The 1961 Nationals

**FSWer** · 12-09-2010, 05:06 PM

Say,does anyone know if there are any photos left from it. Of that day. Showing all the skaters competing by Discipline? Thanks.

**Frau Muller** · 12-09-2010, 07:22 PM

There's the full video of the ABC telecast (see FSVids or Frogs on Ice websites) so I'm sur ethat still photos exist somewhere.

**Sylvia** · 12-09-2010, 07:39 PM

Someone (chipso1) mentioned that the book Frozen in Time: The Enduring Legacy of the 1961 U.S. Figure Skating Team by Nikki Nichols has some nice photos of the skaters and coaches in it -- possibly from the competition itself? Here's a summary and review of the book: http://figureskating.about.com/od/fi.../gr/frozen.htm

I don't believe there are any photos online (no links) from 1961 US Nationals, but someone please correct me if I'm wrong.

**FSWer** · 12-09-2010, 10:38 PM

True. I do have the book Frozen in Time. Which shows some photos of some of the skaters. I was more wondering about photos of the whole actual competition. BTW. who were the commentators? Or were there any?

**bardtoob** · 12-09-2010, 10:58 PM

In 1961, US Figure Skating Nationals were broadcast by CBS, and Uncle Dick was the commentator.

**FSWer** · 12-09-2010, 11:04 PM

Dick Button? Say,is there a possibility that anyone here on this Board could have taped that competition? I'd love to have a copy of it. If anyone should know of any on-line photos (not on u-tube) I would really appreciate it. Thanks.

**bardtoob** · 12-10-2010, 12:43 AM

Yes, Dick Button.

**chipso1** · 12-10-2010, 12:45 AM

A new book which also might have some pictures in it: http://www.amazon.com/Indelible-Trac...1941917&sr=8-1. FYI, apparently a portion of the proceeds from this book go to the USFS Memorial Fund.

**FSWer** · 12-10-2010, 01:00 AM

He is lucky he didn't sign on to commintate the Worlds!!!! As what could have happened!!! Who was supposed to anyway? BTW. does anyone know if the Pair Team of Ludmila & Oleg Protopopov were at that National's? They were the 1964 Olympic Gold Medalist.

**bardtoob** · 12-10-2010, 01:03 AM

The Protopopovs were still in the USSR at that time.

TV coverage of figure skating was still very new. The first broadcast of a skating competition was in 1960. I do not think there were plans to broadcast Worlds in the US in 1961.

**FSWer** · 12-10-2010, 01:10 AM

In were? What IS their Nationals competitive Record? Because I was just wondering if when I saw them at my Rink...if they actually DID compete with all those skaters. In which case if they did..it was a priverage that THEY wound up on my Rinks....doorstep.

**chipso1** · 12-10-2010, 01:12 AM

Originally Posted by FSWer

He is lucky he didn't sign on to commintate the Worlds!!!! As what could have happened!!! Who was supposed to anyway? BTW. does anyone know if the Pair Team of Ludmila & Oleg Protopopov were at that National's? They were the 1964 Olympic Gold Medalist.

The Protopopov's competed for the Soviet Union, so no, they wouldn't have been at the 1961 U.S. Championships.

They won 6 Soviet titles (1962-64 and 1966-68).

**chipso1** · 12-10-2010, 01:53 AM

Originally Posted by bardtoob

In 1961, US Figure Skating Nationals were broadcast by CBS, and Uncle Dick was the commentator.

Originally Posted by FSWer

Dick Button? Say,is there a possibility that anyone here on this Board could have taped that competition? I'd love to have a copy of it. If anyone should know of any on-line photos (not on u-tube) I would really appreciate it. Thanks.

Laurence Owen - 1961 U.S. Nationals FS

It's kind of haunting to hear her talking about going to Worlds (at the end of the clip).

That user also has other videos from the competition.

Oops, I just noticed you didn't want YouTube videos. Sorry, it's all I could find.

**Sylvia** · 12-10-2010, 02:01 AM

Unfortunately, FSWer can't watch youtube videos.

Skateweb has video files of CBS' coverage of 1961 US Nationals that can be downloaded for personal use/viewing: http://www.frogsonice.com/video/1961-nats/

Skateweb's report on the CBS broadcast of 1961 US Nationals: http://www.frogsonice.com/skateweb/a...ationals.shtml

Originally Posted by FSWer

What IS their Nationals competitive Record?

See chipso1's answer about the Protopopovs' Soviet Nationals competition history above. Here's an amateur and professional international competition record and profile of the Protopopovs (Belousova was her family name before marriage): http://www.pairsonice.net/profileview.php?pid=99

**bardtoob** · 12-10-2010, 04:30 AM

Originally Posted by Sylvia

Unfortunately, FSWer can't watch youtube videos.

Skateweb has video files of CBS' coverage of 1961 US Nationals that can be downloaded for personal use/viewing: http://www.frogsonice.com/video/1961-nats/

Skateweb's report on the CBS broadcast of 1961 US Nationals: http://www.frogsonice.com/skateweb/a...ationals.shtml

See chipso1's answer about the Protopopovs' Soviet Nationals competition history above. Here's an amateur and professional international competition record and profile of the Protopopovs (Belousova was her family name before marriage): http://www.pairsonice.net/profileview.php?pid=99

Dr. frog and I have, at times, done some verbal sparing, but she does do some good work at preserving material that could disappear if YouTube and the like were to go the way of other media sharing sites.

**julieann** · 12-10-2010, 04:08 PM

My memory could be way off, but I remember hearing sometime ago that ABC was to carry the 1961 championships on the very first Wide World of Sports telecast but the president of sports didn't want the first thing for viewers saw to be figure skating so CBS aired them and WWofS had it's first airing in April, then airing most of the skating competitions worlds wide for many years after that.

I wonder if they will re-play the 1961 nationals on ESPNClassic for the 50th anniversary.

**julieann** · 12-10-2010, 04:09 PM

If you want to take somethign off youtube in case it's removed use:

Keep Tube

It will save it to quick time file.

**gkelly** · 12-10-2010, 04:16 PM

never mind

**julieann** · 12-10-2010, 04:26 PM

Originally Posted by gkelly

Not sure which championships you're referring to.

ABC did air the 1961 Nationals. I'm not sure if it was part of WWofS or not.

1961 Worlds was cancelled, so no one broadcast it.

ABC was going to air it after trying to buy the rights from CBS who aired the nationals in 1961. ABC wanted to be the powerhouse of sports and the new show WWofS is what they though would do it. They had exclusive rights to air the nationals in later years.

CBS broadcast the US Nationals in 1961.

**Emmett** · 12-11-2010, 04:28 PM

I recently saw a portion of the 1961 broadcast. It was CBS and the event was held at the Broadmoor.

It was very eerie to watch...although the commercials were priceless. There is one husband and wife team that is doing a cigarette commercial on the ice. He is obviously winded by the altitude and the smokes. There were also some beer commercial that were pretty entertaining.

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