Sandra Bezic inducted into Skate Canada HOF

SailorGalaxia518 · Jul 14, 2010

According to icenetwork, Our favorite person lol Sandra Bezic will be inducted along with six others into the Skate Canada HOF. We all know how much you lover her "colorful commentary". I actually found her enjoyable during the Vancouver Olympics, but i digress.

Congrats Sandra. Can't wait to till next season for you colorful insight

YunaBliss · Jul 14, 2010

Wow, this is great news!! Congratulations!! I love this woman!

aftertherain · Jul 14, 2010

Her "colorful commentary" aside, she's done a lot for the sport, so ....

Congrats Sandra!

(But I still don't like her commentary.)

gmyers · Jul 15, 2010

She never likes the skaters I like.

Tonichelle · Jul 15, 2010

She definitely deserves it, the sport is better for her work as a choreographer. She did wonders for Stars On Ice - really wish she and her team were still involved with that show. She should come back and revitalize it. We'd not have many memorable routines without her. Casablanca being my all time favorite competitive programs she's ever created.

dorispulaski · Jul 15, 2010

I loved the two programs she did for Brian Boitano in 1988-the Les Patineurs SP and the Napoleon & Josephine LP both.

Before that, AFAIR, Brian never really had a choreographer; just what he and his coach Linda Leaver put together. I often wonder what would have happened if Brian had had decent choreography to skate to from the beginning of his career.

Jaana · Jul 15, 2010

Sandra deserves it! I have always enjoyed her figure skating commentary (if one forgets pairs in SLC) very much. Actually I consider her my favourite commentator. I remember her first from some early eligible competitions in which Ilia Kulik participated. I did not have to suffer from the feeling that Ilia was her biggest favourite skater, but still she found many positive points to mention from his programmes and his skating. The same applied to other skaters, in my opinion. I really like that kind of commentary!

iluvtodd · Jul 15, 2010

While I am not crazy about her commentary work for NBC (especially during the pairs event in 2002 SLC), I think it's great that she is getting this honor, based on her choreography for individual skaters and SOI in general. Congrats, Sandra!

Mathman · Jul 15, 2010

I like Bezic's commentary. She mentions details of music and choreography that other reporters don't comment on, and she is not shy about giving her opinions, good or bad.

demarinis5 · Jul 15, 2010

Very nice honor for Sandra. She has been involved in this sport for a long time and has worn
several different hats along the way. Congrats Sandra!

NYscorp6 · Jul 15, 2010

Congratulations to Sandra!

dorispulaski said:
I loved the two programs she did for Brian Boitano in 1988-the Les Patineurs SP and the Napoleon & Josephine LP both.

Before that, AFAIR, Brian never really had a choreographer; just what he and his coach Linda Leaver put together. I often wonder what would have happened if Brian had had decent choreography to skate to from the beginning of his career.

Back then, it did seem that choreographers were secrets weapons to me. I remember watching Brian Boitano's 1888 Olympic LP, when he landed his 3T/3T combo seeing Sandra jumping up and down with great joy at the boards and again in the kiss & cry. Then Renee Roca received great reviews for her work with Jill Trenary in 1990. Sandra again being recognized for her work with Kristi in 1992. I would like to see a Sandra Bezic "program" today, considering all the Lori Nichols & David Wilson numbers that seem to dominate this era.

On another topic, I typically enjoy Sandra's commentary with one HUGE exception, the 2002 Olympic pairs result. 8 years later and I still believe Anton & Elena were far superior in presentation, speed and choreography than Jamie & David. To listen to Sandra & Scott it was if they have never seen or participated in a close figure skating event before. It was completely over the top.

Back on topic, keep up the good work Sandra.

lilshorty · Jul 15, 2010

NYscorp6 said:
I would like to see a Sandra Bezic "program" today, considering all the Lori Nichols & Brian Wilson numbers that seem to dominate this era.

I think you meant David Wilson...not Brian Wilson...

But I agree. 1998 Olympics was like the battle of the choreographers. Nichols (Kwan) vs. Bezic (Lipinski), back when Nichols was still original. I personally would have given the nod to Nichols because Kwan's artistic presentation of her programs were superior, but Bezic did a splendid job (with Tara) as well. She should come back...

NYscorp6 · Jul 15, 2010

lilshorty said:
I think you meant David Wilson...not Brian Wilson...

But I agree. 1998 Olympics was like the battle of the choreographers. Nichols (Kwan) vs. Bezic (Lipinski), back when Nichols was still original. I personally would have given the nod to Nichols because Kwan's artistic presentation of her programs were superior, but Bezic did a splendid job (with Tara) as well. She should come back...

My apologies, I did mean David Wilson, no disrespect intended.

dorispulaski · Jul 15, 2010

Well, I like Brian Wilson a lot better than David.

And I'd love to see a dance program to Good Vibrations.

Olympia · Jul 15, 2010

Hooray for Bezic! She's been a tremendous influence in skating, especially as a choreographer. Boitano, Lipinski and also Chen Lu in 1994--gold and bronze in one Olympics!--as well as Underhill and Martini for their 1984 World Gold. Browning throughout his career, Kristi for her Olympic Gold if I recall correctly, and of course many years of gorgeous Stars on Ice routines. She also wrote a wonderful book about skating, which I think is called A Passion to Skate. Congratulations, Sandra!

iluvtodd · Jul 16, 2010

Oh, Olympia, I love that book, A Passion to Skate. Interesting to read and beautiful picture. One of the first skating books I received as a gift, and I treasure it.

skatesindreams · Jul 16, 2010

I'm very happy for her, as well.
Lest anyone forget, she, with her brother Val, was several tmes Canadian Pair Champion, also!

mememe · Jul 16, 2010

dorispulaski said:
I loved the two programs she did for Brian Boitano in 1988-the Les Patineurs SP and the Napoleon & Josephine LP both.

I agree that she did wonderful things for Boitano in his 1988 programs and beyond. Absolutely loved her work with Boitano, Witt and Orser in Carmen on Ice -- inspired! i haven't always cared for her commentary, but she certainly deserves a spot in the HoF.

Just a bit of trivia/correction -- Boitano's long program was NOT to the score from the miniseries Napoleon and Josephine (I know, I know, it was in the commentary, but it was wrong -- that miniseries wasn't even broadcast until November of 1987, I believe, and by then, Boitano had competed his long program several times). It was set to music from Carmine Coppola's 3 1/2-hour musical score of Francis Ford Coppola's re-imaging of Abel Gance's 1927 silent film Napoleon. I've watched the movie (it really is amazing for the time and place it was made) and the music's all there, but boy, was it cut-and-pasted together. There's a lot of music in that silent movie!

trains · Jul 17, 2010

Congrats to Sandra! She really deserves it! She is a Canadian pairs champion with her brother, she did great work for Stars on Ice, she has elevated all of skating with her great choreography over the years, she has done intelligent and informed colour commentary on TV, and she was the producer, driving force and emcee of the wildly successful Canadian TV show Battle of the Blades (pairing up NHL hockey players with champion skaters), which is being done again this fall.

Olympia · Jul 17, 2010

trains said:
Congrats to Sandra! She really deserves it! She is a Canadian pairs champion with her brother, she did great work for Stars on Ice, she has elevated all of skating with her great choreography over the years, she has done intelligent and informed colour commentary on TV, and she was the producer, driving force and emcee of the wildly successful Canadian TV show Battle of the Blades (pairing up NHL hockey players with champion skaters), which is being done again this fall.

I didn't realize Bezic was the producer of Battle of the Blades! She really is at the heart of Canadian figure skating, isn't she? And I had forgotten about her own skating career; thanks to you and skatesindreams for reminding us about that. Bezic is definitely one of the people I'd love to have an hour to talk to about skating. Well, I'd listen. I have nothing to say that could match what she'd be able to tell me. The one thing I'd get motormouth about would be suggesting pieces of music to her.

Sandra Bezic inducted into Skate Canada HOF

SailorGalaxia518

YunaBliss

aftertherain

gmyers

Tonichelle

Idita-Rock-n-Roll

dorispulaski

Wicked Yankee Girl

Jaana

iluvtodd

Mathman

demarinis5

Gold for the Winter Prince!

NYscorp6

lilshorty

NYscorp6

dorispulaski

Wicked Yankee Girl

Olympia

iluvtodd

skatesindreams

mememe

trains

Olympia

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