Customer Reviews

Frozen Assets: The New Order of Figure Skating

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This book was clearly prompted by the pairs skating debacle at the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympic Games. Strong background on the promotion powerhouses that drive the elite level of the sport (likened to the studio system of Hollywood.) Lund provides a balanced framework in an essay format to let readers draw their own conclusions as to the future of the sport. Good quotes from skaters voicing opinions on both sides of the issues. An insightful retrospective on why skating went from double digit TV ratings in 1994 after the Nancy Kerrigan/Tonya Harding scandal with umpteen made for TV pseudo competitions to the present state of a nearly non-existant professional figure skating circuit.

In reading this book I got the distinct impression that the author compiled it from the many newspaper articles and skating magazines. Interviews with real skaters are included but there's really nothing new or different - fans of the sport and skaters are already familiar with these issues and discussions. Might be interesting for news fans of the sport

Mark Lund tells it like it is, but even as this book was being written the entire world of skating was changing yet again with the scandals of Salt Lake City.

When Mark started International Figure Skating Magazine, I was the person who told him it's the "TIME Magazine of skating" and never has that been more true than it is today.

Mark and his staff, including Lois Elfman are wonderful investigative reporters and are not afraid of finding out the truth. I applaud their efforts on this book and cannot wait for volume two, which I am sure is already in their minds.

Congratulations for a wonderful effort. A Must read for all followers of this beautiful sport which has such a dark political undercurrent.

Ted Wilson
Laguna Hills, California