Frozen in Time: The Enduring Legacy of the 1961 U.S. Figure Skating Team - Hardcover

Nichols, Nikki

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1578602602 ISBN 13: 9781578602605

Publisher: Clerisy Press, Emmis Books, 2005

Synopsis

Most sports fans have heard the tragic story of the plane crash that killed all the members of the 1961 U.S. World Figure Skating Team, along with sixteen of their friends, family and coaches. Now, for the first time, Frozen in Time takes readers inside the lives of the skaters, telling one of the most iconic stories in the history of American sport.

The dramatic focus lingers on two families of powerful women. Maribel Owen—the most famous woman in figure skating at the time—who relentlessly drove her two young daughters, pairs champion Mara and the spectacular Laurence, who graced the cover of Sports Illustrated. Myra Westerfeld, meanwhile, lost her marriage while guiding her daughters Sherri and Steffi to the pinnacle of the sport.

Author Nikki Nichols also explores the crash’s aftermath, an unprecedented period in American athletics. The U.S. skating program had lost all of its stars and struggled to rebuild with very young competitors, such as Peggy Fleming. But, perhaps the most far-reaching effect was the creation of a memorial fund that would support skaters who would not otherwise be able to afford the sport—among them Scott Hamilton, Kristi Yamaguchi, and others.

About this title

About the Author

Nikki Nichols is a competitive figure skater and journalist whose writing has appeared in the Indianapolis Star and Skating Magazine. As a skater, she has won an Indiana state title, a sectional title in the adults aged 25-35 division, and was a finalist at the 2005 U.S. Adult National Championships. She is engaged to be married to her pairs partner, Michael J. Cunningham. Nichols lives in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Reviews

As the U.S. Figure Skating team prepares take center ice at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino, competitive figure skater and journalist Nichols takes a soft look at the sport's pivotal moment in this reverential tribute to the 18 skaters (plus friends, family and coaches) who died in 1961 when their plane crashed en route to the world championships in Prague, eliminating the U.S.'s hope for a successful 1964 Winter Olympics and setting into motion a rebuilding process that rushed young skaters into the top echelons of international competition. Nichols's account of the rivalry between Laurence Owen, the daughter of Olympic figure skater Maribel Vinson who appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated the very week of the crash, and Stephanie Westerfeld (both died in the crash) is the extent of scandal readers can expect to encounter here. Nichols does little to disguise her admiration for the team and is primarily concerned with maintaining a legacy, perhaps explaining her naïve and timid writing. Skating enthusiasts will want to add this to the shelf.
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Edition details

• Publisher: Clerisy Press, Emmis Books
• Publication date: 2005
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1578602602
• ISBN 13: 9781578602605
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 208