2008 Figure Skating Events and Highlights

Pair skating coach Dalilah Sappenfield made history in 2008. Her students won the novice, junior, and senior pair titles at the U.S. National Figure Skating Championships. This is the first time in U.S. figure skating history that one coach taught all the national pair champions.

Mirai Nagasu surprised the skating world by winning the short program in the Senior Ladies event at the U.S. National Figure Skating Championships. She earned 70.23 points, the highest-ever score for a ladies' short program at any U.S. National Figure Skating event. Nagasu's short program score was so high in 2008, that her lead could not be touched. Although she came in third in the freeskate portion of the competition, she held on and won the 2008 Ladies National title.

Keauna McLaughlin and Rockne Brubaker won the U.S. National Junior Pair title and the World Junior Pair Championships in 2007. In 2008, they went on to win the U.S. National Pairs title. They were the first pair team in fifty-one years to win consecutive junior and senior pair skating titles.

Johnny Weir and Evan Lysacek earned identical scores at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in 2008; however, Lysacek won the freeskate portion of the men's event, so he was awarded the gold medal. Weir had to settle for the silver.

Olympic pair skaters and 2006 U.S. Pair Skating Champions Rena Inoue and John Baldwin may not have won at Nationals, but they made history at the event anyway. After their performance, Baldwin went down on his knees and proposed to his pair skating partner.

On April 14, 2008, at a hospital in Zurich, Switzerland, the legendary ice show comedian, Mr. Frick passed away. Mr. Frick was known for doing a spread-eagle cantilever, where he did an inside spread eagle while bending his knees way forward, but at the same time, he leaned backward.

American Girl dolls have been loved and played with by little girls for many years. The dolls teach girls about American history and life's values. Each year, a modern day limited edition doll is introduced. 2008's doll was a figure skater named Mia St. Clair.

Janet Lynn was the United States National Figure Skating Champion from 1969 through 1973. She won an Olympic bronze medal in 1972. She is remembered for being both athletic and graceful and is considered one of the best freeskaters of all time. In 2008, she gave a controversial speech at the U.S. Figure Skating Governing Council Meeting. The speech was titled "From Whence Comes the Joy of Figure Skating?"

Over 100 national, world, and Olympic figure skaters have been part of the Los Angeles Figure Skating Club's history. In July of 2008, the club celebrated its 75th anniversary. Many of the figure skaters that represented the Los Angeles Figure Skating Club in the past and present attended the celebration. There was a gala exhibition and show followed by a V.I.P. reception. One of the highlights was a performance by the 2008 U.S. Pair Skating Champions, Keauna McLaughlin and Rockne Brubaker. There was also be a parade of champions.

U.S. National Men's Figure Skating Champion, Christopher Bowman, was known as "Bowman the Showman." Bowman was found dead in a motel room in Los Angeles on January 10, 2008. He was forty years old at the time of his death. Sources say he weighed over three hundred pounds when he died. Some say that he died of a drug overdose that could have been suicide. Others say he just died in his sleep.

Canadian and world figure skating champion and Olympic bronze medalist, Jeffrey Buttle, decided to leave competitive figure skating. He stated that he is satisfied with what he had accomplished in the sport and just did not have the fire to continue.

In September of 2008, both Emily Chan, Daniel Valecilla, their families, and their figure skating coaches were affected by the Hurricane Ike storm. The young pair skaters went on to win the 2009 U.S. Juvenile Pair Skating title.