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

[SkateGuard]

I just read the piece on Rubenstein! Well done! I'm looking forward to more! And I enjoyed the Belita piece as well!

Glad you enjoyed reading both! The Belita piece was an absolute labour of love... probably my favourite to work on!

Without figures; or if figures had been less a percentage of the total score, Toller would have been World Champion many times over.
It would have further advanced skating, IMO.
As it was, he was World Free Skating Champion three times; (SP+LP) which isn't mentioned enough, now.

Toller was delightful and honestly, one of the most historically important skaters of the twentieth century IMO.

He's mentioned briefly in the latest Skate Guard blog on The 1963 Canadian Figure Skating Championships:

http://skateguard1.blogspot.ca/2017/07/the-1963-canadian-figure-skating.html

 

[skatesindreams]

He's mentioned briefly in the latest Skate Guard blog on The 1963 Canadian Figure Skating Championships:

It's fascinating to imagine Toller at 13!

 

[SkateGuard]

It's fascinating to imagine Toller at 13!

I'm sure he was every bit as fabulous then as he was later!

The second of the weekly trio of blogs looks back at The Montreal Masquerades, the famous costume balls on ice that made the Victoria Skating Rink in Montreal a fashionable destination for the city's well-to-do:

http://skateguard1.blogspot.ca/2017/07/the-montreal-masquerades.html

 

[SkateGuard]

Toller appears again in the latest Skate Guard blog, a look back at The 1971 Canadian Figure Skating Championships in Winnipeg, Manitoba:

http://www.facebook.com/SkateGuard
http://skateguard1.blogspot.ca/2017/07/the-1971-canadian-figure-skating.html

 

[Scrufflet]

Ryan,
I spent the last few days in Picton where Toller's brother Guy, has an art studio and b & B. He also sells some of Toller's work. I haven't been in as I am in divest mode rather than acquire mode. Besides, I already have 2 of his pieces which I love. FYI in case you didn't know!

 

[SkateGuard]

Ryan,
I spent the last few days in Picton where Toller's brother Guy, has an art studio and b & B. He also sells some of Toller's work. I haven't been in as I am in divest mode rather than acquire mode. Besides, I already have 2 of his pieces which I love. FYI in case you didn't know!

Even if you're not in an acquire mode, you could still go admire!

 

[SkateGuard]

The July celebration of #Canada150 on Skate Guard continues with a little look at Newfoundland and Labrador's unique skating history:

http://skateguard1.blogspot.ca/2017/07/come-by-chance-little-newfoundland.html

 

[SkateGuard]

Hailing from Brockville, Sherbrooke, Montreal, Toronto and Ottawa, the seven Dames Of The Dominion featured in today's #SkateGuard blog each contributed to Canadian figure skating as it was coming of age:

http://skateguard1.blogspot.ca/2017/07/dames-of-dominion.html

 

[SkateGuard]

The latest Skate Guard blog takes a very quick look at The 1989 Jeep Main Event Of Skating, a 'one time only' professional competition held in Montreal, Quebec:

http://skateguard1.blogspot.ca/2017/07/the-1989-jeep-main-event-of-skating.html

 

[SkateGuard]

The first of this week's trio of Skate Guard blogs explores the story of Peter Firstbrook, A Forgotten Canadian Champion:

http://skateguard1.blogspot.ca/2017/07/peter-firstbrook-forgotten-canadian.html

 

[skatesindreams]

I'm sad that it took you to introduce me to the undeservedly "forgotten" Mr. Firstbrook, Ryan.
I wonder why he never received the recognition he deserved?

 

[SkateGuard]

I'm sad that it took you to introduce me to the undeservedly "forgotten" Mr. Firstbrook, Ryan.
I wonder why he never received the recognition he deserved?

I would venture to guess that a lot of it boiled down to the fact he was skating right after WWII in Canada where Barbara Ann Scott was a household name. Dick Button, Jimmy Grogan and Hayes Jenkins were the big names in men's skating internationally at the time and the fact he was skating in their shadow probably didn't help.

 

[SkateGuard]

The latest Skate Guard blog takes a look back at The 1942 Canadian Figure Skating Championships in Winnipeg, Manitoba:

http://skateguard1.blogspot.ca/2017/07/the-1942-canadian-figure-skating.html

Also of interest to skating history buffs:

Russia Beyond The Headlines piece featuring Tatiana Tarasova: https://www.rbth.com/sport/2017/07/...an-dynasties-who-know-nothing-but-gold_806162

Montreal Gazette piece on sport history in Montreal, mentioning the Victoria Skating Rink: http://montrealgazette.com/sponsored/mtl-375th/from-the-archives-montreal-a-sporting-type-of-town

 

[SkateGuard]

The latest Skate Guard blog, The Smaller Toller: The Dennis Coi Story, explores the story of a World Junior Champion from Canada who prioritized artistry over athleticism and passed away far too soon:

http://skateguard1.blogspot.ca/2017/07/the-smaller-toller-dennis-coi-story.html

 

[Maximillian]

I've seen Dennis Coi's name listed as a Jr. World Champion for years but didn't know his story at all. Thanks for shedding light on it. It is so easy to forget what a terrible nightmare HIV/AIDS was not so long ago.

 

[SkateGuard]

I've seen Dennis Coi's name listed as a Jr. World Champion for years but didn't know his story at all. Thanks for shedding light on it. It is so easy to forget what a terrible nightmare HIV/AIDS was not so long ago.

Dennis really was quite a unique skater and from all accounts a delightful person as well! HIV/AIDS claimed so many talented skaters in the prime of their lives and I think it's so important to remember these skaters and their stories.

 

[skatesindreams]

Thanks very much for sharing Dennis' story with us, Ryan.
It's sad; yet triumphant, all at once.

 

[SkateGuard]

Glad you enjoyed reading! I've updated the Dennis Coi blog with a wonderful photo of the Dennis Coi Award, courtesy Canadian Champion Michelle McDonald Wheeler... it's beautiful & worth checking out.

The first of this week's trio of blogs is up! It takes a look back at the 1982 Skate Canada competition in Kitchener, Ontario:

http://skateguard1.blogspot.ca/2017/07/the-1982-skate-canada-international.html

 

[skatesindreams]

[ World ice dance champions Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean also appeared to give special exhibitions at the event, although they did not compete. /QUOTE]
Here is one of them:

Torvill and Dean 1982 Skate Canada EX
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85DQB0C_eZY

 

[SkateGuard]

skatesindreams, Thanks for sharing Torvill and Dean's exhibition from Skate Canada in 1982! Looking forward to watching!

The latest Skate Guard blog explores the story of Rupert Whitehead, a 2X Canadian Medallist who put figure skating in Manitoba on the map during The Great Depression:

http://skateguard1.blogspot.ca/2017/07/the-wonder-from-winnipeg-rupert.html

 

[skatesindreams]

skatesindreams, Thanks for sharing Torvill and Dean's exhibition from Skate Canada in 1982! Looking forward to watching!

You are more than welcome.
It's one of my favorite T and D performances.

I'm sure that they did at least one more program, there.
However, I've never found a clip.
If anyone has more information, please share.

 

[skatesindreams]

The latest Skate Guard blog explores the story of Rupert Whitehead, a 2X Canadian Medallist who put figure skating in Manitoba on the map during The Great Depression

What an amazing life; and in some ways, a "cautionary tale".
Thanks, for the introduction.

 

[SkateGuard]

What an amazing life; and in some ways, a "cautionary tale".
Thanks, for the introduction.

Glad you enjoyed reading! Rupert's book was a fascinating read - very hard to summarize into one blog post. He certainly endured a lot, but came out of it alright at the end... I put up the final blog for "Canada 150 month" a day early... it's this month's #Unearthed, which looks at a "true" story of a harrowing escape on skates in the back country of Saskatchewan:

http://skateguard1.blogspot.ca/2017/07/unearthed-skate-sailing-down.html

 

[chattila]

Fascinating stuff, N_Halifax. I appreciate your inputs.

 

[SkateGuard]

Thanks chattila - glad your enjoying the blog!

With 'Canada 150 Month' finished, I'm back to "regularly scheduled programming". The first of this week's trio of blogs looks at the stories of British Champions & European Medallists Winnie and Dennis Silverthorne:

http://skateguard1.blogspot.ca/2017/08/the-sensational-silverthornes.html

 

[aftershocks]

The latest Skate Guard blog, The Smaller Toller: The Dennis Coi Story, explores the story of a World Junior Champion from Canada who prioritized artistry over athleticism and passed away far too soon:

http://skateguard1.blogspot.ca/2017/07/the-smaller-toller-dennis-coi-story.html

Thanks Ryan. Dennis Coi seems to resemble the young Christopher Bowman a bit.

And thanks @skatesindreams for that amazing 'Fast Tap' from Torvill/Dean! I've never seen that before.

 

[SkateGuard]

Thanks Ryan. Dennis Coi seems to resemble the young Christopher Bowman a bit.

And thanks @skatesindreams for that amazing 'Fast Tap' from Torvill/Dean! I've never seen that before.

I would have said Toller but perhaps a little Bowman too in terms of looks!

The latest Skate Guard blog, Cross-Cuts Are Anything But Boring, takes a look at the interesting history of the cross-cut:

http://skateguard1.blogspot.ca/2017/08/cross-cuts-are-anything-but-boring.html

 

[aftershocks]

I would have said Toller but perhaps a little Bowman too in terms of looks!

Yes, I agree. I actually meant Coi resembled Bowman a bit physically (facially and even with body build somewhat). And right, Coi's skating, especially his crossovers, are reminiscent of Toller Cranston.

 

[SkateGuard]

The latest Skate Guard blog, Bangles And Boat Tickets: A 1909 Skating Courtroom Drama, explores a frivolous (and slightly hilarious) skating lawsuit from turn of the century Australia:

http://skateguard1.blogspot.ca/2017/08/bangles-and-boat-tickets-1909-skating.html

 

[SkateGuard]

The latest trio of Skate Guard blogs...

A Skeleton In The Rink Closet: http://skateguard1.blogspot.com/2017/08/a-skeleton-in-rink-closet.html
From Macaroni To Antiquary: Skating In Storer's Shadow: http://skateguard1.blogspot.com/2017/08/from-macaroni-to-antiquary-storers.html
The 1937 World Figure Skating Championships: http://skateguard1.blogspot.com/2017/08/the-1937-world-figure-skating.html

Stay tuned to the blog next week for a look at a forgotten skating television program, a post-WWII Australian skater and a very memorable U.S. Championships!