February 2026 Figure Skating podcast. An interview with 1956 Olympic Champion Tenley Albright. She’s the first American woman to win Olympic gold in figure skating (but don’t forget she also won silver in 1952!). Hers is a remarkable story of overcoming polio to stand on top of the podium, and then continuing on to become...

December 2025 Figure Skating podcast. An interview with American Pairs skaters Alexa and Chris Knierim. Together, they were 3-time National Champions and 2018 Olympic Bronze medalists in the Team Event. After Chris’ retirement, Alexa paired up with Brandon Frazier to win two more National titles, Gold in the 2022 Olympic Team Event, and Gold at...

Figure Skating podcast. An interview with American Pairs skater Timothy LeDuc. Timothy is a two-time National Champion in Pairs with Ashley Cain, a 2022 Olympian, and the first out non-binary athlete assigned to the Winter Olympics. 1 hour, 8 minutes. A full transcription is below. (TL: Timothy LeDuc, AM: Allison Manley) AM: Welcome back to the...

Figure Skating podcast. Ice skating analyst Jackie Wong’s website at rockerskating.com is the top source for the latest news about the sport. But most critically he has a deep understanding of the judging system, which makes him an invaluable resource for those trying to understand the outcome of scores and placements. 1 hour, 1 minute,...

Figure Skating podcast. With partner Guy Revell, Debbi Wilkes was a two-time Canadian National Champion, 1963 North American Champion, and the 1964 Olympic Silver medalist. After retiring from competition, Wilkes became a television ice skating analyst, an author, coach, and Skate Canada’s Director of Marketing and Sponsorship. Ms Wilkes was inducted into the Canadian Figure...

Figure Skating podcast. Courtney Jones is a World, European, and British ice dancing champion, and the only skater to win World Championships in Ice Dance with different partners. He’s been an ice skating judge, an Olympic Team Leader, and creator of two  compulsory dances. And he designed the iconic Bolero costumes worn by Torvill and...

Figure skating podcast. Elizabeth Manley is a 3-time Canadian Champion, 2-time Olympian, the 1988 World Silver medalist, and the 1988 Olympic Silver medalist in women's figure skating. This Canadian Hall of Famer is also a commentator and...

I’m pathetic. It’s true. I work at a web design and development agency. I’ve worked with some of the best designers and developers building some of the most amazing digital experiences on the internet. In short, I have all the knowledge and resources in the world (if not the direct coding skills) at my fingertips...

In March 2007, I posted my first podcast. It was an interview with Kurt Browning. In April 2006 I was working a mind-numbing job. iTunes was brand new (hard to believe it hasn’t always been around, but it was indeed new in 2006). Podcasting was also brand new. On the iTunes Store there were a...

November 2014 An interview with Parker Pennington. He won four US national titles (Juvenile, Intermediate, Novice, and Junior titles), is now a coach and choreographer, and the creator of SkateDanceDream. He discusses having Carol Heiss Jenkins as a coach, how he loves to help people any way he can, and how he was once a stunt...

October 2014An interview with Tamara Moskvina, one of the most legendary coaches of all time in figure skating. She was a 5-time Soviet Champion in Singles, and 2-time Soviet Champion in Pairs with different partners: Alexander Gavrilov and Alexei Mishin. With Mishin she was the World Silver medalist and competed in the 1968 Olympics. Since becoming a...

September 2014An interview with Renee Roca. Roca was a three-time US National Champion in Ice Dance with different partners: she won the 1986 title with Donald Adair, and the 1993 and 1995 titles with Gorsha Sur. Her longevity in the sport is hard to top, spending 14 years in the Senior ranks. Roca is probably best...

August 2014An interview with Brian Orser. This Canadian phenomenon was the Men’s Canadian Champion from 1981 to 1988, was the 1987 World Champion, and the 1984 and 1988 Olympic Silver Medalist. He performed brilliantly in two Olympics in a row, which is especially impressive. He was also the first person to land three triple axels in...

July 2014 An interview with Tom Zakrajsek. Tom competed in Men’s Singles and Pairs, then became a judge. But he’s made the biggest impact as a coach. Known for his technical coaching, he has groomed many elite skaters over the years including Ryan Bradley, Rachel Flatt, Jeremy Abbott, Max Aaron, Brandon Mroz, and Mirai Nagasu. He...

Author Christie Sausa has compiled a nice history of skating in Lake Placid, and all the forces that shaped the area that is now considered one of the best, if not most loved, skating centers in the United States. People go for the sheer beauty of the physical place alone, with its enviable location in...

June 2014An interview with Cecily Morrow. She’s a coach and former student of some of the best coaches out there (Carlo Fassi, Gustave Lussi, and Natalia Dubova). But her main and lasting contribution to the sport of figure skating has been her in-depth recordings of the teachings of Gustave Lussi and Natalia Dubova, through the video...

May 2014 An interview with Ryan Bradley, the 2011 US Figure Skating Champion, 3 time Collegiate Champion, coach and one of the favorites on the show circuit for his charisma on ice. Ryan talks about how he’s been able to develop that charisma and work with it, how he always wanted to be a “conversational skater,”...

April 2014 An interview with Sjoukje Dijkstra, the 1964 Olympic champion in ladies’ singles, the 1960 Olympic silver medalist, a three-time World champion (1962–1964), five-time European champion (1960–1964), and the six-time Dutch national champion (1959–1964). We talked about how she’s glad she became a figure skater rather than a speed skater, traveling and training in London as a youngster, and how much hairspray it...

March 2014 An interview with Silvia Fontana, 5-time Italian Champion, 2-time Winter Olympian (for the 2002 Salt Lake City games and the 2006 Torino Games), show skater, coach, reality TV star, and founder of Karisma Sportswear with her husband American pair skater John Zimmerman. She talked about working with Carlo Fassi, why her cats didn’t...

February 2014 An interview with the legendary Dick Button. What hasn’t he done? He’s practically the father of our sport (if Jackson Haines were Grandfather). The two-time Olympic Gold medalist invented many of the jumps and spins we see today, and he invented figure skating commentary. He’s a skater, producer, commentator, actor, truth-seeker, hall-of-famer, stirrer-upper,...

I was asked to be a figure skating expert on John Letherby’s show on TSN 1050 Radio Toronto. Listen to my preview of the Olympic Pairs Free Skate.

January 2014 A compilation of short, live, off-the-cuff interviews with whomever I encountered at the 2014 United States Figure Skating Championships in Boston, MA. Interviews include choreographer and coach Doug Mattis, Peter Biver, Dick Button, Hayes Jenkins, David Jenkins and Carol Heiss, Jirina Ribbins, the mother/son team of Stan and Fran, some local fans and...

I was privileged to be able to attend all the Senior events last weekend in Boston. To see our Olympic team get chosen was a thrill, and the skaters for the most part delivered fantastic performances: there were very few splatfests or meltdowns. I got three full-length interviews, saw countless friends, watched amazing skating and...

December 2013 An interview with Doug Wilson, the ABC Producer and Director that I interviewed in 2008 on SkateCast #16. He contacted me again to talk about his new book, “The World Was Our Stage: Spanning the Globe with ABC Sports.” It’s full of wonderful stories of not only his coverage of figure skating, but so...

December 2013 An interview with John Misha Petkevich, the 1971 US National Figure Skating Champion, two-time Olympian, USFS Hall of Fame member, author of two skating books (“Figure Skating: Champion Techniques” and “The Skater’s Handbook”), and the creator of the fantastic Harvard-run show “An Evening With Champions.” He was also a commentator for NBC, CBS...

November 2013 An interview with Donald Jackson, four-time Canadian Champion, 1960 Olympic Bronze Medalist, show skater, coach, author of several books, creator of Jackson skates, and member of more than a few halls of fame. He’s most notable in the history books for being the first person to land a triple lutz in competition (see...

September 2013 An interview with Tania Bass, dress and costume designer to world class skaters including Miki Ando, Sarah Hughes, Emily Hughes, Pang and Tong, Ina and Zimmerman, Michael Weiss, Jeremy Abbott and more. Her website is www.taniabass.com. Her dress for Sarah Hughes was featured on the cover of Time Magazine in 2002. She talks...

September 2013 An interview with Rohene Ward. What couldn’t he do well? Jumping in both directions! Amazing and unusual spins! Flexibility beyond belief! Choreographing his own programs! Signature moves! And all that talent from a kid with a disadvantaged background who had to take several bus transfers by himself to make it happen. And while...

June 2013 An interview with Ricky Harris, the first dedicated figure skating choreographer, and author of three books on figure skating and choreography. Ricky Harris skated with the Sonia Henie show, and created a series of successful workshops that are being continued by American Ice Theater with Jodi Porter. She did choreography for Evan Lysacek,...

May 2013 An interview with Caryn Kadavy, four-time US medalist at the US Figure Skating Championships, 1987 World Bronze Medalist, 1988 Olympian, professional skater, coach and choreographer. We talk about how she developed her fantastic triple loop jump, what it was like to work with Carlo Fassi and Toller Cranston, performing her brilliant short program,...

APRIL 2013 An interview with Phil Hersh, an award-winning journalist who since 1987 has been the Olympic sports writer for the Chicago Tribune and the Tribune Company. He’s covered the sport of figure skating through 10 Olympics (Sochi 2014 is #10), 28 US Championships, and 16 World Championships. We spoke about his opinions on some...

MARCH 2013 Part Two of an interview with Audrey Weisiger, Olympic-level coach (most notably of Michael Weiss and Tim Goebel), and creator of both Grassroots to Champions (G2C) and the Young Artists Showcase (YAS). In Part Two we discuss her collaboration with the late choreographer Brian Wright, the creation of G2C and YAS, her thoughts...

MARCH 2013 Part One of an interview with Audrey Weisiger, Olympic-level coach (most notably of Michael Weiss and Tim Goebel), and creator of both Grassroots to Champions and the Young Artists Showcase. In Part One we discuss her background in skating, how she became a top level coach, what it was like working with Michael...

I’ve been thinking about this for a long time. As I’ve just hit my 6th anniversary of this podcast, and as the 2013 World Championships get underway, I have been reflecting on my ten favorite things about figure skating. A lot of this comes from my perspective as an adult skater, so bear that in...

FEBRUARY 2013 Part Two of an interview with Carol Heiss Jenkins, the 1960 Olympic Gold Medalist for ladies figure skating, as well as the Silver medalist in the 1956 Olympics, a 5 time World Champion, and of course US National Champion. In Part 2, she takes us through her movie and television career, notably when...

I’ll admit that while I’m a rabid skating fan, I’m always a bit leery of skating fiction. I’ll devour a good autobiography of a skater, a how-to manual, or a book covering the history of some facet of the sport. But fan fiction has never held much of an allure for me. Perhaps because skating...

DECEMBER 2012 An interview with Carol Heiss Jenkins, the 1960 Olympic Gold Medalist for ladies figure skating, as well as the Silver medalist in the 1956 Olympics, a 5 time World Champion, and of course US National Champion. In Part 1, she takes us through her early days of skating all the way through the...

NOVEMBER 2012 Norbert Schramm is a German Figure Skating Champion, two-time European Champion, twice the World Silver Medalist, and one of the more interesting skaters from an already interesting era in Men’s figure skating. His inventive choreography and spins are still fresh today. He has continued his figure skating career in television and show production,...

OCTOBER 2012 The Pro Skating Historical Foundation is an organization that is working hard to preserve the history of professional figure skating by archiving historical artifacts and working with the skating community to contribute to the pro skating world. In this episode I interview four members of the Foundation: Jaya Kanal, Tony Kudrna, Dorian Valles...

SEPTEMBER 2012 The Ice Theatre of New York is a premiere ice dance company, that joins figure skating with traditional choreography and dance to create new forms and movements on ice. They also have quite an extensive outreach and education program for students and audiences. I spoke with Founder Moira North and Artistic Director Douglas...

SEPTEMBER 2012 Kelli Lawrence is a writer and producer who has written for both PSA (Professional Skaters Association) Magazine and SKATING Magazine. She is also the author of  the book “Skating On Air: The Broadcast History of an Olympic Marquee Sport” (read my review here), and she also writes a blog called State of the...

SEPTEMBER 2012 A prolific collector of figure skating memorabilia for over 70 years, Roy Blakey is the owner of one of the worlds largest collection of figure skating memorabilia. Highlights of his collection, and an overview of show skating, can be viewed at his website Ice Stage Archive. His collection is going to be featured...

Kelli Lawrence tackles the phenomenon of how figure skating and television intertwine in her book “Skating On Air: The Broadcast History of an Olympic Marquee Sport.” While even the most ardent skating fan knows that the two have enjoyed a long (and alternatively symbiotic and tempestuous) relationship, any reader will appreciate the incredible level of...

MAY 2012 With his partner Kyoka Ina, John Zimmerman  was three time US National Champion, 2002 World Bronze Medalist, and 5th at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics. He’s been a Stars On Ice performer, a model, a coach, and is also (with wife Silvia Fontana) the founder of Karisma Sportswear. He talks about starting...

MARCH 2012 With her partner Norris Bowden, Frances Dafoe was a four-time Canadian Champion in Pairs, one-time Champion in Ice Dance, twice World Champion, and the 1956 Olympic Silver Medalist. She discusses their controversial silver medal, how they changed the rules of pair skating, why Strawberry Ice was her favorite project for costume design, and...

Ordering information is below. I had never thought about the history of skating imagery used in art over the past several hundred years, but I’m so glad that Ms. Dafoe did. Her beautiful coffee table book “Figure Skating and the Arts” is a gorgeous book covering how skating has been portrayed in all mediums —...

T’was my 5th anniversary, when leaving the rink My muscles were aching. I needed a drink. My spandex was hung by the chimney with care Dreams of an interview with Saint Dick in the air. A legend of skating, the best of the best! This interview would put my skills to the test. Preceded by...

An interview with Leah Adams. Leah is an in-demand skating photographer who has photographed for several top shows, including Champions On Ice and Skate For Hope. She also conceived of, runs, and manages Figure Skaters Online, which creates and hosts over 50 websites for both upcoming and established skaters. In other words, she’s one of...

JANUARY 2012 Live from the 2012 US Figure Skating Championships in San Jose, California. In addition to capturing some sounds and flavors of the event. There are clips from both the Friday night and the Saturday on-ice event, with remarks from Brian Boitano, Pat St. Peter, and Dr. Lawrence Mondschein. There are interviews with: Rockne Brubaker,...

Day 3 for me here at Nationals, and I finally got some of my voice back so I could do some podcasting! I spent the morning sleeping in a bit to get really rested (a rare thing for me with two little ones at home) and went for a nice long walk. I ended up...

After a good night’s sleep (thanks Nyquil!) I woke up feeling . . . well, not a whole lot better. Ugh. So I decided to skip the Short Dance and sleep some more so I could push through for the Men’s Short Program and the Michelle Kwan Hall of Fame induction. I was NOT going...

Well, crap. Not much to report since I brought the bad sinus cold that my toddler and baby had with me to California. So instead of enjoying the warm sun of San Jose and getting lots of podcast interviews, I can barely speak due to having such a sore throat! I had to cancel both...

DECEMBER 2011 An interview with Lucinda Ruh. Ms. Ruh is a 2-time Swiss National Champion, star of both Stars On Ice and Champions On Ice, and was twice named one of the “25 most influential people in figure skating” by International Figure Skating Magazine. She astounded crowds worldwide with her gifts in spinning as an...

Canada has such a long history of fantastic figure skating talent that to cover it all would take several volumes. “Taking the Ice: Success Stories From the World of Canadian Figure Skating” is a wonderful overview of stories of skating from a wide selection of Canadian skating stars. As a coach, PA announcer, commentator and...

I was contacted out of the blue by Lucinda Ruh to be interviewed for the skatecast. Imagine my glee at finding that email in my inbox! Of course I was thrilled. She graciously sent me an advance copy of her new book “Frozen Teardrop: The Triumph and Tragedy of Figure Skating’s Queen of Spin” which...

NOVEMBER 2011 An interview with PJ Kwong. Ms. Kwong is a Canadian figure skating coach, television commentator, public address announcer, blogger at www.pjkwong.com, and author of “Taking the Ice: Success Stories From the World of Canadian Figure Skating.” We talk about how she got into commentating for television, why Canadian choreographers are so talented, and she reveals...

OCTOBER 2011 An interview with David Kirby, who knows everything there is to know about figure skating. His father show skated with Sonia Henie. His parents were Canadian champions. He’s been a Novice champion. He skated in Ice Capades. He owns ice rinks. He coaches. He was PSA President. He’s one of the first members...

JUNE 2011 An interview with Timothy Goebel, 2001 US National Champion, and 2002 Olympic Bronze Medalist. Also known as the “Quad King,” he was the first person to land three quadruple jumps in one program (and one of the few to accomplish that to this day). We discuss his quads, the change from 6.0 to...

I’m thrilled to be in this month’s Skating Magazine! Especially with such a generous article in terms of space. Thanks to Lexi Rohner for contacting me about doing an article on my SkateCasts, and to all of you who sent me kinds words about it via email/Facebook/Twitter. These really are a labor of love for...

MAY 2011 An interview with Randy Gardner, 1979 World Champion in Pairs with Tai Babilonia, two time Olympian (1976 and 1980), choreographer, star of Ice Follies and head of Randy G Productions. We talk about his experiences with Mabel Fairbanks, his injury during the Lake Placid Olympics that caused them to withdraw, and who he’d...

MARCH 2011 An interview with David Jenkins, 1956 Olympic Bronze medalist, 1960 Olympic Gold Medalist, 3-time World Champion and 4-time US National Champion. We discuss how he and his brother Hayes worked together, his loathing of figures, how a boxing promoter came to own the rights to his performance from CBS, and how he was...

FEBRUARY 2011 An interview with Yuka Sato, two-time Japanese Champion, World Junior Champion, two-time Olympian, and 1994 World Champion. Also known as a choreographer and coach to Alyssa Czisny and Jeremy Abbott. We talk about her having Olympians as parents and coaches, her training philosophy, and how she got lost on a bus in Canada...

JANUARY 2011 Live from the 2011 US Nationals in Greensboro, North Carolina. In addition to capturing some sounds and flavors of the event, there are interviews with: Charlene Wong, Todd Eldredge, Silvia Fontana and John Zimmerman, Alison Carey, Rusty (the In-Arena Host) Dan Diamond, Kori Ade, John Lee, Michael Parsons, Doug Razzano, Jerod Swallow and...

Debashish B. of Gibralter and Brian R. of Baton Rouge, LA, were the winners of the autographed Barbara Ann Scott photos. Congrats to you both!

DECEMBER 2010 An interview with Jojo Starbuck. With partner Ken Shelley, she won three US titles, two World Bronze medals and was in both the 1968 and 1972 Olympics. We discuss her career on and off the ice, her love for performing, and her incredible story of why the Japanese Federation made her miss a...

NOVEMBER 2010 An interview with Canadian legend Barbara Ann Scott, 1948 Olympic Champion, 4-time Canadian Champion, World/European/North American Champion, and the classiest woman in the sport of figure skating. We discuss her career on and off the ice, her numerous experiences with Sonia Henie, and why her little dog Pierre was her most embarrassing moment...

Out of 31 entries, Georgene T. of Nashville, Tennessee, was the winner of the free pair of SP-Teri Zero Gravity Stock boots! Congratulations, and send me a picture wearing your new boots when you get them. And thanks to everyone for your continued support! I’ll be uploading the next podcast in a few days: Barbara...

OCTOBER 2010 An interview with George Spiteri, President of SP-Teri Boots. SP-Teri has been making boots since 1963. We talk about the history and evolution of the skating boot, the worst pair of boots he’s ever seen, and dealing with stinky feet. 39 minutes, 36 seconds. Win a free pair of SP-Teri Boots! There is...

. . . Magdalena K. of Ontario Canada! She is the winner of the timeshare in Park City, Utah. Thanks to everyone who supported the SkateCast by entering. It’s very much appreciated. Next week I will be uploading the next podcast, which is George Spiteri of SPTeri boots. He is generously giving away a free...

I’m so excited to be able to start giving away cool stuff to my fans! A skating friend and fan of the show has generously offered me her timeshare in Park City, Utah, to be my first giveaway! This Park City resort package is available from December 25th 2010 to January 1, 2011 (though this...

JULY 2010 Part two of the 70th Reunion of Ice Capades in Las Vegas, NV. This was a reunion of about 600 former skaters, costumers, organizers, engineers, and technicians who were involved in the show. Interviews range from those involved from the 1940s to the 1990s. 51 minutes, 10 seconds. Check out the post from...

JULY 2010 Part one of the 70th Reunion of Ice Capades in Las Vegas, NV. This was a reunion of about 600 former skaters, costumers, organizers, engineers, and technicians who were involved in the show. Interviews range from those involved from the 1940s to the 1990s. 58 minutes, 25 seconds. Check out the post from...

JUNE 2010 An interview with Tara Modlin, sports agent to Johnny Weir, Rachel Flatt and Jeremy Abbott. Hear how someone gets started in sports marketing, and how she works with her clients. 36 minutes. Thanks to Fiona McQuarrie for transcribing these interview highlights: On her most embarrassing skating moment: Oh my God, I have so...

I took a ton of photos. Check them out:

MAY 2010 An interview with Allison Scott, mother to 2-time National Champion Jeremy Abbott. She describes what it’s like balancing life, work, and parenting with an elite skater, and how to make lemonade out of life’s lemons. 1 hour, 3 minutes, 35 seconds.   Thanks to Fiona McQuarrie for transcribing these interview highlights: On her...

From the Bob Paul episode (#38). It’s such a great shot, I had to put it here so you could all see it! Mr. Paul talks at length about the actual photo shoot during the podcast.

APRIL 2010 An interview with Bob Paul, 1960 Olympic Champion in Pairs with Barbara Wagner, Ice Capades star and top choreographer. 55 minutes, 29 seconds.   Thanks to Fiona McQuarrie for transcribing these interview highlights On his most embarrassing skating moment: [laughs] Skating in the last year of Ice Capades, I wore a toupee, even...

MARCH 2010 An interview with Rory Flack, top professional skater, coach, and creator of Ebony on Ice. 47 minutes, 25 seconds.   Thanks to Fiona McQuarrie for transcribing these interview highlights: On her most embarrassing skating moment: In 2005 I was doing a show in Lithuania, and I went to go into my triple toe...

FEBRUARY 2010 An interview with Tom Dickson, one of the world’s top figure skating choreographers. Students include Lu Chen, Ryan Jahnke, Matt Savoie, and YuNa Kim. 44 minutes, 20 seconds. Thanks to Fiona McQuarrie for transcribing these interview highlights: On his most embarrassing skating moment:  It would have to have been a performance in Ice...

Well, say goodbye to the old SkateCast logo. Started in 2007, the concept worked and I just kept changing the end number. But obviously it had a limited lifespan since the double O where I put in the loop figure was just not going to happen once 2010 came! So the logo had to be...

JANUARY 2010 An interview with american skater Ryan Jahnke, 2003 US Bronze medalist and World Team member, and founder of www.myskatingmall.com. 44 minutes, 6 seconds.   Thanks to Fiona McQuarrie for transcribing these interview highlights: On his most embarrassing skating moment: Definitely it comes instantly to my mind. It was Skate America 2003. The previous...

DECEMBER 2009 An interview with American ice dancer Richard Dalley, a 7-time US medalist, 1984 Olympian, ISU judge, and 2010 Olympic Team Leader. 48 minutes, 17 seconds. Thanks to Fiona McQuarrie for transcribing these interview highlights: On his most embarrassing skating moment: Probably the one that stays with me the most is when we were...

NOVEMBER 2009 An interview with Jennifer Kirk, 2000 World Junior Champion, US Medalist and World Team member, skating journalist and commentator. 41 minutes, 20 seconds. Thanks to Fiona McQuarrie for transcribing these interview highlights: On her most embarrassing skating moment: Now when I look back on it, it doesn’t seem that embarrassing at all, but...

A few days after our interview, Barlow Nelson came by my office saying he had a gift for me. He brought for me a copy of Maribel Vinson’s 1940 book ‘Advanced Figure Skating’ and a screenprint of the illustration of him doing a spreadeagle for her 1960 book “The Fun of Figure Skating.” Wow! So...

OCTOBER 2009 An interview with J. Barlow Nelson, 1953 US Novice Mens Champion and International Judge. He explains how judging works and gives opinions on the 6.0 vs IJS systems. 1 hour, 4  minutes, 53 seconds.   Thanks to Fiona McQuarrie for transcribing these interview highlights: On his most embarrassing skating moment: It happened at...

SEPTEMBER 2009 An interview with Dan Hollander, 2-time US Bronze medalist, and long-time member of Champions on Ice. 55 minutes, 28 seconds. Thanks to Fiona McQuarrie for transcribing these interview highlights: On his most embarrassing skating moment: Oh my God, there’s so many to choose from. There’s one that sticks out in my head, I...

AUGUST 2009 An interview with Debi Thomas, World Champion, National Champion and 1988 Olympic Bronze Medalist. 1 hour, 24 minutes, 47 seconds long. Thanks to Fiona McQuarrie for transcribing these interview highlights: On her most embarrassing skating moment: I did trip and fall on my face once. When I did my “Push It” exhibition number,...

JULY 2009 An interview with elite coach Slavka Kohout Button, who ran the Wagon Wheel Skating Ice Palace in Illinois, and was coach to Janet Lynn. 54 minutes, 53 seconds.   Thanks to Fiona McQuarrie for transcribing these interview highlights: On her most embarrassing skating moment: I can’t think of one exactly. Maybe when I...

JULY 2009 An interview with elite coach Slavka Kohout Button, who ran the Wagon Wheel Skating Ice Palace in Illinois, and was coach to Janet Lynn. 20 minutes, 14 seconds.   Thanks to Fiona McQuarrie for transcribing these interview highlights: On Dick Button’s influence on Lynn’s career: This was partially due to Doug Wilson, as...

JUNE 2009 An interview with Tai Babilonia, who with her Pairs partner Randy Gardner was a two-time Olympian, World Champion, and star of Ice Capades. 1 hour, 30 minutes, 46 seconds. Thanks to Fiona McQuarrie for transcribing these interview highlights: On her most embarrassing skating moment:  I don’t know what year this was, but Randy...

MAY 2009 An interview with Charlie Tickner, 4-time US National Champion, World Champion and Olympic bronze medalist. 58 minutes, 30 seconds. Thanks to Fiona McQuarrie for transcribing these interview highlights: On his most embarrassing skating moment: I don’t remember what year it was, I was still competing so it had to be in the late...

APRIL 2009 An interview with Michael Cook, who runs the off-ice training program at Skating Club of Boston. 34 minutes. Thanks to Fiona McQuarrie for transcribing these interview highlights: On his most embarrassing skating moment: It’s a scheduling moment. I pride myself on being on time and knowing who I’m meeting when. Unfortunately this past...

MARCH 2009 An interview with Alexander Fadeev, 4-time European Champion, 1985 World Champion, God of figures, and now coach. 43 minutes, 14 seconds. Thanks to Fiona McQuarrie for transcribing these interview highlights: On his most embarrassing skating moment: One was the Olympics 1988 in which I didn’t skate well. The second, and I think the...

FEBRUARY 2009 An interview with Lorin O’Neil, member of all three ice shows (Ice Follies, Holiday on Ice and Ice Capades), coach, choreographer, and technical specialist. 1 hour, 23 minutes, 13 seconds. Thanks to Fiona McQuarrie for transcribing these interview highlights: On his most embarrassing skating moment: It was 1961, and I had joined with...

JANUARY 2009 A compilation of interviews with various skaters and fans from the 2009 US National Championships in Cleveland, Ohio. 19 minutes, 3 seconds. Thanks to Fiona McQuarrie for transcribing these interview highlights: Allison Manley, podcast host: I unfortunately was not able to make it to Nationals this year, new baby and all, but you...

DECEMBER 2008 An interview with Jozef Sabovcik, 1984 Olympic bronze medalist, 6-time Czech champion, and 2-time European champion, author and painter. 49 minutes, 19 seconds. Thanks to Fiona McQuarrie for transcribing these interview highlights: On his most embarrassing skating moment: My parents did not know that I skated, because both my parents are ballet dancers,...

NOVEMBER 2008 An interview with Chris Howarth, 1980 Olympian, coach, and commentator for British Eurosport.39 minutes, 15 seconds. Thanks to Fiona McQuarrie for transcribing these interview highlights: On his most embarrassing skating moment: Oh, my goodness, there was one terrible one. It makes me shudder just to think about it, actually. I was competing in...

OCTOBER 2008 An interview with American ice dancers Kim Navarro and Brent Bommentre. 44 minutes 4 seconds. Thanks to Fiona McQuarrie for transcribing these interview highlights: (K=Kim, B=Brent, A=Allison) On their most embarrassing skating moments: B: Is this a PG podcast? [laughs] It was my first international experience, my first junior Grand Prix. It was...

SEPTEMBER 2008 An interview with elite coach Ron Ludington, himself an Olympic medalist, coach of too many incredible skaters to mention, and head of Delaware’s incredible skating program. 56 minutes, 13 seconds. Thanks to Fiona McQuarrie for transcribing these interview highlights: On his most embarrassing skating moment: Oh, I don’t think I have any trouble...

AUGUST 2008 An interview with Richard Dwyer, also known as “Mr. Debonair” from Ice Follies. 38 minutes, 43 seconds. Thanks to Fiona McQuarrie for transcribing these interview highlights: On his most embarrassing skating moment: I’ve had a couple, performance-wise, and we were talking about this just the other day, about celebrities and meeting people, and...

JULY 2008 An interview with Charlene Wong, former Olympian from Canada, and coach of elite skaters including Amber Corwin and Mirai Nagasu. Still one of the smartest people and coaches I’ve ever met. 43 minutes, 18 seconds. Thanks to Fiona McQuarrie for transcribing these interview highlights: On her most embarrassing skating moment: In the warmup...

JUNE 2008 An interview with Doug Wilson, producer and director for ABC. For 50 years he covered over 40 sports, and has been particularly influential in how figure skating is covered on american television. 1 hour, 18 minutes, 57 seconds long. Thanks to Fiona McQuarrie for transcribing these interview highlights: On his most embarrassing skating...

MAY 2008 An interview with John Nicks, world class coach of many top-notch skaters, including Tai Babilonia/Randy Gardner, Sasha Cohen, and Jojo Starbuck/Ken Shelley. And don’t think of calling him anything but “Mr. Nicks.” 48 minutes long. Thanks to Fiona McQuarrie for transcribing these interview highlights: On his most embarrassing skating moment: It’s very clear....

APRIL 2008 An interview with Frank Carroll, world class coach of many fantastic skaters, including Michelle Kwan, Linda Fratianne, Evan Lysacek and Christopher Bowman. 1 hour, 1 minute, 35 seconds. Thanks to Fiona McQuarrie for transcribing these interview highlights: On his most embarrassing skating moment: I was appearing on television when I was in Ice...

MARCH 2008 An interview with Jimmie Santee, National medalist, principal skater with Disney On Ice, and currently Executive Director of the Professional Skaters Association (PSA). 45 minutes, 22 seconds. Thanks to Fiona McQuarrie for transcribing these interview highlights: On his most embarrassing skating moment: Only one? [laughs] The one that’s kind of short but also...

FEBRUARY 2008 An interview with Phillip Dulebohn, former US National Pairs champion with partner Tiffany Scott, 2002 Olympian, and now a Coach in Delaware. 29 minutes, 17 seconds. Thanks to Fiona McQuarrie for transcribing these interview highlights: On his most embarrassing skating moment:  We were trying to make the world team for a second time,...

JANUARY 2008 A compilation of interviews with various skaters, coaches, and fans from the 2008 US National Championships in St. Paul, MN. Interviews with Del Arbour, Aaron Parchem, Figure Skating Universe (FSU) fans, Tanith Belbin, Brooke Castille, and others. 33 minutes, 33 seconds. Thanks to Fiona McQuarrie for transcribing these interview highlights: Del Arbour, skating...

DECEMBER 2007 An interview with David Santee, two-time Olympian, World Silver Medalist, now Coach and Technical Specialist. 45 minutes, 28 seconds long. Thanks to Fiona McQuarrie for transcribing these interview highlights: On his most embarrassing skating moment: If you skate for as long as I have, there are many. I was at an ice show...

NOVEMBER 2007 An interview with Shannon Peterson: coach of The Crystallettes, a synchronized skating team out of Dearborn, Michigan. 33 minutes, 40 seconds. Thanks to Fiona McQuarrie for transcribing these interview highlights: On her most embarrassing skating moment: Brand-new coach, directing an ice show.  They introduced me at the end, I came out to do...

OCTOBER 2007 An interview with Diana Ronayne: coach of Ryan Jahnke, Dan Hollander, and others, and now Director of Figure Skating at Shattuck St. Marys’ School in Minnesota. 39 minutes, 42 seconds. Thanks to Fiona McQuarrie for transcribing these interview highlights: On her most embarrassing skating moment:  When I was a little kid, I was...

SEPTEMBER 2007 An interview with Phillip Mills, former ballet dancer turned skating choreographer to elite athletes in the sport. 39 minutes, 54 seconds. Thanks to Fiona McQuarrie for transcribing these interview highlights: On his most embarrassing skating moment:  When I was living in Milano, Italy, with Carlo and Christa Fassi,  [there was] a huge arena...

AUGUST 2007 An interview with Amy Hughes, mother of Olympic Gold Medalist Sarah Hughes and Olympian Emily Hughes. 50 minutes, 27 seconds. Thanks to Fiona McQuarrie for transcribing these interview highlights: On her most embarrassing skating moment:  I was going through chemotherapy for breast cancer, so I didn’t have any hair, but I had a...

JULY 2007 An interview with Susie Wynne. Former US Ice Dance Champion, 1988 Olympian, member of the Torvill & Dean Face the Music tour, commentator for ESPN and ABC, coach, and choreographer. 55 minutes, 47 seconds. Thanks to Fiona Mcquarrie for transcribing these interview highlights: On her most embarrassing skating moment: It was during one...

JUNE 2007 An interview with Cindy Watson Caprel, elite coach of Deanna Stellato among others, and also a technical specialist. 37 minutes, 51 seconds. Thanks to Fiona Mcquarrie for transcribing these interview highlights: On her most embarrassing skating moment:  I actually have two. The first one was probably my last Nationals which was in Buffalo...

MAY 2007 An interview with Oleg Vasiliev, 1984 Olympic Champion in Pairs, 1988 Olympic Silver Medalist, and coach of 2006 Olympic Champions Totmianina & Marinin. 42 minutes, 24 seconds. Thanks to Fiona Mcquarrie for transcribing these interview highlights: On why he became a pair skater after being a successful singles skater: At that time in...

APRIL 2007 An interview with Rhea Schwartz, the force behind the adult figure skating movement in the USA and beyond. 41 minutes, 51 seconds long. Thanks to Fiona Mcquarrie for transcribing these interview highlights: On how she started skating at age 30: I was a new bride, and one of the couples that [my husband]...

MARCH 2007 This is the premiere episode, featuring an interview with World Champion skater Kurt Browning. 37 minutes, 40 seconds long. Thanks to Fiona Mcquarrie for transcribing these interview highlights: On touring: When you’re a young guy without a wife and family at home, then it’s exciting. But I’ve seen most of the cities [on...