Archive-name: sports/skating/ice/figure/people
Last-modified: 23 Oct 1996


                      COMPETITIVE FIGURE SKATING FAQ:
                      ===============================

                         SKATING PEOPLE AND EVENTS
                         =========================

This article is part of the FAQ list for (amateur) competitive figure
skating.  This section covers questions about specific skaters and
events.

This FAQ list is posted monthly to rec.sport.skating.ice.figure.  Send
corrections and suggestions to loosemore-sandra@cs.yale.edu.

This file is available in both plain-text and HTML versions.  If you're
looking at the HTML version (using a browser such as NCSA Mosaic), you
can click on items in the table of contents to get to the appropriate
section.

You can get to the HTML version from the Figure Skating WWW Page at URL:

http://www.cs.yale.edu/homes/sjl/skate.html

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Table of Contents

  * [1] Who's this Dick Button guy, anyway?
  * [2] Who was the first person to do [various jumps]?
  * [3] When are upcoming competitions?
  * [4] How do I get tickets for these competitions?
  * [5] Why didn't [well-known skater] compete at [Skate America | Skate
    Canada | NHK Cup | etc]?
  * [6] What's the piece of music so-and-so is skating to?
  * [7] Who are recent [US | world | Olympic | etc] champions?
  * [8] How do I send fan mail to my favorite skater?
  * [9] Is [some skater] on the net?  What's their e-mail address?
  * [10] How do I get a backstage pass for a show or competition?
  * [11] Whatever happened to [some competitor from N years ago]?
  * [12] How can I make a donation to help a competitor with their
    training expenses?

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[1] Who's this Dick Button guy, anyway?

    Dick Button was the 5-time world champion and 2-time Olympic
    champion, from 1948 to 1952.  He's widely credited with introducing
    the modern athletic style of skating.  He was the first person to do
    a double axel, and the first to do a triple jump (a triple loop).  He
    also invented the flying camel spin.

    Here are some other people you hear about from time to time:

    Gus Lussi
        Dick Button's coach.  Also coached Dorothy Hamill.  His skaters
        are known for their superb spinning technique.  He died in 1993.
    Carlo Fassi
        Italian national champion (and European champion) during the
        1950's, but better known as a coach.  His skaters have included
        Peggy Fleming, Dorothy Hamill, John Curry, Robin Cousins, Caryn
        Kadavy, and Jill Trenary.
    Toller Cranston
        Canadian men's champion during the 1970's, now a choreographer
        and coach (as well as an artist and costume designer).  Known as
        a dramatic stylist.
    Tamara Moskvina
        Russian pair coach (e.g., of Mishkutenok and Dmitriev).  Her
        husband, Igor Moskvin, is also a coach, and is probably best
        known for his association with the Protopopovs.
    Sandra Bezic
        Canadian pairs champion (with her brother Val) during the 1970's,
        now a choreographer (e.g., for Boitano and Yamaguchi) and TV
        commentator.
    Jutta Muller
        coached Katarina Witt, Jan Hoffman, and most of the other
        well-known East German singles skaters.
    Ludmila & Oleg Protopopov
        Russian pair skaters who won Olympic gold medals in 1964 and
        1968.  They're known for their ballet-like style.  They also
        invented pair moves such as the inside death spiral.
    Tracy Wilson
        Canadian ice dancer; with her partner, the late Rob McCall, she
        won a bronze medal at the 1988 Olympics.  Now a TV commentator.
    F. Ritter Shumway
        president of the USFSA at the time of the 1961 plane crash that
        killed the entire US world team and coaching staff.  He was
        instrumental in rebuilding the figure skating program in the US
        and setting up the memorial fund which now provides financial
        support for nearly all competitive skaters.
    John Nicks
        former British (and world) pairs champion in the 1950's, now a
        pairs coach (e.g., of Babilonia and Gardner).
    Cecilia Colledge
        a British skater who was the 1937 world champion.  She was the
        first woman to execute a double jump (a double salchow) and
        inventor of the camel and layback spins.
    Galina Zmievskaya
        coach of Ukrainian skaters Viktor Petrenko and Oksana Baiul (and
        also Petrenko's mother-in-law).
    Uschi Keszler
        choreographer for Canadian skaters Bourne & Kraatz and Elvis
        Stojko.
    Debbi Wilkes
        Canadian pairs skater from the 1960's, and long-time commentator
        for Canadian TV.
    Irina Rodnina
        10-time world and 3-time Olympic pairs skating champion (with two
        different partners) from the (ex-)Soviet Union, now coaching in
        the US.
    Tracey Wainman
        Canadian competitor from the early 1980's who is often cited as
        the canonical example of a skater who was pushed into the
        spotlight as a child and burned out on the sport before reaching
        adulthood.
    David Dore
        Long-time head of the CFSA.

[2] Who was the first person to do [various jumps]?

    Here's a partial listing.

    single axel
        Axel Paulsen, 1882 (on speed skates!); Sonja Henie, early 1920s
    single salchow
        Ulrich Salchow, 1909; Theresa Weld, 1920 Olympics (first jump
        performed in competition by a woman; she was officially
        reprimanded for attempting anything so "unladylike".)
    single loop
        Werner Rittberger, 1910
    single lutz
        Alois Lutz, 1913
    double loop
        Karl Schafer, 1925 (in practice only)
    double lutz
        Karl Schafer, 1926 (in practice only); Barbara Ann Scott, 1942
    double salchow
        Gillis Grafstrom, 1926 (in practice only); Cecelia Colledge,
        1937(?) (first double jump by a woman)
    double axel
        Dick Button, 1948 Olympic games; Carol Heiss, 1953
    triple loop
        Dick Button, 1952 Olympic games (first triple jump)
    triple salchow
        Ronnie Robertson, 1955 World championships; Petra Burka, 1962
        Canadian championships (first triple jump by a woman)
    triple lutz
        Donald Jackson, 1962 World championships; Denise Biellman, 1978
    triple toe loop
        Thomas Litz, 1964 World championships
    triple axel
        Vern Taylor, 1978 World championships; Midori Ito, fall 1988
        Eastern Japanese championships
    quadruple toe loop
        Kurt Browning, 1988 World championships

    For more information about the history of skating and some pictures
    of these people, check out the figure skating WWW page.

[3] When are upcoming competitions?

    Here are the major national and international events I know about.
    These are all "amateur" competitions conducted under ISU rules except
    the ones noted as "open", which are pro-am events.

    1996 Skate America          Oct 31-Nov 3, 1996  Springfield, MA
    1996 Skate Canada           Nov 6-10, 1996      Kitchener, ON
    1996 Trophee Lalique        Nov 13-17, 1996     Paris, France
    1996 Nations Cup            Nov 21-23, 1996     Gelsenkirchen, Germany
    1997 World Juniors          Nov 24-Dec 1, 1996  Seoul, Korea
    1996 NHK Cup                Dec 5-8, 1996       Nagoya, Japan
    1996 Cup of Russia          Dec 12-15, 1996     St. Petersburg, Russia
    1997 Europeans              Jan 19-26, 1997     Paris, France
    1997 Canadian Nationals     Feb 6-9, 1997       Vancouver, BC
    1997 US Nationals           Feb 8-16, 1997      Nashville, TN
    1997 Champions Final        Feb 27-Mar 2, 1997  Hamilton, ON
    1997 Worlds                 Mar 16-23, 1997     Lausanne, Switzerland
    1998 World Juniors          Nov 30-Dec 7, 1997  St. John, NB
    1998 US Nationals           Jan 4-11, 1998      Philadelphia, PA
    1998 Europeans              Jan 11-18, 1998     Milan, Italy
    1998 Olympic Games          Feb 7-22, 1998      Nagano, Japan
    1998 Worlds                 Mar 22-29, 1998     Minneapolis, MN
    1999 World Juniors          Nov 22-29, 1998     Zagreb, Croatia
    1999 Europeans              Jan 23-31, 1999     Vienna, Austria
    1999 US Nationals           Jan (?), 1999       Salt Lake City, UT
    1999 Worlds                 Mar 22-28, 1999     Helsinki, Finland
    2000 US Nationals           Jan 30-Feb 6, 2000  Cleveland, OH
    2002 Olympic Games          Feb 9-22, 2002      Salt Lake City, UT

[4] How do I get tickets for these competitions?

    All-event tickets for US Nationals typically cost around $200-400 a
    set and go on sale a year or two in advance.  For information about
    1997 Nationals, call 615-242-8802 or check out their web page at
    http://www.figure-skating.org.  For 1998 Nationals, the phone number
    for ordering tickets is 215-753-1050.

    1997 Canadian Nationals tickets are being sold by Ticketmaster at
    604-280-4444.

    Tickets for 1997 Worlds in Lausanne may be ordered by calling +41 21
    643 14 30.  (It's a small arena, so tickets may sell out fast.) For
    1998 Worlds, send a self-addressed stamped envelope to Target Center
    Box Office, 600 First Ave North, Minneapolis MN 55403 to get ticket
    information.

    There are some travel agencies that specialize in travel packages
    (including hotel and transportation as well as event tickets) for
    skating competitions, including those in Europe and Asia.  For
    information, call SkateTours at 415-472-0505; Silver Blade Tours at
    203-721-7670; or Bryan Travel at 800-234-6432.

    Note:  Many of the best seats at competitions and ice shows are held
    for event sponsors and/or group sales.  You may have better luck
    getting a good seat by going with a tour or a group from your local
    skating club instead of ordering your ticket directly.  For touring
    ice shows, you can usually order tickets by mail from the tour
    promoter before they go on sale through the arena box office; or you
    can check back with the box office a few days before the event to see
    if any leftover tickets for the better seats have been released.

[5] Why didn't [well-known skater] compete at [Skate America | Skate
Canada | NHK Cup | etc]?

    These fall international competitions are part of the "Grand Prix" or
    "Champions Series".  The ISU seeds the top-ranked skaters from the
    previous season's world championships among the various fall
    competitions, so that each of them attends a different two or three
    events.  Other skaters are selected for these events by their
    national skating federations.  The end result is that not all of the
    big-name skaters will be at every event, and unseeded skaters may
    wind up doing only one fall competition, or not getting a competition
    assignment at all.

[6] What's the piece of music so-and-so is skating to?

    Well, I'm not a walking music encyclopedia, but here are some (mostly
    classical pieces) that I've been able to identify.

    These are programs from the 1995/96 season.  More information about
    music used by skaters in previous seasons is available on the Figure
    Skating WWW Page.

    Aleksandr Abt
        free skate:  "Polovitsian Dances" by Borodin
    Damon Allen
        free skate:  "Die Fliedermaus", by Strauss
    Shepherd Clark
        free skate:  "Swan Lake", by Tchaikovsky
    Todd Eldredge
        short program:  (he has two) "The King and I" and "Swing Kids"
        free skate:  (he has two) "Chess" and "First Knight"
    Rudy Galindo
        short program:  Canon in D, by Pachelbel
        free skate:  "Swan Lake", by Tchaikovsky
    Dan Hollander
        short program:  "The Barber of Seville" overture, by Rossini
        free skate:  music from "Legends of the Fall" and "The Three
        Musketeers"
    Eric Millot
        free skate:  spaghetti western medley by Ennio Morricone
    Aren Nielsen
        free skate:  "Braveheart"
    Elvis Stojko
        short program: music from "Speedway"
        free skate:  (he has two) music from "The Last of the Mohicans"
        and "1492"
    Alexei Urmanov
        short program:  "Night on Bald Mountain" by Mussorgski
        free skate:  "Princess of the Circus" by Kalman
    Andrei Vlachtchenko
        free skate:  "Faust", by Gounod
    Michael Weiss
        short program:  "The Mission"
        free skate:  Santana medley
    Vyacheslav Zagorodniuk
        free skate:  "Polonaise Militaire", "Fantasie-Impromptu", etc, by
        Chopin
    Nicole Bobek
        short program:  "In the Mood" from "The Cotton Club" soundtrack
        free skate:  "Evita" and "1492"
    Surya Bonaly
        free skate: (she has two) music from "Cirque du Soleil"; "Swan
        Lake" by Tchaikovsky
    Chen Lu
        free skate:  Rachmaninoff piano concerto #2
    Josee Chouinard
        free skate: music from "Kismet" (based on themes by Borodin)
    Michelle Kwan
        short program: "Romanza" (Bararissi) and "Fiesta Flemenca"
        (Kelly)
        free skate:  "In the Village" (Ippolitov-Ivanov); "Salome's
        Dance" (Roza), based on the opera "Salome" by Richard Strauss
    Tonia Kwiatkowski
        short program:  "Firebird" by Stravinsky
        free skate:  "Day One" by John Tesh; "Bladerunner"
    Tara Lipinski
        short program:  music from "On the Town", by Bernstein
        free skate:  music from "Speed"
    Ina & Dungjen
        free skate:  "Slaughter on 10th Avenue"
    Kazakova & Dmitriev
        free skate:  themes from "La Traviata" by Verdi
    Meno & Sand
        short program: "Fantasie-Impromptu" by Chopin
        free skate:  "Nessun Dorma" from "Turandot" by Puccini
    Shishkova & Naumov
        short program:  "Ave Maria"
        free skate:  "Don Quixote" by Minkus
    Various Ice Dancers
        original dance:  "Espana Cani" by Marquina -- the canonical paso
        doble tune

[7] Who are recent [US | world | Olympic | etc] champions?

    Here are the winners since 1980.  They're listed for each year in
    this order:  US; Canadian; European; World Junior; World; Olympic.

    Men:
      1996: Rudy Galindo; Elvis Stojko; Vyacheslav Zagorodniuk;
            Alexei Yagudin; Todd Eldredge
      1995: Todd Eldredge; Sebastien Britten; Ilya Kulik; 
    	Ilya Kulik; Elvis Stojko
      1994: Scott Davis; Elvis Stojko; Viktor Petrenko;
    	Michael Weiss; Elvis Stojko; Alexei Urmanov
      1993: Scott Davis; Kurt Browning; Dmitri Dmitrenko;
    	Evgely Pliuta; Kurt Browning
      1992: Christopher Bowman; Michael Slipchuk; Petr Barna;
    	Dmitri Dmitrenko; Viktor Petrenko; Viktor Petrenko
      1991: Todd Eldredge; Kurt Browning; Viktor Petrenko;
    	Vasili Eremenko; Kurt Browning
      1990: Todd Eldredge; Kurt Browning; Viktor Petrenko;
    	Igor Pashkevich; Kurt Browning
      1989: Christopher Bowman; Kurt Browning; Alexandr Fadeev;
    	Vyacheslav Zagorodniuk; Kurt Browning
      1988: Brian Boitano; Brian Orser; Alexandr Fadeev;
    	Todd Eldredge; Brian Boitano; Brian Boitano
      1987: Brian Boitano; Brian Orser; Alexandr Fadeev;
    	Rudy Galindo; Brian Orser
      1986: Brian Boitano; Brian Orser; Jozef Sabovcik;
    	Vladimir Petrenko; Brian Boitano
      1985: Brian Boitano; Brian Orser; Jozef Sabovcik;
    	Erik Larson; Alexandr Fadeev
      1984: Scott Hamilton; Brian Orser; Alexandr Fadeev;
    	Viktor Petrenko; Scott Hamilton; Scott Hamilton
      1983: Scott Hamilton; Brian Orser; Norbert Schramm;
    	Christopher Bowman; Scott Hamilton
      1982: Scott Hamilton; Brian Orser; Norbert Schramm;
    	Scott Williams; Scott Hamilton
      1981: Scott Hamilton; Brian Orser; Igor Bobrin;
    	Paul Wylie; Scott Hamilton
      1980: Charles Tickner; Brian Pockar; Robin Cousins;
    	Alexandr Fadeev; Jan Hoffmann; Robin Cousins
    
    Ladies:
      1996: Michelle Kwan; Jennifer Robinson; Irina Slutskaya;
            Elena Ivanova; Michelle Kwan
      1995: Nicole Bobek; Netty Kim; Surya Bonaly;
    	Irina Slutskaya; Chen Lu
      1994: (title vacant); Josee Chouinard; Surya Bonaly;
    	Michelle Kwan; Yuka Sato; Oksana Baiul
      1993: Nancy Kerrigan; Josee Chouinard; Surya Bonaly;
    	Kumiko Koiwai; Oksana Baiul
      1992: Kristi Yamaguchi; Karen Preston; Surya Bonaly;
    	Laetitia Hubert; Kristi Yamaguchi; Kristi Yamaguchi
      1991: Tonya Harding; Josee Chouinard; Surya Bonaly;
    	Surya Bonaly; Kristi Yamaguchi
      1990: Jill Trenary; Lisa Sargeant; Evelyn Grossmann;
    	Yuka Sato; Jill Trenary
      1989: Jill Trenary; Karen Preston; Claudia Leistner;
    	Jessica Mills; Midori Ito
      1988: Debi Thomas; Elizabeth Manley; Katarina Witt;
    	Kristi Yamaguchi; Katarina Witt; Katarina Witt
      1987: Jill Trenary; Elizabeth Manley; Katarina Witt;
    	Cindy Bortz; Katarina Witt
      1986: Debi Thomas; Tracey Wainman; Katarina Witt;
    	Natalia Gorbenko; Debi Thomas
      1985: Tiffany Chin; Elizabeth Manley; Katarina Witt;
    	Tatiana Andreeva; Katarina Witt
      1984: Rosalynn Sumners; Kay Thomson; Katarina Witt;
    	Karin Hendschke; Katarina Witt; Katarina Witt
      1983: Rosalynn Sumners; Kay Thomson; Katarina Witt;
    	Simone Koch; Rosalynn Sumners
      1982: Rosalynn Sumners; Kay Thomson; Claudia Kristofics-Binder;
    	Janina Wirth; Elaine Zayak
      1981: Elaine Zayak; Tracey Wainman; Denise Biellman;
    	Tiffany Chin; Denise Biellman
      1980: Linda Fratianne; Heather Kemkaran; Annett Poetzsch;
    	Rosalynn Sumners; Anett Poetzsch; Anett Poetzsch
    
    Pairs:
      1996: Meno & Sand; Menzies & Bombardier; Kazakova & Dmitriev;
            Maksuta & Zhovnirsky; Eltsova & Bushkov
      1995: Meno & Sand; Menzies & Bombardier; Woetzel & Steuer;
    	Petrova & Sikharulidze; Kovarikova & Novotny
      1994: Meno & Sand; Brasseur & Eisler; Gordeeva & Grinkov;
    	Petrova & Sikharulidze; Shishkova & Naumov; Gordeeva & Grinkov
      1993: Urbanski & Marval; Brasseur & Eisler; Eltsova & Bushkov;
    	Korshunova & Saveliev; Brasseur & Eisler
      1992: Urbanski & Marval; Brasseur & Eisler; Mishkutenok & Dmitriev;
    	Krestianinova & Torchinski; Mishkutenok & Dmitriev; Mishkutenok & Dmitriev
      1991: Kuchiki & Sand; Brasseur & Eisler; Mishkutenok & Dmitriev;
    	Krestianinova & Torchinski; Mishkutenok & Dmitriev
      1990: Yamaguchi & Galindo; Landry & Johnston; Gordeeva & Grinkov;
            Krestianinova & Torchinski; Gordeeva & Grinkov
      1989: Yamaguchi & Galindo; Brasseur & Eisler; Selezneva & Makarov;
    	Chernishova & Sukhanov; Gordeeva & Grinkov
      1988: Watson & Oppegard; Hough & Ladret; Gordeeva & Grinkov;
    	Yamaguchi & Galindo; Valova & Vasiliev; Gordeeva & Grinkov
      1987: Watson & Oppegard; Coull & Rowsom; Selezneva & Makarov;
    	Leonova & Krasnitski; Gordeeva & Grinkov
      1986: Wachsman & Waggoner; Coull & Rowsom; Valova & Vasiliev;
    	Leonova & Krasnitski; Gordeeva & Grinkov
      1985: Watson & Oppegard; Coull & Rowsom; Valova & Vasiliev;
    	Gordeeva & Grinkov; Valova & Vasiliev
      1984: Carruthers & Carruthers; Matousek & Eisler; Valova & Vasiliev;
    	Landgraf & Steuer; Underhill & Martini; Valova & Vasiliev
      1983: Carruthers & Carruthers; Underhill & Martini; Baess & Thierbach;
    	Avstriskaia & Kvashnin; Valova & Vasiliev
      1982: Carruthers & Carruthers; Underhill & Martini; Baess & Thierbach;
    	Avstriskaia & Kvashnin; Baess & Thierbach
      1981: Carruthers & Carruthers; Underhill & Martini; Vorobieva & Lisovsky;
    	Selezneva & Makarov; Vorobieva & Lisovsky
      1980: Babilonia & Gardner; Underhill & Martini; Rodnina & Zaitsev;
    	Selezneva & Makarov; Cherkasova & Shakhrai; Rodnina & Zaitsev
    
    Dance:
      1996: Punsalan & Swallow; Bourne & Kraatz; Grishuk & Platov;
            Davydova & Kostomarov; Grishuk & Platov
      1995: Roca & Sur; Bourne & Kraatz; Rahkomo & Kokko;
    	Sharutenko & Naumkin; Grishuk & Platov
      1994: Punsalan & Swallow; Bourne & Kraatz; Torvill & Dean;
    	Nowak & Kolasinski; Grishuk & Platov; Grishuk & Platov
      1993: Roca & Sur; Bourne & Kraatz; Usova & Zhulin;
    	Svirina & Sakhnovsky; Usova & Zhulin
      1992: Sargent-Thomas & Witherby; Petr & Janoschak; Klimova & Ponomarenko;
    	Anisina & Averbukh; Klimova & Ponomarenko; Klimova & Ponomarenko
      1991: Punsalan & Swallow; McDonald & Smith; Klimova & Ponomarenko;
    	Stergiadu & Razguliaiev; Duchesnay & Duchesnay
      1990: Wynne & Druar; Borlase & Smith; Klimova & Ponomarenko;
    	Anisina & Averbukh; Klimova & Ponomarenko
      1989: Wynne & Druar; Garossini & Garossino; Klimova & Ponomarenko;
    	Kirkhmaier & Lagutin; Klimova & Ponomarenko
      1988: Semanick & Gregory; Wilson & McCall; Bestemianova & Bukin;
    	Gritschuk & Chickov; Bestemianova & Bukin; Bestemianova & Bukin
      1987: Semanick & Gregory; Wilson & McCall; Bestemianova & Bukin;
    	Melnichenko & Kaskov; Bestemianova & Bukin
      1986: Roca & Adair; Wilson & McCall; Bestemianova & Bukin;
    	Krikanova & Platov; Bestemianova & Bukin
      1985: Blumberg & Seibert; Wilson & McCall; Bestemianova & Bukin;
    	Krikanova & Platov; Bestemianova & Bukin
      1984: Blumberg & Seibert; Wilson & McCall; Torvill & Dean;
    	Krikanova & Platov; Torvill & Dean; Torvill & Dean
      1983: Blumberg & Seibert; Wilson & McCall; Bestemianova & Bukin;
    	Gladkova & Shpilband; Torvill & Dean
      1982: Blumberg & Seibert; Wilson & McCall; Torvill & Dean;
    	Annenko & Karkachev; Torvill & Dean
      1981: Blumberg & Seibert; McNeil & McCall; Torvill & Dean;
    	Batanova & Soloviev; Torvill & Dean
      1980: Smith & Summers; Wighton & Dowding; Linichuk & Karponosov;
    	Batanova & Soloviev; Regoeczy & Sallay;  Linichuk & Karponosov

[8] How do I send fan mail to my favorite skater?

    Your best bet is send it to them in care of the agent that represents
    them professionally, the rink or skating club where they train, or
    their national skating federation.

    A good source of this kind of directory information is the "Skater's
    Edge Sourcebook".  The cost is $39.95 plus $5 shopping; order from:

    Skater's Edge Sourcebook
    Box 500, Dept SM, Kensington MD 20895
    (301)-946-1971

    The USFSA (or CFSA, for Canadians) may also be helpful in providing
    addresses and/or forwarding mail.  The PSA represents many pro
    skaters.  For skaters in other countries, you can contact the
    International Skating Union.

    USFSA:
    20 First Street, Colorado Springs, CO 80906
    voice (719)-635-5200, fax (719)-635-9548
    usfsa1@aol.com

    CFSA:
    1600 James Naismith Dr., Gloucester, ON K1B 5N4
    voice (613)-748-5635, fax (613)-748-5718
    http://www.cfsa.ca

    PSA:
    PO Box 5904, Rochester, MN 55903
    voice (507)-281-5122
    http://users.aol.com/skatepsa/homepage.html

    ISU:
    c/o Member Club Information
    Promenade 73
    Postfach CH 7270
    Davos Platz, Switzerland
    http://www.citw.com/isu/index.html

    There is a directory of contact information for specific skaters
    available from the figure skating WWW page.

[9] Is [some skater] on the net?  What's their e-mail address?

    There are a handful of high-level competitors and professionals who
    are either known or rumored to be on the net.  But the number is
    small and it is not yet very likely that your favorite skater is one
    of them.  It is even less likely that any really famous skaters who
    might be on the net would want to publicize their personal e-mail
    addresses and have their mailboxes flooded with unsolicited junk mail
    from fans or people who just want to harass them.  Please respect
    their right to privacy; the accepted way to contact skaters is
    through their business address, NOT through their home or personal
    address.

[10] How do I get a backstage pass for a show or competition?

    In general, you CAN'T get backstage passes unless you are a member of
    the press or have some other valid reason for being there.  Having
    lots of random people wandering around backstage during the event
    could be very distracting to the skaters, as well as presenting
    legitimate security and liability problems.  You will get a better
    view of the show from your seat in the arena, anyway.

    If you want to collect autographs or offer congratulations to
    skaters, you may have better luck waiting for them after the show
    outside the skaters' entrance to the arena or at their hotel.
    However, DO exercise some discretion.  It can be quite intimidating
    or overwhelming for skaters to be mobbed by fans wherever they go.
    Don't harass or hound skaters, don't be rude or intrusive, and don't
    be disappointed if your favorite skater doesn't feel inclined to stop
    to chat with you.

[11] Whatever happened to [some competitor from N years ago]?

    Debi Thomas retired from professional skating in 1992 in order to
    attend medical school at Northwestern University.

    Barbara Underhill and Paul Martini have taken some time off to have
    children with their respective spouses, and are now performing on a
    limited basis.  (One of Barb's daughters died as a baby in a drowning
    accident in 1993.)  Kitty & Peter Carruthers have also cut back their
    touring schedule in order to concentrate on family life.  Janet Lynn
    retired from skating many years ago and is married with a number of
    children.

    Tonya Harding still skates occasionally but has not been invited to
    participate in any professional competitions or shows.

    Midori Ito performed professionally with an ice show in Japan for a
    few years after 1992, and has now reinstated as an eligible skater
    again.

    Natalia Mishkutenok and Artur Dmitriev have split up; she has retired
    from competitive skating, and he has started to skate with a new
    partner (Oksana Kazakova).

    Lisa Ervin is still skating but not competitively.  She is now a
    student at Hamilton College in New York state.

    Jill Trenary retired from amateur competition in late 1991.  (She had
    missed the 1991 championships due to a severe ankle injury.) She is
    now married to Christopher Dean and still tours professionally.

    Robin Cousins has been concentrating on a career as a stage actor
    (appearing in musical productions in London) although he still
    performs occasionally as a skater.

    Christopher Bowman left Ice Capades when it was bought by Dorothy
    Hamill, and has had an erratic career as a skating coach since then.
    The stories about him joining the army are false.

    Linda Fratianne, Holly Cook, Tiffany Chin, Peter Oppegard, Irina
    Rodnina, Suzanne Semanick, Scott Gregory, Karen Courtland, and Petr
    Barna are all working as coaches in the US.  Michael Seibert is a
    choreographer, and Judy Blumberg is skating professionally with a new
    partner (James Yorke).  Jojo Starbuck is a coach, and Ken Shelley has
    a management position with an ice show company.

    John Curry died of AIDS in 1994.  1972 Olympic champion Ondrej Nepela
    and Canadian skaters Brian Pockar and Rob McCall have also died of
    AIDS.

[12] How can I make a donation to help a competitor with their training
expenses?

    In the US, you basically have three options:

      * You can make a donation to the Memorial Fund, a charitable
        foundation established by the USFSA in memory of the 1961 world
        team members who were killed in a plane crash.  You can restrict
        your donation to go to skaters from a particular club, if you
        want, but you cannot funnel your contributions to a specific
        skater through the Memorial Fund.  Most (all?) skaters who
        compete at the national level are apparently eligible for at
        least a token subsidy from the Memorial Fund.  Donations to the
        Memorial Fund are tax-deductable.  Checks should be sent to:

        USFSA Memorial Fund
        20 First Street, Colorado Springs, CO 80906

        Some of the top training centers have also established their own
        charitable foundations to benefit their skaters, that work in a
        similar way.

        Also, in Canada, the CFSA has an Athlete Trust Fund that accepts
        donations to support Canadian skaters.

        CFSA Athlete Trust Fund
        403-1600 James Naismith Dr., Gloucester, ON K1B 5N4

      * If you want to help a specific skater, the best way to do it is
        just to send them a check directly as a personal gift.  (Most
        skaters would be intensely grateful for even a small contribution
        because it's a sign that people appreciate them and have
        confidence in them, as much as concrete financial assistance.)
        Donations you make this way are not tax-deductable for you.

      * If you want to set up a sponsorship arrangement where the skater
        promotes your business or performs other services in exchange for
        financial support, you have to negotiate a contract through the
        USFSA rather than with the skater directly.

    Figure skating is a very expensive sport.  It's said that it costs
    between $30,000 and $50,000 a year to compete at the national or
    international level.  While eligible skaters are now able to earn
    good money from competing and touring, in practice only a handful of
    the top competitors are being offered such opportunities.  For most
    other skaters, it's still a real struggle to make ends meet.

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