. Everything was paid for by the government once you got into the elite program: ice time, coaches, everything. In return, they wanted results otherwise you would be dropped from the program. My coach did her best to shield me from it all, but I was aware of it anyway. Today it is all different. It's extremely expensive to skate. Ice time is limited, so most of the skaters do not even train in Slovakia or Czech Republic. I am sure that at some point there will be skaters that will be on top again, because we do have very talented people. They just need to be given the right environment so they can create their own chances.

Q: Staying on that vein, of today's men's skaters (particularly those who competed at the Olympics in Sochi), who are the biggest stars in YOUR eyes?

A: They are all amazing. I cannot even imagine competing today. I really enjoyed Hanyu. He is young and fearless, an amazing talent and he has a great coach.

Q: The current judging system rewards risk and going for those big ticket jumps. Being one of the first skaters to include both a quad and a triple axel attempt in a free skate, you certainly know a thing or two about risk. Really looking at men's skating and the current quad race, do you think the current judging system is good for the skaters and the sport? What would you change?

A: That is a very difficult question and truly it does not matter if I like the system or not. It is here and we all have to live with it, which I'm well aware of as a coach. I think the drawback to it is that it is complicated and the general public has a hard time understanding it. We might have lost some of our audience because of that.

Q: You now live in Utah and are married and the father of two boys - Jozef Jaden and Blade. I remember Blade from  TV broadcasts in the 1990's and do not even WANT to ask how old he is now because I just know it's going to make me feel ancient. What has parenthood taught you about yourself?

A: It has taught me that I love being a father and a husband. Blade is now 21, moved out on his own, working full time and going to college. Little Jozef is amazing. He's 10, playing drums, doing really well in school and I am very proud of them both.

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

A: Just three? Robin Cousins was always my hero. I looked up to Ondrej Nepela, because I grew up skating on the same ice and he was so kind to me. Scott, Brian and Brian, Kristi, Janet Lynn, Roz, Kurt, Elvis... Take your pick!

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

A: In the days of Facebook, I really don't know! It seems to be all out there. Ask my wife, she'll probably tell something that even I'm not aware of!

Q: Where and we can we see you perform next?

A: I am just getting new boots, so I'm taking a bit of a break from skating but at the end of April I'll be doing our annual Bountiful Skating Club show and skating with all the kids from our club, most of which I work with. Then it's Sun Valley again, probably. You never know! I am fifty years old but I still enjoy it.

Q: What's the biggest lesson that a lifetime of figure skating has taught you?

A: Patience and perseverance. You fall, you get up and try again.

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.

Carpe Glacies: The Lost Art Of Jumping

I was born in 1982, so the culture and performance of figure skating in the years before I was born or when I was a small child was something I obviously didn't come to understand or fall in love with until I had become exposed to it. It was truly a different time and the choreography of the 1960's, 1970's and early 1980's was reflective of a different school of thought when it came to the construction of programs, and even the jumps included in those programs - whether they be programs skated under the 6.0 judging system of "amateur" skating, the 10.0 judging system of professional skating or in shows.

Later in the 1980's with incredible athletes like Brian Boitano, Brian Orser, Viktor Petrenko, Kurt Browning and so many others taking center stage, programs packed with a variety of different triple jumps became not only in vogue but the necessity. As compulsory figures fell out of favor, soon to be abolished from ISU competition, the boundaries of what was possible on two skates became defined. People could DO quadruple jumps, people could DO two triple axels in one program, ladies skaters could DO triple lutzes and triple/triple combinations just like their male counterparts. The sexist stigma that female skaters couldn't jump like male skaters went out the window. Midori Ito, Liz Manley and Debi Thomas drove that point home with athletic programs that didn't "just have" a couple triple toe-loops and a triple salchow. The jumping race was just beginning.

Somewhere in the whirlwind of that triple loop to the top, jumping lost its artfulness. If you sit down and go on the YouTube and watch some of the best (and the rest) performances from the 1960's, 1970's and early 80's, you'll notice something interesting that you certainly won't notice in today's "IJS" programs. Skaters didn't just race from one triple jumping pass to another, they use jumps as an exclamation point in their programs and they sure weren't always triples... or even doubles for that matter. It wasn't uncommon to see a free skate that included single, double and triple jumps all scripted into the choreography replete with every variation imaginable to show versatility and diversity in the technical structure of a program. A jump not only stood alone as a technical highlight, but served the music and choreography as a feature in itself.

The current judging system rewards standard jumps, their rotation and grade of execution. Jumps that don't fit in the rather closed view of what is and isn't considered difficult don't earn squat. The walley jump, for instance, is a full rotation jump that takes off on a backward inside edge and land on the backward outside edge of the same foot, isn't graded in the same way a toe-loop, Salchow, loop, flip, lutz or Axel is, therefore it's simply graded as a transitional move in programs and not rewarded for its technical difficulty. Likewise, a difficult combination like the one-foot Axel/triple salchow (made famous by World Champion Jill Trenary) would receive a lesser score than a triple Salchow/double toe-loop combination under the current judging system, and it's honestly a lot harder. It's not really just about the fact that many of these interesting elements aren't technically rewarded like they perhaps should be, it's that skaters don't include these creative jumping passes anymore because they don't earn the points. In a numbers game, it's just one more bit of art we are losing to the ages.

Jill Trenary performing her technical program at the 1996 Ice Wars professional competition, complete with a gorgeous one-foot axel/triple salchow combination

When's the last time we saw a skater intentionally include a gorgeous delayed or tuck Axel? A hitch kick other than Ryan Bradley's? Where are all of the split flips and split Lutzes? I remember doing them - and that was in the 90's. The one-and-a-half flip and even the beyond cool 'Bobrin Over' jump invented by 1981 European Champion Igor Bobrin simply aren't things we see anymore in competition. The same goes for the spins - don't even get me started on that! There's something to be said for star arabians, classic death drops, scratch spins and even just a good old fashioned, beautifully performed layback spin without a single variation or "feature" added at all. We're looking in the rearview mirror at the grisly demise not only of the creativity and art of jumping (and spinning) but also at a grim annihilation of the beauty of simplicity of skating, all in the name of progress. Call me a little crazy - I am from from Nova Scotia after all - but if someone has a balanced diet for years and then they start eating turkey dinner every single night of the week for months on end, they're going to start to go a little batty no matter how tasty that turkey is. Skating can't survive on meat and potatoes. It needs a little spice and gusto.

I'm really heartened when I see skaters like Adam Rippon for instance, who's doing this amazing Rippon lutz with both hands over his head or Jason Brown doing that back leg stretch thing (I don't have a damn clue what it's called but I used to do it myself too) into the triple Lutz with the arm variation as well. There are choreographers and skaters who grasp the point that it's not just about doing the same things everyone else does technically with a rehearsed expression of angst on their face while skating to a tinkly piano sonata that someone, somewhere thought was a killer idea.

As in the expression "the world is your oyster", "the ice is your stage". I challenge the skaters of today to push every boundary they can in their choreography and in the art of jumping. Take those risks. Damn a few points. God knows everyone can't win everything anyway. Dare to be different. Dare to be shocking even. The skaters who are remembered - really remembered - are the John Curry's, the Janet Lynn's, the Robin Cousins', the Torvill and Dean's, the Kurt Browning's. They aren't the skaters who were clones. Cecil Beaton once said, "Be daring, be different, be impractical, be anything that will assert integrity of purpose and imaginative vision against the play-it-safers, the creatures of the commonplace, the slaves of the ordinary." Carpe glacies. Seize 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 Eve Chalom

A three time U.S. medallist and world competitor, Eve Chalom has worn many hats in the figure skating world and done so in each case with incredible passion for the sport. From competing to coaching to performing in ice theatre, Chalom has infused her passion for dance into every twizzle and three turn. Her remarkable story of reaching such success in skating while living with hearing impairment is truly inspiring and her continuining improvement as a skater long after her competitive career ended is the true mark of a skater committed to lifelong learning. In this interview, Eve talked about everything from her competitive career to dance's relationship to skating and how ice dancing has evolved. I think you'll love it.

 

Q: With your then partner Matthew Gates, you won the bronze medal and then the silver medal at the 1996 and 1997 U.S. Figure Skating Championships and seemed poised to be heading to the Nagano Winter Olympics in 1998, but finished fourth at the U.S. Nationals the following year. How difficult was dealing with that loss and how did you find the strength to come back the next season and reclaim another silver medal at Nationals and another trip to Worlds? 

A: We actually were never able to compete at the 1998 Olympic Games logistically because my partner was from Great Britain. He had a green card, but was not a citizen of the United States. In order to represent the U.S., we both needed to be citizens. However, we were definitely disappointed with our fourth place finish because that meant that we would not get to go to Worlds that year and we had been anticipating that. We did make some changes to our training regimen, which included a move to Dallas, Texas to train with different coaches for our final season. Having a lot of individual attention by living in a training environment where there were no other teams at our level seemed to be a helpful step, but I don’t know if we ever really recovered from that season. I also sustained a shoulder injury the whole Olympic season, which also made training and competing difficult.

Q: Since you stopped competing, how has ice dancing changed for the worse and for the better?

A: I think the skaters have increased their technical abilities a tremendous amount. I think the loosening of restrictions on the types of lifts that can be done has allowed for some beautiful lifts that are much acrobatic and accomplished than the types that were done in the days that I skated but I also think much has been lost in the way of couples dancing together. There is such an emphasis on the technical side now, and there are so many required elements that the dancers are not getting to work on how their relationship and their “dance” is communicated through movement. When I was competing, we spent a lot of time working on the subtleties of how we related to each other and to the audience and the movement was carefully choreographed in a way that would demonstrate that to observers. In this way, the audience and judges were able to follow a story that we as the skaters would tell from beginning to end of a program. It was not just a physical journey of making it cleanly through a program, but also an emotional one. I am not knocking what is done now, because some of it is absolutely fabulous, and it's not that my partner and I were always able to do it successfully. There was an intention of cultivating a dance that would draw the audience in so that they were emotionally invested in our story, like watching a good movie. I don't often see that these days, but I think that with the system the way it is right now there is not much space left for that type of work.

Q: I was and am so inspired by your ability to interpret rhythm and great sense of timing while dealing with hearing impairment. What have been the biggest challenges in being an ice dancer and dancer who deals with challenges hearing? 

A: I guess some of the biggest challenges have been personal ones. I have had to learn how to be proactive in making sure that I am watching out for my own interests in situations where I am having trouble hearing. This often means: making sure others are aware of my hearing loss so that they don’t jump to incorrect conclusions or make assumptions about me, choosing my location in the room so that I will be able to hear better, asking for help when I need it, and generally being okay with needing to make adjustments so that I will be able to do whatever it is that I want to do. It is a challenge because it is a lot of work and it's not work that will go away as the years go on. I just get more used to doing the work so it becomes less of a hassle. It is what it is and I am grateful to have found a silver lining in that I think my hearing loss has made me much more sensitive in other ways. It gives me a unique perspective on life.

Q: You have degrees in both English and Philosophy from the University Of Michigan. Having studied English myself and being a huge book lover, I have to ask. What is the last book you've read and what did you find most fascinating about it? 

A: The last book I read was "The Golem and The Jinni". I borrowed it from my sister-in-law. A friend of hers wrote it and I totally enjoyed reading it. It takes place in early twentieth century New York City, and it was really nice reading about the old neighborhoods that I was familiar with because I spent ten years living in New York. I also really enjoyed the story and the development of the relationship between the two main characters, who are both different from other people in very specific, unique ways, as well as being different from each other. They are able to meet in those differences in a very beautiful way. Sorry for the spoiler! I also have a Master's Degree from Pratt Institute in Dance/Movement Therapy, so a lot of my reading material is related to movement, the body, psychology, and the arts. I just currently read an interview about a movement form called Contact Improvisation that was conducted with Steve Paxton, who was one of its founders in the seventies.

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

A: Gordeeva and Grinkov for sure. They skated together more beautifully than any other couple I have ever seen. It was a situation where they had very different strengths, but the way those strengths came together created something amazing. I also love Oksana Grishuk, who was an ice dancer with Evgeni Platov. She had the ability to emotionally invest herself in a performance that I haven't seen replicated. She knew the choreography, but she really dived into the unknown with how it was going to feel and where it was going to take her emotionally, and I appreciate that a lot because I know how difficult it is to let go that much. My last favourite would have to be Ilia Kulik. I choose him maybe because of the solidness of his jumps that always had good technique, maybe because he was a fluid skater who was equally balanced in terms of his technical and artistic ability. Also because he stood by Katia Gordeeva after Sergei passed away and continued to persistently make himself a good choice for her to be with, after years of his not settling down. I appreciate the almost fairy tale ending in a way. They went on to have more children together after the daughter Katia had with Sergei and they have their own rink in California.

Q: Working in the dance world now as well as continuing to perform with Ice Theatre Of New York has really afforded you a really interesting balance of two worlds. What can figure skating learn from modern dance and what can modern dance learn from figure skating? 

A: I could write a book on this and I probably will one day. One of the main ways that my skating changed after I started doing modern dance in New York was that I learned how to use and become aware of my torso. In ice skating, you hear people talking about shoulders and hips, and of course, legs, arms, head, and feet. But what about the torso? How do we move our stomach, our backs, our ribs? In modern dance, a lot of the expressive movement comes from the torso and how we communicate through our whole body. As a human being, movement is initiated in our core, or our torso, and then we see it more through the extremities that are further out. Once I became more aware of how I was using that part of my body, I was able to become much more powerful in all of my movements, even when it came to stroking.

Q: You have balanced your own skating and dancing with coaching skating for many years since your retirement from the "amateur" world in 1999. What is your proudest moment as a coach? 

A: I have a lot of proud moments that happen at home, when a student figures out a new way to do something, or when they have a lightbulb go on. I love those moments. I had a beautiful moment when Kaitlyn Weaver and Charles Clavey won silver in Junior Dance at Nationals a long time ago. They did a beautiful free dance where they were really in the moment, and I was very proud of them for being able to do it under pressure and for enjoying themselves.

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

A: I have two cats and I like doing a lot of things by myself like going to a beach to walk around or going to a park. I love being outside in nature.

Q: How would you describe the feeling of skating on the ice by yourself to someone who never has?

A: I feel free. There is a relaxation and a pleasure in the glide that makes me feel like I am swimming in the air and all is nice and peaceful.

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 Keri Pickett

Photographer and writer Keri Pickett took on the project of a lifetime when she decided to chronicle the history of professional figure skating in her documentary The Fabulous Ice Age. Fueled by the inspiration and imagery of her uncle Roy Blakey's IceStage Archive, Keri breathed life into the stories of travelling ice shows from a era long past, telling the stories of the skaters and shows that introduced generations to figure skating. The documentary, which features rare archival footage and material, interviews with skating legends and stories seemingly lost to the ages, is a crucially important one that needed to be told. I applaud Keri for her project and it was my privilege to have the chance to speak with her and share her story and the story of The Fabulous Ice Age.

Q: Your background is not only in producing and directing but also in photography and writing, having written "Love in the 90s", "B.B. & Jo: The Story of a Lifelong Love", "A Granddaughter’s Portrait", "Faeries" and the award winning "Saving Body & Soul, The Mission of Mary Jo Copeland". How difficult was the transition from writing to filmmaking - telling that story to bringing it to life?

A: Although I have never experienced it, I am sure that childbirth is much more difficult. Having gotten that off the table, filmmaking is the most difficult thing ever and I am still learning every day since this is my first film. Each step is onto uncharted territory. The photo books I have created include my texts but mostly I am editing interviews and presenting my vision and that includes a beginning, middle and end and so when I started I thought "Well, it is really like bringing a book to life.." and that is what got me here. Over the seven years of production I created many different films. The learning curve on all the technical was perhaps easier for me - since I have been a photographer for 30 years - but audio drives film so that has been all new. I was advised by my co-producer Suzanne Jurva from Georgia and I worked first with New York City editor Dan Baker and then with Minneapolis based Michael Irei at the post-production house Channel Z. Even after my premiere in April of 2013 at the Minneapolis St. Paul International Film festival, I did additional editing and brought in new material.

The Fabulous Ice Age trailer from Keri Pickett on Vimeo

Q: I can't imagine the time and energy that went into curating and filming something like this. It must just have been insane. What were the most challenging aspects of putting together The Fabulous Ice Age?

A: At first when I started the project, Roy Blakey and his amazing life were front and center to the storyline of the project. I showed a very early draft to the legendary figure skating producer Tom Collins and he said "good, but there’s too much Roy Blakey" which moved my focus to follow the timeline of the the shows. In effect, my goal was to bring Roy's archive to life to show the importance of this amazing story of the ice shows and how it is reflected in Roy's collection. So I made a version of the film that was just the history and Roy's role in telling the story was equal to the others in the film. But I knew 'it' still wasn't there. So that is when I brought the project to Channel Z and Michael helped bring Roy back into the story in a beautiful way. So now the film tells both Roy's story and the story of the touring ice shows.

Q: What was your own background and introduction to the sport?

A: I grew up on a lake and my father used to flood a rink for my sister and I and there was an outside light so you could see the big cracks and the big bumps on the ice coming before you tripped up... but mostly, Roy is my connection to skating. When I was young, I took ice skating lessons and I participated in a little show. I remember that my outfit was a pioneer girl look in gold with a big wide ruffle at the bottom of a long skirt. I still think that had I had been given an outfit with some sequins I may have stuck wit the skating! As a teen, Roy came for a rare visit and taught me cut-backs. So I would give solo-performances to the night sky on Green Prairie Fish Lake.

Q: I do a lot of writing about skating history and I have already firmly concluded that most people who are fans of the sport today are constantly shocked by some of the fabulously interesting stories that are out there. What is the single most fascinating story you have stumbled upon with The Fabulous Ice Age that stays in your mind?

A: Too many to count! Gloria Nord and I really bonded. She was a superstar and told me that for a decade, she spent all her income hiring a Rolls Royce and driver to bring her to and from her shows. She treated herself like a star until she turned into one and then the money and stardom followed. I love how she believed in herself and invested in herself and she made her goal. I can relate with that as I feel that is what I have achieved with the film. I believed that I could become a filmmaker and tell this story and I did.

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

A: Sonja (obvious), Belita (amazing) and Roy Blakey (my muse).

Q: I've interviewed Roy Blakey and found him to be one of the sweetest, most fascinating people out there. Can you give us an update on Roy's IceStage Archive and how things are going with him?

A: Thanks. My first book, "Love in the 90s", is about my grandparents and now my first film is about their son. Roy has a great outlook on life and he and I are close friends as well as family members. He has given me his love for the ancient cultural heritage sites in Southeast Asia and we are travel buddies. I look forward to making another trip with him when the distribution for the film is all set and the film is out in the world. In 1962, Roy was in Burma with Holiday on Ice for a month. They would rehearse in the nighttime and keep the ice covered during the day. In the process of making the film I have scanned his photos and so it puts my more recent photos into context and shows a family tradition. We have been traveling together because of the film as well. Last year we were in Napa Valley together for the Napa Valley Film Festival 2013. Then we have gone to regional festivals such as the Frozen River Film Festival and the Fargo Film Festival. The highlight for me this year was a Dance On Camera screening on Feb 2, 2014 at 1:15 at the Walter Reade Theatre at Lincoln Center. The film was introduced by Dick Button and then Roy, Richard "Mr. Debonair" Dwyer and myself and we had a Q&A session for the sold-out house.

Q: What was the most fascinating thing you've LEARNED in all of the interviews and research you've done?

A: The main thing is that I have learned is that I love making films. The process is so difficult but the medium is so beautiful. I have learned the language of filmmaking. It is amazing and now I am a filmmaker and I see a string of documentaries in my future and I even see script writing in my future as it would be interesting to try fictionalizing a story for film.

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

A: I draw and paint as a hobby.

Q: Is there anything you didn't get to include or anyone you wanted to speak to but didn't have chance to?

A: Well in 1998, Nationals were held in St. Paul and the who's who of figure skating came to a party at the studio where Roy set up a real show of the material and opened the doors to the public. I wish I had started to document the night of the big party because the legendary Holiday On Ice choreographer Ted Shuffel was there and so I am very sorry I never got to interview Mr. Shuffel.

Q: What has been the most wonderful praise or compliment you've received in presenting this documentary at film festivals throughout the U.S.?

A: JoAnne Mitsuko Funakoshi said, "If you hadn't done the film this story of our history might have faded away unnoticed". So many have reached out to say that they were in the shows or that their family member was in the show and how the film offers a way to share the history and the excitement of the shows.

Q: Will the film be available for purchase on DVD or digitally and how can people make a donation to support the work you're doing?

A: The film is currently streaming on Netflix and Virgil Films and Entertainment will release the other platforms such as DVD, Amazon and iTunes on June 17th. Please sign up on my www.fabulousiceage.com website to get updates.

Q: What is your next adventure?

A: Hopefully a trip to Burma with Roy in the fall and from here on, more experimental and documentary films!

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.