I, Tonya

[VGThuy]

You would have had a hatful of stars.

I know it seemed like she did that program forever, but I honestly don't remember her doing that program then. I probably didn't watch much skating during that time. I remembered other programs she did and she always hit that Triple Salchow and her skills were always top notch.

 

[MacMadame]

I loved watching her. I didn't care what the program was.

 

[Tinami Amori]

She was injured at the end of her elite career. As a pro she seemed to really work on the other aspects of skating other than jumps and was really fun to watch. I saw her as an elite and as a pro in person and there was a definite difference in her skating skills the longer she was a Pro.

I wonder if she is still skating and what elements she can still do.

I occasionally look for Bonaly current show tapes, the latest one found was a show in France in late 2013.
She is doing a back flip on the promo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehFMYTJ22ug

 

[Erin]

She was injured at the end of her elite career. As a pro she seemed to really work on the other aspects of skating other than jumps and was really fun to watch. I saw her as an elite and as a pro in person and there was a definite difference in her skating skills the longer she was a Pro.

I wonder if she is still skating and what elements she can still do.

There was an article that was posted about a year ago that she is coaching in the Twin Cities. So she is on the ice in that regard at least.

 

[cmk]

Dick Button actually did want to invite Tonya to world pros in 99 as well. Surya and Tonia K got invites. However when Tara refused to skate with Tonya, he decided not to invite Tonya.

 

[meggonzo]

I heard Two Tribes by Frankie Goes to Hollywood on my drive home today. I was like, hey, I KNOW this song, LOL.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LsPS1bhAj6c

 

[HSCluv]

Dick Button actually did want to invite Tonya to world pros in 99 as well. Surya and Tonia K got invites. However when Tara refused to skate with Tonya, he decided not to invite Tonya.

I would have loved to have seen Tonya at a world pro competition. Too bad it didn't happen. I remember seeing a speech by Dick Button, it was about corrupt judges and how they are allowed to keep judging, but Tonya Harding was banned for life. So true.

 

[bardtoob]

I heard Two Tribes by Frankie Goes to Hollywood on my drive home today. I was like, hey, I KNOW this song, LOL.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LsPS1bhAj6c

Look at those marks. She was 3rd in the skating order but still received 5.7s to 5.9s in both the technical and presentation marks.

 

[Inessence]

Dick Button actually did want to invite Tonya to world pros in 99 as well. Surya and Tonia K got invites. However when Tara refused to skate with Tonya, he decided not to invite Tonya.

That was Tara? I always thought Kristi for some reason.

 

[alchemy void]

In the mid to late 90s, if I had paid to attend a pro event, when it came to the ladies, I would have felt that I knew I would have gotten my money's worth if Surya, Kristi, and Yuka were on the roster.

Awkward gay teenage me was all about Kadavy, Biellmann, and Yamaguchi (and then Bonaly once she turned pro).

There was an article that was posted about a year ago that she is coaching in the Twin Cities. So she is on the ice in that regard at least.

www.citypages.com/news/figure-skatings-bad-girl-star-surya-bonaly-makes-new-life-in-minnesota/392501041

A fairly extensive article, I remember she was on the cover of City Pages. Sounds like her last backflip was about 3 years ago.

 

[jenniferlyon]

That was Tara? I always thought Kristi for some reason.

I don't know about that one competition, but I heard that MANY big name skaters had a "no Tonya" clause in their contracts. Nancy, of course, was one of them. I think it's safe to assume that Paul Wylie wouldn't have skated on the same ice as Tonya, either. I remember hearing Kristi and Brian Boitano were also in this group. Tara would have been a kid when this started, but she could have been a "no Tonya" skater even way back then, since she was doing tours and shows before she won her OGM.

 

[Inessence]

I don't know about that one competition, but I heard that MANY big name skaters had a "no Tonya" clause in their contracts. Nancy, of course, was one of them. I think it's safe to assume that Paul Wylie wouldn't have skated on the same ice as Tonya, either. I remember hearing Kristi and Brian Boitano were also in this group. Tara would have been a kid when this started, but she could have been a "no Tonya" skater even way back then, since she was doing tours and shows before she won her OGM.

IIRC, I read Brian wasn’t too reluctant unless the others balked about her. His coach coached Tonya’s coach so that would make sense. He also skated the re-opening of Tonya’s childhood rink last year.

 

[Loves_Shizuka]

I would love to see a movie called "I, Surya." Imagine all the scenes with mother-daughter interaction!

I need this in my life

 

[Yazmeen]

There was recently an NPR show on Surya, I just can't remember the details, it was a podcast.

 

[butyrskafanatic]

Dick Button actually did want to invite Tonya to world pros in 99 as well. Surya and Tonia K got invites. However when Tara refused to skate with Tonya, he decided not to invite Tonya.

No surprise, Tara was always a little brat. I wish he just uninvited Tara instead, we could have been spared her hideous Genie in the Bottle routine.

 

[butyrskafanatic]

I would have loved to have seen Tonya at a world pro competition. Too bad it didn't happen. I remember seeing a speech by Dick Button, it was about corrupt judges and how they are allowed to keep judging, but Tonya Harding was banned for life. So true.

I think Dick always had a soft spot for Tonya and genuinely liked her, even after the 94 incident. And he is right how corrupt judges and officials Didier G. continue in high posts while Tonya for a much lesser crime is banned for life.

 

[skatesindreams]

There was recently an NPR show on Surya, I just can't remember the details, it was a podcast.

Here it is:
http://www.radiolab.org/story/edge/

 

[berthesghost]

I would have loved to have seen Tonya at a world pro competition. Too bad it didn't happen. I remember seeing a speech by Dick Button, it was about corrupt judges and how they are allowed to keep judging, but Tonya Harding was banned for life. So true.

While I applaud his calling out curruption , I can’t clap for a “ it’s unfair to throw out the moldy orange while mealy apples are still in the fruit bowl” theory. Yes, punish judges caught cheating. But that has zero to do Tonya and her ban.

 

[joubertelegant]

While I applaud his calling out curruption , I can’t clap for a “ it’s unfair to throw out the moldy orange while mealy apples are still in the fruit bowl” theory. Yes, punish judges caught cheating. But that has zero to do Tonya and her ban.

He didnt directly say her ban was unfair though. He didnt say it wasnt either, he just didnt specify one way or another. He was just using her as a barometer for how ridiculous it was cheating judges were allowed to continue their careers with apparent ease.

 

[cmk]

Ironically, Didier G did invite Tonya to skate in a show in France with several French skaters (including Surya). It was even post-hubcap. Her godmother was kind enough to send me a video link for the performance (similar to her today show ones from the late 90's /early 2000's I saved it on a previous computer but I didn't transfer files to the later one.
There is also a cbs morning video from where Tonya decided to mix boxing and skating but eventually gave up the boxing for good due to her asthma (and she wasn't a natural there as her 3-3 pro record vs other novice boxers indicates). She skated to a Jodee Messina song.

 

[joubertelegant]

Ironically, Didier G did invite Tonya to skate in a show in France with several French skaters (including Surya). It was even post-hubcap. Her godmother was kind enough to send me a video link for the performance (similar to her today show ones from the late 90's /early 2000's I saved it on a previous computer but I didn't transfer files to the later one.
There is also a cbs morning video from where Tonya decided to mix boxing and skating but eventually gave up the boxing for good due to her asthma (and she wasn't a natural there as her 3-3 pro record vs other novice boxers indicates). She skated to a Jodee Messina song.

That would have been awesome. Surya and Tonya are good friends btw.

 

[Yazmeen]

That would have been awesome. Surya and Tonya are good friends btw.

Really? How do you know this?

 

[joubertelegant]

Really? How do you know this?

Surya herself said it at that ESPN pro event which was Tonya's comeback event (and she isnt the type that has the etiquette or social intelligence to think for instance to lie about that kind of thing for PR reasons). They also seemed very friendly at that event. Tonya also spoke positively about Surya in her few references to her of her memories of her skating career, which she didnt do of a lot of people. She also defended Surya's choice to not accept her medal at the 94 worlds in one interview I heard.

It isnt much but from all of that I would presume they are friends atleast, maybe good friends was overstating it.

 

[MacMadame]

I remember seeing a speech by Dick Button, it was about corrupt judges and how they are allowed to keep judging, but Tonya Harding was banned for life. So true.

I don't think Dick Button was saying that Tonya's punishment was unfair but that cheating judges were treated too leniently.

Surya herself said it at that ESPN pro event which was Tonya's comeback event/QUOTE]
You do realize that was 2 decades ago, right?

 

[Sasha is DIVINE]

Speaking of Surya's backflip, many people may not know (I didn't until about a month ago) that she was not the first one to perform one in the Olympics! American Terry Kubicka did one at the end of his long program at the 1976 Olympics in Innsbruck. In fact, the backflip was not illegal at the time (it was deemed so following that season). Kubicka was a wonderful and exciting free skater and the first American to do a 3lutz. He even finished first in the long program at the 75 Worlds, but those dreaded compulsory figures kept him down in the standings.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AdH921rNkT4

 

[berthesghost]

Iirc Terry was coached by the Scotvolds, Nancy’s coaches.

 

[Inessence]

Here it is:
http://www.radiolab.org/story/edge/

Tonya was interviewed in this too so I think she and Surya are still amicable.

 

[Tinami Amori]

Speaking of Surya's backflip, many people may not know (I didn't until about a month ago) that she was not the first one to perform one in the Olympics! American Terry Kubicka did one at the end of his long program at the 1976 Olympics in Innsbruck. In fact, the backflip was not illegal at the time (it was deemed so following that season). Kubicka was a wonderful and exciting free skater and the first American to do a 3lutz. He even finished first in the long program at the 75 Worlds, but those dreaded compulsory figures kept him down in the standings.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AdH921rNkT4

This is too funny , my mother's friend in Walnut Creek, CA area has a vet named Terry Kubicka, he looks like a respectable professor....
https://fourcornersvet.com/team/terry-p-kubicka-d-v-m/

 

[gkelly]

This is too funny , my mother's friend in Walnut Creek, CA area has a vet named Terry Kubicka, he looks like a respectable professor....
https://fourcornersvet.com/team/terry-p-kubicka-d-v-m/

Same person.
"When he is not spending time with his family, Dr. Kubicka also enjoys traveling and judging as an International Figure Skating Technical Specialist."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terry_Kubicka

 

[bardtoob]

Evy Scotvold always comes off as bitchy and obsessed with weight. This is from 2004, and Evy was still commenting on Tonya's weight

By this time, Nancy's camp did not think much of Tonya's chances. She was seen as a has-been, somebody who had frittered away her ample talents. "We were beyond her," Scotvold says. "We knew she was an undisciplined athlete, that she had weight problems."

http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/20..._tonya-harding-nancy-kerrigan-darren-silver/2

. . . It is also interesting to note that it is pretty clear from the above quote that Evy was gossiping incessantly about Tonya in 1993-94 along those exact same lines because Tonya was able to parrot back almost exactly what Evy was saying in his gossip sessions within the skating community, and it actually made it into the broadcast of Tonya's 1994 US National LP Broadcast.

https://youtu.be/T3wfA4lrxNs?t=22

It is so weird to think an old fat man was saying this stuff.