Manleywoman SkateCast
Podcasting legendary and influential people in the sport of figure skating since 2007. There are many interesting characters, both famous and obscure, who make this wonderful sport tick, and their voices tell the story of skating best. I decided to combine my love of skating and technology to create this podcast series, and provide lengthy interviews of skating legends to the fans. I hope you enjoy listening to the results.
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Episode #86: Jackie Wong (ice skating)
08/01/2022
Episode #86: Jackie Wong (ice skating)
July 2022 Figure Skating podcast. Ice skating analyst Jackie Wong's website at is the top source for the latest news about the sport. But most critically he has a deep understanding of the judging system, which makes him an invaluable resource for those trying to understand the outcome of scores and placements. 1 hour, 1 minute, 45 seconds.
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Episode #85: Debbi Wilkes (ice skating)
05/08/2022
Episode #85: Debbi Wilkes (ice skating)
May 2022 Figure Skating podcast. With partner Guy Ravelle, Debbi Wilkes was a two-time Canadian National Champion, 1963 North American Champion, and the 1964 Olympic Silver medalist. After retiring from competition, Wilkes became a television ice skating analyst, an author, coach, and Skate Canada's Director of Marketing and Sponsorship. Ms Wilkes was inducted into the Canadian Figure Skating Hall of Fame in 2001. 1 hour.
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Episode #84: Courtney Jones (ice skating)
01/01/2022
Episode #84: Courtney Jones (ice skating)
Figure Skating podcast. Courtney Jones is a World, European, and British ice dancing champion, and the only skater to win World Championships in Ice Dance with different partners. He's been an ice skating judge, an Olympic Team Leader, and creator of two compulsory dances. And he designed the iconic Bolero costumes worn by Torvill and Dean for the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo. 1 hour, 19 minutes.
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Episode #83: Elizabeth Manley (ice skating)
12/11/2021
Episode #83: Elizabeth Manley (ice skating)
Figure skating podcast. Elizabeth Manley is a 3-time Canadian Champion, 2-time Olympian, the 1988 World Silver medalist, and the 1988 Olympic Silver medalist in women's figure skating. This Canadian Hall of Famer is also a commentator and blogger for ice skating and a mental health advocate. 1 hour, 3 minutes.
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Episode #82: Parker Pennington
12/14/2014
Episode #82: Parker Pennington
November 2014An interview with Parker Pennington. He won four US national titles (Juvenile, Intermediate, Novice, and Junior titles), is now a coach and choreographer, and the creator of . He discusses having Carol Heiss Jenkins as a coach, how he loves to help people any way he can, and how he was once a stunt double for Woody Allen. 34 minutes, 6 seconds.
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Episode #81: Tamara Moskvina
11/05/2014
Episode #81: Tamara Moskvina
October 2014An interview with Tamara Moskvina, one of the most legendary coaches of all time in figure skating. She was a 5-time Soviet Champion in Singles, and 2-time Soviet Champion in Pairs with different partners: Alexander Gavrilov and Alexei Mishin. With Mishin she was the World Silver medalist and competed in the 1968 Olympics. Since becoming a coach, she's been a driving force behind the dominance of Russian Pair teams over the past several decades, having coached some of the best teams in skating: Valova & , Mishkutenok & Dmitriev, Kazakova & Dmitriev, Berezhnaya & Sikharulidze, and Kawaguchi & Smirnov. Moskvina talked about how she invented the Beillmann Spin, the 2002 Olympics pairs scandal, and how she broke her tooth on Mishin's knee. 53 minutes, 37 seconds.
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Episode #80: Renee Roca
10/01/2014
Episode #80: Renee Roca
September 2014An interview with Renee Roca. Roca was a three-time US National Champion in Ice Dance with different partners: she won the 1986 title with Donald Adair, and the 1993 and 1995 titles with Gorsha Sur. Her longevity in the sport is hard to top, spending 14 years in the Senior ranks. Roca is probably best known for twice missing out on the Olympics for incredible reasons. After retirement she moved on to become a very popular show skater, and is now a choreographer and coach. She talks about how she became successful after a relatively late start, the drama of the 1994 season, and why she enjoyed working with hockey players. 1 hour, 4 minutes, 37 seconds.
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Episode #79: Brian Orser
08/26/2014
Episode #79: Brian Orser
August 2014An interview with Brian Orser. This Canadian phenomenon was the Men's Canadian Champion from 1981 to 1988, was the 1987 World Champion, and the 1984 and 1988 Olympic Silver Medalist. He performed brilliantly in two Olympics in a row, which is especially impressive. He was also the first person to land three triple axels in one competition. Orser is now a coach of top skaters (including Yuna Kim, Yuzuru Hanyu, and Javier Fernandez to name a few), and the creator of the recent . Orser talks about his trading of quads with , his philosophy as a coach, and why those one-piece outfits from the 1980s were a bad idea. 1 hour, 6 minutes, 23 seconds.
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Episode #78: Tom Zakrajsek
08/03/2014
Episode #78: Tom Zakrajsek
July 2014 An interview with Tom Zakrajsek. Tom competed in Men's Singles and Pairs, then became a judge. But he's made the biggest impact as a coach. Known for his technical coaching, he has groomed many elite skaters over the years including , Rachel Flatt, Jeremy Abbott, Max Aaron, Brandon Mroz, and Mirai Nagasu. He was also the 2009 Professional Skater's Association Coach of the Year. He has a new website with a ton of great training tips at . We talk about his idolization of , how he started as a coach with a very young , and his very detailed periodization plans for his students. 1 hour, 43 minutes.
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Episode #77: Cecily Morrow
06/29/2014
Episode #77: Cecily Morrow
June 2014An interview with Cecily Morrow. She's a coach and former student of some of the best coaches out there (Carlo Fassi, Gustave Lussi, and Natalia Dubova). But her main and lasting contribution to the sport of figure skating has been her in-depth recordings of the teachings of Gustave Lussi and Natalia Dubova, through the video series (in four volumes) and . These invaluable resources are imperative for any skater or coach. We talk about how she captured these videos, and what Gus Lussi would have thought of IJS today. 1 hour
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Episode #76: Ryan Bradley
05/17/2014
Episode #76: Ryan Bradley
May 2014An interview with Ryan Bradley, the 2011 US Figure Skating Champion, 3 time Collegiate Champion, coach and one of the favorites on the show circuit for his charisma on ice. Ryan talks about how he's been able to develop that charisma and work with it, how he always wanted to be a "conversational skater," and the real reason why he decided to compete in the Collegiate Championships. 52 minutes, 08 seconds
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Episode #75: Sjoukje Dijkstra
04/26/2014
Episode #75: Sjoukje Dijkstra
April 2014An interview with Sjoukje Dijkstra, the 1964 Olympic champion in ladies' singles, the 1960 Olympic silver medalist, a three-time World champion (1962–1964), five-time European champion (1960–1964), and the six-time Dutch national champion (1959–1964). We talked about how she's glad she became a figure skater rather than a speed skater, traveling and training in London as a youngster, and how much hairspray it took to keep her hair big while competing. 40 minutes, 17 seconds
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Episode #75: Sjoukje Dijkstra
04/26/2014
Episode #75: Sjoukje Dijkstra
April 2014An interview with Sjoukje Dijkstra, the 1964 Olympic champion in ladies' singles, the 1960 Olympic silver medalist, a three-time World champion (1962–1964), five-time European champion (1960–1964), and the six-time Dutch national champion (1959–1964). We talked about how she's glad she became a figure skater rather than a speed skater, traveling and training in London as a youngster, and how much hairspray it took to keep her hair big while competing. 40 minutes, 17 seconds
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Episode #74: Sylvia Fontana
03/09/2014
Episode #74: Sylvia Fontana
March 2014An interview with Sylvia Fontana, 5-time Italian Champion, 2-time Winter Olympian (for the 2002 Salt Lake City games and the 2006 Torino Games), show skater, coach, reality TV star, and founder of with her husband american pair skater . She talked about working with Carlo Fassi, why her cats didn't like her methods of warming up, and how she balances team coaching with her husband. 33 minutes, 29 seconds
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Episode #73: Dick Button, Part 1
02/14/2014
Episode #73: Dick Button, Part 1
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 , a fantastic book that is a really wonderful conversation on skating. 55 minutes, 50 seconds....
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Interview with TSN 1050 Toronto
02/12/2014
Interview with TSN 1050 Toronto
I was asked to be a figure skating expert on John Letherby's show on TSN 1050 Radio Toronto. Listen to my preview of the Olympic Pairs Free Skate.
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Episode #72: 2014 US Nationals
02/04/2014
Episode #72: 2014 US Nationals
January 2014A compilation of short, live, off-the-cuff interviews with whomever I encountered at the 2014 United States Figure Skating Championships in Boston, MA. Interviews include choreographer and coach Doug Mattis, Peter Biver, Dick Button, Hayes Jenkins, and , Jirina Ribbins, the mother/son team of Stan and Fran, some local fans and arena staff, Snowplow Sam (the mascot!) and more. 31 minutes, 53 seconds.
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Episode #71: Doug Wilson (redux!)
12/22/2013
Episode #71: Doug Wilson (redux!)
December 2013An interview with Doug Wilson, the ABC Producer and Director that I interviewed in 2008 on . He contacted me again to talk about his new book, It's full of wonderful stories of not only his coverage of figure skating, but so many sports and sports moments that are ingrained in our culture and memory. He talks about the changing role of female commentators, being able to talk with Irina Rodnina after the Iron Curtain fell, and why we should all listen to . 1 hour, 06 minutes, 37 seconds.
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Episode #70: John Misha Petkevich
12/11/2013
Episode #70: John Misha Petkevich
December 2013 An interview with John Misha Petkevich, the 1971 US National Figure Skating Champion, two-time Olympian, USFS Hall of Fame member, author of two skating books ( and ), and the creator of the fantastic Harvard-run show He was also a commentator for NBC, CBS and ESPN. And if that wasn't enough, after graduating from Harvard he attended Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar where he was awarded a Doctorate in Cell Biology, and went on to become a successful investment banker. We discuss his massive jumps, how he liberated mens' costuming from the "monkey suit," his opinion on the demise of compulsory figures, and his proudest moment in his skating career. 1 hour, 20 minutes, 50 seconds.
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Episode #69: Don Jackson
11/18/2013
Episode #69: Don Jackson
November 2013 An interview with Donald Jackson, four-time Canadian Champion, 1960 Olympic Bronze Medalist, show skater, coach, author of several books, creator of Jackson skates, and member of more than a few halls of fame. He's most notable in the history books for being the first person to land a triple lutz in competition (see video below) and was the subject of a (see that video below too). He talks about how many times it took him to pass the first figure test, that tremendous triple lutz, how he worked on quad salchows, and why it's his fault that Carmen is so popular for skating music. 1 hour, 27 minutes, 12 seconds.
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Episode #68: Tania Bass
09/19/2013
Episode #68: Tania Bass
September 2013 An interview with Tania Bass, dress and costume designer to world class skaters including Miki Ando, Sarah Hughes, Emily Hughes, Pang and Tong, Ina and Zimmerman, Michael Weiss, Jeremy Abbott. Her website is . She talks about how she got started in the business, what goes into a great dress, and how many Carmen dresses she's had to make over the years. 56 minutes, 46 seconds.
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Episode #67: Rohene Ward
09/07/2013
Episode #67: Rohene Ward
September 2013 An interview with Rohene Ward. What couldn't he do well? Jumping in both directions! Amazing and unusual spins! Flexibility beyond belief! Choreographing his own programs! Signature moves! And all that talent from a kid with a disadvantaged background who had to take several bus transfers by himself to make it happen. And while he never reached the podium at the US Figure Skating Championships, Rohene Ward became one of the most well-known and beloved crowd favorites American audiences had ever seen. Rohene Ward talks about his first pair of skates, how he learned to jump both ways, the sacrifices by his coach to support him, and overcoming incredible racism. 32 minutes, 26 seconds.
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Episode #66: Ricky Harris
06/30/2013
Episode #66: Ricky Harris
June 2013 An interview with Ricky Harris, the first dedicated figure skating choreographer, and author of three books on figure skating and choreography. Ricky Harris skated with the Sonia Henie show, and created a series of successful workshops. She did choreography for Evan Lysacek, Michelle Kwan, /, Blumberg/Seibert, Scott Hamilton, Linda Fratianne, and so many more. Ricky Harris talks about what it was like being the first choreographer to sit in the Kiss & Cry, how Scott Hamilton wouldn't initially take direction from her, and how Frank Carroll and Don Laws were her biggest supporters. 1 hour, 8 minutes, 37 seconds.
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Episode #65: Caryn Kadavy
06/08/2013
Episode #65: Caryn Kadavy
May 2013 An interview with Caryn Kadavy, four-time US medalist at the US Figure Skating Championships, 1987 World Bronze Medalist, 1988 Olympian, professional skater, coach and choreographer. We talk about how she developed her fantastic triple loop jump, what it was like to work with Carlo Fassi and Toller Cranston, and her heartbreaking decision to have pull out of the Olympics after coming down with the flu. 55 minutes, 28 seconds.
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Episode #63: Phil Hersh
05/02/2013
Episode #63: Phil Hersh
APRIL 2013 An interview with Phil Hersh, an award-winning journalist who since 1987 has been the Olympic sports writer for the Chicago Tribune and the Tribune Company. He's covered the sport of figure skating through 10 Olympics (Sochi 2014 is #10), 28 US Championships, and 16 World Championships. We spoke about his opinions on some of skating's most controversial outcomes (Oksana vs. Nancy in 1994, Michelle vs. Tara in 1998, and Sale/Pelletier vs Berezhnaya/Sikharulidze in 2002), his thoughts on the judging system, his friendly rivalry with Christine Brennan, and his high opinion of Michelle Kwan. 1 hour, 33 minutes, 45 seconds.
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Episode #63: Audrey Weisiger, Part 2
03/31/2013
Episode #63: Audrey Weisiger, Part 2
MARCH 2013 Part Two of an interview with Audrey Weisiger, Olympic-level coach (most notably of Michael Weiss and ), and creator of both and the . In Part Two we discuss her collaboration with the late choreographer Brian Wright, the creation of G2C and YAS, her thoughts on how to get the dwindling American fan base back into skating, and her ideas on how to evolve the sport. 57 minutes, 31 seconds.
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Episode #63: Audrey Weisiger, Part 1
03/31/2013
Episode #63: Audrey Weisiger, Part 1
MARCH 2013 Part One of an interview with Audrey Weisiger, Olympic-level coach (most notably of Michael Weiss and ), and creator of both and the . In Part One we discuss her background in skating, how she became a top level coach, what it was like working with Michael Weiss through his entire career, and Timothy Goebel at the end of his career. She also talks about her philosophy of coaching. 57 minutes, 33 seconds.
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Episode #62: Carol Heiss Jenkins, Part 2
02/18/2013
Episode #62: Carol Heiss Jenkins, Part 2
FEBRUARY 2013 Part Two of an interview with Carol Heiss Jenkins, the 1960 Olympic Gold Medalist for ladies figure skating, as well as the Silver medalist in the 1956 Olympics, a 5 time World Champion, and of course US National Champion. In Part 2, she takes us through her movie and television career, notably when she made the movie "Snow White and the Three Stooges," her start as a coach, her thoughts on IJS, and the superstitions that all the coaches have. 59 minutes, 17 seconds.
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Episode #62: Carol Heiss Jenkins, Part 1
12/31/2012
Episode #62: Carol Heiss Jenkins, Part 1
DECEMBER 2012An interview with Carol Heiss Jenkins, the 1960 Olympic Gold Medalist for ladies figure skating, as well as the Silver medalist in the 1956 Olympics, a 5 time World Champion, and of course US National Champion. In Part 1, she takes us through her early days of skating all the way through the 1960 Winter Olympics in Squaw Valley, with details about what it was like studying with famous coach Pierre Brunet, and how she developed those axels going in both directions. 1 hour, 14 minutes, 58 seconds.
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Episode #61: Norbert Schramm
11/23/2012
Episode #61: Norbert Schramm
NOVEMBER 2012 Norbert Schramm is a German Figure Skating Champion, two-time European Champion, twice the World Silver Medalist, and one of the more interesting skaters from an already interesting era in Men's figure skating. His inventive choreography and spins are still fresh today. He has continued his figure skating career in television and show production, as well as choreography. He's also run a marathon, been a parade marshall, and is a fantastic photographer. He talks about training in Germany in the 1970s, what it was like to compete against Scott Hamilton, and the 1984 Olympic experience. 50 minutes, 1 second.
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