Skating Gossip from FRANK
Margaret Burwell
Fiona McQuarrie (mcqu...@sfu.ca) writes:
> The following two items appeared in the most recent FRANK magazine, a
> satirical magazine in Canada that's kind of like SPY in the US or PRIVATE
> EYE in England.
>
> Item 1:
> Elvis Stojko has been dumped by his girlfriend Kimberly Currie (Canadian
> ice dancer) who decided she wanted to go out with her dance partner,
Can't comment on the accuracty of this item. I live in Ottawa,
not Barrie
> Item 2:
I had some serious problems with the facts in this article.
> Michel Brunet (ice dancer) and Juan Carlos Noria (ditto) are both training
> at the Minto Club in Ottawa. They got into a fistfight during a training
> session and had to be separated by Marilyn Symko, Brunet's coach.
First, the article said that Marilyn was Juan Carlos' coach. That
was wrong. Marilyn Symko is a former Minto coach who moved to Calgary a
little over a year ago. Jennifer and Michel moved to Calgary with her.
The coach the article meant was Marina Zueva, former coach and current
choreographer of Gordeeva and Grinkov, who now lives in Ottawa and is
working with both teams - Chantal Lefebvre and Michel Brunet and Julie
Lauzon and Juan Carlos Noria.
>Last
> season Brunet was skating with Jennifer Boyce and they were second in
> Canada. Boyce ended the partnership because she was tired of Brunet's
> partying.
>
> Brunet and Noria dislike each other because Boyce/Brunet have been getting
> better results than Noria and his new partner (no name given), whereas
> two years ago Noria and Penny Mann were second ranked in Canada. Mann
> retired and Noria has had several other partners since then.
>
The article said that Penny Mann and Juan Carlos Noria were second
in Canada in 1992 and 1993. True enough. Also said that they were pushed
out of second in 1994 and 1995. Well, sort of true. Jennifer and Michel
*did* push Penny and JC aside to capture second in 1994, but JC did not
compete in 1995. Penny retired from competition and started coaching (at
the Minto Skating Club - where else) and JC moved to Delaware to train for
the 1994-95 season. He returned to Canada last spring expecting to team
up with Jackie Petr. Jackie decided at the last minute not to reinstate
so JC was left high and dry at the last minute. Julie Lauzon, a former
Junior dancer who had not competed in over a year was enticed back to the
rink to skate with JC. When I first saw them last summer, I felt that JC
was carrying her around the ice. When I saw them last weekend they blew
me away. Their compulsories have improved (mostly on her part) 1000% and
they have an Original Dance Paso that is little short of Awesome. Chantal
and Michel were not competing, having a bye to Divisionals because they
are competing at Nations Cup, so I can't comment on their progress.
I'm not privy to all the private goings on between Jennifer Boyce
and Michel Brunet over the last year. The Major reason the partnership
dissolved was that they couldn't agree on where they would live and who
would coach them. Jennifer was very happy in Calgary and wanted to
continue training with Marilyn Symko. Michel was very homesick. He
missed the French Canadian culture of his home in Gatineau, Que. He also
felt that it was time that they get some fresh input into their skating.
Marilyn was the only coach he had ever had since he started skating. If a
team can't agree on where to train and with whom - they aren't a team any
more. Now, if I may extend my claws a bit - the fact that Michel was on
the ice with a new partner within 48 hours of Jennifer deciding that she
didn't want to continue is suspicious to me. The fact that Penny Mann,
who lives with Michel's brother, is now coaching the new team of Lefebvre
and Brunet may have had something to do with the rapid split and new team.
> This item ends saying that Noria has announced his retirement, but I am
> not sure about this because in INtl. Figure Skating magazine there
> was some mention of him partnering with an American skater and
> representing Spain.
>
Again, NOT SO. Juan Carlos is skating with Julie Lauzon at the
Minto Skating club. They were at Eastern Ontario Sectionals last weekend
and have every intention of trying for that second dance spot to represent
Canada in Edmonton. From what I saw - they have a shot at it.
> ANYHOW, that's what FRANK magazine says. Again, I make no claims as to
> the truth of this information - I'm just repeating it. Anyone who has
> contrary or supporting information, feel free to add it on.
>
> Cheers, Fiona
You missed the best part of the article - Michel and JC getting
into a dust-up on the ice. That part I know is true. The two couples
were on the ice doing their warmup stroking. You and I would call it
playing chicken. JC thought that Chantal and Michel came too close and
cut him off. Not pleased, he spat at Michel. Michel, not taking kindly
to this sort of thing, picked JC up and slammed him into the boards.
Police were called. By the time the cops arrived, Marina Z had separated
the two. The article says that Michel has been disciplined by Minto
officials and that JC has slapped a restraining order on him. Can't
confirm this, but it seems logical.
Marg
Fiona McQuarrie
satirical magazine in Canada that's kind of like SPY in the US or PRIVATE
EYE in England.
to unfounded gossip. I make no claims to the accuracy of this information,
but I thought it was interesting and that's why it's up here. Anyone
who dislikes it, I'd be happy to give you FRANK's phone number :)
Item 1:
Elvis Stojko has been dumped by his girlfriend Kimberly Currie (Canadian
ice dancer) who decided she wanted to go out with her dance partner,
Paul (?) (I'm drawing a blank here). He is consoling himself by going
to a strip club near the Toronto airport, where he has been seen about
3 times a week, and usually sitting in the very front row.
Item 2:
Michel Brunet (ice dancer) and Juan Carlos Noria (ditto) are both training
at the Minto Club in Ottawa. They got into a fistfight during a training
session and had to be separated by Marilyn Symko, Brunet's coach. Last
season Brunet was skating with Jennifer Boyce and they were second in
Canada. Boyce ended the partnership because she was tired of Brunet's
partying. While they were "on tour" (I assume this means Stars on
Ice or the Eaton's show - it doesn't say which) he was out partying almost
every night and one night tried to get on the tour bus "for a late night
training session with a female companion". The bus was locked so they
went to the hotel and made noise there instead.
Brunet and Noria dislike each other because Boyce/Brunet have been getting
better results than Noria and his new partner (no name given), whereas
two years ago Noria and Penny Mann were second ranked in Canada. Mann
retired and Noria has had several other partners since then.
This item ends saying that Noria has announced his retirement, but I am
not sure about this because in INtl. Figure Skating magazine there
was some mention of him partnering with an American skater and
representing Spain.
ANYHOW, that's what FRANK magazine says. Again, I make no claims as to