What's Old Is New Again: New Articles Re: Figure Skating History

[SkateGuard]

The latest two Skate Guard blogs look at a quartet of behind the scenes builders & a duo of Canadian skaters who won an international competition in New Haven, CT in 1914 later recognized as the first U.S. Championships:

http://skateguard1.blogspot.ca/2018/01/blotted-out-four-tireless-behind-scenes.html

http://skateguard1.blogspot.ca/2018/01/canadas-first-great-pair-jeanne.html

 

[SkateGuard]

In no time, we'll learn who the 2018 European & Canadian Champions will be. The latest two Skate Guard blogs look back at Europeans and Canadians past!

The 1981 European Figure Skating Championships in Innsbruck, Austria:
http://skateguard1.blogspot.ca/2018/01/the-1981-european-figure-skating.html

The 1973 Canadian Figure Skating Championships in Vancouver, British Columbia:
http://skateguard1.blogspot.ca/2018/01/the-1973-canadian-figure-skating.html

 

[Maximillian]

In no time, we'll learn who the 2018 European & Canadian Champions will be. The latest two Skate Guard blogs look back at Europeans and Canadians past!

The 1981 European Figure Skating Championships in Innsbruck, Austria:
http://skateguard1.blogspot.ca/2018/01/the-1981-european-figure-skating.html

The 1973 Canadian Figure Skating Championships in Vancouver, British Columbia:
http://skateguard1.blogspot.ca/2018/01/the-1973-canadian-figure-skating.html

Wow! Only six teams at the Euros pairs event in 1981. That's nuts.

 

[SkateGuard]

Wow! Only six teams at the Euros pairs event in 1981. That's nuts.

And not coincidental either... The difficulty of throws, twists and side-by-side jumps were all ramped up during this period, and there were a lot more injuries than usual.

The latest Skate Guard blog is up just in time for all of the excitement this weekend at the Canadian Championships. It looks at the story of Constance Wilson Slatkin, one of the most successful women in Canadian skating history:

http://skateguard1.blogspot.ca/2018/01/ice-flower-constance-wilson-slatkin.html

 

[skatesindreams]

Thanks for the introduction!

 

[SkateGuard]

You're most welcome skatesindreams!

Here's this week's trio of Skate Guard blogs in case you may have missed them:

How Dance Tests Got Their Start: http://skateguard1.blogspot.ca/2018/01/how-dance-tests-got-their-start.html
The Sad Fates Of Three Russian Figure Skating Pioneers: http://skateguard1.blogspot.ca/2018/01/the-sad-fates-of-three-russian-figure.html
The 1965 European Figure Skating Championships: http://skateguard1.blogspot.ca/2018/01/the-1965-european-figure-skating.html

 

[skatesindreams]

The 1965 European Figure Skating Championships: http://skateguard1.blogspot.ca/2018/01/the-1965-european-figure-skating.html

I'm grateful for all the film/video we have from this.

 

[SkateGuard]

Lots of fascinating stuff in the latest Skate Guard blog... a Reader Mail edition:

http://skateguard1.blogspot.ca/2018/01/reader-mail-reader-mail-wherefore-art.html

 

[Bellanca]

Lots of fascinating stuff in the latest Skate Guard blog... a Reader Mail edition:

http://skateguard1.blogspot.ca/2018/01/reader-mail-reader-mail-wherefore-art.html

Love this Reader Mail edition. Lots of fun. It's like finding one's own treasure trove! Thanks!!

 

[Maximillian]

The 1965 European Figure Skating Championships: http://skateguard1.blogspot.ca/2018/01/the-1965-european-figure-skating.html

Have to say I'm really impressed with Regine Heitzer's skating from the vids you posted. Very elegant and much smoother and 'contemporary' looking than I expected. You don't here about her much and when you do she's sort of dismissed as being one of those pre-Peggy era 'athletic' Europeans ala Dikstra.

 

[SkateGuard]

Love this Reader Mail edition. Lots of fun. It's like finding one's own treasure trove! Thanks!!

Glad you enjoyed reading! They are as much a treasure trove to me as they are to you... always love learning how people connect with these stories.

Have to say I'm really impressed with Regine Heitzer's skating from the vids you posted. Very elegant and much smoother and 'contemporary' looking than I expected. You don't here about her much and when you do she's sort of dismissed as being one of those pre-Peggy era 'athletic' Europeans ala Dikstra.

Absolutely! There were some delightful skaters from this era... from all countries.

The latest two Skate Guard blogs for those who haven't read them...

Volkoff's Ice Ballets:
http://skateguard1.blogspot.ca/2018/01/consigned-to-oblivion-three-forgotten.html

Consigned To Oblivion: Three Forgotten Olympic Figure Skating Medallists:
http://skateguard1.blogspot.ca/2018/01/consigned-to-oblivion-three-forgotten.html

 

[SkateGuard]

The latest Skate Guard blog, What's In A Name?, looks at a popular 19th century trend in skating... carving one's name on the ice:

http://skateguard1.blogspot.ca/2018/01/whats-in-name.html

As an FYI, in February the blog will be covering the stories of 10 Olympic medallists & 3 past Olympics. In the meantime you can check out this Pinterest board on Olympic Medallists, which has a whole host of past interviews, bios & more:

https://www.pinterest.ca/SkateGuard/olympic-medallists/

 

[SkateGuard]

The latest two Skate Guard blogs are this month's edition of #Unearthed, a look at recreational American skating at the turn of the twentieth century, and a bio of 1908 Olympic Silver Medallist Richard Johansson:

http://skateguard1.blogspot.ca/2018/01/unearthed-skating-just-for-fun-of-it.html

http://skateguard1.blogspot.ca/2018/02/a-great-from-gavle-richard-johansson.html

 

[skatesindreams]

http://skateguard1.blogspot.ca/2018/02/a-great-from-gavle-richard-johansson.html

I appreciate the introduction, as always!

 

[SkateGuard]

The second of this month's Olympic themed blogs looks at the story of Dorothy Greenhough Smith, the first Olympic bronze medallist in women's figure skating:

http://skateguard1.blogspot.ca/2018/02/sweet-doll-of-haddon-hall-dorothy.html

 

[SkateGuard]

The latest Skate Guard looks back at the figure skating competitions at The 1920 Summer Olympic Games:

http://skateguard1.blogspot.ca/2018/02/the-1920-summer-olympic-games.html

 

[Bellanca]

The latest Skate Guard looks back at the figure skating competitions at The 1920 Summer Olympic Games:

http://skateguard1.blogspot.ca/2018/02/the-1920-summer-olympic-games.html

Fantastic!! Enjoyed!!

 

[skatesindreams]

As always, I'm delighted by the fascinating history you find and share!

 

[Maximillian]

The latest Skate Guard looks back at the figure skating competitions at The 1920 Summer Olympic Games:

http://skateguard1.blogspot.ca/2018/02/the-1920-summer-olympic-games.html

Terrific piece, per usual!

 

[SkateGuard]

Glad you enjoyed reading Weve3, skatesindreams & Maximillian!

The latest Skate Guard blog actually tells the story of two of the skaters who medalled at those 1920 Games. Alexia and Yngvar Bryn were Norway's first and only pairs team to medal at the Olympics:

http://skateguard1.blogspot.ca/2018/02/brains-brawn-and-bad-judging-alexia-and.html

 

[SkateGuard]

The latest Skate Guard blog looks back 96 years in time at the figure skating competitions of The 1924 Winter Olympic Games in Chamonix, France:

http://skateguard1.blogspot.ca/2018/02/the-1924-winter-olympic-games.html

 

[SkateGuard]

The latest Skate Guard blog looks at the story of Emília Rotter And László Szollás, 2X Olympic medallists in pairs skating from Hungary:

http://skateguard1.blogspot.ca/2018/02/two-hits-of-hungary-emilia-rotter-and.html

 

[SkateGuard]

The latest in this month's series of Olympic themed Skate Guard blogs is a look at the story of Bud Wilson, the first Canadian skater to win an Olympic medal:

http://skateguard1.blogspot.ca/2018/02/canadas-first-olympic-medallist-bud.html

 

[SkateGuard]

The most recent Skate Guard blog looks back at the fascinating story of The 1952 Winter Olympic Games:

http://skateguard1.blogspot.ca/2018/02/the-1952-winter-olympic-games.html

 

[skatesindreams]

Ah, to realize that that the "politiking and intrigue" we discuss today, has always been present!

 

[SkateGuard]

Ah, to realize that that the "politiking and intrigue" we discuss today, has always been present!

It is perhaps small potatoes today as compared to the 'politicking' of the past.

 

[SkateGuard]

The latest Skate Guard blog chronicles the story of Jeannette Altwegg, who won Olympic gold in women's figure skating on this day in 1952:

http://skateguard1.blogspot.ca/2018/02/a-legend-from-liverpool-jeannette.html

 

[berthesghost]

Jeannette Eleanor Altwegg was born September 8, 1830 in Coimbatore, a city in the Madras district of India.

wow, she was 122 when we won gold?!

I didn't realize before the close association with Switzerland.

It's interesting that the period between Sonja and Peggy was full of women who left the sport. Although a bit unclear if it was really a choice as they state at the time or just the overt sexism of the time: post war to sexual revolution.

 

[SkateGuard]

wow, she was 122 when we won gold?!

I didn't realize before the close association with Switzerland.

It's interesting that the period between Sonja and Peggy was full of women who left the sport. Although a bit unclear if it was really a choice as they state at the time or just the overt sexism of the time: post war to sexual revolution.

Got the error re: the birth date fixed up a couple days back - thank you for catching it as well! There were certainly plenty of choice as far as professional figure skating opportunities for women at the time. Jeannette could have taken advantage of that had she wanted to. The early 50's was really the boom of the British ice pantomime. You do raise an interesting point though!

The latest Skate Guard blog is up... it takes a look at the story of the 1952 Olympic bronze medallist in men's figure skating, Hellmut Seibt:

http://skateguard1.blogspot.ca/2018/02/an-unusual-talent-hellmut-seibt-story.html

 

[nimi]

I came across this delightful (well, some would say crude but whatever) twitter exchange https://twitter.com/DougMattis/status/967651801901215744

...which made me think, "Hmmm, wasn't there an entry about 'special figures' in the Skate Guard blog some time ago" -- and of course there was! Thank you @N_Halifax, as always!