1961 World Team exhibit opens at figure skating museum

At the recent U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Greensboro, NC, the 1961 U.S. World Team was officially inducted into the World Figure Skating Hall of Fame.  On Thursday evening a ribbon cutting ceremony took place to open the new exhibit at the Hall of Fame and Museum that honors the legacy of that team.  Thirty-four members of the U.S. contingent were killed when a Sabena Airlines flight crashed near Brussels, Belgium on February 15, 1961.  All eighteen skaters perished, as well as sixteen coaches and family members.  They were on their way to the World Championships in Prague, Czechoslovakia.

Presiding over the ceremony were David Raith, executive director of U.S. Figure Skating, and Doug Price from the Colorado Springs Convention and Visitors Bureau.  About sixty people were on hand for the event, including a handful of family members of those killed in the crash.

"This is a fitting tribute that both visitors and residents will enjoy," Price said. 

Perhaps the highlight of the evening was a slide presentation by Patty Bushman, author of the book Indelible Tracings, which chronicles the lives of all the members of the U.S. entourage.  Patty was a skater in her younger years, and got the "inspiration from a plaque outside the skating rink in Paramount, CA, that has all 34 names inscribed."  Her talk specifically touched on the eight members from the Broadmoor Skating Club that were killed:  brother/sister pairs skaters Bill and Laurie Hickox; men's competitor Greg Kelly and sister Nathalie; ladies' competitor Steffi Westerfeld and sister Sherry; and coach Edi Scholdan and his 11-year-old son Jimmy.

Afterward Bushman signed copies of her book, and members of Team USA were also signing posters and such.  One of the members present was Rachael Flatt, silver medalist at the recent Nationals.  "This is a neat experience," she said.  "At some point I came to realize that the crash is part of U.S. figure skating history.  And I think the Memorial Fund was created eight days afterward.  I have benefitted from that in the last couple years."

The U.S Figure Skating Memorial Fund was indeed established on February 23, 1961 to accomodate the outpouring of assistance from the world figure skating community that came in immediately after the tragedy.

Thursday night's exhibit ceremony was the first of four things U.S. Figure Skating is doing in commemoration.  Next Tuesday morning there will be a wreath ceremony at 9:30 at the skate bench on the Broadmoor grounds.  The bench has the names of the eight Broadmoor members killed.  Next Thursday will be the nationwide showing of the film RISE, which will honor the victims and tell the story of the rebirth of American figure skating in its wake.  The film starts at 6:00 pm, and will be shown at both Cinemark locations and the Hollywood Theatres in Colorado Springs.  To reserve tickets, call the theatres or go online to www.rise1961.com.  Then next Saturday there will be a Colorado Springs reception and fund-raiser for the Memorial Fund.  For information on that, contact U.S. Figure Skating at 719-635-5200.