Which skater should write an autobiography?

[merrywidow]

Frank Carroll, skater & coach

 

[aliceanne]

Fedor Andreev, singles skater, ice dancer, the son of Marina, boyfriend of Tanith, Tessa, Becky Bereswill, and fiance of Meryl Davis. He was also coached by Zueva/Sphilband. I bet he could tell some tales.

 

[Aimless]

Deanna Stellato. Her career brackets my relationship with the sport. I'd like to hear what it was like to leave the sport after showing such promise. How she forged a life outside of skating and how it felt not to skate--to watch the sport evolve without her. Staying in shape all that time, I think. How she imagined she'd ever get back to the sport and now what it feels like to have come back.

 

[whiteskates]

Tamara Moskvina

 

[Japanfan]

Sui/Han. They have quite the story to tell.
Anybody read The Second Mark? Really fascinating. Each of the 3 pair teams had such different stories. Loved it.

I loved The Second Mark!

Thinking in terms of movies, rather than books, I think one should be made about Shen/Zhao. It has all the makings of a great film -

1) Bin Yao the disgraced skater at Worlds and Olympics has a vision of building a pairs school in China, a country with no pairs tradition
2) Zhue Shen is born to the poorest of the poor in the aftermath of the Cultural Revolution
3) Shen's parents leave her alone on outdoor ice all day hoping she will free them from poverty through sport. They give her both of their lunches, every day. They buy her skates that are too big to save money, and she can't get her feet out of them because they are stuck to the skate with blood.
4) Shen eventually makes it to Yao's school, where she will be paired with Hongbo, sent away from home at age 7 and very lonely (IIRC).
5) Shen and Zhao finish 21st at their first worlds in 1994, and nobody pays them much attention
6) Shen and Zhao become distinguished by their athletic, acrobatic style, but are said to lack artistry
7) Shen and Zhao are limited by the constrained, rigid performance style of some Chinese arts. They don't have the opera and ballet to inspire them, as Russian skaters do, or popular culture, as western skaters do. They are advised to hold hands, to build their connection with each other.
8) Shen and Zhao win bronze at the 2002 Olympics, a historic accomplishment that is largely ignored due to the pairs scandal
9) Shen and Zhao bring back their Turandot for the 2003 season, but something has change (IMO they have fallen in love). It has been transformed. They stun the audience by delivering an iconic program for the ages, one in which emotion is expressed right down to the fingertips. Slam dunk world title.
10) They outdo Turandot with Nutracker in 2004, delivering another iconic performance even though they have no shot a gold due to finishing forth in the short.
11) Despite Hongbo being beset by a serious injury, they continue competing, and earn another Olympic Bronze and the 2007 World Title.
12) They come back in 2010 to win Olympic gold.
13) Snapshot: Shen/Zhao and Pang/Tong 1 and 2, with Bin Yao. This is by no means the first time we've seen Bin Yao in tears over the years.
14) Sui/Han take up the mantle and pay tribute to Shen/Zhao by skating to 'Turandot' in the 2018 Olympics, earning silver.

Is this story not a great film in the making?

 

[AxelAnnie]

Love it!

 

[Shyjosie]

I would be interested in reading a book that is a collection of brief biographies of skaters.

There's Toller Cranston's "Ice Cream" consisting of short biographies of some really high profile skaters, from Cranston's point of view. It was released some years ago, so the stars of figure skating of the most recent years are not included. But it's full of interesting insight from a man who lived skating.

I thought it was because she didn't want any more drama with Christopher Dean in the press, and they could hardly avoid writing about him.

This is exactly what Cranston's short biography of the Duchesnays says. I would give a fortune for a full autobiography from them, but I can well understand Isabelle's reasons for cancelling publication.

 

[DreamSkates]

I loved The Second Mark!

Thinking in terms of movies, rather than books, I think one should be made about Shen/Zhao. It has all the makings of a great film -
....
Is this story not a great film in the making?

I so enjoyed watching these programs again. The era that I enjoyed watching pairs.

Turnadot Worlds 2003 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qqHEd0Bq9o
Nutcracker Worlds 2004 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40X2SIc41HY
Vancouver 2010 OGM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5TFHsAKYGzo

 

[Japanfan]

There's Toller Cranston's "Ice Cream" consisting of short biographies of some really high profile skaters, from Cranston's point of view. It was released some years ago, so the stars of figure skating of the most recent years are not included. But it's full of interesting insight from a man who lived skating.

This is exactly what Cranston's short biography of the Duchesnays says. I would give a fortune for a full autobiography from them, but I can well understand Isabelle's reasons for cancelling publication.

Cranston wrote several books, four IIRC. I read them all, loved them.

 

[Japanfan]

There's Toller Cranston's "Ice Cream" consisting of short biographies of some really high profile skaters, from Cranston's point of view. It was released some years ago, so the stars of figure skating of the most recent years are not included. But it's full of interesting insight from a man who lived skating.

This is exactly what Cranston's short biography of the Duchesnays says. I would give a fortune for a full autobiography from them, but I can well understand Isabelle's reasons for cancelling publication.

Toller also wrote 'Zero Tollerance' and 'Ice Cream'.

I enjoyed all three of them.

According to Amazon a Toller Cranston also wrote 'Ram on the Rampage' as a debut thriller. There is no description of it, and no review.

 

[Twilight1]

Virtue and Moir in a tell all no holds barred book.

I can dream...

 

[StasiyaGalustyanLove]

Anastasia Galustyan
Ross Miner
Keegan Messing

Also my wife and I have list of skater's who should not write about their selves the top two are Adam "alternative life-style" Rippon and Tonia "criminal who should of been thrown in the slammer year's ago".

 

[screech]

I would be interested in reading a book that is a collection of brief biographies of skaters.

This would be pretty neat - I'd love it almost like a collection of short stories, each told by a different skater.

 

[DreamSkates]

This would be pretty neat - I'd love it almost like a collection of short stories, each told by a different skater.

Previous posts mentioned a book by Toller Cranston, which I just ordered from Amazon. However, having a book of autobiographies from a more current era would be great.

 

[Japanfan]

I so enjoyed watching these programs again. The era that I enjoyed watching pairs.

Turnadot Worlds 2003 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qqHEd0Bq9o
Nutcracker Worlds 2004 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40X2SIc41HY
Vancouver 2010 OGM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5TFHsAKYGzo

That was my favourite era of pairs as well. S/P, B/S, and S/Z were all special IMO. Due to the aftertaste of the SLC pairs scandal and the debates that ensued, it was easy to forget the S/P and B/S were both great teams (IMO, don't want to about it).

Then T/M came to dominate and to me they were about as exciting as watching paint dry. They did have amazing unison, but when it's the unison that you notice that first time a program competed at Worlds or Olympics, it means the program fails to inspire. TBH I preferred Z/Z.

Then S/S came to dominate, and while I appreciate their brilliance and the brilliance of S/M, neither team moved me to tears like S/Z did.

Now there is S/H, and while they are my favorite (have a definite bias in favor of the Chinese pairs), living up to S/Z's legendary and beloved status is a tall order to fill.

I think I have watched S/Z's Turandot about 100 times, and every time I am close to . And the moment when he puts her down after their final lift, and they spread their arms, faces in an expression of rapture, to a perfect crescendo in the music - oh my, what a moment! And the final remaining seconds just get better. And I love that Zhao said in an interview (on Canadian TV) that Shen was the best, and he wanted to meld his whole medal with Shen's, and stand in the audience and clap for her (she skated that whole program with a leg numbed by painkillers).

 

[StasiyaGalustyanLove]

Tonya Kwiatcowsky and my wife says that, the book should be called "I'm Not So Kwiat Anymore!"

Lol!

Also Jason Brown should of started writing one to tell the world about the new hair cutter that changed his "look," what a transition!

 

[Erin]

Also Jason Brown should of started writing one to tell the world about the new hair cutter that changed his "look," what a transition!

Speaking of transitions, I think Jason Brown should name his autobiography after the weirdest banner I saw for him, Jason Brown: The Transition King. In fact, I think all skaters should name their autobiographies after fan banners. Patrick Chan's can be Patrick Chan: Chantom of the Opera.

 

[Sylvia]

Also my wife and I have list of skater's who should not write about their selves the top two are Adam "alternative life-style" Rippon

I'm sure he will dedicate his autobio to you and your wife.

 

[3Lz+3Lo]

I’d love to read an autobiography from Aliona, Julia or Mirai.

 

[Fiero425]

Fedor Andreev, singles skater, ice dancer, the son of Marina, boyfriend of Tanith, Tessa, Becky Bereswill, and fiance of Meryl Davis. He was also coached by Zueva/Sphilband. I bet he could tell some tales.

To me it would have to be a seasoned skater instead of some overprotected kiddy who's traveling the world with parents! FS doesn't like to expose the "behind the scenes" drama; been pretty tight lipped over the years! Christine Brennon pieced deep with a couple books, but it's quite a shady sport compared to how presented in sequins and feathers with classic music playing in the background!

 

[Fiero425]

Anastasia Galustyan
Ross Miner
Keegan Messing

Also my wife and I have list of skater's who should not write about their selves the top two are Adam "alternative life-style" Rippon and Tonia "criminal who should of been thrown in the slammer year's ago".

Theirs would be more interesting than a book from Tara Lipinski who penned a bio after winning Nagano in '98! What was she 16 and had been around for about 5 minutes? What could she possible do but write more in depth about her frenetic training schedule overcoming MK when it counted @ Worlds, GPF, & of course the OG's!

 

[aliceanne]

To me it would have to be a seasoned skater instead of some overprotected kiddy who's traveling the world with parents! FS doesn't like to expose the "behind the scenes" drama; been pretty tight lipped over the years! Christine Brennon pieced deep with a couple books, but it's quite a shady sport compared to how presented in sequins and feathers with classic music playing in the background!

Rudy Galindo’s bio talks about his drug use, his relationships with coaches, his family, the Yamaguchis, USFSA, and being gay. It’s not a hatchet job, he admits that there were times when he took advantage of people who tried to help, and coasted on his talent.

Interestingly his biggest regret was neglecting his education. As an adult he felt he didn’t know things about subjects like history that most people take for granted are common knowledge. He traveled a lot as a skater but didn’t know the historical or cultural significance of the places he visited.

 

[Justlurking]

Yuna Kim

 

[Cachoo]

I want someone who has "been there and back" so to speak with bumps along the way. Tiffany Chin was a national champ, world medalist and an olympian and a lovley skater. Her story interests me. I know she had a rather demanding mother. She also competed when school figures were important. I think she has seen so much change in her transition from skater to coach. Her story could be compelling.

 

[Bellanca]

Many of the skaters that would have an interesting tale to tell are probably still too young, yet.

They may be coaching now (or in the future) or doing something else skate related or be removed from the sport entirely. Given the time to get more of life's experiences under their belt would make their story or autobiography that much more interesting if they were to include some post skating chapters.

Someday, maybe an in-depth bio from Sasha Cohen, Tara Lipinski, Irina Slutskaya, Shizuka Arakawa, Yuna Kim, Mao Asada, Shae-Lynn Bourne, Aljona Savchenko, Pang & Tong, Carolina Kostner (when she's done competing) Maria Butyrskaya, Oksana Grishuk aka Pasha because that would be scandalous as hell! Elvis Stojko, Evgeni Plushenko (now that would be a trip) unless he has already done so, and I've missed it... All these people have an interesting story, imho.

I could name a dozen more or so - and from other disciplines, but on the spur of the moment, the skaters listed above are the ones that come to mind.