Want to learn more about figure skating history? You are in the right place!

Created in 2013, Skate Guard Blog explores the overlooked, forgotten, and underappreciated corners of figure skating history - from little-known stories to fresh perspectives on famous skaters, eras, and events. There’s always something new to discover, so grab a cup of coffee and glide into the rich, fascinating history of the world’s most beloved winter sport.

Tom Martens

 Thomas Dewey Martens

October 12, 1948-September 15, 1993


Born in Atkinson, Nebraska, Tom Martens took up ice dancing at the age of thirty-five at the Silver Blades Figure Skating Club of Greater Kansas City in Missouri, while working as an acting coach. He won a silver medal in Adult Dance event at the 1986 Southwestern Championships in Omaha with his partner Anita Maddox. He became a USFSA judge in 1986 and passed his Silver Dance test in 1991. He passed away on September 15, 1993 at the age of forty-four.

Thomas' obituary: "Thomas Dewey Martens, 44, Overland Park, a former business co-owner, died Sept. 15, 1993, at the home. Mr. Martens co-owned Dewey Alan's Restaurant in Kansas City from 1987 to 1990. He was a co-owner of the Theatre for Young America from 1977 to 1980, and formerly taught acting and was an office manager at the theater. He was a member of the Actor's Equity Association. He was a judge for the U.S. Figure Skating Association and a member of the Silver Blades Figure Skating Club in Kansas City. He received a bachelor's degree from the University of Nebraska-Kearney. He was born in O'Neill, Neb., and lived in New York City before he moved to this area in 1977."

*Source for inclusion: National AIDS Memorial, The Names Project Memorial Quilt