Jo Ann's Figure Skating Blog

Those in the "ice skating world" may not know that 1975 and 1976 U.S. National Pairs Bronze Medalist, Jack Courtney, was a champion roller skater before he switched to ice. What is remarkable about Courtney's record is, that in 1968, he won roller worlds in BOTH SINGLES and PAIRS! He also won the U.S. Senior men's title in singles in roller skating five times and the national senior pair title was won by Jack and his partner Sheryl Trueman Courtney four times.

This week, the 2008 Roller Figure Skating National Championships is taking place in Lincoln, Nebraska. During the event, one of the greatest names in the "roller figure skating world," Warren Danner, was inducted into the USARS Competitive Coaches Roller Skating Hall Of Fame. During the ceremony, Danny Danner, Warren's son, a champion roller skater that switched to ice, had several "greats" from the roller skating world call Jack on the phone. That surprise call was very exciting!

Courtney was at work sharpening ice skates in the Colorado Springs World Arena Pro Shop (which he operates) when the surprise conference call came. He spoke with several other "greats" in roller figure skating. He spoke with Ronnie Fitzgerald, Jack and Nancy Becker, Charlie Lowe, Jane Perocchio, and David Tassenari.

_{Jack Courtney, Ice and Roller Figure Skating Champion - Photo by JO ANN Schneider Farris}

Today, I had the thrill of meeting figure skating legend, Janet Lynn, in person! She gave a seminar in my city, and my children and I were invited to attend. I had a chance to see her teach some of today's most gifted figure skaters about the joy of figure skating. The smile she had as she shared her love of skating was the same smile I saw on her face when she skated as a young girl.

When I was a child, I decided to work hard at my own skating after I saw Janet Lynn perform an exhibition to the music "When You Wish Upon a Star" at the U.S. National Figure Skating Championships. I was not the only young figure skater to be motivated by her skating. Little girls everywhere tried hard to be like her.

• U.S. legend Janet Lynn hosts seminar - By Jo Ann Schneider Farris on IceNetwork.com

_{About.com's Figure Skating Guide, Jo Ann Schneider Farris, Figure Skating Legend Janet Lynn, and Rebekah and Joel Schneider-Farris - Photo Copyright © Jo Ann Schneider Farris}

My daughter received the "Mia Goes for Great" figure skating computer game for her birthday. The game does teach the player about figure skating. For example, in the game, Mia answers a question about the Axel jump in exchange for getting her ice skates sharpened. She then goes to the library and learns about famous figure skaters such as Dick Button and Peggy Fleming. After she does a ton of things, she earns the right to create her own freestyle program. After she finishes the choreography, the final performance can be viewed.

The choices for the program elements are a bit limited; for example, a sample of a program created by my daughter consists of stroking, a sit spin, an upright spin, a single Axel, and a loop jump. Including footwork or connecting moves such as spirals or spread eagles is not an option. Since crossovers are not a choice, Mia's finished program looks a bit "odd" to those of us who know figure skating, since the computer generated character skates in a straight line rather than using the whole ice surface. Mia does back half swizzles and does a very strange looking forward stroking technique. The Mia figure skating game may not be totally realistic, but it is fun to play.

• Guide Review - Mia Goes for Great - A Figure Skating Computer Game

• INTERACTIVE American Girl: Mia Goes for Great

_{Mia Goes for Great - PriceGrabber Shopping Image}

Recently, a request for leads on funds for an aspiring senior level skater, was made on About.com's Figure Skating Forum. This got me thinking how so very expensive figure skating is. Figure skaters of all ages and levels need financial help with their ice skating expenses. How can financial donations be given to competitive figure skaters? Does anyone have any leads on where financial assistance for ice skating can be obtained?

Piper Gilles and Tim McKernan placed second in Junior Dance at the U.S. National Figure Skating Championships in 2008, but in late May of 2008, they announced the end of their partnership. Jessica Rose Paetsch and John Nuss won the 2008 U.S. Junior Pairs Championship, but in this last week, their partnership also ended. 2006 World Junior Pair Champions, Julia Vlassov and Drew Meekins announced the end of their six years together in November of 2007. Gilles now skates with Zach Donohue, who had previously skated with Lili LaMar. McKernan now is partnered with Shannon Wingle (who had skated with Ryan Devereaux). Jessica Rose Paetsch is now skating with Drew Meekins.

Personally, I miss the days when teams like Tai Babilonia and Randy Gardner or Jo Jo Starbuck and Kenneth Shelley stayed together from their early skating days until the end of their professional figure skating careers, but I know that the new IJS judging system requires moves that force changes in team makeup. Perfect unison for pair or dance teams does not seem to be as important as it once was. If a girl gets two big for a boy, it may be time for a switch.

_{Pair Skaters Drew Meekins and Julia Vlassov Once Were a Team; Meekins Is Now Teamed With Jessica Rose Paetsch - Photo by Guang Niu/Getty Images}

_{Ice Dancers Piper Gilles and Tim McKernan Once Were a Team; Gilles Now Skates With Zachary Donohue and McKernan Skates With Shannon Wingle - Photo by Leah Adams - http://www.leahadams.com/}

Today, I determined my children's skates needed sharpening. They will be taking figure skating tests this weekend and the last time their skates were sharpened was before their last test. That is how I decided it was time for a sharpening. Also, when I rubbed my finger back and forth across the width of their blades, the blades felt dull. How often do you sharpen your skates?

• How Often Should Figure Skating Blades Be Sharpened?

_{A Figure Skating Blade - © John Wilson Blades}

I enjoyed reading A Surprise Finish. Its plot is similar to other figure skating books geared towards young readers. The book's heroine, Kristen Grant, learns that there is more to life than figure skating. She learns about teamwork, good friends, loving families, and giving.

One thing that amused me was the author's description of what a rink's atmosphere is like at figure skating competitions. In the book, a young skater, new to the sport, notices that during the official practice ice time, that those present act like they are "totally miserable" and seem to think it is "the end of the world." Yes, the pressure and serious nature present at ice skating competitions can seem odd to those new to our sport!

_{A Surprise Finish by Lynn Kirby - About.com PriceGrabber Shopping Image}

My daughter just checked a figure skating book out of the library. The book is called A Surprise Finish and the author is Lynn Kirby. I began reading it last night. What impressed me so far is that, at the beginning of the book, there is a very good figure skating glossary that explains everything from the definition of skate guards to an explanation of a shoot-the-duck! The book's plot is different from most figure skating books, since the story's heroine may have to give up skating so that her parents can become missionaries. I look forward to reading the book.

• A Surprise Finish

_{A Surprise Finish by Lynn Kirby - About.com PriceGrabber Shopping Image}

At the 1986 European Figure Skating Championships, in front of a very enthusiastic audience and millions of television viewers, Czechslovakian figure skater, Jozef Sabovcik, landed what was considered the first quadruple jump. He thought it was a quad, and so did the audience, judges and television commentators, but the International Skating Union decided it was not a true quad since his free leg scraped the ice as he landed the jump. This video shows that historical moment. Did Sabovcik do a clean quad?

Juilliard School graduate and modern dance teacher Kathy Johnson coaches some of the world's best figure skaters. Her goal is to help ice skaters be the best they can be. She works closely with choreographer Tom Dickson, and other figure skating coaches and choreographers, to make sure exactly what they want to see from their skaters is in competition programs. In 2008, she accompanied Jeremy Abbott to Worlds.

• About Modern Dance Coach and Choreographer Kathy Tirrell-Johnson
• Video of Kathy Johnson Teaching a Modern Dance Class to Elite Ice Skaters
• Kathy Johnson Photo Gallery
• Dance for Figure Skaters

_{Kathy Johnson and Elite Figure Skaters Jeremy Abbott and Alexe Gilles - Photo by JO ANN Schneider Farris}