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A helping hand - from across the pond!
We’re proud to welcome Olympic Champion Robin Cousins as Honorary Director. Mr. Cousins, who joins fellow Honorary Director Don Watson, has a prolific history with professional skating in Europe, notably with Holiday on Ice. He will contribute knowledge and expertise to the foundation, and says, “I will assist in any way I can!"
ICE COMICS
Written by Susan Austin and Randy Gardner
Specialty and variety acts were a crowd-pleasing mainstay of the by gone days of touring ice shows. Comedians, acrobats, barrel jumpers, stilt skaters, and sister acts were developed and long careers were enjoyed in this unique skating niche. Frick & Frack, Freddie Trenkler, Hans Leiter, Terry Head, Guy Longpre, Course and Young, Harris Legg, Paul Andre, The Bruisers, The Scarecrows and Hans Leiter name only a few of the long list of unique specialty acts on the ice.
Many were accomplished figure skaters that reshaped their skating skills by developing ice antics. Ice Follies founders, Edie Shipstad & Oscar Johnson, were early pioneers of professional skating who concentrated on athletic stunts and fancy skating skills to work out elaborate comic skits. Their success eventually led to Ice Follies, the first all professional touring ice show in 1936.
Renowned comedian, Hans Leiter, for instance, competed in ice dancing early in his skating career. Then, went on to perform with both Ice Capades, Ice Follies and Disney’s Great Ice Odyssey as an ice comedian.