skating news stories on Newser

National Mall's $700M Plan: Skating, Theater, Gardens

Matt Cantor — Fri, 04 May 2012 08:06:34 CDT

The National Mall is getting a serious facelift: Soon, we'll be going skating, watching outdoor theater, and exploring vibrant gardens in America's so-called "front yard." The $700 million project will mark a big change from the "overused" grass currently between the Lincoln Memorial and Capitol Building, says an architect. In...

Frigid Weather Paving Way for Epic Ice Race

Rob Quinn — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 02:46:00 CST

A brutal cold snap has brought misery to much of Europe, but in the Netherlands they're hoping the cold lasts long enough to allow the return of the world's biggest ice race. The Elfstedentocht—11 Cities Tour—race is only held when the ice is thick enough along its entire...

Canada's Virtue-Moir Capture Ice Dance Gold

Tue, 23 Feb 2010 04:50:00 CST

Long after the arena emptied, ice dancer Scott Moir stole back onto the ice. Clutching his gold medal, he knelt down and kissed the Olympic rings at center ice. He and partner Tessa Virtue had knocked the Russians from their traditional perch atop the ice dance podium—only the third...

Ohno's 7th Medal Breaks US Record

Sun, 21 Feb 2010 05:52:44 CST

Apolo Anton Ohno made history the hard way, overcoming a rare mistake that dropped him to last place before rallying to earn his record seventh Olympic medal. Ohno overtook two skaters on the last lap of the 1,500-meter short track final last night for a bronze, surpassing speedskater Bonnie...

Figure Skating Talks Up Its Tough Side

Rob Quinn — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 08:03:52 CST

Canada's figure skating authorities have launched a controversial campaign to convince people the sport is as manly as any other, the Globe & Mail reports. Skate Canada, concerned about dwindling interest in the sport, is trying to scrap figure skating's sissy stereotype and play up "the danger, speed, risk, and...

'Bowman the Showman' Found Dead

Rob Quinn — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 02:50:00 CST

Former US figure skating champion Christopher Bowman was found dead yesterday in a Los Angeles motel room, AP reports. Authorities suspect a drug overdose. Bowman, 40, won US figure skating titles in 1988 and 1992 and wowed the crowds at the 1988 and 1992 Winter Olympics. His flamboyant personality and...

Mexicans Chill on Free Rink

Rob Quinn — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 05:20:00 CST

People in sun-drenched Mexico City are waiting as long as six hours for the thrilling opportunity to skate on what officials say is the world's biggest ice rink—at no charge, the Washington Post reports. The free 34,000-square-foot rink—with free skate rental—highlights the class divide in Mexico,...

Kerrigan Plotter Dies at Age 40

Matt Cantor — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 15:31:25 CST

A plotter in the 1994 attack on skater Nancy Kerrigan died this week of natural causes at age 40, the AP reports. Brian Sean Griffith, ex-bodyguard to figure-skating Olympic hopeful Tonya Harding, confessed to helping organize the attack on Kerrigan days after it happened. Griffith served 14 months and later...

Kids Skate on Heelys to Emergency Room

Dustin Lushing — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 22:17:47 CDT

A new craze has kids gliding across hard surfaces on tiny skate wheels built into their sneakers—but the "heelys" are deceptively unsafe, a new study says. The report claims the skate shoes sent 1,600 youngsters to the emergency room last year.