Synopsis:
For little girls and boys with a dream and a new pair of skates, for millions who can't be pried away from the television when Brian Boitano performs, for anyone who wonders just how it's done, the United States Figure Skating Association presents the first full-color, official guide to figure skating -- the second most popular sport in America after pro football. Prepared with the full cooperation of the sport's national governing body -- the USFSA -- along with its experts, coaches, and archives, The Official Book of Figure Skating is the one publication every skating fan must have.
This authoritative volume celebrates all aspects of figure skating -- the speed and power, the grace and glamour, how it's done as well as who does it -- so that everyone from casual fan to beginner to budding champion can appreciate its range and beauty. Sections on history, personalities, and costumes tell the fascinating story of how skating, originating with the simple need to cross frozen water, has been transformed into a unique blend of sport, art, and entertainment. The book also reveals the experts' secrets behind choreography and conditioning, and presents dozens of skating moves described by USFSA coaches and illustrated in revealing detail. Chapters on judging and competition explain the intricacies of skating success, and some of the sport's finest athletes share memories of their greatest moments on ice. Finally, a glossary and full lists of skating champions and USFSA affiliated clubs make this book an invaluable reference for both skaters and fans.
With its authoritative and comprehensive treatment, The Official Book of Figure Skating is the final word for followers of this dazzling sport. But it is also an exceptionally beautiful volume, one with an unsurpassed visual archive. Nearly 250 photographs and images, many never before seen, have been drawn from the collection of the World Figure Skating Museum and ABC Sports. Including the most recent stars in full-color action, rare photos of the men and women who built the sport, and original commissioned drawings of figure skating's most important moves -- from the Salchow to the double Lutz -- this beautiful and definitive book is as full of artistry and excitement as figure skating itself.
Review:
The cover photo of a swanlike Michelle Kwan sets the tone for the sweeping, beautifully illustrated volume behind it. It is as attractive as it is skillful, as balanced as it is smart, as seemingly effortless as it is hard-working. There's a helluva lot happening beneath its cool, glittery surface.
The Official Book does duty on several fronts. It offers an authoritative illustrated history of the sport; short biographies of the most influential and important skaters; lists of U.S., Olympic, and world champions in all categories; and an extensive directory of figure-skating clubs around the country. Chapters glide easily from the evolution of the skate itself to a primer--with helpful line drawings--on how to use those skates, from simple forward "stoking" to the complex jumps and spins that enthrall audiences everywhere. There's a hilarious tour of skating's changing and fickle fashions and sections that explain how skaters create routines and exactly what they are required to put into them, the rigors of actual competition (and how best to watch it), and even one on how the often mysterious judges arrive at their often mysterious scores.
As a reference book, it's useful and conclusive. As a history, it's enjoyably informative. And--most alluringly--as a celebration, it is every bit as exquisite as the sport it celebrates. --Jeff Silverman
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