Manchester's mark on skating: A medal, a pin, a legacy When it comes to figure skating history, Manchester, England, may not be the first city that comes to mind—but in both 1912 and 1924, it played host to the sport's penultimate event, the World Figure Skating Championships, leaving behind not just memories but remarkable artifacts.… Continue reading 1912 and 1924 World Figure Skating Pin and Medal: Manchester On Ice.
1955 World Figure Skating Pin: At Least the Shape is Nice.
Triangle shapes are not often used for figure skating pins, making the one that commemorates the 1955 World Figure Skating Championships somewhat unique for this reason. But the pin stands out for another, less stellar, reason: the lightweight alloy from which it is made. The pin is decidedly not the calibre of those seen for previous World Championships, nor is it a particularly good representative of the fine city of Vienna, where the event took place at the famed Wiener Eislauf-Verein (Viennese Skating Club). Pins from earlier and later figure skating events held in Vienna are exceptionally well done (see blog links below).
1959 US Figure Skating Pin: Of Simpler Times.
This ribbon from the 1959 U.S. Figure Skating Championships is from the estate of Bill Hickox, who, with his pair skating partner and sister, Laurie, and the entire U.S. figure skating team—and 71 others—perished on February 15, 1961, when Sabena Airlines Flight #548 crashed in Brussels, Belgium, en route to the 1961 World Figure Skating Championships scheduled for Prague, Czechoslovakia.
1961 European Figure Skating Pins: East Leaves West.
Just months before Berlin was divided into East and West by the Berlin Wall, the 1961 European Figure Skating Championships were contested in that city from January 26–29. Does the stark design of the pins produced for this championship reveal something about Germany itself at the time? Perhaps, for the black and white palette easily could be seen as a metaphor for the ongoing political and cultural strife.
1956 European Figure Skating Medals: Paris to Cortina to Garmisch.
Two medals help to commemorate the annual event, held in Paris for just the second time The 1956 European Figure Skating Championships in Paris were more than just a high-stakes competition—they were a pivotal stop on the road to Olympic and World Championship glory. Concluding just five days before the Olympic Winter Games opened in… Continue reading 1956 European Figure Skating Medals: Paris to Cortina to Garmisch.