Interview With Liam Firus

It's Nationals Week in both Canada and the U.S. so after Sunday's interview with Courtney Hicks who'll be vying for a medal this week in Greensboro, it would be only fair to share a brand new interview with one of the medal contenders at this year's Canadian Tire National Skating Championships in Kingston, Ontario. The reigning senior men's bronze medallist in Canada, Liam Firus is also a former Canadian junior champion and represented our country in the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics! An athletic skater with an understated elegance about his performances, Firus is B.C. born and raised but is currently training in Colorado Springs. He'll take to the ice to try to defend his national podium finish this Friday and Saturday at the Rogers K-Rock Centre, but before he does he wants you to know a bit more about him! In this interview we talked about how he started skating, what makes him homesick for the West Coast, his favourite songs and much more. You'll love it!:

Q: You have accomplished things in your career so far that most skaters only dream of - a trip to the Olympic Games last year, a bronze medal at last year's Canadian Championships, junior AND senior international competition assignments as well as of course the Canadian junior men's title you won in 2010. Looking back on your accomplishments so far, what moments or memories stand out as both the most special and the most challenging?

A: I've been so lucky to represent Canada at many international competitions. Last year's Canadian Championships will always be special for me. I skated great and I qualified for the Olympic team! Immediately after that was definitely my most challenging moment in skating was when I skated my short program in Sochi.

Q: Why did you start skating and was it something you knew you wanted to do right from the very beginning?

A: I started skating originally to play hockey. My Mom loved figure skating and thought it would help my speed and skating skills out so she signed me up. I wasn't a big fan of it at first but it slowly grew on me. I finished last at my first competition and I was back at my training rink the same day to make sure that never happened again.

Q: You're from B.C. but have been training in Colorado Springs with Christy Krall, Damon Allen and Erik Schulz. Was that a difficult transition to make? What makes you homesick for Vancouver?

A: I was born and raised in Vancouver. Moving to Colorado was very hard, but it has been worth every minute. My team of coaches here is amazing and I'm provided with everything I need to succeed as best I can. At first I really missed my family and friends but now I miss the ocean and all of the fresh seafood!

Q: What do you see as your biggest strengths and weaknesses as a skater and how are you working hard to improve any weaknesses?

A: I believe the strength in my skating is my power and skating skills within each program. My weakness is the consistency of my triple axel, It has been a struggle for me but I'm always working on it. I have made progress with making it more consistent.

Q: If you'd have never taken up skating, what other passion would you have pursued?

A: I played soccer at a high level until I was fifteen. If I was not a skater, I would have kept on with that hoping to eventually play as a pro.

Q: What are your main goals right now - both on and off the ice?

A: My main goals for skating this season are to be on the podium at Nationals and to compete at the Four Continents and World Championships. Off the ice, I want to keep working towards the completion of a finance degree and to travel more!

Q: Your younger brother Shane is a competitive ice dancer with his partner Lauren Collins and I understand he also used to skate singles. Were you or are you competitive with each other or has skating brought you closer together do you think?

A: Shane and I are very close. When he was competing in singles we never competed against each other, but during practice we always pushed for the better. Skating has kept us close because we can relate to each other when we're having our ups and downs. He has the opportunity to make it onto the podium this week and I am really hoping he does.

Q: What are the three most played songs on your playlist?

A: "Business" by Eminem, "Firestone" by Kygo and "The Dreamer" (Samuraii edit) by The Tallest Man On Earth.

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

A: I have two. Stephane Lambiel is my all time favourite skater. He has the whole package and is always exciting and fun to watch. Daisuke Takahashi because he is another skater that keeps you on the edge of your seat while he skates.

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

A: Skating has taught me so much but it has really taught me to be patient. The best things in life don't come easy or fast.

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.

That's All Yolks!: An Eggseptional Skating Story

Every so often in my "digging" (which I affectionately have come to call it) I come across an anecdote so short and sweet that it probably really doesn't warrant me shelling out a blog of it's very own, but this one was simply so eggs-cellent that I had to get cracking right away!

"Ballou's Monthly Magazine" (Volume 13) which covered international stories of interest between January and June of 1861 told a devvilishly good story that seems so far fetched it just might leave your head a little scrambled. The story goes that "a singular wager was won recently by a skater on the Lake of Geronsart, near Namur, Belgium. He betted that he would skate for an hour, wearing a basket of eggs on his head without breaking one of them. He accomplished it in first-rate style, having during the hour written his name in elaborate characters on the ice, besides tracing an immense variety of complicated figures, and at last set down the basket and received his wager, amid the cheers of all present." This story is retold in several newspapers of the era and although the name seems to be poached from every headline, "The Freeman's Journal From Dublin" states that the date of this feat's achievement was January 19, 1861.

All I know is this... anyone that can carve their name in the ice deserves a hats off as far as I'm concerned. If they do it with their breakfast on their head while eggstending their free leg - for an hour no less - I'm pretty sure they're incredible! Move over triple axel, the skaters of today can eggspect a new challenge from an unnamed Belgian skater from yesteryear... we'll call him Eggs Benny!

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 Courtney Hicks

To me, there's something really special about Courtney Hicks' skating. She's a powerhouse of a jumper and if you look at her performances on the Grand Prix this season (fourth place finishes at both Skate Canada in Kelowna and Trophée Éric Bompard in Bordeaux) you definitely see a skater with a renewed fire to succeed this season and a lot of marked improvement going on in terms of the way she's presenting herself as a skater. It was an absolute pleasure to have chance to speak with her about the growth in her skating this year, her goals going into this week's U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Greensboro, North Carolina and much more in this interview you're going to just love:


Q: The accomplishments you've had so far in your skating career have been fantastic - wins at international competitions like the U.S. International Classic and Ice Challenge, top five finishes at the Junior World Championships and Four Continents Championships, the U.S. Junior title in 2011 and most recently, two fourth place finishes at your first senior Grand Prix events. I'm sorry, but that's fantastic! Reflecting on what you've accomplished so far, what are your proudest moments and most special memories?

A: I'd have to say the most special memory for me was my pewter medal in Omaha at the U.S. Championships. I’d come back from an injury and that was my first time competing at Nationals since I’d won the junior title, and it was just so gratifying to see all of my hard work and struggle over the year finally pay off. Another moment that I'm extremely proud of is my short program in Salt Lake City earlier this year. I’d struggled with my attitude going into the short a lot in the previous season, and Salt Lake City was such a huge change in my mentality. I feel like that was really a pivot point in how I approach short programs now.

Q: How do you think you've changed and grown the most as a skater this season?

A: I have really decided exactly how I want to portray myself to the audience and judges. In the past I've always thought of it as ‘perform this character’, and I've realized that it's about much more than just the character that's being portrayed. Even though I'm still working on it, I'm figuring out how to inject my own emotions and performance into whatever I'm skating to and how to truly perform for an audience, and not just for myself.

Q: That said, looking towards the U.S. Championships in Greensboro and beyond, what are your main goals and focuses in training right now?

A: I am really focusing on consistency and staying healthy. I'm also really trying to push my performance in all of my run-throughs. I know that I can do the jumps, so it’s nice to be able to take time to focus on the performance and presentation aspects of my skating.

Q: If you were throwing a party, what would be on the menu, what kind of music would be playing and what would the dress code be?

A: I think I’d go with blintzi and cheeses. I love blintzi and I don’t get it very often so that’d be a must! There would definitely need to be a coffee machine, too. For the music I’d have a mix of a ton of different styles. I love K-pop, Country, some Russian pop and alternative... so really anything would be fine. The dress code would definitely be on the dressier side, too. Since I pretty much always wear workout clothes, its fun to dress up every once in a while.

Q: You've skated to a lot of music over the past few years with a Russian theme - Korobushka, the Russian Sailor' Dance, Dark Eyes and your free skate this year is set to Anna Karenina. Has your Russian heritage played a role in your music choices?

A: I don't know if my heritage has played a role so much as the fact that I just tend to enjoy that style of music. I have always loved Russian folk music; I think definitely fun to skate to and it sounds so happy most of the time. I also love the intensity that Russian music often portrays. I like that it can be soft and pretty but still have a certain strength behind it.

Q: Your current coaches are Jere Michael and Alex Chang but you've also worked with Ken Congemi and the legendary John Nicks in the past. What have your coaches taught you that has brought out something different and special in your skating?

A: I've been really fortunate to have coaches that have helped me do what I do to the best of my abilities. I'm a very powerful and strong skater, and they've recognized that and have helped me show my strengths in the best way. I feel like my coaches have all worked on bringing out my power and speed and helping me make it beautiful. They never tried to mold me into something I'm not. I'm one of the few skaters that have all the jumps without any edge calls or underrotations, and they've always focused on highlighting my elements. My coaches have always helped me fine tune my skating in a way that was uniquely me, without trying to copy or skate like anyone else.

Courtney's exhibition program from the 2013 Graz Ice Challenge with an introduction by 1972 Olympic Gold Medallist Trixi Schuba

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

A: Most people don't know that I absolutely love world history and geography. I've always enjoyed history and it's pretty much always been my best subject in school. I also think it’s really cool to be able to go back and see things that have happened in the past and see how the event has directly and indirectly influenced things that happened in the future.

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

A: My favourite has always been Michelle Kwan. I love the way she connects to the audience and gives everything she’s got while she's on the ice. Another favourite of mine is Yuna Kim. I admire her speed and attack on the ice, and her jumps are breathtaking. My third would have to be Alexei Yagudin. I've always loved his footwork and speed and his programs are always so fun to watch!

Q: In your opinion, what are the most important things in life?

A: I definitely think having a really solid base of family and friends is extremely important. To have a network of support around while you’re growing up and when you’re trying to achieve things makes such a huge difference. Even if it's not family support, just having a group of people around you that support you is so needed. I think another important thing in life is to find something that you love doing. It's the best thing to be able to go to sleep every night totally exhausted from the day knowing that you spent it working at something that you truly love doing.

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.

Burt Ward And Rhapsody On Ice

Many moons before achieving fame portraying wonder boy Robin, the trusty sidekick to Adam West in the 1960's Batman TV series and film, Burt Ward achieved another claim to fame. At age two, he was named 'the world's youngest professional ice skater' by As Strange As It Seems magazine.

Born Bert John Gervis Jr. in 1945 in Los Angeles, California, the man who would later be known as Burt Ward was the son of Bert Gervis Sr., who was not only in real estate sales but the owner of a travelling ice show called Rhapsody On Ice. Rhapsody On Ice was one of many skating tours operational during that golden era of figure skating in the forties that saw productions like Ice Capades, Ice Follies and Sonja Henie's productions take center stage. The tour featured such stars as Belita and according to an advertisement from the June 19 of the Eugene Register, was "a complete revue - with eleven champion skaters" including the legendary Mabel Fairbanks, who was at one point a coach to the fabulous, fabulous Tai Babilonia and Randy Gardner, Tiffany Chin, Kristi Yamaguchi and Scott Hamilton among countless others.

Now how did a two year old become 'the world's youngest professional ice skater'? Much as you might expect. Being the son of the tour's owner, he was offered the opportunity to perform in the tour after being featured in the Hollywood Citizen-News newspaper for his adeptness on the ice at such a startlingly young age. In a 2012 interview with Mark Wyckoff of the Ventura County Star, Ward mused of his stint as a skater: "I couldn't see the people in the audience but I could hear the cheering." Ward struck gold when cast as Robin in 1966. Although he ultimately found his success as an actor and not a skater, Ward did prove to take all things athletic. He wrestled, studied karate and excelled in golf and track and field as a teenager.

Where is the 'the world's youngest professional ice skater' and Batman star today? Ward and his wife Tracy Posner Ward founded a charitable organization called Gentle Giants Rescue And Adoption, Inc. that rescues and finds homes for larger breeds of dogs such as Great Danes, Mastiffs and Greyhounds. The Ward's have found homes for over 14,500 large breed dogs and are even in the dog food business. One has to wonder what Adam West, who has achieved fame with a whole new generation of television fans for his role as Mayor Adam West on Family Guy would have to say about his sidekick Robin's short lived skating career?

Well played, Mayor West, well played!

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.

Regular Or Decaf?: Sonja Henie And The Airline Debacle

In this day and age, for many air travel is not only a convenience but a necessity. Facing hard facts, gone are the days where long cross Atlantic trips on luxury liners or leisurely train rides are practical or even possible with the busy schedule and fast paced lives that we live in this day and age. What's hard to fathom is that there was a time less than a century ago when air travel was still considered very much a luxury. Taking an international flight in the thirties was nothing for your pocketbook to sneeze at. If you adjust prices for inflation, ticket costs back in those days could run as high as twenty thousand dollars for a single flight in today's market. Flights weren't just more expensive back then, they took much longer. For instance, a trip from England to Australia in 1938 took eleven days and made over a dozen scheduled stops. Today, the same journey could be completed in twenty two hours with a single layover and cost as little as two thousand dollars. Flying was so different back then though. For starters, you got dressed up in your finest, you didn't eat vacuum packed "sandwiches" and you certainly weren't hit up for money to listen to an in flight film. The prohibitive cost of traveling by air meant that if you weren't well to do, you didn't get to fly. That said, few actresses in the world were as well known or wealthy as three time Olympic Gold Medallist Sonja Henie... and the reason you didn't see her flying all over the world was a completely different one.

But first... a little Come Fly With Me!

In the 1950's, Dee Merian was a TWA hostess. In her book "Southern California Stories", Merian offered a glimpse into the reason Henie didn't often fly: "Sonja Henie was on all the major airline's blacklist and not allowed to travel with any of them. It was a short list of individuals who for one reason or another always gave the airline a bad experience. Sonja Henie once had a tantrum, and threw hot coffee in the face of a hostess because she was denied another alcoholic beverage on a TWA flight. Howard Hughes, our CEO, agreed she should not be allowed any further TWA courtesies." That didn't stop the always determined Henie. She made her reservations on TWA under her married name and made it aboard a flight that Merian was working on. She wrote, "I decided to wipe my mind of Sonja's past deeds, and help the other hostess serve beverages. When I offered Sonja Henie, now Mrs. Onstad a beverage, I announced it was nice having her aboard. 'It has been a long time since I skated at your Westwood Ice Rink. I always enjoyed myself,' I told her smiling. She turned to her husband and said something in Norwegian. Her companions laughed. She refused to acknowledge that she understood any English. Maybe she knew she came aboard under false pretenses. If TWA had known her real identity, she would not have been allowed on the plane." It appears that the world's airlines softened their ban on Henie over time. After all, it was on October 12, 1969 that Henie sadly passed away on an ambulance plane that was returning from Paris to Oslo. The October 13, 1969 New York Times article "Sonja Henie, Skating Star, Dies" explains that "Miss Henie had been suffering from leukemia for the last nine months. In Paris yesterday her condition worsened, and it was decided to fly her home. Her husband, Neils Onstad, a Norwegian shipowner, said she 'just slept away' halfway through the two-hour flight." There's a very sad irony in that her death took place aboard an airplane, the very place that just ten years previous she most certainly wouldn't have even been allowed to book a ticket. Even more ironic is the song "Fly On Ice", as featured in her last film "Hello London" with the lyrics that speak of flying "happy and free". Triply ironic? The fact that Henie's picture has adorned the tails of a Boeing 737-300, Boeing 737-800 and Norwegian Air Shuttle's first Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

The notoriously "difficult" Henie wouldn't be the only skater to get herself into trouble while flying. In 2008, Alexander Abt (the 2003 Russian Champion and two time European Medallist) caused quite a spectacle on a flight from New York to Moscow, where he was headed to perform in the Russian Ice Age event. After drinking a little too much, Abt reportedly jumped from his seat and was bothering and insulting other passengers. A Yoki.ru article states that Abt was subdued, albeit protesting and shouting. Although he was released, I don't imagine his antics went over any better with the airlines than Henie's scalding java in the face incident.

I guess the moral of the story in all of this isn't just to behave yourself when you are flying. It's also that, like all of us, skaters are humans and humans make mistakes. Sadly though, in Henie's case, the mistake may not have come back to haunt her as much as she came back to haunt us.

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 Sandra Garde

As I've mentioned many times on the blog before, it was actually the flood of professional competitions and wonderful skating that came out of them in the mid-nineties that drew me to the ice. It's funny how particular performances stand out in my mind but I vividly remember watching TSN broadcast the men's and ladies free skates from the Masters Miko professional competition in France one night and just being in awe of Sandra Garde's program. I must have worn out the tape (yes, we had tapes back then). Dressed in this red catsuit with this very imperious collar skating to Alexander Moussorgsky's "Night On Bald Mountain" under theatrical lighting, Garde wove a complete spell. With only a peppering of double jumps, she imprinted this vision of good artistic skating in my mind that made me understand that it wasn't about the jumps or the technical side; skating was about performance. That way of looking at the sport has stayed with me to this day and I guess I have Sandra Garde to thank for it. It was an unbelievable pleasure to speak with this very accomplished skater and choreographer! For those of you who aren't familiar with her skating, as an amateur she won the French junior title and three senior medals at French Nationals and represented France internationally at the World Junior Championships, Skate Canada and many other international events. Professionally, she's won the Lalique d'Or event in France, toured with Holiday On Ice, Willy Bietak Productions and Disney On Ice and choreographed for a who's who of skaters. You know all of those amazingly creative performances you see coming from French skaters? Chances are Sandra's had a hand in that! I'm excited to share this one so first things first, grab yourself something to drink and when you're back, get ready for an amazing interview!:

Q: The first time I ever saw you skate was at the 1995 Masters Miko competition, when they televised your magical "Night On Bald Mountain" program. Between the costuming, lighting, music and choreography I was just so taken away by your skating! I later learned this program was adapted from a free skate you did during your "amateur" career. How did you come up with the concept and choreography for this program and what can you share about the story it told?

A: All of my numbers or programs were always a story or theme. It's more interesting and exciting to skate and express a character or a feeling. This program was about Adam and Eve and I was the devil. The first part was the snake with an apple trying to hypnotize Eve (the public was Eve) and then the devil showed its the real face in the second part.

Q: Your "amateur" career was filled with so much success - a 4th place finish at the Junior Worlds, the French junior title, 3 medals at the senior level at French Nationals and medals in international competitions. You turned professional in 1990 at the age of seventeen. What are your most special memories from your "amateur" career and what made you decide to turn professional?

A: My best memory was my last French Nationals in my home town, just because at that time it was difficult to get my jumps done. I worked so hard but would fall so many times. I had no hope anymore; even my coach didn't believe in me anymore. My gym coach Frederic Goyonech was still behind me staying very positive and pushed me a lot every day and in the end I skated this competition without making a mistake in the two programs. When it's very hard and then the performing is good, you are proud of yourself and extremely happy. Before I turned professional, I stopped skating for about a year. I had to recover... physically but more mentally. Now with the years past, I know high level competition is hard but it brings you a lot of strength and courage for life. I started as a professional with amazing luck. Patrick Hourcade, who was organize the Masters Miko (a professional competition), invited me to participate. At that time this competition was on television live and only champions were invited - Katarina Witt, Denise Biellmann, Petr Barna and many others. First I refused this invitation because in one month I had little time to get ready. My gym coach Frederic pushed me again and then I put my skates back on again and practiced a lot of course. This is how my professional career started and today I have to say those years were the best time in my life.

Q: Professional skating was where you achieved your most competitive success, winning the Lalique d'Or competition in France that was judged by the audience and also finishing third at the U.S. Open Challenge Cup in 1994. What are your thoughts on professional competition and do you think it is something that will and/or should return?

A: Professional competition brought a lot of audience and made the best publicity for the sport, amateur or professional. The audiences were packed for those competitions and it was a big mistake not to keep those competitions going.

Q: You toured as a principal skater for twelve years with Holiday On Ice, Disney On Ice and Bietak Productions. What was the most interesting thing that happened during your touring career?

A: Everything was interesting, exciting and amazing. Each company taught me a lot of things. Holiday taught me how to be always sensual and pretty. Disney taught me acting and making dreams on the ice for kids and adults who want to dream again. Willy Bietak Productions were great shows and taught me you could put on a show and perform hard jumps at the same time. Touring with skaters from all over the world and working, living, discovering new countries for me as for them... We did everything together and opened our little minds about absolutely everything. As I said before, this was the best time in my life and I am rich for the chance that just a few people have had. I'm extremely lucky.

Q: You really have such a wonderful sense of music which comes across not only in your own skating but in your work with other great skaters such as Vanessa Gusmeroli, Marie-Pierre Leray, Maé Bérénice Meite, Candice Didier and Kim Lucine. I know that you have almost 20 years of classic, jazz and modern dance training (which is evident) but where do you get such innovative ideas for the programs you choreograph? They really are so brilliant and unique!

A: As I said, I've been travelling everywhere and meeting people and coming upon unique situations.
For sure, that inspires me a lot today. I try to respect the personality of each skater when I propose a program, a theme or a story. Most of the time, it takes a little time and it is important that the main coach and the skater trust my choice for them. In the end, most of the time they follow my ideas.

Q: As a technical specialist, you've certainly had to evolve with the sport. What are the best and worst parts of the "new" judging system?

A: The best is the perfectionism of this system. It pushes this sport and all the skating family to go further and further each year technically but also aesthetically. The bad part of this system is not the system in itself but certain humans who use it not for the sport, but just for themselves... but that is just for the same for everything and everywhere in life!

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

A: Katarina Witt, for her charming. Toller Cranston, for his way of skating. He was in the forefront of skating progress and avant garde style. Scott Hamilton, for his courage... and many others!

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

A: (laughing) I have no idea! Maybe the things they don't want to see.

Q: When you're not on the ice, how would you spend a perfect day?

A: Those days are rare but I when I do have one I enjoy spending time with my husband Bruno of course. My reassurance is my garden (an anti-depressant) and my little dog (he's also my traveler friend) and two weeks per year flying on the other side of the planet to discover a new country or a new part of a country.

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 Rocker To Reichenau: Skaters, Monks And Shipwrecks

The figure skating world is usually more known for its train wrecks than shipwrecks. Oops... sorry! Inside voice. Let's leave certain skaters who shall remain unnamed out of this. The fact of the matter is a shipwreck is exactly the LAST thing you'd ever think would have even a remote connection to skating aside from the odd nod to the film "Titanic" and PJ Kwong's apt comparison of Liz Manley to The Unsinkable Molly Brown... but all of that changed in the winter of 2006!

Lake Constance is a lake on the Rhine River near The Alps that intersects three countries: Germany, Switzerland and Austria. It is Europe's third largest freshwater lake and plays home to thirteen islands, six of them populated. One of the six populated islands is The Monastic Island Of Reichenau, which was first populated in 724 AD and has a population of roughly six thousand. Ice skating has long been a popular pastime of the residents of Reichenau, so much so that the Gnadensee near Reichenau is considered the most popular skating spot on the lake.

In 2006, one man made the discovery of a lifetime when he literally SKATED upon the shallow wreck of a fourteenth century boat. It was shockingly close to shore: approximately fifty meters from the banks of the island and in a depth of roughly 1.8 meters of water. I was fortunate enough to speak with Dr. Martin Mainberger, a German underwater archaeologist who was directly involved in the underwater study and preservation of this wreck. He explained how a skater would have been able to see this wreck under the ice: "Lake Constance, at least in the Untersee area, regularly freezes with ice sheets that are described as Spiegeleis (mirror ice) as long as it is only some cold nights old and before snow has fallen. You then would be able to observe the lake bottom like through a looking glass."

A 2006 Kristen Allen article from The Local explained that "archaeologists were worried that decreasing winter water levels and ice flow on Lake Constance, called the Bodensee in German, could destroy the nine-metre wooden boat." Dr. Mainberger explained that in November 2009 samples "were recovered protruding from the lake and from bottom parts of the ship. The parts were in some loose sediment, some of them were released from the constructive association. Essentially it is frames and floor planks."

The 2006 Allen article pronounced that "experts know that Lake Constance has been used for trade and transport since the Stone Age. Monks at the Reichenau Abbey on the island are known to have had an interest in water traffic on the lake, using it for fishing and trade. 'This find is a sensation, particularly because it’s so close to the shore that lines the island, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site because of the abbey,' (Dr. Peter) Zaar said." Samuel James Capper's book "The Shores And Cities Of The Boden See: Rambles In 1879 and 1880" provides hints to the monks using boats that served as ferries across and around the lake. Dr. Mainberger was able to clarify this a bit for me.
He said "ships and  boats were the main transport means for at least a thousand years of Reichenau history and (were) used for everything concerning administration, fishery, transport of goods and persons, warfare." He also explained that there is no final publication about this wreck, but that is something he hopes to work on in the coming year.

The Benedictine Abbey on the island believed to be connected to the shipwreck was considered, according to UNESCO, a famous centre for teaching and creativity in the arts, literature and science. Dr. Mainberger corroborated this by telling me that "in early medieval times, The Reichenau Monastery was one of the most important cultural centers in Southern Germany." I find it so very fitting that it was a skater who discovered the shipwreck of monks who devoted their lives to fostering creativity, don't you?

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.

Thinking Outside The Box Formation: A Step Into The World Of Synchronized Skating

Believe it or not, I've never written a single blog about synchronized skating. Why? It's really quite simple. I don't know a lot about it despite the fact that synchronized skating competitions have been held in Canada since the first one in Ilderton, Ontario in 1977. Back when I skated (you know, when you had to walk to the rink uphill both ways in the snow and rain), we'd have fifteen minutes or so usually at the end of one session a week dedicated to "precision". As our club's annual ice show would grow closer, we might use it to work on a group number or something but more often than not, those fifteen minutes were spent just doing more freestyle until (as I remember) precision was taken off of the schedule completely at our club. I've watched the odd synchronized skating event and though I'm incredibly impressed by the talent of the skaters to do what they do in such large numbers, without being able to relate to it as a skater personally, I just kind of smile and say "hey! that's great!" rather than take the time to learn more about it... and I'm glad I was approached to write a piece on the upcoming ISU World Synchronized Skating Championships and was consequently able to learn a lot in the process that I can share with all of you who may be in the same boat as I am!

Let's start with the basics. The 2015 World Championships in synchronized skating will be held from April 10-11 in Hamilton, Ontario - a city I've had more than a few cocktails in in my day. Embassy patio? It's the best! Senior teams from around the world consisting of sixteen skaters each will perform both short programs and free skates and like in singles skating, pairs and ice dance are judged in IJS fashion. Last year at Worlds in Courmayeur, twenty three teams participated and the Canadian NEXXICE team won the silver medal for the third consecutive year, sandwiched between two teams from Finland: Marigold IceUnity and the Rockettes. NEXXICE (who train in Hamilton) actually won the World title in 2009, making them the only non-Scandinavian synchro team to ever take the title since the competition's inception in 2000. The Twitter campaign #WhyNotSynchro2018 generated thousands of tweets of support as part of a campaign to make synchro skating an Olympic sport, but it hasn't happened... yet. Two Canadian teams will participate at the event, their selection determined by the 2014 Canadian Synchro Skating Championships which will be held from February 27-March 1 in Charlesbourg, Quebec (a suburb of Quebec City).

I spoke with Sean McKinnon, a synchro photographer and the father of a NEXXICE team member who is also a passionate advocate of the discipline, about what makes synchro skating unique. He explained "the team aspect of synchro is the obvious thing that sets it apart from the other disciplines in skating. Unlike the team event in Sochi, which simply combined performances in the other four disciplines to create an overall score, synchro is truly a team sport, with athletes that train together and compete together in the same program. To get credit for each element in a program (and obtain positive GOE), the elements must be performed correctly (and well) by the entire team, so there is less focus on individual 'stars' and more on developing the skill of all team members. Like ice dance, synchro places more emphasis on turns and edges, unison and precision, and less on jumps, spins, and lifts (though all of these can be incorporated into a synchro program). A challenge that the other disciplines don't have is that a synchro team must perform difficult and complex components well, while still maintaining unison and proper spacing between team members to achieve the best visual presentation of the elements."

Lee Chandler, the only male member of NEXXICE's senior team and coincidentally its co-captain, shared his own thoughts on what makes synchro a unique discipline. Chandler explained "the discipline is unique because it is like a combination of singles, pairs and dance, but with a twist. Synchro is much harder then many people may think. You won't see a lot of jumps or spins like people are accustomed to seeing in singles, but with the changing of the rules, synchro skaters are being encouraged to add spins and jumps as highlights to the already challenging elements. To be a good synchronized skater, you need to be physical strong like a pairs skater, have knee bend and edges like an ice dancer and the agility and quickness of a free skater, all while doing everything in complete unison with fifteen others skating an arms length away. I began synchro ten years ago in my home province of Manitoba. I joined synchro because at the time I was a competitive singles skater and I wanted the experience of a team sport but also, it gave me a few extra hours each week on the ice to practice. Four years ago I decided to retire from my singles career and begin the journey to continue pursuing my goal of competing for Canada. This time the discipline was synchro, and with Nexxice. Looking back, synchro has really enriched my life and given me many opportunities which I would have not gotten any other way."

With so much focus on the prohibitive and ever increasing costs of countries hosting the Olympics, many have argued that adding synchro skating to the Olympics would not only be an expensive addition but would be hard to market without promotable individual stars people can get behind. McKinnon explained, "The dream of the synchro community is, of course, to get the sport into the Olympics. A petition on Change.org has garnered over fifteen thousand signatures and the Twitter campaign #WhyNotSynchro2018 has been generating thousands of tweets in support of this campaign, but it hasn't happened... yet, although there is hope. The ISU has recently modified their rules to accommodate Synchronized Skating as an Olympic sport, and has formally recommended the sport's inclusion to the IOC. My understanding is that the IOC will make this decision by April next year (right around or after the World Championships in Hamilton)." I don't know about you, but I don't know the first thing about hockey or football or cricket but I know they do little vignettes on those team sports' athletes and people seem to be interested just fine... so I personally find that argument a little flimsy. The cost factor? That's a whole other issue that I'd love to leave up to readers to discuss. I'd be happy watching a Winter Olympics consisting of eighty different skating events and nothing else, but that's just me.

Having the World Championships in Canada for the first time since 2007 when they were held is an obvious huge plus for Canadian skating fans wanting to take in the action, as well as Americans who aren't geographically too far removed to make the trip. McKinnon explained the many PROS of this year's World Championships: "All-event ticket packages for Figure Skating Worlds last year in London were going for over a thousand dollars. At one hundred dollars for lower bowl and only seventy-five for upper bowl all-event tickets, the Synchronized Skating World Championships are a bargain for an ISU World Championship event. Your ticket gets you access to all practice sessions and the short and free program days at the FirstOntario Centre in Hamilton (formerly known as Copps Coliseum). This is a great venue, with seating for almost eighteen thousand and we expect a sell out. The location is great because there is tremendous support for Synchronized Skating in Ontario, as well as in Quebec, and Michigan and the mid-west USA, all of which are within a reasonable driving distance. We will probably also draw a lot from the Boston area and the eastern U.S.A, and of course we expect the European teams to bring a large contingent of fans as well. It also wouldn't surprise me if we also see a lot of fans come up from Mexico. They are a developing team, but their fans have been numerous and boisterous at the past two World Championships in Boston and Courmayeur. Attending a World synchro event is unlike any figure skating event you've ever been to (except maybe in Japan). The fans are passionate, loud, and enthusiastic. They often accessorize themselves to support their teams (fans of the Rockettes last year were sporting Freddie Mercury moustaches to compliment their Queen inspired 'We Will Rock You' program). I expect the FirstOntario Centre will be rocking all weekend, and the cheering will be deafening. If you've never been to a World Synchro event before, you owe it to yourself to check it out!" Chandler agreed with McKinnon: "Worlds in Hamilton is going to be a very exciting time. Not just for any synchro skater, but all skating fans who attend. The past two times that Worlds has been in Canada it has been a sold out event with an amazing supportive crowd. I believe that this Worlds will be just as big, if not even bigger! I am most excited to have the opportunity to skate with a hometown crowd, and skate in front of many family and friends who normally don't make it to the World Championships."

As for the 2015 World Synchronized Skating Championships, I think it sounds like a really exciting event that you can really get behind. If this putting together this piece on synchro skating has piqued my interest in a discipline I quite frankly never really paid much mind to and made me excited about giving synchro "a second chance",  I think the same might just be said for you too if you've been in the same boat as I have. Watching some of the performances of these talented teams just blew my mind. Want tickets? Get 'em while they're hot! All you have to do is head over to http://www.skatecanada.ca/event/isu-world-synchronized-skating-championships-2015. You'll thank yourself!

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 Angelo D'Agostino

If you followed figure skating in the eighties, chances are you've watched some amazing performances by my latest interview victim. Angelo D'Agostino was very much a contender both within the U.S. and internationally during that decade and after turning ending his competitive career, he embarked on a professional career that would see him perform around the world, coach and choreograph and even install shows on cruise ships for Willy Bietak Productions. You name it, he's done it... and I think you're going to love the candor with which Angelo talks about his life in skating in this must read interview:

Q: Your "amateur" skating career was certainly full of some great accomplishments. After winning the pewter medal at the 1986 U.S. Figure Skating Championships, you won the NHK Trophy in Japan in 1986. You won the silver medal at the 1987 Grand Prix St. Gervais event in France behind Petr Barna and the bronze medal at Skate Canada International in 1988 right behind the two men that would dominate the sport for the next several years - Kurt Browning and Viktor Petrenko. Looking back on your competitive career, what moments and memories stand out as the most special or your proudest?

A: First, let me say you are very complimentary in your recap of my skating accomplishments. Thank you! When I hear them listed out like this it does make me sit back and say wow... what a great ride I had. I worked very hard for many years but I also have to say I was very fortunate to have had the opportunities I did thanks to my wonderful parents who supported me and to all the great coaches I had who helped me see what was possible in the world of skating, the sport I'm still in love with today. My proudest moment is a toss up. It has to be either winning the 1986 Grand Prix NHK Trophy in Tokyo or that same year finishing second in the long program at the 1986 Nationals behind Brian Boitano. These were both career defining moments for me. They were surreal moments as on both occasions I was not expected to have done so well at either of these events. I was the underdog at each event catching a lot of skaters and officials by surprise. Kurt Browning even mentioned it in one of his books that he had underestimated me that year in Japan. It was always my goal to focus on myself and do my personal best the day of competition because what I learned was the rest of the story was completely out of my hands. I knew at a young age how unpredictable the world of subjective figure skating was. It was frustrating and ridiculously absurd at times. You could skate great but sometimes that didn't matter. Fortunately, on both those days I proved to myself that my best was good enough to to run with the big dogs... even to beat some of the big dogs as well! It was the culmination of a lot of years of hard work and the beginning of an amazing run that has lasted over thirty years. I'm still fortunate to be working in the worlds of both amateur and professional skating today. How fortunate am I?

Q: You were coached by the legendary Carlo and Christa Fassi. What made them both such brilliant and revered coaches, in your opinion?

A: As I said before, I was very fortunate to have parents who were able and willing to support my skating and provide excellent coaching, especially at the end of my career. The move to Colorado Springs was a life changing event for me. It was in Colorado Springs that all the pieces started to fall into place for me. What was so great about working with Carlo and Christa Fassi was how they complimented each other so well. They were truly the "dynamic duo". They each had their strengths; all bases were covered. Carlo was the ultimate career manager and compulsory figures technician. Christa was excellent with jumps and overall technique. Christa was also my friend at so many competitions keeping me grounded, focused and calm when Carlo couldn't be there. What a lot of people don't know is that my father is also Italian and my mother is German just like Carlo and Christa. Carlo being from Italy and Christa from Germany, it was a perfect fit for me. Many times it did feel like "family" for me and I think on some levels I wanted to please my "pseudo parents" by skating well for them. Don't get me wrong I always skated for myself and the joy of skating but who doesn't want to please their parents at some point. I think that what often made it work so well with me and Carlo and Christa was not only Carlo and Christa themselves but the environment they created at the Broadmoor during those years. Carlo had an amazing support staff of coaches all of which taught me so much. I had Christy Krall, Janet Champion and Phillip Mills as my support staff. Talk about the dream team! Carlo, Christa, Christi, Janet and Phillip. Come on! This is why I say I was so blessed. It was a special time in skating history too. The Broadmoor Skating Club was very powerful on an international scope. We attracted the best skaters from around the world and every session I skated on was an inspirational international event. I skated every day with Paul Wylie, Todd Eldredge, Caryn Kadavy, Jill Trenary, Tracey Damigella, Joanne Conway, Jim Cygan, Erik Larson and Eddie Shipstad to name a few. There were always plenty of international skaters coming in and out the door throughout the year. We all naturally brought out the best in each other. Maybe on occasion the worst too. This is skating after all!  However, the diverse crowd Carlo and the Broadmoor Skating Club could attract was part of the appeal for me. Ironically it helps me in my job today as every time I mount a new show on board a cruise ship the casts are very international, just like those days at the Broadmoor. Being around such great skaters made me want to be my absolute best and win the practices everyday. I do have an ego too, just like most performers though I'm probably one of the most laid back but highly competitive persons you'll ever know. Sort of an oxymoron isn't it?

Q: Professionally, you've toured with Ice Capades, competed at the U.S. Open and done countless other shows. Having had so much experience in show skating, what advice would you offer to a skater who wanted to pursue that career path?

A: Be ready to grow.The biggest mistake amateur skaters make is thinking turning professional will be easy compared to competitive skating. I've experienced it myself thinking I was the cats ass as they say the year I turned professional. Nothing compares with the boot camp that it takes to get a show open and perform daily. It's extremely hard work. I tell the skaters in the shows that I'm involved with that no one gets to skip any part of the transformation process. Some will have a harder time than others. The ones who are "clay" and moldable are doing themselves the biggest favor. Those who think they possess all the skills needed because they were very good at competitions struggle the most yet it is their work ethic that we're banking on to carry them to the next level if they can shift their focus. In professional skating, the focus shifts onto to the nuances of performing, the necessity of projecting outward to the audience and to deliver figure skating with a look and refinement we just don't see in amateur skating. It's subtle most of the time. It has to be learned. It could just be the way you hold your hands or the way you remember that your legs don't stop at the ankle and that pointing through the toe is how you finish a move. It's how you use your face to advance the emotional arch of the program along or maybe sometimes you might have an awkward costume, prop or a partner you will have to deal with. It doesn't matter. You still have to nail it and that curtain will go up at call and you will have to give the performance that those people sitting in the audience paid for. My best advice is to spend some time picking the brain of someone who is a professional skater or work with a coach who specializes in finishing work. My friends joke with me when I tell them I want to open a "finishing school" for skaters. Like beauty pageant contestants but I'm not joking. I've done a lot of work with skaters getting them ready for their auditions and have had good success. They think I should call it Angelo's skating beautification and charm school (thanks to Ray for the name). I'm lucky that my job with Willy Bietak Productions where I am a cast installer and choreographer on board cruise ships that I work with over fifty professional skaters a year when I'm installing shows. That;s also over fifty egos too. Sometimes the egos are let's just say... challenging but for the most part I have met some amazing people who love skating the way I do. I love when I get my hands on a newbie. This is a skater newly turning professional. I'm getting them for their first professional show ever sometimes. I love the process of bringing them kicking and screaming into our world. It's like having a baby sometimes and you have to do everything for them but when you see them take their first steps I'm like a proud papa on opening night... IF they point their toes!

Q:You have coached for over fifteen years and continue to perform professionally in shows. What has been the secret to keeping that passion for the sport going when the climate and overall popularity of the sport has changed so much over the years?

A: For me, skating is something I think I will always be involved in. I have fantasies of going into the corporate world someday but skating always seems to rear it's head reminding me it's pretty cool. I got very burnt out on teaching when I was in San Francisco. I had my stable of little skaters all working to be their best how ever when the IJS system came into place it became such a circus of rules I threw in the towel. I was very fortunate that a job opportunity was out there to go back to my first love which is professional shows this time on the other side of the curtain in production. I've had an ongoing relationship with Willy Bietak Productions for over twenty six years as Willy himself hired me in his own living room for my first professional show ever - Ice Capades in 1989. When I took my current job working on ships, I had no idea it would be so much teaching skating but it really is. I'm not just teaching a show and it's a lot of mentoring too. I just love it! Now when I teach amateur skaters I use motion analysis software and work as a technical coach. Following in the foot steps of Christy Krall. She was the one who got me interested in using Dartfish... so in order for me to still love teaching I had to rewrite the way I teach. I'm much better as a consultant than the daily managing of a skater's career. When I figured all these pieces out this is when the joy came back into teaching ice skating. Recently I've started choreographing for amateur skaters, again putting my toe back into the ocean of IJS. The jury is still out I'll let you know if the sharks bite it off or not.

Q: From a coaching perspective, what are the pros and cons as you see them about the current IJS judging system? 

A: That is a million dollar question which I will blatantly sidestep! Can I simply say that when a skater nails an IJS program, it can be amazing. The con is so few ever have but I'm open to being impressed. I'll just leave it at that.

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

A: Robin Cousins, Kurt Browning and Toller Cranston. Robin for his huge jumps because of his long legs and because he was so tall for a skater... not to mention we took from the same coaches. Kurt for his amazing quickness, fast feet and amazing musical interpretation. Toller, for just being Toller. I saw him skate in Chicago when I was a young boy. He was so outrageous. I knew I was seeing something unique. No male skater had ever skated like that before. Completely theatrical and over the top. The crowd went wild. Years later, when I was actually performing in a show with him I knew I had finally made my way in skating. I'll never forget he said to me as we made our way down the dark corridor to back stage "Is there anything blacker than black velvet?" So dark... just like Toller at times and I love it!

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

A: What people don't know about me is that I'm can be very stubborn and very driven especially when someone tells me I can't make something happen. I love putting doubting Thomas' in their place. I started skating very late at age ten. Many told me it was too late to start skating but that motivated me to play catch up. By the time I was sixteen years old I had made my first Nationals in novice. I'm a very positive person as a rule and when those around me try to push their negativity onto me I will go out of my way to kill them with kindness... a trait my father taught me, When that doesn't work I'll go in for the kill. I'll always give them a chance to change their attitude but if need be I'll call a spade a spade. Often tinged with humor however, the recipient doesn't always laugh when I'm done. I can become a force to be reckoned with. I'm learning that my first instincts are almost always right and to follow them more and more as I age. It's when I doubt myself that I sometimes get into trouble. But recently I have learned when to step back. It doesn't always have to be my way. I never claim to be perfect but I am naturally curious. If you can tell me "the why" you may get me to change my mind. My stubbornness has gotten me into a lot of trouble but it is also the thing that helps me reach my goals. I'm like a dog with a bone when I have my mind set on something, I seldom give up because it's too hard. I think people sell themselves short by not asking themselves to do the impossible when needed.  Being stubborn doesn't always get you where you need to go the most gracefully, however it will push you to places you didn't think you could get to.

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

A: The first thing that comes to my mind is the way it feels to simply glide. One push and sustained momentum holds you on that perfect edge.... solid and smooth. I ask my new students if they are "in love with gliding". I always get the same knowing smile back from them. The answer is yes. When I was at my top performance the faster I could skate the better. Then I could glide for a really long time on just one edge, on one skate, with my one love.

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.

Mabel Davidson, Skating's First Female Star

If you know a thing or two about figure skating's history (which I like to think I do), you definitely know the name Madge Syers. If Jackson Haines is considered the sport's father, Madge Syers would surely be considered skating's mother. However, one story the history books don't always tell you is that of Mabel Davidson, the first female skating star who predated Syers and left her own indelible impression on the sport.

What impression did Mabel Davidson make on the people who watched her skate? I want to start by sharing a charmingly glowing excerpt from the January 6, 1897 edition of "The Sketch": "She has the great advantage of a pretty face, and frocks to match; she is exquisitely graceful, while of her skill it would be hard to speak too highly or write extravagantly. She is a perfect mistress of ice, takes every possible and impossible liberty with it, and the poor ice can't ever manage to retaliate. She runs over it by way of variation, digs the heels of her skates into its tender parts, leaving a palpable bruise, while the ice looks coldly on and resigns itself to wait patiently for the amateurs and take revenge on them. Miss Davidson's exhibition is one of the sights of London. On the night of the last Carnival Ball at the Skating Palace - a most successful function from start to finish - the great skater was in special form. At about midnight the instructors cleared the ice, and she appeared in a sort of Canadian costume, very appropriate, and fitting her like the proverbial glove. The spirit of gaiety, the blaze of lights, the gay costumes, the sweet music, all seemed to inspire Miss Davidson with an energy and daring that appeared anxious to eclipse all its previous efforts. She held the spectators spellbound while she treated the ice to such a series of gymnastics as is seldom or never seen. All the things that careful people would avoid on nasty slippery ice she essayed with a coolness and indifference that made every man cheer with all his might, and almost made some of the ladies forgive her for being so well dressed and agile... She is one of the best."

The February 6, 1897 edition of the "Mariposa Gazette" was just as complimentary: "There is an American girl in London who can probably perform more wonders on skates than any other girl living. In fact, there are few men who can equal the feats and the feet of Miss Mabel Davidson on the ice. At present she is performing - if a pleasure may be called "performing" - at the National Skating palace. She is a veritable 'queen of the ice' and is a constant marvel to the Londoners. Never a fairy had lighter feet than this slender miss. She appeared last week before a crowd numbering thousands... Miss Davidson claims the title of the 'champion lady skater of the world' and she certainly seems to deserve that honor. She swayed and turned and whirled and pirouetted and waltzed with amazing rapidity and grace. All her figures were cut so rapidly that few but expert skaters themselves could follow the changes. Probably the tricks that were most applauded were a foot over foot movement and a forward and backwards run in a sitting posture, one leg being kept straight out in front of the body. Miss Davidson appeared in a bright Scotch plaid frock, with a skirt that barely reached to the top of her high boots. Once upon the ice, she dud not delay her performance a moment. She began by skating swiftly backward around the big rink. There was nothing particularly artistic in this. Many an English girl could have done the same thing. Stopping suddenly, Miss Davidson reversed and came gliding around in the sweeping outside edge movement so familiar to all. The outside edge backward was more difficult and elicited a storm of applause. At the same time there were many who discounted Miss Davidson's work, apparently because it was so easily done." The article goes on to describe in vivid detail and great enthusiasm how Davidson one over the large crowd - to a standing ovation - with swing rolls, figure eights, spread eagles, spins and shoot the ducks. It concluded by saying that Davidson herself "concluded with a bewildering series of cross foots, serpentines, loops and ringlets that put the rink in an uproar. When she had finished, there was a loud volley of 'Bravos!' and everyone went away convinced that Miss Davidson deserved the lady championship."

Who was this precocious young skater who'd managed to escape the consciousness of figure skating history?  Mabel Davidson was born on Christmas Day, 1873 in St. Paul, Minnesota. Her father and brothers were all talented skaters, and her sister Fanny [Noble] was a well-known roller and ice skater in her own right. She took up skating as a young child and by the age of ten, was giving exhibitions in indoor rinks from Minnesota to Chicago to Canada. Then she went overseas, giving exhibitions in Paris and London with her family. She wasn't the first American woman to do so, but she was one of them.

In 1873, a roller and figure skater from Concord, Massachusetts named Carrie Augusta Moore had put together an exhibition tour of Europe with Callie Curtis and E.T. Goodrich (former competitors of Jackson Haines), paving the way for the Davidson family (with Mabel as the star attraction) to tour London and Paris in 1896. Where did Mabel earn the title 'Champion Lady Of The World'? We know that the Davidson family moved from Minnesota to Toronto in the 1880's and one clue to that unofficial World title claim might perhaps be in Margaret Ann Hall's book "The Girl And The Game: A History Of Women's Sport In Canada". Hall notes that the Rideau Skating Club held a ladies skating competition in 1890 and that in that time period, Mabel Davidson was giving skating exhibitions "all over Ontario and in the Maritimes".

What makes Mabel's story even more compelling is that in addition to giving skating exhibitions, she was in fact the sister of a bicyclist and skater named - wait for it - Harley Davidson... and she used to bring her bicycle on the ice as part of her act. Are you kidding me? That's insane and I love it! For the record though, although a cyclist named Harley Davidson might raise some eyebrows, it was actually William S. Harvey and William A. Davidson who pioneered the motorcycle of the same name. Back to Mabel's bicycling on ice...  In an interview with England's Cycle And Motor World publication, Mabel Davidson explained, "My wheel never slips with me. Of course, I have steel coverings for the tyres; but with that exception my wheel is like an ordinary one. Even when I am riding out in the streets on slippery, greasy roads, I have never had a side-slip." In this interview, Mabel was asked about her skating practice regime and responded, "I scarcely ever practise; my work here keeps me in very good trim. I give two shows a day, each one lasting fifteen to twenty minutes. Of course, my full performance of all of my tricks takes me considerably longer than that. I could go on for an hour, but I find it best to stop long before I get tired... I've been cycling for years, and skating ever since I was eight years old. One of my brothers is the amateur champion of Canada, and the other is the professional, so I'm very interested in cycling."

In addition to her talents for skating and cycling, Mabel also enjoyed acting and told Cycle And Motor World "I should very much like to play the role of 'Dick' in 'The Two Little Vagabonds', but I don't expect to go back to the stage unless some very enterprising manager will produce a play with an ice scene in it - real ice it must be - and let me play a part in which my skating would be useful... But I'll have to wait a long time for that."

Tragically, Mabel's almost prophetic idea of the combination of skating and theatre would never come to be. She died in St. Paul, Minnesota on November 24, 1898 from "consumption, resulting from a heavy cold contracted while on a professional tour of England" according to her obituary. She was only twenty five years old. It would only be a few short decades until the worlds of theatre and skating would come together on the silver screen in the pictures of famous skater/actresses like Sonja Henie, Belita and Vera Hruba Ralston... and Mabel must surely have been smiling down at their efforts.

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