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FEATURES COLUMNS 4 6 8 14 18 38

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SafeSport for Coaches

12

Out of the Mouths of Pros

| by Karen Terry Perreault, Ph.D

17

2014 Nationwide Seminars

President’s Message | Angie Riviello

19

A Skating Engagement Adventure

Ratings | Brandon Forsyth

20 2014 U.S. Synchronized

Over the Edge | Jimmie Santee

19

| by Terri Milner Tarquini

| by Craig Forsyth

Skating Championships

20

| by Elizabeth Thornton Sport Science | Heidi Thibert

Education | Carol Rossignol

24

The Evolution of the Figure Skate | Part V | by Bruce Poodles

27

2014 Honor Roll of Synchronized Skating Coaches

Legal Ease | David Shulman

30 Philadelphia Skating Club 6

In the Trenches

9

Ratings Exams Passed

21

Excellence On Ice

40

New Members & Rankings

42

PSA Calendar of Events & Obit

Jimmie Santee | Editor Carol Rossignol | Contributing Editor Amanda Taylor | Art Director Elizabeth Thornton | Advertising/Editorial Assistant COVER PHOTO BY Andrew Werner

MAY | JUNE

2014 ~ No 3 #ISSN-574770

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and Humane Society | by Kent McDill

32 34

2014 PSA Edi Nominations 2014 PSA International Conference & Trade Show

40 What Would Kat Arbour Do?

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| by Terri Milner Tarquini

Take note...

K EEP U P W ITH T HE PSA...

ProfSk8rsAssoc

@ProfSk8rsAssoc

Professional Skaters Association(PSA)

New PSA e-newsletter

Over the Edge

PSA OFFICERS President First Vice President Second Vice President Third Vice President Treasurer Past President

JIMMIE SANTEE

PSA BOARD OF GOVERNORS West

A

East

fter the 2013 U.S. Championships in San Jose, I was highly critical of several incidences of poor etiquette and sportsmanship in the kiss and cry area. To be consistent, I felt it was right to refer to two more incidents that happened at the Olympics that were overshadowed by the results of the women’s event.

The first was the unfortunate use of “Bull S*%#” following the ladies team short program by Ashley Wagner. Caught on camera, it went viral, becoming the butt of many jokes. More importantly, this will be the ever lasting image for many fans and one that does not represent who Ashley is as a person.

The second was Jeremy Abbott’s statement saying, “I just want to put my middle finger in the air and say a big ‘F you’ to everyone who has ever said that to me because they’ve never stood in my shoes.” He was referring to critics who refer to him as a “choker.” Again, many in the non-skating media trashed him, mostly focusing on the out of context “F you.”

USA Today printed the whole quote, I would just hold my middle finger in the air and say a big F-you to everyone who has ever said that to me because they have never stood in my shoes… they’ve never had to do what I had to do. Nobody has to stand center ice before a million people and put an entire career on the line for eight minutes of their life when they’ve been doing it for 20-some years. And if you don’t think that that’s not hard, you’re a damn idiot…so some people can handle it better than others, but everyone has that mental struggle, everyone goes through the same doubts. I am not alone. They just come at different times and different moments. Some people have their moment at the Olympics, and some have theirs at the national championships… I’m proud to be standing here. I’m a four-time national champion and a two-time Olympian, and no one can take that away from me. So whatever people have to say about me, that’s their own problem because I’m freaking proud of what I’ve done and I’m not going to apologize for any of it.

The whole quote still comes off whiney and most likely the writer’s desired result, but it shows his state of mind and the emotional frustration and stress he was feeling. “Some people can handle it better than others, but everyone has that mental struggle, everyone goes through the same doubts. I am not alone.”

This should have been the quote. In some way, we have all been there.

Unfortunately, on a stage as big as the Olympics where a large number of viewers are casual figure skating fans, the perception of both instances is, and will remain for the foreseeable future, negative. Obviously the skaters in question were dealing with highly emotional circumstances; Ashley’s, a heat of the moment, in-competition slip of the tongue and very difficult to control; Jeremy’s, a shot across his bow at a press conference that was surely to illicit the desired reaction. Even with all the media training our elite athletes receive, there will be times when frustration will rear its ugly head. While it’s probably unavoidable, I think it our responsibility to not condone it, but to encourage our athletes to think before they speak. Obviously, journalists are very savvy when it comes to preparing questions for a press conference. A reporter will

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Doug Ladret Todd Sand Teri Klingworth Hooper Brandon Forsyth Denise Williamson Rebecca Stump Kirsten Miller-Zisholz Doug Mattis Tom Hickey Robbie Kaine Brandon Forsyth Doug Mattis Scott McCoy Karen Oppegard Alex Chang

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Good or Bad?

Mid-West

Angela Riviello Christine Fowler-Binder Dorothi Cassini Rebecca Stump Carol Murphy Kelley Morris Adair

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Committee on Professional Standards Ratings Chair Seminar Chair ISI Rep to PSA U.S. Figure Skating Rep to PSA U.S. Figure Skating Coaches Executive Director Legal Counsel

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Denise Williamson Kelley Morris Adair Heidi Thibert Doug Mattis Tom Hickey Rebecca Stump Gloria Leous Paul Paprocki Bob Mock Heidi Thibert Jamie Santee Angela Riviello Kelley Morris Adair Carol Murphy Patrick O’Neil David Santee David Shulman Kelley Morris Adair Robbie Kaine Gerry Lane Brandon Forsyth Eleanor Fraser-Taylor

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The Professional Skater, a newsletter of the Professional Skaters Association, Inc., is published bimonthly, six times a year, as the official publication of the PSA, 3006 Allegro Park SW, Rochester, MN 55902. 507.281.5122, Fax 507.281.5491, Email: office@skatepsa.com © 2004 by Professional Skaters Association, all rights reserved. Subscription price is $19.95 per year, Canadian $29.00 and foreign $45.00/year, U.S. Funds.

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often attempt to spin the answers in a negative way.

After the Olympic men’s free skate, a reporter asked Jason Brown how he felt dropping from sixth to ninth place. Obviously the reporter was trying to get Jason to say how upset he was…but Jason turned the tables replying, “I was hoping for a top 10, and I did that, and I got a bronze in the team event.”

Another example of the right way to handle media scrutiny but still make your point was Mao Asada’s reaction to former Japanese Prime Minister Mori who accused Mao of “always falling at the most critical time.”

Speaking at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan after the Olympics, Mao said, “I heard what he had said after I had already skated, and my reaction was: ‘Oh, he said something like that about me?’ I understand that human beings do make mistakes and it’s undeniable that I did fall, so I have to accept it.”

As a parent of three skaters, I don’t believe an emotional reaction or the absence of one is really suggestive of someone’s core beliefs. I believe all of these athletes want to be good role models just as they looked up to role models when they were younger.

As a parent, when I have to discipline one of my kids, I tell them that they are not a bad kid, but that they did a bad thing. It’s a teachable moment… try to do better next time.

As an industry leader, these are the moments that swing popularity forward or backward. They have consequences financially for rinks, clubs, coaches, and specifically, the entire industry. I don’t believe in the adage that any publicity is good publicity. Showing poor sportsmanship, no matter how defendable, does not put the sport in a favorable light.

PS Magazine

TREASURE HUNT! *Gold Winged Blade*

Be the first person to find the gold PSA logo in each issue of PS Magazine and we will send you some treasure! Once you have found the logo in this issue, post where you found it on the PSA Facebook page. Be the first person to find it and we will send you a prize! And no, the one on this page and in ads do not count.

“The Joy of Coaching is about you and who you are as a coach today. It is about your coaching heritage, your skating DNA and where you sit in the coaching family tree.” ~ BOB MOCK, PSA President 1994-1999

Order your copy at www.skatepsa.com

PS MAGAZINE

5

President’s Message ANGIE RIVIELLO

Ratings Exams and Ratings Prep Course I

had the privilege of being an examiner for two straight days of exams prior to presenting at the Ratings Prep Course in Las Vegas in March. We had two 12-hour days of exams followed by 2 full days of presentations. It was exhausting, but such an amazing experience. I enjoy doing ratings exams because it’s always educational and all the brilliant ideas we hear from all of the candidates are always fun. This year, something really amazing struck me and I was so excited that I wanted to share it with all of you. On not one, not two, but three exams, the candidate expressed what a process it was for them to prepare for their ratings and how the process has made them a better coach. I questioned the candidates at the end of their exam about what they had said, and it truly was wonderful to hear each of them talk about how studying and having to think about some of the questions made them really focus in on their own coaching skills and how it’s been a journey for them. I believe that the ratings process is extraordinary and really validates your teaching methodology and to hear the candidates express what a growing experience it was for them, reaffirmed once again, that the PSA and it’s education and accreditation platforms truly enhance and educate skating coaches all over.

In the TRENCHES

by SCOTT BROWN

The Ratings Prep Course was very well received. There were close to 50 coaches for two days of intense classroom and on-ice studies. It was exciting to see the confidence level grow with each presentation for the coaches who are preparing for their next ratings exams. The skill sharing and dialog was intense and I truly believe each coach left with a great experience and larger knowledge base. The faculty for the event donates their time and energy and the PSA is extremely lucky to have such dedicated volunteers who are willing to give so much of themselves: Diane Miller, Colleen Mickey, Peggy Tamres, Carol Rossignol, Paula Trujllio and Sherri Terando. Thank you for giving so much of your time and talents.

I left the Las Vegas event so proud of PSA and the quality educational programs it offers. This organization has changed my life and it was exciting to see how it is impacting other coaches as well. Top quality education and accreditation- it’s what the PSA is all about.

Olympic Dreams

With the conclusion of the XXII Winter Olympic Games, I wanted to take a quick look back and share Master-rated coach & IJS some of my Olympic experience. First, I would like to thank Gracie, Denise, Carl, and Carly Gold, as well as Technical Specialist Frank Carroll, for including me in their Olympic journey.

I am so grateful to once again enjoy another Winter Olympic Games. It is really true that there is no other event like it. Of course, we are so very proud of Gracie, not only by all three of her outstanding performances and placements, but also by how well she handled herself at her first Olympics with grace and elegance.

There were so many wonderful memories, from the Opening Ceremonies through the Closing Ceremonies.

The exciting Team USA Olympic Bronze Medal win in the inaugural Team Event, extraordinary Gold medal win for Meryl Davis and Charlie White, impressive showing

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by all three U.S. Ladies, Jason Brown’s joy of skating, Denis Ten’s amazing free program, Mao’s amazing fight back in the free program and both Yuna Kim and Carolina Kostner’s sophisticated performances made for an unforgettable Olympic Games.

Russian nationalism was alive and well and there were very few spectators from other countries. We always felt safe and security was really never an issue. We did a lot of walking, the venues were incredible, and yes, there were a lot of stray dogs. One highlight of the trip was the week after the team event when I went with Gracie (along with Polina and Ashley) to train in Graz, Austria.

We had such a wonderful time during our entire stay.

I would like to congratulate ALL the participating coaches, athletes and their families from Team USA. We will now look forward to Pyeongchang, South Korea 2018.

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Are You Really a Certified Coach?

By Rebecca Stump, MM, MG, MT CFF

A

re you advertising yourself as a U.S. Figure Skating certified coach on your business cards and your resume? Then you must be a PSA rated coach!

Only PSA Rated coaches can advertise this. U.S. Figure Skating recognizes the PSA Rating System as the official certification program for coaches. Coaches who have passed the PSA Ratings exams have earned the right to advertise as a certified coach.

Completing U.S. Figure Skating Continuing Education Requirement (CER) courses is NOT a certification.

It is a required segment of U.S. Figure Skating Coaches Compliance in order to be able to coach athletes at test sessions and competitions. A coach who has completed the CER courses, but who has not passed any PSA ratings exams, should not advertise they are a certified coach.

It should be noted that a rated coach may earn educational credits by taking the CER courses. A PSA rated coach may claim a maximum of 16 credits over a 3 year timeframe from a non-PSA event such as U.S. Figure Skating Continuing Education Requirements.

CER credits are considered part of the total credits allowed from U.S. Figure Skating events.

Did you know, as a PSA rated coach, you may use the ratings’ post-nominal letters beside your name or signature? A post-nominal (or award abbreviation) is the abbreviation displayed after a person’s name to denote the qualifications that person has achieved. Post-nominal are letters placed after the name of a person to indicate that the individual holds an educational degree or accreditation. This is similar to what you may have seen beside an attorney’s name or a physician’s name. For example, if you have passed the Master Pair and the Registered Group exams, it would read (your full name) MP, RG. Have you applied for a PSA ranking? This, too, could be posted on your business cards and resume. PSA rankings acknowledge the career accomplishments of PSA coaches based on the performance of their skaters. There are 10 levels of accomplishment. PSA Ranking Level 1 is a coach who must have coached at least at a non-qualifying

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or invitational U.S. Figure Skating or ISI competition including Basic Skills or Learn to Skate. The highest PSA Ranking Level 10 is a coach who must have been the coach of multiple World or Olympic Champions in any discipline. Applications are accepted four times a year: October 1, January 1, April 1, July 1. Check out the PSA website to see where you may fit in!

These days it is important to market yourself ethically and with integrity. Validation of your coaching technique and knowledge through the PSA ratings program and validation of your coaching accomplishments with the PSA rankings program sends a strong message to your clients that you take your profession seriously. They will know that they are hiring a coach who is both accomplished and educated. Is that you?

A friendly reminder to all PSA rating examiners!

At the May 2013 Board of Governors meeting in Chicago, the following motion was passed requiring all rating examiners to become recertified effective January 1st, 2014.

All examiners must complete the recertification process prior to being placed on a ratings exam panel. For more information please check the Ratings link on the PSA website. Example 1 Name Title

PLEASE ENTER EXACTLY AS Y

Addre ss COACHING BUSINESS CARDS Addre ss Addre ss

The PSA provides many necessary tools in the coach's Phone toolkit, but did you know we also offer professional Email business cards?

You can personalize them to fit your P R O F E S S I O N A L S K AT E R S A S S O C I AT I O N needs and we'll handle the printing and shipping.

Visit www.skatepsa.com to order yours today!

Example 2

Jane Doe

Figure Skatin g Coach – MM, MD

1234 Toe Pick Lane SW Anyw here, MN 78965 t. 507-888-54 32 janedo esk8s@ gmail.com

P R O F E S S I O N A L S K AT E R S A S S O C I AT I O N Example 3

Line 1: Line 2:

Title/

Line 3:

C

Line 4:

C

Line 5:

C

Line 6:

C

Line 7:

C

* PSA is not responsi

Recently Passed

RATING EXAMS Congratulations to the following coaches who passed the Basic Accreditation (BA) or ELCC: BA | online Amanda Aker Morgan Davis Amanda Framke Jodie Maier Robyn Marlinski

Congratulations to the following candidates who passed a rating exam Las Vegas, NV | March 9-10, 2014

Rodrigo Menendez Sher Mustell Kelly Richall Melissa Salazar

Chelsea Chasman RM Stephen Chasman CFS Karen Colaizzi Skifstrom CG Erin Covington Berlanga CM Amanda Framke RG Susan Hamel-Bottari SG Alyssa Hatfield RM, RFS Joy Hoedel-Elder CPD, CG Darin Hosier SFS

Jamie Kalnicky RG, CG Emily Keppeler CM, RG Christopher Kinser RG, RFS Lyndy Marron Brown RFS Christopher Pottenger RM, SFS Denae Raught RM, SG Jacqueline Sadowski RG Jessica Smith RFS Danette Trett RG,CG

Congratulations to the following coaches and their master-rated mentors for completing a PSA Apprentice Program this spring 2014: APPRENTICE

LEVEL & DISCIPLINE

MENTOR(S)

Aimee Buchanan Claudine M Pallandt Terri Messner

Level 4 Free Skating Level 1 Free Skating Level 1 Free Skating

Julie Graham Eavzan, MFS Dawn Piepenbrink McCosh, MFS Tom Zakrajsek, MFS

Are you—or is someone you know—looking to build their coaching career?

Introducing the new...

Foundations of Coaching Course A professional development course for both new and experienced coaches The Professional Skaters Association’s Foundations of Coaching Course is a full day of intensive instruction on and off-ice over introductory strategy to successfully navigate the world of coaching and optimize your teaching potential.

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The Role of the Coach Dealing with Parents Coaching Ethics

Mark your calendar: Sunday, September 7 CAMP DENNISON, OH

Register online at www.skatepsa.com PS MAGAZINE

9

SAFESPORT

Child Sexual Abuse:

Awareness, Recognition, and Action

By Karen Terry Perreault, Ph.D

C

hild sexual abuse is a serious problem that can lead to extensive, irreparable harm to victims. Victims of sexual abuse may suffer from high rates of depression and anxiety; low self-esteem, shame, and self-blame; an inability to trust others, particularly those in positions of authority; and other serious psychological problems. Victims are at an increased risk of developing alcohol and substance abuse problems, eating disorders, self-harming behaviors, and suicidal thoughts.

Relationship problems and confusion over sexual identity and orientation are also common effects amongst victims. These psychological, emotional, physical, and behavioral effects can be debilitating to some victims and permeate all aspects of their lives in both the short and long term. For these reasons, it is critical to prevent sexual abuse whenever possible, or respond to it quickly once it is recognized.

SafeSport guidelines provide information about types of abuse, signs that someone is being abused, signs that an adult is behaving inappropriately with a minor, and what to do if you suspect abuse. Here are some key facts to consider.

Who are sexual abusers?

Sexual abusers constitute a heterogeneous group of individuals, meaning that they offend for a variety of reasons. Some are sexual predators with a strong attraction to children.

These offenders tend seek out employment around minors, surround themselves almost exclusively with minors, and employ highly manipulative “grooming” techniques in order to get children to comply with the abuse. Other abusers are primarily attracted to adults, but “regress” to the abuse of minors because of the situation or opportunity to do so.

All sexual abusers, even those who are not sexual predators, may employ grooming techniques to get the child to comply with the abuse. Examples of grooming techniques include: • Providing the child with gifts and attention, such as tickets to a concert • Permitting the child to participate in inappropriate behavior, such as drinking alcohol, using drugs or looking at pornography • Emotional manipulation, such as making the child

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feel responsible for the inappropriate behavior and inducing feelings of guilt or shame • Using language that would be appropriate for an adult relationship, such as the coach loves the child and wants to spend time alone • Threats, such as suggesting the child will not receive high marks in competition if he/she tells anyone about the abuse or even threatening to harm his or her family Abusive coaches may be male or female, and may abuse a skater of the same or a different gender. The skater being abused may be young (prepubescent) or may be a teenager.

No matter the age, gender, or sexual orientation of the coach or student, it is never acceptable for a coach in a position of authority to begin a sexual relationship with a minor skater.

What to look for: Is there a coach who is spending time alone with a minor? Is there a coach who behaves more like a friend to his or her students than a person of authority?

Is the coach texting, emailing, or otherwise communicating with the minor without the oversight of other adults? Does the coach exhibit “boundary violating” behaviors, such as excessive hugging, allowing students to sit on his/her lap, patting the students on the rear end, etc.?

Who may become a victim?

Rates of child sexual abuse are high; approximately one in three girls and one in six boys will be victims of sexual abuse, many before the age of 18. Any person may become the victim of a sexual offense—an adult or a child, male or female, of any race or socioeconomic status. Victimization occurs within families; among friends, acquaintances, and neighbors; within organizations; and, less frequently, between strangers. Sexual abuse is particularly prevalent within institutions where adults hold a position of authority over children, such as in school or sports. What’s important to understand is that abuse usually occurs in private. When an adult is alone with a child, there is an opportunity for abuse to occur.

“

Victimization occurs within families; among friends, acquaintances, and neighbors; within organizations; and, less frequently, between strangers. Sexual abuse is particularly prevalent within institutions where adults hold a position of authority over children, such as in school or sports. What’s important to understand is that abuse usually occurs in private. When an adult is alone with a child, there is an opportunity for abuse to occur.”

A key component of SafeSport guidelines is two-deep leadership, a concept that is encouraged in all youth-oriented organizations these days. It means to minimize the amount of one-on-one interactions between adults and children by ensuring that at least two adults are present at all times with individual minors when off the ice. Though this may not always be possible, it is important to understand that abusers seek out situations in which they are alone with a child. Our goal is to prevent the situations in which abuse can occur.

What to look for: Children who have been abused may begin to exhibit unusual behaviors or different personality patterns. For example, are they spending less time with their peers, and more time alone or with their coach? Are they suddenly acting out, angry, frustrated, or showing other types of unusual emotions (this is called externalizing their emotions)?

Alternatively, are they suddenly quiet, introspective, hesitant to be around others, or committing self-harming behaviors (this is called internalizing their emotions)?

Reporting abuse Many victims do not report that they are being abused, or they report the abuse years after it occurred. Several factors are commonly associated with the delay in reporting abuse, including the relationship between the victim and the perpetrator; the severity of abuse; the likely consequences of the disclosure; age, developmental, and cognitive variables; and the threats and emotional manipulation made by the perpetrator. Also, boys are less likely to report being abuse than girls.

Because of these low levels of reporting, it is absolutely critical that an adult take immediate action and report abuse if it is observed, or even suspected. Do not attempt to evaluate the credibility or validity of abuse allegations as a condition for reporting to U.S. Figure Skating or to appropriate law enforcement. Depending on the type of abuse or misconduct, the behavior should be reported as follows: 1. If there is a violation of Club Code of Conduct—file a complaint at the Club level.

A. Follow procedures set forth in club conflict resolution policy

B. Report the incident to Club SafeSport Compliance Chair, if appropriate

2. If there is a violation of SafeSport Policies—Report the incident to U.S. Figure Skating by sending a detailed description to safesport@usfigureskating.org and U.S. Figure Skating will take appropriate action by engaging the appropriate committee and process.

3. If observed or suspected physical or sexual abuse may be occurring, contact your local child protective services office or law enforcement agency so the proper professionals can make an assessment—visit www.childwelfare.gov to find out where to call.

4. State laws differ who is a mandatory reporter. Please look up your state laws. Mandatory reporter occupations include health practitioners, teachers, social workers, psychologists, clergy, firefighters, police officers, day camp administrators and youth organization and youth recreation program employees and coaches, among others, as prescribed by state law.

U.S. Figure Skating has zero tolerance for abuse and misconduct. Everyone involved in the sport of figure skating plays a role in creating a healthy environment for our skaters. The SafeSport guidelines we have implemented raise awareness about misconduct, provide tools for education and training, provide guidelines for athlete protection, and outline the reporting process. We encourage all members to be familiar with the SafeSport guidelines and help protect our athletes from harm.

Karen Terry Perreault is a Professor in the Department Criminal Justice at John Jay College of Criminal Justice. She holds a doctorate in criminology from Cambridge University and her research focuses primarily on sexual offending and victimization. She is also a National judge for U.S. Figure Skating and served as the Chair of the Ethics Committee for four years. She is currently the Chair of the U.S. Figure Skating SafeSport Subcommittee.

PS MAGAZINE

11

Out

the f o

s e h t of Pros u

Mo

LIFE LESSONS OF FIGURE SKATING “If you fall down, you get up.”

skating is found in the hard work, the dedication and the perseverance,” she said. “And hopefully it teaches the bigger picture of humanity as well.”

— Audrey Weisiger, two-time Olympic coach, PSA and USFS Coach of the Year, founder of Grassroots to Champions

“Skating is all about finding and keeping one’s balance and doing it all with grace.”

“It sounds trite, but it’s a metaphor for every challenge that comes your way,” Weisiger said. “To have the determination to pick yourself up and keep going, can get you through almost anything.”

It’s the “keep going” that might just set skating slightly apart from some of its coldweather contemporaries.

“I am a great admirer of all sports and of all athletes, so I watched all of the Winter Olympics,” she said. “It struck me that with the snowboarders and skiers, when they fall, they stop. I understand that once they fall down, it’s over for them, but in our sport, we’re expected to finish - and to finish with a smile on our face and sit in the kiss-and-cry and be gracious. We must fight through.”

That finish, Weisiger points out, isn’t in the final score; it’s in the long-term accomplishment.

“As coaches, we periodically need to be reminded that there’s a bigger goal than learning a double Salchow that we’ve been working on for three years,” she said. “We have a greater responsibility to these kids.”

Weisiger sees her responsibility largely as one where she is called to give back through the sport that taught her so many life lessons. One of the ways she is active is by being a part of the “Kids on Ice” program which provides free lessons and equipment for underprivileged children in the Washington D.C. area.

“The bigger lesson for anyone in

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— Christie Allan-Piper, gold medalist in figures and freestyle, trained by World Hall of Fame coaches Maribel Vinson Owen and Gus Lussi “In the simplest terms possible, if you fall down when skating, you must handle it with grace, and when adverse things happen in life, you pick yourself up and go back to finding your balance,” Allan-Piper said.

A lesson learned from her coach, Maribel Vinson Owen, was one that Allan-Piper took to heart, but she also came it realize it needed to go a step further.

“I was trying to do my Axel, which was a pitiful little thing, and Maribel said, ‘If you’re determined enough, you’ll land it,’” she said. “But later I realized that merely working hard isn’t enough. It also takes time. Sometimes a lot of time. But, if you remain calm, you’ll get better results.”

This lesson can be an especially tough one for impatient skaters who want results, and want them now.

“Skating doesn’t come by magic, but when it does come it can be magical,” Allan-Piper said. “The best way to ace things is to prepare well.”

That preparation can make just about anything seem less daunting, whether onor off-ice.

|

by Terri Milner Tarquini

“In college, when I had to defend a thesis and go for job interviews, it was so much easier to sit in a chair and answer questions than it was to tip-toe out on a fresh piece of ice and lay down a perfect figure or stroke onto the ice when your name was called to start a program,” she said. “Having been a skater made everything else seem easier in comparison.”

The total assimilation of the biggerpicture lessons of skating can really have an impact on a skater’s entire life.

“When Gus Lussi emigrated to the U.S., he was asked to declare his religion and he said, ‘skating,’” Allan-Piper said. “I thought he was being jocular, but over time I realized that skating taught so many life lessons, it can be like a religion.”

“Dare to take a chance.”

— Randy Winship, chorus skater for “Holiday on Ice” in nine different European countries; manager, coach and consultant for skating centers in 12 countries around the world “There’s a quote from a movie—I can’t remember which one—but it goes, ‘Don’t let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game,’” Winship said. “The greatest thing is, once you actually take that chance the first time, it can become a theme for the rest of your life to get up and get going.”

Winship’s road to skating’s life lessons is a little off the typical path. He was 17 when he finally pursued his latent passion of seven years to skate.

“Inside I knew I didn’t want to be sitting in a rocking chair regretting that I never tried skating,” he said. “I didn’t want

of the Haydenettes, a senior-level synchronized skating team that won 15 U.S. titles during her 26 years as a coach

to spend the rest of my life wondering, ‘What if?’”

That motivation to give skating a go meant he knew he had to give it his all. For Winship that meant skating eight to 12 hours a day, seven days a week. After only three-and-a-half years he went from being in beginning group classes to his first tour with Holiday on Ice. “I knew I had to do everything in my power and that meant I had to be at the rink as much as I could, and not just when it felt good,” Winship said. “Always do the best you can with what you have to work with and you’ll be successful.”

“That’s a big one that helped me, not just through skating, but also through my life all the way until today,” Benson said.

Another life lesson is that punctuality is something to respected.

“If I was late on the ice, my coach docked my lesson time and I didn’t like that,” she said. “I made it a point that, if my lesson was at 5:30, then I was waiting for the Zamboni so I could be first on the ice. I have since driven my friends crazy because I believe that being on time means being early, but I drilled that into my skaters. Now I have so many former skaters who tell me all of the time, ‘I say that to my kids now.’”

There’s certainly a ripple effect of lessons learned on the ice that reaches anyone who is close to a former or current figure skater.

“I didn’t realize how important the life lessons really were until I had children,” Benson said. “As they got older, I found myself passing on wonderful, simple, but so important life lessons to them. Now they both talk about how it helped them, not only with sports, but homework and

“You have to work hard, stay focused and be devoted to what you want to do.”

— Lynn Benson, PSA and USFS Coach of the Year, PSA Hall of Fame, PSA Lifetime Achievement Award and founder and coach

so many other things. If I hadn’t learned those lessons, I never would have had them to pass on.”

One lesson that Benson said is not always easy to practice, but is vitally important, is smiling and congratulating in the face of defeat.

“Good sportsmanship can be difficult, but accepting defeat graciously is one of the greater lessons skating teaches,” she said.

“When you take that into the rest of your life, and you deal with something that isn’t good, but you deal with it as gracefully as possible, it can only make you stronger.”

“The Joy of Coaching,” edited by Patricia Hagen, can be found at www.skatepsa.com “It Figures… Life Lessons of Figure Skating,”

by Terri Milner Tarquini, can be found at www.lulu.com

Did you know?

Snow White and the Three Stooges Snow White and the Three Stooges (1961) starred PSA member Carol Heiss and was the most expensive Stooges movie ever made at a budget of 3.5 million dollars. The movie used the same ice floor that was seen in Sonja Henie’s movie Sun Valley Serenade (1941).

Images Courtesy Blakey/IceStage Archive

•

www.icestagearchive.com PS MAGAZINE

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Sport Science HEIDI THIBERT

Basic Biomechanics of Pair Lifts W

hile few, if any, studies have been done on lifts, coaches can apply biomechanical concepts to their understanding of pair lifts. The concept of torque is important in lifting. Imagine for a moment that you are not skating, but lifting a box. It feels easier to lift or carry the box when it is held close to your body with your arms bent as opposed to out in front of your body with your arms straight. In the first case, with the box close to your body, the box creates a smaller torque. (Remember a large torque is created when the distance between the force and the axis of rotation is large). With the box close to your body, the weight of the box is close to your shoulder joints and the box only creates a small torque that must be counter balanced. When your arms are straight, the weight of the box is far in front of your shoulders and the box creates a large torque that must be counter balanced.

Your muscles are responsible for creating the forces needed to hold (counter balance) the box. The less torque created by the box, the less force that will be needed by your muscles to hold it.

When a male skater is lifting a female skater, the same principle can be applied. It will be easier for a male skater to lift the female by keeping her close to his body as he is lifting her. When a female skater is far in front of the male skater during the ‘lifting’ part of the lift, she causes a large downward torque. This means that the male skater will then have to work hard and develop larger forces in his muscles to lift her.

A simple, albeit not the most practical, math example will illustrate this point. If a 100 lb. female skater is 2 feet away from the male skater as he tries to lift her, the downward torque she creates can be calculated as: torque = 100 lb. times 2 feet = 200 ft-lb.

The male skater must then develop enough force with his muscles to counteract this 200 ft-lb torque to lift her. If the 100 lb female skater is only 1/2 a foot away from the

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male skater as he tries to lift her, the downward torque she creates can be calculated as: torque = 100 lb. times 1/2 foot = 50 ft-lb. So the male skater only needs to develop enough force to counteract a 50 ft-lb. of torque, which is ¼ of the previous example.

A successful lift is stable and balanced: 1.) Height of center of mass (COM) - A higher center of mass makes an object unstable because it takes less force to knock it off balance. The higher the female, the more unstable the lift, necessitating sufficient strength, proper positioning and technique from the athletes for proper execution.

2.) Base of support - The larger the area of contact with the ice the more stable the lift will be.

Gliding on two feet is more stable than gliding on one foot for the man.

The center of mass of the male and female skater combined must stay within the base of support of the male for the skaters to maintain their balance. Having the hands of the male slightly separated makes the female more stable during the lift. To stay balanced, the pair must be careful to maintain the female’s COM directly above the male’s hands. If the female adopts different body positions during the lift, her COM will move slightly. A two-handed lift is more stable than a one-handed lift. It is easy to see how a female’s COM moves and can get outside a male’s hands by watching cheerleaders. Frequently, in cheerleading, the male shuffles on the ground to keep his body and hands centered under the female’s body as she adopts different positions during the lift. As she changes her body position, her balance point changes and her

center of mass shifts. In figure skating, of course, the male is not standing still, but is gliding or skating. Thus, it is imperative that that both skaters develop an awareness of these concepts and have proper strength, timing, and control when performing lifts.

This article is adopted from the PSA Coaches Guide to Figure Skating Sport Science and Medicine, 3rd Edition, (available through the PSA website.) The article meets the National Standards for Sport Coaches Domain 6-Sports Skills and Tactics, Standard # 27: Coaches will know the skill, elements of skill combinations, and techniques associated with the sport being coaches.

Benchmarks: •Identify and facilitate accurate demonstration of cognitive, affective, and physical skills essential to the specific sport.

•Identify and provide feedback on performance of basic techniques.

•Incorporate individual tactics that are safe and consistent with sport rules and state program goals.

•Analyze and adjust skills and tactics based on success and areas needing improvement throughout the season.

Torque

Torque is the tendency of a force to cause rotation about an axis. Sometimes torque is described as how hard something is rotated.

Torque is created when a force is applied off center. The amount of torque depends on the magnitude of the force and the lever arm. The lever arm is the perpendicular distance from the force to the axis of rotation. A large force produces a larger torque. A force applied farther from the axis creates more torque because it has a larger lever arm.

A simple example is removing lug nuts on a tire. It is easier to loosen the lug nuts on a tire if you push on the far end of the wrench because you have more leverage; your lever arm is bigger. If you have a short lug nut wrench or push on the wrench close to the lug nut, it is hard to generate torque and loosen the nut. You have poor leverage because you are using a small lever arm.

Center of Mass

The center of mass (COM) is the balance point of an object. It is the point about which the object’s mass is equally distributed. The center of mass of a person is typically in the lower abdomen area when standing up straight. It is fairly centered left to right and front to back. As she changes her body position, her balance point changes and her center of mass shifts. If a figure skater brings her free leg and both arms to one side in a spin, her COM will shift to that side.

Balance

To hold a static (stationary) balanced position, the COM must be over the base of support (BOS). The BOS is the area created on the ground between the points of contact. In skating, the BOS is the part of the blade that is touching the ice. Since this is very small, the skater must be able to control her body position precisely to keep her COM above the blade. While standing still, if her COM goes to one side of the BOS, she will fall towards that side. If her COM gets in front or behind her blade, she starts to fall forward or backward, respectively.

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PS MAGAZINE

15

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PSA N AT ION WIDE S EMINARS 2014

FULL DAY SEMINARS

12 PSA credits

Location

Host

Date

Atlanta, GA Boston, MA Minneapolis, MN Denver, CO

Aren Nielsen Susan Davies Char Martin Tracey O'Brien & Jamie Lane

August 3 September 7 September 7

HALF DAY SEMINARS

September 28

Ratings offered Sept. 27

6 PSA credits

Location

Host

Date

Wake Forest, NC Ardmore, PA Scottsdale, AZ Wilmette, IL Dallas, TX Cleveland, OH Jacksonville, FL

Scott Cudmore Regina Barr Doug Ladret & Julie Patterson Vickie Tassone Peter & Darlene Cain Bill Coyle & Nicky Kappenhagen Mark Scheff

June 27 July 12 August 16 August 17 August 24 September 8

T

his year's seminar agenda will have a focused, dynamic approach, valuable for all levels of coaches implementing PSA information and techniques.

Our seminar agenda includes: • Strategies & Practical Applications of IJS and MIF information — Taking IJS information from the off-ice presentation & demonstrating while on ice how to use that information to make the most effective coaching choices possible. (For example: taking what is learned about the IJS rules for achieving spin levels...and deciding with on-ice demonstrators, together, what the best spin choice might be for that particular skater.)

PSA is gearing up for another round of nationwide seminars.

Which one will you attend?

October 19

Ratings offered Oct. 17 & 18

• Competitive Advantage for Coaches — Throughout the off and on-ice presentations, presenters will demonstrate how adept use of PSA materials can create competitive advantages for all coaches--including grassroots coaches who are starting to have students competing in IJS events.

• Tools & Ideas for Building Your Business — Throughout the off and on-ice presentations, presenters will share their ideas and techniques about using PSA ethics, team-teaching, social media, and PSA source material as a means by which to keep students...and create an identity that attracts new students.

Visit www.skatepsa.com to learn more and register

PS MAGAZINE

17

Education CAROL ROSSIGNOL

Choreography: For the Art, the Points, or the Sport?

By Phillip Mills

C

horeographers choose from a wide array of treatments and techniques to get their creative motivation going.

We know that choreography is an outward expression of an inner thought, idea inspiration or replication of a specific genre of movement. We also know how choreography can assist in a skater’s decision to perform selfishly or unselfishly for the viewing audience. There seems to be this ever present idea of what choreography is to a figure skating program.

Some choreographers feel the program is only about their choreography while others may believe it is for the skater. A third group might weigh in that it is purely for the points.

As a choreographer with over thirty years of experience there have been times when I have utilized all three of these categories. It is the program’s primary objective that determines whether the choreography focuses on the skater or on accruing points. Let’s examine a few possibilities to clarify this issue. After winning the U.S. National Pair Champions Calla Urbanski and Rocky Marval found they were vying for their second title. With a solid win behind us we found there was a little more creative license to do something more focused on the art of skating. Cirque de Soleil was our musical pick for their short program for that year. While sitting in my living room listening to the music, I pondered which direction we should go with this program – sport or art? We had to review the facts: 1) They had very strong defined musculatures on their bodies, 2) They were very powerful like the music, and 3) They wanted me to create something new and unusual for them. While listening to this great music I was thumbing through an art book by Michelangelo that was sitting on my coffee table. I came across the nude athletic drawings Michelangelo had done and realized, “That’s it! We’ll create a program about their beautiful strong physiques.” Plain and simple the inspiration for an artful program was born. The purpose was to make them look like strong physical specimens that had their skin peeled off to reveal the muscles below. We knew we had hit the nail on the head for this new short program. It had to be authentic; the art demanded it.

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I sent Urbanski & Marval to the Chicago Institute of Art to have their costumes air brushed on their bodies. This process took over 15 hours of standing and flexing various muscle groups while the artist put layers of four different colors on their costumes. The muscle program was a huge success and it was well received at Worlds in Prague that year. I can honestly say the program was choreographed strictly for the art.

While choreographing the Jackson Pollock short program for Ashley Wagner for the 2012 season it became clear that that program was going to be strictly for the sport of figure skating and the increased pressure to gain points under the International Judging System (IJS). The irony is that Pollock, being an artist, would make one think that art was my sole objective. However nothing was further from the motivation for that program. The lens I focused on was choreographing a piece that was strictly by the IJS rule book. This program had to be focused on getting us back on the World Team. The Pollack music and story were chosen because of the interesting frenzy and chaos in his work. The dribbles and layers he was so famous for made me think of what a great skater I had to work with and how many layers she possessed in her personality like his paintings. We had to strictly adhere to the IJS (International Judging System) to get as many points as possible for Ashley while giving the judges and the public a beautiful program to take in. At the end of the season my wife Michelle, who was my greatest critic of the Pollock short program, and I both agreed that the objective was attained and that choreographing the Pollock short program for the sport and the points was successful.

This season I have the pleasure of choreographing a program for one of Japan’s finest skaters, Tatsuki Machida.

He came to me with fierce desire to bring The Firebird to life. His decision to work with me as his choreographer is based on his strong positive feelings about Ashley Wagner’s Black Swan program from 2012. I was concerned about the Firebird character and the content since we were new

LOV E O N ICE

“Dance is the only art wherein we ourselves are that of which it is made.” together as student and choreographer. The Firebird is a very complex character which is usually choreographed for a dancer that you know quite well. As a performer, I danced The Firebird many times but never as the Firebird itself. The Firebird in the ballet world is usually a woman. I had danced Prince Ivan and the ever evil Kastchei so I knew the other side of the Firebird’s contrasting relationships with these two characters. It was imperative to follow the story line so the music was carefully cut to condense this full length ballet into 4:40. Here was this amazing athlete who was very creative and determined to let me transform him from a man into this beautiful strong and fiery bird. There were three necessary objectives: 1) Make the program for the art, 2) Follow the rules of the sport and judging system to the letter, and 3) create something specifically to inspire this amazing skater. Of course the jury is still out as it is early in the season.

However after winning the Ondrei Nepela Cup in Slovakia and getting a Bronze medal at 2012 Skate America I think we may be on the right track. Dancers’ careers are not very long due to the rigors and demands on the body. I consider myself very fortunate to have found a career that has enabled me to continue on this creative journey. There is a quote I love, “Dance is the only art wherein we ourselves are that of which it is made”.

Nothing could be truer than that quote because we put ourselves out there as moving art to inspire and entertain the public and the judges. The sport demands that we stay strictly to the confines of the rules handed down by the ISU International Skating Union. Hence our question again, “Choreography, is it for the art or is it for the sport”?

This could certainly be compared to one the most famous questions of all time, “Which came first, the chicken or the egg?”

A Skating Engagement Adventure

By Craig Forsyth, Manager, Ann Arbor Figure Skating Club

The engagement adventure started on the night of Wednesday, February 12th. Brandon Forsyth, Rating Committee Chair and member of the PSA Board of Governors, surprised girlfriend Lia DiCicco with a late evening dinner and a Valentine’s Day card containing plane tickets to New York City for early the next morning. Both Brandon & Lia are skating professionals at the Ann Arbor FSC in Ann Arbor, MI. Brandon is also the Skating Director for the Flint Iceland Arenas in Flint, MI.

The Plan: A February 13th “Valentine’s Getaway” where

Brandon planned to have a romantic dinner, to be followed by a horse-drawn carriage ride through Central Park. The carriage was to drop the couple off at the Trump Wollman Rink where Brandon would propose “on-ice”. A photographer would be hiding, ready to capture the moment. A blizzard changed everything!

The Reality: A blizzard that moved up the East Coast coating the south in ice, covered the NYC area with up to a foot of snow on early Thursday, February 13th. Their original flight was delayed then cancelled. Frustrated and not sure how they would get to NYC, the undaunted young couple hopped on a flight to Hartford, Connecticut, during its final boarding call.

Upon landing in snow-covered Hartford, Brandon was able to rent the last SUV available. At this point they had no luggage and had to stop at an almost-deserted Connecticut mall to buy clothes. Driving to NYC they followed snow plows and arrived in Manhattan just in time to make their dinner reservation. In a truly romantic setting at One If By Land, Two If By Sea, Brandon proposed. Completely surprised and through tears, Lia happily accepted. After dinner, the joyous couple frolicked around the city, even sneaking into the gated-off Rockefeller Center ice rink to write the date and draw a heart in the snow. The next morning the snow had stopped and Lia & Brandon returned to Central Park where the photographer met them to take engagement photos at the rink and throughout the park.

More Reality: All flights out of the city on Friday the 14th were delayed or cancelled. Lia had to be in Traverse City, Michigan, early Saturday as the two Hockette synchronized skating teams that she coaches along with a Beginner team from Iceland Arenas in Flint, MI, were competing at the TriState Synchronized Competition. With no other option, they drove through the night. It was a 14-plus hour (never exceeding posted legal speed limits) from NYC to Traverse City. Unbeknownst to them, another winter storm was barreling up the east coast toward New York. Their good fortune continued as they skirted the northern edge of the second storm. Stopping only once, at 3am to swap the rental car for Brandon’s own, they arrived in Traverse City at 6:30am Saturday, greeted by a happy and enthusiastic Hockette family. The wedding is planned for March 2015.

PS MAGAZINE

19

s p i h s n o i p m a h C g n i t a k S d

e z i n o r h c n y S .

S .

U 4 1 0 2

BY ELIZABETH THORNTON

Crystallettes

I

had the privilege to attend and represent PSA at the 2014 U.S. Synchronized Skating Championships in Colorado Springs, Colorado at the end of February.

The PSA coaches’ meeting was held on Wednesday February 26th following the referee’s meeting. I love getting to meet our members and make new friends in the skating world! We hope that more coaches will be able to join us at the meeting in future years.

The competition was held at the historic Broadmoor World Arena, and the facility was great for synchro. I was fortunate to be staying at a hotel within walking distance to the arena, and I took advantage of the balmy 40 degree weather. It was a nice break from the negative temps I left behind in Minnesota! The location also gave teams the unique opportunity to tour the US Figure Skating headquarters and museum. How wonderful that so many skaters were able to learn more about the rich history of our sport!

The opening ceremony for the championships featured performances

by Max Aaron, Agnes Zawadzki, Ryan Bradley, and Pikes Peak Firecrackers, a local open juvenile synchro team. Bradley was clearly the crowd favorite with his

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program to “Ho Hey” by The Lumineers.

I have to admit that I have had a little crush on Bradley since I was young, so it was a wonderful surprise to have the opportunity to see him skate. But don’t tell my husband!

R EFLE C T ION S From beginning to end, I enjoyed watching the teams skate and was enthralled by the creativity in the choreography—particularly opening sequences. The Dazzlers Intermediate team was one of my favorite to watch.

Their alien-themed program was captivating, entertaining, and unique. DC Edge Adult skated to a TV show medley, which included reenactments of notable scenes from I Love Lucy, I Dream of Jeannie, and Bewitched. Synchroettes Junior team performed what I can only describe as slingshot spirals.

Many teams also capitalized on musical nuances and used small details to bring the program to life. Chicago Radiance Juvenile has some little girls with better dance moves than most of us could ever aspire to. Hockettes Junior showed the diversity of their skill set by skating to a graceful butterfly short program, then moving on in the long program to capture the essence of an

Junior Final Standings 1.

2.

3.

Lexettes Saint Louis Synergy Hockettes

Senior Final Standings 1.

2.

3.

Haydenettes Crystallettes Starlights

Alfred Hitchcock movie right down to the last deadly beat.

This year, more than ever before, I heard a wide variety of music, with regard to both style and theme. Esprit de Corps Adult performed a crowd-pleasing tribute to 90s boy bands…I love me some BSB! Western Michigan University Collegiate incorporated a piece from duo Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, and Ice’Kateers used music relating to flight and aviation. Of course, I did hear the obligatory Michael Jackson and an overabundance of music from The Great Gatsby, but I was still pleased with the range of music choices.

Eble Elite Edgers Masters team may not have been the best team out there skill-wise, but I can tell you they were definitely having the most fun! I love that our sport has something to offer

PROFESSIONAL SKATERS ASSOCIATION

E XCELLENCE O N I CE Haydenettes

AMES FIGURE SKATING CLUB Ames, IA

JACKSONVILLE ICE AND SPORTSPLEX Jacksonville, FL

BELLINGHAM SPORTSPLEX Bellingham, WA

KENDALL ICE ARENA Miami, FL

BLADE & EDGE FSC Omaha, NE

LOUISVILLE SKATING ACADEMY Louisville, KY

THE CAROLINA ICE PALACE North Charleston, SC

Miami University

for skaters of any age, and it is so wonderful to see teams where the skaters are on the ice just because they love it so much!

P S A BE S T P E RFOR MANCE AWAR D The PSA EDI Award for Best Performance at the 2014 U.S. Synchronized Skating Championships was awarded to Saint Louis Synergy Junior for their free skate program, performed to a medley of Andrew Lloyd Weber classics. The team’s deep blue dresses, paired with rich musical selections and engaging choreography made for a beautiful and touching program.

WH Y NO T SYNCHR O? If you are in touch with the synchro world at all, you have no doubt heard of the “Why Not Synchro?” movement as a campaign to get synchronized skating in the Olympics.

The slogan has been extremely successful in gaining notoriety on social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter. Between signs, rally towels, bracelets, tweets, posts, petitions, and pictures, it is clear that synchro skaters are extremely passionate and hopeful that the Olympics could be a very real possibility in the future.

Synchro skaters are extremely well-rounded, perhaps even more so than any other discipline as it incorporates pieces of every discipline. Synchro requires free skate skills, moves in the field, dance holds and steps, pair holds and lifts, and theatrical elements. Instead of trying to coordinate just two people on the ice, you’ve got anywhere from 8 to 20 skaters, depending on the level. Secondly, it is most definitely a spectator sport. Not only is there drama and danger, but there are fun things like parents dressed in costume to match the theme of their child's program.

There are chants and cheers for every team, and even the competitors cheer for their competition. This camaraderie makes synchro unique and accessible for the public. So really, why not synchro?

MARQUETTE FSC Marquette, MI

CENTRAL IOWA FSC Des Moines, IA

MEDIACOM ICE RINK Springfield, MO

CINCINNATI SKATING SCHOOL Cincinnati, OH

MID-SOUTH ICE HOUSE Olive Branch, MS

COLONIAL SKATING CLUB AND FLYERS SKATE ZONE Philadelphia, PA COLORADO SPRINGS WORLD ARENA ICE HALL Colorado Springs, CO CRYSTAL ICE HOUSE Crystal Lake, IL

EDGE ICE ARENA/ EDGE SKATING SCHOOL Littleton, CO EXTREME ICE CENTER Indian Trail, NC GERMAIN ARENA Estero, FL GREENSBORO ICE HOUSE Greensboro, NC HONNEN ICE ARENA Colorado Springs, CO ICE AND GOLF CENTER AT NORTHWOODS San Antonio, TX ICE CENTRE AT THE PROMENADE Westminster, CO

MOYLAN SKATING SCHOOL Omaha, NE PALM BEACH ICE WORKS West Palm Beach, FL PARK CITY ICE ARENA Park City, UT THE RINX TOTAL SKATING PROGRAM Hauppauge, NY ROCHESTER FSC Rochester, MN SAVEOLOGY.COM ICEPLEX Coral Springs, FL SHATTUCK-ST. MARY'S FSC Faribault, MN SPRINKER RECREATION CENTER Tacoma, WA STAMFORD TWIN RINKS Stamford, CT WASHINGTON ICE SKATING ASSOCIATION Mountlake Terrace, WA

2013-2014 Membership Year PS MAGAZINE

21

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PS MAGAZINE

23

the Evolution of the

Figure Skate=m The History of Boots and Ice Skates | Part V

by Bruce Poodles

Photo courtesy of the World Figure Skating Museum & Hall of Fame

=m Part V

Recent History and Beyond

In 1987, inventor and aerospace engineer Sid Broadbent was selected by the Sports Equipment and Technology Committee of the US Olympic Committee with the mandate to improve the figure skate. The USOC grant funded research from 1988 to 1992, testing ice-skate and bobsled-skate friction, which was reported in his manuscript, “Research into Skate and Boot Design and Blade Sharpening with Recommended Design Improvements.” He initially performed his research in the basement of the former Alpine rink in Denver in a state-of-theart laboratory Broadbent assembled. The lab featured a massive rotating boom, similar to the scribe used by “figure” skaters, and at the end of which the skates met with the ice. Various gauges measured the downward force on drag on the blade from which Broadbent could easily calculate the coefficient of kinetic friction.

Several of the conclusions from the report were used to create new designs. The most notable was the COPLANAR concept. Traditional skating boots were made from lasts used to make walking boots which mimicked the gait of a walking.

The sole of the boot was curved which simulated the rocker radius of the blade. The COPLANAR concept dealt principally with the boot-blade interface. The sole and heel surfaces of the COPLANAR boots and blades lie flat allowing the blade to be mounted perfectly, regardless of placement.

In order for the concept to take off, cooperation from boot and blade manufacturers was vital. At that time there were

no standards set up between skate manufacturers and boot manufacturers. Blades fit differently on each maker’s boot.

Harlick, Klingbeil, Riedell, and SP-Teri, along with MK and Wilson who were separate companies at the time, were initially supportive. According to Broadbent, “…of the two, MK showed enthusiasm allowing me free access to their manufacturing plant.” Additionally, he was appalled; neither MK nor Wilson had any technical drawings of their product. At the time, the blades were made to makeshift templates. MK bought Broadbent a drawing board and the needed instruments to produce the mechanical drawings.

Broadbent’s partner at the time was podiatrist Dr. Daryl Phillips. It was Dr. Phillips that thought a neutral posture of the foot in coplanar configuration would be beneficial. Dr. Phillips other concern was the weight of the boot, which he suggested could be reduced by using a carbon-graphite sole. A prototype was produced and tested by an elite skater who performed each jump through triples with no issues. Unfortunately, the technique was not cost effective for the industry and was not developed further. Dr. Phillips left the project and Broadbent pursued the COPLANAR approach by using the research funds to provide COPLANAR lasts to the manufacturers. SP Teri received a full line of lasts before funds were cut off in 1991. Future funding was promised by the USOC for Riedell and Harlick, but U.S. Figure Skating stepped in and the funds never came. Fortunately for Klingbeil, their custom-made boots needed no additional lasts to configure either the COPLANAR or traditional configuration. Ultimately, according to Sid, the additional expense for the major distributors combined with dealers who were afraid of their current stock of becoming obsolete made selling the product difficult, and by 2010 only about 1000 pairs of the COPLANAR were sold.

The other key recommendation of Broadbent’s research was a detachable toe-pick design. Twenty years later, the concept was patented and the first prototype hit the ice in 2008. The blade, called Goldquest, allows the full length of the blade to be sharpened and the toe-picks to be replaced or interchanged. In fact, according to the patent abstract, a smaller toe pick arrangement can be swapped once the sharpening has reached a certain depth, extending the life of the blade.

In 1994, hockey giant Bauer acquired the English skate manufacturer Hattersley and Davidson for their John Wilson skate brand with the intention of developing figure skating blades to go with their hockey brand. Shortly thereafter, Nike bought Bauer Skates from Canstar, but eventually decided that figure skating was not going to develop their core business and sold the skating business back to the Hattersley & Davidson management team. In 1997, Hattersley & Davidson bought the world's second prestigious figure skating company, Mitchell & King (MK), mostly for their chrome plating process and therein created a company that came to totally dominate the figure skating blade industry. The management of Hattersley and Davidson restructured the business in 1999 to fully concentrate on the sports world, changing the company name to HD Sports, as it is known as today. While the PSA had already been endorsing the John Wilson brand since 1978, after their purchase of MK, the MK brand was also submitted to the PSA for consideration as an endorsed product.

European skate company Risport Skates of Montebelluna, PS MAGAZINE

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Treviso, Italy entered the North American market in the 1990’s. Founded in 1972 by Armando Rizzo, Risport reduced the weight of the boot substantially by developing a patented molded plastic sole, wrapped in a leather veneer. In 1995, Risport became part of the Lange Boot company, a leader in ski boot manufacturing. Risport is now a key division of Lange and the Rossignol Group. Embracing assembly line production, Risport can produce up 1000 pairs a day using robotics.

The new millennium offered opportunities for new and old alike; some successful, some not. The Professional Skaters Association introduced the PSA Boot and Blade, a product based on the design suggestions from PSA coaches and manufactured to those specifications by John Wilson and Riedell Boot Company. The blade featured a 7” radius and straight cut toe picks. The boot was the popular Riedell model 250. At a retail cost of $135 dollars it was an excellent introductory free-skate package. Although sales of the PSA boot and blade were acceptable, it never reached projections. By 2007, the program lost steam and was shut down.

Another boot to debut was Legacy in 2001. Randy Nelson, a former SP-Teri employee, moved to Chicago along with two other former SP-Teri boot makers to start the new boot company using the Oberhamer patterns and lasts. SP-Teri had made boots from the Oberhamer lasts for a brief time after Oberhamer closed its doors in 1997. To keep expenses at a minimum, the Legacy boots were actually being made in a storage unit… it lasted less than a season.

Founded by Sabrina Merlo in 2000, the first Edea skates debuted on February 2, 2002. Merlo, daughter of Antonio Merlo and Caterina Rizzo, is the niece of Armando Rizzo, who established Risport Skates. The group spent two years on the development of the first Edea boot and continues to evolve their design. The Edea boot is marketed as the lightest skate, weighing in between 20% to 50% lighter than traditional style leather boots. The footbed is made of molded nylon fiber-glass and its design resists rotational torque. The thin footbed also lowers the skaters center of gravity creating a more stable feeling.

Rob Rudolph of Chicago was a short track speed skater who considers himself an inventor. Around the millennium, Johannes Bennink, owner of Maple (speed) skates was in from the Netherlands and met Rudolph in Chicago at the old Rainbo rink at Clark and Foster. Rainbo used to sell speed skate equipment and Cale Carvell suggested that there was a need for a lightweight figure skate design. Drawing on his speed skating background, Rudolph came up with an innovative design and Bennink offered to produce the blade. Johannes did make the first prototypes, but after a year or so he was not able to produce in mass and dropped the project. Rob continued to shop his design with several of the established blade manufactures, eventually entering into an agreement with John Wilson. After two years and a failed attempt on a patent for his design, Rudolph left Wilson, and finding a company in Taiwan who could handle production, formed Paramount Sk8s, Inc. Uniquely, Paramount blade holders are machined from a single piece of lightweight aircraft aluminum with a high quality carbon steel runner.

In 2008, Jackson Ultima’s parent company, Tournament Sports Marketing acquired GAMSPORTS Inc., the maker of Gam Skates. Tournament Sports is a privately held Canadian company owned by Kim Bauer, who continued a strategy of

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A fine selection of boot and blade manufacturers regularly attend our annual PSA conference Trade Shows. Come see them in Palm Springs!

acquisition by buying Rose Custom Boots. Rose, of Cambridge, Ontario, had been making boots since 1974 as a popular family-run business and was shut down shortly after being acquired.

For many years, Riedell skates were the North American distributor for the John Wilson and MK brands for HD Sports. In 2010, that relationship ended. That decision brought several changes and additions to the market.

HD Sports initially made a strategic decision to work directly with several independent skate technicians and coaches. One of those coaches was Warren Maxwell, a coach from the Dallas area. While the relationship was never finalized, Maxwell realized that the best-selling blades had all been designed over fifty years prior and for mostly double jumps. Maxwell suggested that HD, “...develop blades that would be more relevant to modern figure skating.” Since the millennium, HD did make several changes and innovations to their blade like introducing the parabolic blade and more recently adding composite materials, the rocker profile remained the same on their models. Maxwell decided to design a blade and go into business himself. His company SkateScience designed the first blade specifically made for triple and quad jumps. Specifically, the “sweet spot” has been moved backwards toward the arch, allowing the drop pick to engage the ice quicker. The rocker profile is in fact similar to the now-defunct Strauss blade of 20th century. The SkateScience blade is manufactured in Quebec City, Canada by Patins Step (Step Skating Blades). Step has been making blades for over 50 years. In fact, before Jackson Ultima began manufacturing their own blades, they were made by Step, who also produces the ISE brand for Jerry’s Skating World.

Another current blade made by Step is Riedell’s Eclipse brand. When HD Sports ended their relationship with Riedell, it created a void in product Continued on page 41

HONOR ROLL

3 of 4

COACHES 2014 National Synchronized Skating Championships Senior Haydenettes Crystallettes Starlights Miami University Junior Lexettes Saint Louis Synergy Hockettes Chicago Jazz

1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

Saga Krantz Holly Malewski, Shannon Peterson Loni Bertone, Jenna King, Heather Paige Carla DeGirolamo, Lee Ann Shoker, Kathleen Bowling Genevieve Coulombe, Kendra Flanagan, Saga Krantz Ramona Peterson, Kameryn Truman, Quinn Tyminski Erin Donovan, Marisa Hutchinson, Alison Maki Paula Bischoffer, Jaime Catalano, Lisa Darken

Adult DC Edge Crystallettes Denver Synchronicity Esprit de Corps

1 2 3 4

Jennifer DeSimone, Elizabeth Rhoads Stacy Sue Holland, Holly Malewski Alicia Carr Erika Hoffman, Donna Mitchell, Deidre Wilson

Masters Allegro!

Esprit de Corps DC Edge Denver Synchronicity

1 2 3 4

Carrie Brown Donna Mitchell, Deidre Wilson Jennifer DeSimone, Elizabeth Rhoads Caitlin Balch-Burnett

Collegiate Miami University Team Excel Michigan State University University of Michigan

1 2 3 4

Carla DeGirolamo, Kathleen Bowling, Lee Ann Shoker Merita Mullen Lesley Jacobowitz, Laura Sienkowski Erin Donovan

Novice Ice Mates Crystallettes Skyliners Synchroettes Intermediate Dazzlers Star Mates Ice Diamonds Team Delaware Juvenile Skyliners Chicago Jazz Mini Mates Starlights

1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

Erika Hoffman, Saga Krantz Denise Dobert, Holly Malewski Jenny Gibson, Nikki Wylan Kaleigh Corbett, Bobette Guerrieri, Geri Lynch-Tomich Debbie Buirge, Colleen Goldenberg Erika Hoffman Alexandra Gamber, Debi Gamber Wendy Deppe, Megan O'Donnell Celeste Cote-Estrada, Natalie Martello Tammy Cervone, Kristi Frank Kendra Flanagan, Samuel Mortimer Christine Heiser, Laura Kaplan, Heather Paige

Pacific Coast Synchronized Skating Sectional Championships Junior The Tremors

1

Lindsey Wolkin

Adult Denver Synchronicity

1

Alicia Carr

Masters Denver Synchronicity Capital Ice

1 2

Caitlin Balch-Burnett Lindsey Wolkin, Charlene Lambros

Novice Team del Sol Fusion Rose City Crystals

1 2 3

Karen Wiesmeier, Ashlyn Nadeau Jenny Rose Hendrickson Sabrina Uribe-Ventrella, Crystal Uribe-Schoelen

Intermediate Denver Synchronicity Epic Edge ICE'Kateers Silver Stars

1 2 3 4

Alicia Carr, Caitlin Balch-Burnett Brittney Olson Kimberly Kelly, Jamie Streeter, John Saitta Laura Erle, Lauren Wrenn

Juvenile Team del Sol

1

Karen Wiesmeier, Ashlyn Nadeau

Open Juvenile Fusion Tremors Denver Synchronicity Epic Edge

1 2 3 4

Tiffany Shih Paige C. Scott Alicia Carr, Lindsay Mariage, Kailaini Smith Brittney Olson

Pre-Juvenile Shining Blades Fusion Epic Edge Silver Stars

1 2 3 4

Susan Morrison, Brian Thayer Jenny Rose Hendrickson Brittney Olson Lauren Wrenn, Laura Erle

Preliminary Park City Icing San Diego Shining Blades

1 2

Erika Roberts, Haley Smith Susan Morrison, Brian Thayer

PS MAGAZINE

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2014 HONOR ROLL

Midwestern Synchronized Skating Sectional Championships

Pre-Juvenile Crystallettes Dazzlers Starlights Cleveland Edges

1 2 3 4

Stacy Holland, Emily Naperkoski Dana Murphy, Allison Sowa Loni Bertone Jeff Marshall, Alissa Mariage

Preliminary Teams Elite Cleveland Edges Fond du Lac Blades Chicago Jazz

1 2 3 4

Danielle Ostrower, Kristina Lohre Jeff Marshall, Alissa Mariage Jennifer McMahon, Heather Pagel, Stephanie Vogds, Holly Nudelbacher Jaime Catalano, Carol Gohde, Courtney Voss

Senior Skyliners Team Excel

1 2

Josh Babb, Pamela May, Jenny Gibson Melissa Delano, Merita Mullen

Junior Synchroettes

1 2 3 4

Geri Lynch-Tomich, Bobette Guerrieri, Kaleigh Corbett Wendy Deppe, Megan O'Donnell John Towill, Suzanne Laki-Echevarria Susan Petrucelli, Stefanie (Chrissy) O'Connor

Senior Starlights Adrian College

1 2

Heather Paige, Jenna King Ashley Carlson, Cassandra Milosh

Junior Team Braemar Hockettes Fond du Lac Blades

1 2 3

Starlights

4

Jessica Chaffee, Taylor Walker Erin Donovan, Alison Maki, Marisa Hutchinson Jennifer McMahon, Heather Pagel, Stephanie Vogds, Holly Nudelbacher Heather Paige, Chris Heiser

Adult Starlights Crystallettes Goldenettes Leather and Laces

1 2 3 4

Melissa Hampson, Stephanie Viggiano Holly Malewski, Stacy Holland Rae Ann Farrow, Dena Grissman Andrea Hall

Open Adult Eclipse IllinoiSkating Revolution Ice Connect

1 2 3 4

Deanna Willmarth, Cindy Baran Carah Ferrill, Kati Przybylski Jennifer Caron Amy Wright

Masters Allegro!

Ice Connect Eble Elite Edgers

1 2 3

Carrie Brown Amy Wright Craig Bodoh, Angela Johnstad, David Redlin

Team Delaware Precisely Right Capitol Steps

Collegiate Miami University Michigan State University University of Michigan University of Wisconsin

1 2 3 4

Carla DeGirolamo, Lee Ann Shoker, Katie Bowling Laura Sienkowski, Lesley Jacobowitz Erin Donovan Christine Wenger, Lisa Henning

Adult Espirit de Corps DC Edge Team Delaware The Colonials

1 2 3 4

Deirdre Wilson, Donna Mitchell, Erika Hoffman Jennfier DeSimone, Elizabeth (Libby) Rhoads Wendy Deppe, Megan O'Donnell Amanda Werner

Open Collegiate Fighting Irish Team North Dakota Miami University Northwestern PurpleLine

1 2 3 4

Tracey Mulherin Bethany Moe, Mallory Olson Rachel Funk, Caitlin Gallagher, Lauren Bracken Kathy Janik

Open Adult The Cutting Edge Ocean Blades Team Reflections Espirit de Corps

1 2 3 4

Nicole Krudys Kristine McKenzie-Wilkinson Amy Henderson Deirdre Wilson, Donna Mitchell

Novice Crystallettes Chicago Jazz Starlights Saint Louis Synergy

1 2 3 4

Holly Malewski, Denise Dobert Lisa Darken, Paula Bischoffer, Jaime Catalano Melissa Hampson, Kristi King Karen Giedeman, Charity Hendrickson

Masters DC Edge Espirit de Corps Team Delaware Essex Blades

1 2 3 4

Jennifer DeSimone, Elizabeth (Libby) Rhoads Donna Mitchell, Deirdre Wilson Linda Bacon Kay Barsdell-Alswang

Intermediate Capital Ice Chips Crystallettes Ice Diamonds Dazzlers

1 2 3 4

Becky Gallion Emily Naperkoski, Katilyn Peterson Debi Gamber, Alex Gamber Debbie Buirge, Colleen Goldenberg

Collegiate University of Delaware Team Excel University of New Hampshire Chesapeake Captains

1 2 3 4

Wendy Deppe, Megan O'Donnell Merita Mullen Amanda Werner, Kelly Richall Lauren Neidig, Stephanie Ellis, Colin McManus

Juvenile Chicago Jazz Fond du Lac Blades

1 2 3 4

Open Collegiate University of Maryland Princeton University University of New Hampshire Boston College Eagles

1 2 3 4

Kim Eddy. Sarah Eddy Rosanna Ryskasen, Rose Villalva Kelly Richall, Amanda Werner Martha Buckley

Starlights Saint Louis Synergy

Kristi Frank, Tammy Cervone Jennifer McMahon, Heather Pagel, Stephanie Vogds, Holly Nudelbacher Chris Heiser, Laura Kaplan Charity Hendrickson, Quinn Tyminski

Open Juvenile Dazzlers Louisville River Stars Metallites Hockettes

1 2 3 4

Novice Ice Mates Skyliners Synchroettes

1 2 3

Saga Krantz, Erika Hoffman Jenny Gibson, Nikki Wylan Geri Lynch-Tomich, Bobette Guerrieri, Kaleigh Corbett Wendy Deppe, Megan O'Donnell

28

MARCH | APRIL 2013

Debbie Buirge, Stephanie Stenson Rebecca Hatch-Purnell, Margaret Gaa Mallory Olson Erin Donovan, Lia DiCicco

Eastern Synchronized Skating Sectional Championships

Team Delaware

4

2014 HONOR ROLL

Intermediate Star Mates Skyliners Team Delaware Team Ashburn

1 2 3 4

Erika Hoffman Pam May, Natalie Martello Wendy Deppe, Megan O'Donnell Jennifer Cherry, Lynn Eisenhour

Juvenile Skyliners Synchroettes

1 2

Mini Mates Team Delaware

3 4

Celeste Cote-Estrada, Natalie Martello Geri Lynch-Tomich, Bobette Guerrieri, Kaleigh Corbett Kendra Flanagan, Sam Mortimer Wendy Deppe, Megan O'Donnell

Open Juvenile Steel City Blades Mirror Images Wallace Synergy Shadows

1 2 3 4

Jennifer Vicinie Jessica Stratton Kathy Valera, Jessica Atkins Gina Valenzano-Gomez, Val Legutko, Kari Pace

Pre-Juvenile Skyliners CNY Storm The Colonials Chesapeake Skipjacks

1 2 3 4

Sarah LeBlanc Blosat, Celeste Cote Estrada Carolyn Quinn Amanda Werner, Kelly Richall Lauren Neidig, Colin McManus

Preliminary Shooting Stars Skyliners Synchroettes Yellow

1 2 3

Team Image

4

Erika Hoffman Sarah LeBlanc Blosat, Nina Newby, Krista Shea Lori Zimmerman, Rebecca Haupt, Geri Lynch-Tomich Fiona Curry, Stacey Isenberg, Stacey Richmond-Orfini

Photos by Jay Adeff/U.S. Figure Skating

Haydenettes

Crystallettes Short Program

Starlights

Miami University

Haydenettes Short Program

Starlights Short Program

PS MAGAZINE

29

Philadelphia Skating Club and Humane Society A storied past looking to preserve skating to benefit the generations to come.

By Kent McDill • Photos courtesy of The Philadelphia Skating Club and Humane Society

T

he city of Philadelphia is the birthplace of many American institutions and icons.

It also home to the oldest skating club in the country.

The Philadelphia Skating Club and Humane Society was formed in 1849, the combination of two healthy groups. The first was the Humane Society of Philadelphia, organized in 1770 and charged with the duty of protecting the citizens of Philadelphia from the dangers of ice skating outdoors, namely, drowning. They patterned themselves after the Royal Humane Society of London, which had the catchy slogan “A Society for the Recovery of Persons Apparently Drowned.”

In 1849, many of those ice skaters protected by the Humane Society of Philadelphia decided to create their own club, and thus was born the Skater’s Club of the City and County of Philadelphia. It was the first skating club in the United States.

“That was a time when America kind of inherited skating,” said Ann O’Keefe, the former U.S. Figure Skating vice president and a former president of the club who is still on the Board of Directors. “It was a social sport and a social activity. It was fun for normal people to go out and skate.”

The website www.hiddencityphila.org, which is dedicated to the preservation of the history of the city of Philadelphia, suggests that the popularity of skating in the city was spurred by the fact that Quakers leaders approved of the sporting activity.

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Clubs have rules and guidelines, and so did the Skater’s Club of Philadelphia. Its objectives were to provide ‘instruction and improvement’ in the art of figure skating.

But its members, too, were charged with the responsibility of preventing drowning and helping those in danger of doing so. They were required to wear club badges when they skated and also were supposed to always have a reel of twine available to them in case of a skater falling through thin ice.

In 1861, after the Humane Society of Philadelphia folded, the Skating Club of Philadelphia absorbed its duties and organization and thus was born the Philadelphia Skating club and Humane Society (PSC&HS).

A favorite place for the club to skate was on the Schuylkill River, which was a vital shipping lane in the warm months and a home to the club in the winter months. Today the river still runs through downtown Philadelphia.

Upon the club’s formal creation, a domed clubhouse was built on Boathouse Row along the Schuykill River, and that was the meeting place of the club until 1910, when the club settled into the Philadelphia Ice Palace, where it hosted the United States Figure Skating Association National Championships in 1924 and 1934.

The clubhouse/boathouse included two bays from which boats could be launched to save people in distress.

A key factor to the popularity of skating in Philadelphia was that the Schuykill would frequently freeze over in

the winter to a depth that allowed for figure skating. It was a major meeting place for the citizens during the winter months.

A pivotal moment in the club’s history, one that still resonates with the club today, was in 1937 when the PSC&HS purchased land from Haverford College in Ardmore to build its own facility. The structure opened to the club members in 1938, and soon thereafter hosted two North American Figure Skating championships.

It is in that building that the Philadelphia Skating Club resides today.

While the Skating Club of Philadelphia has a solid status from being the first skating club in America, it also has a unique attitude toward skating that makes it a favorite rink for skaters around the country.

“It is unique in its structure because we never integrated hockey or curling,” O’Keefe said. “There are no boards.

In essence, you can step on or off the ice all around the surface.”

The rink is bordered on both ends by huge windows, which allows sunlight to illuminate the surface when the skies over Philadelphia allow sunlight to get through.

Also, the rink still uses a sand base, which was the material used in the building when first built in 1938.

“That is known to offer a softer landing; it makes it a more forgiving surface,” O’Keefe said.

There have been changes to the building. The rink was expanded from its original length of 184 feet to 200 feet in order for the rink to be able to host competitions. The club’s most recent national competition was the collegiate championships in 2009.

“But the club tries to keep as true to the original architecture as possible,” O’Keefe said.

There is a sad memory among the significant moments in the history of the club.

In 1961, the U.S figure skating team competed in the North Atlantic Championships in Philadelphia, which was a precursor event to the World Championships in Czechoslovakia. The team took the short train ride from Philadelphia to New York, then got on the flight that was fated to crash on approach into Brussels, killing all members of the team and much of the U.S. coaching contingent.

There is currently an effort being made to preserve the original boathouse home of the club. The historical aspect of the club and its original purpose remains a keynote to all who use the facility in Ardmore.

“We are the one who are in control of our destiny,” said O’Keefe, whose love of the club can be heard in every word she speaks about it. “We remain dedicated to figure skating. As a facility, we do our best to uphold the traditions and be a historian for the sport.

“The fact that there are no boards and no advertising surrounding the ice means that it is just you, skating and nature,” she said. “We provide the opportunity to step into the past and be in a figure skating world.”

TOP: A wintery scene welcomes you to the club MIDDLE: Skate on ice without boards BOTTOM & OPPOSITE PAGE: The Delaware River mural depicting the winter of 1856 was originally installed above the upstairs lounge and fireplace when the building was first built. It was created by a local lithographer named James Queen and in 2009 an exact replica was put in its place to retire the aged original.

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2014 PSA EDI NOMINATIONS Winners will be announced at the 2014 Awards Dinner May 23 in Palm Springs, CA

Honorary and Lifetime Achievement

Debbie Stoery — Debbie became the youngest coach to pass the highest Master Rating in Figures & Free Skating in 1976 and is one of few coaches in the world to hold three of the highest ratings since she passed the Master in Choreography in 1989 and the Master rating in Moves in the Field in 1997. A recognized leader in utilizing sports science developments to maximize the progress, health, and safety of her students, Debbie chaired the PSA Sports Science Committee for five years and was the first coach on the six-member board of the US Figure Skating’s Sports Medicine Society. Debbie has also served as a PSA Area Representative and on numerous PSA committees. She has been involved with the rewrite of the Choreography exam over 3 different decades, has presented at numerous seminars and conferences, and served as a rating examiner. She was the editor of the PS magazine for 2 years and also has written many articles for the magazine.

John Nicks — For his contribution to the sport of figure skating in the United States over a lifetime of coaching. Some will say “no description needed.”

Sundae Bafo-Lebel — Sundae has been a leading force in synchronized skating from the beginning when it was called precision skating. Her Hot Fudge Sundae teams won numerous national medals for years. Her novice and junior teams were the champions at the 1984 US Precision Championships, the first Championships held. Over the years, Sundae has been actively training teams, been a PSA rating examiner (MFF, MS), and spoken at countless seminars, camps, and conferences. She continues to be a positive mentor for coaches and a motivating persona to athletes. Nowadays she does not coach a team of her own, but she continues to regularly travel to a few Team USA synchro teams to help with choreography, expression, and motivation. Many synchronized team coaches today consider Sundae to be one of the founding “mothers.”

Susan Caudill — Susan was on the PSA Board for many years and served as treasurer on the Executive Board. She volunteered and dedicated a great deal of time to the organization.

Although, she has been in the background now, she deserves to be recognized for her work in the past! She is master rated in XX and serves as a rating examiner.

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MAY | JUNE 2014

Betty Berens

Regina Woodward Barr — Regina’s husband died of injuries sustained in a car accident. A mother of two young children, she returned to her position as skating director and coach at Philadelphia Skating Club just two weeks after the accident. She demonstrates to all great strength of love and character. Regina sets the bar when it comes to overcoming adversity and being an example of how to move on in our lives when faced with tragedy. All of us at the club have benefited from her leadership and have the utmost respect for her.

Jenny Wesley Gywn — An emotionally trying year did not stop Jenny from keeping the Extreme Ice Center's skating school (and other programs, which included hosting the largest regional championships) from missing a beat.

She endured a year with both of her parents seriously ill and then needed to help them cope with the sudden death of her 40-year old brother. She managed to overcome the emotional adversity in her personal life with strength and relentless dedication to her profession. Jenny continues working late into the night at home as she steadfastly provides a positive and successful environment for athletes and coaches alike.

Liz Egetoe — Liz was diagnosed with Scoliosis at a very young age and faced a fatal prognosis. At the age of 12, she had 18 vertebrae fused. For over two years she recovered and observed skating from the bench.

Skating for her became an impossibility, so then she committed herself to coaching. She rarely complains about her back and works hard every day to better the opportunities for her skaters as well as keeping the rink’s best interest at heart. She has a lifelong goal to better her skaters and work with all ages and skill levels.

Barbara Brown — Barb has overcome breast cancer, the sudden death of her husband and the death of her mother in January

2014. It has been a very difficult year filled with sadness, challenge and strength.

F. Ritter Shumway

Audrey Weisiger — Beyond coaching National, Olympic and World talent, her desire to continue Brian Wright's memory and creativity through Young Artists Showcase has influenced creativity at every level of skating-beginner through Olympic, competitive and show skating. Over the course of her career, Audrey has stayed on the cutting edge of teaching using technology and continuing her own education. Audrey has touched the lives of many young athletes throughout the country and always has a smile and a positive attitude.

Mitch Moyer — As the Senior Director of High Performance at US Figure Skating, Mitch has represented skating and skating coaches in all types of situa-

The current Edi award was designed by Meghan and Douglas TaylorGebler.

tions including the Olympics and taking care of our Olympic team. He works tremendous hours and is always ready with a great piece of advice or direction. He continues his involvement with PSA in many ways including serving as a rating examiner.

Two previous Edi award designs

Gale Tanger — For as long as all of us can remember, she has dedicated her life to the development of skating in the US and internationally. Gale continues to participate locally in non-qualifying events and US Figure Skating test sessions to globally in World Championships/Olympic competition. She has passionately dedicated her life to improving figure skating through her roles in the ISU and US Figure Skating. Her efforts have been unending, and her character and integrity are of the highest level!

Joe Serafine Volunteer of the Year

Paula Maniago — A U.S. Figure Skating judge, Paula has researched, prepared and edited PSA's Dance and Moves in the Field booklets from the very first editions. We are on the 6.2 edition of the Dance and the 6.0 edition of the MIF booklets. Thousands of coaches each and every day across the US are using these booklets, and all income from the sale of these books go to PSA. Alex Chang — Alex has vast knowledge and has contributed many hours to the advancement in coaching. He is on multiple committees and does so much to help our organization. He is a wonderful bridge between US Figure Skating and PSA. Gloria Leous — While her work may not be front and center, behind the scenes Gloria organizes and coordinates 17 volunteers and a plethora of information, ensuring all coaches in the PSA receive information in a timely fashion as the Area Representative Chair.

The dissemination of information is vital for all coaches in the sport and Gloria ensures we all receive it!

Gustave Lussi

Doug Mattis — With his impressive enthusiasm for skating, Doug has an ability to represent our sport through social media in a positive way and brings such a breath of fresh air to the sport we love. In addition, Doug was in charge of the successful PSA Nationwide seminars delivered this fall throughout the country.

Jeremy Abbott — He really found his courage in front of the whole world. He is perfectly imperfect and wonderful. Jeremy showed tremendous courage and tenacity at the Olympic Games.

Charlie White — His sportsmanship, humility and supportive behavior through the Olympics was truly awesome - what a positive role model. His Olympic Gold medal is only icing on the cake for this champion.

Sonja Henie

small amount this great lady has contributed to the sport over the years. She is volunteering at Special Olympics as a judge or judging US Figure Skating tests and competitions (synchro included) with grace and knowledge. She inspires coaches, parents and skaters to be the best they can be. Her legacy is not only what she has contributed but the many ways her family continues to be dedicated to skating.

Amanda Evora — She paired with Scott Thornton in Canada to win “Battle of the Blades” in November and then returned to Florida to help coach Nathan and Felicia to the Olympic Games. Amanda balanced performing/competing and coaching at a high level, which she handled with great charm and ease. Who will ever forget Jim Peterson picking up Amanda in the Kiss and Cry and twirling her around as Nathan and Felicia scores were announced in Boston?

Larry Mondschein — Larry is an international judge and is a significant asset to US Figure Skating that is built around a strong volunteer community. He has held numerous committee chair positions, recently as head of Hall of Fame nominating chair, serves as team leader and travels to endless test sessions and competitions. He truly cares about our sport of figure skating.

Cindy Stuart — With her connections to Disney on Ice coupled with her strong choreography skills in the competitive world, Cindy continues to bring skating into a positive light publicly.

In addition, she has touched the lives of countless skaters over time by teaching them the value of continuing to express their love for skating in any venue available to them.

Meryl Davis — A humble, positive role model.

Meryl represented herself and our country with the highest of standards through all the media coverage leading up to and during the Olympics. She then delivered, with Charlie, at the Olympics (twice) the performances she and the entire country dreamed of.

Distinguished Official of the Year

Kathy Slack and John Millier — They led our Olympic group with such pride! John for his dedication to US Ice Dancing, helped start the US Figure Skating Dance Camp in Baltimore and is an integral part of its growing success. Kathy has given most importantly to the athletes of our sport, her time, energy and dedication for so many years. In addition to her duties for the Olympics she served as nominating chair this year for US Figure Skating.

RoseMary Santee — I only have witnessed a

Wayne Hundley — For his consistent dedication to the sport this year and years past. His organization and commitment to the SoCal Interclub Series has given our younger skaters a great goal to strive for in the "off season.” This has given a feeling of accomplishment and self-worth to more than just the kids who get to the U.S. Figure Skating Championships.

The PSA is sincerely grateful to the EDI award sculptors Meghan and Douglas Taylor-Gebler. In 2012, their second design of the EDI award was revealed at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in San Jose, CA. (Opposite page) This is the third year our recipients will receive the latest award series, which is inspired by the PSA logo.

The Professional Skaters Association is the proud owner of the largest collection of the Taylor-Gebler’s work. This collection can be viewed at the PSA headquarters in Rochester, MN. PS MAGAZINE

33

2014 PSA INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE & TRADE SHOW

CONFERENCE EXTRAS! Register immediately to join in the fun!

Driving a golf cart is a lot like driving the Zamboni, right?

Wednesday May 21, 2014 Tee Time: 2:00pm Omni Rancho Las Palmas Country Club

win me!

The PS Foundation Memorial Classic, our first golf tournament fundraiser, is fast approaching! Fundraising HONOR ARY GOLF COMMISSIONER is imperative to help cultivate the PS Foundation, which Frank Carroll delivers affordable educational opportunities to young coaches in our sport. The PS Foundation will strengthen the coaching community by providing the necessary tools for future generations to protect our industry.

We’ve come a long way since 1938, but there’s still much work to do to help young coaches grow and thrive.

Plan to hit the links with your favorite World, Olympic and Master Rated PSA coaches for a four-person team Best Shot!

The winning foursome will each win a FREE 2015 PSA conference registration AND a Vizio Tablet with WIFI

Register at www.skatepsa.com TODAY! Teams of 4 golfers • Rental clubs available • Grand prize tablets and free 2015 Conference registrations • Tournament fee is tax deductible • Tournament not included in Conference registration.

Ed i ’ s the

UE T PS A BA NQ AW AR DS &

2014

Have you attended the Awards Dinner?

This is a fun social event so bring a friend—or make new ones— and enjoy the company!

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2014 Edi Awards Dinner & Banquet Come be a part of the 46th annual Edi Awards! Join fellow coaches in celebrating the accomplishments of your peers. After a short cocktail reception, a threecourse meal is served and winners are announced and awarded their special Edi. The PSA’s annual awards are named in honor of Edi Scholdan, an Olympic coach at the Broadmoor Skating Club in Colorado Springs. In 1961, Scholdan and his 13-year-old son were among those killed in the crash of Sabena Flight 548, which was carrying the entire U.S. Figure Skating team to the 1961 World Figure Skating Championships. Edi was president of the Professional Skaters Association from 1950 to 1954 and was inducted to the inaugural class of our Coaches Hall of Fame in 2001.

Register online today!

Only a handful of tickets will be available on-site. They sell out fast!

follow the PSA!

COME JOIN OUR NUMBERS!

PRESS RELEASE

More than 400 coaches from 42 states and 9 countries are set to join us in Palm Springs with over 100 Rating exams scheduled, 18 holes of golf to be played for the PS Foundation, and to learn from 50 of the best presenters in the world on over 60 topics all packed into 6 fun-filled days.

Social events:

WEDNESDAY 21st Golf tournament, prizes, & awards

Professional Skaters Association Announces

2014 Hall of Fame Inductees

The 2014 Figure Skating Coaches Hall of Fame class has been announced. The Figure Skating Coaches Hall of Fame is the highest award of recognition by the Professional Skaters Association (PSA), and recognizes a lifetime of accomplishment in coaching. Through the success of their athletes and their profound contribution to the coaching profession, these coaches have made a significant impact on the sport. Candidates 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 dead.

!

2014 PSA Coaches Hall of Fame Class:

THURSDAY 22nd Newcomer’s Meeting Meet Your Area Rep PSA Membership Meeting President's Reception

Christy Krall

FRIDAY 23rd Breakfast PSA Edi Awards Dinner

!

Trade Show

SATURDAY 24th Morning Panel Session

Sandy Lamb

This PSA Coaches Hall of Fame “Early Influences” category acknowledges influential PSA coaches from the early decades (pre 1960’s). This gives historical support to the profession and recognizes the forefathers that have contributed in a significant way to the organization to raise the standards and future vision of the coaching profession.

2014 PSA Coaches Hall of Fame “Early Influences” Class:

Trade Show ! = Extra event, requires additional registration

Desert Ice Castle

Rancho Las Palmas Resort & Spa George H. Browne The PSA Hall of Fame nominating committee is made up of all living Hall of Fame members and past PSA presidents. To be inducted to the Hall of Fame, candidates must be approved by a total of 60% of committee members.

PS MAGAZINE

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What Would Kat Arbour Do? To get the extra edge in figure skating, sometimes unlacing one’s skates can be the answer.

Armed with an education in physics, master’s degrees in exercise science and physical therapy, and a PhD in biomechanics, Dr. Kat Arbour took her passion for skating outside the boards.

The owner and operator of Ice Dynamics, Arbour is a believer in the benefits of off-ice training - that the proper regimen can go a long way in preventing injuries and can vastly improve on-ice performance. Having worked with Olympic- and World-level athletes, she has done extensive research on the impact of take-offs and landings for single, double and triple jumps. A former chair and member of U.S. Figure Skating’s Sports Science and Medicine Committee and the recipient of the 2006 “Doc” Councilman Award for Innovative Sports Science awarded by the United States Olympic Committee, Arbour answers the question, “What Would Kat Arbour Do?”

competitions throughout the year.

How important is off-ice training?

It is absolutely integral. I honestly do not think that competitive skaters at this point in time can accomplish what they need to on the ice without off-ice training. It’s simple: A skater doesn't want just enough strength to land one double Axel in practice. Strength needs to far exceed this so the skater can consistently land a double Axel when physically tired in a program.

You have devised “6 Training Phases” that comprise a year’s worth of off-ice training. Where did the strategy behind this plan come from?

There is a ton of information out there about periodization, so I didn’t invent it.

I just applied it to skating. The 6 Training Phases coincide with a skater’s on-ice training; intensity ramps up and down to match the competition schedule to prevent burnout and maximize results.

What is your main goal for the skaters you work with?

The overall goal is to be as injury-free as possible, which proper off-ice can go a long way in accomplishing. Of course, also to be in peak condition for the most important

36

By Terri Milner Tarquini

MAY | JUNE 2014

How did you decide to delve into the off-ice aspect of skating?

I was a skater (Arbour passed her senior tests in free skate, figures and dance) and then I started coaching and I went through my senior PSA ratings in Moves in the Field and free skating. Then I went to physical therapy school and thought, “Wow, this would be great for skating.”

I almost couldn’t wait to get done with school to apply it to skating. In the late ’90s, I was working as a physical therapist and eager to apply some of the training concepts to skating. Robbie Kaine gave me my first official off-ice job. There was a real lack of off-ice training back then, so I decided I could help skaters more by staying with off-ice training, rather than also pursuing on-ice coaching. I kept leaving to go back to school, but I kept coming back. I love the rink. I’ll be in one till the day I die.

What percentage of training do you feel should be dedicated to off-ice?

For my skaters who do three sessions per day, five days per week, they work with me about one session per day, about 25 percent. Is that the magic number? I don’t know, it’s not an exact science, but it certainly is working.

Is this an ideal model for the elite athlete or is this for every skater?

Though the specifics are different for elite vs. younger and competitive vs. non-competitive skaters, it is imperative that the off-ice training has cycles during the year between different phases with

different specific goals such as improving balance or strength or power or stamina.

It’s good for the body and mind to cycle through intensities; we crave that kind of change and physical challenge.

The new website can help skaters of all levels. I was doing a lot of one-onone assessments and giving extremely detailed programs for each skater, but not everyone needs an individualized program.

There are consistencies: everyone needs core and ankle strength, everyone needs a certain amount of flexibility and everyone needs to be able to jump high enough to complete rotations in the air. There are some generalizations that can be applied.

Through the website, I’m hoping to reach out to a whole lot more athletes and standardize off-ice training here in the U.S. (Arbour’s website www.icedynamics. net presents off-ice training strategies and training plans for lower-level, mid- to high-level and elite-level athletes.)

Kids are busy. Are there things that, even with limited time, a skater must be doing off-ice?

If they only have 20 or 30 minutes a day, they have to be very efficient. They must get in some strength training - I’m a big proponent of single leg exercises like squats with proper alignment. They have to be able to jump and land on one foot with the knee lined up over the toe - not bowing to the inside or the outside - and the hips pointing forward. Excellent alignment goes a long way in preventing injury.

If the skater is loosey-goosey, then they most likely lack core control and strength.

If they’re tight, then they need extra stretching and flexibility training. There should also be some type of interval off-ice so that the on-ice program is not the ONLY tool for training stamina.

In the end it comes down to good alignment in the lower extremities, which leads to safe strength and power development, core control, adequate flexibility, and interval training.

What do you see as the most harmful thing a skater can do as far as off-ice training that can actually adversely affect their on-ice performance?

difference between great and greatness is proper physical training.” And I’m going to stand by that. Timing is everything!

When you combine great skaters with a training plan to be in peak physical shape when they need to compete, that’s what can lead to true greatness.

Kat accepts the Pieter Kollen Sport Science Award at the 2012 PSA International Conference & Trade Show in Boston, MA.

The most harmful thing a skater can do is not communicate an injury to a coach or off-ice trainer. Off-ice training can address “annoyances” long before they ever become an injury, but only if the coaches know about it. Skaters are doing themselves a disservice by keeping quiet about pain. It is the coach’s responsibility to create an environment that the skater feels safe to report injuries or discomforts to the coach on a daily basis without being reprimanded.

The most harmful thing off-ice trainers can do is to forget that the focus of off-ice training is to ultimately augment on-ice skating. It is not its own sport. Don't make skaters so sore that they can’t walk for a week. It’s important to look at what’s realistic. On-ice and off-ice training need to go together and, whether a coach is doing their skater’s off-ice or having them go to someone else, the question should always be asked: “How does this relate to the skater’s on-ice training?”

On the flip side, what can proper off-ice accomplish?

There’s a quote on the website: “The

Are there things a coach can look for to determine whether their skaters need more focused - or just more, in general - off-ice training?

Coaches are excellent at seeing what their skaters need. They know if there’s not enough power at the end of the program, or not enough flexibility in the Biellmann, or not enough power in a crossover, or if the knee isn’t over the skate in a landing position. Coaches watch their skaters all day long; they know their strengths and weaknesses. Communication between the coaches and the off-ice specialists is key for the best outcome.

If you hadn’t been involved in figure skating, what would you have done?

(Laughs) I’ve asked myself that so many times in my life. I started skating at two years old so I have no memory of my life that didn’t involve skating. I went to school for physics and exercise science and physical therapy and then did my PhD in biomechanics. I would have been involved in the science aspect of sports somehow. I love sports and I love physical movement and I love science, so I would have blended it in somehow, but I’m glad it is skating. When it all comes together, it’s just so amazing. We get to spin like a circus performer hanging from their teeth. No other sport gives you that kind of freedom. It can be so frustrating, but it’s so amazing.

Do you have an overall coaching philosophy or mission statement?

(Laughs) Last summer was my first full summer training skaters in Boston and we had a quote when doing interval training: “Embrace the suck.” One of the skaters even gave me a shirt that said that.

Interval training is hard, and yes, it can suck. The skaters understand it’s going to be tough, and they embrace the physical demands, give it their best effort and are rewarded with great results. The results of off-ice interval training is easier on-ice program run-throughs, so it’s really not a hard sell. They ask me to do interval training quite often, actually!

Who or what inspires you in your work?

My motivation when I started was that I saw a void in skating where off-ice training could be. My motivation now is through the skaters I work with. I am fortunate to work with the full range of skaters from the lower levels through elite competitors. Regardless of their level, I primarily love seeing them enjoy training. Hopefully they will take fitness with them into their adult lives. Second, is the progress. The exercises can be difficult and require balance, stamina or strength, and oftentimes they can’t do it at first and then - one day—they can do it and there is a real sense of accomplishment. For them to be able to see that progress and get the connection? That’s a wonderful motivator.

Julie Learner was referenced in last issue's What Would Kori Ade Do? and her last name was misspelled. We apologize for the error.

PS MAGAZINE

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Legal Ease DAVID SHULMAN

Intentional or Negligent?

That is the Question.

R

emember the nursery rhyme, “sticks and stones break the bones but names can never hurt me”? Well, the law is still sorting things out. Cases awaiting decision in Minnesota and other states, on the issue of privilege or the rule on uttering untruthful statements, are important to all sort litigants claiming harm by the spoken or written word.

The law recognizes privilege in defamation claims against persons who are claimed to have caused harm to another’s reputation. In this article, I am using the word “said” as descriptive of writing a report, saying the claimed defaming comments to another, writing a letter, etc. It is communicating some statement to others.

Occasionally cases arise from filing a response to a prospective employer who makes inquiry of the past employment history of a coach. Be cautious of your response to such requests. Background investigations that result in remarks made that cause the inquiring person to exclude the candidate for employment is a starting point.

Recent cases have responded to such claims by dismissing the claim based upon a qualified privilege available to the report writer. Only a showing of malice, ill will, or exaggerated statements known to be false will overcome the defense. This is changing, slowly, but clearly indicates a desire to limit these cases. The message seems to be directed toward forcing a litigant to show at early stages of a case, that animosity, anger, bad faith, and intent to exaggerate conduct show a desire to publicly ruin and embarrass another person.

When spreading rumors or engaging in gossip which becomes malicious, this becomes an invitation to get into a very mean spirited lawsuit. Additionally, insurance which might exist in a claim by another against you is likely not to provide coverage. Even worse, the help from the insurance company may evaporate when the carrier sees that the claim is against you for an intentional act....not “mere negligence” and thus no defense is required to be provided by the insurer.

The courts are still in debate if certain comments made; response to request for past employment history, background check reports, past statements under oath

38

MAY | JUNE 2014

“substantially true” and statements made in good faith are to be granted absolute privilege. This privilege grants immunity from any claim regardless of falsity or malice.

You decide if the type of talk heard around a rink, if recited in open court, would pass the “no intent to harm” test.

And now the rest of the story.... avoiding liability through waivers.

Waiver is a word used in the legal community generally meaning giving up a right to act or take action. In business and with insurance, a large body of law has developed on the use of a signed waiver to avoid liability for injury caused another person and limiting acts or failure to act in situations later giving rise to claims.

Every time you send your child on a school sponsored outing, you likely signed a waiver of liability created to bar your claim against the sponsoring agency in the event of an injury while involved in the activity. Insurance companies have always felt that such agreements would limit the risk to their insured and thus cut the exposure to paying claims. Claimant lawyers said the waiver is not worth the paper upon which the agreement is printed....many times that was true as verdicts by juries tended to show. That was about to change.

Beginning in 2012 and continuing into 2013, state law makers began enacting legislation that essentially said liability that resulted from ordinary negligence may be limited, released or waived. Liability for greater than ordinary negligence cannot be signed off, i.e. by the signing of a waiver.

The document long thought to be worthless and generally making people mad who were asked to sign them, now are part of any trip, program or recreational activity. Make them a part of your programs in your rink.

What form to use? The insurer for your facility will have such forms. One had been printed and was in the last edition of the Coaches Manual published by the PSA. Each state adopting such legislation now permitting the use of such waivers will generate forms from law offices and insurers in that state. Better to use them and not need the form, than to need it and not have it.

As of 3/26/2014

NOTICE

Persons Banned or Suspended from U.S. Figure Skating, Ice Skating Institute, and the Professional Skaters Association Membership In reference to the Professional Skaters Association (PSA) Bylaw Article V the persons listed have been suspended or banned from PSA membership. In addition, these persons are not eligible to attend PSA educational events, purchase liability insurance or to hold active ratings.

Through a reciprocal agreement, the PSA recognizes each disciplinary action of U.S. Figure Skating and the Ice Skating Institute.

Persons suspended pending final hearing panel determination from the Professional Skaters Association Seth Chafetz – suspended September 18, 2013 Persons suspended pending final hearing panel determination from U.S. Figure Skating and the Professional Skaters Association **Genrikh Sretenski - suspended September 18, 2012 Persons suspended pending final hearing panel determination from U.S. Figure Skating **Regina Sumpter – suspended February 28, 2014 Persons permanently banned from U.S. Figure Skating and the Professional Skaters Association Tonya Harding - lifetime ban David Loncar – lifetime ban Marc Mandina – lifetime ban Gordon McKellen - lifetime ban Jacqueline Mero - lifetime ban Joseph Mero – lifetime ban Erik Pedersen – lifetime ban

Robert Young - lifetime ban **Laurie Van Den Bosch – lifetime ban **Renee Velasquez– lifetime ban ** D.J. Vincent - lifetime ban **Lindsey Sikorski - lifetime ban **Sandra Sikorski - lifetime ban Persons suspended from U.S. Figure Skating **Roy Cofer – suspended indefinitely **Daniel Gray – suspended indefinitely **Amy L. McCann – suspended until October 6, 2018 **Tricia Rubacky – banned from sanctioned competitions until specific conditions are met ** The persons noted have been disciplined under U.S. Figure Skating Bylaw Article XXIV and have been suspended or banned from U.S. Figure Skating membership [or competitions] These persons should not be credentialed, nor permitted to coach in any U.S. Figure Skating sponsored or sanctioned activity including but not limited to participating in qualifying or nonqualifying competitions, tests, carnivals and exhibitions.

For more information regarding the discipline of U.S. Figure Skating members please refer to the grievance page on the U.S. Figure Skating Website

ADDITIONAL NOTICE Be advised that the following persons have been disciplined under a joint U.S. Figure Skating/PSA grievance and have been suspended or banned from U.S. Figure Skating, and PSA membership. Per U.S. Figure Skating Bylaw Article XXV, these persons should not be credentialed, nor permitted to coach in any U.S. Figure Skating sponsored or sanctioned activity including but not limited to participating in qualifying or nonqualifying competitions, tests, carnivals and exhibitions. Per an agreement between ISI and PSA, these persons should not be credentialed, nor permitted to coach in any ISI national events. These persons are not eligible for PSA ratings, rankings and any current liability coverage is revoked.

• Donald “DJ” Vincent: Permanently banned from membership

Watch and Learn with Another Free Video!

Sheila Thelen PRESIDENT – Champion Cords EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR –

Grassroots To Champions

Here’s another awesome video – helping kids with POSTURE! This issue – you can WATCH FOR FREE one of my videos on iCoachSkating! “Champion Cords figure Skating Training Tools Improve Posture.” This video features Roni Maas’s student – working on keeping her head up. You only need to do it for 3 minutes – to get your teaching point across.

I love you can WATCH the video – rather than just try to read about it! Leave me your comments at the bottom of the page on iCS! Here’s the FREE LINK: icoachskating.com/cords THANKS! Hope this is helping your skaters!

Sheila »»CHAMPION CORDS ARE ENDORSED BY THE PSA Champion Cords can be purchased online at the PSA Store (www.skatepsa.com)

www.ChampionCords.com

New

MEMBERS NEW MEMBER SPONSOR Stephanie ARRINGTON Daniel AUGUSTE Sam AUXIER Rhiana BRAMMEIER Chelsea BROWN Rachel BROZINA Mauro BRUNI Maria Fernanda CEREZO Marie CHONG Elizabeth CHUNG Kathryn COTTON Steven COUSINS Alex DAMERELL Laura DIPAOLO Amanda ECONOMOU Jamilyn FASTH Jeffrey FISHMAN Alissa FOLGER Lyne FORGET Noell GOMEZ Oxana GRABOIS Amanda GREEL Cassandra GUERRA Danielle HAMILTON Brooklee HAN Jolyn HECHT Michelle HEDGES Jordan IHLENFELD Kristina JENKINS Kristy KAMIYAMA Meghan KENNEDY Timothy KOLETO Carrie LANGGUTH Heather LAVOIE Judy LIPSON Heather LIST Douglas LYNCH Mia MADERA-FONT Kelsey MATEYA Shelley MCARTHUR Joey MILLET Haley MULERA Lena NGUYEN

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MAY | JUNE 2014

Jacquelyn Packard Michelle Poley Marvin Heidi Thibert Annamarie Leik Dia Toussaint-McGaughey Maude White Yebin Mok Elizabeth Thornton Annette Thomas PATRON Darlene Cain Doug Ladret Jenni Flores Hillary Eberle Colleen Mickey Cynthia Tang Steven Pottenger Sarah Capizzo Carol Rossignol Andrew Naylor Elizabeth Thornton Amy Hanson-Kuleszka Crystalrose Guerra Ann Wehr Serhii Vaypan Amy Torcasso Thomas M Amon Elisa Nash Jenny Lee Patti Brinkley Kris Shakarijan Micki Freier Baiba Zvejnieks Marina Khaltourina Lisa Rockefeller-Valentine Rebecca Samson Ikaika Young Gilbert Sosa Wendy Baker Traci Coleman Andrew Foland Miranda Allison Dia Toussaint-McGaughey

NEW MEMBER SPONSOR Tessa OSTERMANN Kelsey PARKER Denys PETROV Laurent PORTERET Andrea RADOS Emily ROTH Valentina RUDCHENKO Megan SMITH Brendan SULLIVAN Samantha VINIK Tatyana VORONOVA Karen WATSON Clay WENTE Caitlin YANKOWSKAS

Victor Farrow Justin Dillon Bianca Butler Mallory Wetherington Cynthia Tang Deb Gaultier Christopher Wan Cheryl Faust Pam Leary Lori Zimmerman Oleksandr Romanenko Lea Rizer Josh Kern Hamish Gaman

RANKINGS Sergey Meller- Level II Sara Jack-Grzymkowski- Level II Danette Trett- Level III Melanie Lambert- Level III Jerry Wheeler- Level III Choeleen Loundagin- Level III Fred Palascak- Level III Candice Brown-Burek- Level IV Lisa Nowak-Spearing- Level IV Mary Alice Antensteiner- Level IV Susan Chabot-Liss- Level V John Saitta- Level V Ravi Walia- Level VIII Kori Ade- Level VIII

Do you know coaches who are new to the profession, or are there skaters (age 16 or older) in your rink who have the potential to be a great coach?

Welcom coaches! e

Help them get a head start on their coaching career, and encourage them to join PSA! As their sponsor, you can guide and encourage them to get educated and maintain professional membership with PSA.

Visit www.skatepsa.com or contact Elizabeth at ethornton@skatepsa.com to learn more about PSA membership opportunities.

Continued from page 26 with Riedell’s well established distribution partners. The answer to fill the void was Eclipse. Having an established blade manufacturer allowed Eclipse to enter the market quickly and with a better quality product than most start-ups.

Klingbeil boots came close to closing its doors in 2012. Don Klingbeil, son of the founder Bill Klingbeil, had been tapping into his savings to keep the doors open.

As word spread that Klingbeil may close its doors, an outpouring of support from skaters helped keep the boot company in production. Shortly after that, the Adoni Group, a company that manufactures and sells shoes and leather accessories originally wanted to buy Klingbeil’s machinery.

Instead, they bought the whole company and expanded the Klingbeil brand to include a new Sasha Cohen line of skates for beginners, developing competitors and rentals.

In addition to the Cohen line of skates, the company was developing some new technology developed by veteran coach Bill Fauver. After a period of time, Klingbeil and Fauver parted ways. Fauver moved on to HD Sports as a consultant before announcing plans to debut the custom skating boot company, Avanta.

Avanta Skating Boots opened their doors this past January in Franklin, TN, and is the only boot manufacturer in the United States that is entirely owned and operated by skaters themselves.

Shortly after opening, Avanta announced that master boot maker

Will Murillo had joined the company as Director of Manufacturing.

Previously, Murillo was the lead boot designer for Klingbeil Skating Boots. Avanta initially will only build custom boots. Eventually, according to Fauver, “Avanta will add in-stock boots, followed by a patented line of dynamic performance boots. These bio-mechanical boots are designed to reduce injury by decreasing impact and increasing a proper range of motion.”

SOURCES

The Art of Skating. Irving Brokaw A System of Figure Skating. H. E. Vandervell & T. Maxwell Witham Wonderful World of Skates. Arthur Goodfellow Ice Skating. Nigel Brown Artistic Skating in the International Style, George H. Browne, The New York Times, November 28 1909 100 Years on Ice. Time magazine. February 10, 1941. Retrieved 2013/08/26 The Skaters Handbook. John Misha Petkevich. Charles Scribner’s Sons, New York 1984 Corporations Canada https://www.ic.gc.ca/app/scr/cc/CorporationsCanada/fdrlCrpDtls.html?corpId=3147711 Canstar Sports Inc. Acquires Hattersley & Davidson Limited http://www.thefreelibrary.comCANSTAR+SPORTS+INC.+ACQUIRES+HATTERSLEY+%26+DAVIDSON+LIMITED-a014888828 SEC Info - Nike Inc - 8-K - For 2/9/95 www.secinfo.com/d9xWk.a9.htm The Manleywoman SkateCast Episode #69: Donald Jackson NOVEMBER 18, 2013 Figure Skaters Blame Boot Design For Injury Plague, The Wall Street Journal http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB114014691681476717 Talking Figure Skating. Beverly Smith http://www.skatescience.net/diverge/testimonials.html New York News. Customers try to keep skate shop open http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?section=news/local/new_ york&id=8508693 Klingbeil brings fashionable designs to masses By Lois Elfman, special to icenetwork.com http://web.icenetwork.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20120928&content_id=39149346&vkey=ice_news Providing the ultimate edge; Littleton man’s inventions keep ice skaters’ performance sharp By Emile Hallez Tuesday, October 25, 2011 http://www.columbinecourier.com/content/providing-ultimate-edge Risport, Rizzo, Armando. Skate boot Canada Patent 2218780 http://patent.ipexl.com/CA/2218780.html CoPlanar http://www.iceskateology.com/Skateology/COPLANAR_SKATEBLADES.html Coplanar Boots and Blades http://www.iceskatingintnl.com/archive/features/coplanar.htm “iSKATE’s Boots and Blades Review” http://iskatemagazine.com/article/36 Avanta https://www.facebook.com/avantaboots

PS MAGAZINE

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CALENDAR

OF

EVENTS

M AY Date: Location: Event: Contact: Credits: Deadlines:

May 19-21 Area 16 Rancho Las Palmas Resort and Spa, 41-000 Bob Hope Drive, Rancho Mirage, CA 92270-4497 Oral Rating Site at 2014 PSA Conference PSA Office 507-281-5122 or byackel@skatepsa.com 1 PSA credit per oral exam taken Oral Rating Exams: March 15, 2014

Date: Location: Event: Contact: Credits: Deadlines:

May 23-25 Area 16 Rancho Las Palmas Resort and Spa, 41-000 Bob Hope Drive, Rancho Mirage, CA 92270-4497 and Desert Ice Castle, 68600 Perez Road, Cathedral City, CA 92234 2014 PSA Conference & Trade Show PSA Office at office@skatepsa.com or 507-281-5122 28 - 30 PSA credits Early Bird Deadline: January 21, 2014 Advanced: April 22, 2014

Date: Location: Event: Contact: Credits: Deadlines:

May 27 Area 11 Hyatt Regency O’Hare, 9300 West Bryn Mawr Ave, Rosemont, IL 60018 Oral Rating Site at 2014 ISI Conference [8:00 am to 12:15 pm] PSA Office 507-281-5122 or byackel@skatepsa.com 1 PSA credit per oral exam taken Oral Rating Exams: March 21, 2014

JUNE Date: Location: Event: Credits: Host: Contact: Deadline:

Friday, June 27 Area 7 Polar Ice house at the Factory, 1839 So Main St, Wake Forest, NC 27587 Half-day Nationwide Seminar [5:00 pm to 9:00 pm] 6 PSA credits Scott Cudmore scudmore@nc.rr.com 919-392-6151 PSA Office 507-281-5122 or byackel@skatepsa.com Register online at www.skatepsa.com June 9, 2014

AUGUST Date: Location: Event: Contact: Credits: Deadline: Date: Location: Event: Contact: Credits: Deadline:

42

Sunday, August 3 Area 9 Northland Ice Center, 10400 Reading Rd, Evendale, OH 45241 Ohio State Workshop [8:00 am – 12:00 pm] Dorothi Cassini Dcice1@icloud.com Register online at www.skatepsa.com 4 PSA credits July 25, 2014 August 11-12 Area 6 Baltimore, MD Oral Rating Site at Ratings Prep Training PSA Office 507-281-5122 or byackel@skatepsa.com Register online at www.skatepsa.com 1 PSA credit per oral exam taken Oral Rating Exams June 11, 2014

MAY | JUNE 2014

Please vis www.ska it tep for the co sa.com mpl Calendar ete of Events

JOB OPENINGS A U G U S T cont'd Date: Location: Event: Contact:

Credits: Deadline:

August 13--14 Area 6 Baltimore, MD Ratings Prep Training PSA Office 507-281-5122 or byackel@skatepsa.com Register online at www.skatepsa.com 28 PSA credits July 14, 2014

SEPTEMBER Date: Location:

Event:

Credits: Host: Contact:

Sunday, September 7 Area 9 Indian Hills Winter Club, 10005 Fletcher Road, Camp Dennison, OH 45111 Foundations of Coaching Course (FCC) – a professional development course for coaches [8:00 am to 5:00 pm] 12 PSA credits Dorothi Cassini dcice1@icloud.com PSA Office 507-281-5122 or byackel@skatepsa.com Register online at www.skatepsa.com

O B I T U A RY Peter Burrows Prominent figure skating coach Peter Burrows passed away on April 9, 2014, in Port Washington, NY, after a valiant struggle with a brief illness. He was 75.

Burrows was born in Manchester, England on July 27, 1938. He trained first with Gladys Hogg and then his main coach, Arnold Gerschwiler, in London and in Davos, Switzerland. His competitive record includes British Novice, Junior and Senior Men’s titles, British Junior and Senior Pairs titles, and World Team member. He was slated to compete in the 1960 Olympics held in Squaw Valley, but withdrew due to injury, going on to star in the BBC TV show “Hot Ice and Cool Music.”

In 1966, Burrows emigrated to the United States at the invitation of Hans Gerschwiler, teaching at the South Mountain Arena in New Jersey.

He subsequently taught for the Skating Club of New York at the original Skyrink in Manhattan and on Long Island, NY. He coached Dorothy Hamill in the period leading up to the 1976 Olympics in Innsbruck, Austria, where Hamill won the Ladies’ gold medal and later credited him for her win in her autobiography “A Skating Life.” His work with her established him as one of the most pre-eminent coaches in the United States.

In the late 1970s, a thirty-five year association with Sport-O-Rama began, where Burrows became a United States World and Olympic coach, as well as an international coach to skaters around the globe. He produced 14 Olympians, 26 World team members and numerous United States national medalists. Among his other luminaries were Michael Chack, Rocky Marval, Calla Urbanski, Kyoko Ina, and Jason Dungjen.

He directed a school at the Iceland Arena in New Hyde Park, NY for 19 years, as well as managing and consulting for several schools in the tri-state area. Burrows was a PSA master rated coach and a recipient of the IPSU Gold Medal Award for training a world champion.

SKATING COACH WANTED – The Wisconsin Rapids Figure Skating Club is looking for coaches with excellent communication skills experienced with coaching beginner to high level U.S. Figure Skating Programs.

Coaching responsibilities include Learn-to-Skate class instruction to Senior MIF and Senior Free Skating instruction. Please email your resume and references to Kevin Whipple, WRFSC President, at rtribe@wctc.net or mail to WRFSC P.O. BOX 32, Wisconsin Rapids, WI 54495-0032

HAYDEN SYNCHRO TEAMS seeking a talented coach to join their professional staff. Coaches of all USFS disciplines encouraged to apply. Required qualifications include: • 10-12 years coaching experience, preferably at the National & World levels; • Thorough understanding of the IJS in any USFS discipline; • Excellent communication skills with parents & skaters of all ages; • Ability to work in a collaborative team atmosphere.

Please respond to gailhmayer@aol.com with resume & cover letter detailing your experience & short-mid-long term goals. For more info on Hayden Synchro Skating Teams, visit www.haydensynchroteams.com EXTREME ICE CENTER (XIC) is accepting resumes for a Male Ice Dance Professional. XIC, member of PSA Excellence on Ice and multiple recipient of the “Fritz Dietl Award”. Located in NC, outside Charlotte City limits. Twin sheet facility includes Figure Skating, with a fitness center, dance studio, and other amenities.

Applicants must have: PSA, USFS memberships, liability insurance. Speak fluent English & be a team player.

Send resumes/inquiries: FS Director, DanielleL@ xicenter.com

Advertise With Us! www.skatepsa.com

Burrows had a decades-long teaching partnership with Mary Lynn Gelderman. Together, they forged a formidable coaching team that produced many high quality skaters through the regional, sectional, national and international levels. He was an avid golfer and squash player. Burrows is survived by his wife, Katherine.

There will not be a memorial service at the present time. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in memory of Peter Burrows to Little Shelter in Huntington, NY. http://littleshelter.com/howyou-can-help/in-memory-in-honor/

Igor Novodran Igor Novodran, 52, who coached in the Pittsburgh area, passed away March 11, 2014 when the experimental plane that he was piloting went down. Novodran was practicing “touch and go” landings in a 1998 Avid Bandit aircraft at the Washington County Airport, just south of Pittsburgh. A former Ukrainian national champion, Novodran had been coaching for over 30 years. He is survived by his wife Lana, and daughter, Anastasia, who is also a PSA member.

David Lowery Mr. Lowery passed away April 2014.

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