Figure Skating Coaches Hall of Fame Class of 2021

June 2, 2021 — The Professional Skaters Association proudly welcomes Osborne Colson and Audrey Weisiger to the PSA Coaches Hall of Fame. Their inductions were formally announced during the Virtual Edi Awards Presentation on May 27, 2021.

The Figure Skating Coaches Hall of Fame is the highest award of recognition by the PSA and recognizes a lifetime of accomplishment in coaching. Through the success of their athletes and/or their profound contribution to the coaching profession these coaches have made a significant impact. The candidate must have produced the majority of their work in the United States. They must be a member of the Professional Skaters Association now or in the past and may be living or deceased.

Please join us in honoring Osborne Colson and Audrey Weisiger to celebrate their many profound contributions to the sport.

Osborne Colson

Osborne Colson

Osborne Colson, often known as Mr. C, was the 1935 and 1936 Canadian Champion and went on to coach Hall of Famers Red Bainbridge, Don Laws, Lori Nichol, and Sarah Kawahara, amongst thousands of skaters, who are now coaches, from all over the world. His career spanned 70 years as a competitor, Ice Follies star, and coach.

He directed and choreographed Barbara Ann Scott’s Canadian Professional Tour in the 1950s. He took Don Jackson under his wing when he became a professional in the 1960’s. He nurtured Sarah Kawahara, a shy 6-year-old, guiding her throughout her career. When Patrick Chan was 15, Mr. C. knew he had a champion on his hands. Osborne taught him right up to the end of his life.

Mr. C.’s ultimate creation was a skating school to encompass his vision – The Banff School of Fine Arts. It lasted 11 years. His philosophy was that the arts are all related, and figure skating is indeed an art form as well as a sport. He believed in team teaching in the 1960s and was ahead of his time.

Whether his students became career skaters or not, Mr. C. was interested in cultivating multi-layered people. Beyond being a life teacher, a skating teacher, and coach, he was simply a wonderfully creative, unique individual.

Audrey Weisiger

Audrey Weisiger

Two-time U.S. Olympic Team Coach Audrey Weisiger was the 1999 PSA and U.S. Figure Skating Coach of the Year. She has her PSA World Coach ranking and is master-rated in Figures and Freestyle. She has been asked to be the presenter at several PSA Conferences, including the Keynote Speaker for the PSA Conferences in 2000 and 2003; and Canadian Coaches Conferences in 2005 and 2006. Weisiger has held positions on the Board of Governors of the PSA and various U.S. Figure Skating and USOC committees. A member of the USOC Developing Young Champions committee, she has organized and directed numerous Grassroots to Champions seminars.

In 1999, U.S. Figure Skating and the PSA recognized Weisiger as Coach of the Year. Some of her former students include Michael Weiss (threetime U.S. Men’s Champion, two-time U.S. Olympic Team, two-time World Bronze Medalist), Timothy Goebel (2002 Olympic Bronze Medalist), Lisa Kwon (National Novice and Intermediate Ladies Champion), Christine Lee (World competitor), Tommy Steenberg (Estonia Junior Grand Prix Gold Medalist) and Anthony Dang (North American Challenge competitor). Audrey has coached at the Fairfax Ice Arena in Virginia since 1973. Before that, she herself was a U.S. Figure Skating Gold Medalist in Figures and Freestyle, and a U.S. National Bronze Medalist at the Novice and Junior Levels.

In 2010, Weisiger created the Young Artists Showcase, featuring and educating young choreographers worldwide. She is the founder of Grassroots to Champions seminars, a company whose mission is to mentor coaches and their skaters. The company has worked with skaters of all levels from around the world. Weisiger was the recipient of the F. Ritter Shumway award in 2014.