Who were the greatest pro skaters of all time.

[Skate Talker]

Underhill & Martini hands down.

 

[Vash01]

Surya Bonaly was a great entertainer as a pro, with her back flip.

I can't believe I forgot Paul Wylie! Almost all of his routines were masterpieces. My favorites were -

Miss Saigon, Carmina Burana, JFK, Schindlers list- just to mention a few.

 

[Foolhardy Ham Lint]

Debi has alluded to as much in interviews, basically saying that she skated at the big pro comps until the 'next American Olympic sweetheart came along', to suggest that her appearance fees, etal. were such to make it worth her while to fly in on weekends while still in school. It also helped during that time ('89-'92) that Witt wasn't available to compete at those events

That reminds me of the apocryphal but hilarious story Debi Thomas once told about Dorothy Hamill and her collection of Voodoo dolls.

It goes something like this.

Hamill was determined to keep the crown of America's sweetheart, so in 1980 she acquired a Linda Fratianne doll. Sticking pins in the doll caused Linda to lose, and the same thing happened in 1984 with a Rosalynn Sumners doll, and in 1988 with a Debi Thomas doll.

In 1992 however, there were two similar looking dolls (Kristi Yamaguchi and Midori Ito). Hamill stuck pins in the wrong doll, and Yamaguchi won.

 

[merrywidow]

John Curry who had his own skating company. JoJo Starbuck starred opposite him many times. The company appeared on the Metropolitan Opera Stage in NYC & many top sites in Britain & around the world. Boitano, Orser, & Witt were a terrific threesome. I've always admired Kristi Yamaguchi's devotion & longevity to pro skating.