Edge of Glory: The Inside Story of the Quest for Figure Skating's Olympic Gold Medals

Edge of Glory: The Inside Story of the Quest for Figure Skating's Olympic Gold Medals
Average customer rating:

Fine book

Olympic Gold or Living Forever

my thoughts

A great tale from behind the scenes in skating

The Good the Bad and the Ugly
Edge of Glory: The Inside Story of the Quest for Figure Skating's Olympic Gold Medals
Christine Brennan
Manufacturer: Penguin (Non-Classics)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

International | Current Events | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
Olympic Games | Miscellaneous | Sports | Subjects | Books
Ice Skating & Figure Skating | Winter Sports | Sports | Subjects | Books
General | Sports | Subjects | Books
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Inside Edge: A Revealing Journey into the Secret World of Figure Skating

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ASIN: 0140280650

Amazon.com

The author of Inside Edge updates the behind-the-scenes saga of professional figure skating to include the results of the 1998 Olympics in Nagano, Japan. Beginning with the 1997 U.S. championships in Nashville, Brennan chronicles the ambitions, achievements, frustrations, and personal hurdles for the American skaters in a pivotal year that culminated with the Olympics. The year's drama is palpable, including highlights such as the competition between the two top-rated women, Michelle Kwan and Tara Lipinski, along with the ever-increasing athleticism of the men. Along the way Brennan makes detours to check up on recent favorites from the past such as Tonya Harding, Nancy Kerrigan, Oksana Baiul, Brian Boitano, and Scott Hamilton. And always rinkside are the stories of coaches, choreographers, parents, and fans who have transformed figure skating into one of the world's fastest-growing professional sports.

Book Description

* Updated with the latest on Tara, Michelle, and many other skaters-including the intriguing months following the 1998 Olympics

Respected sports journalist Christine Brennan tells the riveting tales of the world's best figure skaters during the most intense year of their young lives. The story opens with the 1997 U.S. national championships, when Michelle Kwan, the overwhelming favorite for the 1998 Olympic gold medal, leaves the rink in tears. Enter Tara Lipinski, a seventy-five-pound jumping machine--soon to become the youngest world skating champion.

Chronicling the year leading up to and including the 1998 Olympic Games, Edge of Glory offers portraits of the famous and infamous, the hopefuls and has-beens-Nancy Kerrigan, Oksana Baiul, Tonya Harding, Elvis Stojko, Todd Eldredge, Ilia Kulik, and many more. Edge of Glory also takes the reader behind the scenes of the sport: the aggressive sports agents, the career-fostering coaches, the eager reporters, the choreographers, and the attentive, stern judges. Ultimately, Edge of Glory is about the athletes themselves. What drives these skaters to a profession that promises retirement at such a young age? How do they survive in a sport where one fall decides it all? What do they fear? And, most importantly, who will win, and who will lose?

Customer Reviews:

Fine book.......2006-08-22

This is book is a nice book, but it seemed to focus on Tara Lipinski and Michelle Kwan, along with the Tara-Michelle thing a little too much. Skaters listed in the front are supposed to be the ones the book focuses on, although some of these skaters get only one paragraph of writing about them. In the final part, "The Olympics", the whole thing was basically about Tara's win and Michelle's silver. There was a little bit about the mens' event, but I found it confusing.

My other complaint about the Olympic section is that it mentions nothing about Elena coming back from 'Skate in the Head', or Artur/Anton (I forget which one) becoming the first man to win two Olympic gold medals with two different partners. I am not a big ice dancing fan, but not a single ice dancing couple was mentioned, which annoys me. Overall, it's a great read that could be even better.

Olympic Gold or Living Forever.......2004-02-29

Christine Brennan wrote in Edge of Glory that Tonya Harding has more raw jumping talent then anyother female ice skater in US history. For all practical purposes, Brennan is calling Harding the most talented female ice skater to ever live.
Brennan also recounted how Harding used CPR to save an old man's life.
If I had to choose between an Olympic Gold Medal and Brennan's description of Harding, the medal wouldn't have a chance! Gold medalists are a dime a dozen. Some of them go on to big careers in fast food places.
When a world class journalist like Brennan spends such words on a genetic parasite like Harding, the earth momentarily stops spinning on its axis. Harding would live forever even if the assault on Kerrigan never took place.
Most of the book is excellent but some of the trivia about Kwan's career bored me to tears. I also wish Brennan had given more details about Nicole Bobek's reasons for breaking and entering.

my thoughts.......2004-02-12

although i found this book engaging and enjoyed reading about the lives of these skaters, i personally felt that the anti-taraism was uncalled for. Having had the opportunity to have met both Tara and Michelle, I know that Tara did have her ways of coming off as arrogant, but so did Michelle. She is not as sweet and even tempered as christine made her out to be. It's a wonder why she doesnt mention the reason to why her past dress maker [Marie Talbot] stopped making her dresses. Her comment about her scores in the kiss and cry area [apparently she felt that she deserved a higher score regardless of her mistakes] . Dont bash on one skater and make the other skater come off as the nice one, they all have their ways of being arrogant.

A great tale from behind the scenes in skating.......2003-07-18

Did you know that Tara Lipinski's mom got in constant battles with her daugher at the rinks?

Did you know that Tara would go on "frenzies" and do unbeliveable amounts of triple triple combinations at her practice rink until she got them right? (this is what caused her hip surgery).

And did you know that Nicole Bobek was a chain smoking teen at one point?

Well you will know all of this after reading this book. I would have to say that this is one of the many views from behind the scenes, but one of the best. Christine B. gives a detailed look at how it all happens on the road to the Olympics.

Different skaters are profiled in this book as we learn about the skaters, coaches, endorsements, and many other things. Most of all we learn about americas 2 leading ladies (at the time) Michelle Kwan, and Tara Lipinski.

This author will tell it like it is so be prepared...and shocked.

The Good the Bad and the Ugly.......2002-11-13

I am a huge fan of the sport of figure skating, so when this book came out, I had to read it. I found that it was very interesting and read the whole book in a few hours. While some people do not care for the format of the book (Brennan jumps around from chapter to chapter writing about various skaters), I did not find it confusing. Brennan does a very good job of brining insight about what goes on "behind the scenes" where the cameras and lights do not shine so bright. I thought that Brennan was not biased with her writing, rather she did not attempt to "cover anything up" or fluff up reality. She told the stories and facts like they are, whether or not they gave a favorable impression on the skater. I also enjoyed how she focused on many different skaters and covered a broad range. Some of the major highlights include Tara Lipinski, Michelle Kwan, Nicole Bobek, Elvis Stojko, Michael Weiss, Rudy Galindo, Ilia Kulik, Todd Eldredge, Alexei Yagudin, Evgeny Plushenko, Alexei Urmanov and Lu Chen. Brennan did a good job of blending both the past and the present. She told of how the skaters got where they are today, as well as writing about the current competitions and issues surrounding the skating world during 97-98 season. I had hoped for a better quality photo section in the book. The hardcover edition has a small black/white section of photos. This is my only true complain. This book is a must have for any skating fanatic.

On Edge: Backroom Dealing, Cocktail Scheming, Triple Axels, and How Top Skaters Get Screwed

Average customer rating:

Insider Look
A beautiful sport's ugly secrets exposed
Im whiter than white
An Edgy "On Edge"
It's all true!

On Edge: Backroom Dealing, Cocktail Scheming, Triple Axels, and How Top Skaters Get Screwed
Jon Jackson , and James R. Pereira
Manufacturer: Thunder's Mouth Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Ice Skating & Figure Skating | Winter Sports | Sports | Subjects | Books

General | Sports | Subjects | Books
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Sasha Cohen: Fire on Ice (Revised Edition): Autobiography of a Champion Figure Skater

ASIN: 1560258047

Book Description

During the 2002 Winter Olympic Games, figure skating nearly lost its edge. The Russian gold medal debacle in the Pair Event publicly revealed the hidden world of bribery and collusion that is standard operating procedure across the sport. In On Edge, former Olympic level judge and competitive figure skater, Jon Jackson, bares the facts of the figure skating world—the image-making and social climbing, the prescription drug abuse, the affairs, the delusions of grandeur, and power-hungry scheming. He takes readers on a journey spanning 20 years through the private hotel rooms and hospitality suites where the culture thrives and multiplies, culminating in the days, weeks, and months following the Salt Lake City gold medal scandal.

Rebelling against this culture of nightly cocktail parties, where judges predetermine the next day’s winners, Jackson co-created the World Skating Federation in hopes of freeing the industry from the stranglehold of the seemingly omnipotent US Figure Skating Association (USFSA). The fallout was immediate. Detailing his battle with the USFSA, Jackson reveals his reservations about the continued corruption and the new scoring system, setting the stage for an even more dramatic and controversial scandal waiting to happen at the 2006 Olympic Winter Games in Turin, Italy.

Customer Reviews:

Insider Look.......2007-01-30

I have to admit that I picked up the book because of the catchy title. I expected to find nonstop gossip and talk about how corruption is heavily prevalent in figure skating and how "top skaters" get screwed.

The beginning of the book covers Jackson's childhood, in which he describes how he first got involved with skating. He describes how the beginning of his skating career was constantly under the control of a "family friend," Charles Kennedy, a wealthy individual who had connections with top figure skating figures such as the Propotonovs. Furthermore, Jackson illustrates the troubles he faced as a young boy trying to come to terms with his sexuality as a gay man.

There are some notable sections in the book that is directly connected to the title of the book. He mentions how many of the judges, from the West (particularly California), tend to rely on strict scrutiny and mandatory socializing among judges, a procedure Jackson dislikes because he rather spend time chatting to the skaters and their families. Jackson notes that he would have never been able to rise to the higher levels as a skating judge unless he was forced to socialize with the other judges. In addition, Jackson mentions several well-known figure skating names such as Tonya Harding, Irina Slutskaya, Michelle Kwan, Rudy Galindo, Kyoko Ina and John Zimmerman, and Jamie Salé and David Pelletier. He argues that Harding might have been unfairly treated and how Slutskaya (and other top Russian skaters) are heavily favored to win due to the influence of "Russian propaganda" and the underground Russian mafia. During moments like these, it's hard as a reader to differentiate between personal bias or truth. Regardless of these factors, Jackson paints a humorous description. Also, before I forget to mention, Jackson ends each chapter with a bit of trivia describing the wins, losses or scandalous news of a Russian figure skater(s).

Jackson made it his mission to target certain individuals in US Figure Skating (the organization) and the International Skating Union. He criticizes head officials such as Phyllis Howard (USFS) and Octavio Cinquanta (ISU) for behind-the-scene manuevers that Jackson believed sacrificed the aspirations of American figure skaters such as Ina and Zimmerman immediately after the Winter Olympic that caused the gold-medal controversy. Personally, I never heard of Howard or Cinquanta but Jackson does not hide his dislike for these two individuals, an opinion I understand now after reading the book.

The end of the book primarily focuses on the World Skating Federation, an organization that Jackson and several of his other judging colleagues created in hopes to become a IOC-recognized judging group. Unfortunately, as the readers learn, the WSF loses its lawsuit against the International Skating Union.

Overall, the book was humorous and a fun read. I would definitely recommend it to any figure skating fan. Of course, Jackson's outspoken voice might upset some readers but if you put that aside, the book is a delight.

A beautiful sport's ugly secrets exposed.......2006-06-05

I endorse this book not only as an Amazon Reviewer but as a skater. The dirty deals, corrupt judging, and federation attempts to advance their favorite skaters at the expense of equally talented but less-popular athletes (who, for whatever reason, don't fit their cookie-cutter out of date "image"), Jackson tells all. Should be required viewing for everyone in the sport, especially the federations, who must take a hard look at their own ethics and make some changes.

Im whiter than white.......2006-03-22

This book goes more into the detail of this judge "coming out" rather than the real issues in the skating world. He talks about encounters with other gay judges which have nothing to do with the scandal in Salt Lake City or the alledged corruption at the ISU and USFSA. He fails to make his case and points fingers without facts.

An Edgy "On Edge".......2006-03-21

If you think figure skating is crooked, this book comes close to absolutely proving it. It's no wonder that the author, an international judge, appears to have been booted out by the figure skating establishment over his attempt to set up a rival figure skating union. The book covers the author's not particularly distinguished skating career and his coming out, aspects of his life I somewhat surprisingly intereting. He declines to diss dirt about the skaters, but does rip the judging establishment into small pieces.

It's all true!.......2006-02-28

Unfortunately what he says is true. I am a USFSA Gold Medalist (Figures and Freestyle) and a USFSA judge (though I don't like to admit it). Judges who have little to no skating experience seem to prevail in this sport. The corruption is even in the lower levels of skating. This book rings so true that it's upsetting. I couldn't read it before going to sleep. With each page I hoped the judges that I liked and respected were not named. I'm glad someone had the nerve to speak out for the skaters.

Inside Edge: A Revealing Journey into the Secret World of Figure Skating

Average customer rating:

Wonderful book!
The Beauty on Ice doesn't exist off the ice!
The grit behind the glamor
"Harding Had It All"
She tells it like it is...

Inside Edge: A Revealing Journey into the Secret World of Figure Skating
Christine Brennan
Manufacturer: Anchor
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Ice Skating & Figure Skating | Winter Sports | Sports | Subjects | Books

General | Sports | Subjects | Books
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Sasha Cohen: Fire on Ice (Revised Edition): Autobiography of a Champion Figure Skater

ASIN: 0385486073
Release Date: 1997-01-20

Amazon.com

Figure skating is emerging as a major force in worldwide professional sports. Get the inside edge on the events and personalities of the professional figure-skating circuit. Profiles on stars such as Nancy Kerrigan, Peggy Fleming, Scott Hamilton, and Oksana Baiul are interspersed with the author's impressions and research from a year on the tour, including analysis of the major competitions, the judging process, and the emotional and physical toll the sport takes on young athletes.

Book Description

Figure skating is the most beautiful and mysterious of all sports. When the skaters are on the ice, every twitch of a muscle and every slip of a skate blade is visible for the world to see. In Inside Edge, Christine Brennan chronicles--for the first time--a season on the skating circuit, intimately portraying the lives, on and off the ice, of the sport's current and upcoming stars. Woven into the narrative are stories of figure skating luminaries past, present, and future--including Peggy Fleming, Katarina Witt, Brian Boitano, Scott Hamilton, Kristi Yamaguchi, Nancy Kerrigan, Oksana Baiul, Michelle Kwan, Rudy Galindo, and Tara Lipinski. Revealing the backstage conflicts high-profile figure skaters face, and the ambition that drives them, Brennan also tells the stories of their families, of improbable rises to the top, and of wasted talents.

If skaters are perfect, they can become international heroes. But if they fall, if they miss a three-revolution jump on a quarter-inch blade of steel, the despair is theirs alone. This is their life on the edge, where decades of training culminate in little more than four crucial minutes on the ice. There is no other sport like it. There is no other story like theirs.

The figure skaters gathered slowly in the mahogany-paneled lobby of the majestic Mirror Lake Inn in Lake Placid, New York, flashing no smiles, barely saying a word. The collection of gregarious entertainers had been reduced to silent, wide-eyed stares. The crackling wood in the fireplace made the room's only noise.

They had met in hotel lobbies in fancy street clothes hundreds of times in the past, but never for an event as devastating as this. On a cold night in late November 1995, they were to travel through snowswept Adirondack mountain roads to a nearby funeral home for a private wake for Sergei Grinkov, their colleague and friend who died of a massive heart attack during a skating practice the day before.

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful book!.......2006-08-30

My daughter, a figure skating coach, and I are on our 3rd copy: people keep borrowing this book and keeping it!

Brennan does a fine job debunking the "pretty girls in pink" myth about skaters, while still showing respect for the amount of effort and athleticism necessary to succeed in this sport. It's been said that Ginger Rogers did everything Fred Astaire did - only backwards and in high heels. Well, figure skaters do everything other elite athletes do, backwards/forwards and in the air while maintaining an illusion of fragility. Brennan recognizes that dichotomy, which is why this is such a good book.

If you know skating from the inside, elite or simply local, you will recognize much of what she talks of. If you enjoy politics, read this for incredibly sharp double dealing and backstabbing. But always, read it for the beauty she evokes.

The Beauty on Ice doesn't exist off the ice!.......2006-07-27

I have to say I was surprised by Christine Brennan's take on Tonya Harding. Tonya Harding is now a pariah in the world of American figure skating even though she helped many of today's figure skating athletes to become household names and wealthy as well. Tonya doesn't see any of it. It's ironic that Tonya Harding can't skate professionally while convicted rapist Mike Tyson is allowed to box but that's figure skating. Between the 1992 and 1994 Olympic Winter Games, the infamous incident by Nancy's clubbing by one of Tonya's hired goons caught everybody off guard. Poor Tonya, she was the girl from blue collar upbringing, divorced parents, and quite a dysfunctional childhood. I think if this was played out in Hollywood. Nancy and Tonya would have made up before the 1994 Winter Olympics and let it go down in history. No, the FBI was brought in. In the 1992 games, too much attention was paid on Nancy Kerrigan and the plight of her legally blind mother who later claimed that her daughter deserved the gold medal. In 1992, everybody including myself who watched the Olympic games knew about Nancy's poor mother. Nancy got more attention than Tonya and Kristi Yamaguchi who went to win the First Olympic Gold Medal for Ladies' Figure Skating since Dorothy Hamill. Still, she was shadowed by Nancy's blind mother. Since 1994, I became disillusioned when I saw figure skaters past judgment on Tonya Harding. I haven't lost respect for Jayne Torvill because she was actually quite ladylike in all retrospect. Sadly, Tonya was never the graceful skater but an excellent jumper who was the first American woman to land a triple axel. Tonya's happiness was short-lived by an abusive marriage and a US Figure Skating Association that cared more about maintaining a facade of a happy family. I didn't know that Nancy was not well-liked. YOu could have sure fooled me. Even now, Nancy is still the victim of a dumb plot. Had she had any sense, she would have forgiven Tonya and let it go but no it became a nightmare and a dream for the tabloids of the time. My respect for figure skating is gone. I am not surprised by the homosexuality in figure skating because it's so obvious but I wish they would just admit it rather than cover it up now. Even now, you just wonder why some aren't married or dating anybody. Anyway, the sport has changed for the worse in my opinion. It's become corrupted by greed, jealousy, and envy.

The grit behind the glamor.......2004-12-02

Journalist Christine Brennan takes fans of this sport behind the scenes for a brutal but truthful look at a sport known as much for its glitter as its athleticism. Brennan exposes it all, from the pressure of competition to the facades perpetuated by an antiquated skating federation. Using real interviews with the figure skating's top athletes, Brennan covers tragedy and triumph with unbiased professionalism. Highly recommend for skaters and fans of figure skating

"Harding Had It All".......2004-01-07

Christine Brennan put her Nothwestearn Journalism School education to good use. I was especially moved by the following passage:
"Tonya Harding possessed more raw jumping talent than almost any of them. More than Kerrigan, Oksana Baiul, Michelle Kwan, Nicole Bobek, Peggy Fleming, Dorothy Hamill, Kristi Yamaguchi, {or} Sonja Henie. Harding had it all."
I never heard such words applied to Tonya Harding before this book. I also didn't know before this book that Nancy Kerrigan wasn't well liked.
This book clearly shows that talent even unusual talent or skill doesn't compensate for hard work. If Tanya Harding had practiced and stayed in shape, she could have been famous instead of infamous!

She tells it like it is..........2003-07-18

See the starts of Michelle Kwan. Become aware of AIDS and the skating community. Go behind the scenes with Nancy Kerrigan. Learn how the skater's season begins and ends in this fabulous book.

Any skating fan will love this book. Brennan writes this book and does not show favortisim to any of the characters as she tell s it like it is.

Customer Reviews:

KURT THE GREAT - The best ever.......2002-09-04

This book covers the Kid from Caroline from childhood to before the '92 O's - and an amazing story it is. Kurt is the best skater there has ever been and perhaps ever will be, although Yagudin is gaining on him. Natural talent, personality, and flying feet make this man. After you read this book, go to videos and buy "Jump." You won't regret it.

A MUST have for skating fans!.......2000-07-07

Kurt Browning is one of the (if not THE) greatest figure skaters to ever grace the ice. If you love him, then you MUST get this book! Too bad it's out of print, though. You can probably get it through auctions. Believe me, it'll be worth it!

Skater's Edge Sourcebook: Ice Skating Resource Guide

Average customer rating:

The 1998 Edition of the Sourcebook is a MUST for every fan
easy read, lots of resources, informative

Skater's Edge Sourcebook: Ice Skating Resource Guide
Alice Berman
Manufacturer: Not Avail
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Reference | Miscellaneous | Sports | Subjects | Books

General | Winter Sports | Sports | Subjects | Books

Ice Skating & Figure Skating | Winter Sports | Sports | Subjects | Books

General | Sports | Subjects | Books

Directories | Catalogs & Directories | Reference | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0964302721

Customer Reviews:

The 1998 Edition of the Sourcebook is a MUST for every fan.......1998-07-24

Alice Berman's Sourcebook is an indispensable resource for figure skating fans, coaches, athletes, and anyone with an interest in the total business of figure skating. I couldn't believe the price remained the same despite the countless improvements to this resource! The Sourcebook contains everything I need including rink locations, vendor/supplier addresses/phone numbers, skating events, historical facts and figures, etc. It is the Bible of figure skating. Thank you Skater's Edge and Alice Berman.

easy read, lots of resources, informative.......1998-01-28

Although, I commonly refer to this text for skaing information, many editing problems were found. The text offers useful information on skating, ice rinks, companies offering skating goods, list of skating champions, etc.. However, I found the 1995 edition to have many flaws, including mispelled words, inaccurate information regarding rinks and companies, making the book to be a disappointment. The 1998 edition is coming in february and should be much better.

Skating on the Edge: A Memoir and Journey through a Metamorphosis of the CIA

Average customer rating:

A keen edge!
Excellent Skate!

Skating on the Edge: A Memoir and Journey through a Metamorphosis of the CIA
Carlos D. Luria
Manufacturer: BookSurge Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | Historical | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Capital Speculations: Writing and Building Washington, D.C. (Becoming Modern: New Nineteenth-Century Studies)
Legacy of Ashes: The History of the CIA
At the Center of the Storm: My Years at the CIA
The Good Shepherd (Widescreen Edition)

ASIN: 1419649027
Release Date: 2006-10-02

Book Description

The memoir of a German-born immigrant, his early schooling in the UK, and his recruitment by a CIA feverishly gearing up to meet the new Soviet threat. . The book provides a unique perspective on CIA's clandestine operations, a look at the strengths and weaknesses of America's approach to Intelligence, and insight to the unpublicized contributors to the 9/11 Intelligence failure At times poignant, at times funny but always self-effacing, the book includes an account of life aboard a 37' sloop, exploring the Bahamas and the Caribbean, and the author's futile attempts to keep up with a wife determined to hike the Appalachian Trail The book's royalties are all donated to charity - specifically, to the Guardian ad Litem program that advocates for abused children.

Customer Reviews:

A keen edge!.......2007-02-22

Mixing humor, shock, and sorrow in a memoir format, Carlos Luria's Skating on the Edge held our attention from beginning to end and had us on the "Edge" of our chairs. The author weaves his personal and family struggles into the account of actual incidents of the successes and failures of the CIA in which he served. His respect for that agency is evident in the writing. But that does not dull the edge of his insightful criticism of the metamorphosis of intelligence collection following the cold war in which human intelligence collection activities were overshadowed by reliance on remote technology-based systems. He blames this policy transition for the intelligence failures leading up to the 9-11 disaster. From the hilarious recounting of his own training and that of others to the shocking revelation of the undetected existence of armed nuclear missiles in a part of Cuba missed by U-2 surveillance, Mr. Luria succeeds in sharing his life experiences in an attention grabbing manner. And there is plenty of between-the-lines inference to stoke the reader's curiosity. For example, what was behind the decision to replace much of the human intelligence gathering program with expensive technology? But alas, it is a memoir and, as such, it's a great read.

Marcia and Ted Wallenius, Summit Book Club

Excellent Skate!.......2007-01-09

Thoroughly enjoyed Mr. Luria's journal. Has a great ability to hold your attention and bring you with him on his jouney through his life in
the CIA and also his time spent in Germany, England and the US. Gave many copies of this book to family and friends as Christmas gifts and have received very good reviews. Mr. Carlos Luria has a special ability to tell stories.

Average customer rating:

This book is fabulous!It is inspiring to any reader.
It's a great book! Figure skaters would love it.
The Best Silver Blades ever!!!!!!!!!!
This was such a good book. I really love it.

On the Edge (Silver Blades)
Melissa Lowell
Manufacturer: Skylark
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Issues | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

RUMORS AT THE RINK (Silver Blades)
The Winning Spirit (Silver Blades)
NEW MOVE, A (Silver Blades)
Going for the Gold (Silver Blades)
The Competition (Silver Blades , No 3)

ASIN: 0553485156
Release Date: 1997-11-10

Book Description

Book One in an exciting Olympic trilogy!

Tori is skating better than ever. But she feels terrible. She's always tired, and skating seems to completely drain her. One day she even faints on the ice! Tori knows she should tell her mother she hasn't been feeling well. But the national competition is only three weeks away--it's there that the members of the U.S. Olympic team will be decided. Tori doesn't want anything to keep her from competing.

Tori's friends think she's folding under the pressure. But Tori knows it's more serious than that. Does she have the courage to face the truth?

Customer Reviews:

This book is fabulous!It is inspiring to any reader........1998-11-05

Nikki, Jill, Amber, Martina ,Tori,Haley,and Nataliea are 8 young wonderfully talentid skaters, some of them are going to the nationals.But Tori is sick really sick! She won't even tell her mom! she has to tell someone soon , and she knows it!

It's a great book! Figure skaters would love it........1998-05-31

It's a great series and book.Figure skaters would love it!Tori,Nikki,Jill,Haley,Amber and Martina are fabulous skaters and characters in this book and series.More then anything they want to go to the olympics.In this book they try their hardest to make it.

The Best Silver Blades ever!!!!!!!!!!.......1998-04-13

I love this book!Tori, a skater on her way to the Nationals,starts feeling really low energy,and she finds out she has a rare muscle decease that could cause her to live her life stuck in a wheelchair, and never be able to skate again!Then, those awful words "to be continued" pop up! Tori has to decide wether to go to Nationals,where she could get her chance to go to the Olympics,or not! The other two books are called "Now or Never" and "Chance of a Lifetime"! Plus,at the end of the book, they say who some possible medalists at the Olympics are,like Tara Lipinski,Michelle Kwan,Nicole Bobek,Todd Eldridge and Micheal Weiss, plus stats and how the became skaters. This book is a perfect 10!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This was such a good book. I really love it........1998-04-06

This was a wonderful book. I really liked it a lot.I could not believe that there was a book that was better than the X files and Star Wars.

Boitano's Edge: Inside The Real World Of Figure Skating

Average customer rating:

Great look inside the sport from one of its legends
Brian Boitnano's book on skating
Boitano Tells it Like it Is!
I don't really know
My students love this book!

Boitano's Edge: Inside The Real World Of Figure Skating
Brian Boitano , and Suzanne Harper
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | Sports & Activities | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Ice Skating & Figure Skating | Winter Sports | Sports | Subjects | Books

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Skate Talk: Figure Skating in the Words of the Stars
Inside Edge: A Revealing Journey into the Secret World of Figure Skating
On Edge: Backroom Dealing, Cocktail Scheming, Triple Axels, and How Top Skaters Get Screwed
Only With Passion: Figure Skating's Most Winning Champion on Competition and Life
Sasha Cohen: Fire on Ice (Revised Edition): Autobiography of a Champion Figure Skater

ASIN: 0689819153

Amazon.com

Brian Boitano was a "daredevil roller skater" in Sunnyvale, California, before his mother took him to an ice show at age 8. After that he laced up figure skates instead, and as any of the sport's growing legion of fans know, his dream to win an Olympic medal came true in Calgary in 1988. Boitano's Edge is an insider's look at competitive figure skating. Filled with photographs and reminiscences spanning the gold-medalist's career, it also includes a glossary of skating terms; information on training, choreography, and the judging process; and even a program diagram.

Book Description

This large format, full-color photo essay is the ultimate skating book for fans ages 8 and up. In an accessable and conversational tone Brian Boitano reveals what it is like to move up through the sport and compete at an international level. Brian Boitano's personal stories and anecdotes as well as his lively personal commentary illuminate the sport for young readers and skating fans of all ages. Here's everything you'll ever want to know about figure skating -- with Brian Boitano serving as the expert host.

Customer Reviews:

Great look inside the sport from one of its legends.......2006-06-05

Brian Boitano pushed himself AND his chief competitor, Brian Orser, in his quest for Olympic gold, and in doing so, both of them elevated the level of the entire sport.

Brian gives us a look back at his Olympic triumph and a valuable insider's perspective on the politics of figure skating as well as its technical aspects.

Skaters, skating fans, and anyone interested in this sport will be entertained by Boitano's book. A nice retrospective of this champion's career as well

Brian Boitnano's book on skating.......2005-10-01

A nicely written book, describing his experiences learning his craft, as well as good insight into the sport. It would be improved if there were more pictures of the skaters setting up and completeing their moves. Recommended reading for young skaters, as well as their parents.

Boitano Tells it Like it Is!.......2002-03-01

Brian Boitano has always been my favorite figure skater. When I heard that he had written a book, I quickly rushed to get it. I am so glad that I took the time to read this book because it is a masterpiece.
He begins his book with a forward written by Peggy Fleming and then goes on to tell what it was like being at the Winter Olympics in Calgary, Canada, in 1988. That was the year Brian Boitano would come home with an Olympic Gold Medalist around his neck. Brian has dedicated pages to skating terms, slang, and how to judge a skating performance. He also talks about costumes, choreography, and on most pages of his book he has a first in skating history (first person to skate to music, for example). Katarina Witt also takes the time to add to Boitano's book. "A Tour Scrapbook" is towards the back with pictures from some of the shows Brian has been in. The back of his book contains the past Olympic and World Champions since the competitions began. In short, "Boitano's Edge" is THE book for the skating fan in your family.

I don't really know.......2001-02-01

I am a big Brian Boitano fan. I took this book out of the library hoping for a little more on his personal life. I wasn't too disappointed, but I would prefer if he had mentioned more about his family. There was a lot about his skating in it, though, which is what I love about him. He talks a lot about Calgary, which can get annoying because it happened almost 13 years ago! Don't get me wrong--I loved reading about it, but I've already read a lot about it. My favorite part was the tour scrapbook. That was neat to see. I also liked very much that people wrote their own commentary on Brian and about different things. You can read this book for an enjoyable read, but don't expect too much on skating.

My students love this book!.......2000-06-20

I teach 4th grade, and this book is in my classroom library. My students love this book as it gives them an insight into this sport. The negative reviews about this book totally shocked me, but then I realized that they were just thinly disguised opportunities for those "reviewers" to take a swipe at Brian Boitano and nothing more. This book was not meant to be a "tell-all". Its main focus group was children, but it's a lovely book for all ages--provided you're not looking for "dirt". What I have gotten out of this book is that Brian Boitano is a dear young man of integrity, honesty and morals who loves to skate more than anything else in the world. He is the epitome of what a role model should be. The sporting world needs more people like him.

Ballet Secrets for Skaters: How to Hone Your Artistic Competitive Edge

Average customer rating:

Tips, tricks and techniques for embodying grace

Ballet Secrets for Skaters: How to Hone Your Artistic Competitive Edge

Manufacturer: Artistic Enterprises International
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Performing Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Ice Skating & Figure Skating | Winter Sports | Sports | Subjects | Books

General | Sports | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0972672389

Book Description

Do you command an audience's attention using graceful arm and head positions?

Learn how...in the first ballet book designed for skaters!

Ballet Secrets for Skaters unlocks the secrets of ballet technique in a fun and friendly style. Discover many tools and tips for proper placement of the upper body--the first place an audience looks.

. Phtos of real figure skaters show common pitfalls and how to avoid them.
. Ballet Secrets and Quick Checks help you remember these points on the ice.
. Emphasis on making a winning impression--even when you stand still.

Bonus! Olympic Gold Medalist Viktor Petrenko and Ladies World Champion Yuka Sato--famous for their artistic expression--offer advice and inspiration for today's competitive skaters.

Customer Reviews:

Tips, tricks and techniques for embodying grace.......2006-06-30

Written by a Russian-trained dancer, teacher, and choreographer, Ballet Secrets for Skaters: How to Hone Your Artistic Competitive Edge is a valuable guide for figure skaters, coaches, dance teachers, and skating enthusiasts of all ages and ability levels. Chapters disseminate basic poise tips of ballet, from how to hold the fingers, wrist, and shoulder to artistic guidelines for the arm and head position, and ballet poses that will add grace and charm to any ice skating routine. Black-and-white photographs clearly demonstrate the positions and, and the text clarifies tips, tricks and techniques for embodying grace. Highly recommended for intermediate to advanced and competitive skaters.

Average customer rating:

Get the Edge
Audrey Bakewell
Manufacturer: Polestar Book Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Ice Skating & Figure Skating | Winter Sports | Sports | Subjects | Books

General | Hockey | Sports | Subjects | Books

General | Sports | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1896095216

Book Description

Audrey Bakewell provides an introduction to power skating, covering essentials such as balance, agility, flexibility, timing, and endurance.

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