For several months we've been watching the triple-toe loops, the salchows, and camel spins of Michelle Kwan, Tara Lipinski and others as they prepare for Olympic competition this month in Nagano, Japan. Ice skating gets more compelling each year -- almost 100,000 kids now belong to the U.S. Figure Skating Association. That's quite a jump from 50 years ago when Dick Button won the first Olympic gold medal for figure skating in 1948.
One reason for the increased popularity in the sport is the artistry, class and dedication of Brian Boitano, 1988 gold medalist for the U.S. In the opening pages of "Boitano's Edge: Inside the Real World of Figure Skating," he describes the experience of winning that gold medal as though it happened last week. Younger readers won't remember "the Battle of the Brians" in which Boitano's principal competition was Canadian skater Brian Orser, but Boitano takes them through his exciting routine from the beginning spiral to the final triple Axel and then the nail-biting wait for the news in the dressing room.
But this large book with plenty of full-color photos is not an autobiography. More a look inside the world of figure skaters, Boitano and writer Suzanne Harper describe the training and preparation, costume rules and costs (Nancy Kerrigan's costume for the 1994 Olympics was valued at $13,000), music selection and choreography, judging, touring as a professional, skating moves, the rules of competition and famous skaters of the past.
Some of these segments are written by important backups like William Craig, the "blade man" who has been sharpening Boitano's blades since 1987. Others come from well-known skaters like Katerina Witt and Boitano's coach Linda Leaver who have come to be his close friends. In the ten years since winning the Olympic gold, Boitano has won over 50 titles, including two world titles, four U.S. National titles, and a record number of championships as a professional. You can also see him as commentator for ice skating events on ABC Sports. This experience in broadcasting may have given him the edge he needed to make "Boitano's Edge" both personal and exceedingly interesting. Readers will also sense his inner strength and focus. We have no trouble believing him when he says, "This is the real figure skating world, and it's the part I love the most, when it's just me, an empty rink, and the ice."
By the way, the Olympics start February 7.
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