On Sunday's episode of FOX's American Dad (yes, I know it's Wednesday, but I have a husband, small children, a day job, a new book due by the end of the year, and two blogs; I'm lucky if I catch a television show during its regular season, much less the day it airs), Stan Smith revealed his deep, dark, wintertime secret -- he is a closet (in his case it's a dungeon) figure skater.
This holiday season, I have taken the unbridled liberty of guessing what some of our favorite skaters are thankful for. (I know I have no right, and I apologize in advance).
Skate Canada's refusal to tell its U.S. governing body why it suspended Lloyd Eisler from coaching has prompted questions about how athletes can find out if a coach is being disciplined.
Skate Canada suspended the two-time Olympic bronze medalist on Oct. 3 after he allegedly sent inappropriate emails to a 15-year-old female skater he was coaching.
A source familiar with Skate Canada's investigation told the Toronto Star at the time that the emails to the teen girl were sexually suggestive.
The Olympic Silver Medalist may have his hands full these days with two daughters under the age of three, but Paul Wylie also took some time out recently to MC The Ice Theater of New York's recent gala honoring JoJo Starbuck and Ken Shelley.
This is what he had to say about the event:
"The Gala event felt like a family dinner. It was great to see so many friends and to honor Kenny and JoJo, who've been friends and heroes to me and to so many skaters and fans over the years. Seeing the progression of their careers on video, and hearing from them as young people, their hearts and motivations, the true joy they found in skating was only matched by the excitement to see them together again on the ice at Chelsea Piers and at the podium to accept their award. It was clear then as it is today: they are co-laborers and best friends. Everyone who has met them mentioned one of the keys to their success was that they made the work of skating fun. They serve as role models to skaters (and people) of any generation, especially those who need to learn how to laugh and enjoy the gift of skating!"
When I asked Ken about his connection to Paul, he explained, "When he was very young we came to Dallas and did a show. He (also) skated a little bit out in California when he was growing up and doing pairs and worked with (Starbuck and Shelley coach) John Nicks."
For more from both Ken and JoJo about their big night, please check out my Skate of the Art column in the upcoming issue of International Figure Skating Magazine.
On Thursday, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice plans to name the 26-year-old Californian and daughter of Chinese immigrants from Hong Kong as a public diplomacy ambassador...
And now I can't get the image of Michelle skating pairs with Kim Jon Il out of my head. (Not the real guy, the puppet from Team America).
While I am always happy to see a positive review of one of my books, such as this one, from Nichtszusagen about Death Drop:
As with Axel of Evil, I thoroughly enjoyed this story. The skating details were just enough to ground me in the setting and to make me feel like a bit of an insider, but not enough to be overwhelming. Bex is a realistic, likeable heroine, and all the secondary characters were well-enough developed that even though there were quite a few of them for a relatively short (233-page) book, I didn't have any trouble distinguishing them....Amateur detective series tend to have trouble giving the protagonist reasons for continuing to stumble on and/or poke their noses into murder cases. So far, that's not a problem. I particularly liked the way Bex's involvement in this case was handled.
What I really loved about her review was the following:
One last thing: I didn't expect this while reading a cozy murder mystery, but the bits about fatherhood and what it means, especially one particular conversation between Bex and Craig, put a lump in my throat and tears in my eyes.
That's because, when I was first outlining Death Drop in preparation for writing it (I know some writers can just make things up as they go along, but I'm one of those anal, got to have an outline before I start or else I don't know where I'm going and just end up rambling types; can you tell from these rambling posts?), the story didn't really gel for me until I understood that, beyond the murder and the skating and the mystery, Death Drop was really about fatherhood in all its permutations.
I never stated this fact in the story, I simply kept it in the back of my mind as I wrote every scene, giving the story (I hoped) a theme and a focus. And now somebody got what I was trying to do! I'm so excited!
Two-time Olympian David Santee retired from eligible skating following the 1982 World Championships at the age of 24, where he placed 8th after coming in 2nd the year before.
He says, "I had competed in seven Worlds and two Olympics and I had enough. My favorite skating memory would be San Diego Nationals in 1981, finishing my program and seeing the audience already on their feet." (Santee finished 2nd behind Scott Hamilton)
Afterwards, he skated with The John Curry Skating Company for three years and competed on the Pro Skate Circuit.
"I enjoyed both but learned quite a bit about skating and myself in The John Curry Company. The opportunity to work with John Curry was great. I decided after doing that for three years, that I wanted to come home and develop a competitive skating program in my home town of Park Ridge, Il. I am currently a coach in the Chicago area. I am the Instructor's Rep on the Board of Directors of the ISI. I am also an ISU certified Technical Specialist. My two sons are both away. My older boy, Chris, is a sophomore at Illinois Wesleyan University, and my younger son, Mike, is playing Junior Hockey with the Grand Rapids Junior Owls of the Central States Hockey League. My favorite professional moment would be going back to Lake Placid for the 25th anniversary of the 1980 Olympics and bringing my younger son along. (As a) hockey player, for him to experience what I went through, and meet members of the Miracle on Ice team was a lifetime memory."
Looking back on his career, Santee muses, "I experienced all of the ups and downs of being a competitive skater. I wouldn't change anything. I was lucky to have a loyal following of fans, and to them I say thank you."
Three-time men's world figure skating champion Elvis Stojko didn't think it right that at just 34 years old he was going into the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame.
But after a few days to think it over, Stojko came to the realization that the honour came exactly at the right time.
"I had decided this past spring to retire completely from skating," he said yesterday at the Royal York Hotel, where the induction ceremony took place.
"I hadn't told anybody (about retiring) so when I got the call from the Hall in August, I thought, 'it was the right time,' " he said.
