Figure Skating: art and athletics combined
First Steps on the Ice
I saw iceskating for the first time on TV, during the 1994 Winter Olympics. I was 12.5 years old. Figure skating enchanted me, and I wanted to try it for myself. Not long after that I went ice skating for the first time with some friends. I didn't fall down once! I was estactic and told my mom that I wanted to take lessons. However, my parents could not afford them at the time. It was almost four years before I set foot on the ice again. Meanwhile I saved money from birthdays and Christmas, and when I was 15.5 I took my first lessons. Unfortunately it wasn't as easy as I thought it would be. I gained plenty of experience with falling. Now seven years later I am landing single jumps up to the lutz. Spins are not my forte, but I am working on the sit spin and the camel spin. It is not always as much fun as those first estactic moments circling the rink, but when I look back and see how far I've come then I regain my motivation. I still have a long way to go, and I don't plan on hanging up my skates anytime soon.
There are not many well-known black skaters. Debi Thomas was the first black skater I knew of. In 1995 I watched The Nutcracker On Ice on TV, and Debi Thomas was the sugar plum fairy. When I saw her it renewed my desire to ice skate with the hope that one day I could be the sugar plum fairy. Everyone has someone they look to for inspiration in accomplishing their goals. I want to shine a spotlight on three black female ice skaters that are an inspiration to me.
photo from HarlickMabel Fairbanks is an inspiration because she was a trailblazer for African Americans in the sport of figure skating. She began iceskating as a young girl in the 1930s. Her first steps were on a homemade rink created by her uncle. The local public rink denied her access because of her race. Fairbanks kept on practicing at home and kept returning to the public rink until the manager finally relented and allowed her in. She became a very talented skater, but was barred from joining the local ice skating clubs.
Eventually she was hired to skate with professional shows that traveled to the West Indies and Mexico, because "they needed someone to skate in dark countries." After Fairbanks' pro career she became a coach. She provided free lessons for those who could not pay. Among her students were Atoy Wilson (first African American to win national titile), Richard Ewell and Michelle McCladdie (first African Americans to win national pairs title), Kristi Yamaguchi, Tiffany Chin, Rudy Galindo, and Scott Hamilton.
Mabel Fairbanks was never able to participate in official competition, but she says that "If I had been allowed to go in to the Olympics or Ice Capades like I wanted to then, I may not have helped other Blacks like I did, and coached such wonderful skaters, and I think all that has been just as important and meaningful." Fairbanks was inducted into the U.S. Figure Skating Hall of Fame in 1997. She was posthumously inducted into the International Women's Sports Hall of Fame in 2001.
photo from Disson Skating1986 U.S. Jr. Bronze medalist. 1995 U.S. Open Champion. 2000 American Open Pro Champion. In 1987, Burghart was the first figure skater to appear on "Saturday Night Live." She is the creator, choreographer, and star performer of Ebony on Ice, now called Soul Spectacular on Ice. Soul Spectacular on Ice is an ensemble iceskating show that explores and celebrates the history of music in the African American culture. Burghart is known for her beautiful split jumps and back flips. She is married to Austrian figure skater Ralph Burghart. They have two sons.
photo from HarlickIn 1986, first African American to win the U.S. Nationals Figure Skating Championships. In 1988, first African American to win an Olympic medal in the winter games. While maintaining her status as an elite skater, Thomas completed highschool and entered Stanford University. She stayed focused in her academics despite the rigors of training for competitive skating. She graduated from Stanford in '91. She continued her schooling at Northwestern University Medical School in order to become an orthopedic surgeon. In 1998, Thomas was inducted into the San Jose Sports Hall of Fame. In 2000, she was inducted into the U.S. Figure Skating Hall of Fame. Thomas is married to sports attorney Chris Bequette, and they have one son.
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Copyright © 2004-2007 Christian I.J. Minter
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