XPost: alt.fan.tonya-harding
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The Portlandian, the Internet's premier source of Tonya News
February 16, 2021 Edition - SPECIAL TRIPLE AXEL DAY TRIBUTE ISSUE
(C) 2021 Portland Ice Skating Society
http://www.pdxiss.org *****************************************************************
It's safe to say that 2020 is not going to be remembered as a
vintage year. It got off to a bad start with Sarah Palin dressed
in a pink bear suit rapping about men's butts. And then it just
went downhill from there. Perhaps it is appropriate that it ended
with the collapse of the Arecibo radio telescope, a fitting way
to finish off one of the crappest years in decades. You thought
2016 was a stinker with all those old 20th-Century pop-culture
icons kicking the bucket? It now looks like a warmup for
something much worse.
I think that Tonya's sweatshirt pretty much says it all about how
we feel about last year:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CJfEL8qnmVP/
2021 hasn't got off to a great start either with the riot at the
Capitol in Washington DC. Still, that at least had an upside for
Tonyaphiles, serving to distract attention from the 27th
anniversary of a certain "incident" in Detroit on that day in
1994.
But today we have a reason to celebrate: for today is the
anniversary of one of the greatest moments in both figure skating
and in Tonya history - the 30th anniversary of Tonya's landing of
the triple axel in 1991. We'll be marking this special occasion
by looking back at that moment, and with our second Tonya Quiz,
so that you can see just how much of a Tonyaphile you really are.
LEAPING INTO HISTORY
Skating to an eclectic mixture of music consisting of the theme
from the film Batman, "Send in the Clowns" and Tone Loc's "Wild
Thing", in a routine devised by her long-time choreographer
Barbara Flowers, Tonya landed the triple axel about 45 seconds
into her Long Program at the Target Center in Minneapolis on this
day in 1991. This feat, the first by an American woman and only
the second in the world after Midori Ito of Japan, resulted in
her winning her first National title and becoming the first
American female skater to receive a 6.0 for technical merit since
Janet Lynn's U.S. Nationals performance in 1973. She also
received a standing ovation from the crowd.
We've found what appears to be the cleanest version on line, but
is lacking the scores - note how it has had over 3 million views
in three years:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8xdflx1Q0s
- with the Kiss & Cry, but with annoying tracking problems:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xP6aHaCKh0&t=300
If you want to know why this is a big deal, this video explains
why:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rOQv_6L9fQ
This achievement was so significant that as of 2020, only 12
women have successfully completed this jump in international
competition. No other U.S. woman would land it again at the
Nationals until Kimmie Meissner in 2005, and her landing was
arguably dirty. When it came time to recreate this historic
moment for the film "I, Tonya" in 2017, no suitable skating
double could be found to replicate it, so a bit of digital
trickery had to be employed to extend a double axel into a
triple:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1VBv0mSFkE
Or, to put it another way: if a triple Axel was a handgun, it
would be a .44 Magnum. Which makes Tonya the Dirty Harry of
figure skating. Do you feel lucky, punk?
It was but one of seven triple jumps that Tonya would perform in
that program, and also make her one of two women to complete six
different triple jumps and a triple axel in the same program, the
other being Midori Ito.
The achievement got national coverage at the time, being reported
in such major media as The New York Times, the L.A. Times and ABC
news:
https://www.nytimes.com/1991/02/17/sports/figure-skating-harding-takes-singles-title.html
https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-02-17-sp-2217-story.html
https://abcnews.go.com/Sports/video/feb-16-1991-figure-skater-tonya-harding-makes-52147063
It also got local coverage. Here's how it was reported at the
time by Tonya's hometown station of KATU:
https://bangpdx.com/fpo/2017/12/07/katu-news-2-16-1991-tonyas-triple-axel/
Announcer Al Michaels, who called the event, was reminded of his
role while watching "I, Tonya" three years ago:
https://www.indiewire.com/2018/01/i-tonya-al-michaels-triple-axel-announcer-1201916188/
At the 1991 World Championships in Munich the following month,
Tonya again landed another triple axel. Tonya would finish second
behind Kristi Yamaguchi with Nancy Kerrigan coming in third,
making this the first time a single nation had made a clean sweep
of the Ladies podium at Worlds:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDcJQ1hZ32g
At the 1991 Skate America competition in Oakland CA. in
September, Tonya notched up three more firsts, becoming the first
woman to complete a triple Axel in the short program, the first
woman to successfully execute two triple Axels in a single
competition, and the first to complete a triple Axel in
combination (in this case, with a double toe-loop):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JgBpDDjZAx8 (Short Program)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOP3Dj0DraQ (Long Program)
Unfortunately, this would be the last time that Tonya would
successfully land the triple axel in competition. She would try
and fail at the 1992 Olympics, and did not attempt it at the
Olympics in 1994. It would take until 2018 before an American
woman would finally succeed at the Olympics in the form of Mirai
Nagasu.
Tonya was to perform Triple Axels in public only one more time:
on an episode of "Inside Edition" in 1996. She did five takes,
falling on one and landing dirty on the others. She later did
another one live, also with a clumsy landing. Tonya herself last
reported successfully landing them in practice in the Fall of
2000, according to an interview on the now-defunct Internet radio
station eyada.com in October that year. This is the last time
that we are aware of Tonya successfully performing this jump.
It's a moment that even many years on still brings Tonya close to
tears, as seen in this 2018 interview.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KXbSiXcGw4
Sad to say, the only place Tonya can perform a triple axel today
is in her dreams. But nothing and nobody can take this history-
making moment away from her. We hope that eventually Tonya will
be given her rightful place in the Figure Skating Hall of Fame
for this outstanding and amazing athletic achievement.
OH DEER - IT'S TONYA!
Tonya has posted a few other messages on Instagram since our last
issue, these a bit less R-rated than the one above.
In late November, Tonya shared this photo of herself at
Thanksgiving. And I think we can be rest assured that turkey was
cooked to perfection thanks to all of Chef Anne's training!
https://www.instagram.com/p/CIEuAmTnsSB/
Tonya also posted a couple of Christmas-themed photos as well.
The first shows her attired in Christmas garb, posing with an
illuminated deer:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CJNOOvLnw3_/
The second is of Tonya in a tight skirt, proving that even at 50,
she's still got it:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CJSmwWxnUVo/
A roaring fire, Christmas decorations, and Tonya. What more do
you need for a perfect Yuletide season?
TONYA'S GARAGE SALE
Many people had Tonka trucks when they were kids - now some lucky
person has a Tonya truck!
It goes without saying that every Tonyaphile worthy of the title
would love to own one of Tonya's trucks - indeed, it would
probably be the top non-skating related Tonya collectible we'd
like to find under our Christmas tree (though you'd need a very
big tree). Well, now somebody has - because shortly before
Christmas, Tonya sold hers!
https://www.instagram.com/p/CIWcXXKn9EA/
http://lewisandlewismusic.com/tonya/Truck_Info.htm
In case you are wondering, this site belongs to her good friends
Greg & Linda Lewis, so it is legit.
Tonya says the truck has had an 80% ground-up restoration,
performed by Impact Auto, of Washington State, including tires
and wheels, differential, transmission, exhaust, brakes, inner
and outer bearings, front steering arms, front steering
stabilizer arm, drop-pitman arm, all bushings, and the
main block of the motor. Receipts are available.
"I replaced everything added onto the truck to make it work,
such as power steering pump, all hoses, water neck,
radiator, alternator, water pump, battery, wipers, plugs
wires, and Raptor liner paint (which I did with a friend of
mine). The truck also has new window guards, new vinyl floor
board, alarm, factory stereo, 4 inch lift kit, and brand new
wheels and tires (35 inch)."
"This truck is the deluxe model, so it has air conditioning,
power windows and power seats. The seats are cloth. So 80%
of the truck is brand-new within the last five years, and it
has less than 5000 miles on it since the restoration was
performed."
"I'm sure there's more. But right off the top of my head,
that's all I can think of, right now (It's a huge list,
anyway!).
Asking price was ten grand. The reason for selling is not given,
though we hope it's just because Tonya has bought something even
gruntier, not because she's downsizing to a Nissan Leaf. And no,
before you ask, it does not have 3 axles - like this one at the
THNK1994 Museum:
https://www.instagram.com/p/Burp21DBeCx/
Rumor is that the successful buyer was somebody with a name that
sounded like "Margaret" or something similar - hard to tell as
she had a strong, possibly Australian accent...
Would you buy a used truck from this woman? Yes, definitely!
Also for sale was a set of fine china that was given to Tonya in
1988 for winning a competition in Russia and a custom-made Tonya
Bobble-head doll. These items have now also been sold.
However, all is not lost - two of Tonya's dresses are still for
sale as of the time of writing.
- Tonya's wedding dress from her marriage to her current husband
Joe Price in 2010. Note that this is not the one seen in a
certain "home video" that Tonya made in the distant past:
http://lewisandlewismusic.com/tonya/Wedding_Dress_Info.htm
- Tonya's dress from Dancing With The Stars:
http://lewisandlewismusic.com/tonya/DWTS_Dress_Info.htm
If any more items are offered, they will be posted here.
http://lewisandlewismusic.com/tonya/index.htm
BEAUTIFUL TONYA PHOTOS NOW AVAILABLE
For those of us with more modest budgets, there's also welcome
news: after an absence of many years, Tonya has now once again
started selling autographed photos.
http://lewisandlewismusic.com/tonya/Photos_Info.htm
Prices are $40 for a signed photo and an extra $10 for a brief
message. There are currently six different photos to choose from:
1. Tonya in a snowy Christmas landscape:
http://lewisandlewismusic.com/tonya/Photo_Tonya_Christmas.htm
2. Tonya's Short Program at Lillehammer in 1994:
http://lewisandlewismusic.com/tonya/Photo_Olympic_Rings_On_Ice.htm
3. Tonya skating in Vail, Colorado, during the filming of the
"Breaking The Ice" special in late 1997:
http://lewisandlewismusic.com/tonya/Photo_Tonya_Skates_In_Colorado.htm
4. "Lickety Split", the Ford Coupe that Tonya drove to set a land
speed record in 2009 - complete with a very attractive hood
ornament:
http://lewisandlewismusic.com/tonya/Photo_Tonya_On_Car_Salt_Flats.htm
5. Tonya on the podium after her 1991 Nationals win:
http://lewisandlewismusic.com/tonya/Photo_Tonya_On_Podium.htm
6. Tonya sitting on a motorbike for a promotion for The Nashville
Network's "Bad Boys Week" in August 2000:
http://lewisandlewismusic.com/tonya/Photo_Tonya_Sitting_On_Bike.htm
With such a splendid range to choose from, your Christmas gift
problems for this year are solved. Because, contrary to what
scriptwriter Steven Rogers once said, nothing says Christmas more
than Tonya!
TONYA FAN ART ROUNDUP
Now for our regular feature, Tonya fan art. Since this is Triple
Axel Day, we'll start off with a bunch of artwork devoted to that
topic:
sunflowersatellite
https://www.instagram.com/p/CItO65MlV81/
#drawcember2020 Day 12: 'Skating'
"I decided to take some inspiration from the scene in 'I,
Tonya' where Tonya is preparing to do a triple axel jump.
It's partially inspired by the video or the real Tonya
Harding too, but I wanted a clearer shot of her face before
the jump so I went with Margot Robbie's portrayal of her in
the movie.
askar_reviews - the Triple Axel, plus a positive film review:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CH0HIn3gAoY/
"This style of direction to me is refreshing and genuinely
entertaining, rather than making it close to a biography,
director Craig Gillespie made it into a smart conversation
between the characters themselves and also the viewer.
Hearing all angles of the story and making you, the viewer,
the judge of what happened. This movie got Allison Janney her
first Oscar (Best actress in a supporting role) as she played
the role of Tonya's mother, a deserved Oscar nonetheless."
haydensscomet - more triple axels
https://www.instagram.com/p/CIWgK-2gGCy/
Oyku Metin (_artofoyku_)
https://www.instagram.com/p/CKWTI23HS3G/
megan_is_sugar:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CJNiOrhpoKI/
More "I, Tonya" artwork:
Abdelrahman Hajj (abdhajj.art) - various scenes from the movie:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CHgCHtyjY5p/
Katherine Kiel (psychokieler_art) - the confrontation with the
skating judge:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CIFWiQqhTu6/
Mar (filmss.and.films) - "attitude" Tonya from the film poster:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CIQSs_DA2M_/
Estele Sluse (estellesls) - an alternative movie poster featuring
all the characters from the film:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CIiqrO_MeQ9/
"I, Tonya - 2017
I love this movie a lot, so I decided to make an alternative
movie poster of it, so, swipe to see the full version and
the black and white one :)
Here is my review of this fantastic movie:
Fun and original biopic about Tonya Harding, ice skating
figure (and a bit controversial). I loved this movie a lot,
the way that is filmed is original, and I always like when
the fourth wall is broken, it doesn't look like a classic
biopic. Also, the soundtrack is just perfect, and the actors
are simply excellent (Margot Robbie, Allison Janney,
Sebatian Stan and the others) and the characters are very
interesting ..."
Zatt (zatt.psd) - another "I, Tonya" poster:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CI_w8TKhEop/
Grace Liu (graceliu.art) (12/30) - "I, Tonya" collage:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CJZLx3olMLu/
"-i loved this movie bc i love figure skating, and it was
inspired by an edit by @filmsfromsaturn
Khalid (kaldld): Portland OR. Tonya-inspired makeup:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CIVwdhwjWns/
A couple of crying Tonya drawings:
Timothy McLaughlin (tim_8443): New England:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CIlvNzuggCf/
John Baldwin (jbass6):
https://www.instagram.com/p/CHe4Y4NDlKS/
REatNOON (reatnoon) - Tonya's 1992 Olympics short program:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CI9SlfQFG02/ (liked by real Tonya)
"I'm in love with @therealtonyaharding I drew her some time
ago and I had to redraw her now! I just looooveeee this
suit!!!!"
Amelia Morgan (in_living_watercolor)- Tonya doing a Biellmann
spin:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CH3RjE4h-vR/
"Testing out a new pan of paint and channeling my favorite
figure skater, @therealtonyaharding ! #gansaitambi
watercolors are so beautifully pigmented and behave a lot
like gouache!! I think I have my weekend planned!"
And last, but definitely not least, we have Gisa from Germany,
who has been busy, with some Christmas ornaments, earrings, an
advent calendar, some scrunchies and a DWTS collage:
gisafrog:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CHfDAglr16Y/
"Yooptzah everybody (especially fellow Tonya Fans),
Today is the birthday of the amazing @therealtonyaharding
so let's celebrate her with a little collage from DWTS (Love
her dancing Dress)
Tonya, If you See this: I Wish you an awesome day with your
loved ones and many happy Returns and everything good in the
World.
I used a Lot of glitter paint and glittery cardboard for the
Stars.
Hope y'all Like it."
https://www.instagram.com/p/CJLjvSwH1WH/
"Here is the (totally awesome) 24 of my amazing advent
calendar.
In the Story The owl I sent to the US turned Out to be for
@therealtonyaharding and she sent Back to me magic skates
and a Magic skating Dress so I can do some figure skating at
the #naehkromanten Hogwarts Christmas celebrations and save
christmas.
Even with Magic I could NEVER Skate Like Tonya of course.
But I really Love the Idea and the end of the Story and I'm
really sad that the advent calendar is finished now.
And I got this totally awesome Tonya-themed longsleeve Shirt
with skates on it and the cuffs and collar in teal (Like one
of my favourite costumes, the one from World's 1992) and
also two awesome Tonya Patches (to Put on my bag or
favourite denim jacket) and some more scrunchies
https://www.instagram.com/p/CIsWDw7H-Ni/
"Here are two awesome christmas ornaments (Made from perler
beads) I got from the amazing @regenbogentigerfrau
additional to my christmas card.
It was a lovely surprise and they are perfect.
She knows from my Swap Info that I'm a Ravenclaw and that
I'm a huge Fan of @therealtonyaharding and figure skating so
she made a Ravenclaw crest and a glittery skate in the
colours of Tonya's Most famous costume."
https://www.instagram.com/p/CKdfbyvnQBX/
"Here are two pairs of earrings inspired by
@therealtonyaharding
My favourite figure skater forever is still great
Inspiration for making jewelry.
I used little snowflake / ice crystal charms (I know that
Tonya loves snowflakes) and crystal glass beads.
The mint-coloured beads of course are supposed to remind of
Tonya's famous Triple Axel costume and the purple-and-silver
beads are inspired by the purple costume with the silver
swirly decorations (one of my favourites) she wore at the
start of her career.
Hope you Like them."
TONYA QUIZ
And now it's time for our special feature: our Tonya quiz.
This time round, we focus on stuff that has happened in
Tonyaville since our last quiz in 2014. Naturally "I, Tonya" will
feature heavily. Although there are a few tricky ones, all of
them have only one, unambiguously correct answer, and don't
depend on differing interpretations of the wording as to which
answer is correct. Many of the answers can be found in previous
editions of The Portlandian (some even in this edition). As
before, there's no prize for getting it right. Your only reward
is that warm, smug, self-satisfied feeling inside that you get
when you realize you know something that most other people don't.
1: On the day on which Tonya was born, which one of the following
things also occurred?
a) a whale was blown up with dynamite
b) Sharon Tate was murdered
c) the Watergate break-in took place
d) "The Partridge Family" debuted on television
2: What music did Tonya skate to when she landed the Triple Axel
at the 1991 U.S. Nationals?
a) "The Passenger" by Siouxsie & The Banshees
b) "The Passenger" by Iggy Pop
c) the theme from Batman
d) the theme from Jurassic Park
3: What was the name of the low-budget action movie that Tonya
had a bit part in shortly after she was banned from figure
skating?
a) "Breakaway"
b) "Sharp Edges"
c) "The Price of Gold"
d) "One-Eyed Hooker With A Shotgun"
4: Artist Mike Denison once drew a picture showing Tonya & Nancy
as characters from which Stanley Kubrick film?
a) A Clockwork Orange
b) 2001: A Space Odyssey
c) The Shining
d) Dr. Strangelove
5: What was the name of the Swedish skating official who examined
Tonya's broken shoelace at the 1994 Lillehammer Winter Olympics?
a) Astrid Lindgren
b) Britta Lindgren
c) Christina Lindberg
d) Greta Thunberg
6: Ricotta, Scafata and Mascarpone are:
a) characters from "The Sopranos"
b) famous opera singers
c) Italian figure skaters of the 1950s
d) some of the ingredients in Tonya's prize-winning meal on
"Worst Cooks"
7: Shortly before the 1994 attack, "I, Tonya" director Craig
Gillespie was also involved in making a TV commercial featuring
Nancy Kerrigan for which company?
a) Nike
b) Texaco
c) Disney
d) Campbell's Soup
8: Which artist released a song about Tonya in December 2017?
a) Sufjan Stevens
b) Ed Sheeran
c) Taylor Swift
d) Alice Cooper
9: According to a study by the Portland Ice Skating Society's
Special Duties Section published in "The Portlandian" in November
2019, how many f-words does "I, Tonya" contain?
a) 61
b) 129
c) 173
d) 269
10: Which of these songs was NOT used on the soundtrack of "I,
Tonya"?
a) "Goodbye Stranger" by Supertramp
b) "Sleeping Bag" by ZZ Top
c) "Romeo & Juliet" by Dire Straits
d) "Evil Woman" by the Electric Light Orchestra
11. Which of the following skaters was one of the stunt doubles
for Margot Robbie in "I, Tonya"?
a) Gracie Gold
b) Ashley Wagner
c) Heidi Munger
d) there were no stunt doubles - Margot did all her own
skating
Okay, we're gonna make this next one real tough:
12: Established in 2015, the THNK1994 museum is located in which
Borough of New York City?
a) Brooklyn
b) The Bronx
c) Manhattan
d) Staten Island
13: In 2015, Portland artist Brittany Powell created a diorama
based on what Tonya-related event?
a) the Nancy Kerrigan assault
b) the 1991 Nationals triple axel
c) the broken shoelace at Lillehammer
d) her fight against Paula Jones in "Celebrity Boxing"
14: After his release from prison, what did Nancy Kerrigan hitman
Shane Stant change his name to?
a) Shane Price
b) Shane Stone
c) Brian Shane Griffith
d) none of the above
15: An incriminating note, allegedly in Tonya's handwriting, was
found in a dumpster outside which location?
a) The Clackamas Town Center mall
b) The Dockside Saloon
c) The Tony Kent Arena
d) Christine Brennan's house
16: Tonya made it through to the final of which reality show in
2018?
a) Celebrity Big Brother
b) Dancing With The Stars
c) The Masked Singer
d) Real Housewives of Clackamas County
17: Two roads named Harding and Kerrigan intersect in which
location?
a) Portland, Oregon.
b) Stoneham, Mass.
c) Copiague, NY.
d) Lillehammer, Norway.
18: "Tonya and Nancy: The Rock Opera" played in which American
city last year?
a) Naples, FL.
b) Reno, NV.
c) Huntington, WV.
d) Phoenix, AZ.
19: Tonya appeared at a fundraiser for which type of charitable
cause in Eugene, Oregon in 2019?
a) muscular dystrophy
b) 9/11 victims
c) domestic violence
d) a children's hospital
And here's one for Sarah:
20: Tonya shares her birthday with which famous American mass
murderer?
a) Ted Bundy
b) Charles Manson
c) Ed Gein
d) Jeffrey Dahmer
e) John Wayne Gacy
Answers will be published in another few days.
*****************************************************************
VISIT THESE GREAT TONYA WEB SITES:
PortIce -
http://www.pdxiss.org
David House -
http://www.tonyaharding.org
Charlie Main -
http://www.charliesweb.com/tonya/tonya.html
Puppetboy -
http://www.usapaul.net/tonya/
Valerie Smith -
http://www.olywa.net/radu/valerie/LilHam.html
Swan Lake -
http://members.tripod.com/~TonyaHarding/index.html
Blades of Gold -
http://members.tripod.com/tmhfan/index.html *****************************************************************
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