Legendary figure skater Dick Button died on January 30, 2025, at the age of 95. He would have said he looked "spiffy" in this photo from the 40s, but I'm here to say he's kind of a babe.
He was a two-time Olympic champion, five-time World champion, seven-time National champion, and the only non-European man to win the European title.
I got a hug as well as a lively lecture, details back in 2014.
He introduced "North American style" athleticism to figure skating, bringing the sport forward after World War II. He was the first skater to do a double axel in competition, the first triple - a loop - in competition, and created the Button Camel, which is now known as the flying camel.
After a stint touring in ice shows and graduating from Harvard Law School, he became a broadcaster debuting with coverage of the 1960 Olympic Games. He was the voice of figure skating in the United States until 2010 - that's 50 years! While some found his commentary abrasive, he educated many in the terminology and nuances of the sport, finding great delight in the athletic, the unusual, the unique, and, in his words, the superb.
In addition, he was a television producer and entrepreneur, creating many television specials and skating production companies.
There is no shortage of mourners this morning; others may offer better stories and a more complete CV of what he brought to skating. Obituaries say he was preceded in death by his former wife Slavka, and is survived by his two children and partner, Dennis Grimaldi.
It's been a tough couple of days for the US Figure Skating community.
We can't end it like that; he delighted in high art as well as pop art. Here he is in 2D glory, a cameo on The Animaniacs, narrating Jakko singing every word in the English language.
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