Just a guess, perhaps skaters who aren't officially retired have to buy special cosmetics instead of random drugstore stuff, because they have to pay close attention to the ingredient lists? There have been mishaps and almost bans due to cosmetics use, so it's not unthinkable to me. But again, I'm just guessing.
Well we know she can wear Covergirl. Her signature lipstick is a specific color of Covergirl red. But I guess it's possible to be able to wear Covergirl lipstick and not, say, foundation. What a pain to have to try to keep up with.
Were they her personal cosmetics, or stage make-up which can't be bought in drugstores? Not all skaters get that elaborate, but I had to even in the pre-televised days of competitions. As a redhead with very pale skin I looked, on a big sheet of white ice, like a fading Victorian consumptive without stage makeup, which is heavier and more vibrant in colour.
They were her personal cosmetics I'm relatively sure. She specified that had Covergirl still been sponsoring her she could have gotten replacements with no problem.
Her parents named her Grace Elizabeth. The book is divided into (I think) 3 parts, Grace Elizabeth, Gracie, and outofshapeworthlessloser.
I read the book and I don't think she blames Frank for "creating Grace Gold." She is not very critical of Frank at all, except for the fact that he is a rather aloof person and he did not understand the problems she was having. She couldn't confide in him either because he was very close with her mother. She admits that her behavior led to Frank not wanting to coach her anymore (though she wishes he had told her personally). In the end, she thanks Frank. And Alex, too.
You bring to mind an incident I witnessed between them at Worlds Boston 2016; I was a volunteer for the event overseeing an info table at the entrance at the Westin Copley Hotel. It was early afternoon. There was a lull in activity in the concourse. I heard a voice speaking in urgent soft tones off to the extreme right of the escalator. Gracie and Frank stood facing each other, she in full costume, he the picture of dapper elegance gold bracelet hanging from his wrist and fedora dangling from the fingers of his outstretched hand, face sympathetic but determined. Gracie was in acute distress, her gestures futile but fighting. I could not hear her words but it was a soft rant. I hated him in that moment.. they were waiting for the next bus to take them to the Garden where she was due to perform. I felt an overwhelming desire to walk over to where they were and ask if everything was OK but volunteers were strictly forbidden to speak to skaters coachs etc. The scene shook me to my core; I knew then something was not right.
Those sponsorships are more common than you may think. For example, Roman Sadovsky has mentioned several times that he gets free boots and blades. I think anything more than that is unusual.
Or ever need to, to be fair.
Given that in a lot of cases any fame they have is shortlived (look at the career length in elite sports) I can understand the urge even if most of them are ghostwritten, probably err.... creative nonfiction shall we say? and possibly fairly limited in non-niche appeal. If they are famous for 15 minutes, they're going to be written up anyway, and they probably want to make the bit more money themselves before fading into private life rather than see it go to others.
OT@elbkup OT, but that was an elegantly written post. A 190-word short story. (I counted.)
Ttthank you…
I disagree actually.
Don’t they normally advertise it though? As you said Roman has mentioned it a couple of times.
I am not, and never will be, over jacketgate. Gracie may be but I’m not.
Firstly, Gracie was not, at the height of her earning power, a child. She was I believe 18 when she was named a Covergirl 'face' and 19 at Sochi which is when her star really was hit its zenith. While that is young she was still an adult and any such rules set in place would not have affected her. Certainly she earned some prizemoney etc as a junior, but as has been discussed many times, prizemoney is not that much compared to sponsorship and endorsements in this sport. (Someone who has read the book, please chime in if I have got it wrong and she did earn heaps as a minor.)
This is an excellent point.
No, she was not, but look at someone like Alysa Liu. She retired at 16, did she not?
