Interesting Dorothy Hamill article

[berthes ghost]

Interesting Dorothy Hamill article

www.achievement.org/autod.../ham1int-4

My favoirte quote:

" I showed up for my first day of ice skating at Ice Capades and I had put on a few pounds. I showed up at rehearsal and one of the line skaters went over to one of his friends and says, 'Honey, if I got to skate around her, you better call me a cab.' That was my introduction to the world of professional skating."

:rollin:

 

[nymkfan51]

Dorothy Hamill interview

Thanks BG ... what a wonderful article. I have always liked Dorothy. It's amazing to hear her talk about being so shy ... I never think of that with someone who goes out and performs in front of thousands of people.
She has had some very tough times in her life ... it's nice to see her still a part of the skating scene.
A very classy lady!

 

[RealtorGal]

Re: Interesting Dorothy Hamill article

<span style="color:green;font-family:comic sans ms;font-size:small;">Thanks for the link. She sure does put herself down a lot!</span>

 

[Cinderella On Ice]

Re: Interesting Dorothy Hamill article

Thanks, BG. I enjoyed reading this, even though it was disturbing in a way. I've recently read Peggy Fleming's autobiography, and both of these made me realize that I make assumptions about the skaters that just aren't true.

It was a little sad to learn that after winning Olympic gold, she didn't really have the time to enjoy it. On the other hand, I like her comment about not really knowing what she would change in her past, as everything that has happened has made her what she is today.

 

[sk8m8]

Re: Interesting Dorothy Hamill article

...Proving, yet again, that Dorothy Hamill is one of the classiest people ever to edge a blade into ice...

 

[DORISPULASKI]

Re: Interesting Dorothy Hamill article

I knew Dorothy was shy from my Magic Memories on Ice I tape, which had some commentary from Dick from both before her skate when she was booed for 5 minutes at Worlds in Germany because a German skater who skated before her had had the skate of her lifetime, and the audience was whistling and booing at the judges. Dorothy thought the booing was for her, left the ice in tears, but squared her shoulders, marched back on the ice, and gave a great performance to win silver. The commentary was either from before her Olympic LP or from that worlds, but Dick said she was shy.

BTW, that undervaluing of self is not uncommon in women, particularly those of us who grew up when you were often put down as part of that inferior class, women, in your own elementary and high school. It was just part of the deal. The prettiest girl in my class (which wasn't me) thought she was ugly. Dorothy, Olympic class of '76, is just not that far from my era.

She may not think so, but I think she's wonderful.

dpp

 

[stilldizzy7]

Interesting Dorothy Hamill article

Wow......so much for confidence being the key to success. After all these years Dorothy doesn't think she is/was a very talented skater.

Message for Dorothy-------you were the best in the world at one time. There is no question about that fact.

Dizzy

 

[Joesitz]

Re: Interesting Dorothy Hamill article

That style; that style; that style!!!

She's the Queen of Elegance on and off the ice.

Joe

 

[rgirl181]

Re: Interesting Dorothy Hamill article

Thanks so much for the link, Berthes Ghost. I've always loved Dorothy Hamill's skating and now I especially love her interviews. BTW, the link puts you on p4 of the interview, or at least it did me. If anybody wants to go to the beginning, just click on "p 1" at the bottom of the page.

To second Doris's observation, that lack of confidence and self-deprecating style is very common among women who were raised in the '50s and '60s and came of age in the '70s and '80s. I look at the kinds of role models young women have today and the sheer number of women in positions of authority that were not around until about 10-15 years ago. It's a whole different world. A lot of people tend to think that because the '60s had all the demonstrations, which didn't take place until the late-60s, and the '70s had all the "fun" that women were having a great old time along with the men. But the values and just as importantly the laws had not changed much from the '50s. It was a different world in so many ways. I think many women my age are just starting to realize it.

Anyway, I find Dorothy very funny and very open about her foibles. I found what she said about her coach's ability to teach spinning especially interesting. "Gus Lussi...was a phenomenal technician. He could teach spins the way nobody, nobody [could] -- I mean, they don't teach kids how to spin anymore." The last time I saw Dorothy skate live was in February, 2000 with COI and at age 43, she had the fastest, most well centered spins of any skater on the tour. I always thought the speed of her spins made her programs so exciting because she combined lyricism with great athleticism.

Favorite quote:
How did you handle the pressure of competition?
"Usually go into the bathroom and throw up."

Ya just gotta love her.
Rgirl

 

[berthes ghost]

Re: Interesting Dorothy Hamill article

I actually often miss that tongue-in-cheek, self-deprecating sense of humor of years gone by. I guess I'm just gettin' to be one of those old fogies, but I just cringe reading articles today. "If I had landed the 3z/3t, I would have won SLC." Can you imagine Dorothy or Peggy ever saying something like that? Could you imagine Tim Wood coming out with half the things Mike Weiss blurts out? <img src=http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/images/emoticons/embarassed.gif ALT="">

I can't remember where (I want to say the corridor in Lake Placid), but I once read a Gus quote that said (paraphrasing) "I could always tell if they were going to be a good jumper or not by the way they spun". :smokin:

 

[rgirl181]

Re: Interesting Dorothy Hamill article

I also miss quotes like those from Debi Thomas. In an interview prior to the '88 Olympics, Debi says about her personality (I'm paraphrasing), "I can be really awful! I get argumentative, walk out on practices. The tension just gets so high." Of course people are different and I'm expecting Michelle to say something like Debi Thomas. But it seems that the pressure from the media and fans to always say the right thing puts the skaters in a position of having to be like polititicians. John Nicks's approach of saying, "Screw it" to the idea of "pretty girls in pink dresses" and encouraging his skaters to say whatever was on their minds resulted in a lot of people hating Sasha, but I found it refreshing. In my experience, which includes teaching of highly competitive high school girls, part of their charm is the dumb things that come out of their mouths, at least IMO. I liked it because then you saw the growing maturity and, depending on the individual, somewhere between 18 and 20, they started showing an awareness of how they presented themselves to the world. OTOH, I could certainly do without the mutibillionaire baseball, football, and basketball players blurting out racist remarks or throwing tantrums. Also, there's still the double standard between women and men. Certainly I would be TERRIBLE at talking to the media if I were a top figure skater today--fortunately not much chance of that happening:lol:
Rgirl

 

[MSI83]

Dorothy

Just finished reading it, and she is a true inspiration to not only skaters but anyone with dreams. I also found the post 1976 info about her to be very interesting.

If you go into the directory in that website to the athlethe section there is also interviews with Scott Hamilton, adn Tenely Albright.

 

[Spirit889]

Re: Interesting Dorothy Hamill article

From rgirl181:

<blockquote><strong><em>Quote:</em></strong><hr>It's a whole different world. A lot of people tend to think that because the '60s had all the demonstrations, which didn't take place until the late-60s, and the '70s had all the "fun" that women were having a great old time along with the men. But the values and just as importantly the laws had not changed much from the '50s.[/quote]

I was a child in the '70's, so I really didn't know many things about it until later, and I'm still surprised by a few things.

The other night, I caught a rerun of <em>Saturday Night Live</em> from the late 1970's. SNL is traditionally one of the most liberal shows I've ever seen, so I was really surprised when comedian Andy Kaufman came out on stage, told the audience that women would never be better than men and that their place was in the home, and challenged any woman in the audience to a wrestling match. I kept waiting for it to turn into satire. It never did. He was serious (and he won the match, FWIW). I wasted 10 minutes of my life waiting for a punch line, and I was shocked that a show I thought of as ahead of the curve would allow a guy to come out and do something so Neanderthalic <em>and</em> unfunny.

Shows what I know.

Anyhoo, back on topic...Thank you for the link, I enjoyed reading it immensely.