New blog covering forgotten figure skaters from the past

[ldec]

Part II of the interview with David Liu is now up as well.

Some topics covered include what it was like to represent a small skating federation like Taiwan, him being the last skater to perform in the compulsory figures competition in 1990 (he initially disliked the figures), his new found appreciation for school figures, his career as a choreographer and where he draws inspiration from, and working with young Nathan Chen :

http://frozenintime.tk/david-liu-one-of-the-last-true-artists-an-interview-part-ii/

Enjoy reading!

 

[Theoreticalgirl]

I used to train alongside David at Sky Rink. He is a lovely human being.

 

[ldec]

I used to train alongside David at Sky Rink. He is a lovely human being.

It was lovely to interview him as well, he was very approachable, friendly, positive and more than willing to share a lot of invaluable insight on his career and figure skating as a whole. Talking to him was very inspiring.

 

[Sylvia]

Thank you SO much, @ldec! David Liu was one of my fave artistic skaters to watch and was very nice to chat with when I met him in person many years ago.

From part 2 of your interview, David said:

For example, we have a young junior skater, I think she’s only 12 and she can do all the triples. You’ll definitely be seeing her on the scene soon! She’s been traveling to Toronto quite a bit to train there during her holidays, and she also has a local coach. She is a very devoted young lady.

This young TPE skater just won the Oceania novice international competition in Australia yesterday: https://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/th...19-2019-in-melbourne-aus.105573/#post-5587094

 

[binbinwinwin]

Thank you so much for the interview! I enjoyed it immensely, David Liu was so talented, love hearing his thoughts about his career and what he's up to now. I remember the WIWA Ice Show he choreographed from a few years ago, one of the directors of the show, Ted Wilson passed sometime ago but he played a huge role in developing figure skating in Asia along with mentoring Nathan.

 

[ldec]

A mini-article on Olga Markova which was originally supposed to be part of a combined post on ladies singles skating in Russia:

Portraits on Russian Ladies: Olga Markova | Frozen in Time

Olga Markova in 1995. Before Sochi 2014 and the ensuing dominance of Russian girls in the latter half of the current decade, the country experienced another golden age in ladies singles skating that…

frozenintime.tk

Olga is a personal favorite of mine and I see she is not quite forgotten as she seems to enjoy a cult following here on FSU.

 

[ldec]

New blog feature on Russian figure skater Tatiana Rachkova (1992 Olympian) based on an interview I conducted with her recently:

Portraits of Russian Ladies: Tatiana Rachkova | Frozen in Time

Photo Credit: Tatiana Rachkova. Competitive highlights: 1992 Olympic Games (16th), 1992 Worlds (13th), 1992 European Championship (14th), 1992 Vienna Cup Winner, Russian National Championships (1992 -…

frozenintime.tk

Originally, this article was going to be a part of collages of stories and interviews about singles skating in Russia in the 90s and 00s but my project was delayed so I had to post it separately.

Tatiana doesn't seem to be very known in the skating fandom today, but she had nice qualities and style-wise, was somewhat of a predecessor to Olga Markova and Mariya Butyrskaya (her early days, at least). She skated for one season on the big stage in 1992 but her career never took off, largely due to lack of support on the side of her federation.

 

[Foolhardy Ham Lint]

New blog feature on Russian figure skater Tatiana Rachkova (1992 Olympian) based on an interview I conducted with her recently:

Portraits of Russian Ladies: Tatiana Rachkova | Frozen in Time

Photo Credit: Tatiana Rachkova. Competitive highlights: 1992 Olympic Games (16th), 1992 Worlds (13th), 1992 European Championship (14th), 1992 Vienna Cup Winner, Russian National Championships (1992 -…

frozenintime.tk

Originally, this article was going to be a part of collages of stories and interviews about singles skating in Russia in the 90s and 00s but my project was delayed so I had to post it separately.

Tatiana doesn't seem to be very known in the skating fandom today, but she had nice qualities and style-wise, was somewhat of a predecessor to Olga Markova and Mariya Butyrskaya (her early days, at least). She skated for one season on the big stage in 1992 but her career never took off, largely due to lack of support on the side of her federation.

I remember watching her on TV compete at the 1990 Goodwill Games and the 1992 Olympics. Her short program in Albertville skated to Cats was a lot of fun.

 

[tony]

New blog feature on Russian figure skater Tatiana Rachkova (1992 Olympian) based on an interview I conducted with her recently:

Portraits of Russian Ladies: Tatiana Rachkova | Frozen in Time

Photo Credit: Tatiana Rachkova. Competitive highlights: 1992 Olympic Games (16th), 1992 Worlds (13th), 1992 European Championship (14th), 1992 Vienna Cup Winner, Russian National Championships (1992 -…

frozenintime.tk

Originally, this article was going to be a part of collages of stories and interviews about singles skating in Russia in the 90s and 00s but my project was delayed so I had to post it separately.

Tatiana doesn't seem to be very known in the skating fandom today, but she had nice qualities and style-wise, was somewhat of a predecessor to Olga Markova and Mariya Butyrskaya (her early days, at least). She skated for one season on the big stage in 1992 but her career never took off, largely due to lack of support on the side of her federation.

Rachkova was (and still is) a coach at the rink I was skating at for a few years. She was always very friendly, smiling and saying hello each day.

 

[ldec]

A complete series of articles on the career of Ilia Klimkin that I wrote over the course of several months. Part II and III include fragments from interviews I conducted with Ilia Klimkin himself, his former coach Viktor Kudriavtsev, and several journalists:

Part I: http://frozenintime.tk/the-greatest-russian-figure-skater-that-never-was-part-i/
Part II: http://frozenintime.tk/ilia-klimkin-the-greatest-russian-skater-that-never-was-part-ii/
Part III: http://frozenintime.tk/ilia-klimkin-the-greatest-russian-skater-that-never-was-part-iii/

The articles were quite difficult to write but the final result was rewarding. I would personally recommend every skating fan to read them as this particular story excellently conveys many of the struggles elite figure skaters face and is a very good illustration of how the wrong set of circumstances can affect a career - so pretty much everything this blog stands for. Feedback is always welcome - please share your thoughts on the article either here, or feel free to PM me!

 

[clairecloutier]

Thanks for your 3-part Klimkin series, @Idec! Quite thought-provoking!!

 

[Kasey]

Looking forward to reading it!

 

[alchemy void]

New blog feature on Russian figure skater Tatiana Rachkova (1992 Olympian) based on an interview I conducted with her recently:

Portraits of Russian Ladies: Tatiana Rachkova | Frozen in Time

Photo Credit: Tatiana Rachkova. Competitive highlights: 1992 Olympic Games (16th), 1992 Worlds (13th), 1992 European Championship (14th), 1992 Vienna Cup Winner, Russian National Championships (1992 -…

frozenintime.tk

Originally, this article was going to be a part of collages of stories and interviews about singles skating in Russia in the 90s and 00s but my project was delayed so I had to post it separately.

Tatiana doesn't seem to be very known in the skating fandom today, but she had nice qualities and style-wise, was somewhat of a predecessor to Olga Markova and Mariya Butyrskaya (her early days, at least). She skated for one season on the big stage in 1992 but her career never took off, largely due to lack of support on the side of her federation.

Thanks so much for the interview and feature! I was only slightly familiar with Rachkova, as I am a devoted member of the church of Butyrskaya. However, I vaguely remember seeing her 1992 Olympics SP a while back when watching Tonya Harding vids. I did think she was interesting, and decided to re-watch both programs again.

I really enjoyed both programs at the Olympics, particularly her LP, although I wonder if the music choice turned off some of the judges. Great costume, too. I loved the splits she does (and holds for 4 seconds!) that goes perfectly with the music.

She's right, it's clear the Soviets weren't politicking much for ladies at all. 16th for two clean programs seems really harsh, especially considering she had nice basics and interesting (if not necessarily accessible) programs.

Fun fact: Vanessa Riley was apparently a fan and ranked her 5th after the short program.

I do wonder if some of the lack of domestic support after in 1993-94 had to do with the lack of flip and lutz, considering Vorobieva, Markova, and Butyrskaya were doing both 3F and 3Lz.

Anyways, thanks again for such an interesting write-up and keeping me up until 1:10am going down the Tatiana Rachkova rabbit hole. Looking forward to reading up on Markova and Klimkin next. Cheers!

 

[ldec]

I do wonder if some of the lack of domestic support after in 1993-94 had to do with the lack of flip and lutz, considering Vorobieva, Markova, and Butyrskaya were doing both 3F and 3Lz.

Anyways, thanks again for such an interesting write-up and keeping me up until 1:10am going down the Tatiana Rachkova rabbit hole. Looking forward to reading up on Markova and Klimkin next. Cheers!

Hmm, you bring up a good point, I didn't give it so much thought when researching or writing Although, as you can see, so very few videos of her performances exist online that it is very difficult to tell if this was the case.

And wow, it is amazing to hear that it kept you up so late, I feel absolutely flattered! However, I am afraid that if the story about Tatiana Rachkova was fascinating enough to keep you up until 1:00am, the one about Klimkin will keep you awake all night and beyond.

 

[ldec]

A complete series of articles on the career of Ilia Klimkin that I wrote over the course of several months. Part II and III include fragments from interviews I conducted with Ilia Klimkin himself, his former coach Viktor Kudriavtsev, and several journalists:

Part I: http://frozenintime.tk/the-greatest-russian-figure-skater-that-never-was-part-i/
Part II: http://frozenintime.tk/ilia-klimkin-the-greatest-russian-skater-that-never-was-part-ii/
Part III: http://frozenintime.tk/ilia-klimkin-the-greatest-russian-skater-that-never-was-part-iii/

The articles were quite difficult to write but the final result was rewarding. I would personally recommend every skating fan to read them as this particular story excellently conveys many of the struggles elite figure skaters face and is a very good illustration of how the wrong set of circumstances can affect a career - so pretty much everything this blog stands for. Feedback is always welcome - please share your thoughts on the article either here, or feel free to PM me!

May I take this as an opportunity to make a short PSA? This story is quite lengthy, but if anyone has had the chance to go through the entirety of it, can you please share your thoughts on the events and any feedback you have for me and the writing? It is tremendously helpful and appreciated, and it helps me keep track of the reactions as well as what areas I need to develop further as a writer.

If you do not feel comfortable discussing it here in this thread, then please share your thoughts via a PM. Thank you!

 

[Frau Muller]

Whatever became of East Germany’s Sonja Morgenstern? Between Gabby Seyfert and Annet Poetztch, Sonja was one of Frau Mueller’s brightest up-and-comers, skating in two Olympics. She was one of the top skaters at the 1972 Sapporo OWG (6th).

Precious little info about her on Wikipedia:

Sonja Morgenstern - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

I’d love to know more.

 

[Frau Muller]

Related to the above, I found this gem from 1971 Euros, courtesy of Floskate: Sonja skates to Chitty Chitty Bang Bang!

Sonja Morgenstern 1971 European Figure Skating Championships LP

Here is a young Sonja Morgenstern landing a very early and very clean triple salchow at the 1971 Europeans in Zurich. By the end of the 1970's all the top wo...

www.youtube.com

Jutta Mueller sure loved Western show music...making me wonder if it was pre-approved by the Stasi?

 

[CaliSteve]

Hello dear FSUers!

With the permission of the admin, I would like to post this thread here.

I recently made a blog called Frozen in Time, where I look at the near and distant past, and cover in-depth the careers of skaters who at one point showed immense potential and talent, but due to various reasons were never able to have the bright careers they deserved.

Here is the link: www.frozenintime.tk

There are so many wonderful blogs on the internet both by dedicated fans and professional journalists who either cover current skating competitions or the great champions in history everybody is familiar with; however, I could not find any blogs focusing specifically on lesser known talented skaters so I decided to create my own in an attempt to celebrate the forgotten and unsung skaters from past eras.

The blog is still new, but there are more articles in the planning. Meanwhile, your constructive feedback and comments on the content would be infinitely appreciated!

Or, maybe you have a skater in mind - someone you loved watching, someone with tons of potential whom you unconditionally supported, but who unfortunately never went as far as you would have liked them? Then you can either leave their name in this thread, fill in this form or contact me via PM, and I will make sure to research their career and write a nice article!

This is an awesome blog.

Really enjoyed the article on Ilia Klimkin.

 

[kwanfan1818]

Klimkin is one of my all-time favorite skaters. He had, in dance terms, plastique. While he might not be considered balletic in today's aesthetic, if you look at the films and photos from the Ballets Russes, you will not find Nureyev (or, better, Soloviev): turnout wasn't as extreme, feet weren't always pointed, extensions were low, turns were done crossing at the ankle, not toe/foot to knee, etc. Male technique, especially, was looser. I always thought that if he had been a ballet dancer, he would have been a character dancer. On skates he interpreted by changing speed and momentum; it would have been great to see what he would have done on the floor.

Most top skaters used to do conservative quali rounds, so content wasn't a concern for me watching him in Dortmund, but something just wasn't right going into the SP. I really thought after the qualis he had an excellent shot at medaling in 2004, following his strong third at Euros (not that it was a slam-dunk, with Lindemann at home and on fire). The articles made it clear that he was battling a debilitating injury; it just wasn't obvious to me in the qualis.

It was a fascinating read, especially his own comments. Reading about the death of his coach, I thought about Patrick Chan: it doesn't always matter that the new coach comes from the same lineage or is friends with the old coach: what the skater needs is not necessarily the recommended or obvious person, especially when grieving and in transition.

It was really a shame that he was treated as interchangeable with every NotYagudin/NotPlushenko and shorted on medical treatment. It's a fate we've seen time after time in deep/relatively deep fields. He wouldn't be the first great skater/talent to suffer this fate, and he won't be the last, but as my very favorite Russian male singles skater,

 

[IceSlider]

It's a bit sad that the Frozen In Time blog has gone into "Hiatus" hut thanks to the author for creating it and (hopefully) leaving it up for others to enjoy! Here's the announcement from the blog page:

August 14, 2019
Hiatus announcement
Frozen In Time is going on a hiatus for an undefined period of time, the main reason being that the author has neither the time, interest or mental strength to participate in the figure skating fandom anymore. To all the readers and people who gave me feedback and supported me: thank you very much, your reactions meant a lot and really brightened up my day <3

 

[ldec]

It's a bit sad that the Frozen In Time blog has gone into "Hiatus" hut thanks to the author for creating it and (hopefully) leaving it up for others to enjoy! Here's the announcement from the blog page:

August 14, 2019
Hiatus announcement
Frozen In Time is going on a hiatus for an undefined period of time, the main reason being that the author has neither the time, interest or mental strength to participate in the figure skating fandom anymore. To all the readers and people who gave me feedback and supported me: thank you very much, your reactions meant a lot and really brightened up my day <3

Thank you very much for your concern but I am back now. I even have a few interviews planned.

Meanwhile, if you are a ballet fan or a nostalgic skating fan like I am, I opened a blog where I share scans from my book and magazine collection; please check it out here: https://afternoonoftheyawn.tumblr.com/

 

[ldec]

Here is a long interview I conducted with Kiira Korpi back in November. Topics discussed include: how and why she decided to dedicate her time to activism and advocacy following the end of her career, the present state of figure skating and the systemic problems plaguing the sport for decades, and her outlook on what actions are necessary to make elite sports more fair and safer for everybody involved.

She also shared some insight from the struggles she experienced during her own athletic career and how it helped her to realize that results are not worth sacrificing every bit of your physical and mental health.

Part 1: http://frozenintime.tk/interview-with-kiira-korpi-part-1/
Part 2: http://frozenintime.tk/interview-with-kiira-korpi-part-2/

 

[ldec]

Just for fun: A 30-year retrospective on skaters delivering at home - in this post, I don't explore a particular problem or a personal story, I just thought it would be fun and interesting to collect all the performances of skaters who either gave a memorable performance and/or skated unexpectedly well at large competitions in their home countries.

Just for fun: A 30-year retrospective on skaters delivering at home (Part 1) | Frozen in Time

A jubilant Tonia Kwiatkowski (USA) after the free skate at the 1998 World Figure Skating championship. Photo Credit: J. Barry Mittan. With the Corona epidemic in full swing…

frozenintime.tk

I cover the years 1990-2020. Today's focus is on the 90s. I mostly focus on the Worlds and Olympics but if there is any other performance that sticks in your mind and didn't take place at those competitions, please leave a suggestion.

 

[ldec]

An interview with Naomi Nari Nam, an exceptionally promising young skater in the late 90s who captivated audiences with her energy on the ice and the beauty of her skating. Naomi's most memorable performance took place at the 1999 US Nationals LP when aged only 13, she finished 2nd behind Michelle Kwan. Injuries cut her career insultingly short but she managed to come back in 2005 as a pairs skater and compete for two seasons. Today, she is a mother of two and happily coaching in California.

Interview with Naomi Nari Nam | Frozen in Time

Naomi Nari Nam ca. 2000. Photo credit: Geraldine Wilkins/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images. In 1999, 13-year-old Naomi Nari Nam was the rising star of American figure skating.

frozenintime.tk

N. NAM - 1999 US NATIONALS - FS

www.youtube.com

 

[Bellanca]

Terrific blog @ldec — bookmarked. Thanks for sharing. ?

 

[Ananas Astra]

Not from @ldec 's blog, but it fits the topic of forgotten skaters.
I went to wikipedia, to read a little bit about Russian Nationals in general and I took a look at the results of the very first Nationals and stumbled over Ksenia Caesar, the first Russian National champion. Since barely anything is known about her, I googled her name and found this blog entry: http://skateguard1.blogspot.com/2019/09/xenia-caesar-mother-of-russian-figure.html
And according to this Russian article, Caesar was the first one, together with former rival Lidia Popova, to organize a show and she became a Soviet National champion at the age of 50. https://zen.yandex.ru/media/world_o...rossii-kseniia-cezar-5d43eada6f5f6f00adaa1cdc

Figure skating history is so interesting sometimes.