Figure Skating books | Golden Skate

Figure Skating books

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euroskate

Final Flight
Joined
Jan 25, 2010
The bio of Inge Steuer just came out and thats where i started to wonder, which other bios of skaters or other books related to skating are a "must read".

I red and would recommend

Sonja Bianchetti - chraced ice
joy goodwin - the second mark
joan ryan - pretty girls in little boxes
my sergei - ekaterina gordeeva
katharina witt - (German) meine jahre zwischen pflicht und kür
michelle kwan - heart of a champion

anxious waiting for your suggestions :)
 
karne

karne

in Emergency Backup Mode
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 1, 2013
Country
Australia
Definitely read My Sergei, but have the tissues handy.

If you want to still like Johnny Weir, do NOT read his book.
 
iluvtodd

iluvtodd

Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 5, 2004
Country
United-States
Skate Talk - Steve Milton

Indelible Tracings Frozen in Time - about the 1961 US World Team

Frozen Teardrop - Lucinda Ruh

Push Dick's Button

My Sergei

Skating on Air
 
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Bonnie F

On the Ice
Joined
Feb 9, 2014
I read Elizabeth Manley's book many years ago, I forgot the title but it was really interesting especially when discussing the mental health issues she faced as well as the bullying behavior by her competitors.
 
John King

John King

Final Flight
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Risa said:
I read Elizabeth Manley's book many years ago, I forgot the title but it was really interesting especially when discussing the mental health issues she faced as well as the bullying behavior by her competitors.
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There were two: Thumbs Up, released 1990, and As I Am, about ten years later.
 
MK's Winter

MK's Winter

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 9, 2009
euroskate said:
The bio of Inge Steuer just came out and thats where i started to wonder, which other bios of skaters or other books related to skating are a "must read". I red and would recommend Sonja Bianchetti - chraced ice joy goodwin - the second mark joan ryan - pretty girls in little boxes my sergei - ekaterina gordeeva katharina witt - (German) meine jahre zwischen pflicht und kür michelle kwan - heart of a champion anxious waiting for your suggestions :)
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I loved the Second Mark. It was great to get such deep insight and background on the skaters as well as coaches.

My Sergei was a beautiful book. I cried the majority of that book, happy and sad tears. I have read that book countless times.

I would really like to read Sonia Bianchetti's book. I would also like her to replace Otto....
 
silverfoxes

silverfoxes

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 16, 2014
karne said:
Definitely read My Sergei, but have the tissues handy.

If you want to still like Johnny Weir, do NOT read his book.
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I read Johnny's book and I still like him...what was it that bothered you? I know he isn't a perfect person, but I knew that before I read it too. I suppose the part about him lying to get out of a competition didn't reflect well upon him, but he was about 15 iirc, and admits it was wrong.
 
R

Rossig

On the Ice
Joined
Apr 15, 2014
Has anybody read Ice Cream: Thirty of the Most Interesting Skaters in History by Toller Cranston? I would really like to read it. I'm really curious what he thinks about other skaters.
 
O

Olympia

Joined
Aug 16, 2009
Rossig said:
Has anybody read Ice Cream: Thirty of the Most Interesting Skaters in History by Toller Cranston? I would really like to read it. I'm really curious what he thinks about other skaters.
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That would be fascinating. From other snippets I've read in others of his books, he's a real student of skating, and he's generous in his praise of skaters he admires. Two that he's singled out are Janet Lynn and Laurence Owen. Owen, the new U.S. singles champion, was one of the skaters who died on board the plane carrying the U.S. team in 1961, along with her sister Maribel (the pairs champion) and her mother and coach, Maribel Vinson. I don't know who else Toller liked/likes, but he did coach Christopher Bowman for a while, so one may presume that he enjoyed Bowman's skating. If anyone here has read this book of Toller's, I hope you will give us details!
 
M

Memelah711

Rinkside
Joined
Jan 12, 2014
If you read My Sergei be prepared to cry.

Icebreaker by Rudy Galindo was interesting. It's been over a decade since I read it.
 
karne

karne

in Emergency Backup Mode
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 1, 2013
Country
Australia
gallavich said:
I read Johnny's book and I still like him...what was it that bothered you? I know he isn't a perfect person, but I knew that before I read it too. I suppose the part about him lying to get out of a competition didn't reflect well upon him, but he was about 15 iirc, and admits it was wrong.
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The lying, the manipulation, the faking of illness and injury (and he was a lot older than fifteen, don't make excuses) was just part of it. The overwhelming sense of entitlement that pervaded the entire book was unbelievable. Here is a pampered, spoiled child who believes the world revolves around him and has never grown out of it. He was lavished with opportunities, and yet he threw them all away, then had the audacity to pitch a fit and squeal that the USFSA hated him. The way he treated Priscilla was abominable, and yet he doesn't seem to care.

Only my deep love for books as an object prevented me from throwing it across the room. If the book had been any longer I doubt I'd have gotten through it. I'm just peeved I wasted $20 on that rubbish.
 
B

Booky

Rinkside
Joined
Jan 11, 2014
My Sergei for sure. That was an excellent book. I also enjoyed A Skating Life by Dorothy Hamill.
 
B

blue_idealist

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 25, 2006
Rossig said:
Has anybody read Ice Cream: Thirty of the Most Interesting Skaters in History by Toller Cranston? I would really like to read it. I'm really curious what he thinks about other skaters.
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I have and it was great. I've read another book by him, too.. I think it was called When Hell Freezes Over. It was quite awhile ago. I want to read Rudy Galindo's book but I haven't got around to ordering it. I'm still not big on ordering print books from Amazon, which seems to be the only place I can get it, because the last time I did they took months to show up. I've read Hamill's and enjoyed it, and Manley's Thumbs Up! The two books by Brasseur and Eisler were also very good, and although I didn't watch him much as a skater, I was given Jumpin' Joe by Jozef Sabovcik and enjoyed it. I also have Josee Chouinard's book, which was okay, but not as interesting as the others I've mentioned.
 
BlackPack

BlackPack

Medalist
Joined
Mar 20, 2013
Toller Cranston's Zero Tolerance

Lots and lots of gossip (such as certain attached skaters sleeping with their Brazilian bodyguards on tour) and silly tidbits such as wearing gray makes you lose the OGM

No bull....

On the other hand, he was a fervent admirer of the greatest figures skater ever Trixie Schuba. Many good insights interlaced with a lot of silliness.
 
A

anyanka

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 8, 2011
BlackPack said:
Toller Cranston's Zero Tolerance

Lots and lots of gossip (such as certain attached skaters sleeping with their Brazilian bodyguards on tour) and silly tidbits such as wearing gray makes you lose the OGM
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No one told Adelina that.

Which skaters with which Brazilian bodyguards?!
 
BlackPack

BlackPack

Medalist
Joined
Mar 20, 2013
anyanka said:
No one told Adelina that.

Which skaters with which Brazilian bodyguards?!
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Read the book :biggrin: I read it 16/17 years ago so I don't remember the details, but they were touring in Brazil. Because of security issues, all the skaters had bodyguards.
 
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