Podcast appearances and mentions of ashley wagner

In this episode of The Pet Food Science Podcast Show, Dr. Ashley Wagner from Probiotech International takes us through the fascinating science behind reducing stress in pets with monoterpenes. She explains their natural origins, how they influence serotonin and cortisol levels, and their potential to ease stress-related behaviors in pets. Discover how cutting-edge nutritional solutions are redefining pet health. Tune in now to gain fresh insights into pet wellness—available on all major platforms!Click here to download the white paper now!"The proper use of natural monoterpenes in pet diets can provide long-term stress mitigation without the risks or side effects of synthetic drugs."Meet the guest: Dr. Ashley Wagner earned her Ph.D. in protein metabolism from the University of Kentucky and has over a decade of experience at Probiotech International, focusing on functional additives for animal nutrition. As Director of U.S. Business and Technical Sales, she emphasizes sustainable, natural solutions for stress mitigation in pets.What will you learn:(00:00) Highlight(01:27) Introduction(04:39) What are monoterpenes?(08:28) Pet stress solutions(11:54) Regulating serotonin in pets(14:37) Behavioral impact of stress(25:01) Product efficacy(28:11) Final QuestionsThe Pet Food Science Podcast Show is trusted and supported by innovative companies like:Probiotech* Trouw Nutrition* Kemin- EW Nutrition- ICC- Scoular- BioriginSymrise

Today: The U.S. will play host to the ISU World Figure Skating Championships, coming to TD Garden this week. We talk about the art and physicality behind the sport – and the tragic loss of friends and colleagues in that DC plane crash – with the Skating Club of Boston's Doug Zeghibe and Olympic skater Ashley Wagner.And, Sky and Telescope senior editor Kelly Beatty discusses the impacts of Sunita Williams' extended stay in space.

Trenni Casey discusses the livestock competitions going viral thanks to one girl's intense stareDoug Zeghibe, executive director of the Skating Club of Boston joins with Olympic skater Ashley Wagner to discuss the ISU World Figure Skating Championships at the Garden this week.Kelly Beatty of Sky and Telescope discusses the earthly return of Suni Williams and Butch WilmoreMarcelo Suarez-Orozco, Chancellor of UMB on Trump administration attacks on higher education.

This week on the Brews & Cruise Podcast, we're pouring up some THC-infused drinks and diving headfirst into the high-energy, empowering, and often misunderstood world of pole fitness with the one and only Ashley Wagner! Ashley joins us in the Speakeasy Studio to spill all the details on how she got her start in pole fitness, what inspired her to open her own studio, and how this art form goes far beyond what most people think. We're breaking down the history of pole fitness, the myths and misconceptions surrounding it, and the strength—both physical and mental—that it takes to master. But that's not all! Ashley shares the thrill of competing, the highs and lows of her journey, and the challenges she's faced along the way. From gravity-defying moves to the community that pole fitness creates, this episode is packed with inspiration, surprises, and maybe even a few laughs. So grab a drink, get comfy, and tune in for an episode that's equal parts educational, entertaining, and seriously badass! Drinks: Cann & Oliphant Brewing Ruin Perception Body & Pole https://www.facebook.com/PerceptionBodyAndPole/ Sponsor Jacobson Real Estate Co. https://jacobsonrealestatecompany.com Brews & Cruise Podcast Website https://brewsandcruisepodcast.com

In this episode we preview the 2025 US Championships. We talk merch, adding a second triple axel to your free skate, and we have our first draft of the season!

We recap the earth shattering action from World Figure Skating Championships 2024 in Montreal, including Ilia Malinin's historic 6-Quad winning free skate, the 3-peat gold for Kaori Sakamoto, and Canada's own Stellato-Dudek & Deschamps finally ascending to the Pairs throne.   The 2024 World Figure Skating Championships in Montreal gave us several moments we expected, others we wished for, and whole lot we never could have predicted. Most of all, it gave us countless extraordinary skating moments we won't soon forget. Men's Competition The formal coronation of the Quad God, Ilia Malinin, as the biggest rockstar in men's figure skating happened here—with a program that literally had us screaming in our living room in disbelief. Coming into the free skate a close third behind reigning World Champion, Shoma Uno, and returning Olympic silver medalist, Yuma Kagiyama, Malinin closed the event with a World Record-breaking free skate that started with a quad axel, ended with a boggling triple lutz-triple axel combination, and found room in the middle for 5 other quads. At the end of it, Malinin collapsed while the arena went bonkers — knowing they had seen something extraordinary. His first world title is certainly one to remember. In the silver slot, the utterly brilliant Yuma Kagiyama skated in a way that would have won him any other title on any other night. His continued growth as an artist as much as an athlete is glorious to watch, and while this year gold may not have been his, do not underestimate his potential to win the Olympic gold medal. He's on a path that could definitely get him there. In third, with the biggest comeback ever seen in ISU competition, was Adam Siao Him Fa from France. As if jumping from 19th to 3rd with an incredibly powerful free skate wasn't enough, he was second in the free program only to Ilia — and did that while also including an illegal backflip that cost his 2 points. It was bold, intense, and one of the best stories to come out of the championship. In fourth, Shoma Uno — who led after the short — had a rougher free skate than we've seen from him in quite a long time and couldn't hold onto a podium position. That said, he was still Shoma — meaning he was still brilliant and amongst the class of the field. Rounding out the top 5 was Jason Brown — who again competed very little internationally this season, only to come to Worlds with no quads and still skate SO BEAUTIFULLY that he landed amongst the top men in the world. Fingers crossed we see him again next year as the sport is always better for having him still competing in it.  Pairs Competition All season long, we've been watching Deanna Stellato-Dudek & Maxime Deschamps look like they were ready to take that step into being World Champions — but a few moments during the season had us worried the title may not happen this year. Our worries were wasted, thankfully, as Deanna and Maxime put down two dazzling programs that led to their history-making win on home soil in Canada. To say this moment was emotional is a massive understatement. As the oldest woman to ever win a figure skating world title in any discipline at 40 years old, Deanna becomes, not only a legend in the sport, but even more of an inspiration than she'd already proved herself to be. An extraordinary moment for this exceptionally talented team and fans everywhere to share. Riku Muira & Ryuchi Kihara came to Montreal with a lot of question marks. As the reigning World Champs, they were certainly not to be discounted — but injury had kept them from most competitions this season and it was unclear how they would perform. With a win in the free skate and a silver medal overall, they silenced all of those who doubted them and shined like the champions they are. In a scary moment, Ryuichi had to be helped by EMTs directly following their free skate — unfortunately meaning they missed the medal ceremony. Thankfully, he bounced back quickly and the organizing committee redid the medal ceremony on Saturday night to allow them to participate. Taking the bronze medal were the surprise pair of the season, Germany's Minerva Fabienne Hase & Nikita Volodin. After their misstep at the European Championships, this team came here and showed why they went undefeated in the first part of this season, with two very strong programs that defy their short time together. We cannot wait to see how this team evolves and gets even better with time.  Women's Competition Kaori Sakamoto proved again why she's in a league of her own right now in the women's division, coming back from a 4th place finish in the short program to win her third gold medal. This third world title makes her the first woman since Peggy Flemming in the 1960's to win three consecutive world championships. Taking a bit of a surprise silver, Isabeau Levito came back from a rough US Nationals to skate two exceptional programs and earn her first World medal. This is the first silver medal the US has taken in the women's event since Ashley Wagner in 2016.  In third for the bronze was Chaeyeon Kim from South Korea — who skated a near flawless free skate to move up from 6th to 3rd. This 17 year-old skater has only been on the ice for 7 years and is already a world medalist — it will be very interesting to see how far she can go! In a disappointing placement, Loena Hendrickx — who won the short program — ended up in fourth overall after a sluggish, error-laden free skate.  Ice Dance Competition The most predictable of the disciplines provided some excellent performances—but stayed to the script in terms of the medals. Madison Chock & Evan Bates decimated the rhythm dance, earning a sizable lead that they needed after a small mistake in the free dance—which was still absolutely gorgeous and enough to earn them their second world title. The silver went to the hometown heroes, Canda's Piper Gilles & Paul Poirier, who won the free dance with the best performance of their Wuthering Heights program of the season. Their rhythm dance again seemed just a bit less impactful and held them back from taking the title. In the bronze position was Italy's Charlene Guignard & Marco Fabbri, who turned in two extraodiary performances that may have been the most technically sound of the event. However, a few small issues in their free dance — and a larger one with a scary costume malfunction — dropped them from 2nd in the short to 3rd overall. Follow Scoreography: Website — https://scoreography.show Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/scoreography Threads — https://www.threads.net/@scoreography BlueSky — https://bsky.app/profile/scoreography.show  

This Week in Skating is hosted by Gina Capellazzi and Daphne Backman and is a cooperative project between Figure Skaters Online and Ice-dance.com. New episodes are available every Tuesday.Website: http://www.thisweekinskating.comEmail: thisweekinskating@gmail.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/thisweekinskatingTwitter: https://www.twitter.com/thiswkinskatingInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinskatingThread: https://www.threads.net/@thisweekinskatingPatreon: patreon.com/ThisWeekinSkating-------------------------------------------------------------------------------EPISODE 108General Skating News The ISU Council met on October 6-8, 2023 and made the following decisions:Approved the Grand Prix calendar for the 2024-25 season.Approved the 7 Junior Grand Prix Figure dates and locationsThe status of preparations for the Winter Youth Olympic Games 2024 and the Olympic Winter Games 2026.A potential approach to facilitate music rights clearance.The next Council meeting will be an online meeting on November 28, 2023, and then there will be a meeting in the Netherlands in March, prior to the ISU World Short Track Speed Skating Championships 2024.The 59h ISU Congress will take place in Las Vegas, June 15-16, 2024.https://www.isu.org/inside-isu/isu-communications/communications/32175-isu-communication-2597/fileThe ISU have updated their Transgender Policyhttps://www.isu.org/inside-isu/isu-communications/communications/32151-isu-communication-2595/fileIOC Executive Board suspends Russian Olympic Committee with immediate effect.https://olympics.com/ioc/news/ioc-executive-board-suspends-russian-olympic-committee-with-immediate-effectTickets for the 2024 Canadian National Skating Championships will be on sale to the public on Thursday, October 19, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. ET. https://skatecanada.ca/2023/10/tickets-on-sale-next-week-for-2024-canadian-national-skating-championships/Skate Canada announced the passing of Hall of Fame member Ron Vincent at 96 years of age. https://skatecanada.ca/2023/10/skate-canada-remembers-hall-of-famer-ron-vincent/Events Results BriefBudapest Trophy| Results | Tayside Trophy | ResultsDick Button Festival of Artistic Skating | Skating Club of Boston Instagram HighlightsSkate Ontario Sectional Series - October | ResultsSegment - Recent InterviewsRocker Skating's Perspective: What to Keep Your Eyes on During the Grand Prix Season, by Jackie Wong, U.S. Figure Skating Fan ZoneOlivia Smart and Tim Dieck have a fire in their bellies, by Anna Keller, Anything GOEs Catching up with Gerli Liinamäe, Gabriele Frangipani, by Reut Golinsky, Absolute SkatingInterview with Rinka Watanabe, by Skate Japan NewsPodcast: Interview with Adam Blake Capturing ‘sweet spots' is the goal for Lajoie and Lagha, by Judith Dombrowski, Golden SkateA figure skater in Santiago? Eric Radford's new role for Team Canada, by Nick McCarvel, Olympics.comLiu and Nagy: New Partnership Revamps Passion for Skating, by Troy Schwindt, U.S. Figure Skating Fan ZoneVideo: Fresh Faces - Chelsea Liu and Balazs Nagy, by U.S. Figure SkatingFinally Healthy, Andrew Torgashev to Make Grand Prix Debut at Skate America with An Eye on the Future, by Darci Miller, U.S. Figure Skating Fan ZoneVideo: Inside The Season - Andrew Torgashev, by U.S. Figure SkatingVideo: Fresh Faces - Valentina Plazas/Maximiliano Fernandez, by U.S. Figure SkatingVideo: Inside the Season - Ilia Malinin, by U.S. Figure SkatingDebi Thomas, 1988 Olympic medalist, returns to a different figure skating competition, by Nick Zaccardi, NBC SportsPodcast: Episode 15: Sequins, Sequences, and Body Negativity, by Ashley Wagner and Adam Rippon, The RunthroughSegment - Social Media UpdatesJoel Savary had an Instagram Live with Atoy Wilson, Tai Babilonia & more for the Ice Theatre of New York's Oct. 27th “Fall Frolic” that will honor Diversify Ice: https://www.instagram.com/reel/CyYuncKLHxu/A new vlog [Oct. 16] from Eva Pate and Logan Bye https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WnKq3ZGJMIwSouth Korean pair skater Hyejin Cho, based in Toronto, posted an Instagram story today (Oct. 16) that confirms her partnership with Australia's Harley Windsor has ended and linked to her May 2023 video reel showing her pair skills: https://www.instagram.com/p/Cr6EdDOgc3fTilda Alteryd and Dr. Valtter Virtanen (Dr.) have ended their partnership. https://www.instagram.com/p/CyX_kiyrSwO/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA%3D%3Romy Malcolm / Kobi Chant announce they will be representing Australiahttps://www.instagram.com/p/CyCFM0yySvk/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA%3D%3DJoe Velasco was on Jeopardy this past week. Joe is a board member of Diversify Ice.https://www.instagram.com/p/CyaDJ1YLNfw/Segment - Upcoming Events for the Week:Oct. 20-23, 2023: Skate America - Allen, Texashttps://www.usfigureskating.org/event/2023-humana-skate-americahttps://results.isu.org/events/fsevent00117420.htmOct. 19-22, 2023: Diamond Spin - Katowice, Polandhttps://page.pfsa.com.pl/results/2324/DS2023/Oct. 18-22: 2023 ISU International Adult Competition - Nashville, Tennessee https://isuinternationaladultcompetitionnashville.com/isuadultcompetitionnashvilleOct. 18-22: Mezzaluna Cup - Mentina, Italyhttps://www.fisg.it/upload/result/6237/mezzu2023/index.htmOct. 18-22: Trophée Metropole Nice Côte d'Azur - Nice, Francehttps://www.ffsg.org/resultats/2023-2024/TMNCA2023/index.htmOct. 20-21: Kaunas Autumn Cup - Kaunas, Lithuania http://www.kristalice.lv/Results/kaunasiceautumncup/IDC and FSO spotlightIDC: Recap: ISU Challenger Series Part IFSO: Photos: Finlandia TrophyFSO: ISU Challenger Series TrackerFSO: Win tickets to Ice Theatre of New York's Fall FrolicFSO: Ice Theatre of New York Honors Diversify Ice Foundation for “Daring Greatly”FSO: Skating's flight and glide to be celebrated at Dick Button Artistic Figure Skating FestivalSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/this-week-in-skating-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

This Week in Skating is hosted by Gina Capellazzi and Daphne Backman and is a cooperative project between Figure Skaters Online and Ice-dance.com. New episodes are available every Monday.Website: http://www.thisweekinskating.comEmail: thisweekinskating@gmail.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/thisweekinskatingTwitter: https://www.twitter.com/thiswkinskatingInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinskatingThread: https://www.threads.net/@thisweekinskatingPatreon: patreon.com/ThisWeekinSkating--------------------------------------------EPISODE 95Interview with Tatjana FladeEvents Results BriefCranberry Cup (Winners of the senior men's event were Mark Gorodnitsky (ISR), Wesley Chiu (CAN) and Jimmy Ma (USA)(Our special correspondent from Cranberry Cup was Kat Cornetta. You can follow Kat at https://twitter.com/KatCornetta)Cranberry OpenQuebec Summer ChampionshipsGensan Summer CupKinoshita TrophyCopper CupSegment - General Skating News The roster for Japan Open was released this week. The roster for the Junior Grand Prix event in Istanbul, Turkey was released this week. The cast for the 51st An Evening with Champions was posted. Single session tickets for the 2024 U.S. Championships go on sale Aug. 15 at 10 a.m. Segment - Recent InterviewsFirst Stop Lombardia Trophy for Italy's Lara Naki Gutmann, by Judith Dombrowski, Golden SkateVideo: Sakoto Miyahara lives out her dream in Champery, by Judith Dombrowski, Golden SkateGoals set for Denis Vasiljevs' ninth senior season, by Judith Dombrowski, Golden SkateLeatrice Bulls: Giving Back Through Passion, by Marissa Pederson, U.S. Figure Skating Fan ZonePodcast: Highs and Lows and Ongoing Journey with Bradie Tennell, by Polina EdmundsPodcast: Rob Koehler of Global Athlete HQ, by Anna Keller, Future of Figure Skating PodcastPodcast: Summer News and Mailbag Episode, by Ashley Wagner and Adam Rippon, The RunthroughSegment - Social Media UpdatesJordan Cowan's video of Stephanie Lambiel and Guillaume Cizeron performing an improvisation choreography exercise created by Khoudia Touré, set to Henryk Gorecki's "Symphony No.3, Op.36"Sonia Baram and Daniel Tioumentsev have ended their partnershipSonia's post: https://www.instagram.com/p/CvnCVykRWw-/?img_index=1Daniel's post: https://www.instagram.com/p/CvnPLuXPDY2/?img_index=1Julia Szczecinina (Ioulia Chtchetinina) / Michał Woźniak are a new pairs team for Poland.Nadiia Bashynska's Lake Placid Ice Dance International Vlog.Nora Rothenbühler and Mozes Josef Berei are a new junior pairs pairs team representing Hungary.Segment - Program AnnouncementsCheck out our website for a listing of program music announcements - will be updated as they are announced!MenWomenPairsDanceSegment - Upcoming Events for the Week:Asian Open Figure Skating Trophy, Aug. 16-19, 2023, Bangkok, ThailandMinnesota L'Etoile du Nord Challenge, Aug. 17-20, 2023, Bloomington, MinnesotaIDC and FSO spotlightIDC: Photos: Lake Placid Ice Dance Championships/InternationalIDC: Anne's Take: 2023 Lake Placid IDI and IDCIDC: New Team Series: Kayleigh Maksymec & Félix DesmaraisFSO: Photos: Lake Placid Ice Dance InternationalFSO: Photos: Lake Placid Ice Dance ChampionshipsFSO: Photos: 2023 U.S. Collegiate Championships and InvitationalFSO: Photos: 2023 Cranberry CupSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/this-week-in-skating-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

This Week in Skating is hosted by Gina Capellazzi and Daphne Backman and is a cooperative project between Figure Skaters Online and Ice-dance.com. New episodes are available every Monday.Website: http://www.thisweekinskating.comEmail: thisweekinskating@gmail.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/thisweekinskatingTwitter: https://www.twitter.com/thiswkinskatingInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinskatingThread: https://www.threads.net/@thisweekinskatingPatreon: patreon.com/ThisWeekinSkatingThis Week in Skating Swag: https://www.thisweekinskating.com/2023/07/03/this-week-in-skating-swag/-----------------------------------------------------------------EPISODE 91Events Results BriefDallas ClassicSun Valley Summer Championships | NQS | Other ResultsSkate Ontario Sectional Series - JulySkate Detroit Skate Canada Next Gen Team CompetitionSouth Korea Junior Grand Prix Selection CompetitionThe ICE tour Segment - General Skating News Single session tickets for the 2023 Skate Canada International will be available for pre-sale on Monday, July 24, 2023, at 10 a.m. ET., and on sale to the public on Thursday, July 27, 2023, at 10:00 AM ET. https://skatecanada.ca/2023/07/2023-skate-canada-international-single-session-tickets-available-next-week/U.S. Figure Skating updated its ISP (International Selection Pool) after Dallas Classichttps://www.usfigureskating.org/skate/qualify-for-team-usaSegment - Recent InterviewsVideo: Phebe Bekker and James Hernandez ready for next step, by Golden SkateIlia Malinin delivers in history making season, by Rachel Lutz, U.S. Figure SkatingLet Them Know That We are Here, by U.S. Figure SkatingBetween the many figure skating ‘stepping stones' of Wenatchee's Liam Kapeikis, by Rand Stevens, Wenatchee WorldPodcast: “Saved by the Mariah Bell”, (Mariah Bell on Ashley Wagner and Adam Rippon's the Runthrough)Segment - Social Media UpdatesTiffani Zagorski and Jonathan Guerreiro announced their retirement from competitive skating https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cuy5TceJ_gB/?igshid=YzcxN2Q2NzY0OA%3D%3DGreta and John Crafoord are now training with Bruno Massot in Caen, France https://www.instagram.com/p/Cuy0bzpLyGj/?igshid=YzcxN2Q2NzY0OA%3D%3DAlisa Ovsiankina / Maximilien Rahier are a new ice dance team for Francehttps://www.instagram.com/p/CvAtU4pOwQV/?igshid=YzcxN2Q2NzY0OA%3D%3DJenni Meno Sand posted a photo of Todd Sand will all of his students at Great Park Ice. https://www.instagram.com/p/Cu5y_W0L9dZ/Segment - Program AnnouncementsCheck out our website for a listing of program music announcements - will be updated as they are announced!MenWomenPairsDanceSegment - Upcoming Events Charleston Open, July 27-30, Charleston, South Carolinahttps://fscofcharleston.com/2023_charleston_open/ Glacier Falls Summer Classic, July 27-30, Anaheim, Californiahttps://glacierfalls.com/Lake Placid Ice Dance Championships (NQS for dance), July 31-Aug. 2, Lake Placid, NYLake Placid Ice Dance International (ISU international), July 31-Aug. 2, Lake Placid, NYIDC and FSO spotlightIDC: Anne's Take - 2023 Dallas ClassicIDC: Photos – 2023 Dallas ClassicIDC: Meet ice dancer Shauna VorheesFSO: Photos - 2023 Dallas ClassicSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/this-week-in-skating-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

This Week in Skating is hosted by Gina Capellazzi and Daphne Backman and is a cooperative project between Figure Skaters Online and Ice-dance.com. New episodes are available every Monday.Website: http://www.thisweekinskating.comEmail: thisweekinskating@gmail.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/thisweekinskatingTwitter: https://www.twitter.com/thiswkinskatingInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinskating------------------------------------------------------------------------------------EPISODE 84Events Results BriefChesapeake OpenGrand Rapids Open Segment - General Skating News Court of Arbitration for Sport announced the dates for the hearing for the arbitration proceedings involving RUSADA, ISU, WADA & Kamila Valieva, to be held in person at CAS headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland.500 Days and CountingToday Show with Alexa Knierim, Brandon Frazier and Vincent ZhouU.S. Figure Skating article with quotes with the 9 skatersVideo with Madison Chock and Evan BatesVideo with the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Museum Display Build#MorethanMedals hashtag and webpageAlisa Efimova told a Russian news outlet that she will be teaming with Misha Mitrofanov and training in the U.S. with Olga Ganicheva and Alexei Letov.Carolane Soucisse and Shane Firus, who have been representing Canada so far, have recently switched to represent Ireland and have already won their first Irish National title. Segment - Recent InterviewsBreak-through season for Sweden's Andreas Nordeback, by Judith Dombrowski, Golden SkateAdam Rippon exclusive: On five years since his Olympic coming out - and the power of sport for LGBTQ+ people: ‘Skating saved me', by Nick McCarvel, Olympics.comCelebrating Olympic & Paralympic Day, by Kristen Henneman, U.S. Figure Skating Fan ZonePodcast: Episode 7 of the Runthrough, by Ashley Wagner and Adam Rippon Podcast: Doping Case Leaves Clean Athletes Still Awaiting Olympic Medals From the 2022 Games - Evan Bates and Madison Chock, by Partnership for Clean CompetitionVideo: Nathan Chen explores a day in the life of physician-scientists, by Yale Cardiovascular Medicine Grand RoundCatching up with Karina Manta about her Book, Pride Month and More, by Rachel Lutz, U.S Figure Skating Fan ZoneTrailblazers Smith and Singley Make Their Mark, by Aviva M. Cantor, U.S. Figure SkatingOpening Day Inside the Glittery, Hard-Core World of Disney on Ice, by Tarah Kayne, Inside the MagicSegment - Social Media UpdatesEmilia Murdock announced on her website and social media that she will represent Spain in the upcoming season. Elliana Peal and Ethan Peal shared a video of “an early season version” of their Lord of the Rings Junior FD. Johnny Weir shared thoughts about his skating career before his final public performance at the end of the Fantasy on Ice tour in Japan.Charlie Cyr, the Sports Director for Singles & Pairs at the International Skating Union since 2014 and respected U.S. national & international judge/technical controller before that, has passed away. Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps were training with Alexa Knierim, Chris Knierim, Timothy LeDuc and David Santee at the Oakton Skating Academy this week: Photos from Deanna and clips from Timothy LeDuc. Former Team USA ice dancer Elliana Pogrebinsky was a part of the 2023 High Performance Summer Camp Series in Laurel, Maryland and focused on strength, conditioning, yoga and stretching. Segment - Program AnnouncementsCheck out our website for a listing of program music announcements - will be updated as they are announced!MenWomenPairsDanceSolo DanceSegment - Upcoming Events 2023 National Theatre on Ice, June 26-30 in Fraser, Michigan 2023 Broadmoor Open, June 26-July 1 in Colorado Springs, ColoradoIDC and FSO spotlightIDC: New Team Series: Shira Ichilov and Dmitriy Kravchenko IDC: Solo dancing in the Arizona DesertFSO: New website coming this week!!!!Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/this-week-in-skating-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

This week we are joined by Team IDC journalist Matteo Morelli to breakdown everything that happened at the World Championships in Saitama, Japan. This episode also includes other news for the week.This Week in Skating is hosted by Gina Capellazzi and Daphne Backman and is a cooperative project between Figure Skaters Online and Ice-dance.com. New episodes are available every Monday.Website: http://www.thisweekinskating.comEmail: thisweekinskating@gmail.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/thisweekinskatingTwitter: https://www.twitter.com/thiswkinskatingInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinskating-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Episode 65 Show NotesEvent Results:ISU World Figure Skating Championships General Skating News:The ISU Council allotted the fifth Grand Prix event to Espoo (Es-paw), Finland. The event will take place Nov. 17-19, 2023. The Grand Prix Final will return to Beijing on December 7-10, 2023.https://www.isu.org/figure-skating/news/news-fsk/14546-the-fifth-isu-grand-prix-and-the-isu-grand-prix-of-figure-skating-final-of-the-2023-24-allotted-to-espoo-fin-and-beijing-chn?templateParam=15Recent Articles & Interviews:World Junior pairs champs caught in age conundrum, by Tatjana Flade, Golden Skate https://www.goldenskate.com/2023/03/world-junior-pairs-champs-caught-in-age-conundrum/Ashley Wagner and Adam Rippon have started a podcast – it's called The Runthrough.https://open.spotify.com/show/2iP85Gq4V37vasnLDg6Z9b https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-runthrough/id1678259172 Social Media Updates:Team USA singles skater Gabriella Izzo announced on Instagram that she is going to be focusing on pairs' skating going forward. Ireland's Samuel McAllister has announced via Instagram reel that he is retiring from competitive skating.U.S. Figure Skating posted on social media - congratulating Hall of Fame member Vera Wang for being named a National Medal of Arts honoreeAudrey Shin announced her short program music to Pina soundtrack on her social media: https://twitter.com/AudreyShin4/status/1639843696655970304Alexandra Stepanova & Ivan Bukin left long-time coaches Zhuk & Svinin to train with ZhulinIDC & FSO Spotlight:Check FSO & IDC for Worlds coverage.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/this-week-in-skating-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

We are super excited about this episode because we are bringing you our first guest. She is a fierce competitor, a badass business owner, and she has achieved greatness in many ways. Ashley Wagner is an American figure skater who is the 2016 World silver medallist and a 2014 Olympic bronze medallist in the team event. She's a multiple time international medallist and is the first U.S. woman to win back-to-back U.S. championships and three total U.S. titles since Michelle Kwan, making her arguably one of the best women figure skaters in US history. She is now the proud founder and boss of Skate And Sculpt, which provides an awesome new opportunity for retired figure skaters to redefine their relationship with skating and to share their love of the sport! Ashely is unapologetically herself throughout this conversation as she shares how she handled all of the opinions and criticism that she received while she was competing, how she handles opinions and criticism now, and how she has learned to choose confidence. Connect with Ashley on IG @ashwagner2010 or @skateandsculpt >>> Text us!: https://my.community.com/paigearianne >>> For Feel Good Friday text us FEELGOOD >>> For Mindset Monday text us MINDSET >>> Text us PODSQUAD with your questions

Jilyne is a seven-time NCAA All-American. She is also an alum of the U.S. Ski Team. After retiring from ski racing in 2009, she co-founded a nonprofit organization, ZGiRLS, because she saw the essential need for confidence-building and mentorship for little girls in sports. ZGiRLS launched in 2014 and has served over 2,000 girls with more than 40,000 mentorship hours invested. They host weekly online programs with professional athletes like Sue Bird, Lindsey Vonn, Ashley Wagner, and many more. @gozgirls Watch on YouTube: https://bit.ly/3opNURn - - - - - - - - - - - - SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS Good F*cking Design Advice - 10% off with code UNITY - www.gfda.co Combat Flip Flops - 25% off with code UNITY - https://combatflipflops.com Brass & Unity - 20% off with code UNITY - http://brassandunity.com Daisy May Hats Co - 15% off with code BRASS - https://daisymayhats.com - - - - - - - - - - - - - SHOP B&U Jewelry & Eyewear: https://brassandunity.com - - - - - - - - - - - - - Follow #brassandunity - - - - - - - - - - - - - CHARITY Honour House - https://www.honourhouse.ca Vet Solutions - https://vetsolutions.org Heroic Hearts - https://www.heroicheartsproject.org Warrior Angels Foundation - https://warriorangelsfoundation.org All Secure Foundation - http://allsecurefoundation.org Four Seasons Fighters - https://www.fourseasonfighters.org Defenders of Freedom - http://defendersoffreedom.us

Suit up, Skimm'rs. This week, we're all about the competition: Winter Olympics drama. The Super Bowl, which, yes, we're watching for the ads. And big tech, where some power players are trying to avoid a losing streak. Plus, the latest on protests in Canada's capital and mask mandate rollbacks. First: We've got updates on a landmark #MeToo bill that passed in Congress, which states are relaxing their mask mandates, the controversy over Florida's “don't say gay” bill, escalating protests over COVID restrictions in Canada, and (sorry, have to) inflation. Next up: From Meta's massive losses to Spotify's Joe Rogan headache to Peloton's job cuts, some of Silicon Valley's former stars are having a bad year so far. Tech journalist and podcast host Kara Swisher puts it all in context.  Then: Crypto's the new kid on the block(chain) this Superbowl Sunday. We explain how the industry's using Superbowl ads as a moment to go mainstream. Plus: The shooting death of Amir Locke by Minneapolis police has put a new spotlight on no-knock warrants. What are they, and why are they a target for reform? University of Chicago law professor Shannon Fairley explains. Here's theSkimm's guide on police reform.  Finally: Figure skating has been delivering big-time Olympic drama this week, from huge firsts to the doping scandal sequel nobody was looking for. Joining us to break it down are former star skaters and Olympic medalists Ashley Wagner and Scott Hamilton.  On this episode, you'll hear from:  Kara Swisher, host of Sway, co-host of Pivot, and a tech columnist for the New York Times Shannon Fairley, professor from practice, University of Chicago Law  Ashley Wagner and Scott Hamilton, former Olympic figure skaters and commentators for Peacock Want more Skimm?  Sign up for our free daily newsletter Email us your questions about what's going on in the news right now  Subscribe and leave us a review wherever you get your podcasts P.S. Calling all Skimm This listeners. If you have five minutes to answer some multiple choice questions, please tell us what you want to hear more of on the show. Go to theskimm.com/podsurvey.  Skimm'd by Alex Carr. Additional help from Sagine Corrielus. Engineered by Andrew Callaway. TheSkimm's head of audio is Graelyn Brashear. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this video, I complete a profiling session with Barb.

Alysa Liu is a Chinese-American figure skater. She is a two-time U.S. national champion (2019, 2020). On the junior level, she is the 2020 World Junior bronze medalist, the 2019-20 Junior Grand Prix Final silver medalist, a two-time Junior Grand Prix champion, and the 2018 U.S. junior national champion. Liu is the youngest-ever U.S. ladies' national champion, having won her first title at age 13. She is the first to win two constructive titles since Ashley Wagner did so in 2012 and 2013. She is also the first lady to win the junior and senior titles back-to-back since Mirai Nagasu accomplished the feat in 2008. Alysa Liu is the first junior American ladies' singles skater to successfully complete a triple Axel in international competition, and only the third American lady overall to do so after Tonya Harding and Nagasu. She is also the first and only American female skater to successfully complete a quad jump (quadruple Lutz) in a competition. Liu is the first ladies skater to ever land both a quadruple jump and a triple Axel in the same program. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/biography/message

Ashley Wagner and I discuss the Sochi Olympics – both qualifications and the games, and transition after sport. We talk about skating politics, finding meaning in life after sport, and the self confidence it takes to step out of the skating world and into “normal life”.

Jilyne is a four-year NCAA athlete & seven-time NCAA All-American. She is also an alum of the U.S. Ski Team. After retiring from ski racing in 2009, she co-founded a nonprofit organization, ZGiRLS, with fellow US Ski Team alum. They started ZGiRLS because they saw the essential need for confidence-building and mentorship for little girls in sports. ZGiRLS launched in 2012 and has served over 1,000 girls with more than 40,000 mentorship hours invested. They host programs with professional athletes like Sue Bird, Lindsey Vonn, Ashley Wagner, and many more. Check out Z Girls Here: https://www.zgirls.org/ Jilyne Jarvis on LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/in/jilyne/ --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/executiveathletes/support

CBD Products made from Hemp #NuevoMedicoCBD #@NuevoMedicoCBD  www.nuevomedico.com #Thank you Anthony and Ashley Wagner #natural #locallyNM

Hosts Jackie Wong and Nick McCarvel are joined by Olympian Ashley Wagner, who commentated NHK Trophy for the Olympic Channel. The three break down the weekend, including Grand Prix Final spots locked in, as well as discuss the brilliance of Yuzuru Hanyu, Alena Kostornaia, Sui/Han and much more.

September is Gynecologic Cancer Awareness Month. WTMJ's Libby Collins talks with Ashley Wagner from the Wisconsin Ovarian Cancer Alliance about the challenges of ovarian cancer.

In this episode I speak with Ashley Wagner, of Circle Modern Dance, and Brynn Yeager, of Momentum Dance Lab, about modern dance...but we do ramble a bit. Sponsor: WhyKnox podcast Theme song: Adeem The Artist

Olympic Team Event bronze medalist Ashley Wagner joins hosts Nick McCarvel and Jackie Wong to wrap up the 2018 Grand Prix Series after the final event, Internationaux de France. Also, Ashley gets candid about the move from Los Angeles to Boston, her future in skating and more.

After a mini break, we are back with Polish ski jumping extraordinaire Kamil Stoch. He won gold here in PyeongChang but he also gives us the details of his chat with Bayern Munich’s Robert Lewandowski. US figure skater Ashley Wagner talks about her different Olympic experience as an alternate to the team. And how does a rugby star go via the NFL to bobsleigh? Australia’s Hayden Smith explains that and much more in Episode 14. A packed show for certain…

As you watch Shaun White execute a trick on the halfpipe, or Ashley Wagner land a triple axel, or Lindsey Vonn race down the slope… you might ask yourself a question. What exactly separates me from these Olympic athletes? Obviously, there’s the years of training and the fact that they’re extraordinarily fit, but there’s also something else. Something mental. Something that lets them push their limits. To find out exactly what this is, we talked with Alex Hutchinson, author of Endure: Mind, Body, and the Curiously Elastic Limits of Human Performance.

Congratulations to Prince Harry + Meghan Markle on their wedding now planned for May 2018. Julie has all the royal engagement details, Lian is happy that they've saved 2018 for us news-wise and Liz thinks Meghan's TV biz training is going to serve her well. Long may Princess Meghan reign.Plus we announce the big winner of our special Skullduggery Toys contest. Continue to use our promo code sisters for a 10% discount. Today's Satellite Sisters sponsors are:Away Luggage: Use our promo code sisters20ZOLA: A great new Lian-approved wedding registry we recommend to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. Use our promo code sistersHarry's: Use our special URL and promo code sisters. To browse our expanded Satellite Sisters Shop, go here. Great gifts, tees and hats for Satellite Sisters and Satellite Misters. In other news on today's show:Lian sends best wishes to Ashley Wagner after a rough weekend at Skate America and highlights some noteworthy Grammy nominations.Julie visits Bentonville Arkansas and the Crystal Bridges Museum.Liz reminds of of the upcoming Supermoon Sunday Dec. 9 and has highlights from the Satellite Sisters Facebook Group. To subscribe to Satellite Sisters on Apple Podcasts, click here. To subscribe to Satellite Sisters on Stitcher, click here.The complete Satellite Sisters podcast audio archive is here. Don't forget to subscribe to Satellite Sisters Talk TV if you want to listen to Lian and Julie's TV recaps of CBS drama Madam Secretary and PBS Poldark recap Pol,Dark and Handsome.

Three-time U.S. champion and icenetwork commentator Michael Weiss joins host Nick McCarvel to break down the competition ahead of 2017 Bridgestone Skate America. Then, another three-time U.S. champion, Ashley Wagner, returns to the podcast for a third time to talk about how she stays hungry, why she chose to bring back a pair of old programs for the Olympic season and what her goals are for this week's event in Lake Placid.

On today's Satellite Sisters podcast, Lian, Julie and Liz meet with Olympic skaters Adam Rippon (love him!) and Ashley Wagner (love her too!), discuss the spies Harvey Weinstein hired to intimidate women, hear about Lian's Halloween night performances of Thriller and get Julie's latest International News Round-Up. Plus, Lian reflects on what her refrigerator says about her, Liz has an Operation Sea Turtle announcement and we share some of your posts from the Satellite Sisters Facebook Group.Today's show is brought to you by Skullduggery, great toys that are kid-tested and Urban Nana approved. Plus by Harry's. We just love these shave sets. Use promo code sisters for both sponsors. Thanks Skullduggery and Harry's. Also, visit our expanded Satellite Sisters Shop. Great new tees, hats and other cool items for Satellite Sisters + Misters gifts. Or for you! To subscribe to Satellite Sisters on Apple Podcasts, click here. To subscribe to Satellite Sisters on Stitcher, click here.To subscribe to the Satellite Sisters RSS feed, click here. The complete Satellite Sisters podcast audio archive is here. Don't forget to subscribe to Satellite Sisters Talk TV if you want to listen to Lian and Julie's TV recaps of CBS drama Madam Secretary and PBS Poldark recap Pol,Dark and Handsome. Links from today's Satellite Sisters podcast episode:More on Winter Olympian Adam Rippon here and skater skater Ashley Wagner. And on upcoming Winter Olympics in South Korea. Ronan Farrow's story on Harvey Weinstein's Spies. Gretchen Carlson's TED Talk about sexual harassment. International News Round-Up: Kurdistan: https://nyti.ms/2yWqo4U Catalonia: https://nyti.ms/2z1KNWa Saudi Arabia : https://nyti.ms/2j40rMR Senator Rand Paul has HOA problems too.

Icenetwork contributor Lynn Rutherford just got back from Champs Camp in Colorado Springs, where the top American skaters were showing their programs to U.S. Figure Skating officials. She talks to host Nick McCarvel about the competition readiness of the likes of Karen Chen, Ashley Wagner, Nathan Chen, Maia Shibutani and Alex Shibutani, and others.

[audio https://ia902609.us.archive.org/9/items/Episode11_201411/Episode%2011.mp3] Luke is back, USA vs. New Zealand Rugby, NFL, and Ashley Wagner at Skate Canada

Ralphie on Twitter: twitter.com/ralphieaversa Olympic Bronze medalist and two-time National Champion Ashley Wagner called in to "Ralphie Tonight" to chat about her upcoming performance with "Stars On Ice" and the now infamous Internet meme she inspired.

February 2014An interview with the legendary Dick Button. What hasn't he done? He's practically the father of our sport (if Jackson Haines were Grandfather). The two-time Olympic Gold medalist invented many of the jumps and spins we see today, and he invented figure skating commentary. He's a skater, producer, commentator, actor, truth-seeker, hall-of-famer, stirrer-upper, and figure skating's biggest fan. This first episode focuses on his new book Push Dick's Button, a fantastic book that is a really wonderful conversation on skating. 55 minutes, 50 seconds. [display_podcast] AM: Allison ManleyDB: Dick Button AM:  Hello, everyone, and welcome to the Manleywoman Skatecast. I'm your host, Allison Manley, and this is Episode 73, an interview with Dick Button. That's right!  You heard it, here it is! Any longtime fan of my podcast knows I have been chasing this interview for years. Years! And it only took writing a poem, some polite stalking, a pinch of begging, and quite a bit of persistence and tenacity — and let's face it, it doesn't hurt that he was trying to spread the word about his new book. All I know is that I'm thrilled to have been finally able to interview him. So, in case you don't know his many accomplishments, I'm going to list them off first. Here is the general overview of what Dick Button has done for this sport. He was the first skater to have won the men's novice, junior and senior titles in three consecutive years. He was the first skater to land a double axel. He was the first skater to land a triple jump, which was a triple loop, and the first male skater to perform a camel spin. And he was the inventor of the flying camel spin, also known as the Button camel. He's the only American to win the European title. He's the first American world champion, the first American to win the Olympic title in figure skating, the first and only American back-to-back champion. He is the first and only American skater to simultaneously hold all of the following titles: national, North American, European, World and Olympic. That's five. He's the youngest man to win the Olympic title in figure skating, at age 18, and it shocks me still that this record stands today. He is the winner of the Sullivan Award. In the 1960s he began doing television commentary, and has been gracing our television sets for decades since. He was inducted into the World Skating Hall of Fame in 1976, which was the initial class. He won an Emmy Award in 1981 for outstanding sports personality/analyst. He was a producer of skating shows including The Superstars, which was the first of the reality shows. He starred in movies and on television, and on the stage. The autobiography he wrote in 1955 is a fount of knowledge, and is incredibly well written. I highly recommend that you all find a copy and give it a read. And, of course, he is the author very recently of Push Dick's Button, a fantastic book that is a really wonderful conversation on skating. Dick and I decided to do this interview in two parts. The first will be focused on his book and all the ideas within. The second part will focus more on his career and life in skating, and will follow at a later date to be determined.  Anyone who knows my podcast knows that I've been dying to capture his voice on tape for the fans. So, ladies and gentlemen, may I present — Dick Button. ----- AM:  All right, Dick Button, are you ready? DB: I am. AM: So, thank you so much for your book. It's wonderful. I have to ask, why did you write it at this time? DB: And my question to you is, what do you mean by “at this time”? Are you saying that I'm a very old poop [laughs] and therefore don't have any understanding of what the hell is going on in today's world? Or are you asking it because it's been a long time since I have written? I wrote a book in 1952 or 1954, when I was a very young person, and then I did one other paperback kind of book a couple of years later. I don't understand the question “at this time”?  I mean, that does that mean? Am I missing something? AM: I guess it is curious that it has been such a long time. I do actually have the book from the 1950s, and I think it's interesting that the book that you chose to release now, rather than being a biography or an autobiography, is such a conversational book. So I suspect that you felt the need to have this conversation, so that's why I'm asking. Is skating frustrating you to the point where you felt like you had to tell these opinions? DB: I'll tell you what it really is. Number one, it was in the past exceedingly difficult for me to write. The advent of the computer and the lectures that I give on gardening introduced me to an entire new way to write. If you write on your computer, you can erase things, you can change things, you can move things around, and you don't have to rewrite painfully every single word. So the system and the ability to write was exceedingly pleasant. Then I also have a very good friend who had gotten me a major contract ten years ago, that was with Simon and Schuster, and I had a great opportunity to write a very good book at a very high-priced contract. And that was at the same time that I had gone skating on New Year's Eve, and fell and fractured my skull, and got concussions and lost the hearing in my left ear. And I also had a co-writer with me, and it didn't work. We just didn't work out. In other words, it was too much. I couldn't handle it at that time. It took me about two or three years to really get my act together and to recoup from that fall. So the important thing was, this same lady, who is a great friend of mine and who got me that contract, her name is Pat Eisemann-Logan — I finally said to her, Pat, what can I do for you? And she said, I'll tell you what you can do. I would like it if you would come and sit on the couch next to me and tell me what the heck is going on with what we are watching. So I sat down one day and I just wrote out a couple of things, a few chapters, and she said, yeah, that's terrific. And I love it because, number one, it doesn't have to be The Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire of Skating. It is a simple conversation. Conversations are meant to be interrupted, to have answers, to have somebody kvetch about it. Conversations can range from any subject to any subject, and that's why I like the idea of this. I did not want to do a history of skating, which others have done before this, and I did not wish to do a biography. I think there's far too much more of great interest around the world of skating. I wanted to do what subjects came up to my mind, what it is to watch for at the Olympics, and most of the questions you've asked me about this are  all in that book. So it was a very pleasant experience for me, I enjoyed it no end, and I'm happy to have done it and done it the way I did. Although I will tell you that there are three books that you write and three skating programs that you skate and three pictures that you paint.  They are, number one, the book you plan, number two, the book you do, and number three, the book you wish you'd done [laughs]. So if you can put up with that, you're a good gal. AM: It does seem to have worked out that this is the book you wish you had done. You seem very pleased with it. DB: Oh, yes, but there's a lot of things that I . . .  listen, if I had started with all the things I made notes of, I would have had six more volumes [laughs]. I don't think so. AM: Well, I do love the fact that even though it's not biographical, that you have a lot of sprinklings of your history in there. I mean, I think that's a great addition to the opinion pieces that are in there, because there's definitely opinions in there as well. DB: Well, it's a conversation. It covers whatever's on your mind. The one chapter that many people have criticized, they say, we know what jumps are, you don't have to put a chapter in there saying the different jumps. But my doctor said to me, "Dick, my daughter skates and we all really like watching the skating, but I can't tell one jump from another, how can I do that?" And it annoyed him. So I put in this brief explanation, if you don't know what a jump is, there's three or four or five or six pages of it, and if you already know which jumps are which — skip over it! This is not the end of the world book. This is not the end of the world subject. It is a conversational piece. And I hope like the devil that people can figure out that they can learn something from it. Because I enjoyed very much doing it. AM: Well, great. And I do want to ask you some questions about it, obviously without giving away too much, because people should buy it and read it, of course [laughs]. DB: [laughs] Well, we don't have long enough on this conversation, so go ahead and spring your questions. AM: Well, one of the things you are concerned about is losing the theatrical part of skating. And I wonder, from a competitive standpoint, how you think it can be preserved. There are a lot of people trying to preserve it outside of competition, but in the competitive arena, what are your thoughts on that? DB: Let me also start out by saying that competition, the Olympic Games which we're about to start into in another day or two — they get the most audience. Figure skating and dancing, they're kissing cousins, and figure skaters have the opportunity to become instantly famous and household names. Dancers don't have that. So if a figure skater has that opportunity, and the Olympic competition is there, it's marvelous that they take part and do it. However, figure skating is a complete sport. It's a sport that has music, choreography, costuming, performance level, story level — it has so many different aspects that are intimately intertwined with each other. Figure skating is theatre, and I don't care who tells me that it's not. The head of the ISU, the head of the Olympic Committee, and a lot of guys get all honked about it and say it's not a sport. Well, don't watch it! If you think it's not a sport, don't watch it, and I couldn't care less. However, the point is very simply that it is all of these things. It is theatre, it always has been theatre, and it will always continue to be theatre. And that is the very reason that makes it so popular at the Olympic Games. Now the reason I'm saying this is, there's an old saying that Oleg Protopopov used to tell me all the time, and that was, “Deek! Deek! You cannot have artistry without technique. But neither can you have technique without artistry”. The old votes, the old judging system had two marks. They were for technical merit and for artistic impression. The new marks, in essence, if you really want to see what the icing on top of the cake is, the subterfuge of it all, is they have all the marks that you get on your point system first, and then they have the component scores. Have you ever read the component scores? AM: I have. DB: Then you know that they mix together choreography, step sequences, footwork, et cetera, et cetera, and they have something like 27 or 28 different criteria to figure and allot to a skater's program within about two seconds. That's almost an impossible thing. And also, you will never know what it's about because it's secret. All I'm saying is that yes, there are many other organizations — there's Disney on Ice and Stars on Ice and individual singles skating here and there, and there's ensemble skating with the Ice Theatre of New York, and there's synchronized skating, and there's all kind of things. But it's the theatrical performance level that mesmerizes us. I mean, why did we look at Katarina Witt? Not only was she sensational looking, but she had personality and pizzazz. Let me ask you a question. Why is Evgeni Plushenko such a hot subject? I'll tell you why. Because he has personality. He's a great jumper, not a great spinner. But he has personality. He has pizzazz. And you can't take your eyes off him, watching what he's going to do. He will bamboozle you with his wrist movements . . . AM: He'll make you think he's skating with those wrist movements [laughs]. DB: Of course, I've seen him do that half a dozen times. He stops and does a bunch of fancy wrist movements around his belt line, and that's supposed to be great theatrical skating or something. Let me tell you something. Who is it that you want to watch at this Olympic Games? Who is it they are looking forward to watching? AM: Jeremy Abbott and Jason Brown. DB: You mean you want to see the competition between them. AM: The competition between them, but I think both are so wonderful. They bring something so different. DB: Absolutely right. And so do half a dozen of these skaters. I think what you really want to see also is Davis and White and how they impact the show. And who do we remember out of the past? Come on, you remember the stars that had pizzazz, that had presence, that grabbed you. There's a whole chapter in my book there about entrances and exits, and it's all about the difference between an Irina Slutskaya entering the skating arena — the first thing she does is skate over to her coach, takes a swig of water, high fives her coach, and adjusts the pants on her dress. And the next thing she does is blow her nose. Now, come on, is that theatre? That's not a humdinger of an entrance. The point is that, how does Katarina Witt do it? She doesn't lose for one moment the presence, the theatre aspect of it. And the gal we remember most of those two has gotta be Katarina Witt. And that's why there's a chapter in the book called "Where Are You When We Need You, Katarina Witt?" And . . . what else can I tell you? [laughs] This is my favorite rant. AM: You're passionate and I love it. I love every minute of it. DB: Well, come on, you know, it's a fun activity. It's a very complicated activity. It has so many elements to it that you simply cannot avoid any one of them. And the level of performance is one of those characteristics. AM: Yes. Well, you are a vocal critic of the judging system, but I am curious because you have said that there are parts of it that you think are worth preserving. What parts would that be? DB: Well, for example, I think you should always have a markdown if you fall. Right now what we are seeing is — how many people fell in the last [2014] National Championship, both men and women, in the different parts. How many people fall down? AM: Not a lot this year, actually. DB: Well, Ashley Wagner, she did. But you're being rewarded if you do a quadruple jump and you fall down but you're rotated almost enough to complete the thing in the air. This is all part of Ottavio Cinquanta's desire to — if he had his way, he would not have any judges there at all, and it would all be based on points and timing. I would like the fact that there would be no reward at all for a fall. And a deduction if you fall down.  I write about this in my book, there was a communiqué from the ISU explaining what falls were. You don't know what a fall is, I don't know what a fall is, certainly. But this rule came out and then three months later, there was — I mean, the question was, what part of the body was the fall on, was it on your bottom, was it on your core, and if you were on your fanny, were you on one buttock or another buttock or were you on both buttocks [laughs]. And then along came three months later this explanation, this clarification, and then changes to the rule that explained what a fall was [laughs]. So you have to read all that to understand the sense of the nit-picking. Now listen, let me tell you something else, and I write about this in the book . I challenge you to count — take one of the ladies anywhere, not necessarily Ashley Wagner, but start with a young lady and start counting the number of times when they're doing step sequences and all of those wonderful things, where they raise either one or the other or both arms over the level of their shoulders. And if you start counting, my bet is that you will get to 20 very, very quickly, and then you can stop. They're like flailing windmills. That's exactly the point. That does not augur well, in my book. First of all, there's just gotta be less talk about it. Why do you have to have something that is exactly two minutes with so many seconds on either end of it? That isn't the way. You should have one program that is your technical program, and one program that is your creative or other program, but neither one should be acceptable or be able to be marked well unless it has the qualities of the other one. One should be of technical merit and one should be of — the old judging captions, artistic impression, they are in a sense that way now, they're just called something different, it's technical marks and the program components. AM: So I wonder, you do outline at the end of the book your wishes and suggestions for better scoring, and they do include that the two programs should be different and that there shouldn't be a time limit. DB: Put it this way, there should be a time limit, but a generous one. I mean, during the World Professional Championships, we recorded the length of time of every skater, and only once did somebody ever go over, I think, maybe four and a half or five minutes.  So if you have three and a half minutes or four minutes, a generous thing — what difference does it make? Why do you just have to limit yourself? This is just the one program, not the technical program, the artistic impression program. AM: Well, I'm curious, what do the powers that be think about your ideas? Have you gotten any feedback? DB: No, I don't have feedback, because they . . . Ottavio Cinquanta does not want any subjective judging there. Remember, he is a speed skater, and all he can see — number one, he has two goals to his agenda. And once you understand a man's agenda, you will understand what he will do. His agenda is to have, number one, to never have another scandal like we had in Salt Lake at the pairs skating competition. And number two, he's all for eliminating anything subjective about the sport. He would like it to be like speed skating. You get over the line first, you've won. Now that is not figure skating. And besides he's said it too many times, and he's the one who put the new rules system in. My chapters go into all of that and show the chicanery that was involved with it. And now because he [laughs] made a contractual offer and placed every officer in their position for an additional period of time, he will now remain as head of the ISU until the year 2016. It's a chapter in the book as well. AM: You have always been an advocate for great spinning. You've talked about Dorothy Hamill, Lucinda Ruh, Ronnie Robertson, so I have to wonder, that in the new judging system, it has to be nice that at least you see the spins getting rewarded even if you don't always love the positions. DB: Well, I find that the multiple levels — you know, everything that you look at, there's a grade of execution, there's a level of difficulty. If you add more moves and turns into your spin, you get more points. But nobody gets points for blurred spinning. Nobody gets points for the things that used to make the audience stand on their feet and cheer. Spinning is just as important as jumping, and it's one of the two major technical elements in skating, the other being jumping and then of course there's spinning. And when you see somebody moving from position to position and changing their edges, all that sort of thing, you're not looking at the spin. At least have one spin that reflects the total true quality of a fast, delayed, long lived spin, where everything counters on the centering and everything counters on the blurring of it and on the finishing of it. Look, I don't have to have everything that I like, it's what other people like too, but I will tell you, there's very little to cheer for when you get a 243.8 personal best score. That doesn't give the average person an understanding of what the heck the score is all about, except that somebody else can get 283.9. And I trust that was more than the first number I gave [laughs]. AM: Well, I've actually always wanted that. I've always wanted there to be at least one spin that was skaters' choice, if you will, that they could do just for choreographic effect. Just like they've finally done with the step sequences, where you can just do one that you don't have to do without so many turns and flailing and windmilling, but it's one that just works with the music. DB: Well, there's very little — you can't really create things that are unusual or unexpected or different and expect to get anywhere under the current judging system. AM: Well, you have of course mentioned before that the ISU needs to be split, that skating shouldn't be run by a speed skater any longer. It's going to be a while, of course, since Ottavio wrote his own contract . . . DB: Well, of course he did, and nobody stood up to him. Nobody was able to stand up to him because he has cultivated so many federations which are all speed skating federations which get their money from figure skating. So what do they care? Why would they care what the rules for figure skating are, any more than a figure skater would care less whether the speed skating race is another 50 meters or not?  That's up to the speed skaters to understand that. And the very fact that they — did you know that there are over 80 federations in the world of skating? AM: I didn't know there were that many. DB: Over 80, and most of them all — the majority either are speed skating or joint speed skating and figure skating. And they get money from figure skating, the ISU pays them money from figure skating. And the end result is that of course they're going to do what he wants. AM: Do you think there's anyone out there right now who can challenge him, who can be the next great leader, to separate the two? DB: I think probably everybody is scared beyond belief. You see, the impact of the Olympic Games is always the most publicized event, but I can guarantee you, even the world championships which are taking place after the Olympic Games, they're not going to be on live. They're going to be in about two weeks in a summary program on NBC. Now maybe there's some obscure cable system or Ice Network that will show them, but you have to buy that cable system. I'm sure there will be recordings of it. But [laughs] here's a world championship that will be coming up a month later than the Olympic Games. Wouldn't you think it should deserve — and it used to always be very much of a highlight. Now it's sloughed off and it's shown a week or two weeks later after the world championship is over. I don't like that. AM: I don't either. All right, well, let's move on from the judging and talk about which skaters for you right now are really exciting. You've mentioned Davis and White. DB: Well, look, let me tell you something. My book covers a point about to wilt or not to wilt. When you have somebody who simply does not wilt, that in itself is exciting. And many a time, those people that can rise to the occasion, and suddenly pull together a program that is phenomenal — it's what you want to see. I mean, I found myself rising out of my seat when Jason Brown performed, because he in a sense broke the rules. It will be very interesting to see how he fares in this international competition, when he has competition from not only Jeremy Abbott but from Chan, Plushenko, Denis Ten, Javier Fernandez, and the Japanese skaters. It'll be very interesting to see how he compares in that to them. Remember, the national championship is one where it's a single country. And there aren't countries that are vying to improve their lot because that's the way they get money from the ISU. It's a different situation. I hope like the devil that he does brilliantly. I find him a fascinating skater and I was entranced by the choreography. And the choreography was done by Rohene Ward. I remember talking to him a couple of years ago, saying, you are going to keep on skating, aren't you? And he said, no, I'm not. And I felt that was a great loss. I'm very happy now to see him back in force as a choreographer. AM: Yes. And I'm happy to see someone, that he has a student that can interpret that choreography so well. Because, you know, Rohene was a very unusual talent, and oddly enough Jason has a lot of the same qualities, with his extreme flexibility and his showmanship. DB: Wait a minute. Are you telling me that that flexibility can't be gained by other people? They can, if they would understand what that is and follow that. AM: No, but I think Rohene was very unusual for a male skater to be able to use it to choreographic effect. DB: Why as a male skater? AM: Well, because most men, if they could do the splits like that, they certainly wouldn't lower themselves on the ice and pull themselves back up and do a lot of — Johnny Weir could lift his leg all the way up before a lutz, too, just like Jason and Rohene can, but it is unusual. DB: Well, that's because they don't follow that either. If you look at the number of skaters among the ladies that – well, look, there's a totally developable way. Guys can learn. You see it in gymnastics, for heaven's sake, If they do it, why can't figure skaters? Look, this is called the development of the — right now, I can guarantee you there's very, very little of the component score voting for some of the stuff that Jason Brown did. He was marvelous in the fact that he did not open his program with the single most difficult jump that he could. I'm really fascinated to see how the international version of this will work out, the international competition coming up in the Olympic Games. AM: So you did mention that he is a bit of a rule breaker in that sense, and you have said in your book that rules are made to be broken. And you did use Torvill and Dean as a perfect example of that, of course, from 1984. Is there a rule that you see right now that you wish someone would break, or push a little more? DB: Yeah. If you look at the rules of the component scores, you will see that, number one, they include skating skills, transitions/linking footwork and movement, performance and execution, choreography, and composition. Now what is the difference between choreography and composition, and transitional and linking footwork and movement, et cetera? I mean, aren't these the same things? AM: To me they are. To me it's semantics. DB: That's right. And isn't it better to have a skater develop that through their own intelligence rather than having to control those step sequences through it? And the linking movement and the linking footwork? And the transitions and the linking movement? [laughs].There was a wonderful English lady who would always comment on English television, and she had a very high voice, and when it came out, linking movements, we were all happily amused [laughs]. AM: Well, that's a good challenge for the next person listening to this, to try to push those boundaries a little bit per Dick Button's request. All right. So, you have a chapter on music choices, and there are a lot of choices as you know that are constantly overused and that we are all tired of hearing about. So is there a piece of music that you have never gotten tired of hearing, that you feel is underutilized? DB: Look, these pieces of music are time-honored pieces of music. So if you look at, for example, Swan Lake, I still will go, when I go to the theatre in the winter time, I still will go to New York City and see Swan Lake. I mean, it doesn't stop any more than certain songs that you get tired of. It is the way they're developed, and I do a whole thing in this book on the development of music by the skater, and whether they understand what the music is saying. And when you pick a piece of music like Carmen or Swan Lake, it comes with over a hundred years — one comes with much more than a hundred years and one comes from close to a hundred years — of very fine history and development and interpretation. Are you telling me that because six skaters do it within a two-year period of time that you're tired of it? I find it's that the skater hasn't developed it. We're always seeing different interpretations of dance, and if you get tired of Swan Lake being done, then try to bring a great quality into it that makes it sing. Swan Lake is wonderful for skating because it has long sweeping movements. It is not Irish clog dancing or step dancing. AM: Well, I think if you're going to pick, and this is my opinion, but I think if you're going to pick one of the commonly used pieces, you better make it good and different and that's what I think — Samantha Cesario, I don't know if you saw her program, when she did it this year at Nationals I thought it was fantastic. And I am not a fan of using Carmen because I think that after Debi Thomas and Katarina Witt had the battle of the Carmens, you'd better leave Carmen pretty dead. You know? [laughs] DB: But one of the things is, you have to understand what the music is. I write about this in the book, and I talk about Mao Asada who is a lovely skater and a very nice person. But she had all the white feathers and all the music, et cetera, but there was no understanding of the movement of a swan in that. There was no understanding of the history of Swan Lake. I mean, you can't have a program that has been performed for more than one hundred years now, nearly one and a half centuries, in great companies with great choreography and great sweeping music, and not understand what that performance level is. You must understand the music, you must be able to — and there are different interpretations of the music, different orchestrations, there are many times different ones. Whatever the piece of music it is that you choose, you can find sometimes more than one interpretation, and unfortunately we don't hear about that on the commentary, I don't think. AM: Is there a piece of music you would like to hear more? DB: Look, that's like saying is there a great skater that I'd like to see more of. Always! Always.  I like great skating. That's all I'm saying, I like the best. And I want to be — it's theatre, it's athletic ability, it's competition, it's technical demands, it's music, it's choreography, it's costuming, it's the whole kit and caboodle. And I guarantee you, do you think they're going to cut out — I wouldn't be at all surprised, if Ottavio Cinquanta had his way, that he would make everybody wear the same costume for the team competition. AM: They were talking about that. One of the articles this week was talking about putting all the athletes in Nike outfits [laughs]. DB: Yeah, yeah, yeah, remind me of one event I don't want to see if that's the case [laughs]. Oh, gawd. If you have a great product, don't mess with it. Skating was a great product. Now we've messed with it so completely and for so long that it's very disheartening. Remember, you're not a member of the rules committee if you're not making rules. If you're a rule maker, you have to be making rules or otherwise you're not a rule maker. AM: [laughs] They got a little over-zealous. All right. Your commentary is epic. People still talk about it, they miss hearing you, your catchphrases have inspired a drinking game and compilations on YouTube. And you have gotten some heat for your comments such as “refrigerator break”. DB: I'd like to address that. What the heck, would it have been better if I had said, it will give you an opportunity to make a toilet break? I don't think so. A refrigerator break — you know, I think I got over 1100 letters from people saying that I had only said that, I wouldn't have said that if this, that, and the other thing. And I wrote each one of them back and I said, look, Angela Nikodinov was a very talented skater, but she was skating against Michelle Kwan, and there is no problem coming in second behind Michelle Kwan, but she was coming in fifth, fourth, second, third, fourth, that sort of thing, floating around. But what she allowed you to do was to lose your sense of concentration on her. That's where performance level comes in. She was a gorgeous, lovely skater, with wonderful technique and very, very beautiful on the ice. But she allowed you to lose your sense of concentration. She allowed you to switch off and take a refrigerator break. And after I answered that, I never heard anything more about it. AM: But she did listen to you, though. Because she came back amazing the next year. She made you pay attention. DB: [laughs] Well, that's my gold medal. My gold medal is when I hear, when I make a criticism of somebody and then I see later that they have either improved it or changed it. One of the things I always said about Evgeni Plushenko was, way back in 2002, I said, he's a wonderful jumper but he's a lousy spinner. And the next year, or two years, I was at a championship, and he said, how are my spins? Are they better? So he was listening, and he made it good. And his spins were better. And that's a great compliment to me, when somebody does that. AM: So how many skaters would you say have come up to you and talked to you about your comments about their performance? DB: Well, I had a lot of skaters say, can you point it out to me. One of them was Jason Dungjen and his partner, Kyoko Ina. Kyoko Ina had exquisite posture and stretch and arching of the back, and Jason was like a nice all-American skater without that same stretch. So when they did a pair move, hers was extended beautifully and his was not parallel to it. As soon as I pointed that out to him, he understood exactly what I was talking about, and I think they worked hard on it. So that was a great honor to me. That is my gold medal, my reward, when a skater will do that. And look, you really only criticize, I say this in the book, you really only criticize a skater if they're talented. If they're not talented, it doesn't spark comment. AM: Would you say the refrigerator break comment was the largest reaction you've gotten over the years from fans, or was there another one? DB: It was one of them. Another one of them was when I commented one time about, I think it was crossing the street in New York, and everybody said, oh, you wouldn't have said that if the skater that I was referring to wasn't black. And come on, I encourage my kids to cross the street, I say, stop and look in both directions, otherwise you'll get run over and then you'll look like a pancake on that road. It's about an awareness of your surroundings, and you've got to be aware of the surrounding effect in an arena. How many times do you see — go back and look at programs. That's why some day I would like to see a great media museum of skating. Because if you go back and you look at these performances and you consider them, then you will never forget that. And it will apply itself, it will be another basis for another understanding of what it is that you're doing. Every position you take on the ice should be thought out. You cannot just do these positions where you see the skater come out and they take their position and the free leg toe is pointed behind and to the side of the skating leg — you know, the kind of position you take where one foot is flat on the ice and the other is on a point behind you. Look at the number of times you see, what is the position of that foot? Is it turned under, or is it not in an elegant position? If you want to see proper position, look at Oleg and Ludmila Protopopov, and John Curry, and Janet Lynn, and Peggy Fleming. And Dorothy Hamill, who became an infinitely better skater after she had won the Olympics. I was a better skater after I had finally learned, long after I had retired, and learned from — there's a whole chapter in this, it's called "Open Your Eyes, Dummy." And it was my opening my eyes which led me finally to understand what the heck skating was all about. AM: Well, I would love it if we finally had a media museum with all those performances. DB: There is the museum in Colorado Springs, but it doesn't have any money. US Figure Skating is not really going to support it because they want to support skating today. But sometimes the education, the media education is imperative. AM: Yes. Well, I am hopeful that one day will come to fruition, that there will be a central place where all that is housed, and it's not just Youtube [laughs]. So, all right, your book, I sort of felt like as I was reading it, and this is sort of getting heavy here, I really felt that it was a metaphor for living a balanced and fulfilling life. It talks about centering yourself, breaking the rules, having a solid foundation, fighting the good fight, not wilting under pressure, and having a whole lot of fun. Do you view skating that way? DB: Yep. You know, skating is no different than gardening, than painting, than anything else. You know, I hope you'll come some day and see my garden lecture [laughs]. Then you can do a conversation on that for a different sport. But all of these things intertwine. Why do you dress the way you do? Why do you speak the way you do? Why do you live in a house, if you have the opportunity to live in a house, why do you choose the style of house you do? All of these are inherent in skating, and they are inherent in everything else. It is called not only what the eye beholds, it's what the eye registers. One of my pet peeves is watching skaters take position in the center of the ice, when they skate down and they're on one foot, and the other knee is bent. Time after time, you look at that particular entrance move on one foot, and it's not a beautiful move, but yet there is every skater doing it. What is that move, what is that position supposed to be? If you ask the skater, what are you trying to express by that, are you expressing a welcoming moment to the crowd? You don't have to be on one foot to do that. Take a look at it yourself, and I urge all your listeners to take a look at that, and take a look at the number of times an arm flings above the shoulder. And question each and every one. Peggy Fleming, always, I would see her in front of a mirror at a rink, constantly checking out the way she finished a turn or a pirouette, or made a turn, and how the dress worked with it. She was constantly looking at that. And you will find that she does not make a move even today without knowing exactly what that position is, whether she's on skates or not. Ludmila and Oleg Protopopov, and I talk about this in the book, I went up to Lake Placid where they were getting a lifetime achievement award, and of course the Lake Placid club or whoever it was didn't have any money for publicizing it, and it was an almost empty arena. However, the Protopopovs skated in it as if they were skating for the King and Queen of England. And Oleg took an opening position with Ludmila, and you take one look — without them moving one inch, they took a position, and I said, that's it, that's their whole performance right there in that position.  They were stunningly beautiful in that position. And they're well into their 70s, and there was the story, right there. My problem is, I can't look at skating — that's one of the sickening things with having watched it for so long, is that I've seen extraordinary performances, Belita Jepson-Turner, Noffke and Schubach, pairs skaters who were champions of the US in the 40s, the movement, their parallelism of their moves was extraordinary. They couldn't do throw axels and they couldn't know what triple side-by-side jumps were and so forth, but their pair skating quality was without compare. I mean, it was just extraordinary. All I'm asking the skaters to do, and everybody else to do, is to look at it, and say, why are we doing this? Each step, what is it supposed to do, and is it? Does it interpret the music and does it interpret — John Curry, we did a thing with Ice Theatre of New York, Dance on Camera, at Lincoln Centre over the weekend, and it was all about, it was a great deal of comment and production in the John Curry film of what he was teaching skaters and the way he was making them look at film. Slavka Kohout used to do that. She would take all her dancers in to see the ballet, or any other production that had dance movement in it. It wasn't about seeing it, it was about registering it. And that's the important thing. If there's only one thing I hope for in this book, with a little bit of tomfoolery that you don't get stuck into something serious, and, number two, that it opens your eyes. AM: I love that. All right, I just have one more question for you, then, since we are just days away from the Olympics. I am curious what you think about the new team event. DB: Oh, I don't really think much about it at all one way or the other. I think if they want to do it, that's fine. It gives a secondary skater a secondary choice, and it gives somebody who may not win a medal another chance to win a medal, and I'm fine with that. I don't have any great problem with it. You know, God bless them, what they're doing is trying to get another set of television exposure, and that produces money and blah blah blah. The one thing, though, that I did understand was that when the rules were not quite set in Budapest, at the European championships, the newspaper people were asking Ottavio Cinquanta what was the rule about such and such, and he said he didn't know. He said, you have to ask the Russians about that. Well, hello! Are the Russians the ones that are controlling the sport? I mean, the Russians are a hell of a good skaters, and very efficient, and they've got a wonderful team going, but are they the arbiters of our sport? That's my complaint. “I am a speed skater, I know nothing about figure skating.” AM: I know, it's incredible. Well, I agree with you that it's wonderful that there's another opportunity for skaters to get medals, because there's just been the one chance all these decades. But I also don't think that it was done for any reason other than ratings and money. I'm cynical enough for that. But I'm glad to see the skaters get another opportunity. DB: Right. But you've also got to remember that that's why figures are no longer with us. They didn't bring in any money, nobody watched them, they took a lot of time, they were expensive, and they didn't add anything to the income. So this is another one that adds to the income, and it really doesn't change anything. I'm sure they'll all do their same programs that they will do again. They're not going to create a new program now. They might for another year. AM: Maybe for the next round. But we'll see. To be determined [laughs]. Well, I am going to take you up on your offer and invite myself to one of your garden lectures someday. DB: [laughs]. All right. I just finished one at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and one at the Botanic Garden in Arizona, and I've done several in the New York area, in the New York and Connecticut area, and maybe there'll be one in the early spring or so in a nearby city to New York. So I'll let you know. AM: Please! And as we've discussed I'm hoping to come out and see you in a couple of weeks, and do another interview more about you. DB: Good. AM: And I hope that you'll let me come up and take a look at your fantastic art collection of skating art. DB: Oh, you're more than welcome. AM: I would love it. DB: You're more than welcome. You have a good one, my dear, and keep the faith. AM: You too. Enjoy the next couple of weeks of good television. DB: Thank you, ma'am.   AM: And there it is. I have finally had my dream of interviewing Dick Button. I can now die happy. I think. Although, as you heard, he did want to have another conversation later. So we will plan to do that. And until next time —May you be a pioneer with whatever you choose to do. May you be as opinionated and passionate about your life's work as Dick Button is about his life's work. And as he says in his new book Push Dick's Button, on page 46, and yes, I'm paraphrasing just a little bit: don't skate to Carmen. Bye-bye!

 PANDORA Unforgettable Holiday Moments on Ice marks the beginning of the holiday season with Olympic, World and National medalists in figure skating. Ice Skating champion Ashley Wagner is one of the cast members, led by Olympic champion Brian Boitano. The show gets the audience into the holiday spirit with performances to live music from Mannheim Steamroller throughout the show. The NBC national broadcast is on November 25, 2012 from 4:00 pm -6:00 pm ET.  It is part of the PANDORA NBC Skating Series.  More information can be found at www.dissonskating.com