Interview With Tim Koleto

It doesn't get any more different than going from being a singles skater in the U.S. to taking up ice dance and representing a country halfway across the world - South Korea. With his partner Yura Min, Tim Koleto has done just that. Originally from Colorado Springs, Koleto competed on the junior level at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships before teaming up with Min in April 2013. Tim was gracious enough to take the time to talk about everything from the programs that he and Yura are skating this season to working with a who's who of skating's greatest coaches and choreographers and much more in this fantastic interview you're bound to enjoy:

Q: Prior to teaming up with Yura Min and deciding to compete for Korea, your background was actually as a SINGLES skater. You competed at the U.S. Championships and placed as high as sixth in the junior ranks. What prompted you to focus on ice dancing?

A: I met Yura in 2011 in Colorado Springs. I have loved Korean music and culture for many years, so when she first came to the rink, I introduced myself and we became good friends. Over the next couple of years, we crossed paths at competitions and for the short time she trained in Colorado Springs. Every time we met, we would joke about doing ice dance together, but the timing was never quite right. My singles career was still progressing and she had a partner. In June of 2012, I dislocated my knee on a triple axel attempt and partially tore both my hamstring and LCL. Once again, in December, I twisted my ankle on a landing and tore my Tibiofibular Ligament (I know, it's a mouthful). In February, I was just starting to skate again, and was working on skating skills, still unable to jump. Surgery was on the table if I wanted to continue to jump. Yura had split up with her previous partner, and offered me a tryout if I'd like to. I moved to Michigan a couple of weeks later and never looked back.

Q: You made your international debut at last year's Four Continents Figure Skating Championships and incredibly placed in the top ten in your first attempt. What did you learn the most from this competition?

A: Four Continents was an eye opening experience. One year before (and a singles skater at the time), it would've been laughable to even dream of competing in Taipei. Though it was a hugely positive competition for us, what actually sticks in my mind is the mistake I made on the twizzles in the short dance. I am incredibly hard on myself and a perfectionist to the end, so knowing we missed the minimum for the World Championships because I didn't grab my blade was tough to stomach. "One thing at a time" is an easy thing to say, but not always easy to execute. In the aftermath, I have learned to trust myself, to stay calmer and more grounded on elements, and to not let things get away from me in pressure situations.

Q: What are your main focuses in training and your goals for this season?

A: Our main focus for the year has been to skate more and more alike; to be sensitive to each others timing and body lean, leg line and toe point. I am in no way a veteran, so finding sameness in our skating is an always-evolving process and we stress this at all times. As the season goes on and the foundation becomes more solid, we are exploring more emotional connection, more power and speed, and skating closer together. Our main goal has always been to be at the World Championships in Shanghai, but our secondary goal for the year has been to leave a lasting impression on the audience. In so many ways last year was quickly thrown together. This year we feel ready to show who we are as a team. We want to have an instantly recognizable and unique 'brand' to our skating, and we want people to experience something special when we perform.

Q: What can you share about the concept behind both your short and free dance this year? What do you feel are the strengths and differences of your material?

A: The concept and direction of our short dance is paso doble to the core. We allow ourselves some room to connect and find intimacy in our flamenco pieces, but we think it is important to adhere to the theme we are given for the year with total commitment. We didn't look for unnatural or avant-garde music choices, rather, we chose to inject the classic paso doble style with our own personality, and let the program find its individuality this way. The concept of our Free Dance is an eccentric take on swing, through a Cirque du Soleil lens. We've entitled it "A Quirky Sort Of Love". The music is from the Canadian-French children's movie "The Triplets of Belleville", and it has this really consistent European tone that we fell in love with. Where our paso doble is intense and aggressive, we wanted the Free Dance to feel soft and light and fun. It is the year after the Olympics, so we wanted to take a risk and really stretch our comfort zone and play with different styles and characters.

Q: You have worked with some very talented coaches and choreographers, Christopher Dean, Igor Shpilband and Tom Zakrajsek among them. What has each brought to your skating that will stick with you forever?

A: I have been so blessed to train under such incredible coaches. Christopher Dean left a huge impression in my mind (and yes, I'm still star struck by him). He has such an incredible vocabulary of moment and styles. He really taught us how to use each others weight and how to understand momentum in order to execute complicated elements. We actually have a huge number of tricks we learned from Chris that didn't make the 'final cut' of the free dance that we will incorporate into future programs. When I began working with Tom Zakrajsek and Becky Calvin, I was at a crossroads in my skating career. I cannot explain the gratitude I have for being taken under his wing. He taught me that even old habits can be changed if you want it bad enough, how to harness perfectionism into an unbreakable work ethic, and how to be a competitor. I take his wisdom and training habits and apply them daily, even as an ice dance. I owe my success to him. Igor Shpilband is different than any other coach I've worked with. His passion and love for skating is clear in every lesson. He is intense and honest in a way I have never experienced from a coach before. He has a deep understanding of music and how to build a program. I'd like to give an honorable mention to Tom Dickson and David Wilson as well. Tom fostered my love for skating when I was very young, and his focus on school figures and edge quality made my transition to ice dance much easier. David taught me a new way to hear music and a new way to express, and that sometimes innuendo is more valuable than the obvious.

Q: What is your favourite book, song and film?

A: "The Mists of Avalon" by Marion Zimmer Bradley, "I Am the Best" by 2NE1 and "V for Vendetta".

Q: If you could meet one famous person (living or dead) who would it be?

A: J.K. Rowling.

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

A: Johnny Weir, for his originality. He has such a signature skating style and personality, and the technical strength to back it up. Everything he did was so 'Johnny'. Michelle Kwan. "Lyra Angelica". Enough said. Yuna Kim. She has never finished off the podium in international competition. A true champion. She is so poised and a sincere role model. I am so lucky to have met her and to compete for her home country under her legacy of success.

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

A: I am a giant nerd. I'm in the middle of writing my second sci-fi/fantasy novel, I binge watch bad TV shows on Netflix, and I read anything I can't get my hands on. I also have a huge love for Korean music and Korean dramas. And, thanks to my Mom and sister, I am admittedly addicted to Downton Abbey. So embarrassing.

Q: What makes figure skating the best sport out there?

A: I think what makes figure skating so special is the dichotomy of sport and artistry. Very few sports share this dynamic marriage of music and dance with raw power and athleticism.

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.

Fairfield's Edwards Pond: Witchcraft Trials And Ice Skating

I have had an insatiable interest in The Salem Witch Trials for as long as I can remember. After first being intrigued by Laurie Cabot as a teenager watching an episode of A&E's "In Search Of", I read her book "The Power Of The Witch" and have since read a number of books and watched documentaries about the events that unfolded in Salem, Massachusetts between February 1692 and May 1693. Those trials saw the execution of twenty people and it wouldn't be until well over a decade later that I'd learn of a very personal connection to those events.

In 1630, my ancestor Anna Maria Conrad wrote a letter while pregnant, imprisoned and tortured in a  Frankfurt, Germany jail, accused of witchcraft. In the translation of the letter (which was a plea for her freedom) she wrote "If you cannot allow me to live in Kleinheubach or elsewhere in Erbach, then, release me and allow me to enter the Mainz region... I ask for the rest of my life that I do not remain guilty and forgotten in Erbach." She survived being burned at the stake and escaped from her imprisonment to Grosheubach, Germany. It is believed that her husband bribed the guards to obtain her freedom. She is known historically as the 'last witch of Kleinheubach'. I'm fortunate enough to (through a distant relative) even have a copy of Anna Maria's original letter in German as well as a full translation.

Having that fascination with my own ancestor's story and the stories of those who endured similar trials in Salem, my interest skyrocketed when I read an article that talked about a skating connection to witch trials. I'm telling you... you can't even make this stuff up! During the height of the Salem Witch Trials, a very similar series of events unfolded in Fairfield, Connecticut. Decades after settlers had sentenced Goodwife Bassett to hanging in 1651 and Goodwife Mary Knapp to the same fate in 1653 for having "witch marks", Puritan society again reared its ugly head and accused another Fairfield woman named Mercy Disbrowe of "witchery". According to Devan Boniface and Erin Gleason's 2000 article "The Fairfield Witch Project", "Disbrowe was searched for witch marks by a committee of six housewives. After finding a peice of skin about an inch long that resembled a 'flattened finger of a glove,' Mercy was placed in jail where she awaited for the start what was to be a drawn-out trial." As part of Disbrowe's "trial" (I use quotations because a witch hunt is not a trial), Disbrowe was put to the almost folkloric "witch dunking" test where she was held down in a pond to see if she would float. If she were to drown, she was believed innocent and if she were to survive, she'd be determined a witch. I don't even have to tell you how ridiculous and sadistic that kind of test is, but hey, there's still racism and discrimination in this world, so there are clearly a lot of people NOW that like then, have completely illogical thought processes going on. At any rate, Disbrowe survived the "witch dunking" and was sent to be executed. Unlike in the cases of Bassett and Knapp, outside authorities stepped in and saved Disbrowe after seeing the hysteria that was going on in Salem around the same time.

Poster advertising a skating ball in Connecticut in 1865. Photo courtesy Connecticut Historical Society.

Of course, as in any story like this, urban legend has prevailed. The pond in which Disbrowe endured her "witch dunking" (which urban legend says she didn't actually survive) was Edwards Pond, which on the grounds of Fairfield Academy. Naturally, the pond was believed to be haunted. Elizabeth Rose, the Library Director at Fairfield, Connecticut's Museum And History Center, confirmed that students at the Academy used the pond (which is now located on Fairfield's Town Green) for ice skating! Evidence that the "haunted pond" was used for skating can be found in "recollections in the 1904 Centennial Of The Fairfield Academy, page eleven (recollections of Arthur Osborne) and page twenty two (recollections of Mary Ann Sloan). It's an interesting connection between witchcraft trials and ice skating!" stated Rose.

Rose was kind enough to provide me with scans of the original 1904 document and I'm happy to be able to share both Osborne and Sloan's accounts of skating on the "haunted pond". Osborne wrote: "The Academy pond, now filled up, was a great feature in the school life, affording skating and sliding in the winter, and wading, rafting and sailing in summer. Often after recess in winter, we returned to the school room, wet from running on the cakes of ice, sometimes up to the middle." Sloan wrote: "Of our sports and pastimes, my most distinct recollection is of the pond next the Academy. It has long ago been filled in, but in my childhood was a considerable body of water. In the winter, when the ice formed, the boys on their skates would draw the girls back and forth as they held their wooden tippets. Sometimes we forgot that ice would break and that there was water beneath. I had many wettings. David Durand was once at least sent to bed for the rest of the day for this reason. After one of these episodes, wet from head to foot, I was hastening home when I discovered that to get there I must pass the procession of good people on their way to the Preparatory Service. Never was a little girl more ashamed of herself. But these mishaps were soon forgotten, and occurred again and again."

Although Edwards Pond, the site of a Disbrowe's "witch dunking" in the late 1600's and schoolyard ice skating at the turn of the twentieth century, is now filled in and grown over, one has to wonder if the site that was long considered haunted in local folklore really was. Did the ice that Mary Ann Sloan, Arthur Osborne and David Durand skated on break of its own volition or did Disbrowe really drown... and was she up for company? Although the answer is more than likely the first of the two, it sure makes for a great ghost story, doesn't it? As I write this, I like to think that my own ancestor, Anna Maria Conrad, is looking down and smiling.

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 Harry Mattick

If you're not familiar with British skater Harry Mattick's story, get ready to be inspired. When he survived a car accident where his father was killed, Mattick suffered a major head injury that left doctors advising he'd never walk again let alone skate. He defied all odds by not only walking but skating his way to an incredible four British junior titles and making trips to the Junior World and European Championships. After recently losing his coach Igor Novodran in a plane crash, Mattick shows more resolve than ever to live out his dreams on the ice. It was my absolute pleasure to talk to him about his achievements, goals, overcoming adversity and much more in this fantastic interview:

Q: You've got a lot to be proud of about your figure skating career so far. After winning the British novice title, you won the UK's junior title for four years straight before joining the senior ranks and winning the silver medal during the 2012/2013 season. You've represented Great Britain on the Junior Grand Prix circuit and at the Junior World and European Championships as well as a whole array of international events as well. Looking back on everything so far, what are your proudest moments or most special memories?

A: There are, indeed, many moments in which I can look back and get a sense of achievement. My first international gold medal from the Warsaw Cup in 2013 is a special memory and representing the country at the European Championships was another. At the top of the list, however, is landing a new jump for the first time! I love competing, performing and, especially, winning medals but the sense of accomplishment you get from landing a new jump tops all else!

Q: You're currently ranked third in Great Britain and obviously are shooting for gold this year, especially with both Matt Parr and David Richardson having announced their retirements. What can you share about your goals for this season and how you are working to achieve them?

A: My goals for this season are (as they always are) to skate the best I can possibly skate, achieve everything I can possibly achieve and represent my country, myself and my God in a way that will make everyone sit up and take notice. Specifically, I'm hoping that a gold medal at Nationals and a place at the European Championships are included within that this season, however no matter what I achieve I absolutely love what I do and wouldn't change it for the world!

Q: You've trained both in England and in the U.S. What do you miss about training in North America and what did you miss most about the UK when you were in the U.S.?

A: America was a great experience! I loved the fact that the culture is so much different to ours in subtle ways that you wouldn't expect. When I was there I missed being close to family. I only got to see my family once or twice a year and that was hard. Training in the states was a great opportunity that helped my skating in many ways and there are many things I miss but I much prefer training in the UK for now at least.

Q: Tell me about your programs this season and what you love about skating them!

A: I love the character I play in my long program. I skate to "The Nightmare Before Christmas" as 'The Prince of Hallowe'en'. In the program, he discovers another world (namely Christmas Land) before returning to Hallowe'en Land. In my short program, I skate to "Amazing Grace" and play a man set free of bondage. My short program is much slower than last season's Latin music. I'm really looking forward to performing it.

Q: Your former coach Igor Novodran was tragically killed in a plane crash this March and you also lost your father in a car accident when you were younger. I'm so sorry for your losses but I'm also inspired by your determination to press on in the face of it. Where do you find strength?

A: My career has certainly not been an easy ride! I find that taking a step back to remember why I skate always renews my determination and drive. I started skating because of the accident that killed my Dad. I was sat in the back seat and suffered physical injuries as well as a major head injury. I started skating as part of my recovery and rehabilitation. Doctors told my Mum that I would probably never walk and that I definitely would never function normally as an adult. I guess they were only half right! I remember only being able to concentrate for two minutes at a time so I had a two minute skating lesson at the end of my sister's fifteen minutes. No matter what anyone tells you and no matter how qualified they are... you CAN achieve your goals!

Q: On a happier note, FOOD! If you were only allowed to eat one food every day for every meal for the rest of your life, what would be putting in your mouth?

A: (laughing) It's a good thing I train so hard as I quite simply love all food! I have a particular liking for fish, specifically salmon and smoked mackerel. One of my favourite treat foods, though, has to be chocolate digestives with peanut butter (something I discovered in the States)! This has to be the hardest question yet, though! I don't think I could live off just one food without going insane!

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

A: When I was nine years old, I recorded the 2004 World Championships. This was back in the day of video tapes! I watched the last six skaters of the men's long, without fail, every day (sometimes two or three times) until the following years World Championships! It was during that year I decided I wanted to be up there with them. Among those six skaters were Brian Joubert and Stephane Lambiel. I had the pleasure several years ago of doing a spin master class with Lambiel in a training camp and it was one of the highlights of my career so far!

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

A: I'm a cyclist! I bike everywhere and as a result I average around forty miles a week. Its green, free and I find its a nice addition to my training, especially as a pre-warm up first thing in the morning.

Q: What is the most important lesson figure skating has taught you?

A: Figure skating has taught me many things but the main lesson has to perform under pressure. It's a lesson that's still ongoing but looking back I've found its crossed over into life off the ice and has turned me into a very laid back person.

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.

Enigma's "Beyond The Invisible" And Rahkamo And Kokko

In 1996, new age musical project Enigma joined forces with British director Julien Temple and 1995 World Silver Medallists Susanna Rahkamo And Petri Kokko to present a first: a popular music video featuring figure skating as the storytelling medium.

"Beyond The Invisible" is a haunting piece of music by the group that features not only the vocals of Sandra and Michael Cretu but samples of Latvian folk piece "Sajāja Bramaņi'" ("Nobleman Rode Together") as performed by the folk ensemble Rasa and a Gregorian chant (Isaiah 64:9-11) from "Gregoriani Cantus" by Pierre Kaelin. The video depicts the avant garde Finnish team skating in a forest: Savernake Forest in Wiltshire to be exact. An ice rink was designed in the forest especially for the video and took over a week to freeze. 

The compelling imagery in the video is unforgettable and the abstract imagery and vocals have been interpreted in completely different ways. Some believe the song speaks of afterlife and reincarnation, of reaching a Home beyond Earth as we know it; that the lyrics propose the conflict between light and dark. "Close your eyes, just feel and realize it is real and not a dream, I'm in you and you're in me. It is time to break the chains of life, if you follow you will see, what's beyond reality," have been interpreted by others to talk about quantum psychology, buddhism and oneness and how many of us struggle within the laws, rules and constrictions of religion to find some connection to the universe and nature we live in. Yet others focus on the message of the importance to create your own dreams, have conviction in your fantasies and to not do what everyone else is doing ("to break the chains of life"). This final description certainly seems fitting for the skating interpretation of music and even the choice of skaters. Rahkamo and Kokko were always well known and applauded during their competitive and professional careers for being risk takers - from batty bride and groom to Nino Rota to vikings and street dancers, the Finns were always daring, different and completely fearless. Breaking those "chains of life" can also be interpreted as breaking out of your daily routine and meditating or thinking quietly about what you really long for and acting on those desires.

Beyond the spiritual and personal messages of the English lyrics, there is a much more bold message to the song if you look at the translations of the Latvian and Grigorian lyrics. "Sajaja bramani totari ta, raitata raitata, radu ridu raitata, rota" translates to "this is a dream your pants are still on" where "Ne irascaris Domine, ne ultra memineris iniquitatis: ecce civitas. Sancti facta est deserta: Sion deserta facta est: Ierusalem desolata est: domus sanctificationis tuae et gloriae tuae" translates to "Is this God? If so we need a revolution, like the civilizations in the desert, God has been corrupted, Sion is corrupt, Jerusalem is the devil... I despise the church...do not be angry Lord". If you look at those translated lyrics in context with the rest of them you see a bigger message about structured religion .vs. belief: a debate I won't even get into. What a lot of you, as readers of my writing, may NOT know is that I study spirituality as much as I can. I devour books on everything to Christian and Gnostic religions to reincarnation to every religion and "new age" belief imaginable like a big girl with a box of Smarties. I find it tremendously interesting that Enigma, who really is such a fascinating musical group in itself, chose to interpret and convey this message through skating. I can't imagine anything more spiritual than carving out edges on a frozen rink in the middle of a mysterious, ancient forest dating back in oral tradition to 934 AD. 

No matter how you interpret Enigma's "Beyond The Invisible" or the accompanying music video featuring Rahkamo and Kokko, one thing's for sure. It takes you to a different time and a different place and serves as evidence that skating and art aren't separated by a few degrees. They exist together.

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 Stephanee Grosscup

The story of Stephanee Grosscup's skating career - which has spanned over four decades - is full of some of the most fascinating moments that you could possibly could find. A combination of natural talent, hard work and dedication created a thriving professional career for Grosscup that began at a very young age and saw her tour with Disney On Ice, Ice Follies and Holiday On Ice and perform for over two decades as a soloist in the Sun Valley summer ice shows. Her work has a choreographer has seen her work with Olympic Gold Medallists and fan favourites. She was part of the choreographic team at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics, choreographed Stephanie Rosenthal's much loved "Rockit" program, skated in the Emmy winning production Carmen On Ice and even appeared on The David Letterman Show but that's really the tip of the iceberg. Over a glass of wine with Douglas Webster (the Artistic Director of The Ice Theatre Of New York), I was told I NEEDED to interview Stephanee. I told him to make it happen! Without fail, they both came through and it was my absolute pleasure to speak with Stephanee at length about her incredible career as a skater, coach, choreographer and lover of the sport:

Q: I don't even know where to start with you! Let's see... you've been on The David Letterman Show, won the U.S. Open Challenge Cup in 1990, worked alongside Sarah Kawahara and other greats on the 2002 Olympic and Closing Ceremonies choreography team, toured with Disney On Ice, Ice Follies and Holiday On Ice, The Nutracker On Ice and countless other professional shows and events. Looking back on your performing career, which moments or memories stand out as your absolute favourite - or shining - ones?

A: Absolutely, one of my most favourites would be the twenty two summers as a soloist in Sun Valley. You were skating under the stars - sometimes the full moon - once a week with an incredible cast and an environment that is so beautiful. To be able to have that honor is no doubt one of my favourites. The most outrageous was in 2002 when I was on the choreographic team at the Salt Lake City Olympics. They let the choreographers skate at the end of the first segment. I was in this huge icicle costume so I took the liberty to skate backwards and watch the entire stadium light up with these beautiful lights. It was incredible to be able to skate in that! I was asked by Brian Orser to skate in a show called Skate The Dream for the Rob McCall Foundation in memory of Rob McCall. Everyone who was in that show was some kind of champion and then there was me. I was super nervous skating alongside Toller Cranston, Brian Orser, Judy Blumberg and her partner at the time and all of these greats. I lost myself and skated this performance where I felt like something else had come through and possessed me.

Q: I want to talk a bit about your "amateur" career. So you competed on the regional and sectional level in the 1970's... so you were competing in the era of ladies skating that included skaters like Janet Lynn, Dorothy Hamill and Linda Fratianne. What can you share about your skating days before you turned professional?

A: I trained from age eleven to fifteen in California and did a lot of correspondence school - six hours a day, ballet class and off ice. I think I did figures four hours a day and I loved patching. It was such an incredible discipline and was worth sixty percent of our score back then. I would say a huge part of my amateur career was spent doing figures. I did okay competitively but at around seventeen with the split of my Mom and stepdad, there wasn't a lot of financial support to keep me in skating. By the age of sixteen, I had made my way to Sun Valley and was working as a rental skate girl and in 1975-1976, I actually started skating in the show there. I was a junior lady at the time and I pretty much gave up competing because I knew that (performing in shows) was what I wanted to do. I started teaching skating at nineteen and at twenty I was in a professional show and never looked back. As soon as I came to understand that there was a venue for me, - an avenue where I could express myself outside of the competitive box - I went that way.

Q: As a professional, not only did you do a lot of the "usual touring" but you also got to do a lot of great performance work such as skating with the Ice Theatre Of New York and performing with Carmen On Ice... as well as doing professional competitions also. A big criticism of the skating "climate" today is that there really aren't a lot of opportunities for skaters (especially those who are lesser known) to get out there and bare their soul on the ice. What are your thoughts on competitive skating and bringing in professional competition again as an alternative? 

A: I think that question has a lot to do with the changing of the judging system. I feel like there is so much confusion perhaps about why someone wins and why someone hasn't won. Our viewing audience is looking at competitive skating with confusion. So then, if you take that confusion and take it to a pro competition where it's scored out of one to ten, there's a huge disconnect between an overall opinion and the opinion of many. We've lost a huge viewing audience because of the way it changes every year and the fact we don't have "skating heroes" anymore. We don't have a Michelle Kwan who wins the national championships nine times in a row. The spectators love to have their idols. The judging system is confusing and diluted. If you really want quantify something, just have a jumping competition. Make it measurable like figures but use a radar gun to measure jumps or something just like in track and field if that's the direction it is going. There's just a lack of support from sponsorship and audience. People lose a sense of interest in what's going on. I feel like if they were going to mark skating in pro competitions, the categories would need to be very clear cut. It's all over the board and still so highly subjective but in my opinion; competitive skating has gotten more diluted than when someone can say six, six, six.

Q: You coach and choreograph alongside so many fabulously talented skaters it's unreal - Sonya Dunfield, Anita Hartshorn and Frank Sweiding, Linda Fratianne, Ryan Bradley, Kim Navarro and Brent Bommentre, Judy Blumberg, Lisa-Marie Allen, Craig Heath - I mean, seriously... If you need a fabulous coach, apparently Sun Valley's the place to go! When it comes to your coaching and choreography, you know that I have to ask about the amazing "Rockit" program you put together for Stephanie Rosenthal back in 2006. It was probably one of the most unique and cleverly choreographed pieces I've seen. How can you describe the creative process of working with Stephanie?

A: Well, that season I did the short and Stewart Sturgeon did the free skate. Always for me even if its with younger kids, I like to sit down with the kid and say "what are we gonna be this year? What character can we portray?" I look at it like they are married to that program. She had been in school taking dance and started doing hip hop so I first created this for her as a junior lady. I instantly thought of Herbie Hancock and brought the music to her and Stew (her primary coach at time). That year, she did well at Regionals but didn't skate well and didn't make it out out of Sectionals. I said that if we were going to do hip hop, let's go robotic because the judges wouldn't go crazy for harder hip hop. She moved into seniors and maybe in her second or third of seniors, she just came to me and said that she had a feeling she'd make it to Nationals that year and she had to do "I Robot" in a stadium. I said, "yes you do, Steph!" We followed the same map and structure but her hip hop moves had become so much better so we brought in new movements she'd perfected that particular year and spliced them in. Basically, my last piece of advice before she left for Nationals that year was "Steph, when you start the program start as the robot. When you end, end as the robot. Make it one goal that when you get to that footwork sequence, get that audience on their feet and dance, dance, dance with joy. This is your last Nationals!" It was the same process with Nathan Chen. Nathan will always inevitably come up with something he's very interested in being as a character. It's wonderful working with kids like that. I like them to know their voice counts with me. It's my piece but it's not. Once it's on them, I turn it over to them. I've been to Burning Man three times and that's what they do, make these incredible works and blow them up. My favourite thing is when the skaters themselves take ownership and find themselves in the choreography. I feel so humbled by that energy, to be able to give it to other people.

Stephanie Rosenthal's "Rockit" short program choreographed by Stephanee

Q: You've also choreographed for many professional skaters like Anita and Frank, Steven Cousins, Oksana Grischuk and Evgeny Platov and Elena Leonova and Andrei Khvalko. What pieces are you proudest of?

A: I did this piece for Liz Manley to "Uninvited". I love that piece SO MUCH! That was one of my favourites. Another total favourite was Steven Cousins. He came up to Sun Valley for several summers and asked me to do a piece for him so I got him "Great Balls Of Fire". I knew there was this sense of humor... something inside him that was dying to come out. He took that piece and he rocked it! It was so great to see him to do that. It was fabulous to do "Foxey Lady" with the Russian Olympic Champions Grishuk and Platov. That number was great.

Q: You recently won the first live professional figure skating competition in North America in over a decade - the ProSkaters Live Open event in Sun Valley this summer with a group piece you choreographed called "Transience". The piece was a tribute to the seemingly lost art of edges and figures and was so well received. What can you share about this piece? 

A: It was based on the depth of figures. Nine skaters from the Sun Valley Ice Show volunteered to join me. I was dressed as a harlequin clown and I started off doing figures to Pink Floyd's "Great Gig In The Sky". It was like I woke up in this dream where figures were being skated again. It was really powerful. I ended up winning out of nineteen entries. "Transience" was very much based on the idea that things are very transient with what we do in skating. We will have a student that's with us for years and then they go. Figures lasted forever and then they were gone. We meet people we love in skating and form these intense bonds and then off they go. It was based on the deeper meaning of people coming and going and things coming and going.

Q: What is your favourite book?

A: "Love In The Time Of Cholera" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. There's just so much happening.

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

A: Peggy Fleming - she was an Olympic Champion around the time I started skating. She was so graceful, so beautiful. There was a simplicity to her skating. I remember thinking "that's what I wanna do". Kurt Browning - absolutely. His ability to pay attention to detail, character, incredible sense of musicality, the ease with which he skates... it's incredible. An amazing person. Janet Lynn - she just had an ability to move through space. She was incredible. I could go on and on... John Curry, Brian Boitano, Brian Orser, Robin Cousins, Yuka Sato... There are so many!

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

A: People may just see this wild and crazy side but I also have an intensely solitary and introspective side. On that flip side, you have to recharge. I go for long walks by myself. I introspect and am a very thought filled and extremely spiritual person. I have a deep connection to nature. I can't live without it.

Q: Who are you thankful for?

A: If it wasn't for people in my life such as Herman Maricich who was the Director Of Skating here or Sarah Kawahara who choreographed my first solo in a pro show, people like Robert Paul, Karen Kresge, Douglas Webster, I don't know where I'd be. Those people and many others... I learned so much from them. They fueled a fire that was already burning inside of me. I think the incredible web of people who give to younger people and pass the torch... that's so important. That's the only thing I can do, to give to people - to younger people - because I have no idea that would have become of me if it wasn't for those people who were like "you got something girl"! I am just so grateful.

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 Ghost, The Skater And The Shotgun

In her 2012 book "Ghosts Of Colorado Springs And Pikes Peak", author Stephanie Waters explores many stories that don't exactly have you clamoring to go for a late night walk in Colorado without your flashlight at night. One particular story she highlights couldn't be more perfect for my dear friend and fellow blogger Allison Scott if it tried. It's got everything a Colorado Springs resident could want: a luxurious hotel, a figure skating connection... and a ghost. Before we get into this chilling story's figure skating connection, let's turn to the July 31, 1907 edition of the Reading, Pennsylvania newspaper The Reading Eagle, shall we? In the article "Sensation In Death Of A Beautiful Girl", we learn about the inquest into the death of an award winning actress named Laura Mathews who was staying Colorado Springs' Acacia Hotel at the time of her untimely and suspicious death. Matthews was found on a mountain slope with a bullet through her brain and there was quite a debate as to whether the actress had taken her own life or was a victim of foul play. The inquest couldn't have been any more dramatic.

Let's start with the biggie. An Amos R. Rumbaugh was about to testify when he shot himself IN THE COURTROOM! He was rushed to hospital by deputies where he died the next day and after his death, it was learned that he had been infatuated with Laura for about two weeks. The 1907 article states that "rumours are persistent here that Mr. Rumbaugh was an agent sent here by Eastern men to induce the girl to commit suicide, or otherwise to cause her to disappear." A fellow guest at the Acacia Hotel said Mathews feared Rumbaugh was infatuated with her and that she was afraid to go back late at night to her hotel. Rumbaugh wasn't the only man who was connected to the young actress. She'd entertained a lengthy relationship with millionaire Chas Coey. Coey had told her he wanted to marry and start a family... but he was already engaged to a woman named Victoria. Mathews was enraged and showed up at his door, caused quite a scene begging for him to end his engagement to Victoria and stormed off saying she'd rather die than ever see his face again. She took off in a huff and checked in with her nurse Tillie Green at the Acacia Hotel. In the meantime, Rumbaugh was kind of around skulking in the shadows and professing his interest in Mathews to anyone who would listen. Green said that "Rumbaugh was desperately in love with Laura. He had previously told me that he was engaged to marry her; that they would go East on their honeymoon, etc. He did not know Coey. When I told Rumbaugh that Laura had committed suicide, he seemed like one possessed. He swore he would go to Chicago and kill Coey, and his entire motive from that time until his suicide seemed to be that of revenge on Coey. He killed himself through love of the girl." So here we have this woman who some still seem to think had killed herself (we'll get to why in a bit) and we have a lover who's engaged named Chas and this (married) man named Rumbaugh who's infatuated with her. I can already see a few scenarios brewing at this point, can you? Let's look at the suicide theory and how that came about. Why, her nurse Tillie Green could explain that one to you.
The 1907 article states that "another startling feature is the discovery that Miss Green, the dead girl's nurse, had prepared and sent out letters announcing the suicide of Miss Mathews before the latter was dead - almost a day before, in fact. She explains this peculiar action by the statement that she knew Miss Mathews would kill herself". Mathews' sister Mrs. Marshall gave an interview to press in Kansas City where she said that "my sister was to return to Chicago next week and intended us to visit us en route. She wrote in a happy mood and only a few hours before her death sent a pair of moccasins to my daughter. I am sure it is not a case of suicide." Was Mathews' nurse somehow connected to her death? If she was, she was shifting the blame. Tillie Green suggested that the coroner was "keeping the lid" on the case to protect rich Chicago men who she had intimidated. Green said that "Coey and Miss Mathews were intimate friends for two years" and that "Miss Mathews expected Coey to marry her and the date was set several times, but always postponed by Coey". Whatever the case may be and however much suspicion might have fallen upon Coey, Rumbaugh and even Green, on August 1, 1908 (over a year later from when the courtroom drama first began) the foreman of the jury announced: "We, the jury find that Laura Mathews came to her death by the shot of a pistol; that said pistol wound was self inflicted with suicide intent".

Waters' book states that "mysteriously, at the very moment the suicide verdict was announced, a haunting high-pitched scream reverberated throughout the building. Janitors thought the boiler had exploded until it was discovered that the timing cable on courthouse clock had suddenly snapped. Time stood still on the courthouse clock tower for many years until money was saved to replace the expensive copper cable. The clock still acts as if possessed by unseen forces now and then, and paranormal investigators have become convinced that it is a message from the grave of Laura Mathews."

So as usual, you're probably all wondering what this crazy blogger from up in Nova Scotia is going on about and how it could possibly connect to figure skating... and as usual, my job is to do a little 360 and bring things full circle a little bit. Today, the Acacia Hotel rents rooms for senior housing and also hosts a beauty parlour, barbershop and until just a few years ago, a little hole in the wall Cheers type pub called Jinx Place. The bar was owned by a woman named Jeanne A "Jinx" Clark, who according to Waters' book was "a tough-as-nails ranchers daughter". She was also a champion figure skater who performed at The Broadmoor, toured with the Holiday On Ice show for fifteen years and travelled all over the world during the forties and fifties before buying the bar in 1960. Jinx passed away in March 2007 and interestingly enough as it relates to this piece was a history buff herself - she was the curator at the Lamar Big Timbers Museum. Jinx was evidently quite proud of her history as a figure skater and proudly displayed her lucky skates above the cash register at Jinx Place along with a sprig of plastic mistletoe. She had won a figure skating competition on Christmas Eve of 1946.

Jinx Clark. Photo courtesy "Winter Sports" magazine.

"Legend has it" that Jinx Clark's bar was haunted by Laura Mathews and local artist Gail Anne Bailey even painted a ghostly painting of the young actress who met a suspicious and tragic end. According to Waters' book, one night a group of costumed actors from a local community theatre group when to Jinx Place after a show. An actor named Robert Rais saw a costumed entertainer in period clothing who wasn't part of their group and asked her if she was an entertainer as well. She apparently looked just like the woman in Bailey's painting of Mathews. The costumed actress disappeared before Rais' eyes and he left screaming. Waters' book purports that Jinx grabbed a gun from behind the counter and exclaimed, "If that damn ghost scares away any more good paying customers, I'll shoot her!" and then (accidentally?) shot a hole through the ceiling. Apparently after the dust settled, a shell shocked old barfly responded to Jinx with, "If that was last call, all you had to do was say so." Ghost or not, you don't MESS with a figure skater apparently!

The space occupied by Jinx Place in the Acacia Hotel building is now (or at least was recently) occupied by a print centre and is located right in heart of downtown Colorado Springs at 104 East Platte Avenue. One has to wonder if Laura's ghost still remains earthbound and connected to the last place she took up residence before her untimely death? You can go get some photocopies made and find out. I'll just stay here with my wine until you get back and tell me ALL about it.

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 Blake Skjellerup

If your blog's speed skating virginity is going to be taken away, I can't think of a nicer guy or someone easier on the eyes - I mean ice - to be responsible for that happening. I had honestly never even thought about interviewing a speed skater until I learned a bit about New Zealand's Blake Skjellerup. The twenty nine year old who was born in Christchurch represented his country at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver and he even has a Canadian connection - he lived and trained in Calgary for a time. Now living in the States, he is not only one of an elite few out and proud gay athletes but he is also very active in anti-bullying initiatives. Skjellerup also recently acted as an ambassador to the 2014 Gay Games in Cleveland, Ohio. Being pretty passionate about advocacy for gay athletes and anti-bullying initiatives myself, that's definitely something that we discussed but we also got to dive into some other interesting questions such as talking about the ISU and Speedy Cinquanta from a speed skater's perspective. I even had chance to talk to Blake about his favourite FIGURE skaters. Grab yourself a bevvy and get ready for something completely different.

Q: First of all, congratulations on taking the blog's speed skating virginity! Being a figure skating blog, I've touched on speed skating in a few different historical articles but never actually interviewed a speed skater. After learning about your story, I was like you know, this is a person I need to talk to! I wanted to start by talking a bit about your accomplishments as a skater. You've won five national titles in New Zealand and represented your country at the 2010 Winter Olympics here in Canada where you have lived and trained. How did you get your start in the sport and what are your proudest moments or accomplishments as an athlete? 

A: I got started in speed skating through my brother. I was initially playing rugby in my hometown of Christchurch, but I had broken my arm rollerblading with some friends. Since rugby was out of the question for two months with a broken arm, my brother thought that speed skating would be something that I could do with a broken arm. Turns out it was, and I haven't stopped skating since then. My proudest moment would be Vancouver 2010. I had put so much work, sacrifice and effort into training and qualifying for Vancouver. I was proud of what I achieved and I was proud to give back to everyone that believed in me and knew that I could make the Olympics.

Q: As far as sports go, speed and figure skating are really night and day in some respects. The judging of figure skating has that subjectivity element whereas speed skating is very cut and dry - simply put, the fastest wins. Speaking of judging, a lot of people within the skating community (myself included) have been very critical of Ottavio Cinquanta, the President of the International Skating Union that governs both speed and figure skating. Being a former speed skater himself, many people feel the ISU (and Cinquanta)'s interests seem to favor speed skating. I'm curious to hear from a speed skater's perspective how people view the ISU from that angle and the way speed skating is judged and officiated?

A: Gosh, what a loaded question! Where to begin? I think that speed skating is slowly morphing into a sport of the twenty first century. The old and out of date regulations and rules are being replaced by ones that better suit the sport and its future. I believe the ISU has a long long way to go to build all of the sports it officiates over. Speed skating and figure skating are amazing sports and it is sad to see that the following of both has been declining. I can count on one hand the amount of times I competed in a sold out arena. It is disheartening for the athletes and the organizers to hold World Cup and World Championship events that do not fill the stands or even fill the stands half way. The ISU needs some rejuvenation among its ranks to bring its sports on par with what else is out there. 

Q: You were named as an Ambassador for this year's Gay Games, which I think is just fabulous. Having decided to loudly and proudly come out while still competing and support worthy advocacy causes is a surprisingly VERY uncommon choice for many amateur athletes - figure skating very much included. What are the root causes or reasons, in your opinion, that most athletes don't make that decision and why is it important they do? 

A: Fear I think is the biggest reason. In saying that, I know of some who believe it is no one's business to announce their sexuality (and that may be true) however when you are at the level of representing your country, you are there representing those people who live in it: gay, straight, Christian, African American... Why I believe it is important to come out publicly is to be that role model and that strong competitor who knows the importance of being supported. It may be no one's business but to those at home who are feeling alone and isolated for whatever reason, being that role model and strong representation allow those people to not feel so alone and isolated. 

Q: Here's a question I ask everyone and I'd love to get a speed skater's perspective. Who are your three favourite FIGURE SKATERS of all time and why? 

A: Do we count a pair as one or two? Meryl Davis and Charlie White are not only amazing skaters but great people. I also love the skating style and swag of Yuzuru Hanyu.

Q: One of the things I really wanted to talk to you about is your work with Safe Schools Iowa and GLSEN (Gay, Lesbian And Straight Education Network). I wrote an article during the Sochi Olympics called "Getting Up And Saying No" that quite bluntly addressed the bullying of figure skaters in social media by "fans" and those claiming or playing a journalistic role. To be honest with you, it is an issue I am very passionate about myself. What are your thoughts on social media and bullying and what are some things athletes can do to address this issue? 

A: I think avoiding social media during competition time is very important. It is a distraction whether the messages are positive or not. You need to stay focused on competing and having a phone in your hand detracts from that. The sad reality is that there are always going to be those people who feel it necessary to be hateful and nasty. I have a pretty thick skin as I was bullied early on for my participation in speed skating and my perceived sexuality. Nothing gets to me anymore after years of names and negative words thrown my way during high school. Blocking and reporting those who find it necessary to be hateful is step one. Don't give fuel to their fire by replying. I encourage people to be confident in who they are and athletes need to strive to be that in the competition arena. If you know who you are and you are confident in your abilities, nothing else matters.

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

A: I make a mean lasagna.

Q: What do you love the most about being on the ice? 

A: The glide and speed. There is just something about moving at thirty five miles per hour on razor sharp blades that make me feel free and in control.

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 Curious Case Of Dr. Charles C. Finney

Situated along the historic Missouri River in Kansas is a small town of just over ten thousand named Atchison. The town's biggest claim to fame is being the birthplace of doomed aviatrix Amelia Earhart, but the story of the town's former doctor and mayor Charles C. Finney is a fascinating one - with both a figure skating and rather spooky connection.

The youngest son of Michael and Kate Kathrens Finney, Charles began his career in the medical field as a bookkeeper and office assistant to Dr. Dan Holland (that's Dan HOLLAND, not Dan HOLLANDER) and it was Dr. Holland that encouraged Finney to go off to medical college, obtain a degree and open his own practice... which he did. While still working for Dr. Holland, Finney enjoyed success as a competitive figure skater. As the December 28, 1883 edition of the Atchison Daily Globe describes, "last evening the gold medal was awarded to Miss Florence Guerrier and Charley Finney the best couple skaters." A skilled figure skater and roller skater, a young Finney won local competitions and frequently appeared on the ice dressed as a female, billed as 'Miss Colby Of Baltimore'. He was apparently so graceful on the ice that no one could tell the difference or surmise his identity. Perhaps as a result of his gender bending act, Finney fell out of favor and when the competition was held again in 1885, the local paper noted that the event was open to all gentleman skaters, except Charles Finney: ""A prize of $5 in gold to the best gentleman skater in Atchison on New Year's night at the Palace rink, open to all gentleman skaters except C.C. Finney. A committee of ladies will give the decision. Music by Geo. Roth's band. Dancing at 10 p.m. Matinee for ladies and children in the afternooon. Admission, 10 cents; skates, 5 cents extra." Finney gave up his ice skates for roller skates and became a local roller skating champion instead.

Before receiving his medical degree in 1894, he was all over the papers again... and this time it had nothing to do with skating in drag. The October 20, 1887 edition of the Atchison Daily Globe reported that "Charley Finney and W.S. Anderson had a fight this morning, which came about in the way: A few days ago, a Miss Page, a sister-in-law of Anderson's, had a pocket-book containing $3 stolen from the dental rooms of Dr. Shulze. There were present in the room at the time a stranger and Charley Finney. Neither were accused at the time of taking it and the matter rested with an advertisement in the Globe until yesterday, when Anderson went to Dr. Shulze, and, according to that gentleman’s statement and that of Mr. Reid, of the packing house, accused Finney of taking the pocket-book. Finney heard this morning that he had been so accused, and went to the store of Mr. Anderson, and asked him to step up to the doctor's office, and retract his statement. Anderson said he had nothing to retract, and after a few words Finney struck him over the head several times with a heavy cane.  Nick Anderson, W.S. Anderson’s father, was present and drew a revolver, which he was prevented from using. Anderson claims that all he said was that the taking of the money laid between Finney and the stranger. He refused to cause Finney's arrest, saying that Finney would in retaliation cause his father's arrest for drawing a deadly weapon." That just sounds like a big old mess, now doesn't it?

Finney's medical career flourished upon his return from medical school in St. Louis and in 1914, he was elected Mayor Of Atchison, a position he held for two years until he was forced to step down in 1916 as the result of a scandal surrounding the selling of alcohol at a local Eagles Lodge. In the midst of controversy, he sought re-election but that didn't go so well for him.

This fascinating story of Finney's life neglects to mention one important detail: the fact that the land where Finney's family home stood now boasts The Sallie House - which is infamously haunted. The Michael Finney (Charles' father) purchased and built a home on the property between 1867 and 1871. Michael died in that house in 1872 and in 1889, the house next door on the same property that was built by James Finney (Charles' other brother) was deeded to a woman named Johanna Barnes. Johanna was a recently divorced mother of three, with another 'bun in the oven'. She had been institutionalized in the state hospital in Topeka for mental instability and neighbors provided evidence to a judge that she was "violently insane". In July of 1899 however, her newest bundle of joy Frank Barnes was born. She was eventually released from custody TO Dr. Finney and returned to the home that James Finney built. On September 24, 1906, Johanna attempted suicide by turning on the gas in a downstairs room and laid down on a cot with her six year old son. They were both overcome by fumes, but she survived... and he died.

In 1992, Debra and Tony Pickman moved into The Sallie House with their then newborn son. Little did they know that they'd become regular guests on the FOX series "Sightings" as the result of their paranormal experiences. Debra Pickman explained that while living in the house "there have been full-bodied apparitions and objects flying through the air. Items have moved, been misplaced or lost only to reappear or show up later or at another location. Phantom furniture has been heard along with thumps, thuds, knocks, scratching, and the sounds of animals and disembodied human voices. Although some have been heard with the naked ear, there have been an amazing amount of EVP (Electronic Voice Phenomena) captured, further depicting the voices of men, women and children. Many have experienced extreme smells. Lastly, and most famously, there has been physical harm to the occupants and investigators in the form of scratches, burns and cuts."

Tony Pickman also shared with me his experiences in the Sallie House: "My wife's experiences and my own experiences were two very different ones. She experiences the nice side of things and mostly because she openly accepted that what was in our house was a little girl. With my Catholic upbringing I had a very different take on our earliest experiences and didn't want anything to do with it. For this reason, the entity in our house tried other ways to gain my acceptance; an innocent little girl, then showing itself as my wife, then as a matronly older woman (perhaps to scare me into accepting it). When I resisted these it began another game and infiltrated my dreams, thoughts, emotions etc. This was just the start. It got more physical and much worse. Over the years since leaving the house (staying only twenty two months) we investigated the house ourselves as well as other locations; all in all, we learned a lot. At times we are still bothered by these entities, but we have become used to identifying them when they are around and that is half the battle. Would we want to experience it again? Likely not, as it has definitely taken its toll on us."

Just really who ARE the ghosts of Sallie House? Michael Finney? Johanna and Frank Barnes? Or perhaps that female ghost is really the ever convincing 'female skater' Dr. Charles C. Finney (Miss Colby Of Baltimore), back from the grave and severely ticked off that his figure skating (and mayoral) careers were cut short in their heights? One can only speculate... but if it is an angry Finney and it does have to do with his skating career being cut short... it would surely be the longest skating related grudge in history.

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 Sondre Oddvoll Bøe

If you enjoyed the recent interview with Camilla Gjersem, you might know that Norway has been very kind to figure skating. It's given us three time Olympic Gold Medallist Sonja Henie, Olympic Silver Medallist Andreas Krogh, Olympic Bronze Medallist Martin Stixrud and has played host to both the 1952 and 1994 Winter Olympics and a total four World Championships if you account for the fact that in the early days of skating, men's and ladies skaters competed for World titles at separate events altogether. Although not the hotbed of skating it once was during the pre-Henie and Henie eras, Norway continues to produce some fantastic talent and among those is their current men's champion Sondre Oddvoll Bøe. Hailing from Vollen (which lies next to the western coast of the Oslo Fjord), sixteen year old Bøe is a young skater with quite a bright future ahead of him. He's already competed at two World Junior Championships and the European Championships and is busy gearing up for what he hopes will be a breakout season for him. Before heading off to the Junior Grand Prix event in Dresden, Sondre took the time to talk about his skating career to date, programs and goals for this season, must visit places to visit in Norway and much more in this first rate interview:

Q: You're the current Norwegian senior men's champion and have won both the novice and junior men's titles at The Nordics. You've also competed internationally on the Junior Grand Prix circuit and at events like the World Junior Championships, Triglav Trophy, NRW Trophy and European Youth Olympics. Looking back on all of the things you have accomplished so far, what are your proudest moments or most special memories as a skater?

A: One of the two proudest moments I have had so far as a skater is the competition I did in Warsaw earlier this year. It was the first time I landed a triple flip in competition, which made my training and the rest of the season better because after this I also did triple lutz. I skated in Warsaw two times before this competition and I placed second both times. This season I won, so it was really exciting. The very best experience I have had as a skater is the short program at Junior Worlds. My main goal was to qualify for the final and I did. I skated a clean short program and that was an amazing experience.

Q: You have been coached by Berit Steigedal and choreographed by fellow Norwegian Champion Kaja Hanevold as well as Michael Huth in Germany. What makes Berit, Michael and Kaja the best team for you personally?

A: Since I was very young Berit has been my coach. Berit and I have amazing chemistry. She has helped me at getting so much better as a skater every year. Kaja was also coached by Berit. She is an amazing choreographer. I think she and I work really well together. She choreographed both of my programs last year and also my new program this year. This year I also made a new free program to the same music I skated to last year. This program was made by Mr. Sinicyn in Oberstdorf. Since I was eight years old I have skated in Oberstdorf, Germany with Michael Huth and other really good coaches. Mr. Huth has helped me improve with my skating and jumping technique. I feel he is a really good coach for me. I have decided that I will live in Oberstdorf and be coached by Mr. Huth. Here I also have a lot of other boys to practice with which I don't have at home in Norway.

Q: What can you share about your goals and programs for the 2014/2015 season?

A: My free program this year will be to the same music as last year: "Tango" by Astor Piazzolla. My new short program is "A Day In The Life" by The Beatles. I am really excited about this program and I am looking forward to skating it in competitions next season. My main goal for this season is to show myself to the figure skating world and to train hard in practice so my competitions will be good.

Q: What do you see as your strengths and weaknesses as a skater and how have you been working to improve upon your weaknesses?

A: My strength as a skater would definitely be that I work hard in practice and I love to compete. My weakness has to be that in competitions it is hard for me to get really focused. Since I am the only Norwegian boy skating in juniors or seniors in Norway, the competitions at home are the hardest for me. At Nationals this year I did skate one of the best free programs of this season and I did triple lutz in the short and free programs so I am getting better at this.

Q: If someone were to visit Norway, what are the three places they would ABSOLUTELY have to go?

A: It's hard to choose only three places people should go to in Norway because it is a beautiful country. If I would choose three places it has to be Oslo (the capital of Norway), Galdhøpiggen (Norway's biggest mountains) and Hardangervidda (Norway's most beautiful place).

Q: If you were going on a backpacking trip across Europe and could only pack three things in your suitcase, what would they be?

A: (laughing) If I were going on a backpacking trip trough Europe and I could only bring three things I would bring money, my phone and if there were space in my suitcase, I would bring a friend.

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

A: My three favourite skaters of all time are Stephane Lambiel, Evan Lysacek and Carolina Kostner. Those three are skaters that have inspired me to get better and better every day. I have watched their performances on YouTube over and over.

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

A: What most people don't know about me is that I LOVE TV shows. I watch all kinds of TV shows like Criminal Minds, So You Think You Can Dance?, Modern Family, Suits and many more.

Q: What do you love most about figure skating?

A: I cannot find one thing I love most about figure skating because I love that there are so many things you have to work on. You can always improve in something. I love competing and I love that all the hard work pays off when you go to competitions all over the world and meet new people and friends.

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