2025

2025 Stars on Ice (Halifax) Review

It's been an exciting figure skating season, especially for all of us here in Atlantic Canada, as Halifax played host to the 50th anniversary of Skate Canada International in the fall.

Our historic coastal city has hosted many memorable figure skating events over the years. It's hard to believe that it's been 35 years since our city played host to the 1990 World Figure Skating Championships. A promising young seventeen-year-old named Elvis Stojko made his debut at the World Championships that year, placing in the top 10 on his first try. Over three decades later, Elvis was back, at center ice in the very same building, headlining a star-studded cast on opening night in this year's Stars on Ice tour.

Two years ago, skating fans bid an emotional farewell to Kurt Browning. Though we didn't have the pleasure of seeing him perform in this year's show, Kurt, together with his wife Alissa Czisny, did an incredible job of choreographing this year's show. The theme of this year's show was Rock Stars on Ice and the eclectic cast of skaters from Canada, Japan and the United States didn't disappoint. The choreography was fun and contemporary, but the music and choreography were both nostalgic. The concepts are fresh and out of the box. The performance level was high across the board and the skating was never phoned in.

The Rock theme was established before the show even started when audio boomed through the rink from The Iceman from Stars FM - 6.0 on Your Dial. It was carried seamlessly through the show with segue performances between acts and breakout performances in group numbers. With only a handful of exceptions, the vast majority of solo performances were upbeat programs to rock music.

Not going to lie... I'm a really big fan of Jason Brown and Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier. All three are truly special skaters and their performances made the show for me last night. Jason Brown's second number to "Hit The Road Jack" by 2WEI & Bri Bryant built towards the end and had the biggest audience response of the night, with many people clapping, tapping their toes and dancing along.

Piper and Paul's Beach Boys program, which earned them very high marks at the recent World Figure Skating Championships down in Boston, was so much fun. Their second number to Eva Cassidy's rendition of "Autumn Leaves" was truly exquisite and one of the standout programs of the entire show for its elegance and emotion.

It was great to see Canadian Champion Nam Nguyen back on the ice. He worked the crowd during his first number - a reworked version of his Beatles free skate from several years ago, which paired "Come Together" and "Get Back" with a small group piece to "Help!" It was nice to see Nam land the triple Salchow he popped into a double in this program in one of the group numbers in the second set.

The newcomers to the tour (Isabeau Levito and Lia Pereira and Trennt Michaud) surprised me with how at ease and comfortable they looked out there. Lia and Trennt had problems on their throws in both of their solo numbers, but their first number to "Are You Gonna Be My Girl?" by Jet got the crowd going. Isabeau was the only skater in the show that I hadn't seen skate live before and I must say, I have a new appreciation for her skating having done so. I don't think she put a foot wrong the entire night - attempting perhaps the most technically difficult programs of the show. Isabeau, Lia and Trennt all connected extremely well with the audience.

Keegan Messing's sense of humour, hydroblading and backflips were huge hits with the audience and his first number to YUNGBLUD's cover of Kiss's "I Was Made For Loving You" was particularly well-performed. Keegan did a little bit of duet work with Piper Gilles in his second program to "Blue Jeans Blues" by ZZ Top.

Madeline Schizas went way out of her comfort zone with a high-energy performance to Pat Benatar's "Heartbreaker". The edgy program got a huge response from the audience. Japan's Satoko Miyahara skated to Prince's "It's About That Walk" and Dua Lipa's "I'd Rather Go Blind". Her first program was reminiscent of another long-time Stars on Ice performer Katarina Witt, in that she really played it up to the crowd.

Elvis Stojko was in amazing form and the theme and energy of the show couldn't have been more tailor-made to him if it tried. His first program was a fun rock medley, including crowd-pleasers like "In The Air Tonight" by Phil Collins, "Here I Go Again" by Whitesnake and "Thunderstruck" by AC/DC, featuring a microphone stand as a prop. His second program to "Nothing Else Matters" by Metallica was outstanding, and the nuanced choreography definitely showcased how much he has grown and come into his own artistically over the years.

The group numbers were well put-together, a favourite of mine being a lovely Skating 101-type piece to "Brothers In Arms" by the Dire Straits. Long-time Stars on Ice fans will particularly appreciate the finale, set to a crowd-pleasing rock medley. In a bit of a 90s Stars on Ice throwback, each skater or team had a breakout that took them out of their comfort zone. Who would have thought we'd see Isabeau Levito as Alanis Morissette, Piper Gilles as Stevie Nicks, Madeline Schizas as Janis Joplin, Paul Poirier as Freddie Mercury, Elvis Stojko as Twisted Sister and Satoko Miyahara as Cher?

One of the things I love about going to Stars on Ice is the people you see and meet. From parents driving their young skaters all the way from the South Shore, Annapolis Valley and Cape Breton to see their first 'big' ice show to former skaters and fans who have been coming to see the show faithfully for decades, there's one common denominator - the show brings people joy. Now more than ever, Canadians need something to smile about and this year's show is guaranteed to put a smile on your face.

Skate Guard is a blog dedicated to preserving the rich, colourful and fascinating history of figure skating. Over ten years, the blog has featured over a thousand free articles covering all aspects of the sport's history, as well as four compelling in-depth features. To read the latest articles, follow the blog on Facebook, Bluesky, Pinterest and YouTube. If you enjoy Skate Guard, please show your support for this archive by ordering one of six fascinating books highlighting the history of figure skating: https://skateguard1.blogspot.com/p/buy-book.html.

The 1953 Canadian Figure Skating Championships

Photos courtesy "Skating" magazine, "The Ottawa Journal" and the "Evening Citizen" Archives

From February 26 to 28, 1953, Ottawa played host to the 1953 Canadian Figure Skating Championships. The competition was held after that year's World Championships but before the North American, U.S. and British Championships. The Minto Skating Club had last hosted the Canadians in 1949, but a fire gutted the rink in November of that year. This time, the organizers were tasked with putting together the event in their two-year-old Henderson Avenue rink while tackling a massive debt.

The Henderson rink had no exterior windows and was lit only by artificial light. The rink ran east-west, with a small second rink on the Eastern end called 'the pen' for training. The dressing rooms had wood stoves with bars where skaters could prop up their feet to warm them. Bleachers, which normally weren't in the rink, had to be installed specifically for the competition. The ice was dyed an unusual shade of emerald green so that school figure tracings could be more visible. The club lounge was decorated with drapes that took one group of club members fourteen hours to hand stitch, Aidrie Cruikshank's handmade lamps and lounge-style furniture hand-painted with compulsory dance patterns. It was there that trophies were presented and skaters and judges were treated to a buffet luncheon and a gala celebration. Melville Rogers was the competition's General Chairman and was assisted by CFSA President Donald B. Cruikshank and Minto Skating Club President Irwin M. Morgan. Out-of-town skaters stayed at the official hotel, the historic Château Laurier. The judges list read like a who's who of Canadian figure skating - Canadian Champions Ralph McCreath, Melville Rogers, Sandy McKechnie, Donald B. Cruikshank, Nigel Stephens and Norman V.S. Gregory. Let's take a look at what transpired on the ice that chilly February!

THE JUNIOR EVENTS

Dawn Steckley and David Lowery of Oshawa, whom one of the judges remarked were "one of the most beautiful pairs [I've] ever seen skate" took top honours in junior pairs, defeating the brother/sister team Patty Lou and George Montgomery and future Olympic Gold Medallists Barbara Wagner and Bob Paul. The Montgomery siblings were two of the busiest skaters in the entire competition. They competed in the junior pairs, junior dance, senior dance, Waltz and Tenstep competitions... and Patty Lou competed in junior women's. If any two skaters had tired feet by the end of the competition, it was that Toronto twosome!

Largely on the strength of his school figures, Douglas Court defeated Paul Tatton of the North Bay Figure Skating Club in a three-two split in the junior men's event. Victoria's Dick Rimmer, Oakville's Eric Noble and Oshawa's Hugh Smith rounded out the five-man field. Court was nineteen, six foot two and only trained on weekends during his school term. He attended Ridley College in St. Catharine's but trained at the Toronto Skating Club. Off the ice, he excelled at hockey, gymnastics and athletics. After being flatly refused permission to be excused from school to compete in Ottawa, he played hooky. When his name appeared in the papers because of his success, there was no hiding the real reason he wasn't in school. In the end, the headmaster of Ridley College called him into his office not to berate him but to apologize. He told him that if he knew he was that good, he would have let him go!

Douglas Court. Photo courtesy "Skating" magazine.

The first junior ice dance event ever held at Canadians was won by Oshawa high school students Geraldine Fenton and Glen Skuce, who had been skating together since 1950. Like Frances Dafoe, Fenton designed her own skating costumes. Skuce was a tumbling and track and field champion. Wagner and Paul finished fourth in that event but it was a tiny pair who finished tenth out of eleven couples that captured the audience's hearts. Susan Yarker and John Lynch were only ten and eleven and helped usher in a new era of 'baby ballerinas' in Canadian ice dance.

Edmonton's Sonja Currie made history in the junior women's event, becoming the first skater - man or woman - from Alberta to win a junior singles crown in Canada. In doing so, she earned first-place votes from three of the five judges. Sonja was born in England. Her father was a hockey coach and her mother a skating professional. She first put on a pair of skates when she was two years old. Donald B. Cruikshank had Czechoslovakian immigrant Carole Jane Pachl first, while Melville Rogers gave his first-place vote to a young skater from the Granite Club whose name any die-hard skating fan might find sounds familiar... Wanda Beasley. Mr. Rogers must have seen something he liked, as no other judge had Beasley higher than sixth, which was exactly where she ended up.

In her memoir "Dreams Upon The Stars", Carole Jane's mother recalled, "When [Carole Jane] came with her mother to the dressing room to change her boots, they heard some people coming into the next room. The rooms were only divided by a wooden partition that did not quite reach the ceiling. They heard a voice very clearly state, 'I hope you will not let that foreigner win.' Other skaters came in at that moment, talking and laughing loud enough that they could not hear the answer. But Caroline froze in the middle of lacing her boots and looked at her mother with the eyes of a hunted deer. Jarmila put her hand on Caroline's shoulder and gave it a compassionate squeeze. They both knew that the room next to them was the judges' room. Caroline didn't say a word, just finished lacing her boots and went out to the rink with her mother. She did her free skating program to the music from 'The Student Prince'. Her program was graceful and lovely, without a fault. The audience was wildly enthusiastic during her routine. She was skating well and she was clearly a crowd favourite. [Gustave] Lussi said she was, without a doubt, the best. In the final judging, she came in third... A mother of one of the other Canadian skaters spoke to Jarmila and agreed that Caroline was cheated. She mentioned that the judges didn't like the fact that Caroline was being trained by an American skating coach."

THE PAIRS AND ICE DANCE COMPETITIONS

Frances Dafoe and Norris Bowden. Photo courtesy "Skating" magazine.

There were three separate senior dance competitions at the Canadians in 1953 - the Waltz, Tenstep and the Dance event, which consisted of four compulsory dances only. Frances Dafoe and Norris Bowden, who'd won all three events in addition to the senior pairs event in 1952, decided to skip the Dance event, as practicing the four compulsories in addition to their pairs program was just too much. However, they managed to easily defend both their Waltz and Tenstep titles in 1953, besting the winners of the Dance event, Winnipeg's Frances Abbott and David Ross. Abbott was a home economics major at the University of Manitoba, and Ross was the twenty-eight-year-old Assistant Zone Manager for International Harvester Co.'s Motor Truck Division. Dancers performed the Westminster Waltz, Kilian, Fiesta Tango and Foxtrot but no free dance, making it next to impossible for Canadian dancers to prepare for international competition. Dafoe and Bowden's only competition for the senior pairs title were junior champions 'skating up' Steckley and Lowery. While the Oshawa duo were a lovely pair, they were simply no match for the reigning World Silver Medallists.

THE MEN'S COMPETITION

After the six school figures were skated, defending Champion Peter Firstbrook of Toronto had amassed a comfortable lead in the men's event. Charles Snelling of the Granite Club, the previous year's junior champion, presented Firstbrook with quite a challenge in the free skate. Two judges had Snelling first, two had Firstbrook first and another had Peter Dunfield first. When the marks were tallied, Firstbrook again came out on top, followed by Snelling, Dunfield and Oshawa's Alan Anderson.

THE WOMEN'S COMPETITION

The women's competition was perhaps the most interesting of all. For starters, Marlene Smith wasn't returning to defend her national title, nor was Suzanne Morrow, who had represented Canada at the World Championships. Vevi Smith and Elizabeth Gratton, the 1952 silver and bronze medallists, seemed two of the most likely successors to the Devonshire Cup which not so long ago had been won by Barbara Ann Scott. The surprise leader in the figures was junior pairs champion Dawn Steckley, who had never won a medal at the Nationals in singles previously either as a junior or senior.

Minto Skating Club member Charlotte Kindle, recalling the event in her report for "Skating" magazine that year, remarked, "Of the whole beautiful, three-day program, one scene stands out uniquely from the rest. Rarely do a dozen top-flight girl skaters appear together on the ice, all spinning, leaping and whirling in a riot of movement and color. The warm-up for the Senior Ladies' singles provided such a scene, and on the green surface of the Minto ice they looked just like a band of lovely, filmy butterflies fluttering and poising over a lawn of green grass."

Barbara Gratton. Photo courtesy "Skating" magazine.

The 'butterfly' who came out on top was sixteen-year-old 1950 Canadian junior champion Barbara Gratton. Educated at Loretto Abbey, Gratton planned to attend the University of Toronto. The Gratton girls (Barbara and her older sister Elizabeth) had been living with their aunt since the sudden death of their father, a doctor, in the autumn of 1951. Steckley dropped to second place and Carole Jane Pachl won her second medal in Ottawa after claiming the bronze in junior women's. Vevi Smith and Elizabeth Gratton placed fourth and seventh. Sonja Currie, the junior women's champion, was eighth of eleven skaters. The ordinals were all over the place. Gratton had two first places, two seconds and one sixth, while Steckley had a first and a seventh. One judge had Vevi Smith first, while another had Maureen Senior, who placed ninth, first. That judge was 'Mr. Minto', Melville Rogers, who was more often than not quite out of line with the rest of the panel throughout the event. Carole Jane Pachl's mother's memoir recalled, "The first and second-place Juniors who had outscored Caroline in their own division, placed far behind. How was this possible? The answer was simple... there were different judges. It proved that she should have placed in front of both Junior competitors and won the Junior title. How terrible that a young girl is seemingly punished because she was not born in Canada."

Put A Ring On It: Gliding Down The Aisle Of Skating History

Two-time Olympic Gold Medallists Pierre Brunet and Andrée Joly at their 1929 wedding

Figure skating lovers tend to think more about people being thrown in the air than bouquets, but who doesn't love a bouquet toss at a wedding?

Get the tissues ready! Today, we will glide through skating history and look back at a handful of memorable weddings from years past.

Sonja Henie and Dan Topping on their wedding day. Photo courtesy National Archives of Poland.

On July 4, 1940, twenty-seven-year-old Sonja Henie married New York sportsman and tin plate heir Daniel Reid Topping in a surprise wedding before Sonja's mother and siblings and a few close friends at the Chicago apartment of her manager, Arthur M. Wirtz. It was Henie's first wedding and Topping's third. He was previously married to New York socialite Theodora Boettger and film star Arline Judge. The marriage was presided over by Reverend Joshua Oden, pastor of the Irving Park Lutheran Church. Henie told reporters, "Marriage is important and sacred to me. I want it to be built on complete understanding and faith and friendship as well as love." The couple separated in January 1945 and divorced in February 1946.

Olympic Gold Medallists Maxi Herber and Ernst Baier tie the knot

Virginia Wilson, a Canadian medallist in women's singles, the Waltz, Tenstep and fours skating married Jack Edward Lines Hauseman in Toronto on June 19, 1948. Her wedding was a virtual who's who of Canadian figure skating. Suzanne Morrow and Eleanor O'Meara were bridesmaids; Barbara Ann Scott attended with her mother. Wilson wore a petal white tulle and satin long-waisted gown with a full circular train and ful-llength veil. Fittingly, the reception was held at the Granite Club.

Sonja Henie's wedding to Winthrop Gardiner, Jr.

Three time Olympic Gold Medallist Sonja Henie walked down the aisle again on September 15, 1949. This time her groom was aviation executive Winthrop Gardiner, Jr. The wedding took place at Park Avenue Methodist Church in New York City. It was Henie's second marriage; Gardiner's fourth. When Sonja arrived at the church, children crawled under the canopy to greet her.

Sonja Henie's wedding to Winthrop Gardiner, Jr. Photo courtesy Ingrid Hunnewell.

Only sixty people attended the wedding but over three hundred people, including photographers and reporters, were gathered outside the church to catch a glimpse of Henie in her ice-blue gown designed by Carrie Munn. At Sonja's request, the word "obey" was removed from the vows. At the reception at the Park Plaza Hotel, the newlyweds danced to "I Love You Truly" in front of four hundred guests. Raymond Strait's book "Queen Of Ice, Queen Of Shadows" recalled, "Winnie Gardner broke tradition at their wedding reception. While the men were lined up to kiss his bride, he formed his own line of women and gave them a sample of what Sonja was going to receive. Ethel Merman went through his kissing line twice."

Barbara Ann Scott and Tommy King's wedding

On September 17, 1955, Olympic Gold Medallist Barbara Ann Scott married Tommy King, publicity director for Chicago Stadium Sports Enterprises at Rosedale Presbyterian Church in central Toronto. The wedding was announced at a potted palm and champagne hotel reception by Barbara Ann's mother just over a month before the wedding. Efforts were made to keep the details from being spread to the press, so that the inevitable looky-loos wouldn't turn up and invade Canada's sweetheart's privacy on her special day. Barbara Ann's maid of honour was Margaret McGuinness, a friend who accompanied her to the 1948 Winter Olympics in St. Moritz. Her dress was a white artibello original in French silk brocade with a portrait neckline and bell skirt. The happy couple honeymooned in Mexico.

Sonja Henie and Niels Onstad

Proving that sometimes the third time is the charm, Sonja Henie married her childhood sweetheart, shipping magnate Niels Onstad in his swanky New York City apartment in June of 1956. The service was presided over by a Norwegian Lutheran minister and much like her first wedding, it was a very small, private wedding with only a few friends in attendance. Following the wedding, the couple hosted a wedding breakfast in Miami, Florida.

Marc Wirz and Jeannette Altwegg

After announcing their engagement in London on April 17, 1954, Olympic Gold Medallist Jeannette Altwegg and Marc Wirtz had a civil wedding in Bern, Switzerland in late September of that year, followed by a formal ceremony in the British church in Zürich on October 5, 1954. She cut her wedding cake with a skate blade made of English steel.

Hayes Alan Jenkins and his blushing bride Carol Heiss

On April 30, 1960, Olympic Gold Medallists Carol Heiss and Hayes Alan Jenkins walked down the aisle at St. Thomas Episcopal Church in New York City.

Tenley Albright and Tudor Gardiner. Photo courtesy Ingrid Hunnewell.

On New Year's Eve, 1961, it was another Olympic Gold Medallist from America's turn. Tenley Albright married attorney Tudor Gardiner, the son of former Maine governor William Tudor Gardiner in a small, family-only ceremony at King's Chapel in Boston.

Left: Dorothy Hamill and Dean Paul Martin. Right: Paul Martini and Elizabeth Wallace. Photo courtesy Toronto Public Library, from Toronto Star Photographic Archive. Reproduced for educational purposes under license permission.

Now for the darlings of American figure skating in the sixties, seventies and eighties! On June 13, 1970, Olympic Gold Medallist Peggy Fleming became Mrs. Greg Jenkins. Her white wedding gown - decided after fifty-seven visits to bridal shops - was designed by William Cahill and was made of Venetian lace with a high neck and short sleeves. Five years later on October 18, 1975, Olympic Bronze Medallist Janet Lynn married psychology grad Rick Solomon at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in Rockford, Illinois. At the small, private combined Lutheran and Jewish ceremony, Lynn wore a candlestick silk de chine gown designed by her mother. She also wore a lace mantilla with a headpiece that was converted from her very first skating dress. From the private to the lavish... On January 8, 1982, Dorothy Hamill married Lieutenant Dean Paul Martin, the son of singer Dean Martin, at All Saints Episcopal Church in Beverly Hills, California. Some three hundred and fifty guests attended the wedding, including actor Desi Arnaz Jr. The reception was held at the Bel Air Country Club.

Irina Rodnina and Aleksandr Zaitsev's wedding

Irina Rodnina and Aleksandr Zaitsev's wedding in 1975 wasn't without incident. First, Irina's grandmother had a fall while she was examining her dress. Then Irina, walking the stairs to the church, didn't have time to pick up the bottom of her dress. She ended up stepping on it and taking a tumble of her own - coincidentally one of her very few falls! The couple's cake had an ornament in the shape of the Olympic rings. They went on to win two Olympic gold medals together but later divorced.

Natalia Bestemianova and Igor Bobrin's wedding

It was a marriage of European Champions in Moscow on June 8, 1983, when the 1981 Champion in men's singles, Igor Bobrin, tied the knot with the reigning Champion in ice dance, Natalia Bestemianova. Natalia and her on-ice partner Andrei Bukin's coach Tatiana Tarasova was a witness at their wedding. Many casual fans of the sport were surprised to learn that both Bestemianova and Bukin were married during their competitive career - just not to each other.

Ekaterina Gordeeva and Sergei Grinkov

Two-time Olympic Gold Medallists Ekaterina Gordeeva and Sergei Grinkov loved each other so much they married twice. They first tied the knot in a state wedding on April 20, 1991. Eight days later, they confirmed their love again in a church wedding. In her book "My Sergei: A Love Story", Gordeeva recalled, "I wore a silk, off-white dress that I'd bought in Toronto and I was wearing flowers in my hair. It rained all morning and most of the day, which was considered good luck. It doesn't seem like it now. But I was happy that it rained. After saying our vows, we drank champagne in the church, and Father Nikolai sang to our happiness." After Sergei's tragic death, Gordeeva married two more Olympic Gold Medallists - Ilia Kulik and David Pelletier.

The wedding of Olympic Gold Medallists Lyudmila Pakhomova and Aleksandr Gorshkov

On Valentine's Day, 1997, twenty-eight couples said "I do" in Philadelphia in a group marriage service on an outdoor skating rink performed by Mayor Edward G. Rendell. About half of the couples got married wearing skates. It was raining and freezing cold, yet many of the brides wore full-length wedding gowns, some covered by raincoats. Dinah Schuster, who organized the wedding on ice, had only one explanation for the affair: "People are nuts."

Timothy Goebel and Thomas Luciano. Photo courtesy "International Figure Skating" magazine

In 2001, The Netherlands became the first country to legalize same-sex marriage and in 2005, same-sex marriage was officially legalized in Canada after Parliament passed The Civil Marriage Act. In the years that followed, many other countries followed suit. These long-overdue legal changes gave dozens of elite figure skaters the right to marry.

As we glide to the end of our journey through the wonderful world of figure skating weddings, it’s clear that love on ice knows no bounds. May everyone find their perfect skating partner for life!

Win The Ultimate Figure Skating eBook Giveaway!

Did someone just say free? You bet they did!

For a limited time, you can enter to win the Ultimate Figure Skating eBook Giveaway! The Grand Prize winner receives a signed copy of Barbara Ann Scott: Queen of the Ice by Ryan Stevens and one eBook copy of each book. The runner up winner receives one eBook copy of each book.

You can enter to win here: subscribepage.io/figureskatingbooks

A Look Inside - Barbara Ann Scott: Queen of the Ice

Now, more than ever, we need great Canadian stories.

Barbara Ann Scott went viral in Canada decades before the internet existed. Her story comes alive in the new book "Barbara Ann Scott: Queen of the Ice", which just launched this week. If you missed the book launch with PJ Kwong, you can rewatch on Skate Guard's YouTube page.

If you haven't ordered your copy yet, why not take a look inside? If you sign up for Skate Guard's Newsletter here, the first chapter of your book will be delivered right to your email inbox.

Order your copy online through dozens of retailers worldwide: https://books2read.com/barbaraannscott

If you've already read the book, please consider posting a short, honest review on Amazon, Goodreads, LibraryThing and The Storygraph.

To learn more about the book visit: https://www.skateguardblog.com/p/barbara-ann-scott-queen-of-ice.html

Book Launch - Barbara Ann Scott: Queen of the Ice

Today's the big day! Barbara Ann Scott: Queen of the Ice is now available worldwide in hardcover, paperback, large print, eBook and audiobook editions... just in time for the 2025 World Figure Skating Championships in Boston, Massachusetts.

Want a sneak peek? Sign up for the Skate Guard newsletter and have chapter one of the book delivered right to your inbox!

Now, more than ever, we need great Canadian stories.

The first Canadian woman to win a gold medal at the Winter Olympics, Barbara Ann Scott transcended her sport, becoming a symbol of hope and inspiration.

Scott's stunning victory at the 1948 Olympics uplifted a nation grappling with the aftermath of World War II, inspiring thousands of Canadians to dream big and strive for excellence in their own lives.

Barbara Ann Scott: Queen of the Ice is a fascinating new biography that will delight knowledgeable and passionate fans of figure skating and history lovers alike.

"Canadian figure skating is rich with history that must be preserved. Barbara Ann Scott was our first Queen of the Ice and there's no one better than Ryan to bring her magnificent legacy to life." - Sandra Bezic, Emmy Award winning choreographer, television commentator (CBC, NBC, CBS), Olympian and 5-time Canadian Pairs Skating Champion

"Barbara Ann was such a dear woman and a real trailblazer in our sport of figure skating. We all admired her and loved her as a friend and representative like no other." - Karen Magnussen Cella, Olympic Silver Medallist and World Figure Skating Champion

"Barbara Ann Scott paved the way for Canadian skating excellence. Figure skating fans will love diving into her illustrious life and career." - Jackie Wong, Rocker Skating

"A biography of Canada's first great ice skater that will prove a 'must have'... Any skating lover will thoroughly appreciate the tone and approach of this vivid story... Thoroughly researched... vivid and engrossing. Her story springs to life. A triple Axel of achievement that sets the stage for a better understanding of the evolution of ice skating as a whole." - Diane Donovan, Midwest Book Review

"Before there was Kurt Browning, Brian Orser or Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir, there was Barbara Ann Scott. After the Second World War, she brought us out of the gloom with her Olympic glory. This book brings to life one of our greatest athletes and tells her story in an thoughtful and fascinating way. For sports fans and history fans, this book checks all the boxes." - Craig Baird, Canadian History Ehx podcast

"A compelling and informative novel which will be well-appreciated by lovers of sports biographies, Canadian history, and of course, figure skating... Stevens approaches Scott's story with a warmth and attentiveness which readers cannot help but appreciate." - Ava Retzer, The Gateway

"Ryan Stevens has written a most interesting book about an icon of Canadian sport... Beautifully illustrated and based on almost exhaustive research. I highly enjoyed it." - Ruud Paauw, International Society of Olympic Historians

"Ryan Stevens pays meticulous attention to detail in this biography of Barbara Ann Scott and brings it to life with quotes and photographs. As a Canadian hero and international icon, Barbara Ann Scott's mindblowing plethora of historic firsts remains nothing short of extraordinary." - Anything GOEs

"What a great job Ryan Stevens has made of the life story of Barbara Ann Scott, transporting us back to the time of 'The Golden Age Of Ice Skating'. Barbara Ann Scott was the catalyst for my own skating career... I am now 80 and I still love skating. It has given me a wonderful life. All thanks to Barbara Ann Scott. Reading this book has brought it all flooding back to me." - Jaquie Harbord, British Figure Skating Champion, 2-time World Professional Figure Skating Champion

"Barbara Ann Scott: Queen of the Ice offers an engaging glimpse into the life of Canada’s figure skating legend. From her inspiring journey to Olympic gold to her role as a national treasure, this book provides a fascinating look at Barbara Ann's achievements and the era she defined. A delightful read for anyone interested in figure skating history." - Kim Dunaway, The Cutting Edge podcast

"Barbara Ann Scott: Queen of the Ice" will be released in paperback, hardcover, large print, eBook and audiobook editions in March 2025. The book is available for pre-order through the retailers below.

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Thriftbooks (United States)

Prefer to shop local? Ask your favourite independent bookseller to stock the book.

eBook

Also Available From:

Adlibris (Finland/Sweden/Norway)

Bol.com (Belgium/Netherlands)

Bol.de (Germany)

Bücher (Germany)

Bücherwurm (Austria/Germany/Liechtenstein/Switzerland)

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Club (Belgium)

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eBook.de (Germany)

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Hugendubel (Germany)

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Libreria IBS (Italy)

Librería Porrúa (Mexico)

Librerías Gandhi (Mexico)

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Osiander (Germany)

Smashwords (United States)

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Thalia (Germany)

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Audiobook

Also Available From:

Audiobooks.com (United States)

Booktopia (Australia)

LaFeltrinelli (Italy)

Librerías Gandhi (Mexico)

*Please note: the audiobook version is digitally narrated.

Subscription Services

Library and Retail Distribution

ALS Library Services (Australia), Baker & Taylor, Bibliotheca, BorrowBox, Browns Books (UK), Gardners (UK), Hoopla, Library Bound (Canada), Odilo, OverDrive (Libby), Peter Pal (Australia), Peters (UK), Wheelers (New Zealand), Whitehots (Canada)

If you experience any difficulty with any of these ordering links, simply search the book's name on the bookseller of your choice's website. If you have any ordering or delivery issues, please reach out to the retailer directly for assistance.