Nicole Bobek

[MacMadame]

I think the technical mark would have been held back with a solo 3T and flutz deduction.

Flutzes weren't hammered back then though.

 

[Maximillian]

It's difficult to answer that because earlier skaters and coaches would have adjusted their training regimens accordingly, some with more success than others.

Skaters competing before 1990 who had good basics like Dorothy Hamill and John Curry wouldn't have had to focus on compulsory figures and might have done very well under IJS.

But generally it was figures that gave them such good basics. See this is the thing, most skaters before the abolition of figures, save a few, would have had no technical issues, it was only after women's tech jumped significantly between 1988-1992 that questionable technique seemed to really come to the fore.

 

[barbk]

But generally it was figures that gave them such good basics. See this is the thing, most skaters before the abolition of figures, save a few, would have had no technical issues, it was only after women's tech jumped significantly between 1988-1992 that questionable technique seemed to really come to the fore.

In the 90s, there were a lot of women at Worlds who either didn't have a triple lutz or who only sorta-kinda had one or who would take a tremendously long and slow entrance into one to the point of crashing or nearly crashing into the boards. That was true even though many of the skaters through '95 or so had come up through figures. Judges were none too picky about edges...but you got totally hammered if you double footed the landing or even looked like you might have double footed.

And there was plenty of bad technique in other areas as well. Most spirals were terrible and spins often traveled around the world.

There were good things that came from figures, but great figure skills didn't necessarily lead to great free skating.

 

[Foolhardy Ham Lint]

It's difficult to answer that because earlier skaters and coaches would have adjusted their training regimens accordingly, some with more success than others.

Skaters competing before 1990 who had good basics like Dorothy Hamill and John Curry wouldn't have had to focus on compulsory figures and might have done very well under IJS.

Their interpretation, carriage and flow were amazing. Hamill and Curry would have rocked PCS.

 

[barbk]

Their interpretation, carriage and flow were amazing. Hamill and Curry would have rocked PCS.

Hamill and Curry would have rocked PCS, indeed. Toller Cranston would have, too -- and he was notably not that great at figures. Trixie Schuba won Olympic gold just four years before Dorothy Hamill won, and Schuba was a terrible, awful freeskater - but an absolute whiz at figures.

 

[Foolhardy Ham Lint]

Hamill and Curry would have rocked PCS, indeed. Toller Cranston would have, too -- and he was notably not that great at figures. Trixie Schuba won Olympic gold just four years before Dorothy Hamill won, and Schuba was a terrible, awful freeskater - but an absolute whiz at figures.

Conversely, I bet Janet Lynn would have rocked straight 10.0s across the board for her PCS.

 

[Sylvia]

January 2021:

She's married and had a baby early last year. Seems totally in love with her life as it is!

Her Instagram profile says she's a single mom now: https://www.instagram.com/nicolebobek77/
She and her 4-year-old son visited her circus ex in March: https://www.instagram.com/reel/C4x4F10LE3e/

A recent interview (It Figures Skating YT channel): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jrrzPv4CgY

We talk to Champion Nicole Bobek about what inspired her to skate then and now. She also talks with us about the challenges and joys of motherhood and balancing self care. We had so much fun as we chatted with her about memories from the past, recovering from injuries and her advice to adult skaters.

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

January 2021:

Her Instagram profile says she's a single mom now: https://www.instagram.com/nicolebobek77/
She and her 4-year-old son visited her circus ex in March: https://www.instagram.com/reel/C4x4F10LE3e/

A recent interview (It Figures Skating YT channel): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jrrzPv4CgY

Great interview. I love her so much. Wish I could come and help out with her son and befriend her. Lol because that’s what ANL does.

 

[SkateGuard]

January 2021:

Her Instagram profile says she's a single mom now: https://www.instagram.com/nicolebobek77/
She and her 4-year-old son visited her circus ex in March: https://www.instagram.com/reel/C4x4F10LE3e/

A recent interview (It Figures Skating YT channel): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jrrzPv4CgY

Excellent interview Sylvia - thank you for sharing this!

 

[zigzig]

I think Nicole would've gotten lost in the shuffle behind Kwan and Lipinski anyways. For someone so naturally talented and able to sell a program, she had some real duds throughout 1995-1999, especially her Olympic season long. Her jump technique was so wild that it added to the excitement for me, but not when the program didn't work and it was a big ask for her to become totally consistent when she was bouncing around several coaches a season. And Kwan was insanely consistent for the most part. I really, really loved her Zorro short and her Motown interpretive program that was at every single pro-am in fall of 1998 before withdrawing from 99 Nationals and being done with that side of the sport.

HOWEVER, and this is a huge one- remember that Lipinski was sent to Worlds in 1996 by the vote of ONE person, 13-12 IIRC, over Bobek. Had she not, I believe I read a long time ago that the rules in place in the following season would've made her not even eligible to attend the Worlds (that she won), possibly unless she won a medal at World Juniors. I know that was the case a few years later, but I'm not sure about 1997 being when that switched. So you never know..

Nicole was able to elevate some truly CRAP material with just the tilt of her head or an arm/hand gesture.

I don't know what her team was thinking with that Invitation to the Dance snoozefest. Christa wanted her to skate to Dance of the Knights but was told by someone who I can't remember (another part of Nicole's team or TPTB?) that the music was "too strong" whatever that means.

If anything, her short programs tended to be much memorable, going all the way back to her junior short to Gaîté Parisienne which got recycled in some shape or form for the next few seasons. Moiseev Dances was also great as was In the Mood and the cheezy but effective Zorba from 1998.

Zhivago and Giselle were her best longs. Her post 1998 Evita (not the bonkers WTF Evita/1492 mix that was her 96 long) had some potential too but her skating had deteriorated so drastically at that point, the program always felt like more of a sketch than anything fully realized.

 

[Sylvia]

Re-posting :

Polina talks to Nicole Bobek on her podcast this week. It's such a great conversation about Nicole's life!

The Iron Butterfly: A Story of Resilience with Nicole Bobek

I interview 1995 National Champion and World Bronze Medalist Nicole Bobek on her skating career and life.

bleav.com

And here is a clip, wow, I remember how figure skating was then, look at Nicole, gorgeous, what awesome skating.

Polina Edmunds Bast on Instagram: "🗣 1995 World Bronze Medalist @nicolebobek77 on choosing music pieces she connects to and getting into character on the ice^ I interview 1995 National Champion, World Bronze Medalist, and Olympian Nicole Bobek on he

2,213 likes, 70 comments - polinaedmunds on December 18, 2024: "🗣 1995 World Bronze Medalist @nicolebobek77 on choosing music pieces she connects to and getting into character on the ice^ I interview 1995 National Champion, World Bronze Medalist, and Olympian Nicole Bobek on her skating career...

www.instagram.com

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

Re-posting :

An absolute treasure, this video Polina includes makes me miss 1990s figure skating and I wish it was still that way. Just look how Nicole moves…… I haven’t seen a figure skater move like that since her.

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

I absolutely love how Nicole’s body was created and how she’s able to move and how her muscles and bones are able to create shape and fluidity. Her skating is mesmerizing.

 

[withwings]

An absolute treasure, this video Polina includes makes me miss 1990s figure skating and I wish it was still that way. Just look how Nicole moves…… I haven’t seen a figure skater move like that since her.

Yes, an absolute treasure. A gem! I am not a professional in analyzing figure skating at all, so imho, Nicole had a unique gift, talent. One can watch her skating in aw and forgot about mundane life for a while.

comparing with "Eteri trend" in figure skating....ha! gymnastics on skates, not figure skating
everyone else around the world running to follow eteri trend...it was not mandatory to do this just a pure human weakness ...

 

[Fiero425]

January 2021:

Her Instagram profile says she's a single mom now: https://www.instagram.com/nicolebobek77/
She and her 4-year-old son visited her circus ex in March: https://www.instagram.com/reel/C4x4F10LE3e/

A recent interview (It Figures Skating YT channel): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jrrzPv4CgY

Bobek's spirals were effortless! As to 3 Lutz discussion, it got so tiring listening to commentators as they hammered most of the women for "flutzes;" esp. Tara Lipinski! IMO, of the top skaters, only 1 truly edged her lutz properly & that was Maria Butyrskya! Most of the time she would only perform 1, preferring to do 2 triple Loops except a couple times when she needed to defeat Irina or Michelle! Back in the day, the worst 3 Lutz belonged to Oksana Baiul who double-footed her landings every tme except in the 2000 Goodwill Games! Out of the blue, she nailed her most perfect 3 Lutz ever, making Nancy Kerrigan's mouth hang open & agape!

 

[Sylvia]

Thanks for the summary of Nicole's podcast conversation with Polina Edmunds, @her grace! CC: @Private Citizen

Bobek comes off as a free spirit still and also recognizes that she was a free spirit in her career, too.

She misses spirals and classic layback spin positions in watching current skating.

I don’t think I’ve ever heard a skater say she wanted to be free and get to do lines.

She’s aware of what everyone thought of her many coaching changes. She still believes the changes were good for her—she needed them to stay motivated.

She describes Callaghan as very regimented like the military, but was a good environment for her, partially because Eldridge was going through the intense training, too. She went into 1995 nationals knowing that Kwan was the designated favorite so she was surprised when she won.

Fassi was more laidback and able to read her moods. She still regrets skating at Worlds after he died because she was not in a space to do well.

Her memories of Olympics don’t seem too happy, and she’s not sure what to do with the dated ‘90s memorabilia.

She discusses her drug addiction and arrest. She takes ownership of her choices and she later made different and better choices.

She also talks about her infertility journey. I wonder if she and Lipinski ever compared notes. She seems like a happy and content mom.

Dec. 18, 2024:

The Iron Butterfly: A Story of Resilience with Nicole Bobek

I interview 1995 National Champion and World Bronze Medalist Nicole Bobek on her skating career and life.

bleav.com

 

[Tak]

I was also confirmed Bobek fan during 90s.
The most memorable Bobek strategy was at 1995 Birmingham Worlds. Nicole did not do any triple+triple jumps during any official practices till the 6 minute warm-up for the long program. I almost fell off the chair when I realized she was landing beautiful triple+triples during that warm-up. She did a beautiful one during the free. One judge gave her 5.9 Technical Score there, and I think this judge made the same mistake I did. I really thought she did two triple+triples, not just one, until I checked my trusty VHS when I returned home.