Colorado Springs, Colo.World Figure Skating Hall of Fame Chair Barbara Holland announced today the Class of 2009 for induction into the World Figure Skating Hall of Fame March 28, 2009, at the ISU World Figure Skating Championships in Los Angeles.
Category A- Outstanding Competitors
Photo courtesy World Figure Skating Museum
Alena Vrzáňová (Aja Zanova), Czechoslovakia, made headlines when she became the first World figure skating champion to defect from the East Bloc, in 1950 at age 17. She was a four-time Czechoslovakian champion (1947-50), three-time European medalist, includg gold in 1950, and two-time World titlist (1949-50). Vrzanova, standing 6 feet tall in skates, is credited as the first woman to land a double Lutz in competition, at the 1949 World Championships. She competed in the 1948 Olympic Winter Games, placing fifth.
Following her defection and move to the United States, Vrzanova skated in the “Ice Follies” and “Ice Capades’” productions and worked as a special media representative and talent scout for the “Ice Capades” from 1968-90.
In 1986, she co-produced the special event for the re-opening of the Wollman Rink in New York City’s Central Park. She returned to the Czech Republic in 2004, at the invitation of the president, where she was honored with the Medal of Merit for her skating and life accomplishments. She authoreda book entitled Into the World on Skates in 1993 and became a successful restaurateur with her late husband.
“This is the greatest honor at my stage in life. It’s another World title – like an Oscar,” Vrzanova said. It’s the greatest thrill anyone in the sport can receive, especially later in life. I am overwhelmed and grateful.”
She has received many awards, including being honored at the Ice Theatre of New York’s 21st benefit gala in 2005, and was awarded “Women of the Year” in 2006 by the Pan European Society for Culture, Education, Science and Technology.
Photo courtesy Michael Rosenberg
Barbara Underhill and Paul Martini (pairs), Canada, were described by their long-time choreographer, Sandra Bezic, as having “a pairs connection that combined their individual strength, power, tenderness and sensuality to create something tht every man and woman in the audience wanted to feel.”
Underhill and Martini combined emotion in their choreography with dramatic death spirals, triple twist lifts and spectacular throws. They were five-time Canadian champions (1979-83) and two-time World medalists (bronze in 1983 bronze, gold in 1984). Their 1984 World Championships long program, in their home country in 1984, is considered one of the greatest moments in Canadian sports history. They were two-time Olympic competitors (1980, 1984).
Following their amateur retirement in 1984, they competed professionally, winning a record seven titles, and are well remembered for their renditions of “When a Man Loves a Woman” and “Unchained Melody.” They toured with major ice shows and commentated 19 years on Canadian television, including four Olympic Winter Games.
Today, Underhill remains active in The Stephanie GaetKEEPSAKE Foundation, which she and her husband established following the accidental death of twin daughter, Stephanie, in 1993. The foundation is dedicated to safety awareness for children. Martini has been a national and Olympic pairs coach and continues as a television color commentator.
“We are extremely thrilled and honored to be inducted into the World Figure Skating Hall of Fame,” Underhill and Martini said. “It will be even more meaningful to share this honor with many of our colleagues and friends whom we have shared many great memories over the years.”
They were inducted into the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame in 1985, Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame in 1988 and the Skate Canada Hall of Fame in 1997.
Category B – Outstanding contributors making a signf cant impact on the sport in a non-skating role
Photo courtesy Skate Canada Archives
Joyce Hisey, Canada, is a 1952 Canadian ice dancing silver medalist who began her administrative career as an ice dancing judge. Her national-level appointments include being elected to the then Canadian Figure Skating Association Board of Directors in 1977, where she served as the chairman of the Officials Development Committee for many years and contributed to the revision of ice dancing technical manuals for judges and coaches.
Hisey has more than 25 years of international and Olympic administrative experience since her first appointment in 1978 as an International Skating Union (ISU) referee in ice dancing. She served on the ISU Ice Dancing Committee (1984-9, ISU Council (1992-2002) and has been an ISU technical delegate (1996-2003), serving in that role at the 2002 Olympic Winter Games. Her expertise in this area resulted in the establishment of a training program that she led for technical delegates from many countries. As Courtney Jones, 1986 World Hall of Fame member and ISU Ice Dancing Technical Committee member, wrote in a former recommendation letter about her, “She is a lady who, throughout her long and illustrious career, has worked tirelessly to improve the sport in so many ways.”
She was team leader for the 1984 Olympic Winter Games and figure skating chair of the 1988 Olympic Winter Games, where she was honored with the Alberta Achievement Award. Other honors include induction into the Canadian Figure Skating Hall of Fame in 1997 and being a recipient of the Syl Apps Award in 2001, an annual recognition to citizens of the Province of Ontario who have contributed to the development of sport.
“Just to have been nominated was a thrill to have ‘made it’ is amazing,” Hisey said in reference to her election to the World Hall of Fame.
Click below to view a listing of World Hall of Fame Members
http://www.worldskatingmuseum.org/WHOF.htm
2009-03-18
