His best international finish was bronze at the 1976 Innsbruck Olympics, yet Toller Cranston, with his extreme body shapes and theatrical presentation, singlehandedly transformed men’s figure skating from an athletic competition to an art form. He went on to skate professionally, starring in television specials in Canada and the United States, as well as in Broadway shows and at Radio City Music Hall. He made videos with Leonard Cohen and Joni Mitchell and was fired from the CBC for being too honest as a figure skating commentator.
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A “piercing account” (The Wall Street Journal) of surviving as a young woman in a society that rewards appearances more than anything and demands perfection at all costs—especially if you’re an Olympic figure skater.
“A riveting memoir, which details her experience with an eating disorder, depression and her high-stakes career.”—People (Best Books to Read in February 2024)
When Gracie Gold stepped onto center stage (or ice, rather) as America’s sweetheart at the 2014 Sochi Olympics, she instantly became the face of America’s most beloved winter sport. Beautiful, blonde, Midwestern, and media-trained, she was suddenly being…
Sequins, Scandals and Salchows: Figure Skating in the 1980s is an extraordinary history of a decade when figure skating was the talk of the town and its stars were household names.
This one-of-a-kind book expands far beyond iconic moments like Torvill and Dean's Bolero and The Battle of The Brians, exploring intriguing connections between figure skating and real-world events that shaped the decade, including The AIDS Pandemic, The Cold War and The Fall of The Berlin Wall.
Brimming with fascinating facts and eye-opening insights, the book chronologically highlights the competitions, shows and skaters that made figure skating everyone's favourite winter sport.
A must-have collector's edition for any knowledgeable fan of the sport who came of age in the 80s - or wishes they did.