#1994 Skate Canada

[figureskatingcostumes]

Sébastien Britten's short program costume at the 1995 World Championships.

(Photo by Barry Mittan)

[kaleidodreams]

Updated 100 Memorable Skating Programs

Back in 2018, I created the original version of this list. (You can find the master post here.) Since 2024 marks my 30th year as an official fan of figure skating and there have been some more great programs created since the last time, I thought it was about time to update the list in honor of World Ice Skating Day. Same rules apply as last time:

Only senior competitive programs starting from the 1993-1994 season are eligible, since that's the first season I really started watching figure skating.

Each skater may only be listed once, unless a partner/discipline switch is involved.

Choice of music may also not be repeated. (Yes, there are two James Bond programs on the list, but Yuna and Wakaba use different music for the most part, so I'm letting it slide.)

I debated long and hard about whether or not I should still include programs from skaters who have proven themselves to be not so great people. I'm someone who has little difficulty separating the art from the artist, so in the end, I decided to keep them listed (although most of them got knocked down a few pegs). This list is more about the choreography than the skater anyway, although there are certainly some problematic choreographers out there, too. (Looking at you especially, Morozov!) So, just because a skater is listed doesn't mean that I'm a fan of them or that I condone their actions! I just think certain programs are still great regardless of the skaters' terrible behavior off the ice.

Choreographers are noted if known. If you know who choreographed the programs without a choreographer named, please let me know!

I've also created a handy playlist on YouTube if you don't want to click on all these links.

Ashley Wagner - Moulin Rouge (Shae-Lynn Bourne) 2016 Worlds

Jason Brown - Melancholy (Rohene Ward) 2023 Nationals

Patrick Chan - Phantom of the Opera (Lori Nichol) 2011 Canadian Nationals

Kaitlyn Weaver/Andrew Poje -Je suis malade (Pasquale Camerlengo) 2012 Worlds

Meryl Davis/Charlie White - Kajra Re/Silsila Ye Chahat Ka/Dola Re Dola (Marina Zueva, Igor Shpilband, and Anuja Rajendra) 2010 Olympics

Mao Asada - Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2 (Tatiana Tarasova) 2014 Olympics

Sui/Han - Rain, In Your Black Eyes (Lori Nichol) 2019 Worlds

Marina Anissina/Gwendal Peizerat - Romeo & Juliet 1998 Olympics

Cain/LeDuc - W.E. (Pasquale Camerlengo) 2022 US Nationals

Daisuke Takahashi - Blues for Klook (Pasquale Camerlengo) 2012 Worlds

Kurt Browning - Casablanca (Sandra Bezic) 1994 Olympics

Michelle Kwan - Salome (Lori Nichol) 1996 Worlds

Alexei Yagudin - Winter (Tatiana Tarasova and Nikolai Morosov) 2002 Olympics

Jamie Sale/David Pelletier - Love Story (Lori Nichol) 2002 Olympics

Jeremy Abbott - Exogenesis (Jeremy Abbott and Yuka Sato) Nationals 2012

Oksana Grishuk/Evgeni Platov - The Feeling Begins 1997 Worlds

Yuzuru Hanyu - Seimei (Shae-Lynn Bourne) 2015 Grand Prix Final

Chock/Bates - Egyptian Snake Dance (Marie-France Dubreuil, Ginette Cournoyer, and Sam Chouinard) 2019 Grand Prix Final

Javier Fernandez - Guys and Dolls (David Wilson) 2016 Worlds

Vanessa James/Morgan Cipres - Sound of Silence (John Kerr and Silvia Fontana) 2017 Euros

Evgenia Medvedeva - Anna Karenina (Daniil Gleichengauz) 2018 Olympics

Nathan Chen - Philip Glass medley (Shae-Lynn Bourne) 2021 Worlds

Gabriella Papadakis/Guilliame Cizeron - Elegie (Saxon Fraser and Marie-France Dubreuil) 2022 Olympics

Aljona Savchenko/Bruno Massot - La terre vue du ciel (Christopher Dean) 2018 Olympics

Kevin Aymoz - Bolero (Brice Mousset and Kevin Aymoz) 2023 Skate America

Julia Lipnitskaya - Schindler’s List (Ilia Averbukh) 2014 Olympics

Elena Berezhnaya/Anton Sikharulidze - Lady Caliph 2002 Olympics

Yu-na Kim - James Bond medley (David Wilson) 2010 Olympics

Shoma Uno - Buenos Aires Hora Cero (Mihoko Higuchi) 2016 Grand Prix Final

Michal Brezina - The Way You Look Tonight (Jeffrey Buttle) 2016 Skate Canada

Shae-Lynn Bourne/Victor Kraatz - Riverdance 1998 Olympics

Adam Rippon - O/Fly On (Benji Schwimmer) 2016 Trophee de France

Jeffrey Buttle - Bells of Moscow (David Wilson) 2005 Worlds

Piper Gilles/Paul Poirier - Vincent (Carol Lane and Juris Razgulajevs) 2019 Canadian Nationals

Rudy Galindo - Swan Lake (Sharlene Franke) 1996 US Nationals

Sasha Cohen - Malaguena (Tatiana Tarasova) 2004 Worlds

Aljona Savchenko/Robin Szolkowy - Pina (Ingo Steur) 2011 Grand Prix Final

Samantha Cesario - Carmen (Inese Budevica) 2013 Trophee Eric Bompard

Tatsuki Machida - East of Eden (Phillip Mills) 2014 Worlds

Xue Shen/Hongbo Zhao - Turandot (Lea Ann Miller, Renee Roca, and Gorsha Sur) 2003 Worlds

Kaitlin Hawayek/Jean-Luc Baker - Liebestraume (Pasquale Camerlengo) 2018 Nationals

Olga Mikutina - My Nocturnal Serenade (Rostislav Sinicyn) 2023 Europeans

Lu Chen - The Last Emperor (Toller Cranston) 1995 Worlds

Giada Russo - Red Violin (Edoardo de Bernardis) 2016 Europeans

Junhwan Cha - Fate of the Clockmaker/Cloak and Dagger (Shae-Lynn Bourne) 2022 Olympics

Han Yan - La La Land (Yuka Sato and Kurt Browning) 2019 Chinese Interclub League

Wakaba Higuchi - Skyfall (Shae-Lynn Bourne) 2018 Worlds

Kazuki Tomono - Die Fledermaus (Misha Ge) 2022 Japanese Nationals

Yuma Kagiyama - Believer (Shae-Lynn Bourne) 2024 Worlds

Karen Chen - On Golden Pond (Karen Chen) 2017 Nationals

Maia Shibutani/Alex Shibutani - Coppelia (Marina Zueva and Cheryl Yeager) 2016 Nationals

Yuko Kavaguti/Alexander Smirov - Manfred Symphony (Peter Tchernyshev) 2014 Skate America

Philippe Candeloro - The Three Musketeers (Natacha Dabadie) 1998 Olympics

Alexander Abt - Songs from the Victorious City 1998 Nations Cup

Tessa Virtue/Scott Moir - Prince medley 2017 Worlds

Ekaterina Gordeeva/Sergei Grinkov - Moonlight Sonata (Marina Zueva) 1994 Olympics

Satoko Miyahara - Madama Butterfly (Tom Dickson) 2017 Japanese Nationals

Marjorie Lajoie/Zachary Lagha - The White Crow (Romain Haguenauer and Ginette Cournoyer) 2023 Four Continents

Anjelika Krylova/Oleg Ovsiannikov - Masquerade Waltz 1997 Worlds

Alena Kostornaia - The Departure, November (Daniil Gleikhengauz) 2019 Grand Prix Final

Nelli Zhiganshina/Alexander Gazsi - Two from the Grave (Ilia Averbukh) 2013 Worlds

Ksenia Stolbova/Fedor Klimov - The Man and The Shadow (Nikolai Morozov) 2015 Grand Prix Final

Stephanie Rosenthal - Rockit (Stewart and Christi Sturgeon) 2006 Nationals

Madison Hubbell/Zachary Donohue - Across the Sky, Caught Out In The Rain (Marie-France Dubreuil) 2018 Nationals

Mikhail Kolyada - The Nutcracker (Ilia Averbukh) 2021 Gran Premio d'Italia

Sinead Kerr/John Kerr - The Landing/Turn Around/Gravity of Love (Evgeni Platov) 2008 Worlds

Kaetlyn Osmond - Sous le ciel de Paris, Milord (Lance Vipond) 2016 Grand Prix Final

Carolina Kostner - Ave Maria (Lori Nichol) 2014 Olympics

Karina Manta/Joe Johnson - Sweet Dreams (Christopher Dean) 2019 Nationals

Gracie Gold - Firebird (Lori Nichol) 2016 Nationals

Charlene Guignard/Marco Fabbri - Atonement/Song For A Little Sparrow (Barbara Fusar-Poli and Corrado Giordani) 2022 Europeans

Keegan Messing - Singing in the Rain (Lance Vipond) 2018 Worlds

Elizabeth Punsalan/Jerod Swallow - Astor Piazolla medley (Igor Shpilband) 1998 Olympics

Rika Kihira - A Beautiful Storm (Tom Dickson) 2018 NHK Trophy

Mariah Bell - Chicago (Rohene Ward) 2016 Skate America

Brian Joubert - Rise (Evgeni Platov) 2009 Europeans

Stephane Lambiel - Poeta (Antonio Najarro) 2007 Worlds

Kaori Sakamoto - The Matrix (Benoit Richaud) 2020 NHK Trophy

Akiko Suzuki - O (Pasquale Camerlengo) 2012 NHK Trophy

Qing Pang/Jian Tong - The Impossible Dream (Shae-Lynn Bourne and David Wilson) 2010 Olympics

Takahito Kozuka - Io ci saro (Lori Nichol) 2014 Japanese National

Smart/Diaz - Mask of Zorro 2022 Europeans

Matt Savoie - Ennio Morricone medley (Tom Dickson) 2006 Nationals

Deniss Vasiljevs - Puttin’ On The Ritz (Benoit Richaud) 2016 Worlds

Caroline Green/Michael Parsons - Violin Concerto No.1 Eso Concerto, Clouds, The Mind on the Wind (Elena Novak and Alexei Kiliakov) 2022 Four Continents

Tara Lipinski - The Rainbow (Sandra Bezic) 1998 Olympics

Denis Ten - SOS d'un terrien en détresse (David Wilson) 2017 Shanghai Trophy

Valentina Marchei/Ondrej Hotarek - Tu Vuo Fa L'Americano (Massimo Scali) 2018 Europeans

Krisztina Czako - The Addams Family (Igor Bobrin) 1997 Europeans

Cheng Peng/Yang Jin - My Drag (Lori Nichol) 2016 GPF

Bradie Tennell - Mechanisms, Chronos (Benoit Richaud) 2020 4CC

Evgeny Plushenko - Tribute to Nijinsky 2004 Russian Nationals

Vanessa Gusmeroli - Rats D'Hotel 1999 Worlds

Julianne Seguin/Charlie Bilodeau - Monde Inverse (Shae-Lynn Bourne and Shae Zukiwsky) 2015 Skate America

Isabeau Levito - Dulcea Și Tandra Mea Fiară (Yulia Kuznetsova) 2022 MK John Wilson Trophy

Elizaveta Tuktamysheva - Batwannis Beek/Sandstorm (Tatiana Prokofieva) 2015 Europeans

Kana Muramoto/Daisuke Takahashi - Soran Bushi (Marina Zoueva, Ilia Tkachenko, and Koyo Yanai) 2021 NHK Trophy

Amber Glenn - This Time (Kaitlyn Weaver and Randi Strong) 2024 Lombardia Trophy

Ivan Righini - You Raise Me Up (Ivan Righini) 2016 Europeans

Anna Cappellini/Luca Lanotte - Life is Beautiful (Liudmila Vlasova) 2017 NHK Trophy

[saleintothe90s]

500. The 1984 Olympics Sports Illustrated Preview Issue (July 18, 1984) Part 1.

I'm totally late, but aren't we all having a little bit of Olympic withdrawal? This was a big magazine for me as a kid, big. My mom got it for me at the thrift store in 1994 when I was 10 because at the time I collected old issues of Sports Illustrated for the figure skating articles. This issue was massive, about five hundred pages. Five hundred pages of ads and photos I still remember 30 years later.

Like this Levi's ad! I still remember the lady in her maternity jeans, and how the kids couldn't wear riveted Levi's to school because they'd scratch up the desks.

There were several extended profiles of athletes that were expected to win big in Los Angeles, such as Carl Lewis.

Carl Lewis: mall lover.

Embarrassing baby photos of the athletes were a common occurrence.

I forgot to mention the Renault Fuego when I did that write up on Renault's short lived visit in the States.

I thought the Chrysler Laser was a thing in Canada, and we in the U.S. had the Plymouth Laser. No! We had the Chrysler first for a couple of years and then we had the Plymouth for a few years? That Lee Iacocca made things so confusing. I've mentioned before that I grew up alongside my niece and when we were in high school, she bought a used green Laser, and I was so jealous.

Autoweek went looking for one of the special 1984 Olympic edition GMC Jimmys, but couldn't find one.

I love that its a heartwarming story about how Bill Toomey almost didn't win the 1968 decathlon, and then its just ...screwdrivers at Sears.

I've spent thirty years trying to figure out what album German swimmer Michael Gross has against his stereo. Bap? Rap? I'm gonna eBay image search it. Okay, so it is a German album by Bap.

1984 was definitely the first 'puter Olympics. Not the first internet Olympics like Atlanta or Nagano, but one where computers were definitely advertised. Looks like the closest Sears Business Systems Center to me was in Virginia Beach where a Shake Shack is today.

When I was a kid looking at this ad, I thought that was the real Charlie Chaplin, and he was still alive in 1984 selling IBM PCJr computers with those awful keyboards. Clint from LGR called the space bar a "gooey celery stick".

This was a sweet section about athletes reminiscing about their time during the first Olympics held in LA back in 1932. The hop step and jump is what we would call the triple jump today. The Sports Illustrated vault is absolute garbage now, but you can still read the text from the other athletes profiled. Ellen Preis the Frencer from Austria had a heck of a story:

ELLEN PREIS AUSTRIA FENCING, INDIVIDUAL FOIL

When we arrived in the United States, we met the mayor of New York. I can't remember his name [it was Jimmy Walker], but I remember he made a lot of funny jokes. He took us to Sing Sing, which was both interesting and a great shock. We sat in the electric chair. It felt awful. Afterward we saw criminals on Death Row, and I felt very sorry for them. Then they took us to a laboratory, and we saw 42 jars containing the brains of criminals who had died in the chair. I was very young, and it made a strong impression.

I still haven't forgotten this ad, Fisher. It totally worked.

Part 2 coming soon.

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[couldawouldashoulda50]

The Distance and the Time Between Us

Part One - February, 2016

A/N - Part one starts at the beginning where Y/N and William first meet. You can read the Introduction here

Y/N is invited by the organization to do some light-hearted promotional video shorts to try and elevate the mood surrounding the Leafs (the team is having one of their worst seasons on record) and support the Marlies (their season is the polar opposite). I have never really written dialogue before and truthfully, I struggled with it so hopefully it's not too painful to read. Hopefully my French isn't too brutal either.

Warnings: mention of medical issues, swearing

Word Count: 4.8k

Early February, 2016

“Okay, so the idea is that we’re going to test her knowledge about Sweden, and then in order to get a point, she also needs to shoot the puck in the net.  Then we’ll flip it over to you and you will need to answer some questions about Canada and then do the same with the puck. Easy, right?” Amanda chuckles at William as he makes an indiscernible, possibly bordering on unimpressed, face. 

“Why can’t you ask ME the Swedish questions…I mean, how hard are these questions anyway?'' William says, trying to coax the Marketing Manager into switching things up.  

“Because we have to make it somewhat challenging - there’s no fun in making it too easy for you” Amanda laughs.  “Plus, she may not know anything about Sweden so you could totally run away with this.”

“Yeah, let’s hope so…I’d rather not get pummeled and have the whole thing recorded…I’ll never live it down��  William laughs.  He finishes tying up the laces on his skates, exits the dressing room and joins the camera crew on the ice.

Not long after, you emerge from another dressing room of the practice facility for the Leafs and Marlies, decked out in a zip-up team jacket, dark tights and your hockey skates.  You were provided with a customized Bauer stick to match the one the former first-round pick uses.  You take a quick glance at your reflection in the glass and chuckle to yourself thinking, rather modestly, “it’s as good as it’s going to get”.  You adjust the Leafs toque that was provided to you and open the latch to the gate.

You hop onto the ice, trying to contain the sheer excitement of even being at this rink.  As a local girl, you were brought up watching the Leafs.  At the age of 4, you found a souvenir from a Maple Leaf’s game that your Dad had attended.  It was a glossy paged yearbook of the 1993/1994 Leafs roster and when your eyes fell upon Felix Potvin, the Leafs starting net minder, you were done…your little 4 year old heart fell head over heels in love with him.  The adoration for Felix made you a fan, not just of the team, but of the game.  It wasn’t an aspiration of yours to necessarily play hockey; the dreams of being a musician had already consumed your mind, body and soul.  It was the skating; the power and speed behind every glide that held your focus as you watched each game.  As a child, you took figure skating lessons but after years of struggling with some of the fundamentals due to your stout body structure, especially in your legs (making it difficult to do the ‘cross’ part of the ‘cut’), you dropped the lessons, and stayed away from participating in any on-ice activities.  

Years later, your height nearly reaching 5’9” after some significant growth spurts, your body took a more shapely and athletic form, mainly as a result of swimming laps nightly at the community pool.  Much like skating, the power and strength behind every movement with swimming laps appealed to you.  It taught you focus while developing precise and efficient motion.  You were a natural born worrier; the rhythm and repetition of gliding through water helped free you from the relentless chatter that plagued your mind.  

With the changes to your frame allowing your legs to finally accomplish the menacing cross-cut, and you now making money from your band's pursuits, the power skating lessons began.  With you being based in Britain at the time, it was challenging to find the exact program that you wanted.  You resigned to being the only 5’8”, fully developed 18 year old female taking “ice-hockey lessons” as they called it, alongside 8 and 9 year old boys.  You learned another valuable lesson during this time, learning to drown out the comments and unwanted input from those around you, in order to do what you love.  It came in handy - at this point in time, being an up and coming band, you still found yourselves playing gigs in front of audiences where 20% wanted to hear you and 80% did not.

And here you are now, a superstar in your own right, invited by the Maple Leafs organization to make some promotional video shorts with members of the current Maple Leafs and Toronto Marlies teams.  The Leafs were having a pretty tough season; the Marlies season was the polar opposite. The organization’s hope was that some light-hearted PR involving the once small-town Ontario girl, turned mega-celebrity, who happens to love both Toronto hockey teams, could help lighten the abysmal mood that infected the fan base.  

As he chatted with Amanda, William watched you with interest as you skated towards the production team.  He knows you - well, not exactly…he at least knows who you are.  William was familiar with a few of your hits and generally liked some of  your solo stuff but he was nowhere near the level of fandom of his three sisters.  Even William’s younger brother, Alex, was an avid follower of yours but he mused it might be more about your physical beauty than your music.

Alex nearly jumped through the phone last night when William explained that he was doing a video segment with you the following day.  

William hadn’t noticed his conversation with Amanda had completely trailed off; his eyes firmly set on you as you enthusiastically greeted each person on the set.   You were simply luminescent, and William was honestly taken aback with your natural ability to put everyone at ease.  Although you were the VIP of the day, you made everyone in the room feel like they were too.  

William’s sky-blue eyes traced the side-profile of your face; butterflies started to form in his stomach when you glanced towards him and smiled.  As he smiled back, the butterflies were replaced by an elephant stampede in his chest, and he began to feel an intense heat radiating from his cheeks.

You skated over to him and unbeknownst to you, he was actually nervous, despite his demeanor of appearing totally relaxed.  

“Hey William” you said, extending your hand.  “I’m Y/N - I’m so excited to meet you” you said, grinning your widest grin.

And as William grinned his widest grin back at you, there were two thoughts crashing in your mind at the same time - “Jesus - he’s fucking gorgeous” followed promptly by “he’s probably a prick so forget about it”.

“Nice to meet you too…. My sisters are huuuuuge fans of yours”, William said.

You smiled with appreciation “That’s awesome…please tell them thank you, from me, if you can.  It’s always so nice to hear that.” 

You paused - you didn’t want to pry, or sound intrusive but you saw the hit William took from the Swiss player at the World Juniors in December and had been on your mind since, given his connection with the Marlies.

Tentatively, you continued. “I saw some clips from the All-star Classic last week - it must have felt good to be back on the ice.   

“Oh - you mean after the concussion”.  You weren’t sure if William was embarrassed but he looked down towards the ice and ran his fingers through his luxurious blonde hair.

Your eyebrows furrowed as you winced “Yeah…I watched that game…” you trailed off, feeling really uncertain if you should say any more.  “I’m so sorry - that hit on you was brutal.” 

 “It didn’t feel good, that’s for sure; should’ve kept my head up” he quipped.  “But yeah, between that and my appendix almost bursting after that, I’m a lot better now”.  

You kicked yourself mentally, hoping you hadn’t created an awkward moment; you were never one to handle uncomfortable silences very well.   

In an attempt to recover, you look up at William with a smile.

 “Well, I’m so glad to hear you’ve recovered.  It looks like they’re almost ready…let’s get this rig rolling”, giving him a little wink and a slight nudge.

You turn to see that the crew has nearly finished setting up the lighting and Amanda is going through some details with the woman that will be hosting the segment.  You skate off to join Amanda and the host to see if you can get some intel of the questions being asked.

Amanda calls William over and she begins to direct you to where you’ll both need to stand so the lighting casts perfectly over your faces. 

A make-up artist appears, and begins to do some minor touch-ups to enhance your healthy glow, and applies a thin layer of gloss to your lips as an extra measure.

William watches as you raise your chin up and close your eyes, as brushes lightly graze over your features.  It’s unnerving for him to look at you; he’s convinced that you’re one of the most strikingly beautiful women that he's ever met. And he’d met plenty of women, or girls, depending. At the young age of 19, he’d already gotten a taste of the boy-band level of popularity with many females in Toronto, looking to catch the attention of an up and coming hockey star.  Add in all the girls he would meet during years of road trips, William never had to make an effort for girls to flock to him. Because of this, William found it difficult to establish a real connection beyond the overly available, yet casual, hook-ups which, most of the time, became complicated and messy. 

Filming quickly gets underway and the host introduces you both, giving a quick history about each of you.  

“OK Y/N - are you ready for the first question?” the host asks 

“Absolutely” you say, smiling.

“What are the two colours on the Swedish Flag?”

Relieved it’s an easy question, you quickly answer “Blue and Yellow”.  You position the puck just so and fire your shot, hitting the back of the net with ease.

William smiles and appears to be impressed as he raises an eyebrow and mouths the word “Wow”.

As the Swedish trivia challenge continued on, you managed to answer all of the remaining questions correctly, even blurting out the answer to the bonus question related to what type of government Sweden has (you’re not even sure how you knew the answer but nevertheless, you seemed to delight the onlookers).  Better yet, your shots on net were pretty solid and each puck hit the netting, coupled with an audible swoosh.

More and more, William was finding himself completely captivated by you.  Since he set his eyes on you, he sensed a massive contrast between you and the girls that he frequently came in contact with.  William’s mind began to race with questions about you; he needed to know more about you.  At the same time, and as self-assured as William normally was, the thought of asking a global celebrity for at least her number, had his stomach tied in knots.

William was up.  Everyone knew he was a sniper, so obviously scoring was not going to be an issue.  The questions related to Canada were generally the same as the Swedish ones, and William answered them with ease.

Each time you glanced at William, your heart started to race a little more.  You had made a snap judgement about his personality, based solely on his exterior, which completely backfired on you.    He proved to be warm and charming, with a smile that never seemed to leave his face.  You contemplated if you had ever met a man who smiled as much as William seemed to.  

The host’s voice brings you back down to earth.

“OK, William - in order to get to the bonus question, name three of your favourite Canadian music artists” the host asked, glancing over at you with a wink and a smile.

It seemed obvious enough that William would include you in the answer, since you were 8 feet away from him, but instead, he rhymed off Justin Bieber, Drake and The Weeknd.  He shot the puck and satisfied with his response, smiled at the host.

There was an odd silence as the onlookers seemed surprised that William appeared to snub you, on camera no less.  

William read the room and looked over at you with a confused look.  You smiled back at him and shrugged your shoulders.  

The host, trying to assess the situation, looking to find some humour in it, chuckles and says “Ok, I guess William’s not a fan of Y/N it seems” which was met with some low-key snickering from the crew.

“Wait - what?” William says, half laughing - his cheeks starting to burn.  His expression was mostly like a deer caught in the headlights.

You, sensing his embarrassment, said “It’s all good…” you giggled and looked at the host “Those would be my choices…I’m not necessarily everyone’s cup of tea” you say modestly.

William’s head swiftly turned in your direction.  His eyebrows lifted and his mouth dropped open as he realized his unintentional SNAFU.

The onlookers shook their heads and laughed; some came over and gave William some hearty pats on his shoulder, accompanied by some good natured ribbing.

You could see William trying to laugh it off but as he looked at you with a combined expression of awkwardness and unease, and your heart cracked a little for him.  

The host waves her hands and grabs everyone’s attention again.

“Alright, William, moving along - for the bonus question.  If you answer this correctly, then we’ll need a tie breaker between you and Y/N.  The question is a geography based one”.

William groaned and his face lowered into his gloved hands.  

The host continued, “How many territories are there in Canada?”

Someone in the group decided to quietly hum the Jeopardy theme song which was of no help to William.

William inhaled, squinted his face and apprehensively answered “2?”

“Ooooh - sorry William!  Soooo clooooose!” the host says in faux dismay.  “There’s actually 3”.

The host mercifully wraps up the segment declaring you the winner of the trivia challenge.  William taps his stick on the ice as recognition, and everyone begins to disperse.

William makes his way over to you; his dazzling eyes are fixed on your face, a wide, almost mischievous grin, spans his angelic visage.

“Are you sure you’re not Swedish?  I wasn’t sure I even knew all those answers” he joked.  

“So…who’s your next victim with these shoots?” William asks coyly.

“Whoa - really…victim?” you answer feigning shock with a side of a phoney ‘how dare you’.

“Aren’t you the one who slayed me during this little stint…snubbing me entirely” you laughed,  nudging William in the arm.  

William groans “You have no idea how badly I’m going to be chirped about this.  I really don't know what I was thinking.  Fuck it - I’ll blame on it on the concussion.” 

“Oh my gosh - honestly, it was really pretty funny. It wasn’t like you were saying I suck…unless that’s exactly what you were trying to say” you dead-panned, raising an eyebrow at him.  “We might have a problem then if that's the case,” you joked.

William laughs “Tell you what…I do really feel bad…do you maybe want to grab something to eat later on, if you’re not busy?”

Your heart leapt inside your chest into your throat. 

“I wish I could but I have plans with some old friends…I haven't seen them in ages so they’ll be pissed if I blow them off.  I’m here for another week or so - maybe we can swing another time?” you said, hopefully.

“For sure…here…” Williams grabs his phone from his pocket “Can you add your number?”

William hands you the phone and you start typing the digits of your number.  Under the contact name, you typed in "Can I be your #4?", saved it and handed the phone back to William.  Amanda calls out for you and William to get a picture together so William quickly jams his phone back into his pocket and drapes his arm around your shoulder.  You gently extended your arm around his waist thinking that seemed to be the only place on his body that made sense.  With that mere touch, externally you smiled for the camera, but internally, were acutely aware of the faint but noticeable throb between your legs that William’s mere touch seemed to incite.  "Keep it together Y/N, for fuck sakes" you joked to yourself.  

"It was so great to meet you William - it was a ton of fun" you laughed, taking your hand out of the hockey glove and extending it to William.

“Trivia isn’t really my thing but you definitely made it more interesting” William said as he extended his arms out for an embrace.  

You managed to pull the plug on the wild smut show that had already started in your brain, kept it light, and while hugging him, you patted his back gently and pulled away.

“See you, William,” you said grinning.

William wanted to come up with something clever, something extra but his brain just wasn’t engaging. Instead, he smiled bashfully and simply said “See you…I hope”.

Later on, in the parking lot, William sat in his car looking through his contacts, searching for your name.  His heart sank when he went to the first letter of your name and found nothing.  

He scrolled back to the top of his contacts, his thumb slowly grazing the glass to look at every single contact name he had.  “Shit - I need to get rid of some of these” he thought as he bypassed a myriad of girls' names from previous encounters.  

William laughs when he finally discovers the pseudonym you gave yourself and sits there for a moment, grinning like the Cheshire Cat; his chest fills up with a warm sensation unlike anything he’s ever experienced before.  

He arrived home to his downtown condo that he shared with his teammate, Kasperi.  

“Hey - how’d it go?  How was she?” Kappy asked, not looking up from the TV screen.

William grabbed water from the fridge and walked to the living room where Kasperi lounged on the couch, almost enveloped by the overstuffed cushions that were strewn about.  Immersed in Call of Duty, Kasperi only could mutter “Fuck” multiple times in a row.

“Good. She’s really nice actually” William said, not wanting to elaborate on his newly developed interest.  

“Is she as hot up close as she looks on screen?  That video she was in - you know….that song” Kasperi hums the tune of one of your more popular solo hits “she’s hardly wearing anything under a buttoned-down dress shirt and mmmm…she’s in stilettos” Kappy mused, eyes still fixed on the screen.

“Jesus, Kap - get a grip” William forced a chuckle, trying not to let his annoyance show.  

“You wanna play for a bit?” Kasperi asked, mumbling expletives as William declined.

“Gonna go for a nap - see you in a few”.  William disappears into his bedroom.  He flops onto the bed and rolls over, grabbing the pillow on the right side.  He lay there thinking of you; he can hardly believe it but he’s already dying to see you again.  He grabs his phone and Googles your name.  First, he pulls up images of you - everything from award ceremonies and galas to magazine covers.

William continues to scroll through the search results, pulling up a video that a fan made on YouTube.  It’s a video montage of you, at various events over the years.  The song “More than a Woman” by the BeeGees plays in the background; the music somehow further enhances every movement of your elegant figure and every detail of your radiant face. 

As you smile for the cameras.

As you laugh with your bandmates.

As you take the stage in front of thousands of fans.

Ugh.  As you looked at your (now ex-) boyfriend in the eyes while walking the red carpet, your arm looped through his.

That last one hurt.

William flipped his phone over and grabbed the pillow once again.  He closed his eyes, imagining the pillow was your body lying next to him, the first few moments of meeting you were on a continuous loop in his mind, until sleep finally found him.

****************************************************************

After the segment with William had wrapped, you headed to the dressing room to change out of your skates.

Evelyn breezes through the door after waving good-bye and saying thanks to the small entourage that escorted her to the dressing room.   

“That went well…” 

Evelyn’s British accent, and the way she enunciated her words, seemed to always sound sardonic, whether it was intentional or not.  You had learned that it was just best to stick with the facts throughout conversations with Evelyn; as your manager, you learned fast that she often wasn’t in the mood to hear about frilly musings other than in your songs.  

“Poor soul looked completely lost after he rhymed off every fucking Canadian singer, except you” she smirked.

“Jesus. he picked three of his favourite performers that he listens to, and they are all amazing,” you laughed.  “He’s not required to be a fan of mine,” you said as you nudged Evelyn’s arm. “He felt bad though - he asked me out to make up for it, so that was nice” you trailed off, your cheeks inadvertently blushing at the thought.

“So that’s why you gave him your number” Evelyn smiled.  “It’s nice to see you finally getting back on the horse”.  Evelyn reaches into her long Burberry coat, pulling out her phone to open a newly delivered text message.  “Play your cards right, you may get to ride him too.  You could use a good…” she said in a low tone, neither taking her eyes off the screen or bothering to finish her sentence.  

You scoffed, but it wasn’t like the thought hadn’t already entered your mind.

Amanda appeared at the door and invited you and Evelyn to head to the players lounge for a quick bite.   

On the way,  Amanda listed off which of the Maple Leafs would be taking part in the next segment.  All very familiar names to you and much to your delight, the players in question were waiting for you in the lounge.  

Tyler Bozak, Nazem Kadri, Morgan Rielly and Jake Gardiner stood gathered around the kitchen counter, deep in a spirited debate about popular wrestlers from the eighties.

Morgan appeared to be the bonafide WWE expert and was busy putting the rest to shame as he rhymed off some of the greats.

“Wasn’t there a female manager for….shit, who was it?” Kadri asked, snapping his fingers as he wracked his brain for the answer.  

“Fuck….what was her name….ah shit - I’m drawing a blank….” Morgan said, pressing the palm of his hand to his forehead.  “Fuck me, this is gonna drive me nuts now”.

The group snickered at him.

 “Some expert you are” Jake said, poking Morgan repeatedly in the ribs.

“Miss Elizabeth” you said with a smile as you approached the group.  “She was Macho Man Randy Savage’s manager”.

Morgan’s head swivelled around as he said “Awh - yeah!  Thank God….fuck - I just drew a total blank” Morgan said, apparent relief washing over him.  

Introductions weren’t needed with the 4 players as you had briefly met each of the men at a charity function the year before.  Each gave you a friendly hug as you all continued on with the lively conversation.   

“We had about 5 TV channels growing up, there wasn’t cable out in the country - we just had a TV antenna and a router” you laughed.  “I think it was the Hamilton channel that showed WWE reruns Saturdays at noon.  Sort of became a fan of the 80’s wrestlers, whether I wanted to be or not '' you joked.  “I always thought Miss Elizabeth was so beautiful…” you mused.

The men all made their own noises, nodding and affirming that Miss Elizabeth was indeed, well…hot.

Not long after, Amanda summoned you all to a common area of the lounge, where the next video segment was to take place.  You glanced over and could see Evelyn and Amanda, deep in conversation.  You usually wouldn’t notice or care what Evelyn was doing; you and your Manager had an incredible working relationship and you trusted her implicitly.  That was, until you had a sneaking suspicion that she, the host and Amanda were hatching some plan involving you for the next video. 

Before you could worry about it for too long, you and the 4 players were instructed to sit in the director-style chairs that had been lined up for you.

The host gives the directives of a game that is something between Truth or Dare and Never Have I Ever.  The questions that were directed at the players weren’t anything risqué, but were enough to cause a rumpus between the men, resulting in some hearty banter.   

Once the verbal melee ceased and everyone starts to settle again, the host turns toward you with a knowing smile.  

“We’ve left Y/N to last.  You may not know this but Y/N’s Maple Leaf fandom spans back to when she was just a small girl.  We’ve designed a very special Who’d You Rather between the Leafs past…. and present….players” she says drawing out each of the last few words emphatically.  “With Y/N being unattached currently, we decided this might be fun…” the host says teasingly. 

You shot a look at Evelyn, vowing to murder her later for this.

Evelyn smiles back at you, gesturing for you to hurry up and get this thing going.

On the monitor in front of you, a picture of Dion Phaneuf, the current Captain of the Leafs, appears next to a picture of former Captain Wendel Clark.  The players whooped and hollered at your choices and you audibly groaned, not knowing exactly how to navigate the choices.

“Oh my God - how am I supposed to choose? So what, this is who I’d like to date?  I actually know Dion - I’m friends with his wife too….” you trail off.  “Oh - but I love Wendel too” you giggle.

“Just so you all know” you say to the crowd, motioning towards your surroundings, “this…this whole situation has to be among my worst nightmares…” 

As the host cycles through a few more pictures, each of the 4 players giving their (unsolicited) input, albeit mockingly, as though they themselves were on a dating show.  

Your adoration for Felix Potvin was known to the crew, thanks to Evelyn, so naturally, Felix’s picture appears next to Morgan’s.  “Ooof, sorry Morgan…I have to go with my man, my precious Felix” you said, reaching over to tap Morgan’s knee.  

“Fine then…” Morgan deadpanned, with the slightest smirk.

One after the other, you choose Felix over the image that appears on the opposite slide.  

The host smiles and says “Devoted Potvin admirer, you have to love that!  If you had the chance to meet him, what would you say?” 

You were suddenly worried Felix would pop out of the woodwork, the look of excited anticipation mixed with worry crosses your face.  You jokingly peer over both of your shoulders and respond “Je veux dire ‘C'est un plaisir de vous rencontre.  Je suis tellement un grand fan de toi.  I don’t think I would be able to get out much more than that”, you laugh.

“Ok, this is the last image.  You just met this player this morning and managed to squeak past him to win in the trivia challenge” the host says, eyes fixed on your face.

William’s headshot from the Marlies appears on the screen, next to your first hockey love.  The 4 men sat next to you chime in playfully with a series of “ooooh….Willy Nylander…”

You stay composed looking at the picture, trying not to appear as flustered as you felt.  In one short meeting, William had actually made an impact on you.  Yes, you found him breathtakingly gorgeous, but it was far more than that.  There was a kindness about him; something about him seemed so refreshing and you found yourself really wanting a chance to talk with him more.

You try to suppress a smile but you end up with a wide grin and cheeks flushed.  This shouldn’t be a big deal - but admitting that you might like a boy sent your mind hurtling back to 9th grade, when you were meek and awkward and would sooner die than allow a boy to see that you might think he’s cute.

But, you decide to play it safe and bypass William’s picture, just willing for this segment to be over.  “I’m sticking with Felix,” you laugh.

“Felix it is!” the host says as she gives the appearance of cheering your choice.  

Once the production crew deems they can wrap the segment, you slide off your chair and mingle with the 4 players and others that had gathered around for a quick snack before packing up.

Evelyn saunters up to you and whispers “You beautiful, chinless wonder* - you should have picked the boy…”

You rolled your eyes and shook your head.  Secretly, you had chosen him in your mind; you couldn’t stop thinking about him.  ‘Fuck Y/N…you’re sunk’ is the only thought you had toying in your head.

“You can just keep your opinions to yourself,” you laughed toward Evelyn.  “Let’s just go, I gotta get ready for dinner soon”.

(*chinless wonder is apparently British slang for a coward)

[sunskate]

Yes. 100%. They’re performing at the Europeans Gala according to FSU. No way they do this if they’re not coming back. It’s a pure VM from 2016 move - upstage all the current big name competitors by making the announcement during a competition they’re trying to use to build momentum towards the Olympics to let them know they’re all heading one step further down the podium. They’d have done it at Montreal Worlds if Skate Canada would’ve let them lol. They want the euphoria of a full crowd screaming for them as they win a gold medal because COVID soured Tokyo just as VM didn’t want Sochi to be the last page of their careers. Can’t blame them for that - I don’t love their style that is now seemingly mandatory in ice dance, but they don’t need to be better than ever to beat this crop.

between the Paris Ballet news story and performing at Euros, it does feel like they're ramping up towards something. it's not like any team has had a meteoric rise or a new style of ice dance has come in during their absence, so a comeback for them might be less difficult than it was for VM. and i totally agree about how Beijing wasn't the dream Olympic experience, with barely any crowd and restrictions on what they could do and where they could go. then again 2.5 seasons is a long time, and a lot of things could happen. 2018 VM or 1994 Torvill and Dean, who were successful but not gold in their comeback, or?

[brookston]

Holidays 10.1

Holidays

Antiope Asteroid Day

Arbor Day (Northern Mariana Islands)

Armed Forces Day (South Korea)

Bad Bunny Day (California)

Bonn Phchum Ben (Ancestors’ Day; Cambodia)

Captains Regent Day (San Mario)

CD Player Day

Children’s Day (El Salvador, Guatemala, Sri Lanka)

Chronic Urticaria Awareness Day

Cut Out Dissection Day

Day of Prosecutors (Azerbaijan)

Day of Teachers and Inspectors (Uzbekistan)

Day of the Defenders of the Ukraine (Ukraine)

DIA (Defense Intelligence Agency) Day

Escape Room Day

Feast of Penha (Brazil)

Fire Pup Day

Fiscal Year begins (US)

Foundation Day of the People's Republic of China

Green Day

Ground Forces Day (Russia)

Guoqing Jie (China, Hong Kong, Macau)

International Day of Older Persons (UN)

International Gaucher Day

International Music Day

International Raccoon Appreciation Day

International Raise It Up Day

International Willy Wonka Day

Investiture of the Captains Regent (San Marino)

Journalist Day (Peru)

Kung Fu Day

Las Vegas Shooting Remembrance Day

Less Than Perfect Day

Lincolnshire Day (UK)

Little Golden Books Day

Magic Circles Day

Model T Day

Monkey God Festival (Hong Kong)

Moving Day (NYC)

National Architect Day (Mexico)

National Black Dog Day

National Book It! Day

National Day of the People's Republic of China

National Green City Day

National Hair Day

National Lace Day

National Latino Physician Day

National Massage Day (UK)

National Roller Skating Day

National Seniors Day (Canada)

National VHS Day

National Walk Your Dog Day

Older Persons Day (Kazakhstan; Tajikistan)

O’qituvchi va Murabbiylar Kuni (Day of Teachers and Instructors; Uzbekistan)

Pancasila Sanctity Day (Indonesia)

Popcorn and Tears Movie Appreciation Night

Postcard Day

Prosecutor’s Day (Azerbaijan)

Stone Fishing Ceremony (French Polynesia)

Tampere Day (Finland)

Teacher’s Day (Uzbekistan)

Ukrainian Cossacks Day (Ukraine)

Umbrella Academy Day

US-ROK Alliance Day (US and Korea)

Vat Day (French Republic)

We Are the Music Makers, and We Are the Dreamers of Dreams Day

White Rabbit Day

Willy Wonka Day

World Ballet Day

World Bluegrass Day

World Bluetits Day

World Handmade Day

World Paralysis Awareness Day

World Postcard Day

World Series Day

Wold Vexillology Day

Yosemite National Park Day

Food & Drink Celebrations

Coffee Day (Japan)

Croqueta Day (Miami, Florida)

German Brewer's New Year's Day

Greek Coffee Day (Greece)

Homemade Cookies Day

International Coffee Day

International Sake Day

Japanese Tea Day (Japan)

Manifest Drunkenness Day (France)

National Marinara Sauce Day

National Pumpkin Spice Day

Pudding Season begins

Vegan Baking Day

World Cocoa & Chocolate Day

World Sake Day

World Vegetarian Day

Independence & Related Days

Chuuk Constitution Day (Micronesia)

Cyprus (from UK, 1960)

Investiture of the Captains Regents (San Marino) [also 4.1]

Nigeria (from UK, 1960)

Palau (from UN Trust Territory status, 1994)

Tuvalu (from UK, 1978)

Unification Day (Cameroon)

1st Tuesday in October

Customer Experience Day [1st Tuesday]

IEEE Day [1st Tuesday]

National Advising Day [1st Tuesday]

National Fruit at Work Day [1st Tuesday]

National Night Out (Alternative) [1st Tuesday]

News Engagement Day [1st Tuesday]

Taco Tuesday [Every Tuesday]

Takeout Tuesday [1st Tuesday of Each Month]

Target Tuesday [Every Tuesday]

Tater Tot Tuesday [Every Tuesday]

To-Do List Tuesday [1st Tuesday of Each Month]

Tranquil Tuesday [1st Tuesday of Each Month]

Trivia Tuesday [Every Tuesday]

Two For Tuesday [Every Tuesday]

Weekly Holidays beginning October 1 (1st Week of October)

Active Aging Week (thru 10.7)

Getting the World to Beat a Path to Your Door Week (thru 10.7)

National Vegetarian Awareness Week (thru 10.7]

National Walk Your Dog Week (thru 10.7) [1st Week]

Trichotillomania Skin Picking & Related BFRB Awareness Week (thru 10.7)

Universal Children’s Week (thru 10.7)

World Dairy Expo (thru 10.4)

Festivals Beginning October 1, 2024

Algeria International Festival of Comics [FIBDA] (Algiers, Algeria) [thru 10.5]

Historic Bluffton Arts & Seafood Festival (Bluffton, South Carolina) [thru 10.20]

Melbourne Fringe Festival (Melbourne, Australia) [thru 10.20]

Orangeburg County Fair (Orangeburg, South Carolina) [thru 10.6]

World Dairy Expo (Madison, Wisconsin) [thru 10.4]

Feast Days

Abai (Syriac Orthodox Church)

Agnolotti Appreciation Day (Pastafarian)

Antonio Roybal (Artology)

Bavo of Ghent (Christian; Saint)

Camilla D'Errico (Artology)

The Canterbury Martyrs of 1588 (Christian; Martyrs)

Descension of the Lawyers Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Edward James (Christian; Blessed)

Faith Baldwin (Writerism)

Festival of Fides (Pagan)

Festival of Juno Sororia (Ancient Rome)

Festival of the Rosary (Christian; Saint)

Fides Publica (Old Roman Goddess of Faithfulness)

Fidharieus of Ireland (Christian; Saint)

Flattering Finals (Shamanism)

The Frith (a.k.a. Augury; Celtic Book of Days)

Giulia Lama (Artology)

Kalends of October (Ancient Rome)

Katsushika Hokusai (Artology)

Louis Untermeyer (Writerism)

Melorus (a.k.a. Melar or Mylor; Christian; Martyr)

Ms. Barrett (Muppetism)

Nicetius (Roman Catholic Church)

Nicolaes Pieterszoon Berchem (Artology)

Older Persons Day (Starza Pagan Book of Days)

Oschophoria (Autumn Dionysus Festival, Greek God of Intoxication)

Pergolese (Positivist; Saint)

Plat (Christian; Saint)

Remigius of Rheims (a.k.a. Remi; Christian; Saint)

Romanos the Melodist (Christian; Saint)

Thérèse of Lisieux (Christian; Saint)

Protection/Patronage of the Theotokos (Eastern Catholic Churches)

Wasnulf (a.k.a. Wasnon; Christian; Saint)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Binary Day [110] (4 of 9)

Shakku (赤口 Japan) [Bad luck all day, except at noon.]

Premieres

Abbey Road, by The Beatles (US Album; 1969)

Alice Cooper #1 (Marvel Comic Book; 1979)

And So Tibet (Modern Madcaps Cartoon; 1964)

The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas, by Gertrude Stein (Autobiography; 1932)

Belabor They Neighbor (Hector Heathcote Cartoon; 1970)

The Big Country (Film; 1958)

The Big Dipper, Parts 1 & 2 (Underdog Cartoon, S3, Eps. 5 & 6; 1966)

The Big Fix (Film; 1978)

The Big Knockover, by Dashiell Hammett (Short Story; 1927)

Blue Plate Symphony (Heckle & Jeckle Cartoon; 1954)

Bugs in Love (Silly Symphony Disney Cartoon; 1932)

A Canticle for Leibowitz, by Walter M. Miller Jr. (Novel; 1959)

A Close Shave, featuring Farmer Al Falfa (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1937)

Clown Jewels, featuring Sidney (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1961)

Cool Runnings (Film; 1993)

Deep Sea Doodle (Heckle & Jeckle Cartoon; 1960)

The Devil’s Dictionary, by Ambrose Bierce (Book; 1906)

Dexter (TV Series; 2006)

Dr. Rhinestone’s Theory, featuring James Hound (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1967)

Expert Explorer (Hector Heathcote Cartoon; 1963)

Ferdydurke, by Witold Gombrowicz (Novel; 1937)

The Fighting Prince of Donegal (Film; 1966)

First Flight Up (Hector Heathcote Cartoon; 1962)

The Fleet’s Out, featuring Sidney (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1962)

Fountains of Wayne, by Fountains of Wayne (Album; 1996)

Freakonomics (Documentary Film; 2010)

The Friendly Ghost (Noveltoons Cartoon; 1954)

The Fright Before Christmas or A Visit from Saint Nicholouse (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S5, Ep. 217; 1963)

The Frog (Mighty Mouse Cartoon; 1969)

Galaxia (Modern Madcaps Cartoon; 1960)

Gaston’s Easel Life (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1958)

Ghosted (TV Series; 2017)

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets’ Nest, by Stieg Larsson (Novel; 2009) [Millennium Trilogy #3]

The Gold Dust Bandit (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1964)

Good Mousekeeping (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1952)

Green Onions, by Booker T. & The M.G.’s (Album; 1962)

Happy, Texas (Film; 1999)

The Hard Boiled Egg (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1948)

Hashimoto-San (Hashimoto Cartoon; 1959)

The Headless Horseman (Ub Iwerks ComiColor Cartoon; 1934)

The Helpful Genie (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1951)

Hippolyte et Aricie, by Jean-Philippe Rameau (Opera; 1733)

The Horse's Mouth, by Joyce Cary (Novel; 1944)

How to Keep Cool (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1953)

Hund for Pound (Noveltoons Cartoon; 1963)

How to Win Friends and Influence People, by Dale Carnegie (Self Help Book; 1936)

The Hunt for Red October, by Tom Clancy (Novel; 1985)

If Cats Could Sing (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1950)

Jackass (TV Series; 2000)

Journey to the End of the Night, by Louis-Ferdinand Céline (Novel; 1932)

Knight-Mare Hare (WB MM Cartoon; 1955)

Kubla Khan, Samuel Taylor Coleridge (Poem; 1797)

The Last Hero, by Terry Pratchet (Novel; 2001) [Discworld #27]

Love That Pup (Tom & Jerry Cartoon; 1949)

Madame Bovary (Novel; 1856)

Mad #1 (Magazine; 1952)

The Man in the High Castle, by Philip K. Dick (Novel; 1962)

Metamorphosis, by Franz Kafka (Novella; 1915)

Mickey’s Choo-Choo (Disney Cartoon; 1929)

Midnight Love, by Marvin Gaye (Album; 1982)

The Monks Present, by The Monks (Album; 1969)

Mouse and Garden (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1950)

Mutiny on the Bounty, by Charles Bernard Nordhoff (Novel; 1932)

The Mysterious Affair at Styles, by Agatha Christie (Mystery Novel; 1920) [1]

The Mysterious Stranger (Mighty Mouse Cartoon; 1948)

A New World Record, by Electric Light Orchestra (Album; 1976)

Nice Doggy (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1952)

Night of the Living Dead (Film; 1968)

No Space Like Home (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1971)

Now We Are Six, by A.A. Milne (Poetry; 1927) [Winnie the Pooh #4]

Panicky Pancakes (Oswald the Lucky Rabbit Cartoon; 1928)

Pastry Panic (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1951)

Penny Pals (Modern Madcaps Cartoon; 1962)

Perils of Pearl Pureheart (Mighty Mouse Cartoon; 1949)

The Pigs’ Feat (Modern Madcaps Cartoon; 1963)

The Planet Mouseola (Noveltoons Cartoon; 1960)

The Poky Little Puppy, by Janette Sebring Lowrey (Children’s Book; 1942)

The Pony Express (Flip the Frog MGM Cartoon; 1932)

Rabbit Hill, by Robert Lawson (Children’s Book; 1944)

Redwall, by Brian Jacques (Novel; 1986)

The Redwood Sap (Woody Woodpecker Cartoon; 1951)

The Reformed Wolf (Mighty Mouse Cartoon; 1954)

The Reluctant Pup (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1953)

Ringworld, by Larry Niven (Novel; 1970)

The Rock Hound (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1968)

Screaming Life, by Soundgarden (EP; 1987)

Selling England By the Pound, by Genesis (Album; 1973)

She, by H. Rider Haggard (Novel; 1886)

The Social Network (Film; 2010)

Soups On or Rocky Goes to Pot (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S5, Ep. 218; 1963)

Sour Gripes (Modern Madcaps Cartoon; 1963)

Spooky-Yaki (Hashimoto Cartoon; 1963)

Stranger Than Paradise (Film; 1984)

Surfin’ Safari, by The Beach Boys (Album; 1962)

The Tale of Peter Rabbit, by Beatrix Potter (Children’s Book; 1902)

Tally-Hokum (Noveltoons Cartoon; 1965)

The Tartar Steppe, by Dino Buzzati (Novel; 1940)

Teaser and the Firecat, by Cat Stevens (Album; 1971)

Tell Me a Bedtime Story (Modern Madcaps Cartoon; 1963)

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (Film; 1974)

Thelonious Monk: Straight, No Chaser (Film; 1989)

The Third Musketeer (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1965)

The Three Little Kittens, by Marie Simchow Stern (Children’s Book; 1942)

This Is Your Life (Radio Series; 1952)

A Tiger’s Tail (Noveltoons Cartoon; 1964)

Tin Pan Alley (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1960)

The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson (Late Night TV Talk Show; 1962)

A Truckload of Trouble (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1949)

Turtle Scoop (Noveltoons Cartoon; 1961)

Valley Forge Hero (Hector Heathcote Cartoon; 1963)

Vincent (Disney Cartoon; 1982)

Walt Disney World (Theme Park; 1971)

The Waste Land, by T.S. Eliot (Poem; 1922)

Watch the Butterfly (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1966)

We Think the World is Round (Hanna-Barbera Animated TV Special)

When God Was a Woman Merlin Stone (History Book; 1976)

Wide Sargasso Sea, by Jean Rhys (Novel; 1966)

The Winning Ticket (MGM Cartoon; 1938)

The Wiz (Film; 1978)

The Young Lions, by Irwin Shaw (Novel; 1948)

Yule Laff (Noveltoons Cartoon; 1962)

007 in New York, by Ian Fleming (James Bond Short Story; 1962)

Today’s Name Days

Theresia (Austria)

Remigije, Tereza, Terezija (Croatia)

Igor (Czech Republic)

Remigius (Denmark)

Ragnar, Rain, Rainer, Raino, Rauno, Reinhard (Estonia)

Raine, Rainer, Raino, Rauno (Finland)

Ariel, Mélodie, Muriel, Thérèse (France)

Andrea, Remigius, Theresia, Werner (Germany)

Ananias, Romanos, Thiresia (Greece)

Malvin (Hungary)

Teresa (Italy)

Lara, Lāsma, Zanda (Latvia)

Benigna, Mantas, Mintė, Remigijus (Lithuania)

Rebekka, Remi (Norway)

Benigna, Cieszysław, Dan, Danisz, Danuta, Igor, Jan, Remigiusz (Poland)

Ariadna, Irina, Sofya (Russia)

Arnold (Slovakia)

Teresa, Teresita (Spain)

Ragna, Ragnar (Sweden)

Carter, Remington, Remy, Rhea, Rhiannon (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 275 of 2024; 91 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 2 of Week 40 of 2024

Celtic Tree Calendar: Gort (Ivy) [Day 3 of 28]

Chinese: Month 8 (Guy-You), Day 29 (Wu-Xu)

Chinese Year of the: Dragon 4722 (until January 29, 2025) [Wu-Chen]

Hebrew: 28 Elul 5784

Islamic: 27 Rabi I 1446

J Cal: 5 Orange; Fryday [5 of 30]

Julian: 18 September 2024

Moon: 1%: Waning Crescent

Positivist: 23 Shakespeare (10th Month) [Sacchini / Grétry]

Runic Half Month: Gyfu (Gift) [Day 10 of 15]

Season: Autumn or Fall (Day 10 of 90)

Week: Last Week of September/1st Week of October

Zodiac: Libra (Day 9 of 30)

Calendar Changes

October (Gregorian Calendar) [Month 10 of 12]

[brookstonalmanac]

Holidays 10.1

Holidays

Antiope Asteroid Day

Arbor Day (Northern Mariana Islands)

Armed Forces Day (South Korea)

Bad Bunny Day (California)

Bonn Phchum Ben (Ancestors’ Day; Cambodia)

Captains Regent Day (San Mario)

CD Player Day

Children’s Day (El Salvador, Guatemala, Sri Lanka)

Chronic Urticaria Awareness Day

Cut Out Dissection Day

Day of Prosecutors (Azerbaijan)

Day of Teachers and Inspectors (Uzbekistan)

Day of the Defenders of the Ukraine (Ukraine)

DIA (Defense Intelligence Agency) Day

Escape Room Day

Feast of Penha (Brazil)

Fire Pup Day

Fiscal Year begins (US)

Foundation Day of the People's Republic of China

Green Day

Ground Forces Day (Russia)

Guoqing Jie (China, Hong Kong, Macau)

International Day of Older Persons (UN)

International Gaucher Day

International Music Day

International Raccoon Appreciation Day

International Raise It Up Day

International Willy Wonka Day

Investiture of the Captains Regent (San Marino)

Journalist Day (Peru)

Kung Fu Day

Las Vegas Shooting Remembrance Day

Less Than Perfect Day

Lincolnshire Day (UK)

Little Golden Books Day

Magic Circles Day

Model T Day

Monkey God Festival (Hong Kong)

Moving Day (NYC)

National Architect Day (Mexico)

National Black Dog Day

National Book It! Day

National Day of the People's Republic of China

National Green City Day

National Hair Day

National Lace Day

National Latino Physician Day

National Massage Day (UK)

National Roller Skating Day

National Seniors Day (Canada)

National VHS Day

National Walk Your Dog Day

Older Persons Day (Kazakhstan; Tajikistan)

O’qituvchi va Murabbiylar Kuni (Day of Teachers and Instructors; Uzbekistan)

Pancasila Sanctity Day (Indonesia)

Popcorn and Tears Movie Appreciation Night

Postcard Day

Prosecutor’s Day (Azerbaijan)

Stone Fishing Ceremony (French Polynesia)

Tampere Day (Finland)

Teacher’s Day (Uzbekistan)

Ukrainian Cossacks Day (Ukraine)

Umbrella Academy Day

US-ROK Alliance Day (US and Korea)

Vat Day (French Republic)

We Are the Music Makers, and We Are the Dreamers of Dreams Day

White Rabbit Day

Willy Wonka Day

World Ballet Day

World Bluegrass Day

World Bluetits Day

World Handmade Day

World Paralysis Awareness Day

World Postcard Day

World Series Day

Wold Vexillology Day

Yosemite National Park Day

Food & Drink Celebrations

Coffee Day (Japan)

Croqueta Day (Miami, Florida)

German Brewer's New Year's Day

Greek Coffee Day (Greece)

Homemade Cookies Day

International Coffee Day

International Sake Day

Japanese Tea Day (Japan)

Manifest Drunkenness Day (France)

National Marinara Sauce Day

National Pumpkin Spice Day

Pudding Season begins

Vegan Baking Day

World Cocoa & Chocolate Day

World Sake Day

World Vegetarian Day

Independence & Related Days

Chuuk Constitution Day (Micronesia)

Cyprus (from UK, 1960)

Investiture of the Captains Regents (San Marino) [also 4.1]

Nigeria (from UK, 1960)

Palau (from UN Trust Territory status, 1994)

Tuvalu (from UK, 1978)

Unification Day (Cameroon)

1st Tuesday in October

Customer Experience Day [1st Tuesday]

IEEE Day [1st Tuesday]

National Advising Day [1st Tuesday]

National Fruit at Work Day [1st Tuesday]

National Night Out (Alternative) [1st Tuesday]

News Engagement Day [1st Tuesday]

Taco Tuesday [Every Tuesday]

Takeout Tuesday [1st Tuesday of Each Month]

Target Tuesday [Every Tuesday]

Tater Tot Tuesday [Every Tuesday]

To-Do List Tuesday [1st Tuesday of Each Month]

Tranquil Tuesday [1st Tuesday of Each Month]

Trivia Tuesday [Every Tuesday]

Two For Tuesday [Every Tuesday]

Weekly Holidays beginning October 1 (1st Week of October)

Active Aging Week (thru 10.7)

Getting the World to Beat a Path to Your Door Week (thru 10.7)

National Vegetarian Awareness Week (thru 10.7]

National Walk Your Dog Week (thru 10.7) [1st Week]

Trichotillomania Skin Picking & Related BFRB Awareness Week (thru 10.7)

Universal Children’s Week (thru 10.7)

World Dairy Expo (thru 10.4)

Festivals Beginning October 1, 2024

Algeria International Festival of Comics [FIBDA] (Algiers, Algeria) [thru 10.5]

Historic Bluffton Arts & Seafood Festival (Bluffton, South Carolina) [thru 10.20]

Melbourne Fringe Festival (Melbourne, Australia) [thru 10.20]

Orangeburg County Fair (Orangeburg, South Carolina) [thru 10.6]

World Dairy Expo (Madison, Wisconsin) [thru 10.4]

Feast Days

Abai (Syriac Orthodox Church)

Agnolotti Appreciation Day (Pastafarian)

Antonio Roybal (Artology)

Bavo of Ghent (Christian; Saint)

Camilla D'Errico (Artology)

The Canterbury Martyrs of 1588 (Christian; Martyrs)

Descension of the Lawyers Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Edward James (Christian; Blessed)

Faith Baldwin (Writerism)

Festival of Fides (Pagan)

Festival of Juno Sororia (Ancient Rome)

Festival of the Rosary (Christian; Saint)

Fides Publica (Old Roman Goddess of Faithfulness)

Fidharieus of Ireland (Christian; Saint)

Flattering Finals (Shamanism)

The Frith (a.k.a. Augury; Celtic Book of Days)

Giulia Lama (Artology)

Kalends of October (Ancient Rome)

Katsushika Hokusai (Artology)

Louis Untermeyer (Writerism)

Melorus (a.k.a. Melar or Mylor; Christian; Martyr)

Ms. Barrett (Muppetism)

Nicetius (Roman Catholic Church)

Nicolaes Pieterszoon Berchem (Artology)

Older Persons Day (Starza Pagan Book of Days)

Oschophoria (Autumn Dionysus Festival, Greek God of Intoxication)

Pergolese (Positivist; Saint)

Plat (Christian; Saint)

Remigius of Rheims (a.k.a. Remi; Christian; Saint)

Romanos the Melodist (Christian; Saint)

Thérèse of Lisieux (Christian; Saint)

Protection/Patronage of the Theotokos (Eastern Catholic Churches)

Wasnulf (a.k.a. Wasnon; Christian; Saint)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Binary Day [110] (4 of 9)

Shakku (赤口 Japan) [Bad luck all day, except at noon.]

Premieres

Abbey Road, by The Beatles (US Album; 1969)

Alice Cooper #1 (Marvel Comic Book; 1979)

And So Tibet (Modern Madcaps Cartoon; 1964)

The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas, by Gertrude Stein (Autobiography; 1932)

Belabor They Neighbor (Hector Heathcote Cartoon; 1970)

The Big Country (Film; 1958)

The Big Dipper, Parts 1 & 2 (Underdog Cartoon, S3, Eps. 5 & 6; 1966)

The Big Fix (Film; 1978)

The Big Knockover, by Dashiell Hammett (Short Story; 1927)

Blue Plate Symphony (Heckle & Jeckle Cartoon; 1954)

Bugs in Love (Silly Symphony Disney Cartoon; 1932)

A Canticle for Leibowitz, by Walter M. Miller Jr. (Novel; 1959)

A Close Shave, featuring Farmer Al Falfa (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1937)

Clown Jewels, featuring Sidney (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1961)

Cool Runnings (Film; 1993)

Deep Sea Doodle (Heckle & Jeckle Cartoon; 1960)

The Devil’s Dictionary, by Ambrose Bierce (Book; 1906)

Dexter (TV Series; 2006)

Dr. Rhinestone’s Theory, featuring James Hound (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1967)

Expert Explorer (Hector Heathcote Cartoon; 1963)

Ferdydurke, by Witold Gombrowicz (Novel; 1937)

The Fighting Prince of Donegal (Film; 1966)

First Flight Up (Hector Heathcote Cartoon; 1962)

The Fleet’s Out, featuring Sidney (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1962)

Fountains of Wayne, by Fountains of Wayne (Album; 1996)

Freakonomics (Documentary Film; 2010)

The Friendly Ghost (Noveltoons Cartoon; 1954)

The Fright Before Christmas or A Visit from Saint Nicholouse (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S5, Ep. 217; 1963)

The Frog (Mighty Mouse Cartoon; 1969)

Galaxia (Modern Madcaps Cartoon; 1960)

Gaston’s Easel Life (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1958)

Ghosted (TV Series; 2017)

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets’ Nest, by Stieg Larsson (Novel; 2009) [Millennium Trilogy #3]

The Gold Dust Bandit (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1964)

Good Mousekeeping (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1952)

Green Onions, by Booker T. & The M.G.’s (Album; 1962)

Happy, Texas (Film; 1999)

The Hard Boiled Egg (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1948)

Hashimoto-San (Hashimoto Cartoon; 1959)

The Headless Horseman (Ub Iwerks ComiColor Cartoon; 1934)

The Helpful Genie (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1951)

Hippolyte et Aricie, by Jean-Philippe Rameau (Opera; 1733)

The Horse's Mouth, by Joyce Cary (Novel; 1944)

How to Keep Cool (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1953)

Hund for Pound (Noveltoons Cartoon; 1963)

How to Win Friends and Influence People, by Dale Carnegie (Self Help Book; 1936)

The Hunt for Red October, by Tom Clancy (Novel; 1985)

If Cats Could Sing (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1950)

Jackass (TV Series; 2000)

Journey to the End of the Night, by Louis-Ferdinand Céline (Novel; 1932)

Knight-Mare Hare (WB MM Cartoon; 1955)

Kubla Khan, Samuel Taylor Coleridge (Poem; 1797)

The Last Hero, by Terry Pratchet (Novel; 2001) [Discworld #27]

Love That Pup (Tom & Jerry Cartoon; 1949)

Madame Bovary (Novel; 1856)

Mad #1 (Magazine; 1952)

The Man in the High Castle, by Philip K. Dick (Novel; 1962)

Metamorphosis, by Franz Kafka (Novella; 1915)

Mickey’s Choo-Choo (Disney Cartoon; 1929)

Midnight Love, by Marvin Gaye (Album; 1982)

The Monks Present, by The Monks (Album; 1969)

Mouse and Garden (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1950)

Mutiny on the Bounty, by Charles Bernard Nordhoff (Novel; 1932)

The Mysterious Affair at Styles, by Agatha Christie (Mystery Novel; 1920) [1]

The Mysterious Stranger (Mighty Mouse Cartoon; 1948)

A New World Record, by Electric Light Orchestra (Album; 1976)

Nice Doggy (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1952)

Night of the Living Dead (Film; 1968)

No Space Like Home (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1971)

Now We Are Six, by A.A. Milne (Poetry; 1927) [Winnie the Pooh #4]

Panicky Pancakes (Oswald the Lucky Rabbit Cartoon; 1928)

Pastry Panic (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1951)

Penny Pals (Modern Madcaps Cartoon; 1962)

Perils of Pearl Pureheart (Mighty Mouse Cartoon; 1949)

The Pigs’ Feat (Modern Madcaps Cartoon; 1963)

The Planet Mouseola (Noveltoons Cartoon; 1960)

The Poky Little Puppy, by Janette Sebring Lowrey (Children’s Book; 1942)

The Pony Express (Flip the Frog MGM Cartoon; 1932)

Rabbit Hill, by Robert Lawson (Children’s Book; 1944)

Redwall, by Brian Jacques (Novel; 1986)

The Redwood Sap (Woody Woodpecker Cartoon; 1951)

The Reformed Wolf (Mighty Mouse Cartoon; 1954)

The Reluctant Pup (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1953)

Ringworld, by Larry Niven (Novel; 1970)

The Rock Hound (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1968)

Screaming Life, by Soundgarden (EP; 1987)

Selling England By the Pound, by Genesis (Album; 1973)

She, by H. Rider Haggard (Novel; 1886)

The Social Network (Film; 2010)

Soups On or Rocky Goes to Pot (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S5, Ep. 218; 1963)

Sour Gripes (Modern Madcaps Cartoon; 1963)

Spooky-Yaki (Hashimoto Cartoon; 1963)

Stranger Than Paradise (Film; 1984)

Surfin’ Safari, by The Beach Boys (Album; 1962)

The Tale of Peter Rabbit, by Beatrix Potter (Children’s Book; 1902)

Tally-Hokum (Noveltoons Cartoon; 1965)

The Tartar Steppe, by Dino Buzzati (Novel; 1940)

Teaser and the Firecat, by Cat Stevens (Album; 1971)

Tell Me a Bedtime Story (Modern Madcaps Cartoon; 1963)

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (Film; 1974)

Thelonious Monk: Straight, No Chaser (Film; 1989)

The Third Musketeer (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1965)

The Three Little Kittens, by Marie Simchow Stern (Children’s Book; 1942)

This Is Your Life (Radio Series; 1952)

A Tiger’s Tail (Noveltoons Cartoon; 1964)

Tin Pan Alley (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1960)

The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson (Late Night TV Talk Show; 1962)

A Truckload of Trouble (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1949)

Turtle Scoop (Noveltoons Cartoon; 1961)

Valley Forge Hero (Hector Heathcote Cartoon; 1963)

Vincent (Disney Cartoon; 1982)

Walt Disney World (Theme Park; 1971)

The Waste Land, by T.S. Eliot (Poem; 1922)

Watch the Butterfly (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1966)

We Think the World is Round (Hanna-Barbera Animated TV Special)

When God Was a Woman Merlin Stone (History Book; 1976)

Wide Sargasso Sea, by Jean Rhys (Novel; 1966)

The Winning Ticket (MGM Cartoon; 1938)

The Wiz (Film; 1978)

The Young Lions, by Irwin Shaw (Novel; 1948)

Yule Laff (Noveltoons Cartoon; 1962)

007 in New York, by Ian Fleming (James Bond Short Story; 1962)

Today’s Name Days

Theresia (Austria)

Remigije, Tereza, Terezija (Croatia)

Igor (Czech Republic)

Remigius (Denmark)

Ragnar, Rain, Rainer, Raino, Rauno, Reinhard (Estonia)

Raine, Rainer, Raino, Rauno (Finland)

Ariel, Mélodie, Muriel, Thérèse (France)

Andrea, Remigius, Theresia, Werner (Germany)

Ananias, Romanos, Thiresia (Greece)

Malvin (Hungary)

Teresa (Italy)

Lara, Lāsma, Zanda (Latvia)

Benigna, Mantas, Mintė, Remigijus (Lithuania)

Rebekka, Remi (Norway)

Benigna, Cieszysław, Dan, Danisz, Danuta, Igor, Jan, Remigiusz (Poland)

Ariadna, Irina, Sofya (Russia)

Arnold (Slovakia)

Teresa, Teresita (Spain)

Ragna, Ragnar (Sweden)

Carter, Remington, Remy, Rhea, Rhiannon (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 275 of 2024; 91 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 2 of Week 40 of 2024

Celtic Tree Calendar: Gort (Ivy) [Day 3 of 28]

Chinese: Month 8 (Guy-You), Day 29 (Wu-Xu)

Chinese Year of the: Dragon 4722 (until January 29, 2025) [Wu-Chen]

Hebrew: 28 Elul 5784

Islamic: 27 Rabi I 1446

J Cal: 5 Orange; Fryday [5 of 30]

Julian: 18 September 2024

Moon: 1%: Waning Crescent

Positivist: 23 Shakespeare (10th Month) [Sacchini / Grétry]

Runic Half Month: Gyfu (Gift) [Day 10 of 15]

Season: Autumn or Fall (Day 10 of 90)

Week: Last Week of September/1st Week of October

Zodiac: Libra (Day 9 of 30)

Calendar Changes

October (Gregorian Calendar) [Month 10 of 12]

[ozzyscollectiblehub]

Gordie Howe: Mr. Hockey — The Legend of a Lifetime

Gordie Howe, often referred to as “Mr. Hockey,” is more than just a name in the annals of sports history; he is an embodiment of the relentless pursuit of excellence, resilience, and passion that defines the very essence of hockey. Howe’s career spanned an unprecedented five decades, making him a true legend not only in the NHL but in the world of sports.

Early Life and Entry into Hockey

Born on March 31, 1928, in Floral, Saskatchewan, Canada, Gordie Howe’s journey to becoming a hockey icon began in humble surroundings. Growing up during the Great Depression, Howe’s family struggled financially, but the icy winters of Canada provided him with the perfect environment to hone his skills. Skating on frozen ponds, Howe developed the strength and agility that would later define his playing style.

At the age of 15, Howe caught the attention of scouts from the Detroit Red Wings. His raw talent and physical presence on the ice were undeniable, and by 1946, at just 18 years old, Howe made his NHL debut with the Red Wings. It was the beginning of an era that would see him transform into one of the greatest players to ever grace the ice.

Dominance in the NHL

Gordie Howe’s career with the Detroit Red Wings is the stuff of legends. Playing for the Red Wings from 1946 to 1971, Howe became synonymous with the team’s success. He led the Red Wings to four Stanley Cup championships (1950, 1952, 1954, 1955) and was a six-time recipient of the Hart Trophy, awarded to the NHL’s most valuable player.

Howe was known for his unique combination of skill, strength, and toughness. His ability to score goals was matched only by his physical style of play. Howe could dominate in all aspects of the game — whether it was scoring, setting up teammates, or engaging in the rough-and-tumble physicality that was common in the NHL at the time. The “Gordie Howe Hat Trick,” which consists of a goal, an assist, and a fight in the same game, became a testament to his all-around capabilities.

His longevity in the sport is another testament to his greatness. Howe played 1,767 regular-season games in the NHL, a record that stood for decades until it was broken by another legend, Patrick Marleau, in 2021. Even in his later years, Howe was a force to be reckoned with, often outperforming players half his age.

The WHA and a New Chapter

When Gordie Howe retired from the NHL in 1971, many believed it was the end of an era. However, Howe wasn’t finished with hockey. In 1973, he made a surprising comeback, joining the Houston Aeros of the World Hockey Association (WHA), where he played alongside his sons, Mark and Marty. This move not only prolonged his career but also allowed Howe to share the ice with his family, creating a unique chapter in hockey history.

Howe’s presence in the WHA was transformative for the league. He won two MVP awards and helped elevate the level of competition, making the WHA a viable alternative to the NHL. Howe’s return to the NHL in 1979 with the Hartford Whalers at the age of 51 added to his already legendary status. His final NHL season saw him play in all 80 games, showcasing his enduring durability and passion for the sport.

Legacy and Impact on Hockey

Gordie Howe’s impact on hockey is immeasurable. He finished his career with 801 goals, a record that stood until Wayne Gretzky, a player who idolized Howe, surpassed it in 1994. Howe’s total of 1,850 points remains among the highest in NHL history, a testament to his scoring ability and longevity.

Beyond the numbers, Howe’s influence extends to the way the game is played. He was a pioneer in integrating skill with physicality, proving that a player could be both a scorer and an enforcer. His sportsmanship, work ethic, and humility off the ice made him a beloved figure across the hockey world.

Howe’s contributions to hockey were recognized with numerous accolades, including his induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1972. The NHL’s annual “Gordie Howe International Bridge” award, given to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey, is named in his honor.

Personal Life and Legacy Beyond the Ice

Gordie Howe’s life was not only defined by his achievements on the ice but also by his dedication to his family and community. Howe was married to his beloved wife, Colleen, for over 50 years until her passing in 2009. Together, they raised four children, and Howe remained actively involved in charitable work, particularly in supporting Alzheimer’s research after Colleen was diagnosed with the disease.

Howe’s death on June 10, 2016, was met with an outpouring of tributes from around the world. Fans, players, and coaches alike reflected on the immense impact he had on the sport and on their lives.

Gordie Howe’s legacy is not just one of records and championships, but of a life dedicated to the love of the game. He was a player who transcended generations, inspiring countless others to lace up their skates and pursue their dreams on the ice. As “Mr. Hockey,” Gordie Howe will forever be remembered as a giant of the sport, whose impact will be felt for generations to come.

[beebascloset]

Ethical Alternatives to Dolls Kill

While Dolls Kill offers kawaii, punk, goth, and streetwear fashions, they’re an unethical fast fashion company that has been accused of stealing designs from small creators. They’ve also been accused of promoting rape and racism (implying that only white people can be goth, selling a Native American headdress as a costume, and supporting police during the Black Lives Matter movement) and having a lack of transparency in how they reduce their impact on people, animals, and the environment. With this in mind, here are some of my favorite alternatives I found (you can tap on the titles to access the sites)

LOUDBODIES

This Romania-based retailer offers sizes from XXS-10XL, and you can even make a custom order for free if you'd like! Many of their pieces are pricey, but they do offer an affordable line of fashion. Their values include sustainable and recycled materials, made-to-order clothing, low waste production, OEKO-TEX certified fabrics, carbon neutral shipping, body-inclusive models (see above) and locally-made clothing. They also offer worldwide shipping.

NOCTEX

NOCTEX is great for dark, goth, edgy fashion. They’re based in Canada and ship internationally. Available sizes only include XS-XL, but this retailer uses reclaimed and deadstock materials, and also have low-waste production. They offer many items including tops, dresses, pants, skirts, footwear, and accessories like bags, makeup, and jewelry, so there’s a lot to choose from!

Uye Surana

For lingerie lovers, this is the place! While they’re based in New York, their clothing is ethically made in Columbia, with cute designs that come in sizes XS-5XL, so it’s quite inclusive! Items include bralettes, undies, stockings, camis, and garter belts, so go on and be adorably sexy, my loves.

KILLSTAR

Despite being introduced by Dolls Kill, the UK brand Killstar is actually more ethical. In fact, they’ve cut their ties with the brand over the owner’s support of police during the BLM movement. They’ve donated to charities that promote ending racism (whereas Dolls Kill promoted racism to an extent) and they also promote individuality. They offer sizes XS-4XL (from what I’ve found) and they even have men’s clothing!

Broken Promises

Another brand that left Dolls Kill, Broken Promises is based in California. Offering sizes XS-3XL, this brand offers clothing that caters to skate culture for all genders. Their clothes are also sold at Zumiez, so if you don’t want to shop online and you would prefer to go to the mall, you’ll probably find them there!

Disturbia

And another UK gothic brand that was promoted by Dolls Kill, this family-owned business has been going strong since 2003. Their website claims that sustainability is “a core value in [their] ethos”, and their goal is to create fashion that doesn’t harm the environment. They’re committed to recycling and reducing their carbon footprint, and all of their leather is false or recycled to reduce animal cruelty. They have a fully traceable supply chain with manufacturers in the UK, China, Portugal, Turkey, and Morocco, all with safe production facilities. Rest assured, your money will be going to a great place.

Cyberdog

Ravers, this one is for you. Catering to clubbers and DJs since 1994, Cyberdog offers neon and dark streetwear. They’re based in London, and their flagship store is located in Camden Market, so anyone who lives around the area (or would like to visit) can see these rad designs in person! (P.S: A huge downside is that they only offer sizes S-L, so this brand has the smallest size range on here)

Gothic Lamb

“The home for melanated misfits”, as their designer calls it, is black-owned and offers sizes from S-5XL, making this brand one of the more inclusive ones on this list. The owner, who calls herself Lucy, founded Gothic Lamb in the summer of 2016. She was inspired by brands like Killstar and Disturbia, however, she found that there was a lack of representation at the time, as she felt that none of the models looked like her, so she decided to create her own. While there is a small collection, it’s still a great collection and it’s a great place to purchase from if you like supporting black-owned businesses.

publicspace

A vaporwave-streetwear brand based in Los Angeles, CA, they support and collaborate with artists to create their designs (hence why they’re named publicspace). Though they have a small collection, their size range is XS-3XL, so it’s mostly inclusive.

Shop secondhand

You can also shop on Etsy to purchase from independent designers. A much cheaper option would be to shop secondhand. Sites like Poshmark and Depop are great for shopping secondhand, especially if you want to buy from fast fashion brands like H&M and Shein without giving them your money. Alternatively, you can go to your local thrift shop (do not shop at the Salvation Army, they are aggressively Christian, homophobic and transphobic) or consignment store. You can give your unwanted clothes and other items to these places (consignment stores will give you a certain percentage of their price for the item) to help people and need.

In conclusion, please do not buy from unethical fast fashion retailers and consider shopping ethically, whether it be for new or used clothes.

[100gayicons]

Brian Boitano is an Olympic athlete having represented the US at the 1984, 1988 and 1994 Olympic Games in Figure Skating (plus as an alternate in 1980).

At 5’11”, Boitano had an “athletic” style and frequently scored high in the technical requirement. In 1983 he perfected the Triple Axel and in 1987 the Triple Lutz which became is signature jump.

But where he was lacking was in the artistic scores. He and his coach Linda Leaver brought in Sandra Bezic, an outside choreographer. Her efforts emphasized his clean movements but added a sense of style and humor.

At the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Boitano’s main competition was Canada’s Brian Orser. The two had been trading 1st and 2nd place World Championships in the years leading up to the Olympics. In fact the media dubbed their efforts “The Battle of the Brians”.

According to Wikipedia: “Boitano won the (Olympic) Battle in a 5–4 split. With his win, he became the first Olympic champion to land the full complement of six types of triple jumps. Boitano won the gold medal, wearing skates with American flag appliqués that are now part of the collections of the National Museum of American History at the Smithsonian Institution.”

While growing up, Boitano knew he was gay. He wasn’t ashamed, but it was something he only shared with family and close friends. He didn’t feel the need to make a public statement. In fact, he was cautioned against coming out by his agent who reminded him most skating fans were female.

But in 2013 Boitano was named by President Obama to be part of the US delegation to the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. Russia and the games in Sochi were criticized because of laws passed against any gay “propaganda” including LGBT activism. Other in the delegation were out athletes Billie Jean King and Caitlin Cahow.

Boitano realized this was his time and to add his voice against the homophobia in the world. He issued his own press release telling the world he was gay.

Boitano credits journalist and commentator Anderson Cooper for helping him through the transition. (Cooper himself only came out in 2012.)

[allekha]

It’s Pride month, so let’s celebrate some of our LGBT skaters! Well, at least in this gifset, G and B skaters; there aren’t yet any out L or T skaters at the elite level, although they do exist at the adult and of course recreational levels.

Figure skating, at least in the US, is often stereotyped as a ‘gay sport’, and many skaters have said that despite their trepidation before coming out, they experienced support from their fellow athletes. However, I think events this month have reminded us that homophobia and transphobia remain problems that need to be addressed in the sport. That being said, there have been more out skaters than can be shoved into a single gifset (or even two). Featured here:

Amber Glenn (2019 Cup of China SP) - Glenn is the 2019 US Classic bronze medalist and a US junior champion. She is a lovely and emotional skater. In late 2019, after having added LGBTQ activism as a hobby in her ISU profile, she came out as bi/pan. This made her, as far as I am aware, the fourth elite woman skater to ever come out, and she is currently the only out woman competing at the elite level.

Toller Cranston (1976 Worlds LP) - Cranston was a six-time Canadian champion and Olympic and Worlds bronze medalist. He was well-known for his inventive programs with an unusual level of creativity and flexibility for his day, which helped to push the sport forward artistically and influenced younger skaters. At the 1976 Olympics, after his poor figures score, he tossed his skates in a river out of frustration before going on to win the bronze medal. Cranston was also an off-ice artist who supported his skating career by painting, and in 2013, he became the official artist of Skate Canada. He was bisexual and wrote about having both male and female lovers. In 2015, he passed away due to a heart attack.

Brian Pockar (1982 Canadian Nats LP) - Pockar was a three-time Canadian champion and Worlds bronze medalist. His signature move was a spread eagle directly into a triple salchow. He also at one point attempted a one-foot triple salchow (a counter-clockwise jump landing on the left rather than right foot) double flip combination. After retiring, he worked in shows and as a commentator, though he is alleged to have lost his commentating job due to coming out as gay. He passed away due to AIDS in 1992.

Randy Gardner (1979 NSA Centenary Gala) - With his partner Tai Babilonia, Gardner was a five-time US champion and World champion in pairs. As a pair, they were known for their grace and for their strong unison, and for their striking series of paired Arabian/butterfly jumps. Increasingly out in his private life after turning pro, Gardner was reluctant for some time to come out publicly due to the AIDS crisis and backlash against other gay athletes. He decided to do so in 2006. He now does choreography and coaching, and his life story was recently adapted to a play and later a documentary, both called Go Figure.

Rob McCall (1982 Canadian Nats FD) - McCall was a seven-time Canadian ice dance champion and Olympic bronze medalist with his partner Tracy Wilson. The pair combined creative talent with technicality, and McCall was popular with other skaters because of his bright sense of humor and cheer. He passed away in 1991 due to AIDS. In the last months of his life, he planned a skating show to raise money for AIDS research, hoping that speaking of his illness would aid others and fight fear, though the show ended up being carried out by his friends after his death.

Brian Orser (1988 Olympics SP) - Orser was an eight-time Canadian champion, World champion, and two-time Olympic silver medalist. He was known for his ability to jump triple axels, even near the end of a long program, and became the second man to ever land a triple axel in competition, the first to land one at the Olympics, and the first to land two of them in a long program. In addition to his technical abilities, he was also an expressive and entertaining skater. In 1988, he faced off against another gay Brian, Boitano, in the ‘Battle of the Brians’ for Olympic gold. He is now a well-known coach of several high-profile skaters.

Matthew Hall (1986 Skate America LP) - Hall was a bronze Canadian national medalist. In 1992, he was one of the first elite skaters (one source says the first) to come out as gay while still competing; he did so in response to the death from AIDS of several fellow Canadian skaters. Although he had taken a break from competitions at the time, he found he couldn’t leave skating entirely and came back a couple of years later in a bid to make the 1994 Olympic team. He won the 1994 Gay Games figure skating event despite having cracked his ribs a few days before performing.

Guillaume Cizeron (2018 Olympics FD) - With his ice dance partner Gabriella Papadakis, Cizeron is an Olympic silver medalist, four-time World champion, five-time European champion, and six-time French champion. The pair are known for their beautiful skating skills and graceful style, and Cizeron has spoken of how they want to do programs that go beyond the defined roles of man and woman that are traditional in skating. He very recently decided to speak publicly about being gay for the first time in honor of International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia.

Ronnie Robertson (1956 Worlds LP) - Robertson was a two-time US nationals silver medalist, two-time Worlds silver medalist, and Olympic silver medalist. He was an excellent free skater who came extremely close to Olympic gold - it took the judges two hours of calculations to determine that he had lost by a fraction of a point. He was famous for his spins; his top speed was estimated to be seven spins per second, and NASA scientists studied him to try to help stop astronauts from getting dizzy when spinning in weightlessness. In addition, he was the first man to land a triple salchow in competition, and also landed a triple loop. He passed away in 2000 due to AIDS complications.

Edward van Campen (1994 Gay Games program) - van Campen was the three/four-time Dutch champion (the title was technically not awarded one year for some reason, though his name is still listed). He only started skating at 16; at his first Euros appearance six years later, he did so well that the federation changed their minds about not sending him to Worlds. He later skated in Ice Capades and now coaches. In his first appearance at the Gay Games in 1994, he won silver. There, he paid tribute to his twin brother and fellow skater René, who passed away in 1989 due to AIDS, by beginning his program with unfurling and draping himself with the AIDS memorial quilt panel made in honor of him.

[figureskatingcostumes]

Isabelle Brasseur and Lloyd Eisler competing in the 1994 Olympics Games.

(Sources: 1, 2 and 3)

[gossipcom]

Player’s Own Voice - Tessa Virtue (Transcript - please credit)

Player’s Own Voice - Tessa Virtue (Transcript - please credit)

She’s half of Canada’s greatest ice-dancing duo, the most decorated figure skaters in Olympic history, and now Tessa Virtue has sashayed from amateur glory to a dazzling professional career. When she and Scotty Moir and the cream of figure skating aren’t performing to packed houses, Tessa has advocacy work, and endorsements and campaign partnerships, almost too many to name. She is simply everywhere. Put on the earbuds it’s time for a cozy chat with the one and only Tessa Virtue.

AB: It’s Player’s Voice I’m Anastasia Bucsis. Are you more athletic or artistic? Because it seems like incredible success in figure skating but you also have this other side, fashion, media, everything, like where does your passion lie now?

TV: Hmm. I think it is still in the balance between the two and that’s what I always loved about skating, you know, it was so technically demanding, um, and yet the artistry and the art that accompanied that, um, allowing people and hopefully connecting with people so that they feel something was always a driving force for both Scott and me. And now I think the balance is more about, you know, business and art, um, which is not so different really, but I’m learning so much, it’s been a steep learning curve. In fact I’ve been studying a little bit and I hope to pursue that a little more next year but I’m sort of learning on the fly and I get as much joy as negotiating a contract as I do, um, designing a new pair of eyewear for Bonlook, you know, I think it is all sort of that marriage between the two and I feel so lucky that I get to do both.

AB: I love the artistry and athleticism of figure skating. I said that to Jo(annie) Rochette (Tessa laughs), she was on the podcast and she was like ‘what I didn’t know you were such a figure skating fan’ and I that is what I love about FS it is so physically demanding but so artistic. I remember watching Oksana Baiul win in 1994, I want to be a figure skater but my parents didn’t allow me to do it they knew I was going to be too tall.

TV: Well, and in your world you had to do the same motion as in our league(?).

AB: Yeah but it’s not very artistic.

TV: So did you find an outlet to find, to, to sort of feed that creative part of your soul?

AB: Yes and talking about the balance and getting pleasure out of having a business deal or creating glasses, I have a little stigmatism so I might need some of those glasses.

TV: (laughs) get in there right.

AB: How do you d that now going from preparing for the Olympics to seemingly a million projects?

TV: it’s strange and no matter how prepared you are I don’t think you can fully anticipate the feelings and emotions that come with a post-Olympic sort of crash or transition if you will. I mean I ticked all the boxes. I had school, I had a great support network, I had success, that we, you know, we stepped away from competition whether temporarily or permanently (laughs) on our own terms. I mean I was so, so fortunate and privileged to be in that position but also I had opportunities and yet still there’s that inherent, just void, I think when you, when, you know, when you’ve worked for something with (sigh) singular focus and you invest everything, every moment of your day is filled with ruins of will this help me win the Olympics. Um, and then, and then you are sort of thrust into this world where you are trying to do one different things and maybe not that well (laughs) and then there’s, um, ah, no chance, to sort of insulate yourself in that protected bubble in order to pursue a dream. Ah, there are a lot of shifts and challenges in the last year, but also, really surprising highlights because it’s also refreshing and liberating to, to sort of feel that pressure come off and slowly and I can almost feel it tangibly as the days go by, that I am feeling less and less of that stress and I didn’t realise what a heavy weight that was to carry, um, that Olympic, you know, pressure.

AB: Olympic pressure, fame, how lonely is that?

TV: It can be isolating, it can be, um. I feel so lucky because, you know, people ask what changes when you win the Olympics, are you a different, you know, what changes in your life do you feel different? The reality is nothing really does so I have a great group of friends, um, my family has always been really supportive and I mean I am so sort of caught up in work that there aren’t many opportunities to even face that. In fact, I think when I am on my own I kind of embrace it. It can be isolating because sometimes I feel caught, in this, balancing act of, of wanting to be vulnerable and honest and then also not wanting to sound ungrateful or complain right and um, as a private person also just managing how much of yourself do you give to others and how much do you keep for yourself and wanting to share my story and have some kind of impact on others specifically young girls and athletes. You know you have to put yourself out there a little bit and that sort of comes with the territory.

AB: And that is exhausting too. I mean when I was struggling with my mental health that was, really you just summarised it. I am skating around in a circle for a living, I am making good money and I get to see the world and all my college is paid for, you know, what do I have to complain about? So, I completely identify when you say you know, I don’t wan, I don’t want to come across as ungrateful because you have had a lot of opportunities.

TV: What as the impetus for you to come out and speak openly about your mental health?

AB: I never want anyone to feel like they’re alone and I don’t want anyone to feel that way because I felt so incredibly alone. I felt that when I was in the closet too, really struggling and I think vulnerability and human connection is one of the only things that will never go out of style.

TV: Right and we’re all craving that now, you know, the ability to really connect on a deeper level and I think that’s something, it’s so empowering and you’ve impacted so many people just by using your voice. I think that’s admirable.

AB: Thank you of course. What do you not do in public now though? (Tessa laughs) What can you not do in public?

TV: That’s a good question. I’ve never been a good partier so that was always conscious of, not being photographed something like, with an alcoholic beverage or something.

AB: I have tried to get you drunk so many times. (both laugh)

TV: I’m sure it’s worked on occasion but, um, you know, that’s not really been a sacrifice for me, I think, what don’t I do public that is a good question

AB: This is one question that I don’t even know where it fits in but type of toothpaste does Tessa Virtue use? Like do you?

TV: (laughs) Colgate.

AB: Yeah a big wink. But what are you cheap about, when you go to the supermarket and you’re like toilet paper is on sale are you getting that sale?

TV: (laughs) Um, I don’t find myself in a grocery store that often because I’m not home a ton, but I don’t even know. I, okay I‘m going to flip that, because one thing I will always indulge in, I will always have fresh flowers at home that is something I treat myself too.

AB: I like fresh flowers too.

TV: Yeah and certain things when I’m on the road whether it is candle soap, lotion, like things that make me feel like I’m in my comfort or home environment, right.

AB: I steal the lotion from hotels. I have so many little hotel things and that I’m making money. (laughs)

TV: Do you have a favourite?

AB: Um no, you know what, probably just the good ol’ like Ramada, whatever they use.

TV: Classic. (Laughs)

AB: That is my go to. So Scottie was on the podcast and I’ve pulled a quote, ‘at times I didn’t know how to handle my relationship with Tessa’, what do you he meant by that?

TV: (beat) I’m not sure. I think in any case where you have a partnership that spans over two decades across the early childhood years, teenage, you know, into our twenties and now thirties. Of course there are complexities that are hard to comprehend and it’s all we’ve known. So it’s also really hard to have any really objective perspective on it, until, maybe there’s an outsider you trust to weigh in, like a sports psychologist or a mental prep coach that we worked with. But, I think probably in the pressure to identify what that partnership meant to us and how it could be labelled or how it could be relatable for others to really understand maybe that is where that confusion comes in. Because it’s something that we’ve really valued, and cherished and nurtured. We’ve really worked hard at that partnership and that relationship, um, but when you’re so in it, I think perhaps we’re the people who understand it the least.

Audio clip – If you wanted characters you got characters. If you wanted feeling, well you drowned in it.

AB: Pretty interesting. Because you guys are quite a bit different too.

TV: Oh, we’re so different. Yeah there’s, talk about balance right, at the beginning, that really what works for us.

Audio clip – They are the greatest ice dancers of their generation, maybe of all time. The incomparable Virtue and Moir.

You know, we’re, we’re such different people, but put us on the ice together and that’s our safe place. That’s where, no matter what is happening we come together and work towards a common goal and we really feed off each other. I mean Scott’s all heart, he’s, he’s such a feeler and I’m in my head and, you know, we can bring out the best in one another and with that nurtured level of support that we’ve given each other, we really are our best when we are on the ice together. And even now to sort of step back into that world and, and feel that comfort and ease. And we had, sort of a break of, seeing each other and skating together, um recently and we got back on the ice and started stroking together and Scott said ‘it’s like a security blanket’ and, you know, there’s some comfort in that.

AB: Your differences obviously in that you can just feed off it. At times did that breathe chaos? Like were you too different, how did you keep that manageable?

TV: I think that the pursue something like an Olympic Gold breathes chaos because there are so many moving parts and so much expectation on ourselves and from others. But when we really fundamentally, started to understand that we processed things differently and approached things very differently we were able to sort of separate that and always come together and say, this is, this is how I am interpreting your actions right now, true or false, and give the other person a chance to explain or, you know. I think, if anything, we are maybe a little bit too protected of one another because we’re the team that, you know, if something happens and doesn’t go very well I’ll say ‘I’m sorry that was my fault’ and he’ll say ‘no, no it was me.’ So I think we to great lengths to ensure that we both feel confident and comfortable on the ice.

AB: you guys will forever be linked together, it has given you a million opportunities. But how difficult and I’m sure you’ve been asked this one million and I apologise for a million and one. First date, how often you asked are you dating? I mean when you go on a date is that what everyone asks you?

TV: Well, I hope I’m not saying yes to any date and then they think that I’m somehow still in a relationship with Scott? (Laughs) I think anyone coming into my life in that capacity knows the situation with Scott because, um, I mean there’s no hiding and there’s, it’s been since I was seven. So it would come as no surprise to anyone, I have a meaningful partnership with Scott.

AB: Let’s go back 2010, 2014, 2018, what’s your favourite Olympic moment?

TV: As an athlete, nothing beats being on the ice in PyeongChang, we were so laser-focused and dialled and so incredibly prepared and just different athletes. We were mature, we had a different approach, a different team with B2Ten, we were, we really were unstoppable and that feeling was palpable and that electricity, it almost felt like a home games, because there were so many Canadian flags and supporters. I would say as an entire experience, a month long experience, Sochi (laughs), which often surprises people because often people avoid the Sochi subject with us, they think oh maybe it’s a point of contention. But really it was such a beautiful moment in our career, we came together we were proud of our performances, there was something about the team, it was so tightly knit, the Olympic bubble was easily accessible, I mean you could get to so many events. I don’t know there was just, it was so much fun, I, I often say it was the best month of my life.

AB: Sochi was the best time of my life.

TV: It was.

AB: I am the happiest I think I’ve ever been right now, but for an actual experience, Sochi. Like 52 billion dollars, oh my God, we can never do that again, talk about Olympic excess, I’m ashamed about that. But for just fun, the women’s hockey team winning. Like the team was a family, I don’t even know how to.

TV: Is that what it was, do you think that

AB: The team

TV: Yeah because it was special?

AB: In Vancouver we were treated like rock stars and it was unbelievable. But there was, the one thing about Vancouver is that we were Downtown essentially, so you could go on one of those electric bikes and be surrounded by 100,000 drunken Canadians all being super pumped up, but you kind of got, the team aspect kind of got lost in all of that because everyone was visiting family. But in Sochi there was nothing to do.

TV: There was only

AB: Well there was

TV: Two places, mostly Swiss House really. (laughs)

AB: So when everyone was finished competing, Russians like their vodka that’s yeah (laughs). Sochi being the highlight for party culture, PyeongChang being

TV: You said party culture by the way. (laughs)

AB: (laughs) PyeongChang being the highlight for, for sport. Um, what was your weakest aspect of being of being a figure skater do you think?

TV: My weakness as a skater? Oh geez, I mean how long do we have here. I feel like I could go on and on about all the things I would still like to improve upon in my own skater. Whether that is posture or power, ability to express specific styles of movement, there’s so much I wish I did better, I wish I could do better. But that’s what keeps us going, even in us preparing for our upcoming tour this Fall, it’s the idea that we still have more potential to explore and more in us to give and I realise that in the PyeongChang preparation that for my whole career I was striving for that performance that I would feel that I had really perfected and nailed it. As great as Moulin Rouge felt on the ice in Korea, I knew that even at time that I would look back and wished I had done some things differently, because that’s just the nature of the beast when, when you’re in a subjective sport like that. I will always watch that video and wish my hands were differently, or wished that I moved my upper body in a better way or something, but I’ve sort of had to come to terms with that and I think, in that by itself is kind of beautiful because you sort of have to accept the moment, given all of the factors surrounding the 4 minute performance it is the moment you could create and that’s sport, that’s what I loved about it.

AB: How has growing as a figure skater, obviously being judged affected how you live your life?

TV: As I approach thirty..

AB: (whistles) That’s me too, baby girl.

TV: (laughs) I have such a better understanding of who I am and what I stand for and what my purpose is and can be and how I see myself and that’s what I place most value in are those, now most closest to me, you know. It’s affected, I think it forced me to do a lot of self-reflection and, and forced me to analyse what’s really important and so often (laughs) it’s not what we look like or, um, how we present, it’s about how we make people feel and how we empower and I feel so much more comfortable in my skin now and I’m grateful for that. And I think it’s probably because I was in a judged sport for such a long time and I had other people deciding my fate and success and that was, you know, sort of the benchmark you aimed for, but it’s in the hands of others. And at some point, you just have to think, okay, it’s not the colour of medal that will dictate the kind of person I am.

AB: Do you ever feel pressured to answer questions the way you know people want them answered?

TV: Not really Ah, not really, because I’m not sure I know how people want them answered. I was sort of conscious and careful to not become that robotic, that sort of, you know, I gave 110%. We always wanted to give people insight of what was happening, but at the same time I mean you can only share what, what you’ve come to terms in your own head. And that no matter what, I mean it was important to be sort of genuine and so I’m not even sure if I still know how to answer things but I’m honest it comes from a place of authenticity, then I think that intention, I hope comes through at least.

AB: I sometimes feel pressure when people about the Olympics because I feel like I need to tell them the little nugget about playing ping pong and beer pong with Sidney Crosby. You know what I mean?

TV: Yeah right

AB: How is it like with the NHL boys? Oh Mark Andre Flurry is really nice, you know?

TV: Right, you want to give, you want share your experience but that’s nice and I think that is something that Canadians crave. But do you feel a little bit of pressure when people talk about your success and accolades or things that come along with that?

AB: People don’t speak about my success much. (Laughs).

TV: Well they should, your, your career was formidable but I, I, sometimes I think there’s a pressure, if anything, just to, for it to remind us how much work it takes, right.

AB: Yeah.

TV: Because if you are going to be a role model, people need to understand, it’s not just about the podiums and the sponsorships, it’s all about all of the work, and the resilience, and the sacrifice, the and deprivation and everything that goes into it. So if anything is shining some light into that end, to ensure that there’s a greater awareness of the holistic (laughs) approach to their career maybe.

AB: I think you must be one of the hardest working athletes I have ever met and I am every celebrating every sponsorship and opportunity (laughs) that you got post-Olympics.

TV: Yeah.

AB: Um, I hope you are making at least 15 dollars an hour, because you work so hard.

TV: Thank you.

AB: Again you have not taken one breath, um, you haven’t taken a breather. Going from competition to shows, from amateur to professional, how does that change your goals, does it change your goals, does it change your relationship with Scott?

TV: It changes everything and nothing at the same time. It, it, ah, we’ve had to redefine what it means to entertain, you’re sort of entertaining the masses instead of 9 judges and yet sort of satisfy some creative need in you as an artist. So it’s sort of finding that, um, precipices of challenging yourself enough so it is satisfying and rewarding, but also playing to your strengths and playing the hits (laughs) so that the audience is getting what they want and what they’re expected. I’m not sure if we’ve found that yet, but we’re playing with it and it’s changed with that. I’m trying to do self-analysis, you know, even though I’m just back on the ice these days. You know, how do I feel in this realm? And I miss the benchmark of being the best and I certainly miss being at our best but I think that’s okay if, if we’re not, because the goal has shifted. We’ll never be at the Olympic peak again and we’re so lucky we get to do our sport and craft for an extended period of time. I am, I’m sure that every sport and athlete wishes they had that chance so I don’t want to waste it but that’s part of why we wanted to produce our own show and tour. So it wasn’t just four minutes that we had to tell a story, it was two hours that we could bring people along with us and control the lights, the ambience, the music and the flow of things and I think we can dive into a project like that and invest and commit, that it, that is more fulfilling than throwing on a costume and doing an one-off.

AB: You and Scott have ushered in this new renaissance/ Golden Age in figure skating. I mean I don’t think it has been this popular since Tonya Harding.

TV: (laughs) Well thanks. There was something certainly towards the PyeongChang Games, I’m not sure maybe because the NHL guys weren’t there, that social media had an impact, there’s also been a different focus on dance in general in our culture. It has become more mainstream in shows like So You Think You Can Dance and Dancing with the Stars and I think accessibility to the art in that realm has been more present and magnified. So I’m not sure if we can take all that credit but it’s, um, very nice of you to say.

AB: The one skater that I do miss is Joanne Rochette.

TV: Ohh (sigh in agreement)

AB: Sorry to bring up her name again.

TV: I know.

AB: But I had one of the best nights of my life with you at her house, do you remember?

TV: (laughs) It was great.

AB: The white wine and oyster night.

TV: If was so fun. She’s a special, well, she’s just an incredible woman and such an incredible force. But she got better and more consistent in her show skating life almost after the pressure of competition. She really found her rhythm and agile and was constantly putting herself was so nonchalant about it and you would see her afterwards, ‘the number as okay’. And every night I would go out and watch her on tour and she just delivered and was so consistent and alluring and enigmatic because there’s just something about Jo that’s mysterious and you want to get to know her.

AB: She’s becoming a Doctor.

TV: I know, it’s amazing, it’s so inspiring.

AB: So, she’s such a smartypants.

TV: Also with her as she started she was still touring as she started to get back into school and any five minute increments where she could have the books open she was studying. It was on the bus, it was between numbers in a show, it was during seas rehearsals, it was constant and I saw that and was so inspired and impressed and really awed by her tenacity.

AB: You have accomplished everything there is to accomplish and I’m very proud of you. How do to define success now?

TV: I’m working on that (laughs), I’m working on that, the new definition, I’m starting to learn what it feels like when I am doing something that has meaning and relevance and purpose and, um, something that gets beneath the surface and feels substantial and significant. And whether that is work with FitSpirit and, um, creating access for young girls in schools, activities and resources, so they can stay physically fit. Um, or partnering with someone who is equally motivated to, to foster this new narrative of self-esteem in young girls, because it does need to change, it needs to shift. Um, I guess really it’s about the fulfilment of a certain process instead of the end result and the end goal. It was Adam van Koeverden who said, he’ll never be the best in anything again and you know, so that benchmark has to change and that’s okay. That’s healthy and it’s also really exciting, so I think it’s about finding things that, um, spark something, ignite a new passion, a new fire within me. I’m not sure if I have totally found that yet, but I am okay with that too.

AB: Where do you see yourself in ten years

TV: In ten years? I think running some business I mean I’m hoping to study more seriously next year and I know that’s where my passion lies and as an athlete I’ve had to be my own boss really for most of my career, all of my career, so maybe something entrepreneurial, I’m not sure what shape that will take exactly but I’m learning so much and I’m surrounded by so many incredible mentors who are helping to guide that and show me what is possible But I’m also really excited, you know in that sphere (laughs) it’s not really about me, it can be about the company, it’s not my face and, um, my likeness, and image and personality in the forefront. I think I’ll be happy to take a back seat.

AB:I was just going to say, because you are so public face but are a very private person that has to be exhausting in some capacity?

TV: Right. I think I’ve come to terms with really just, making the most of the opportunities to me and this the, and this is where I am right now and this is the work that is available to me and I love the work and the by-product of that, um, there are, you know, there are some sacrifices but that is the key to any kind of job. So I am happy to work for that now but it’s just, I also need to know where it is leading and there has to be an end goal to it.

AB: Do you want kids?

TV: I don’t know.

AB: Me too.

TV: (laughs)

AB: Like I’m almost turning thirty and I don’t know what I want for my own life and it doesn’t freak me out though. I always thought I wanted to get married and I thought I wanted to have four kids.

TV: Hmm and that’s changing a little bit?

AB: Yeah.

Yeah I’m the youngest of four and I’ve always been surrounded by adults. When I was 9 my best friend was 25 and now some of my best friends are in their sixties and seventies and so I’ve never really had that maternal instinct. But it’s also sort of abstract to me, perhaps if I found that partner where I thought I want to do this as a team, you know let’s do this together and create a little family unit But it’s not top of mind.

AB: We’re all just trying to figure it out. Thank you baby girl for taking the time.

TV: Thank you.

AB: I really appreciate it.

TV: What a pleasure.

AB: Tessa Virtue it’s always a pleasure. Come visit more.

TV: I will.

AB: Come to my birthday.

TV: (laughs) I would love to though it doesn’t sound like it will be a rager, not that’s, that’s why I would I would be sending a rain check

AB: you like ragers?

TV: No. PJs and (laughs)

AB: No girl, seriously I’ll probably just watch Netflix and go to bed. I won’t even have a glass of wine. I’m tired.

TV: Yeah.

AB. But if you came over.

TV: We’ll have to celebrate

AB: That’s fair. Thank you.

[sywtwfs]

Answering some of our backlogged technical questions, thanks a lot to our contributors for helping out with these!

marymaia00: Hello, I wanted to ask something about the Biellmann spin. I’ve seen counterclockwise skaters always doing it on their left leg putting their right leg in the air. Is it forbidden to do a Biellmann on your right leg if you’re spinning counterclockwise? Or is it valued as “more difficult” to do it on your left leg? Thanks a lot!

Neither, skaters generally favour a direction/side and it’s the same with their legs, counterclockwise skaters favour their left side.

hey, ive had this question on my mind for a while. when skaters do a flip/lutz and get the wrong edge on it, why can't it be counted as a clean version of the other jump? alternatively, if a skater knew they struggle with getting the edge of, say the lutz, right, why dont they plan a flip and enter it as if entering a lutz?

This would cause a lot of complicated problems with the Zayak rule. If a skater does 2 “real” flips and then a flutz that is counted as a flip, that could cause the third jump to be invalidated. Also, the take-off of each jump is still different despite the take-off edge changing at the last second. A little counter-rotation in the setup of a lutz, even if you have a wrong edge, still pulls you into the opposite rotational direction, and you’re going to have to fight that when you take off. So from a technical standpoint, a flutz is still not a flip.

marymaia00: I’ve got a question concerning the ladies short program at Skate Canada. Elizaveta Tuktamysheva and Evgenia Medvedeva both did a flying sit spin, first position was a cannonball and second was the same kind of sit-behind spin (sorry I don’t know it’s name). Why was it scored a 4 for Elisaveta but only a 2 for Evgenia?

The second position is called a sit tuck spin. Elizaveta did a change of edge during her spin (BI to FO edge) when she switched positions.

I was watching Kristi yamaguchi at the albertville olympics and noticed she did a 3-2 in the short but a 3-3 in the free. Were 3-3 not allowed in womens short program at that time? (She also did a 2F, was there any specific reason for that?)

No hard source but pretty sure women were only allowed to do a double out of steps at the time, then triples were allowed in 1994 and then a solo triple became a requirement after 2002.

Under the 6.0 system the short program (known as the original program or technical program back then) was a make or break program. While skaters didn’t win solely on an SP lead, a mistake could bury you in the standings so despite eventually allowing 3-3s for women, many did 3-2s to play it safe because it wasn’t necessary to do more. The long program has more elements so a mistake was not as costly at the time; there were more high risk elements performed in the long program such as 3-3s and 3As.

[csykora]

Hey if you want an excuse to write a long rant post about selanne and kariya, this is it: i dont know anything about them and i would love to (if you dont wanna write a post feel free to ignore this!)

I would like to write about nothing else forever, but I’m going to control myself and do this in bits while I watch the ceremony.

The Thing About Paul is that he was a fairytale prince for hockey.

 He was handsome and humble and had that Ivy League vocabulary. He was graceful and gracious on and off the ice; fabulously fast, fun to watch and furiously effective in international competition.

When Disney released The Mighty Ducks, made a generation of children sign up for skating lessons, and decided to buy a hockey team in Southern California, all they could have asked for was a Paul. His play-making, non-physical style appealed to kids, and as a Japanese-Canadian (his father, Tetsuhiko, who went on to play rugby for Team Canada, was born in the Greenwood BC internment camp), Disney figured he was their bet to sell hockey in SoCal. They won him with their first-ever pick in 1993, 4th over-all.

This is a point where I might introduce his nausea-inducing anxiety attacks as a crack in the shell, except that that’s something we seem to do in hindsight. Knowing the Paul we know today,  I think we look back for ways he was always a little cursed, to settle the question of why Paul Kariya? 

But the fact he shook before games didn’t end his career, it’s just A Thing About Paul. He lived with it, through becoming the youngest player on the U-20, then the youngest in the history of Team Canada at 18 and a half, scoring 9 points in 8 games. He decided to finish college at the University of Maine, so he was called up to the 1994 Olympics as an amateur and dragged the bottom-seeded team to silver. 

He was called straight back for World Championships two months later, youngest again, the only Olympian Canada wanted there badly enough not to give him a break, securing Canada’s first Worlds gold in thirty-three years. When he came back ready to sign with the Ducks, 9,000 fans showed up to watch him practice. 16,000 watched his first exhibition game. He would go on to play for 16 years, 9 with the Ducks, 7 as their captain, 1 with the Avalanche, 2 with the Predators, 3 with the Blues. 

Today Paul can feel like hockey’s death-in-the-family, a story that was inevitably about loss, but he wasn’t always, isn’t really, and the bad that did happen to him was never inevitable. There’s no reason that What Happened to Paul happened to Paul and not somebody else or worse. (And that’s the rant I may or may not inflict on you, we’ll see.)

[thingsmk1120sayz]

This day in hockey history, March 3rd 1875, the first recorded ice hockey game was played, with McGill University going against the Victoria skating club, at the Victoria Rink in Montreal. The two teams played with nine men on a side, and used a flat wooden disk as a puck. With the rules now recorded and standardized, hockey as we know it was "born."

After weeks of training at the Victoria Skating Rink with his friends, Montreal resident James Creighton advertised in the March 3 edition of the Montreal Gazette that “A game of hockey will be played in the Victoria Skating Rink this evening between two nines chosen from among the members.” Prior to the move indoors, ice hockey was a casual outdoor game, with no set dimensions for the ice and no rules regarding the number of players per side. The Victoria Skating Rink was snug, so Creighton limited the teams to nine players each.

Hockey, traditionally played on grass with a stick and a ball, has its roots in ancient Greece, Egypt and Persia. In this form, the game spread north to Europe and then west to the Americas, and is still popular in the Southern Hemisphere as well as in North America, where it is called field hockey. North America’s indigenous people were playing games with a stick and ball long before the French and English crossed the Atlantic. Cherokee, Ojibwe and Mohawk tribes all had different names for what the French branded “lacrosse,” as did the Iroquois native to Quebec. Meanwhile, ice skating was popularized by skating on sharpened animal shinbones in Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries, and games played on ice included a Dutch version of golf and an on-ice version of hurling, an Irish stick-and-ball game.

Ice hockey was initially thought too dangerous a game to play, as the ball was difficult to control on the ice. For the 1875 Montreal game, the ball was replaced with a wooden disc, now known as a puck. The disc was less likely to fly off the ice, and was less dangerous to both players and spectators. Creighton also instituted an early off-sides rule, mandating that there be no forward passing ahead of the player with the puck. The Montreal Gazette reported the next day that the first ice hockey game at Victoria Skating Rink attracted 40 spectators. Ice hockey then caught fire in Montreal, and in 1877 Creighton published rules to the game, known as Montreal Rules. Canada’s now legendary national passion for ice hockey was ignited, and the new sport began to spread across the country.

Years later, in 1994, bill C-212, making ice hockey the official winter sport of Canada, was made law by Canada’s parliament. Lacrosse—which had been Canada’s national sport since 1859—remained the country’s official summer game.

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