30 Days of [Figure] Skating: Day Twenty-Six

Day 26: Saddest Day in Figure Skating

I could go with a number of answers. 1961 plane crash, death of Sergei Grinkov, death of Carlo Fassi, death of countless skaters before their time... but I'm not going to, because a lot of thsoe happened before I was old enough to really understand what was going on - or in the case of 1961 well before my time.

No, the saddest day for me was when Scott Hamilton "retired" from touring. I had an incling the year prior when he skated the group number in SOI entitled Old Friends which was a medly of Simon and Garfunkel hits. Scott's part was looking back on all the good times and all of the fun... I remember turning to my dad and freaking out saying "IS HE GOING TO RETIRE?" everyone said I was nuts.

The following year Scott announced that the new season was his final one touring with SOI. I was vindicated, but not happy. Scott Hamilton had been my hero, my idol, my favorite for so long and it was finally happening. He was finally leaving me. It was the end of an era and I was not happy to see it come.

I watched that show with a lot of emotion. When they got to the finale and he handed the reigns over to Kurt and Kristi and Tara, and they were all misty I lost it. I was home alone (well I was babysitting Duane who'd fallen asleep after Kurt's routine) and I didn't care. Tears rolled.

Scott's retirement also seemed to mark the end of the Golden Era of skating in North America. Many blame the new judging system or MK's disappearance from the international scene, but I think it was just time for that era to be finished. Scottie leaving just made the void bigger...