Who is your favorite skater who is not alive

**pipsqueak** · 03-03-2005, 01:54 AM

I think Sonja Henie and Maribel Vinson Owen were the Mothers of Modern skating. Sonja was the "Michelle Kwan" of her day (or, Michelle is the Sonja of ours...more correctly), lighting up the ice with impishness, beauty, grace, and then glamor. She forced everyone to watch women skate...as more than just an addendum to the men's competition....and then everyone couldn't stop watching. I love watching her old tapes and movies. Her stills are major "pinup" material still. Sonja packaged skating for Hollywood and a growing figure skating fan base, and then Maribel Vinson Owen came along and packaged it all as a coach, after her long, unrivaled competitive career. She gave the sport to us in the USA, made it obtainable as an athlete, made it available for everyone else to watch, study, enjoy.

The male skater I miss the most is Waggenhoffer. He was pure energy.

Having said all that, who can tell us about that English woman's skater (who beat Maribel?) Cecelia Coolidge? What was she like?

**Jaana** · 03-03-2005, 04:11 AM

John Curry definetely. He was my first favourite in men´s single skating. Well, earlier I was not interested in men´s skating at all. And after John Curry my big favourites have continued to be skaters that have an elegant look on the ice (also the bodytype means a lot to me) and produce effortless looking skating and jumping: Robin Cousins and Ilia Kulik.

**lotusland** · 03-03-2005, 09:02 AM

Rob McCall, Brian Pokar, and John Curry.

I had such a great time when I watched Rob skate, he was sooooo fast, had fabulous feet, wonderful sense of musicality, extremely expressive and so confident. It was like being at a party when you watched Rob skate.

Brian Pokar had so much feeling in his performances, he had a sensitive side that emoted, and he always, always "was one with his music" ... he didn't just skate to the music, he was the music. Plus, of course, he was a wonderful technician.

John Curry, great skater can't ever, ever take that away from him. But way too full of himself (for my liking) and it always showed in his performances. I never felt he connected to his audience because he too wraped up in satisfying himself.

**aviva_dawn** · 03-03-2005, 11:23 AM

Sergei Grinkov....no question.

**Kati** · 03-03-2005, 02:25 PM

Sergei Grinkov
John Curry

**JonnyCoop** · 03-04-2005, 05:28 AM

I'd have to go with Robert McCall as well; he and Tracy Wilson did some terrific stuff during their partnership. Many of these others mentioned were a little before my time, but in most cases only a LITTLE...

SkateFan4Life · 03-05-2005, 04:18 PM

I would have to add the 1961 United States World Figure Skating Team, all of whom were killed in the tragic plane crash in Brussels enroute to the World Championships in Prague.

I only have old, grainy, black and white footage of these skaters, but they were young, talented, full of joy, and they loved to skate. They were the best of their generation in America, and they held the promise for the future of American figure skating. With their death, the US figure skating program had to rebuild from the ashes.

May God rest their souls.

**Gwendolyn** · 03-05-2005, 04:56 PM

Without a doubt Sergei Grinkov. Not being able to see him skate live was/is my biggest regret to date. I'd give almost anything to see G&G skate live just once.

**JonnyCoop** · 03-06-2005, 07:27 PM

Originally Posted by pipsqueak

The male skater I miss the most is Waggenhoffer. He was pure energy.

Having said all that, who can tell us about that English woman's skater (who beat Maribel?) Cecelia Coolidge? What was she like?

I forgot all about Wagenhoffer -- he was a great performer who did some very interesting stuff.

As for Cecelia -- she is (was? I don't even know if she's still alive) considered by some to be one of the all-time great figures tracers. When WWII curtailed her amateur career, she became a very popular draw at ice shows, where she was praised for her precise, lyrical movement. She then moved to Boston and became a coach. The quote "Whatever is done should be done beautifully" is usually attributed to John Curry, but Colledge apparently had said it many years before.

SkateFan4Life · 03-06-2005, 07:45 PM

Attached is a link to a website tribute to the 1961 US World Figure Skating Team, all of whom were killed in a tragic plane crash enroute to the 1961 Worlds Figure Skating Championships, which were to have been held in Prague. All members of the US team, their coaches, family members, and friends, the crew and other passengers, lost their lives.

The ISU cancelled the Worlds that year as a sign of mourning for the lost American team, and the Worlds were held at Prague the following year.

In a statement from the White House, President John F. Kennedy said, "This disaster has brought tragedy to many American families, and it is a painful loss for the international community of sports as well. Our country has sustained a great loss of talent and grace that had brought pleasure to many people throughout the world."

http://www.vesperis.com/skate/1961/