Skating Books

I was in love with Katia Gordeeva & Sergei Grinkov from the moment I first saw them skating together. Their classic routines were perfect enough to win many world championships including a 1988 Olympic gold medal in Calgary Canada.

Romance eventually blossomed and the beautifully matched pair were married in April of 1991. Their daughter, Daria Sergeyevna Grinkova, was born in my favorite Morristown NJ a little over a year later.

Reading Katia's memories of their life and love still brings tears to my eyes.

I recommend this book for its portrait of pure innocence enframed in the magical world of ice skating.

I'm really glad I found this book at a library book sale last year. Though this story is no longer current news, I hadn't forgotten about the tragic death of Sergey Grinkov or watching him perform with his wife Katya in the 1994 Winter Olympics. And even though the world has long since moved onto other headlines and stories of interest in the figure skating world, the love story told in this book is truly timeless. As a Russophile and a historian whose field of expertise is Russian history, it was a double joy to read because of all of the descriptions of Russian culture, the differences between Russian and American customs, and what life was like in the late Soviet period and the early post-Soviet period. (Although I have to say that the transliteration style wasn't completely pleasing to me; for example, I don't think I've ever read any other book where a double O is used in place of the letter U, as in Ligooshina or Katoosha, and I'm still trying to figure out how the nicknames Serioque and Katuuh are supposed to be written in Russian characters.)

Though the book begins and ends sadly, in between there's a lot of happiness and love, making this into a beautiful heartfelt love letter to a wonderful person, skating partner, friend, lover, husband, and father. The love between Katya and Seryozha is so pure and genuine, nothing like the type of superficial and problem-plagued celebrity relationships we're used to hearing about. It even made me a little jealous of their storybook love story! All throughout, Katya is very honest and open, about their relationship, the world of young skaters in the Soviet Union, what goes on behind the scenes at the Olympics, the hectic life on the road of skaters, and how difficult it was to constantly have to leave their daughter Darya behind while they skated. While I'm sure there are some things she chose not to write about, overall a very detailed and honest life and love story emerges. She was so lucky to have this wonderful man, who was so much more than just an athletic partner, for (what was then) half of her life.

Because the love story is so beautiful and like a dream come true, the reader can really feel her deep grief and sorrow expressed at the beginning and end of the book. It's a terrible thing to lose the love of your life, the father of your child, the only person you've ever skated with for the past 13 years, when you're only 24 years old. This beautiful love story isn't diminished for me by knowing that Katya has since moved on with her life and found love again. She had a child with Ilya Kulik six years after Sergey died, and married him a year later; it's not like she jumped into his bed soon after this book was published! (And since Kulik is six years younger, he would have been a bit too young for her then anyway.) When you're widowed at such a young age, you should hardly be expected to be in mourning forever, and it may help the more current reader to not feel quite so sad at the end, knowing that this intense pain and sorrow isn't such an overpowering force in Katya's life anymore. And new husband or not, there's no denying that her first husband, her first love, was indeed the greatest love of her life.

What a wonderful story this was. I love to watch skating and have not missed watching an Olympics since I was a kid. I am familiar with a lot of the skaters mentioned in this book. I thought this story was so touching and full of emotion. Katia considers her life with Sergei almost too perfect. They were so in love and their life together was indeed a fairy tale. I commend Katia for being able to pick herself and go on with her life no matter how difficult after Sergei's unexpected death in 1995. I thought the comparison between Russian and American customs was very interesting. This was an enjoyable and heartwarming read.

I remember watching this pair when they were competing. I wasn't an ice dancing fan, but they were so incredible to watch, I started watching any competition they were in. When Sergei died, I was devastated for Ekaterina. When her book came out, I read it, and cried all the way through. But really, it isn't a sad ending. I find it to be very inspirational to see how Ekaterina faced the worst that could happen, and came out on the other side with a wonderful attitude and will to go on. It is now 12 years later, and this book STILL makes me cry, and still inspires me.

I read this book lastyear in the Hardcover edition and I cried. It is such a moving, loving, tragic, and heartwarming story full of love that a young widow had for her husband and skating partner and the child Daria that they had together. It told of their skating years, marriage, how they met, and came to america along with the tragic death of her young husband Sergei. I couldn't put this book down. A great story that you will love. Well written.

This is one of the most poignant books written about figure skating history. I knew the story of the 1961 tragedy, but this book focuses on each skater in ways I've never seen done before. MUCH more here than just a focus on the famous Owen family. Good reading, well worth the price. ORDER IT!

If you are a fan of figure skating, this book is a definate must read. It opened my eyes to things about skating and competition that I did not know as a former figure skater. It is a wonderful tribute to the skaters of the 1961 U.S. Team.

In 1961, the greatest tragedy in U.S. figure skating history - and possibly world figure skating history - took place when a Sabena-Belgian Airlines Boeing 707 developed problems trying to land at Brussels airport. The plane nosedived into a farmer's field, killing everyone aboard. Among those on board were 18 members of the 1961 U.S. Figure Skating team, who were heading to the World Championships in Prague. This is the story of those skaters.
This book focuses largely on Laurence & Maribel Vinson Owen, as well as Stephanie Westerfield, who were the most well-known members, but also mentions skaters such as Laurie Jean Hickox and Doug Ramsay. It talks in-depth about the training & competitions they went through to become U.S. Figure Skating team members, as well as the terrible accident itself & how it affected U.S. Figure Skating at large - especially the rush to produce new skaters to replace those so tragically lost.
Journalist (and adult competitive figure skater) Nikki Nichols has done an excellent job in telling the very real stories of these people who were the Americans' best hopes for 1964, and never got to perform. Most of today's figure skaters have never heard the sad story of the 1961 US team, and this book is an excellent telling of their story. Highly recommended.

.......the Vinson-Owen legacy in its fifth generation.......?

This is the story of the 1961 American figure skating team whose plane crashed, outside Brussels, en route to the world championships in Prague, killing all aboard and changing the face of American figure skating forever. Previous reviewers criticize the author for relying so heavily on speculation, but for an event that happened nearly five decades ago and many of the people who could tell the story are deceased as well, I think she did an excellent job.

To me, the biggest scandal in the book was not the Laurence Owen/Stephanie Westerfeld rivalry, but rather the dissolution of Stephanie's family shortly before the crash. Her parents have both been dead for over 20 years and therefore cannot tell their stories, but to have a child who was a champion figure skater AND a budding concert pianist.....are there enough hours in the day?

Maribel Vinson-Owen didn't seem to be the most likable person (a vast understatement) but she blazed trails without realizing it. A Radcliffe graduate, the first woman sportswriter at the New York Times, AND she nearly destroyed her coaching career by allowing a black skater to practice at her rink? That took some guts. This skater, Mabel Ferguson, continues to promote skating to the black community.

This book is a quick read, and I ordered it at the library the day before seeing "We Are Marshall", about a plane crash that also killed 75 people. The Sabena crash officially had 73 casualties, but one of the passengers was pregnant and a farmer was killed on the ground by falling debris. It doesn't look like things have changed much regarding the treatment of crash survivors' families, but that's another book altogether.

Most of the 1961 performances can be viewed on You Tube.

I truly enjoyed this book. One of my best childhood friends died in the 1961 plane crash, her name was Laurence Owen. This book brought back many memories of a wonderful young girl taken far to soon. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves Figure Skating. It gives insight to many of the wonderful people who died on that February day.

Poor Abby Hayes! Every time she receives money she ends up spending it. She is having such a hard time saving up for her new rollerblades!

I like that Abby is not always spending her money on herself, but sometimes spends it on friends. Toward the end, this idea is again repeated when she has extra money that she chooses to spend on friends, teachers, and family. Appreciating others is a nice subtle message in this book.

The book has a mixture of text and diary like entries which makes it fun for kids to read. Abby tries a few different ways to earn money which are nicely woven into the story. I am always on the look out for books using a fictional story to teach children about money (as they seem to be fairly rare). This was certainly a worthy find.

I am a BIG fan of this series. This book acutally gave me the idea of having a garage sale. So,Abby wants new rollerblades,not Eva's(her SuperSis who is a twin)rollerblades. The ones that she wants are dark and shiney but best of all,they have purple wheels with a swirling,bright desing that would flash when they turned. Abby just has to have them...but how. She does her chores,looks on the streets for money,washes her dad's car and, takes care of Marshmallow(her neighbor's cat).She's going out of town for a week and when Heather(name of the neighbor) comes back she will give her $10.Perfect...until Marshmallow escapes. Uh-oh,wants a 10 year old girl to do? Read it for yourself.

This is a great book, although I HATE to play rollerblade. Abby planned a garage sale and save money to buy herself some rollerblades with purple wheels!( Purple was Abby's favourite colour. So am I!)

P.S.:Question:Do people actually save money to buy rollerblades?I wonder who.

Before the garage sale, Abby did many things, but she only got a few dollars. So at the gargage sale, she earned $162.75! She could buy rollerblades,new pads and presents for her friends
and family who had help her while she earn money. At the end, she still have little money for herself.(PHOO!)

In the fourth book in the series, Abby Hayes has hand-me-down rollerblades from her older SuperSis, Eva. Abby hates them, she can barely take them off! So she decides to save her money. Many unexpected things happen in the process, and someone in her family takes a trip to the emergency room! Abby finally gets an idea where she earns more than enough money to buy shiny purple rollerblades she has had her eye on for a while. I loved this book because it is so interesting to see how Abby resists the urge to spend money and how she finally accomplishes her goal. Read this book today!

This and the rest of the Abby Hayes series are amazing! The books are wonderful and very cool. There is one problem though: Anne Mazer (the writer) repeats the same thing over and over. Like about Abby's friend Jessica and how she has asthma. That kind of gets frustrating. But, overall, this book is great!

Awsome book! dident know it existed, but now i have it and its super nice.

Obviously, this is an important book to just about any skateboarder, myself being one. However, I'd like to reiterate that this story is universal and can be inspirational to anyone of any lifestyle. The overall theme of this book is different from many other "overcomming the odds" style of autobiographies. Although Rodney's achievements in life are truely astounding, the true message throughout the book is that self-expression and self-acceptance are two of the most important things you can ever achieve in life. At least that's my take on the whole story.
I would recomend this book to anyone struggling to find themselves in life. This book, disguised as a simple skateboarder's autogiography, might just be the eye opener you've been waiting for.

I'm 27 years old and grew up watching all the legends like Rodney, Tony Hawk, Stacy Peralta, Tony Alva, etc. This is an amazing book not just because of it's relation to skateboarding, but because it tells a story of what it's like to sacrifice everything for what you love. If you are passionate about anything in your life and especially if you are young, facing opposition, reading this book may inspire you to follow your heart and what you believe.

I can relate to this book a lot because my father and Rodney's were of the same batch. I also felt that we had similar struggles as misfits in life. I highly recommend this book to anyone. It's an interesting read and a great story of someone who succeeded in life.

If your a fan of Rodney Mullen this book is a must own, as soon as it came in i couldn't put it down me being a Skater and a fan of Rodney this was a real treat. The book talks about Rodney's early life, the beginning of his career and his rise to fame, and with all the drama along the way.

Possibly the best book I ever read. Although the history of skating through Rodney's eyes is fascinating, the true treasure of this book is seeing the world through Rodney's eyes. It is a beautifully told story with generous honesty. Being a skater is irrelevant to liking this book. If you've ever been young and had dreams, then you should be reading it.

This was the best book I ever read. It helped me relize all the stuff that gose on in RJ. And as I big fan, and still am, I was stoked! Wow, all RJ fans or soon to be RJ fans should read this book!

For those who grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area in the 60's and early 70's will enjoy this book especially if you were a fan of Roller Derby. It brings back so many memories of all those skaters who gave me their entertainment best. Like pro-wrestling, Roller Derby became more of a sports-entertainment over the years but the performers were still top-rate athletes. A great read.

I can't think of someone more qualified to write on this subject. I was going to read it and then I said to myself, "Why bother?" :) Great title!

It's surprising a book is out there--what's more surprising is that it's entertainingly written. You just can't put it down. Full of great stories and beautiful photos. Includes a section on RollerJam that is very informative. If you ever watched the Bay Bombers week after week, you must get this one!

I enjoyed reading about a time that I remember & the people I idolized. I would have liked a little more info on some of the past stars such as Gerry Murry, Gene Gammon, The Atkinson's, Ken Monti, LuLu Palermo & other skaters from that era. However, I did enjoy the book & so did my mother. We used to go to the Armory in NYC every Thursday night. It was our night out together. The pictures & history were great.

Indeed there is something to be said for reaching out with the internet. Jocko has, since my previous review, made good with a payment for the photo usage in this book, and has been added to my personal list, as another "Cadillac of Dudes".
-M.Fo

Echoes many of my sentiments from the early days.
As for the days surrounding my involvement, it is how I remember it, and how I intended it.
That never happens, but it did in this book, and I don't even know this guy, and never talked to him. He did use some of my photos without asking me though, and I never got a dime. I can be reached through Thrashers publisher, in the event there is a check waiting for me, and no where to mail it.

being a 32 year old skateboard enthusiast (going on 18 years), i could feel myself re-living my past. he brings back the essence of what skateboarding is, was, and "will be" all about. i've had the wonderful opportunity to meet, and skate with this great author, and he truly does have a passion. the book is a part of his energy, and an element of the soul of skateboarding. i would urge anybody interested in skateboarding, or what skateboarding is about, to buy it. A+ jocko!

Growing up in the 80s I was surrounded by skateboarding, whether it be in the form of my Mom's friend's daughter showing me how to (attempt to) ride down the street at age 10, the kids skating in the "hip town" of Hyannis, MA (which was a "city" to someone from The Cape), watching my neighbors skate and build their own ramps, watching the early skate videos, or ogling through Transworld Skate or Thrasher and wishing I'd had enough coordination to actually be able to learn what I was seeing. I found this book at the public library and thought it might be an interesting read, but I had no idea what I was in for. Granted, Weyland's writing can be very subjective and he tends to "go off" about what skating has become (as many people who have been skating their entire life can), but what he wrote isn't just his complaints about skating and the industry. There's a lot of information about the history of skating (which a lot of people who claim to skate might not have any ideas about), and also stories about what skating was like before The Circus of what is now began. What he's written gives the person who doesn't understand skating the ability to have some inkling of what it's like, and to understand that "skating" isn't just what they see, but it's a culture, a lifestyle, a thought pattern, a philosophical journey, and can even be a family. One truly interesting part of the book (for me, being a 28 year-old college professor) is Weyland's comments and thoughts about going from being "in the know" to being considered "old." I would definitely suggest this book to anyone who is interested in learning more about the history of the sport and the genesis of what they see before them today.

Weyland chronicles the history of the sport from its ancestry in Hawaiian surfing through its recent emergence as a mass-marketed ESPN drawing card. While carefully charting this history, he intersperses lenghty (though riveting) tales from his own experiences growing up as a skater. These tales, which are indicative of how the skating mileau of the time shaped him, are a valuable time capusle to which many readers will relate. He manages to do all of this very artfully so that what seems to be a bi-polar stucture is nearly seamless. Few books measure up to the narrative and literary standards I expect from authors--but this one far surpasses them (a pleasant surprise). Novice skaters and parents who wish to understand skating culture should read this book and also Tony Hawk's Operation: Skateboarder. Both are fast reads (despite their 300+ pagecounts) and demonstrate two contrasting aspects of the sport and the corresponding worldviews engendered therein. Really, it's so good if Weyland waxes poetic on ice fishing I'd have to check it out. Please note that this book is a lot more fun to read than my dull review.

Laura Stamm's Power Skating was recommended to me by my team and personal skating coach. It covers basics ... in detail! Speed, balance, explosiveness, responsiveness - all depend on the basics underlying your forward and backward stride, including weight distribution, leg extension, edge position, angle, and control, hip position and movement, control of shoulder and torso position, and more.

This book covers the basics you would have drilled into you at any good hockey school or clinic. So if you're wondering why you slip edges, are a fast runner but slow skater, can't quite stop yourself from spinning out of position at times, lose your balance, feel like your upper and lower body aren't working together on the ice, etc. - buy this book and start drilling!

One piece of advice on skates, though. If you've never been fitted by a competent hockey pro shop or at a clinic, go and get it done. Hockey skates aren't shoes or boots and shouldn't fit like them. Wear the wrong skate and you will not only waste your time and money trying to learn to skate properly, you will develop habits you will have to rid yourself of later. Trust me - you are NOT going to be fitted properly at the local sporting goods or department store. Get fitted properly and buy the best skates you can afford. Fitting also addresses more than the skate boot fit. You need someone knowledgeable to help with things like blade type, rocker, and other fitting issues too.

The book and techniques are excellent and the price is cheap. Laura Stamm has been used and endorsed by many pros. You can't go wrong!

At the time of this review, I am 31 years old and preparing for my first season of adult hockey. I had almost zero skating experience (aside from maybe three public skating sessions when I was 12 or so years old) when I decided I wanted to play hockey. Before I started taking skating seriously, I would just go out an mess around on the ice for a half hour at a time. All that did was breed bad habits and frustration. Then, I purchased this book: I can't stress to you just how much the descriptions in this book helped form good skating habits while avoiding/undoing the bad ones. Remember, I am a self-taught skater and by no means perfect, but this book solidifed the fundamentals and spelled out the execution necessary to maximize my power. In just three months of practice patterned after the excercises in this book, I feel like a totally different individual than the unbalanced, directionless clown I was when I started out. Consider this book a must-read if you're looking to get into hockey.

You must buy it if you found Laura's DVD is the best skating instructional DVD.

This book has helped me out tremendously! I have an instructor, when he shows me something, and i still don't understand it, i flip this book open, it gives you step by step what you should do and it usually works..

Even on things my instructor does not go over because it's for more advanced than i am currently, this book helps you understand how to at least attempt to do it, and usually it works if you do what the book says..

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is just start to play ice hockey.. it has helped me out a lot!

great book but more for beginners. great drills to help build edge control

This book is like a personal trainer for inline (roller skating). I started reading this book in July 2006 and by August 2006 I was so much faster in inline skating. This is from someone who has never taken any lessons and started to skate on his own. I did the Northshore Inline (Duluth) half marathon later in Sept 2006 in 1 hour 6 mts (pretty impressive by my own standards). I keep referrring to it once in a while to keep up my training and speed.

This book is thorugh and even those of us that are completely uneducated about athletics and how to improve in them can understand clearly what is written in this book. I was afraid it would be too technical but it caters to all levels of knowledge. I am very impressed. I plan to start impleting these practices very soon.

A must have. Loaded with information and great pictures. Also very technical training schedules for the serious skaters. Not too much for short trackers but still alot of useful skating information.

From the background I had during my competitive years in the sport of inline speedskating, I believe the book is a complete and technical guide to the basic terminology, strategy, and mechanics that are involved with speedskating; both on ice and inline skates. There is heavy usage on photographs to show you the correct way to skate to reach your potential but to achieve what is seen in the picture typically takes years of training with coaches to show you the ways to train your body to achieve the form and stride of an effecient inline skater.

I also believe that some of the material is dated regarding the current face of the sport but the book is a staple in the sport and is a worthy look for outsiders and internally at the facets of the sport of inline and ice speedskating. For anyone interested in speedskating either on ice skates or inline skates, this book is the most comprehensive guide from a champion speedskater that covers most facets of the sport.

This is a great book for anyone involved in in-line or ice speedskating. Being a speedskater myself, I have had much success using the book. It is great for novice and elite skaters. The book offers a lot of information regarding techinique and training. I hope others have or will have as much success using this book as I have.

A MUST-HAVE FOR ANY SPEEDSKATERS LIBRARY!!!

Lowell does excellent work in this book capturing life at the Olympics, mixed in with family problems, and how athlete's aspire to greatness despite all the odds. It is superb. I would definitely recommend it to anyone.

Tori must have felt wonderful after winning the Olympics. This book was sad and happy. I wished that Tori could've somehow worked her strength past this awful disease and still have been able to skate. A beautiful heart- wrenching story.

This book was great and I liked the way it ended.The book shows Tori's feelings,and also had chapters on other characters insights.I give this book five stars,it was the best of all the books in the Silver Blades series.It's great!!!!!!!!!!

This book is about two skaters who have followed their dreams to skate at the Olympics. Melissa Lowell uses her imagination to create two skaters going to the Olympics instead of Kwan and Lipinski. This book is one of a three-book miniseries and of all of them I think it's the best! I'd give this book 5 stars, the first one for the drawing on the cover, the second one for the creativity of the book, third for the surprises, fourth for the adventure, and fifth for the humor. At the end there is a big surprise! Tori, who has a disease that can have her end up in a wheel chair, won the gold and Jill is in third. It was a great book. I'd recommend it for ages 7-12. I hope you enjoy the book!

This is the final book of a three-book mini-series. The end of every chapter leaves you hungry for more. It is about two girls trying to rising to the top of the world of figure skating. In Chance of a Lifetime, Tori and Jill are competing in the Olympics. Tori is skating with a serious muscle diease against all odds, and trying to be strong when all she recieves is pity. The other girl, Jill, finds out how differently alternates are treated at the Oympics than skaters competing. This book is sad at some points, funny at others, and really a thrilling book overall. It's a must for girls who love ice-skating.

Great Book...my kids love them. I wish that these books had been around when I was a kid. This book is fun and has a Dr. Seuss feel to it. Great for reinforcing the parts of speech to kids...

This book was great. It was too young for my 8yr old but just right for the 6yr old.

This book taught my 4 year old what nouns were. I read it for her older brother, but they both picked up on the concept. The rhymes are silly, so it keeps their attention, and they really get it by the end of the book.

I also recommend the others in the series - To Root, To Toot, To Parachute:What is a Verb?; Hairy, Scary, Ordinary: What is an Adjective? We don't have the latest ones, but I'm sure they're just as good.

After reading the other reviews, I want to check out other series that this author has done.

My five year old daughter loves this book! Prosmitsky's colorful illustrations make it so much more fun learning the parts of speech. My daughter adores the illustrator's goofy pillow-like cats!

As a teacher of third graders, I've used this book and "Hairy, Scary, Ordinary: What is an Adjective" to teach and delight my students, and to take some of the tedium out of parts of speech. Within a day or so of introducing these books, all 27 of my group knew the difference between the major parts of speech. We found out that Mr. Cleary has a website, and I printed out some word-building worksheets off it for free, and a took away a couple of suggestions on how integrate teaching nouns with a fun art project, called the noun quilt, in which each letter of the alphabet has a noun, as in B, BOOT, C, CAT and the students draw the item and eventually it becomes this big old paper quilt full of nouns. His publisher assures me that TO ROOT, TO TOOT, TO PARACHUTE: WHAT IS A VERB? will be in soon, and it's a no-brainer that I'll get that as well.