Chris Bowman arrested in gun incident

Mathman · Oct 30, 2004

It looks like Christopher Bowman's well-publicized problems are still not behind him. According to the Detroit Free Press:

"Former figure skating champion Christopher Bowman was arraigned Thursday and charged with assault after allegedly pointing a loaded revolver at a woman in his Lake Orion (Michigan) apartment."

http://www.freep.com/news/locoak/skater30e_20041030.htm

Bowman was charged with assault and "possession of a weapon while intoxicated."

Mathman

Antilles · Oct 30, 2004

Yikes. That's terrible to hear.

heyang · Oct 30, 2004

This is unfortunate. Last time I saw CB was on a Fox skating broadcast where he was commentating. I thought he was married or had kids - I could be mistaken. Hope he can get his life straightened out.

Tonichelle · Oct 30, 2004

I, too, thought he'd gotten over his demons... and I do believe he married and is a father... but like heyang I could very well be mistaken?

yet another article on the subject

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/olympics/winter/2004-10-29-skating-roundup_x.htm

SingAlto · Oct 30, 2004

Christopher was married, but he divorced last year. I believe he has one child.

Joesitz (RIP) · Oct 30, 2004

Poor guy. He was such a talent. What a waste, and I hope he can get over this.

Joe

jesslily · Oct 30, 2004

I remenbered he was commetating with Judy Blumberg a few years age. They did for Grand Slam or something like that. Maybe in the show, or in the Blades magazine it showed his family picture. He had a beautiful wife and a baby.
He is almost 40 years old now. If he could keep a steady family, use all the skating expertise coaching a few talented kids, life should be very great to him.

Joesitz (RIP) · Oct 30, 2004

One reads a lot of posts saying " She/he should go pro". What does that mean if there are no jobs? and how long does a job last? Can you support a family with income from a travelling show for more than 10 years? And what about those skaters who are good but never win medals? How do they go pro?

Joe

Ladskater · Oct 31, 2004

I remember reading Tollers' tale of Bowman landing on his doorstep when Toller took over as his skating coach. Toller said it was "quite the experience." I could just imagine these two strong personalities working together! Toller said they almost ended up in a car crash the first night!!!

That's a shame to hear about Bowman. Still the "bad boy" of the skating world.

RealtorGal · Oct 31, 2004

Joesitz said:
One reads a lot of posts saying " She/he should go pro". What does that mean if there are no jobs? and how long does a job last? Can you support a family with income from a travelling show for more than 10 years? And what about those skaters who are good but never win medals? How do they go pro?

Not to sound heartless, but what does any artist (visual, performing) or athlete do when they can't make a living at what they do best? They either teach or they find some other worthwhile endeavor at which they CAN make a living. Sometimes you just have to move on.

SkateFan4Life · Oct 31, 2004

Joesitz said:
Poor guy. He was such a talent. What a waste, and I hope he can get over this.

Joe

I couldn't agree more. "Bowman the Showman" was a tremendous performer, and although his triple axel wasn't consistent, he had an impressive arsenal of triples and great audience appeal. His antics brought some negative press in the late 1980s/early 1990s, during the height of his eligible career. There was an incident of drug usage while he was being coached under Toller Cranston, and Cranston dismissed him from being one of his students.

Bowman was coaching recently. I remember seeing an interview that was filmed, perhaps, five years ago. He had gained a lot of weight. He spoke well and appeared to have found a satisfactory vocation and a happy family life.

I sure wish him the best!

show 42 · Oct 31, 2004

This is sad, I thought he finally had his life back on track. He was one of the great, wasted talents of figure skating......42

Joesitz (RIP) · Oct 31, 2004

RealtorGal said:
Not to sound heartless, but what does any artist (visual, performing) or athlete do when they can't make a living at what they do best? They either teach or they find some other worthwhile endeavor at which they CAN make a living. Sometimes you just have to move on.

Absolutely nothing wrong with the skater making his own decisions and those decisions are big in any field regarding retirement.

What I am posing are the posters who suggest that a skater go pro and again I say what does that mean? The posters seem to be saying that there are a million jobs for ex competitive skaters.How many skaters can SOI take into the show? Maybe a chorus job in a Disney thing, but even that's only maybe. And life on the road is not the most glamorous place to be after a few years.

The big bucks in teaching is not just a skater's resume but proof that he can bring medals to his students. That takes time. Yags working with TT is not a good example. He's just lucky to have her. If Joubert wins gold or gives Plush a real run for his gold, then Yags has proven he can train a skater to win. I think we can add Hill to the list who is making it as a coach but it took time. How many yeas are some still trying? Otherwise you have Heiss, Callaghan and Carol and a bunch of new Russians because the money is here.

So my suggestion is to let the skater decide on his retirement from eligible skating. He's aware of what's going on.

sk8m8 · Nov 1, 2004

I am often bemused and amazed here a GS. Bowman has consistantly been a problematic personaltiy in skating for a long time. Self admittedly he was addicted to drugs and, like all good skating fans I hoped he would be able to make a new life. However, now he's waving a gun a someone in a drunken stupor.and still the comments I hear are..." I hope he gets straightened out, I hope he can make a comeback" All of which I think are noble and good sentiments, but just down the board a little ways the unforgiving are making an analogy between Tonya Harding Coaching and OJ coaching. What's the disparity about?

I guess you can fall face forward in a pile of cocain or you can pick lousey husband, either way it'll ruin your skating career, however if you happen to get caught, don't expect much sympathy, but it seems the guys get a little more slack than the gals, just an opinion

jesslily · Nov 1, 2004

There are very good opportunities for coaching figure skating, especially if you have outstanding competition records. Young skaters' parents value coaches' trackable resumes. Once you standing on the ice before tou chat to any skater or parent, they'll come to you first...
The next is all depended how smart and dedicated yourself. With CB's qualification, he can demand at least $40 for half hour lesson. You should work hard for your money. Come in ready to work, don't eat and drink while teaching, show you love to each kid, inform parent's the progress or major problem, don't show your game face if a parent really like to sit in to watch her kid's lesson.
Many skating coaches make very good living out there. Some of them easily make $100,000 a year.

Joesitz (RIP) · Nov 1, 2004

Jessilly - Not that I don't believe you, but I just want to ascertain that you are in a position to say there are good opportunities to coach figure skating.?

Would you see Jenny Kirk making 100,000 dollars a year coaching? What if she doesn't like to coach? What else is there? Will she sell tickets to SOI beyond the first season? Will she take a crash course in designing skating frocks? I believe skaters can make their own decisions on what to do in life. Unfortunately, Chris Bowman made some dumb ones.

Joe

jesslily · Nov 1, 2004

Joesitz - I guess you are a kind of not believing me. But I know quite a few coaches locally and I see them all the time. You can make a good living if you work hard, you have a few years experience, and you have a some relatively good competitive records.

I am not convicing Jenny Kirk, or Christopher Bowman or anyone who has skating background go into coaching unless you really put your heart on it. Jenny may want to coach, may not, I don't know. She is a smart young lady from a well educated family, she has many options to pursue her professional career. As for CB, it seems that he has been teaching for a while, if he has learned a lesson after all these years, if no other job options, he can certainly make a good living from coaching.

soogar · Nov 1, 2004

Joesitz:
Jess is right that a coach can make $100G a year. Forget a coach with CB's credentials (Nat titles, Olympics, World Medals), a coach who has achieved the senior level in moves and freestyle can make an excellent living b/c there are very few skaters overall who actually make it to these levels. Most coaches teach having achieved senior moves and perhaps novice freestyle and some dance (they also make good money). Plus coaching is a business like everything else. A coach who establishes a good rapport with her/his students and the kids are progressing will be in demand and make lots of money. There's a girl at my rink who is always booked with students (she coached me a bit in group lessons as well) and she is not a big name, yet her students progress well and she is a pleasant person to work with.

There is money to be made in elite skating, but a vast majority of the kids who take lessons are not talented and are doing so purely for fun or to participate in synchro. For these kids, it's really important to have a coach who makes skating fun and helps the kids to progress. The fun coaches (ie cheerleader types) are always in demand and are handsomely paid.

Joesitz (RIP) · Nov 1, 2004

Jess and Soogar - What I am complaining about is the phrase "He/she should go pro" which to me is a bash of the skater. The poster obviously never cared for the skater or has recently gotten tired of the skater. The poster never mentions what that skater would do as a pro? and even the responses in this thread did not really say that there are many openings for coaches except it's easy to get a job coaching. That is what I read, and I don't believe it. Of couse, one has to work hard in a business but one has to start of business first. Not that easy. Eventually some of skaters with degrees will go out and work at what their degree was for. I can see some of them coaching part time if they get the opportunity but full time? - no way.

I would like the phrase to be banned. The skaters know when to 'go pro' which can mean just plain quitting or getting in the chorus of Snow White. Leave it to the skaters to decide.

Joe

jesslily · Nov 2, 2004

I don't think that getting a full time coaching job and staying in it is any particular harder than other professions in this society.
Major clubs have some certain standards, such as gold in moves and Junior in freestyle, as requirement to be able to teach there, similar to college degree to work in a company. Once you get the feet at the door, it's all depend on your ability to grab the opportunity.
I see coaches who have a few years experience work hard and are successful here, and I also see a young lady determined to make her coaching career work and succeed. I also see hard working coaches who speak limited English make great success at teaching too.
New collage graduades don't make 70K right away, same thing in the coaching business. Once you learn how to handle things, it's can make a good life out of it.

Chris Bowman arrested in gun incident

Mathman

Antilles

heyang

Tonichelle

Idita-Rock-n-Roll

SingAlto

Joesitz (RIP)

jesslily

Joesitz (RIP)

Ladskater

~ Figure Skating Is My Passion ~

RealtorGal

SkateFan4Life

Guest

show 42

Arm Chair Skate Fan

Joesitz (RIP)

sk8m8

jesslily

Joesitz (RIP)

jesslily

soogar

Joesitz (RIP)

jesslily

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