Tribute to the 1961 US World Team | Golden Skate

Tribute to the 1961 US World Team

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SkateFan4Life

Guest
Here is a link to a very moving website that pays tribute to the wonderful 1961 United States World Team that was killed in a tragic plane crash en route to the World Championships in Prague. Not only skaters, but coaches, family members, and friends - not to mention the crew and other passengers - lost their lives on February 15, 1961.

The website contains a number of pictures of the skaters who comprised that team.

I have seen film clips of the programs these skaters performed at the 1961 US Nationals. While their jumps, spins, and other moves
are quite "simple", compared with today's quads, triples, and highly technical elements, they were talented, young, strong, and they skated from the heart.

Evy Scotvold, who coached Paul Wylie and Nancy Kerrigan, among other skaters, knew many of the skaters and coaches who were on that plane. He has been quoted as stating that the shock of the plane crash was on the same level - or close to - the shock level that was felt in America when President Kennedy was assassinated.

Dick Button said that the crash "took everybody in my world, from skaters to coaches to friends. Everybody had to catch their breath to assimulate the news."

In loving memory ---


http://www.vesperis.com/skate/1961/
 

Tonichelle

Idita-Rock-n-Roll
Record Breaker
Joined
Jun 27, 2003
this site chokes me up everytime I stumble upon it... much like the tribute show that the skaters did in 2001.
 
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