Panin and Salchow: A 1908 Figure Skating Skirmish

In 1908, Bette Davis was born and her future rival Joan Crawford was only four years old. Famed rivals Sophia Loren and Jayne Mansfield both wouldn't be born until the thirties and the media firestorm pitting Tonya Harding against Nancy Kerrigan wouldn't be front page news and CNN particularization for almost ninety years. One thing was for certain though... that year, the Olympics would get their very first taste of figure skating controversy.

A 2008 article on the wonderful history blog De Rebus Antiquis Et Novis offers a very detailed glimpse into the 1908 Summer Olympics in London and in particular, the heated (to say the least) rivalry between eventual champion of the men's competition Ulrich Salchow of Sweden and eventual champion of the special figures event Nikolay Panin-Kolomenkin of Russia. To give you a bit of background for those of you who may be scratching your heads going "Whatchu talkin' bout Ryan?", the 1908 Summer Games were for figure skating the very beginning in the sport's Olympic history as the Winter Games did not exist yet. The 1908 Olympics were also much longer than they are today as they were held from April 27 to October 31, 1908. Figure skating events were held in late October near the end of those Games at Prince's Skating Club in Knightsbridge, London.

In the Special Figures event, skaters had to present judges drawings of original figures that they developed themselves that they planned on etching into the ice. The figures that five-time Russian Champion Nikolay Panin-Kolomenkin submitted were so difficult that referees deemed them impossible. Salchow opted not to compete against Panin-Kolomenkin in this phase of the competition and the Russian skater and coach became the only Olympic Gold Medallist in figure skating history to win the later discontinued Special Figures event with two hundred and nineteen out of two hundred and forty possible points.

Nikolay Panin at the 1908 Summer Olympic Games 

What made the fact Salchow chose not to compete against Panin-Kolomenkin in the Special Figures event at the Prince's Skating Club rink all the more interesting is that just the day before, both men had competed in the compulsory figures portion of the men's competition. Coupled with free skating, the compulsory figures event would help determine the overall men's champion in 1908. Salchow and Panin would be joined by Heinrich Burger of Austria (who won the pairs title at those Games with partner Anna Hübler), Per Thorén of Sweden, British skaters Geoffrey Hall-Say and Arthur Cumming and Argentina's Horatio Tertuliano Torromé. Although Panin performed very well in the compulsory figures, his results were disappointing. Along with first place ordinals from the German and Russian judges, Panin received a second place ordinal from Great Britain and fourth place ordinals from Switzerland... and Sweden. He's really quite lucky he received the marks that he did and skated exceptionally well considering what went down that day.

While Panin was skating his school figures (which obviously required absolute and total concentration) Salchow was within earshot, loudly commenting on Panin's every movement. John D. Windhausen's essay "Russia's First Olympic Victor" offers some perspective on Salchow's behavior: "Panin, who defeated Salchow in this event earlier in that year, began his performance with a correct figure eight with one foot back. Salchow exhibited behavior unfitting for a champion and demonstratively shouted criticisms of Panin's form. Hoping to undermine the self control of the rival from Russia, Salchow continued his bombastic verbal assaults so that Panin's side was constrained to protest. But Salchow relentlessly maintained his psychological attack while the chief judge did not summon him to order. Even so, Panin seemed to perform perfectly. The results, however, were not in his favor." A newspaper quoted in a history article called "History Of Figure Skating: Nikolay Kolomenkin" on the website for the 2001 Cup Of Russia article offers an in-depth look into just how unsportsmanlike Salchow's behavior really was - and Panin's reaction:

"Hardly could the Russian athlete, who recently defeated Salchow, perform the second compulsory figure -'the eight' - as the Swedish athlete shouted: 'It's not the eight! It's curved!' It was a lie. 'The eight' was excellent. 'So, here is the psychological attack', Panin thought. 'Well, Mister Salchow, let's see if I swallow your bait.' When Panin was performing his next figure Salchow shouted out: 'He is not in a good shape! He can't do anything!' And this time the judge still kept silence. Nikolay Panin protested. The Swedish athlete was reprieved. One should see what followed then! The Swedish figure skater insulted and threatened Panin in reply. Finally Salchow was put into his proper place. This made him angry and he lost his control. As a result the Swedish athlete was not in his best form when performing some first figures. German judges Veldt and Sanders put Panin on the first place, Swedish judge Grenander put him on the second and Herle and Hugel, Salchow's close friend, put the Russian athlete on the fourth place. The protest of the Russian team was left without attention. Panin declared then that he was not going to perform his free program: he didn't expect fair marks from Hugel and Herle. Then Georg Sanders, the Russian judge and a friend of Panin interfered. He managed to persuade Panin that the case with judges wouldn't repeat because Ulrich Salchow and Henri Brokaw left the competition, as they understood how worthless it would be to continue. When Nicolai Panin was performing the last and the most difficult figure, 'impracticable' according to the newspapers one could hear the stormy applause from the judges' box. His result was the best. Having gained 218 points Panin became the Olympic Games winner champion. That was his first Olympic gold."


Olympic Gold Medallist and ten time World Champion Ulrich Salchow of Sweden

To correct and clarify, ultimately Salchow had opted not to continue on to the Special Figures competition that was held the following day where Panin won gold, but it was Panin who ultimately decided to opt out of the overall men's competition and not compete against Salchow in free skating. He would instead vindicate himself and earned an Olympic gold medal in Special Figures. He would ultimately return to Russia an Olympic Champion. Windhausen explains more about what happened after Panin withdrew from the overall men's event: "As a result Panin declined second place. The partiality of the judges, to continue the Russian version, was so blatant that the spokesman for the Russian team issued a protest, but it was not satisfied, and so in the form of a personal protest, Panin refused to enter the free skating part of this event. At the conclusion of the match a group of Swedes - participants and judges - at first orally and then in official written form, carried an apology to Panin for the unworthy conduct of Salchow." That last part made me smile a little.

Fascinatingly and sadly, Nikolay Kolomenkin (who used the pseudonym Panin when competing in figure skating) would face even more scrutiny and stress when returning home from the 1908 Summer Games. The 2008 De Rebus Antiquis Et Novis blog about Panin (Kolomenkin) explained that "an unpleasant surprise awaited Panin 'the triumph of Russian sport' (as journalists called him) in St. Petersburg. Up to that moment Nikolay Panin was safely protected from undesired talks about his pseudonym at his work place. But the secret was disclosed. The director of the department where Panin worked received a page from a newspaper. There was a big photo of a figure-skater performing some difficult pattern on the ice. The photo was encircled in red. The text below said that it was Nikolay Panin, many-time champion of Russia who had just became the gold medallist at the IV Olympics Games in London. The director was stricken by the resemblance of the champion with Nikolay Kolomenkin - an assistant of tax inspector. 'You must stop skating right away', demanded irritated director from Panin. 'It is incredible - a department worker appearing in tights before public!'... 'It is useful for health… body development… And of course the honor of the Russian State on international arena. Is it bad?' But the director didn't want to hear anything at all. Either the department or sport."

Ultimately, although Salchow might have become a ten time World Champion and earn a reputation for shooting his mouth off after his unsportsmanlike behavior in London, Panin found success in another form of shooting - he was quite accomplished in handgun shooting and actually won the 1928 Spartakiad of the Peoples of the USSR competition in this second sport at the age of fifty seven. He taught guerilla warfare to the Soviets during World War II, which makes you wonder how much of an angel he was himself? Guerilla warfare doesn't exactly scream docile to me. Speaking of being 'no angel', we also have to remember that although Salchow behaved poorly at those London Games, he did have a more endearing, human side. "Encyclopedia Brittanica" reminds us of one of Salchow's kinder moments: "Salchow was a generous competitor, and he acknowledged the talents of others. At the 1902 World Championships, Madge Syers finished second to Salchow, and he offered her his gold medal because he felt she should have won." Interestingly, this legend which has been perpetuated through skating history which paints Salchow in a better light has never been substantiated.

I guess the moral of the story is that as long as there have been sports there has been unsportsmanlike behavior. The assault on Nancy Kerrigan, Surya Bonaly removing her silver medal at the 1994 World Championships and even a lot of the cyberbullying that goes on in skating to this day on social media and online message boards... they may be more modern day phenomenons that have brought negative attention to the sport but Salchow's behavior in 1908 towards Panin was by accounts completely uncalled for itself. It was definitely a display of a less subtle, more in your face form of bullying. The moral of the story? Don't be a bully. It's simply very unbecoming.

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 Alban Préaubert

For close to a decade, if you were talking men's skating in France, Alban Préaubert was a name that would keep coming up time and time again... and with good reason. A powerhouse of a skater technically and quite the showman to boot, Préaubert found success internationally in winning six medals on the ISU Senior Grand Prix circuit, a medal at the World Junior Championships and six consecutive top ten finishes at the European Championships from 2005-2011. He did this while balancing school and skating... which as we know is no easy feat. Personally, I couldn't imagine doing both. Though he's not skating regularly anymore and has started a new life in the world of business, he remains active in the sport both as a commentator and a huge fan. We talked at length about his competitive career, decision to retire from skating, his relationships with coach Annick Dumont and former competitor Brian Joubert in this in depth interview I think you'll really quite enjoy:

Q: Your career was full of such wonderful accomplishments - a medal at the World Junior Championships during the 2002/2003 season, six medals on the ISU Senior Grand Prix circuit, five medals at the French National Championships, top ten finishes at the European Championships and two trips to the World Championships. Reflecting on your competitive career, what are your proudest moments and most special memories?

A: Of course, all those events that you are mentioning are wonderful memories for me but I definitely have three favourite moments among those various accomplishments. The first one was my medal at Junior Worlds. Actually, when I was competing in Ostrava I was not sure I could continue to compete the next season as I was supposed to start demanding studies and wasn't sure if I would be able to combine studies and sports in the future. I was just thinking about enjoying every single moment of this competition. I was not even an outsider for this competition so I didn't feel any pressure on my shoulders. It was my first season at the international level and I was not able to enter the top five in my Junior Grand Prix at the beginning of the season so being able to skate my best and to medal here was a wonderful surprise. The second one was my silver medal at the 2006 Trophée Eric Bompard. Before that event, a Frenchman had never won the Trophée Eric Bompard. It was an historical moment as Brian Joubert won the competition and I was second. It was awesome to share this podium with my friend Brian. Moreover, this second place qualified me for the Grand Prix Final so it was the icing on the cake for me. The third one was the 2009 Winter Universiade. I was the flag bearer of the French delegation and was very proud of that. I always considered it essential to pursue my studies during my skating career so being able to medal at this event rewarding the sportsmen who are able to pursue a double path was also very important to me.

Q: In 2010, you missed a trip to the Vancouver Olympics so narrowly. Was there ever resentment there and looking back on it now, is it something you've come to terms with? 

A: You are right. I never went to the Olympics. I was the first substitute in 2006 and again in 2010. I was very close to qualify but I didn't make it. Actually, Yannick Ponsero and I both missed the opportunity with to qualify for Olympics during the French Nationals. Brian won the competition and Florent Amodio, who was the newcomer won the silver medal so the French federation decided to send them both at Olympics but to preserve Florent during Europeans. That's why Yannick and I both competed in Tallin, already knowing that we had no chance to qualify at Olympics. Of course, it would have been a great honor to represent my country at this prestigious event. However, it was not such a big disappointment for me. I have to admit that I never idolized the Olympics too much. For some athletes, Olympics is the only goal of their career. For me, it was only one goal among others. Of course, this event has a strong symbolic value but I consider that a World title is as much prestigious as an Olympic title, because the competitors are exactly the same ones. I know I did my best, I trained myself seriously the whole season and didn't do many mistakes at French Nationals, so definitively no regrets about this.

Q: Was continuing through to the 2014 Olympics something that you considered and what were your thoughts on the men's competition at the Sochi Olympics? 

A: Actually, after 2010 I was willing to continue four more years because skating was still my passion and I didn't feel any lassitude at the time about training and competitions but in 2011, the doctors diagnosed a strong arthritis in my right knee. I was suffering more and more during each training session. Also, as with many French skaters, my relations with the French federation were quite complicated and it was not pleasant to skate without feeling respect and support from the French Federation. Above all, in 2011 I graduated from my business school and I received a great professional opportunity. It would have been irrational to decline it so that’s why I decided not to continue until 2014. Of course, I am still following very closely my former colleagues and competitors and analyzing what they are doing during competitions. Sochi Olympics were a powerful event. The level of skating of all those guys is amazing. Even if some of them made a little more mistakes than usual, they all have wonderful capabilities. It made me think that it was more reasonable for me to quit in 2011!

Q: You were coached throughout your career by Annick Dumont, who has coached many French champions including Laetitia Hubert, Stanick Jeannette, Marie-Pierre Leray, Florent Amodio and Gabriel Monnier. What makes Annick such a successful coach and what made your student/teacher relationship work so well? 

A: Annick knows better than anyone how to motivate the athletes who are composing her team. She is smart and can adapt herself to the behavior and personality of each different skater. She is demanding during practices but at the same time she manages to maintain an entertaining environment on the ice, which helps us to stay enthusiastic and motivated. She also has the intelligence to allow and even to encourage her skaters to use other expertise than her own knowledge. The collaboration that she helped me to establish with Muriel Boucher Zazoui and Romain Haguenauer, Pasquale Camerlengo and Nikolai Morozov for example strengthened our relationship as it is also important to discover new visions sometimes during a career. She also has a fantastic team with her, with Pierre Trente, Alain Fusco and all the other members of the staff in Champigny sur Marne. Actually, I was very lucky during my career to collaborate with great people. Elena Issatchenko, my first coach (who was from Belarus) was also a wonderful woman and I never want to miss an opportunity to pay tribute to her. It was difficult to lose her too early in 2006. Before joining Annick's team, I also learned many things (as a skater and as a person) by training under Philippe Pelissier, who is the best technician in France and maybe even in the world.

 

Q: You competed against Brian Joubert for years. What are your thoughts on his career and how hes managed to maintain such a high level of skating for so long, perhaps delivering some of his best performances in the last couple of seasons? 

A: I have so much respect for Brian. It was an honor for me to compete with him during this last decade and to train with him during summer camps. He is the greatest champion ever in figure skating in France and it will be a great loss for the French federation not to have him anymore in the French team. He is a hard worker with an exemplary work ethic. He was a strong leader and an example to follow and that is probably thanks to him that we had such strong male skaters in France in the recent past with Florent Amodio, Yannick Ponsero and now Chafik Besseghier and Romain Ponsart.

Q: You are now involved in the business world. Do you still have ties to skating and do you think you'd ever get out there and perform again? 

A: I am now working mainly as a portfolio manager and an equity analyst so of course, my main job is not in direct links with the figure skating world. Of course, I am still very passionate about skating and it would have been completely impossible for me to definitely leave this world. I knew when I quit in 2011 that I would stay involved in some manner... it's my passion. I was very lucky that Eurosport asked me to commentate the figure skating events. Since 2011 Skate Canada, I am the consultant for the channel and I love doing that. I stay very updated about what is going on in the figure skating world and this mission also helps me to keep some links with people that I used to frequently talk to when I was a competitor. I also skated some shows after 2011 but actually not so much. The last one was in Switzerland for Christmas but it is getting more and more difficult for me to find time for some training sessions with my busy schedule so performing on the ice will probably be over very soon for me!

Q: Skating isn't your only sport. You have a red belt in judo, play tennis and play basketball as well. If you didn't taken up figure skating, which other sport do you think you could have really made a mark in? 

A: Actually, I was quite talented in golf when I was a young kid but had to choose between golf and figure skating as the training sessions were scheduled at the same time. I started to play golf again last year. It is a lot of fun for me but I am not so talented anymore! To be honest... when I quit in 2011, I was becoming dangerously static. When I was leaving my office, I was only thinking about going back home to read, watch TV and eat. I was considering that I did too much fitness before that and that my body was deserving some rest. After a few months, I realized that my clothes were becoming too short so I started to do some exercises again and actually I feel that I am a sportsman again now. It is difficult for me to go to the rink because it is far from my apartment and from my office but I am running, playing football, squash, swimming... I love being active!

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

A: Ilia Kulik was a wonderful champion. In Nagano, I was very happy that he won this Olympic title. Unfortunately, we didn't see him long enough on the amateur circuit. I had the opportunity to have a few jump sessions with him as a coach in the United States and it was very useful, so I understand why he was so consistent! I am a big fan of Daisuke Takahashi. He was the more complete skater to me. I was there when Nikolai Morozov choreographed him his "Black Swan" hip-hop program and it was amazing to see. Finally, I would say that I admire my senior French skaters such as Philippe Candeloro, Stannick Jeannette and Laurent Tobel, who tried to modernize our sport and who were really charismatic on the ice. To list such a few skaters in my top list is difficult. I have admiration for so many of them!

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

A: Difficult question! Actually, I always try to be quite honest and not to keep secrets so I don’t know. Maybe that I was very close to being born Canadian? My parents were supposed to move to Canada but finally cancelled their relocation just before my birth. I don't know what to think about that. I love France. I love living in Paris but at the same time, Canada is (along with Russia) my favourite country. I am sure I would also have been proud to be Canadian. But for sure, my competitors at Nationals would have been very strong as well if I was Canadian.

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

A: It is the only discipline that can combine art and sport in such an accurate mix. When I started skating, I was only thinking about the technical and athletic performance, considering that is foremost a sport. Step by step, I realized how much the artistic side of this sport is also important, and that it is the added value of figure skating compared to any other sport. It is a wonderful discipline, that is for sure. However, the world is moving fast and figure skating will have to adapt if it want to capture a new audience. It is a long debate!

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.

Gjon Mili And The Picasso Inspired By A Figure Skater

Following in the footsteps of Man Ray (the first person to explore the technique of light painting), Albanian born Gjon Mili set a ball in motion through his exploratory art that would influence the work of the great Pablo Picassi... and he did it by working with figure skaters.

A trained engineer and self-taught photographer, Mili pioneered photoflash technology through his work with Harold Eugene Edgerton from the Massachusetts Institute Of Technology in the 1930's using stroboscopic light to capture the movement of dancers such as Martha Graham, Leon James and Willa Mae Ricker, jugglers, musicians in a single exposure. In the 1940's, Mili attached small lights to the boots of figure skaters, then opening the shutter of his camera and taking photographs that would inspire some of the most famous light painting images in history. Most famously, the skater in Mili's light drawings depicted here is Carol Lynne Genho, a professional skater who toured alongside her sister Margie Lee Genho, Olympic Gold Medallist Barbara Ann Scott, Michael Kirby, Jimmy Grogan, Freddie Trenkler, Skippy Baxter and others in Hollywood Ice Revue, going simply by the name Carol Lynne.

In 1949, Mili was on assignment for Life Magazine in France. He was sent to photograph the legendary Pablo Picasso at his home. While there, Mili showed Picasso some of his light painting photographs of figure skaters including his work with Carol Lynne. Immediately inspired by what he saw, Picasso took his penlight and started 'drawing in the air'. This fleeting meeting and Mili's light painting photographs of figure skaters inspired Picasso's famous light drawing 'Picasso Draws A Centaur'. Like Picasso, Henri Matisse was also introduced to the art medium of light drawing by Gjon Mili and created his own light painting as well.

Picasso Draws A Centaur (Pablo Picasso)

I couldn't get over the fact that Genho, a show skater from Nebraska who agreed to take a moment away from Arthur M. Wirtz' popular ice show to play subject to the work of an experimental artist and photographer would go on to inspire Pablo Picasso, one of the most brilliant artists of the twentieth century. I bet she didn't see that one coming! Well, hello... could you imagine agreeing to go do a still life drawing at an art school and ending up the subject of someone like Paul Cézanne? As the French say, "il est absolument incroyable".

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 Tom Paulson

After winning four silver medals at the British Figure Skating Championships, the devilishly handsome Tom Paulson decided to trade in his IJS footwork sequences for the show business world of skating on the high seas as a professional figure skater on Royal Caribbean cruise ships. Tom was kind enough to take a break from the cabana to talk about his competitive career, transition to professional skating, the current state of figure skating in Great Britain and much more in this fabulous interview you're guaranteed to just love.

Q: Your competitive career was full of some wonderful successes, including four silver medals on the senior level at the British Figure Skating Championships. You represented the UK internationally on the Junior Grand Prix circuit, the World Junior Championships and international competitions such as the Finlandia Trophy and Winter Universiade. What are your proudest moments or most special memories from your competitive career?

A: I'm most proud of representing Great Britain for almost eight years internationally. It is the highest honor and reward to be recognized by your own federation and have the chance to perform for international judges and skating fans. I'm very proud to have performed in the Turin Olympic venue and stayed in the Olympic Village there, as well as having traveled to many countries and meeting many people I might never have had the chance to. When the IJS system was still new, I was informed by one of the British judges that a video of my long program had been shown at an ISU seminar as an example of a well choreographed and interpreted program, which I was very pleased with as I always work hard to find character and emotion in music and bring that to my performance. 

Q: You're skating with Royal Caribbean on the high seas now! How did you reach the decision to turn professional and what were the biggest adjustments in terms of going from training and performing on competition size ice to a cruise ship?

A: Unfortunately ice skating is an expensive sport and financial reasons were a large part of my decision to turn professional. I was also frustrated by the politics which still dominate the sport despite the IJS. It was a hard decision and took the best part of a year to make but I now know it was the right thing for me to do and skating with Holiday on Ice and Royal Caribbean and Willy Bietak has allowed me to rediscover my love for skating and further explore my performance skills. Adapting to smaller ice has been a challenge, especially on the ships as we perform triples on an ice pad which is less than a quarter of Olympic size! It takes time but just like a competitive program, you work out how many crossovers or pushes you need for each element and set the jumps in as comfortable a place as possible.

Q: What is the funniest experience you've ever had in your years of skating with Royal Caribbean?

A: Funny things regularly happen in shows, whether it's an in-joke between cast members that keeps us laughing throughout a number or something that goes wrong like crashing into the boards because the ship is rocking!

Q: The 'current state of figure skating' is currently a hotly debated topic. Thinking specifically about things in Great Britain, what do you think it will take to make the sport regain the popularity in the public eyes that it did during the John Curry/Robin Cousins/Torvill and Dean era? Is it just another huge star, or is it something bigger than that?

A: Dancing On Ice has had a very clear influence on the public's perception of ice skating and has proven that skating stars like Robin Cousins and Torvill and Dean are still remembered and admired for their achievements and abilities. Unfortunately, while that has led to a noticeable interest in learning to skate, interest in competitive level ice skating hasn't seemed to follow this trend as strongly. I feel top-level competitive ice skating can be inaccessible to the public, as the names of elements and the scoring system mean little to anyone who isn't very well informed about the sport. Sports such as football and athletics are easily accessible because anyone can try them and performances/results are straight forward and easy to understand with no prior knowledge. Ice skating is very complex and raising its profile in Britain will be a challenge as we are not a winter sports country or a country that invests well in ice skating.

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

A: I grew up in an era of superstar ice skaters. I always think of it as the golden age of skating! Yagudin was a strong favourite of mine, as was Timothy Goebel because he was a left footed skater, just like me. I loved to watch Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo. They always skated with passion and presence and incredibly clean technical elements. Although they were pair skaters, their performances and success in competition were very inspiring to me. One of my biggest skating inspirations isn't a figure skater. My personal trainer for the later part of my career was Sarah Lindsay, a British speed skater who competed in three Olympic Games and won medals at World and European Championships, as well as ten gold medals at the British Championships. As well as top level fitness and endurance, working with such an experienced athlete had many other benefits and working with Sarah enabled me to train not just harder but smarter.

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

A: I don't think there is much that people don't know about me but fans of figure skating might not know that I also enjoy singing and since turning professional I have taught myself to juggle! 

Q: If you had a genie in a bottle kind of like that Christina Aguilera one and could ask it to grant you three wishes, what would they be? And no, three more wishes isn't something you can ask for...

A: If I had three wishes I would give away one each to three people I felt had a worthy and unselfish wish.

Q: What do you love most about figure skating?

A: Figure skating is very much who I am, whether I like it or not! I have always loved performing and skating has allowed me to do that and share my love with thousands of people. My favourite thing by far is the amazing places I have visited and the wonderful people I have met in my competition days and now in my professional career. Everything about my life is influenced by skating in some way and I'm both very proud of myself and grateful to everyone who has helped along the way.

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 Luis Hernández

With six Mexican titles under his belt, I guess you could say the handsome and obviously talented Luis Hernández has a lot to be proud of. The twenty nine year old started his skating career in the U.S., worked with the brilliant Frank Carroll then made the brave decision to take a step into the unknown and represent his country of birth in competition. Luis took the time to talk to me about his competitive career, his decision to skate for Mexico, working with Frank Carroll and Alexei Mishin and much, much more in this must read interview:

Q: Your skating career has seen you win six Mexican national titles, represent Mexico at the Four Continents and World Championships and at many international competitions including the Finlandia Trophy and Ondrej Nepela Memorial. Reflecting now, what are your proudest moments and most special memories from competition?

A: There have been numerous special and satisfying moments through my career! One that stands out above all is Worlds in 2009 in Los Angeles. After barely being able to walk from being severely injured for years, my body had given in leading up to the championship. Before the short program, I had to look elsewhere for strength and I put myself in the hands of a higher power (whatever you want to call it). It was the Olympic qualifier and I wanted to make sure I could look back and say I tried my BEST without giving up. Reflecting back, I can sincerely say that (regarding the circumstances I was under) I truly performed to the best of my capability. It was a moment I will never forget as I strongly and vividly felt the power of something greater than myself. It was very much a life changing experience. Not to mention, it was very special to have endless amounts of friends and family there supporting and going through the roller coaster with me.

Q: Although you were born in Guadalajara, prior to competing for Mexico you actually competed in the U.S. on both the novice and junior levels before opting to represent Mexico in time for the 2005/2006 season. How did this decision to switch countries come about and was it an easy or difficult decision?

A: It was actually after U.S. Nationals in 2003 that I made the decision to switch. It was by far the hardest decision I had made up to that point in my life. I was approached by the President of the Mexican Skating Federation during a North American Challenge Skate (where I was representing the USA internationally). My sister had been skating in Mexico (practices I was dragged to as a baby) for many years before I began competing in the USA. Mr. Jose Luis Aguilar was a familiar face and at that event formally offered me to skate for my native country and "help to raise the level of figure skating in Mexico". It was also obvious that I would have many more opportunities to see the world and compete in the big events as I had always dreamed. I was very hesitant as my career was going well in the USA but agreed to give it deep thought. After about a year of thinking, I began to become impatient and had an enormous drive and curiosity to see the world. Being young and stubborn, I made a decision that was entirely mine and had no idea that I was in for quite a RIDE! After making the switch, I had not represented the USA internationally for a year (since 2002), yet was made to sit out completely from competition for two and a half years for reasons unknown to me to this day. Those two and a half years were some of the darkest times for me professionally and personally. I left the sport entirely before realizing that it was my innermost truth to skate. Skating was where my soul was happiest and therefore I would keep fighting.

Q: You have worked with some fantastic coaches including Frank Carroll, Alexei Mishin and Ken Congemi. What have each of the coaches you've worked with over the years taught you that's made you the skater you are today?

A: I have been blessed with the opportunity to work with amazing and legendary coaches. From each one, I learned something different, not only about skating but also about life. Ken Congemi was and is the most enthusiastic and positive minded coach I ever worked with. He ALWAYS means business when it comes to training. Being very artistically inclined, his more "common sense" approach to skating was amazing at keeping me grounded. I worked several summers with Alexei Mishin (in the United States and Europe). He taught me that genius comes in many different forms and that the rules of skating are not so BLACK and WHITE. His technique sometimes consisted of blurting out rhythmic words while performing one of his several dozen jumping exercises. He made skating more fun than it already was and put his heart into any skater he chose to work with. Undoubtedly my biggest influence came from Frank Carroll (whom I worked with from the age of fourteen until the age of twenty). He is and always will be a teacher that led by example.  Leading his life with the highest standards of integrity and devotion to his craft, he motivated me to strive for excellence in all aspects of my own life. As a more mature individual, I often look back and understand so much better what he so fervently tried to instill in me everyday for so many years: discipline, organization and attention to detail. His guidance and example are not only expressed by his teachings but are intrinsic to who he is.

Q: Federacion Mexicana de Patinaje Sobre Hielo y Deportes de Invierno is a relatively new player in the international figure skating community having formed in 1987. How is skating growing in popularity 'south of the border' and do you feel it is a sport that will continue to gain momentum in the coming years?

A: Figure Skating in Mexico is experiencing an incredible boom. To give an example, there are thirteen to fifteen rinks now in Mexico City alone and countless rinks throughout the country. From seminars I have personally taught and seeing the younger competitors, I can tell you that there is endless amount of talent. Time will tell if the lack of funding (to high level and emerging skaters) will affect the future and growth of the sport. In my opinion, this issue is one that needs some serious attention and review.

Q: Back in 2003, I spent a week in Cabo San Lucas and did NOT want to leave! In your opinion, what is the one place that people HAVE to visit in Mexico?

A: By far and above, Mexico City! It is my favorite city in the world and one full of magic, energy and culture. You have amazing architecture ranging from ancient pyramids and colonial cathedrals to the most sophisticated and modern buildings. Art in all forms is on display at the many museums, theaters and the opera house. Last but not least, the FOOD, the nightlife and the welcoming hearts of the people are what make the city what it is! I never fail to get excited just thinking of it!

   

Q: What are your goals for the future in terms of skating and is it something you think you'll be involved in long term after your own career ends?

A: My goals for skating are very different than they were as a young skater. I have no longer skated to prove anything to anyone. I learned the hard way to respect my body (battling hip deterioration since 2005) and to listen to its cues. Skating brings me great joy and acts as my compass in life. After my last national title in 2013, I decided to be where I am today, exploring what I want to do with skating next! I will always be a skater in my heart and because of that, I know I will never stray too far.  

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

A: My three favorite skaters of all time are Kurt Browning, Alexei Yagudin and Michelle Kwan. They are to me, real-life super heroes. They are people who touched my core and stood as pillars like beautiful architecture exemplifying excellence. They are warriors of life who had the guts to be authentic and to display not only their amazing moments of magic but also their biggest downfalls. They rose from the ashes time and time again and continue to motivate me simply by being who they are.
 
Q: What's one thing most people don't know about you?

A: (laughing) What a question! There are too many things and I can't pick just one! Although I have my very extroverted moments, I am in actuality, EXTREMELY introverted and mostly prefer to go quietly about my life. Oh! There we go! I guess that's one thing most people don't know about me!

Q: What do you love most about figure skating?

A: The freedom it gives me to fly and to simply be me.

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.

Why Aren't They Skating To This?

I don't know about you but personally I echo two time Olympic Gold Medallist Dick Button's sentiment when he famously said during the free dance at Skate Canada in 2003 that "every skater goes through a thousand CD's until they find the music that they want, and all too often they end up with Carmen". If not Bizet's "Carmen", then surely some other warhorse is on the musical menu every year more often than we'd like. In the 2014/2015 season, the culprit appears to be "Phantom Of The Opera". Despite a rule change to allow lyrics and open a whole new world of music to skaters, still skaters like Yuzuru Hanyu, Gracie Gold, Kanako Murakami, Takahito Mura, Michael Christian Martinez and Caitlin Yankowskas and Hamish Gaman flocked to Phantom Of The Freakin' Opera. I don't know. Call me old school (I am) but Brian Boitano and Robin Cousins set the bar pretty high with their interpretations of "Music Of The Night" and to me, it just seems anti-climactic to keep bringing it up after it's already been owned. Rather than be part of the problem and just complain endlessly about people overusing music, I decided to use the power vested in me as a figure skating blogger to be part of the SOLUTION and suggest 6.0 pieces of music that NEED to be skated to going forward:

"CARAVAN" BY PUCCIO ROELENS

Why: It's completely edgy and a completely 'out there' take on a Duke Ellington standard. If you insist on skating to something a million other people already have, why not go in a completely different direction and give it you're own spin?

Who Could Rock This: Jason Brown, Carolina Kostner, Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje

"FOLLOW YOU DOWN TO THE RED OAK TREE" BY JAMES VINCENT MCMORROW

Why: It's hauntingly beautiful, no one has ever skated to do it and it creates such a sense of mood... a different time and a very darkly beautiful place. Vocals are allowed now... pick something that makes people's jaws drop with its beauty!

Who Could Rock This: Jeremy Abbott, Jeffrey Buttle, Madison Hubbell and Zach Donohue

"WHIRL-Y-REEL" BY AFRO-CELT SOUND SYSTEM

Why: It's instrumental, it's edgy and it's got that driving Afro/Celt beat that just commands your attention. Denise Biellmann skated to it one time and Robin Cousins choreographed the program so it can be choreographed to brilliantly... mark my words!

Who Could Rock This: Ashley Wagner, Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford, Alena Leonova

"BLUES IN THE NIGHT" BY KATIE MELUA

Why: This cover of "Blues In The Night" is as steamy as I gets and just begs for long running edges and personality plus on the ice. It NEEDS to be skated to.

Who Could Rock This: Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir, Joannie Rochette, Shae-Lynn Bourne

"SWEET LULLABY" BY DEEP FOREST

Why: This music is edgy, different and completely made for movement. The balance of the instrumental and vocal segments is superb and the music just evokes that sense of imagination that captures your attention wholly.

Who Could Rock This: Nathalie Pechalat and Fabian Bourzat, Shawn Sawyer, Adam Rippon

SENIOR MEN'S FREE SKATES TO DONNA SUMMER MEDLEYS

Why: WHY NOT? I'd LOVE to see more senior men's free skates to "Bad Girls", "She Works Hard For The Money" and "Hot Stuff". Wouldn't you? If it's good enough for Rosalynn Sumners, it's good enough for the world's best men.

Who Could Rock This: Just about anyone, honey!

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 Jessica Mills Kincade

You know her, you love her and she's pictured here with her student Abby Smith! In Sarajevo in 1989, Jessica Mills Kincade unexpectedly found herself atop the podium at the World Junior Figure Skating Championships ahead of skaters who would become household names in years to come like Surya Bonaly and Yuka Sato. A very elegant, put together skater, Mills Kincade would go on to make another five trips to the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in years to come and win the bronze medal at Skate Canada International in 1994 right behind Krisztina Czako and Laetitia Hubert. In this fascinating interview, we talked about everything from her competitive career to competing at the 1994 U.S. Championships in the middle of the Tonya/Nancy media hoopla to fashion and her Olympic medal winning siblings. You'll even learn what movie you can see Jessica in. Be a sweetheart and give it a read. You'll just love this interview!:

Q: You had so many wonderful moments in your career as a figure skater - six trips to the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, the bronze medal at Skate Canada International in 1994 and of course, the 1989 World Junior title among them. Looking back on it all now, what are your proudest moments or mos special memories as a skater?

A: Winning Junior Worlds was the proudest moment for sure. There were a lot of special memories over the years. Traveling internationally to represent the USA and feeling a part of a team was always a lot of fun and very rewarding.

Q: Here's one thing I think is pretty incredible. Your sister is actually Phoebe Mills, who won the Olympic bronze medal at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul as a gymnast and your brother is Nathaniel Mills, who competed in the 1992, 1994 and 1998 Winter Olympics as a speed skater. Growing up was there any big sense of rivalry between you and your siblings and did you ever dabble in each other's sports?

A: Yes, we all started in speed skating together as a family. It was great fun practicing together and piling in our van to travel to races on the weekends together. My sisters Hilary, Phoebe and I started also started in gymnastics together. Miraculously, we were not competitive with each other. We loved Olympic sports in our family and it was a lot of fun sharing in each others dreams, goals and successes.

Q: You really showed a lot of commitment to skating and continued through to 1996, competing against everyone from Jill Trenary to Kristi Yamaguchi, Nancy Kerrigan, Tonya Harding, Nicole Bobek, Elaine Zayak and Michelle Kwan. I know it's been talked about to death, but in particular, what was the experience of competing at those 1994 U.S. Championships in Detroit like with the media firestorm regarding the whole Tonya/Nancy 'incident' brewing? 

A: Thank you. I'm sure the experience was different for all of the ladies competing in that event but when you are at that level (in an Olympic year) you have to come into the event with laser focus and be able to block out distractions. In the moment, the attack was a distraction and I blocked it out and stayed to myself.

 

Q: You got your Bachelor Of Arts in Fashion Merchandising and actually worked as a merchandiser in New York City in the intimate apparel industry for ten years. Was fashion something you were always passionate about and what are your thoughts on fashion in skating today?

A: I always loved clothes and style. I actually wanted to be an actress growing up. After skating and in deciding on a degree for college I came across fashion merchandising and gave it a try. It was a great fit for me right away. I think there is a natural relationship between skating and fashion. Competition dresses are like evening gowns and we often draw inspiration from the runway. Vera Wang, a former skater, designed skating dresses for both Nancy Kerrigan and Michelle Kwan. I would like to see more of those collaborations.

Q: You now coach skating at the Louisville Skating Academy in Kentucky. What is the best piece of advice you can offer someone looking to make the transition from skating themselves to coaching?

A: Doing a skill and teaching a skill are two completely different things. So, you have to come in with patience and gradually figure out your methods.

Q: You performed professionally with the Ice Theatre Of New York, who I am actually a big fan of. What are your thoughts on the state of professional skating today and is getting back into performing professionally something you'd ever do again?

A: I would love to see a company like Ice Theatre Of New York become a national tour. I remember seeing John Curry's show when I was young which was done on a stage - like you would see a ballet. It was absolutely amazing. I wish my students now would have an opportunity to see such artistry on the ice but there is nothing like that out there that is done in a big way. Of course, you have to have the audience to sustain it which is where the problem is. There seems to be more success in artistically driven professional shows in Europe, where skating is a more popular sport than it is in the U.S. Do I think about performing again? The answer is yes. I think about it often in my dreams.

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

A: Scott Hamilton. He has such an amazing life story. He loved performing which made it so much fun to watch him as a professional and he has done so much to give back to the sport. Brian Boitano and Michelle Kwan - both for their technical ability, consistency and artistry.

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

A: I was an extra in the first Home Alone movie. There was a brief skating scene in all of the movies. I also competed in both figure skating and speed skating in the 1991 U.S. Olympic Festival (winning a gold in the team relay event).

Q: Looking back on it all now, what would you say your biggest strengths and weaknesses as a skater were and what was the biggest lesson figure skating taught you?

A: I think my biggest strength was that I cared about the total package. I had athletic ability and I gave equal attention to the artistic side. My weakness was mental toughness, or lack thereof which lead to inconsistency at major competitions. Skating taught me about sacrifice. You have to be willing to sacrifice to be successful at anything. You also have to make sure you surround yourself with people who understand your goals and support 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.

Anne Frank And Bernd Elias: Skaters In A Dangerous Time

In my September 2013 article Finding Peace On The Ice: Figure Skating And World War II, I looked at the impact of World War II on the international figure skating community. More specifically in my January article Hanni Sondheimer Vogelweid, The Skates That Survived The Holocaust And The Sochi Olympics, I looked at the story of Hanni Sondheimer Vogelweid, a German born teenager that loved to skate who escaped from the Soviet occupation of her hometown of Kaunus, Lithuania to America via Japan and China. Her remarkable story of survival is almost mind blowing, yet I couldn't go back and think about the other side of the coin when I recently watched a documentary about the betrayal of Anne Frank's family purporting (and arguing very well) that Dutch nazi Tonny Ahlers was indeed the one that had betrayed the Frank family. Anne Frank's courageous story was shared through her diary "Anne Frank: The Diary Of A Young Girl" which was first published in Holland under the title "Het Achterhuis" in 1947 and is one of the most enduring and haunting stories of our time. In watching this documentary and thinking back to the book and fellow Gemini Anne, I couldn't help but think about how one young Jewish girl who loved skating survived and after that horrific experience of going into hiding in a secret annex in her father's factory, another young Jewish girl who loved skating met her end in a Nazi concentration camp seventy years ago.

In her diary on July 11, 1942, Anne wrote: "Our little room looked very bare at first with nothing on the walls; but thanks to Daddy who had brought my film-star collection and picture postcards on beforehand, and with the aid of a paste pot and brush, I have transformed the walls into one gigantic picture. This makes it look much more cheerful…" Among those photos that Anne used to color her grey world while she was in hiding with her family were three pictures of Olympic Gold Medallist Sonja Henie of Norway, who sadly and ironically had publicly supported Adolf Hitler with a Nazi salute at the 1936 Winter Olympics right in Anne's home country. Anne was a keen skater herself, taking lessons at the Apollohal ice rink and fantasizing in her diary about a skating performance with her cousin Bernd 'Buddy' Elias, a figure skater who played a clown in skating shows and actor. Anne drew a picture of a blue fir-trimmed skating dress with a matching hat to complement her dream of skating with her cousin after skating one time together before she was forced into hiding. In a January 1941 letter from Amsterdam to her cousin Elias, Anne wrote "Bernd, maybe we can skate as a pair together someday. But I know I'll have to train very hard to be as good as you are". Shortly after Anne penned this letter, the rink closed to her with a sign that said "NO JEWS ALLOWED". The same sign would be seen in schools, libraries, cinemas and cafes. Anne's turn on the ice and dream of skating with her cousin wasn't to be.

Anne's October 18, 1942 diary about skating with her cousin (not published in the abridged version) brings a tear to your eye: "Bernd is busy teaching me figure skating and I am going to be his partner because his partner happens to be away, we make a lovely pair and everyone is going to be mad about us we sent five photographs to the office 1. Anne doing a turn 2. Anne arm in arm with Bernd left foot forwards 3. Anne waltzing with Bernd 4. Anne with Bernd doing the swan 5. Anne from the left, Bernd from the right blowing a kiss to each other. There will be a film later for Holland and Switzerland, my girl friends in both Holland and Switzerland think it's great. It's in three parts. 1st part - Anne on skates. First you see her entering from one side while her partner enters from the other side with a blue skating dress trimmed with white fur with white pockets and a zipper and a belt with a bag. Then they do the swan together and Anne does this tremendous leap in the air. Later they waltz and joke about the lessons. 2nd part: Anne making a visit and at school. Busy at the tea table in the small room with Kitty and two boys including Bernd then at school surrounded by a noisy crowd of children and all sorts of silly scenes e.g. in bed with Daddy and at table. 3rd part: Anne's wardrobe the 8 new dresses skating dress which is a present a white one and shoes."

On March 8, 1944, Anne's dream of skating again was still very much alive. She wrote "the night before last I dreamed I was skating right here in our living room with that little boy from the Apollo ice-skating rink; he was with his sister, the girl with the spindly legs who always wore the same blue dress. I introduced myself, overdoing it a bit, and asked him his name. It was Peter. In my dream I wondered just how many Peters I actually knew!" She went on to talk of Peter kissing her but then saying he didn't love her and waking up and realizing it was only a dream. Sadly, the ice Anne longed to carve out part of her future on would also be a dream that would not prove to be a reality.

Bernd Elias talked of his own skating and acting career and memory of his beloved cousin Anne in a 2008 interview with PR.com: "I started skating at age 4, and as I was very agile and had a good sense of humor, when I was 14 I started doing comedy on ice with a friend. We gave exhibitions in Switzerland already during the war. After my schooling I went to drama school and started my career as an actor in Switzerland. But, I still did skating whenever I had the time. My partner went to England on business and came in contact with the producer of English ice shows, who offered us a contract. We accepted. Thus, I started my career as an ice comedian which lasted 14 years, mostly with Holiday On Ice. We toured the whole world; the Bolshoi Ballet, to the U.S. and we in Moscow with special performance for Chruschtschow. In 1961 I quit and returned to acting. I was very lucky and played many leading roles at some of German's most renowned theatres in Berlin, Hamburg, Bremen and Stuttgart. I also played musicals, [including] one leading part at the Shaftesbury theatre in London (Canterbury Tales), as well a part in "La belle Helène" at the festivals in Aix en Provence and Salzburg in French. Besides I was cast in many television productions in Germany. Right now I am performing in a comedy at a Basel theatre, but we will have our last performances soon. I already signed for a production at this theatre for next winter. Television offers are coming along too, but right at the moment I have no such plans. I am still active on stage and TV, but my life and work is mostly for Anne Frank and the Fonds. Quite often I go to schools and lecture about Anne and the Holocaust."

Sadly, Anne Frank's story echoes that of another figure skater who fought for his life and lost the battle in a Nazi concentration camp during World War II. 1931 and 1932 Norwegian Figure Skating Champion Per Jacobsen fought for Norway in the battles in his country's Oppland District and joined the Resistance movement and an intelligence operative called Skylark A when Nazis invaded his country. After saving the life of resistance fighter Max Manus by smuggling in a fish line that Manus used to escape from a hospital under Nazi custody, Jacobsen was captured himself and imprisoned at Grini Concentration Camp from August 1942 to July 1943 before being shipped to Germany and sent to the Nacht und Nebel camp Natzweiler - Struthofwhere where he survived for almost a year until he died on June 13, 1944. Like Anne, Per Jacobsen would never return to the ice that he so dearly loved but is remembered in Manus' post-war book as "a grand companion, an ardent idealist and one of the silent heroes that undertook the biggest efforts."

Anne and Bernd were indeed skaters in a dangerous time that would never reunite on the ice. Anne's tragic death in the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in Nazi Germany in March 1945 ended that dream but it only seems fitting that today in the winters skaters can skate right past the Anne Frank House museum on the frozen Prisengracht canal in Amsterdam and pay their respects to a wise and courageous young woman - and skater - who dreamed despite her situation of life and skating beyond the unimaginable horrors of the Holocaust. Lest we forget.

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 Morgan Matthews

From Chicago, Illinois, born and raised... in the ice rink is where she spent most of her days! Morgan Matthews' career as a competitive ice dancer was really quite the remarkable one. After winning the U.S. Junior title in both 2003 and 2004, she went on to find herself atop the podium at both the Junior Grand Prix Final and the World Junior Championships. In 2006, the Four Continents Championships silver medal was all hers. Along the way in her journey, she even defeated a pair of future Olympic Gold Medallists in competition - both Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir and Meryl Davis and Charlie White. Morgan was gracious enough to take the time to talk about her competitive career, citizenship issues, the skaters that inspire her most and much, much more in this interview I have a feeling you're really going to enjoy.

Q: You had crazy success during your competitive career - two U.S. junior titles, a win at the Junior Grand Prix Final, the 2005 World Junior title and a silver medal at the 2006 Four Continents Championships among them, as well as of course representing the U.S. at the 2006 World Championships in Calgary, Alberta. Looking back on it now, what are your proudest moments or most special memories from your career as a competitive ice dancer?

A: My most proud moment was winning the 2005 World Junior title. My partner, Max Zavozin, and I were extremely determined to win that medal. Our top competitors that year were Virtue and Moir, so as you can imagine we were very nervous. We had to skate our best every time in order to win. When the time came, it was one of those rare moments in which everything worked out exactly how we had hoped. That was definitely the peak of our career together.

Q: Before turning to ice dancing, you were were actually a pairs skater and you finished fifth on the novice level in 1999. How hard was making the transition from pairs skating to ice dancing?

A: From around 1997 to 2002 I trained in singles, pairs and ice dance. I liked pairs, tolerated singles, and loved ice dance. Therefore, when the right partner came along I was happy to shed the other two disciplines.

Q: After your partnership with Maxim Zavozin ended in 2007, you teamed up with Leif Gislason and applied for a release to represent Canada but were denied by U.S. Figure Skating and ended up continue to compete for the U.S. even though Kaitlyn Weaver was released around the same time to Canada. Do you think things could have gone very differently if you had have in fact been released or is it all water under the bridge now?

A: Leif and I were a great match on the ice, but the odds were stacked against our partnership. Even if the U.S. had granted me release, it would have been nearly impossible for me to have gained Canadian citizenship in time for either the 2010 or 2014 Olympics. Also, the injuries that caused me to retire would have eventually gotten in the way of our success. Our partnership aside, I hope that in the future more multinational teams are allowed to exist. Kaitlyn Weaver was fortunate enough to apply for release early in her career. The success that her and Andrew Poje have gained ought to inspire federations to be more accommodating to ice dance and pair couples comprised of skaters from separate countries.

Q: You later teamed up with Elliot Pennington but ended your career in 2009 while dealing with a serious injury. How hard was the decision to entire for you and how rewarding has the decision to continue in the skating world on the other side of the boards been?

A: Elliot and I were also a good match, but my injuries were too severe to overcome. It was very difficult for me to surrender to my injuries, even though I really had no choice. Elliot supported me through that period, which I am grateful for. Coaching has been a great resource for me while I put myself through college. Recently, I've enjoyed teaching and choreographing for several solo ice dancers. The Solo Ice Dance Series fills a major chasm in ice dance. Now all these girls and boys who haven’t yet found partners, or have no intention of finding one, can create programs and enjoy competing on their own.

Q: What's at the very top of your playlist - the songs and musicians you could listen to over and over?

A: My taste in music changes frequently. My current playlists include a lot of edm/alternative bands like Disclosure, CHVRCHES, and Seven Lions. However, for some reason I can’t stop listening to "Fancy" by Iggy Azzelea. Please don't judge me, it’s a phase!

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

A: I was raised vegetarian. Three years ago I tasted bacon for the first time. It was a life altering experience. I also speak Russian.

Q: Who are your three favorite ice dance teams of all time and why?

A: My all time favorite ice dance teams are Grishuk and Platov, Angelika Krylova and ANYONE and Torvill and Dean. Berezhnaya and Sikharulidze are another favorite of mine, but they are not ice dancers. Lastly, allow me to take this opportunity express my love for Hubbell and Donahue. In my opinion they are the most undervalued ice dance team currently skating.

Q: What do perceive as the biggest issues that are facing figure skating right now and quite frankly, do you think that the judging system currently being used is helping or hurting the sport's present and future?

A: I'd like to see a more modern artistic presence in figure skating. All the Balanchine gets tiring to watch. Allowing vocals in music should help but that won't be enough. Many skaters are turning to show skating because they are bored with the rigidity of competitive figure skating. As for the judging system, the IJS seems to be an improvement over the 6.0 system... but the day when everyone is happy about the judging system in figure skating is the day when pigs start flying. That said, I think that less restriction on music, choreography, and overall program content would be a welcome change.

Q: What do you love more than anything about ice dancing?

A: I love the creative process. My favourite time of year used to be the off season, when I'd get to help pick new music, choreograph new programs and design new costumes. Singles and pairs skaters do all of that as well, but for ice dancers the process is more extensive.

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.