The destiny of skaters who have retired | Golden Skate

The destiny of skaters who have retired

Rosallie

On the Ice
Joined
Jun 28, 2018
Hello everyone,
what do you think - the destiny of which skater who has already retired is the most interesting??
 

TallyT

Record Breaker
Joined
Apr 23, 2018
Country
Australia
Hello everyone,
what do you think - the destiny of which skater who has already retired is the most interesting??

Umm, by interesting, do you mean in a good, satisfying to their fans way (eg Brian Orser) or interesting as in dramatic (even if in a bad/nemesis way)? Let's be clear, I'm as addicted to drama as the next person, but a thread that threatens to turn into Greek tragedy would not be my thing....
 

Rosallie

On the Ice
Joined
Jun 28, 2018
Umm, by interesting, do you mean in a good, satisfying to their fans way (eg Brian Orser) or interesting as in dramatic (even if in a bad/nemesis way)? Let's be clear, I'm as addicted to drama as the next person, but a thread that threatens to turn into Greek tragedy would not be my thing....

I mean what's the most unexpected destiny of a skater, in a both (good and bad) way.
 

skylark

Gazing at a Glorious Great Lakes sunset
Record Breaker
Joined
Aug 12, 2014
Country
United-States
Brian Boitano is very interesting to me. He does something interesting with food and cooking, in several different directions/venues. He also renovated the Boitano home/ manor house (?) in Italy and some show (maybe HGTV?) documented it.

And I read recently that two or three mornings a week, he skates compulsory figures for an hour. Great for fitness because of all the micro-muscular movements.

But I just remembered: my favorite example of retired skater's Destiny is probably Kristi Yamaguchi. She created the Always Dream Foundation to support children and literacy way back in 1996, has diversified into writing books, making a video with California Raisins, and broadcast skating analysis. She has had great advantages because the timing of her career allowed her to headline SOI during all of the absolutely golden years. But .... or I should say And .... she's done so much with the opportunities she had. All this, and a marriage and two children.
 

lanceupper1114

On the Ice
Joined
Jun 3, 2018
Tonya. Harding.

Did anyone expect that she would be walking down a red carpet with Margo Robbie one day?
 

zanadude

Medalist
Joined
Feb 20, 2016
Country
Japan
Otto Jelinek is a former world champion pairs skater that went on to serve in the Canadian Parliment for over 20 years.
 

luckyguy

Match Penalty
Joined
Jan 25, 2008
Hello everyone,
what do you think - the destiny of which skater who has already retired is the most interesting??

As you are from Czechia, I say Alena Vrzáňová (1931-2015). The 1949 & 1950 World champion and later a star of the Ice Capades. In 2009 she received The Emil Zátopek Award (Sport Legend of the Czech Republic).
Here is she with Johnny Weir.

BTW: Otto Jelinek was born in Czechia too.
 

Weathergal

Medalist
Joined
May 25, 2014
Marie-France Dubriel and Patrice Lauzon. They were great ice dancers with a wonderful style on the ice. But who would have guessed that when they turned to coaching/choreography that they'd quickly become to the go-to ice dancing center in the world? Amazing!
 

livetoskate

On the Ice
Joined
Nov 24, 2006
Nicole Bobek- as far as I recall, she was working in a gift shop owned with her mother, spent a little time in jail after being involved with a meth ring, worked at a local skating rink even handling concessions, then joined an acrobatic circus in Europe after getting married.

Gorsha Sur went to law school at Hastings (same law school as Alysa Liu's dad) and last I heard, he was an immigration attorney with his own practice in California.

Brian Boitano did a bunch of cooking-related shows and things.

Katia Gordeeva's done a ton of different things-- writing books, having her own fragrance, trying to start a skating academy, coaching her daughter.

Kristi Yamaguchi's stayed busy with charities and non-profits and was still hosting skating shows recently.

Michelle Kwan got her master's degree, worked for the fed gov't, and did a bunch of political work, including campaigning for Hilary Clinton.
 

el henry

Go have some cake. And come back with jollity.
Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 3, 2014
Country
United-States
In a sad way?

Christopher Bowman

:sad21::sad21::sad21:
 

Skater Boy

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 24, 2012
Nicole Bobek- as far as I recall, she was working in a gift shop owned with her mother, spent a little time in jail after being involved with a meth ring, worked at a local skating rink even handling concessions, then joined an acrobatic circus in Europe after getting married.

Gorsha Sur went to law school at Hastings (same law school as Alysa Liu's dad) and last I heard, he was an immigration attorney with his own practice in California.

Brian Boitano did a bunch of cooking-related shows and things.

Katia Gordeeva's done a ton of different things-- writing books, having her own fragrance, trying to start a skating academy, coaching her daughter.

Kristi Yamaguchi's stayed busy with charities and non-profits and was still hosting skating shows recently.

Michelle Kwan got her master's degree, worked for the fed gov't, and did a bunch of political work, including campaigning for Hilary Clinton.

Hmm I might include Liz Manley's battle with depression, going broke, marrying a C level hockey player, coaching and such; Kira Ivanova ending up an alcoholic and murdered - drunk, naked and hair hacked off and stabbed many times - so so sad. Debi Thomas olympic medallists, doctor and then her battle with mental health and going broke. Morzov and his coaching and love life?
 

iluvtodd

Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 5, 2004
Country
United-States
Hmm I might include Liz Manley's battle with depression, going broke, marrying a C level hockey player, coaching and such; Kira Ivanova ending up an alcoholic and murdered - drunk, naked and hair hacked off and stabbed many times - so so sad. Debi Thomas Olympic medalists, doctor and then her battle with mental health and going broke. Morozov and his coaching and love life?

Yes, destiny works both ways. :( In Liz Manley's case, hasn't she put her dark days behind her @ this point? I hope so, for her sake.
 

skylark

Gazing at a Glorious Great Lakes sunset
Record Breaker
Joined
Aug 12, 2014
Country
United-States
So, I went down a rabbit hole, and I found a twist on this thread.

Frank Carroll's figure skating career was interesting. He got interested because FS combines athletic and artistic endeavors. His highest competitive result was Silver Medal, Junior Level at U.S. Championships. He was 21 or 22 at the time, and he retired to go professional and skate with Ice Follies. In his TSL interview, he said that his coach, Maribel Vinson Owen, (who he lived with on week-ends) was really angry with him for retiring, but they stayed friends.

He also said in that interview that in college, he could never participate fully in the life because he was always off at a skating event. He skated with Ice Follies for four years and was at some point accepted to law school, but he chose to pursue acting. (all per Wiki) He was in a few beach movies !! Who knew? I wonder if it was with Elvis or Annette Funicello?

He started coaching figure skating part-time to support himself, and it grew to full-time. Eventually, the word "Legendary" became like part of his name in figure skating commentary. :laugh:

He almost couldn't go on in the skating world after the tragic 1963 plane crash killed so many of his closest friends. He had to finish out his contract with the follies. A second time he "thought he was finished with figure skating" was when Linda Fratianne won Olympic silver instead of the gold in 1980. But then, as he said in the TSL interview, a new student reached out to him, and he got interested again ....

It was a Long. And. Winding. Road. to the Legendary Coach, Frank Carroll. :points: Or, you could say, full of Fits. And. Starts.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Carroll_(figure_skater)
TSL interview Part 1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZG13j8A8siI
TSL interview Part 2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLbVc4icE2s
 
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