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SkateFan4Life
Guest
One of my fondest memories as a figure skating fan was watching 19-year old Dorothy Hamill of Riverside, Connecticut win the gold medal at the 1976 Winter Olympics in Innsbruck, Austria. She had finished second in the school figures and won both the short and long programs. Wearing a lovely American beauty rose-colored dress, Dorothy skated a brilliant long program and finished to loud acclaim from the audience. Bouquets rained down on her. She received all 5.8s and 5.9s and won the title convincingly.
Hamill proved herself to be a tough competitor at the 1974 Worlds, her first appearance as US champion. As she waited for her turn to skate her long program, the marks for the previous skater, a West German, were displayed. The hometown audience (Munich) booed and screamed its disapproval over the low marks – marks which were fair, considering that the skater wasn’t highly ranked. Dorothy was extremely shaken by the commotion, as she thought the audience was booing her, and after circling around the boards for a few minutes, she fled off the ice, sobbing into the arms of her father. Hamill was asked if she would like to have a rest period to regain her composure, and she said, “No, I don’t need special consideration”. She marched onto the ice, took her position, and skated an outstanding long program. Dorothy won the silver medal at Worlds that year.
After her Olympic win, Dorothy was a headliner with Ice Capades for many years and starred in several network television specials. I saw her skate with Ice Capades several times, and each time she gave a beautiful performance.
I remember Dorothy’s attractive wedge haircut as a memorable fashion statement of the 1970s. Many of us rushed to the beauty parlor to get a “Dorothy Do”.
Dorothy and her then-husband Kenneth Forsythe, purchased Ice Capades in the early 1990s, and they tried to turn this show into a more theatrical, artistic venture. Dorothy starred in “Cinderella on Ice”, which I saw. It was a wonderful show, the costumes were stunning, and the choreography more inventive and intricate than what was typically shown with the “old” Ice Capades. Unfortunately, Hamill’s venture was not financially successful, and she sold Ice Capades after a few years.
Hamill had a long, successful stint as a competitive skater at the World Professional Figure Skating Championships, which were held for many years in December in Landover, Maryland. Her programs included “Sugar Plum Fairy” from “Nutcracker”, “Music of the Night” from “Phantom of the Opera”, and “One Rock and Roll Too Many”. Dorothy retained her double jumps as a pro competitor, and her crisp, fast, beautifully centered spins were highlights of her routines. She always wore gorgeous costumes.
A few years ago Hamill announced that she had osteoarthritis. She’s on medication that enables her to live a normal life; and she has continued to skate in shows, although less frequently. It’s hard to believe that she will turn 50 next year!
IMHO, Dorothy Hamill is truly a special skater. Her radiant smile reached the top row of every arena, and she skated with joy and athletic grace. She became an even better skater after she turned professional, as she explored new avenues with her skating. Hats off to you, Dorothy!
Hamill proved herself to be a tough competitor at the 1974 Worlds, her first appearance as US champion. As she waited for her turn to skate her long program, the marks for the previous skater, a West German, were displayed. The hometown audience (Munich) booed and screamed its disapproval over the low marks – marks which were fair, considering that the skater wasn’t highly ranked. Dorothy was extremely shaken by the commotion, as she thought the audience was booing her, and after circling around the boards for a few minutes, she fled off the ice, sobbing into the arms of her father. Hamill was asked if she would like to have a rest period to regain her composure, and she said, “No, I don’t need special consideration”. She marched onto the ice, took her position, and skated an outstanding long program. Dorothy won the silver medal at Worlds that year.
After her Olympic win, Dorothy was a headliner with Ice Capades for many years and starred in several network television specials. I saw her skate with Ice Capades several times, and each time she gave a beautiful performance.
I remember Dorothy’s attractive wedge haircut as a memorable fashion statement of the 1970s. Many of us rushed to the beauty parlor to get a “Dorothy Do”.
Dorothy and her then-husband Kenneth Forsythe, purchased Ice Capades in the early 1990s, and they tried to turn this show into a more theatrical, artistic venture. Dorothy starred in “Cinderella on Ice”, which I saw. It was a wonderful show, the costumes were stunning, and the choreography more inventive and intricate than what was typically shown with the “old” Ice Capades. Unfortunately, Hamill’s venture was not financially successful, and she sold Ice Capades after a few years.
Hamill had a long, successful stint as a competitive skater at the World Professional Figure Skating Championships, which were held for many years in December in Landover, Maryland. Her programs included “Sugar Plum Fairy” from “Nutcracker”, “Music of the Night” from “Phantom of the Opera”, and “One Rock and Roll Too Many”. Dorothy retained her double jumps as a pro competitor, and her crisp, fast, beautifully centered spins were highlights of her routines. She always wore gorgeous costumes.
A few years ago Hamill announced that she had osteoarthritis. She’s on medication that enables her to live a normal life; and she has continued to skate in shows, although less frequently. It’s hard to believe that she will turn 50 next year!
IMHO, Dorothy Hamill is truly a special skater. Her radiant smile reached the top row of every arena, and she skated with joy and athletic grace. She became an even better skater after she turned professional, as she explored new avenues with her skating. Hats off to you, Dorothy!