Icebreaker the Autobiography of Rudy Galindo [Hardcover]

Rudy Galindo (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 1997

The U.S. Figure Skating champion reveals the personal and professional challenges that nearly destroyed his career, his difficult childhood in a violent neighborhood, his identity as a gay athlete, and his struggles with losing loved ones to AIDS.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Rumor has had it that many male figure skaters are homosexual. Galindo was the first to declare his gay orientation; his sometimes startling candor is revealed throughout this autobiography: "When I had sex for the first time, I didn't know I needed to practice safe sex.... you might find that hard to believe. But I was completely immersed in my skating." The youngest of three children of a Mexican American family, with a father who was supportive but tyrannical and a mother who was periodically institutionalized, Galindo grew up on the wrong side of the tracks in San Jose, Calif. His elder brother, George, also gay, was banished from the house after he came out to his parents, served a prison sentence and eventually died of AIDS. A successful young singles skater, the author joined Kristi Yamaguchi to win the U.S. National Pairs Championship in 1989 and 1990, but she decided to go her own way in 1990. Galindo was devastated but, after many vicissitudes, including the death of his father, he triumphed in the singles, winning the U.S. National Championship and finishing third in the World Championships in 1996. Much of his success he attributes to the self-sacrifice of his sister, Laura; and with the help of Marcus, who collaborated last with Greg Louganis in Breaking the Surface, Galindo reveals his debt to her and to supportive friends. The result is a moving autobiography.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Galindo has faced more than his share of barriers on the road to fame and glory in the figure skating world. He grew up in a working-class Mexican American family, and many sacrifices had to be made to enable him to pursue an expensive dream. Although he and his partner, Kristi Yamaguchi, appeared to be headed for the Olympics, Yamaguchi ultimately decided to go the singles route. His mother suffered from mental illness, his father died of a heart attack, he was openly homosexual, and his brother and two coaches died of AIDS. However, Galindo's fortitude and determination enabled him to become the U.S. men's figure skating champion in 1996. With the help of writer Marcus, coauthor of Greg Louganis's biography Breaking the Surface (Random, 1995), Galindo smoothly invites the reader to share in his struggles and triumphs. Recommended.?J. Sara Paulk, Coastal Plain Regional Lib., Tifton, Ga.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Atria; 1St Edition edition (April 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0671003909
• ISBN-13: 978-0671003906
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,713,254 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Makes You Feel What He Is Feeling, February 13, 2000

By 

Angelisa M. Chadwick (ALABAMA, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Icebreaker: The Autobiography of Rudy Galindo (Paperback)

Rudy Galindo's autobiography ICEBREAKER is wonderful. Rudy's honest and vivid descriptions of his feelings make the reader cry and cheer right along with him. This book is an inspiration to anyone who feels that he/she is different. It is such an example of how anyone can reach his/her goal against all odds if they will work hard enough and never, never give up. Rudy Galindo is a true champion in every way -- not just on the ice -- and this book shows that beautifully.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Here's one bio that's never on thin ice, February 9, 2000

By 

Allen Smalling "Constant Reader," (Chicago, IL United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Icebreaker: The Autobiography of Rudy Galindo (Paperback)

I liked Galindo's sweetly naive depiction of himself as the "All-American kid," even if he does flirt with denial at times. After all, he grew up border-poor in a dysfunctional family with a self-destructive gay older brother (who was a terrible role model for gay Rudy), and Latino when that was still a social burden.

But "Icebreaker" is very much a story of hard-won triumph, and I really got the sense that Rudy's positive attitude got him over the hurdles and into the stardom he so richly deserves. (That, and loads of native talent: he was quite recently the best amateur male figure skater in the USA, no. 3 in the world.)

Rudy is a professional skater now, and he has some pointed opinions in this book about the perils of excessive juvenile skating competition for those who are willing to listen. Skating enthusiasts will enjoy the extensive technical vocabulary in this book; I just held on and enjoyed the ride. A very good read about a very admirable young man who is a role model in several different ways.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Greg was better., February 6, 2000

By 

Richard Engelhardt (Boca Raton, FL United States) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Icebreaker: The Autobiography of Rudy Galindo (Paperback)

Something about this book just isn't very satisfying. When I saw the name Eric Marcus attatched to the book I was excited because I remembered that he helped Greg Louganis produce an excellent book. However, Rudy's book leaves a lot to be desired. The sroty seemes to focus more on his skating. True, skating was a vital part of his life, but it seemes that's all there is. This book would have been better if more time was spent on the events that happened between competitions.