Norbert Schramm

[manleywoman]

Hi all. I may have an opportunity to interview Norbert Schramm next week (to be determined) for www.manleywoman.com. Besides what I can find via Google, I admit I'm not so well versed on his career. So I'm reaching out to FSU to see if you all can give me more context and insight into his skating and career.

Thank you!!

[shan]

Hi all. I may have an opportunity to interview Norbert Schramm next week (to be determined) for www.manleywoman.com. Besides what I can find via Google, I admit I'm not so well versed on his career. So I'm reaching out to FSU to see if you all can give me more context and insight into his skating and career.

Thank you!!

I've never heard of him beyond this thread. I felt compelled to google him and am now more interested because of the picture along side this article.

http://www.tv-couch.de/ich-bin-ein-s...rbert-schramm/



Can't wait for the interview (if it happens).

[LadyNit]

Norbert has so much style. I want to know who influenced his development, how much dance training he had, and how he would describe the arc of his career (highlights, lowlights, arch rivals, all the gossip PML).

Hope you do get to chat with him. I've always enjoyed his performances. He's a great show man.

[vivika1982]

You probably already did your research but I hope this will help.
Web site about Norbert Schramm
http://www.norbert-schramm.de/

Short interview about his participation in show that looks similar to “Survivor” called the “Jungle camp” with lots of photos.
http://www.welt.de/fernsehen/article...t-Schramm.html

Both of the materials are in German but with the translate tool I was able to understand almost everything.

And in addition few skating pieces of an awesome entertainer with original spins and good sense of humor:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GFDoL9vg7k
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWpIE...eature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2SPM...feature=relmfu
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVd6o...eature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4azvF...feature=relmfu

Looking forward to read your interview.

[cholla]

Schramm was my first fave skater ever. I'm very interested to hear about his pro career post 1984 Olys, and about his work as a choreographer forf the show Europapark. I also heard he took time off away from figure skating to travel South America and to walk almost 800 km on the pilgrim routes to Santiago de Compostela from Germany to Spain. I'm really looking forward to read your interview too !

[lulu]

Vivika, thanks so much for the videos! I love his footwork and his overall style, very creative and fun to watch.
Manleywoman, you always get to interview the most interesting people. Looking forward to the podcast.

[aliceanne]

Apparently Toller Cranston considered him a skating soulmate. According to Toller in "Zero Tollerance". Schramm walked out of the figures competition during the 1984 Worlds over his scoring.

Also according to Toller (When He'll Freezes Over) Schramm switched from his longtime German coach to Fassi a few months before the 1984 Sarejevo Olympics. Toller felt that turned the German Federation against him, and they backed Cerne instead. (although Toller blames Fassi for a lot of things).

[overedge]

I believe that in the late 1970s there were rumors that he was dating Katarina Witt, when he was representing West Germany and she was representing East Germany. Allegedly both of the German federations were and tried to get them to break up because each did not want their skater to be dating someone from the "other side".

[orbitz]

For some reason I thought he passed away a couple of years ago. Woops.

[vivika1982]

I believe that in the late 1970s there were rumors that he was dating Katarina Witt, when he was representing West Germany and she was representing East Germany. Allegedly both of the German federations were and tried to get them to break up because each did not want their skater to be dating someone from the "other side".

They looked nice and happy in 1983 .However,Witt herself explained that nothing serious happened:

Off the ice, traditional waltzes were the source of excitement at the closing banquet. The European Champion Norbert Schramm from West Germany and I from the GDR stepped on each other's feet more than dancing with twinkle-toes. The fun we were having had some of the officials and operatives raising their eyebrows. The press was already alluding to the new "dream couple".

http://en.katarina-witt.de/figure-sk...pion-1983.html
Here is the picture of them dancing and "raising eyebrows"
http://en.katarina-witt.de/typo3temp...6a3f194e48.jpg

[aftershocks]

^^ Thanks for that pic.

Apparently Toller Cranston considered him a skating soulmate. According to Toller in "Zero Tollerance". Schramm walked out of the figures competition during the 1984 Worlds over his scoring.

Also according to Toller (When He'll Freezes Over) Schramm switched from his longtime German coach to Fassi a few months before the 1984 Sarejevo Olympics. Toller felt that turned the German Federation against him, and they backed Cerne instead. (although Toller blames Fassi for a lot of things).

Well, I don't blame Toller. Did you also read where Toller points out that Fassi approached him with offers to be his coach, and Toller turned Fassi down because he was happy being coached by Ellen Burka. After being turned down by Toller, Fassi sought out John Curry, who at the time had not been that successful competitively. I believe Curry had great artistic skills, and he was definitely inspired by what Toller Cranston was doing as an artist on ice. Once Curry signed on with Fassi (who must have been a good technical coach, as well as politically connected), the rest is history.

In retrospect, I wonder whether Toller might have been the skater who won Olympic gold in 1976, had he teamed up with Fassi. Maybe not, however, because the judges just never seemed to like Toller and likely Toller's personality would not have meshed with Fassi's in any case.

ETA:
Thanks everyone for all the links and info on Norbert Schramm! Looking forward to the interview, manleywoman.

[floskate]

Here's my favourite Norbert performance from the 1983 Europeans:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xu3hKkAj8i0

He was skating before a home crowd and they just adored him here. This was the competition where he was supposed to try the triple axel, but he really didn't need it. I remember a lot of talk back then that if he added a triple axel he could beat Hamilton but neither ever happened. But he was charismatic, avant-garde (for the time) and a true skating star in Europe.

I do hope you get to talk to him, and if so, I'd love to know whether he really 'had' the triple axel, the gossip from the era and what he thought of his fellow competitors. I LOVE early 80's mens skating with Hamilton, Schramm, Cerne, Fadeev, Kotin, Simond, Waggenhoffer, Orser, baby Boitano, Filipowski, Bobrin, Fischer etc. So many personalities and different styles. Plus I'd love to know his side of what really happened in the 1984 season. He didn't skate so great at Europeans where he was beaten by Cerne and Fadeev, but the whole political which led to his withdrawal at Worlds has never fully been explained.

[LadyNit]

Manleywoman, email him all these video links to get him in the mood to talk about the good old days. He skated with such joy. Always a smile on his face.

About his outfit at 1983 Euros: elongate those silver stripes four more inches and you've got a Weirtard.

[skatesindreams]

Apparently Toller Cranston considered him a skating soulmate. According to Toller in "Zero Tollerance". Schramm walked out of the figures competition during the 1984 Worlds over his scoring.

Also according to Toller (When He'll Freezes Over) Schramm switched from his longtime German coach to Fassi a few months before the 1984 Sarejevo Olympics. Toller felt that turned the German Federation against him, and they backed Cerne instead. (although Toller blames Fassi for a lot of things).

He skated with Toller and Robin Cousins in "The True Gift of Christmas"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r1-uf...feature=relmfu
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yU4ni...feature=relmfu
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yU4ni...feature=relmfu
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r1-uf...feature=relmfu

I hope that you will be able to interview him, manleywoman!

[Frau Muller]

I loved Norbert Schramm's modern style and energy. My only question to him would be: "How did it feel to be skating your LP at 1983 Euros?" That was one of the great all-time Euro Mens performances. Even Scott Hamilton was looking behind his back, for a moment.

[lulu]

I'm not as familiar with Schramm as other posters are, but just watching his programs, I'd be very interested to find out more about his choreogaphy. I'm not sure if Schramm choreographed his own programs, or if he had a choreographer, but I'd be interested in knowing what type of influence Schramm had on the choreography.

[Maofan7]

Hi Manleywoman,

Here is a very good biography and website about Norbert. Look forward to hearing your interview with him. He is one of the greats - double European champion and twice runner up to Scott Hamilton at worlds. Renowned as a great entertainer, he has been extremely successful in the business of directing and choreographing ice shows (he was artistic director of Europapark for a long period) since his competitive retirement.

Injury problems/a dip in form affected him during the 1983/84 season and he finished 9th at the 1984 Olympics, in which he suffered this rather bizarre fall in the short program.

Also hoping that your closer to getting that interview with Dick Button!

[manleywoman]

^ Trying on Dick. HoPing we will have coffee today to discuss. He asked me to call him.

Thx everyone for the help! Still not sure Norbert is happening today, but at least I'm prepared.

[skatesindreams]

Pleased to hear about Dick, manleywoman!
Fingers crossed that everything can be arranged.

[Frau Muller]

Manleywoman, I'll eat my hat if you succeed in interviewing Dick. I may even present you with a Rusty Hoot!