Donald Jackson-1962 Worlds FS

Wow! I had only seen snippets of this from the Magic Memories tape--but someone posted this copy on FSVids and it is something to see. The tape quality is not pristine (hey, this is from 1962!) --but it is clear enough to get a good idea of how great a skate this was.

http://s50.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=38BUCMEWJK0722YWY8SNJD3EVV

Yes-there is the conservative suit and more restrained arm movements--but this guy could really jump. There is the triple lutz, of course--but he also folds his arms during another jump and lands it with them folded. Then, he jumps again keeping them folded. He does a spin and jumps out of the spin. The footwork is great too (unfortunately, there is a good bit of static during a footwork sequence towards the end.) The crowd reaction in Prague is awesome considering their hometown skater, Karel Divan, was so far ahead that it took perfect marks to defeat him. It would be cool to see those perfect marks come up in the Kiss and Cry (the tape doesn't extend that far)--but I never thought I would ever see a full copy of this perfomance. I can't complain!

Hope someone else enjoys it too. I love to see these older performances.

That is a huge WOW! Wouldn't it be great if we could see it on a large screen with better audio. Thanks for posting this.

He had such loft on that triple Lutz that it looked like he could have landed a quad.

I hadn't seen the whole program before either. Thank you so much. He was just magnificient! I hadn't seen a jump OUT of a spin before.

I just cannot believe the height he had on those triples, especially the lutz. Unbelievable! So, am I to understand that in a World's competition that took place in a Communist country, a Canadian defeated the competitor from that Communist country? So much for bloc judging.

What year did communist countries join in international figure skating competitions?

Were they just learning how to bloc? or was the skater such an obvious winner?

Joe

My vote would be obvious winner. Those jumps were just glorious things of beauty. Given the style of the day, it was quality from the ice up. The man had no fear of originality and nailed everything. I don't think it's exaggerating to say, if he were competeing today (with modern training) Plushenko would be in serious trouble.

You know how there is a natural progression in the sport? First 1 triple, then 2, then an arsenal of triples, then 1 quad, etc. I wonder whether anyone at that time could even fathom a quad. I mean, when I look at the height of that lutz, it's obvious that he could physically have done a quad lutz. I wonder whether his coach or even he himself thought about it as even a passing thought. Also, can you imagine what an uproar would have ensued at the time had he done such a move? I mean, they were all freaking out over the fact that he did a TRIPLE lutz.

Oh, that sounds like Jim McKay reporting with Uncle Dick. Brings back some terrific memories.

I remember watching the 1962 Worlds via ABC's "Wide World of Sports" in black and white television. Don Jackson's entire winning long program was televised, with excited commentary by Dick Button and Jim McKay. When Don took to center ice to start his program, Dick said "Don Jackson is going to try to become the first skater in history to land a triple lutz in competition. It is the first jump in his program. We'll see immediately whether or not he will land it."

And - bang! Don sailed into the triple lutz and landed it cleanly. Dick Button screamed, "He did it! A beautiful triple lutz! How fantastic!"

All told, Jackson landed something like 20 jumps in his long prgram - one or two other triples, a large variety of doubles and singles, as well as spins and other moves. When he finished, the audience was on its feet, cheering.

When the scores were announced, Jim McKay screamed, "Six! Six! and another Six!" When Dick Button congratulated Don, Don said, "I was happy to do this for Canada."

What an outstanding moment in the annuals of figure skating history. I still get a few goosebumps when I remember this performance. I'm an American, and, well, nationality doesn't mean a thing in moments such as this. I was a young kid at the time, rooting for Don to win the title - and he did!!

Joesitz said:

What year did communist countries join in international figure skating competitions?

Were they just learning how to bloc? or was the skater such an obvious winner?

Joe

Click to expand...

The Soviet bloc countries started to compete at Worlds during the 1950s, I believe, and the Protopopovs won the silver medal at the 1962 Worlds, held in Prague. I remember the ABC "Wide World of Sports" panned its cameras around Prague, and that Jim McKay said something along the lines of "This city is behind the Iron Curtain, but the people have not lost their spirit. This city is still known as Golden Prague." However, the images of the city were downright depressing - buildings still shell-shocked from World War II, factories belching smoke all over the place, and people generally walking around with sad expressions.

I remember the bloc judging issue as one which reared its ugly head (a Dick Buttonism) in the 1960s and became even more a problem in the 1970s. As more and more Soviet bloc countries, such as East Germany, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland, etc., started sending their skaters to major international competitions and these countries sent their JUDGES to these competitions, the natural progression and mindset came into being that the judges from Soviet bloc countries all thought and voted alike.