The 1952 Winter Olympic Games

In February 1952, a pound of coffee cost thirty seven cents, Louis St. Laurent was Canada's Prime Minister and one of the top news stories was the crash of National Airlines Flight 101 in Elizabeth, New Jersey. "An American In Paris" and "A Streetcar Named Desire" were nominated for Academy Awards, Johnny Ray and The Four Lads' song "Cry" topped the Billboard music charts and over sixty of the world's best figure skaters gathered in Oslo, Norway to compete for top honours at the 1952 Winter Olympic Games. Let's take a look back at things played out at this fascinating event!

SETTING THE STAGE

Though a rink in Hamar and the Tryggivann Stadium at Holmenkollen were 'considered' in the event that Mother Nature didn't want to cooperate, the two initial venues for the figure skating were ultimately used. The pairs event and men's and women's free skating were contested on natural ice in the open air Bislett Stadion, with school figures contested at the Jordal Amfi rink, an open air artificial ice rink behind the Stadion lined with long, wooden stands for approximately nine thousand spectators.

Yvonne Sugden, Nancy Hallam, Barbara Wyatt, Yolanda Jobin, Jeannette Altwegg and Susi Wirz training at Suvretta House in St. Moritz, Switzerland in advance of the 1952 Winter Olympic Games

The Canadian team consisted of Marlene and Vevi Smith, Frances Dafoe and Norris Bowden, Suzanne Morrow and her mother who served as team manager, Norman Gregory and judge Donald Gilchrist. All but Suzanne (who was already in Europe) and Gilchrist flew from Montreal via T.C.A. to London on January 30, 1952, where they caught a connecting British European Airways flight to Oslo. As the plane approached the Oslo airport, a blinding snowstorm caused grave concern among the skaters and there was some discussion as to whether they'd be able to land or would have to be diverted to another airport. Ultimately, the runway was illuminated with flares to guide the pilot into making a safe landing, but the skaters were quite rattled on deplaning. They were greeted at the airport by the wife of Canadian ambassador to Norway Edward Joseph Garland, Per Flaaten, liason between the Norwegian and Canadian Olympic Committee, and W.T. Pickering, the Canadian Olympic Team's chef de mission. From there, the skating team checked into the Savoy Hotel until their quarters at the Olympic Village in Sogn were ready. Norman Gregory recalled, "The Olympic Village quarters, while very plain, were quite comfortable. The rooms were bright and clean and the meals excellent, although there was a very definite shortage of fresh fruit for the first few days, however, that was rectified when the Norwegians brought in large quantities of Spanish oranges which were far superior in taste to the oranges available in Canada. One of the physical disadvantages of Oslo as the center for the Olympic Games, certainly as far as the figure skaters were concerned, was the distance that had to be travelled to get to practice rinks, as these were widely scattered one from the other and not very convenient to get to by means of tramway... It might be added, that for the last few days, the Norwegians provided a bus service between the Olympic Village and the various rinks." France's Jacqueline du Bief recalled the Olympic Village in Oslo thusly: "Small grey houses, grouped in the form of a horseshoe round a grim, snow-covered courtyard - entirely cut off from the city - had been summarily fixed up to form the general quarters of the competitors; the Olympic village. Each house, like a consulate, bore the name of a country and housed its own representatives, so that people frequently said: 'I am going to France' or 'Meet me in an hour's time in England.' In fact, when you set foot in one of these houses you felt you were actually going into the country itself and you could give yourself a nice trip round the world without leaving the little grey courtyard. The team spirit everywhere in this little Olympic village was wonderful."

Bislett Stadion

At the Opening Ceremonies held at the Bislett Stadion, chairman of the organizing committee Olaf Ditlev-Simonsen called for a moment of silence in sympathy for British team, who were mourning the loss of King George VI... harkening back to the 1936 Winter Olympics in Garmisch-Partenkirchen where the British team were mourning the death of King George V. Captain T.D. Richardson's wife Mildred, who was in Oslo covering the event for the British press recalled, "In Norway they have somewhat strict and rather odd laws governing drinking. So it was difficult, indeed almost impossible – to get a quick one, without having a meal. As you can imagine that was not very popular with the Gentlemen of the press! So, as we were all housed in the specially built and very comfortable Viking Hotel, a deputation (not a 'demo' we hadn’t heard of such things in those happy, far off days) went to the powers-that-be and after some difficulty, had a bar - ostensibly only for press – installed in the hotel. Of course the news quickly spread around and the rush to be there at the opening had to be seen to be believed! I’m afraid that, charming and anxious to be helpful though they were, our Norwegian hosts were not always as efficient as they might have been. For example, one day – the Saturday before the Opening Ceremony – on returning to the hotel at lunchtime, I got a phone call from London. It was 'The Observer', asking why they had not had my ‘piece’ on the general atmosphere in Oslo, etc. I told them that I had had no such request and they replied that a communication had been sent some days before, saying they wanted something for their 'Sporting Print', a very prestigious slot on the back page of 'The Observer' at the time. Would I call them back in half an hour – it being Saturday - with my 'piece'? Well I did and it was in print on Sunday! On another occasion we met the Mayor of Oslo at some reception and he said how sorry he was that we did not go to a banquet held some nights previously where we were to be guests of honour – as the only press men (people today of course), who had also been competitors in the Winter Games. So we explained that we had not received that invitation and how disappointed we were. It never turned up among our papers."

Ria and Paul Falk (left) and Tenley Albright (right) in Oslo

The weather, though fiercely cold at times during the Games, in other instances caused chaos for the organizers in advance of the Games. At one point, a lack of snow forced the Norwegian Army to step in and import snow from the northern mountains by lorry to keep the Holmenkollbakken ski jump in operation.

   

Fortunately, Mother Nature cooperated during the figure skating events. Swedish skating historian Gunnar Bang recalled, "You could count on between 12-15,000 people [at] every event." In fact, no less than thirty two thousand spectators showed up for the women's free skate at the Bislett Stadion... at least three thousand over capacity. However, during the women's school figures, a packed crowd at the onset dwindled to only a handful of bodies in the bleachers by the end of the competition.

THE WOMEN'S COMPETITION

Jeannette Altwegg

The women's school figures, contested during the mornings of February 16 and 17, 1952, were the first of the figure skating events in Oslo. 1927 World Bronze Medallist Karen (Simensen) Klæboe, the chair of the figure skating committee of the Norwegian Skating Association, made history as the first female assistant referee at the Olympic Games.

Australia's Nancy Hallam and Gweneth Molony (left) and Erika Kraft of Germany, Jeannette Altwegg of Great Britain and Jacqueline du Bief of France training in Oslo

Prior to the Games, an Austrian judge came to Paris to try to coax Jacqueline du Bief, who'd declined an invitation to perform an exhibition in Vienna, to reconsider. He threatened, "Skate. The Games are to be held in a fortnight. You need help - we shall be grateful to you... If you don't skate, we shall 'kill' you at the next competition and all Central Europe will do likewise," he purportedly told her, adding fuel to the rumours that were circling Paris at the time that there was going to be some funny business going on with the judging in Oslo. She stood by her refusal. During the school figures in Oslo, one of the Austrian judge's cronies showed up and said, "You are doing badly and you will need a lift up. Our competitor is in the same position for the test in the 'free' for this evening and if you will promise us that the French judge will look favourably on him we will make it up to you on your points for the figures, for this afternoon." She told him where to go and how to get there and placed fourth, behind twenty one year old Jeannette Altwegg of Great Britain, sixteen year old Tenley Albright of Newton Center, Massachusetts and seventeen year old Sonya Helen Klopfer (Dunfield) of Long Island City, New York. Albright was the only woman to wear shorts for the figures.

Jeannette Altwegg's lead in the figures was substantial. All but American judge Harold C. Storke (who placed Albright first) had her firmly in the lead by over forty points. As the figures counted for sixty percent of the total score, Altwegg - a figures specialist who was no slouch as a free skater - had all but won Olympic gold before the free skate barring a complete disaster.

Jacqueline du Bief (left) and Erika Kraft (right) practicing in Oslo

Jacqueline du Bief described the atmosphere in the dressing room during the women's free skate on February 20, 1952 thusly: "Any ordinary person entering that room would have thought herself in a place full of lunatics. Jeannette, very calm and concentrating on herself, was waiting seated on a bench, her eyes lost in space, whilst Ginny Baxter was sitting cross-legged on a massage table playing patience, and Tenley Albright, stretched out on another table with her eyes tightly closed, remained motionless as a statue, with the aim of relaxing. All around, the others - in various stages of undress - were getting themselves ready. Some were smiling, some were on the defensive already, others were exchanging a few words with their mothers or teachers, in low tones so that they should not disturb their fellows. But the nervous yawns, the deep sighs, the hoarse voices revealed the general tension better than all else. Soon the first competitor, outwardly quite cool but inwardly shaking with fright, left the dressing-room, giving the signal for the start of the competition. The competition, which for many of us was to be the last or the one before the last, represented that for which we had striven every day for about ten years - that for which we had so long hoped. From now onwards, there was the regular movement of competitors going out to the rink, punctuated by an occasionally uttered 'Good luck' - the returns that were either tearful or victorious but were always noisy and breathless, accompanied by a wave of cold air from 'out there' - affecting more and more the nerves of those who were waiting their turn and trying to conquer their mounting fears."

Tenley Albright, Jeannette Altwegg and Jacqueline du Bief on the Olympic podium

Tenley Albright, Sonya Klopfer and Suzanne Morrow all fell on jumps in their free skating performance. Jeannette Altwegg's effort in Oslo was by no means a disaster, but up against some very strong free skaters, she only placed fourth in the free skate, with ordinals ranging from third through ninth. du Bief, eleventh of the twenty women to skate, performed exceptionally well and had the highest point total in the free skate but Detroit's Ginny Baxter earned four first place ordinals... besting even the innovative du Bief in that phase of the competition. du Bief included a double Lutz to double loop series of jumps.

Garnering considerable press back home in England, Jeannette Altwegg became the only British athlete to win a gold medal at the Oslo Games and the first British skater since Madge Syers in 1908 to win an Olympic gold medal in figure skating. Tenley Albright took the silver and du Bief the bronze, followed by Klopfer and Baxter. Canada's three entries - Suzanne Morrow, Marlene and Vevi Smith - placed sixth, ninth and thirteenth. Great Britain's Valda Osborn, who placed only thirteenth, had the unusual distinction of receiving a third place vote from Swiss judge Henri Mügeli. Altwegg announced her retirement from figure skating the day after winning Olympic gold, to the dismay of professional ice show impresarios and praise of Olympic officials, who delighted at the fact she'd rather retire from sport altogether than become a professional athlete.

Suzanne Morrow later alleged that in Oslo, her mother was approached by - wait for it - the Austrian judge saying that if the Canadian judge he placed Helmut Seibt second behind Dick Button in the men's event, he would in turn ensure that Morrow earned the women's silver. He claimed that if the Canadians didn't accept the offer, he'd offer the same deal with the Americans, ensuring Tenley Albright a silver. Mrs. Morrow approached Norman Gregory, telling him that her daughter didn't want any part in it. He later refused to take action against the Austrian judge unless Mrs. Morrow produced a witness.

THE MEN'S COMPETITION

Alain Giletti

If the media's 'darling' of the Games was Jacqueline Vaudecrane's twelve year old student Alain Giletti, its 'bad boy' was eighteen year old Michael Carrington of Streatham. The young British Champion found himself at the center of controversy when NSA officials sent him home prior to the men's competition due to "unsatisfactory conduct." Two British officials asked the NSA to reconsider but Mildred Richardson recalled, "Unfortunately he seemed to imagine that being a member of the Olympic Team entitled him to behave in a most irresponsible manner, and that the rules of behaviour - attending practice sessions for example - did not apply to him. There were other foolish demeanours which could not be overlooked so that we – that is the Senior Officials of the NSA who were in Oslo which included T.D.R and myself – after much soul searching, decided that we must send him home. Fortunately we still had in the men's team such stalwarts as Michael Booker who was our champion 6 times, but it was a most unfortunate affair, causing great upset and distress to us all."

Michael Carrington claimed he had practiced eight hours a day and given up his job the year prior to practice for the Games... hardly the actions of a skater who didn't take the Olympics seriously. Quoted in the February 18, 1952 issue of "The West Australian", he claimed, "An official came on Friday morning to take me to the airport for the first plane to London. I was warned of his arrival and was not available. He packed all my clothes and took them out of the camp." He refused to leave until he was given "a satisfactory explanation" and was later suspended by the NSA for eight months, barring him from the chance of defending his national title.

Dick Button

If Giletti and Carrington had captured the attention of the press, Harvard University Dick Button had dominated it. Prior to the Games, he told an Associated Press reporter, "I don't skate against anyone. I'm skating against perfection. I want to skate my best and I want everyone else to do his best." However, the athletic director at Harvard took the unusual step of sending out a news release stating that Button would attempt the triple loop jump in Oslo. In his book "Dick Button On Skates", Button recalled, "This departure from custom was made for two reasons. First, if a rival had not already begun work on a triple jump, I felt he did not have time to catch up with me before the Olympic Games. Second, it would be wise to warn the judges that I was prepared to present a radical new jump at Oslo, otherwise it might go unrecognized; the judges might well ask themselves whether that was a triple revolution or an optical illusion."

When the fourteen men took to the ice to skate their figures on February 19, 1952, it was absolutely clear to everyone that Dick Button was in a class by himself. He earned first place ordinals from every judge and (like Altwegg) amassed a lead of over forty points over his closest competitor, Helmut Seibt of Austria. Jimmy Grogan of the United States, Peter Firstbrook of Canada, Carlo Fassi of Italy, Hayes Alan Jenkins of the United States and young Alain Giletti of France followed, but with Button's upcoming triple loop attempt in the free skate and his impressive arsenal of other jumps and spins, his competitors were truly in a competition for the silver. The men's figures were the forward outside counter, backward outside double three-change-double three, backward outside loop-change-loop and backward outside bracket-change-bracket.

The men's free skating competition, held on February 20, 1952, was attended by thousands of figure skating aficionados and curious onlookers who wanted to see Button attempt his triple loop for the first time. In "Dick Button On Skates", Button recalled, "I had only a brief warm-up while the judges took their seats, and coaches called last minute instructions. A whistle blew shrilly, a little man carrying score cards slipped and slid across the band of ice rimming the competitive area, and the referee rose from his center chair. The men gathered around him as he reiterated to the skaters, in several languages, that should shoelaces break, they could start over; should they want more warm-up time, they could have it; and did they know the order of skating? Affirmative an- swers and nervous gestures answered him. Pulling on sweaters and coats, tucking hanging shoelaces into their boots, the skaters hurried back to the warmth of the dressing rooms to wait their turn. Was I nervous? Let me put it this way: Yes. This was to be the crowning effort of years of practice. To be sure, I had a very substantial lead in school figures, but if I could not perform the triple loop, even though I should manage to win, the effort would be, in part, a failure... Once again I heard my familiar competitive music. The be- ginning phrase always startled me out of the sluggish feeling that usually came over me before the competition began. I raised my arms, took an opening step and forced myself into the opening spin. I thought over and over only that I had to take the program coolly. After thirty seconds, one Axel and a double Lutz, I had the feel of the ice. The next jump would tell whether weeks of work had been successful - whether I would be the first to do a triple jump in competition. Would it work? Would it work? Now when I needed it most, would there be a hitch? The least fault in timing, the least rut in the ice at takeoff... I took the four-five-six preparation step and moved toward the edge into the loop. I forgot in momentary panic which shoulder should go forward and which back. I was extraordinarily conscious of the judges, who looked so immobile at rinkside. But this was it. The edge cut the ice and my arms lowered, shoulders turning against the rotation to allow a grip that would follow through. My knees closed as my feet crossed in the air. The wind out my eyes, and the coldness caused tears to stream down my cheeks. Up! Up! Height was Vital. Round and around again in a spin which took only a fraction of a second to complete before it landed on a clean steady back edge. I pulled away breath- less, excited and overjoyed, as applause rolled from the faraway stands like the rumbling of a distant pounding sea. The rest of the program hardly mattered. I was let-down, serious, over-concerned, forgetting that this should be really all enjoyment. I finished the five minutes, now but an instant. Only when I left the ice did I realize I was exhausted. Photographers popped flashbulbs; reporters asked questions. I had laced my boots so tightly that circulation had stopped. My feet were numb. Knots had to be cut before I could remove my boots. The struggle was over."

Helmut Seibt, Dick Button and Jimmy Grogan on the Olympic podium in Oslo

Unanimously first with his history-making free skate, Dick Button became the first North American skater to successfully defend an Olympic title. On the strength in his lead over Grogan in the figures, Seibt narrowly captured the silver medal. Canada's Peter Firstbrook settled for fifth, behind Hayes Alan Jenkins, who placed third behind Grogan in the free skate.

THE ICE DANCE EXHIBITION

While the men's free skate marks were being computed, Americans Carol Ann Peters and Danny Ryan and Canadians Frances Dafoe and Norris Bowden each exhibited compulsory dances at the Bislett Stadion in almost pitch black darkness. Ending their exhibition, the teams switched partners on the Fourteenstep corners. Staged too late at night to capture much attention from the tired spectators, the demonstration perhaps failed to generate media attention for the first 'official' World Championships in ice dancing in Paris only days later. In case the name Danny Ryan sounds familiar, he was sadly one of the victims of the 1961 Sabena Crash.

THE PAIRS COMPETITION

Karol and Peter Kennedy, Ria and Paul Falk and Marianna and László Nagy on the Olympic podium in Oslo

Held on the evening of February 22, 1952, the pairs competition decided the final figure skating medals of the Oslo Olympics. The clear favourites amongst the thirteen team field were the married Germany couple Ria (Baran) and Paul Falk and Seattle siblings Karol and Peter Kennedy, who had both won World titles previously. The 'Kennedy Kids' earned first place ordinals from the American and Norwegian judges and were tied with the Falk's by the Swedish judge, but the judges from Canada, Great Britain, Switzerland, Hungary and Austria all had the Germans solidly in first with marks ranging from 5.6 to 5.8. Baran and Falk's winning performance was skated to Beethoven's "Egmont" overture and Carl Maria von Weber's "Oberon".

The Kennedy's settled for silver, ahead of two another sibling teams... Hungary's Marianna and László Nagy and Great Britain's Jennifer and John Nicks. At the World Championships that followed in Paris, Peter Kennedy, the son of a dentist, found himself at the center of controversy when he allegedly assaulted a press photographer. He received suspensions from both the USFSA and ISU following the incident.

The Falk's and The Kennedy's

The Canadian and American judges both had Frances Dafoe and Norris Bowden third, but a trio of seventh place ordinals from the German, Swedish and Hungarian judges kept them out of the running. Dick Button recalled, "From the start, Ria and Paul Falk outshone any other pair  I have ever seen. There are only a few skaters who attain the level of greatness and the Falk's were of this number. Like Manolete, the Spanish bullfighter who scorned tricky passes and concentrated on simple classic moves that reached perfection, the Falk's specialized on single jumps, simple lifts, and parallel skating that was always in unison. The exact matching of their styles and physiques made their complete similarity possible."

THE CLOSING CEREMONIES

Marianna and László Nagy

During the Closing Ceremonies at the Bislett Stadion, the official report of the 1952 Olympic Games recalled, "Jeannette Altwegg, Great Britain and György Czako of Hungary gave the spectators lovely figure skating displays, while Marianna Nagy and her brother László, of Hungary, did their impressive pair skating to the music of 'Donauwellen'.  The ice dance which finished the figure skating exhibition was carried out by 40 children in national costumes, led by ballet master Otto Thoresen in his Morgedal costume."

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.

Canada's First Olympic Medallist: The Montgomery 'Bud' Wilson Story

Photo courtesy the City Of Toronto Archives. Fonds 1257, Series 1057, Item 4623, Used with permission.

On August 20, 1909 in a Toronto hospital, William DeLeigh Wilson celebrated as his second wife Jessie gave birth to their son William Stewart Montgomery Wilson. Little did they know that the baby she cradled would grow up to become one of the most successful figure skaters in Canadian history.

Montgomery - or 'Bud' as he liked to be called - grew up in relative affluence at the family's home on Walmer Road with his parents, sister Constance, half-sisters Edith and Lila and two maids. Bud's father was President of the Canada Vinegar Works, which Bud's grandfather founded as the Bay Street Vinegar Works. The company's factory produced as much as eight hundred gallons of vinegar a day and was one of the two main manufacturers of the preservation staple in Toronto's pre-home refrigeration age. 

The Toronto Skating Club's Dupont Street rink in 1925. Photos courtesy "Skating" magazine.

Shortly after World War I, Bud and Constance were signed up for lessons at the Toronto Skating Club's rink on Dupont Street. It quickly became apparent that they had some serious talent. Young Montgomery - or 'Bud' as he liked to be called - had his first success in 1922, when he won the club's junior championship at the age of twelve. A local paper described his performance in that year's club ice show as akin to "a miniature wizard on the ice, not inferior in degree to even the professionals."

Clipping from "The College Times", Courtesy Jill Spellman, Archivist, Upper Canada College

As a youth, Bud's talent wasn't limited to the ice. He was Upper Canada College's Junior Swimming Champion in 1925. In 1926, he won his school's Open High Jump competition and was second in the broad jump. A skater excelling in jumping? Colour me surprised. In 1924, at age fourteen, Bud made his first trip to the Canadian Figure Skating Championships and finished second in the senior men's event behind John (Juan) Zaldivar Machado.

Constance and Bud Wilson. Photo courtesy "Skating" magazine.

When Bud's sister Constance's partnership to Errol Morson dissolved in 1926, the Wilson siblings decided to give it a go as a pairs team. In 1927, they finished second at the Canadian Championships. Bud also won the silver medal in senior men's that year - his fourth Canadian medal in singles - and the fours title with the Smith sisters and Jack Eastwood.

Jack Eastwood, Cecil and Maude Smith and Bud Wilson in 1927

In addition, Bud won medals in both the men's and pairs competitions that year at his first international competition, the North American Championships, which was hosted that year by his home club and became one of the first four skaters in Canada to pass the First Class Gold Medal test. Bud and Constance were coached by Gustave Lussi and Walter Arian.

Montgomery Wilson. Photos courtesy City Of Toronto Archives (left) and Canadian Olympic Committee (right).

In 1928, Bud travelled to St. Moritz, Switzerland to represent Canada at the Winter Olympic Games. His Olympic debut was hardly a success; he finished dead last in the free skating and an unlucky thirteenth overall. Rather than be discouraged by his failure in Switzerland, the six foot tall skater with brown hair and blue eyes soldiered on with determination, finishing seventh at that year's World Championships in Berlin, Germany ahead of twelve time U.S. Champion Nathaniel Niles.

Left: Bud Wilson, Maude and Cecil Smith and Jack Eastwood. Photo courtesy "Skating Through The Years". Right: Constance and Bud Wilson.

In 1929 and 1930, Bud began establishing his dominance internationally. He won the 1929 North American titles in both singles and pairs and the 1929 and 1930 Canadian titles in both singles and pairs, as well as earning a fourth place finish at the 1930 World Championships in New York City behind Switzerland's Georges Gautschi. After winning his third Canadian men's title in 1931, he travelled to Ottawa and defended both his men's and pairs crown at the North American Championships. The February 6, 1931 edition of the Montreal Gazette noted, "The new men's singles champion is one of the most consistent winners of national and international crowns skating today. In addition to performing his compulsory school figures with great precision, he gave a beautiful exhibition of free skating."

Photo courtesy City Of Toronto Archives

The 1932 season was arguably Bud's most successful competitively. After yet again claiming both the men's and pairs titles at the Canadian Championships, he headed to the 1932 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid. Skating Axel for Axel with Olympic Gold Medallists Gillis Grafström and Karl Schäfer, he won the bronze medal and made history as the first figure skater from Canada to ever win an Olympic medal. The February 10, 1932 issue of "The Montreal Gazette" recalled his medal winning free skate thusly: "Wilson, following [Schäfer] on his program, found his spot a difficult one, but his rhythm and grace earned him much applause. His free figure work included a dance step in time with the music of the band... Wilson received five votes for third place and two for fourth." Bud also placed an impressive fifth in the pairs event with Constance at those Games. Apparently, their "graceful movements and intricate figures drew rounds of applause from the thousands packed solidly to the eaves to watch the competition." Bud followed his historic Olympic medal win with a silver medal in the men's event at the 1932 World Championships in Montreal and a sixth place in pairs. That summer, he participated in the first summer figure skating carnival in Lake Placid.

 

Photos courtesy City Of Toronto Archives

Bud's success continued from 1933 to 1936. In singles, pairs and fours, he amassed an astonishing eleven more medals at the Canadian and North American Championships - most of them gold. He also represented Canada at the 1936 Olympic Games in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, placing a strong fourth in the men's competition. After Constance's marriage and retirement, Bud soldiered on, winning two more Canadian and North American titles. Sadly, both of his parents passed away during the height of his competitive career.

Photos courtesy City Of Toronto Archives

Let's do a medal count, shall we? Between singles and pairs, twenty medals at the Canadian Championships. Between singles, pairs and fours, fourteen medals at the North American Championships. A bronze at the Olympics and a silver at Worlds... to say that kind of competitive record is impressive is really the understatement of the century.

Photo courtesy the City Of Toronto Archives

Speaking of impressive, here's an interesting little factoid. As you might recall looking back to the blog on Bruce Allan Mapes, it has also been put forth that Bud was the inventor of the flip jump. The April 1937 issue of "Skating" magazine noted, "It is impossible to state accurately that anyone invented a certain jump or turn with so many skaters experimenting all over the world.  But it is fairly definite that Montgomery 'Bud' Wilson who was the outstanding Canadian skater and champion of North America, was the first to do the Flip Jump in the East. He now has worked out the Double Flip Jump." It has been suggested that [Gustave] Lussi and Wilson developed the flip in the twenties, but like the origins of many skating elements, it's up for debate. Here's what isn't... The International Skating Union credits Bud as the first skater to land the double Salchow and loop in an official ISU competition.

In 1939, Bud made the difficult decision to turn professional. In a letter penned to "Skating" magazine, he wrote, "I finally arrived at the point in my life when I had to decide if I would give up my main outside interest, skating, and concentrate on business. After weeks of indecision, I decided that skating has become too much a part of me so I have signed a contract with the St. Paul Figure Skating Club. I am glad that I can continue my connection with skating and will do my utmost to interest others in what I consider the most mentally absorbing of all sports. I have tried most lines of athletics and have not found anything to take its place in the so-called 'off season'. It is quite evident, too, that others feel as I do because there is now no 'off season', skating being an all-year sport in many places both here and abroad. I would have liked to have skated in another Olympic Championship, but now that I have turned professional I have no regrets and will instead try to have a pupil of mine take part in the Olympics sometime. I am anxious to continue exhibition skating and have arranged to take a certain amount of time off for exhibitions. In this way I hope to see and keep up with anything new in skating and carnivals. I want to take this opportunity to thank the clubs and skaters who have given me so many pleasant times as an amateur; I hope to keep up my connections with them and to assist them in the future when I can."

Right photo courtesy "Skating" magazine

While in Minnesota, Bud coached the first fours team from St. Paul - Janette Ahrens, Mary Louise (Premer) Wright, Robert Uppgren and Lyman Wakefield Jr. - to the North American title in 1941. It was the first time in history that an American team won the fours event at the North American Championships. He also taught Betty Schalow, who went on to become a star with the Ice Follies, and worked with future U.S. Champion Gretchen Merrill. Benjamin T. Wright, former chairman of ISU Technical Committee and ISU Referee and ISU and USFSA historian recalled, "He was a highly intelligent man, but Mary Louise told me that when he came to St. Paul as a brand new coach, he didn't know how to coach. He [said] to Mary Louise, 'Do what I do.' So he'd do figures and she'd follow him. She taught him to how to teach."

Ralph McCreath and Bud Wilson with the Caley Sisters. Photo courtesy "Skating" magazine.

As he had planned, Bud regularly appeared in St. Paul's carnivals, skating duets with Erna Andersen and Christine Newson. In the spring of 1942, he became an American citizen. His professional career was interrupted for a time when he served overseas as a Major in the U.S. Field Artillery, 75th Division. He earned a Bronze Star for his Wartime efforts.

Bud serving in the military. Photo courtesy "Skating" magazine.

In 1946, Bud moved to Boston and returned to the coaching world as the Skating Club Of Boston's senior professional alongside fellow Olympic Medallist Cecilia Colledge of Great Britain. Among his students were future U.S. and North American medallist Tina Noyes, Dudley Richards, Bradley Lord and Gregory Kelley. In her book "Indelible Tracings: The Story Of The 1961 U.S. World Figure Skating Team", Patricia Shelley Bushman recalled a rivalry between Wilson and Maribel Vinson Owen at the club: "Some felt that Bud Wilson of Canada was the primary obstacle in preventing Maribel from teaching there. A long-time rivalry existed between the Wilson and Vinson/Owen families. Bud's sister, Constance, had always placed above Maribel at North Americans, while Maribel usually beat Constance at Worlds; Bud and Constance usually beat Maribel in pairs, and Guy Owen was the perennial runner-up to Bud in the Canadian men's competition. By the time Maribel showed up to teach permanently in Boston, they had strong opinions of each other... The two coaches were polar opposites. Bud was very gentlemanly and always arrived in a coat, tie, and tweed jacket... Mr. Wilson,' as his students called him, was a favourite among skaters, an excellent teacher and a gentleman... while Maribel was oblivious whenever she created a scene; and her lack of attention to conventional dress communicated her disregard for anyone else's opinion." Despite a rough start, Maribel and Bud developed a mutual respect and working relationship over time. Bud even helped ease mother/daughter tension by working regularly with Maribel's daughter Laurence.

One can only imagine how particularly devastating the 1961 Sabena Crash would have been for Bud personally. Patricia Shelley Bushman explained that after the 1961 North American Championships, "Bud Wilson wanted to fly with Brad Lord, but the powers-that-be at The Skating Club Of Boston insisted that he return to prepare for the annual Ice Chips show. Bud flew back to Boston but had a ticket to fly to Prague later in the week. Bud, who had helped coach Laurence the last four weeks, planned to work with her in Prague, too." Bradley Lord, Gregory Kelley, Dudley Richards, Maribel Vinson Owen and Laurence Owen, were all, of course, among the Sabena victims. Like so many of the people in the American skating community who bravely soldiered on and returned to the rinks in the face of such an incomprehensible loss, Bud continued planning the Ice Chips show in Boston, dedicating the event to the memory of the 1961 team. Working with the assistance of Dick Button, Bud helped ensure the benefit (broadcast on CBS) was a success. He, Dick and Roger Turner even served as ushers at the funeral of both Maribel's and Laurence.

Perhaps unable to face what had happened in Belgium every day at the rink in Boston, Bud took a coaching job for a time at the Michigan State University but returned to live in Lincoln, Massachusetts after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

Bud and Mary Ann Wilson. Photo courtesy "Skating" magazine.

Bud passed away in Concord, Massachusetts at the age of fifty five on November 15, 1964, just over three years after the Sabena Crash. He left behind wife Mary Ann (Winston) Wilson, two sons, Winston and Stewart and a daughter, Marcia.

Left: Bud Wilson, months before his death in 1964. Right: Bud Wilson (right) clowning around in a carnival during his coaching days.

Bud was posthumously inducted into the World Figure Skating Hall Of Fame in 1976, the CFSA (Skate Canada) Hall Of Fame in 1990, PSA Coaches Hall Of Fame in 2003 and the Canadian Olympic Hall Of Fame in 2007. His contributions to Canadian sport remain incredibly significant to this day and his last major effort - giving back to the sport through that Ice Chips show - defines a true champion.

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.

Two Hits Of Hungary: The Emília Rotter And László Szollás Story

Born September 8, 1906 and November 3, 1907 in Budapest, Hungary, László (Ladislaus) Szollás and Emília (Emilie) Rotter got their start in figure skating at the Városligeti Műjégpálya during the early twenties, a time of great political unrest and upheaval in their country. Both at home and abroad, they skated under the shadow of their training mates Olga Orgonista and Sándor Szalay for much of their early career.

   

After placing second to their friendly rivals at both the 1930 and 1931 European Championships, Emília and László finally managed to best the more experienced Organista and Szalay at the 1931 World Championships in Berlin and win their first World title. The following year at the World Championships in Montreal, both teams suffered defeat at the hands of the Brunet's. One can only imagine that on the long Atlantic crossing aboard the S.S. Montclare from Saint John, New Brunswick to Liverpool, England that year all four Hungarian skaters had some choice words for their French rivals.

Photos courtesy "Skating" magazine

Both the Brunet's and Orgonista and Szalay retired from competitive figure skating following that trans-Atlantic voyage but Emília and László opted to press on. Dominating the pairs skating scene for the next three years, they narrowly defeated Austrians Idi Papez and Karl Zwack in three-two judging panel splits at both the 1933 World Championships in Stockholm and the 1934 European Championships in Prague.

However, their wins at the 1934 and 1935 World Championships were far more decisive and audiences and judges alike had great respect and admiration for their musically well-timed lifts, great dash over the ice and fast, precise footwork. The January 1934 issue of "Huszadik Század" magazine noted that their skating "pays tribute to the pair of perfect elegance and presentation - says the criticism - is not so much skating as ice floating above the mirror."

Photos courtesy Hungarian Skating Federation. Used with permission.

Though heavy favourites entering the 1936 Winter Olympics in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Emília and László placed a disappointing third at the Games attended by Adolf Hitler and his goons. After their defeat, they retired from competitive skating. László earned a medical degree at the Peter Pázmány University and became a surgeon at the Országos Sportegészségügyi Intézet in Budapest; Emília worked in the management of the Technical and Economics University of Budapest.

Photo courtesy National Archives Of Poland

Their fates during World War II remain quite obscure. Records clearly show that several people with the surname Rotter family from Budapest were murdered in concentration camps during The Holocaust, but Emília survived. László almost wasn't so lucky. After acting as a doctor on duty with the army in Budapest and Nyíregyháza, he served with the Germans on the battlefield in Russia. Captured, he endured three long years as a prisoner of war before returning to Hungary. Hungarian Jewish KMSZ (Military Forced Laborer) Lists confirm that his service to the military in fact started at least a year before World War II broke out.

Emília Rotter and László Szollás with Vera Hruba Ralston. Photo courtesy National Archives of Poland.

By the time the War was over and the dust had settled, Emília was married and László had returned to Hungary, working as a physician in the National Institute of Physical Education and Sports Hygiene in Budapest and serving as President of the Hungarian Skating Association.

Pair of Henckel skates used by Emília Rotter and László Szollás. Photo courtesy Ger Hessels.

Though mostly forgotten outside of Hungary, Emília and László were both honoured as inductees to the International Jewish Sports Hall Of Fame in 1995. László wasn't alive to see it. He passed away on October 4, 1980 at the age of seventy-two, twenty three years before his beloved skating partner Emília, who passed away at the age of ninety-three on January 26, 2003.

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.