When Hell Freezes Over: Should I Bring My Skates?

By Toller Cranston and Martha Lowder Kimball

Book Overview

He has been described as bold, brazen, and totally unabashed, one of a kind, and clearly a genius. He won the Canadian figure-skating championships six times and brought back a bronze medal from the 1976 Winter Olympic Games. He revolutionized men's figure skating, single-handedly transforming an athletic competition into a modern art form. He is an artist, celebrity, costume designer, broadcaster, choreographer of skating routines, coach, bon vivant, world traveller, art collector, legend, and enigma. And Toller Cranston has stories to tell.Like the time at Lake Placid when a woman drove her car directly into his bedroom and seduced him, and the groupie who broke into his house and waited for him naked except for a few strategically arranged rose petals. He writes about his encounters with the great and famous. (On meeting Joni Mitchell, for example, he asked, politely, You sing, don't you?) With mixed feelings, he describes his reaction upon viewing a German-made pornographic film in which he played an unexpected part.This is not so much a sequel to Toller Cranston's previous best-selling memoir, Zero Tollerance, as a companion volume. There are skating stories and stories from the world of art, there are stories of good times and of bad, high times and low. There are portraits of extraordinary people who have shaped and colored his life, parting thoughts about his relationship with the management group, IMG, about his own retirement, and about the condition of skating today. But this is chiefly an entertaining look back on the first half of an eventful, unusual life by a great artist and performer.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0771023375
• ISBN13: 9780771023378
• Release Date: September 2001
• Publisher: McClelland & Stewart
• Length: 296 Pages
• Weight: 4.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.4" x 8.7"

Customer Reviews

Outrageous Opinions and Fun from Toller Once Again

Once again, you'll be entertained with Toller's outrageous anecdotes about life as a famous figure skater. He details more of his struggles as an amateur skater in this book than in Zero Tollerance. He may act like a Drama Queen at times, but he is grounded enough not to take himself too seriously, and even pokes fun at himself. That honesty is what I like about his writing. He writes about a deranged fan who has stalked him for years and offers a vivid and quite hilarious account of dining with Liberace. You'll never look at Lee quite the same after reading Toller's experience with the famous entertainer. What I also found fascinating was Toller's opinions on today's skaters. He deplores the crass commercialism and outrageous behavior of some skaters, feeling that their behavior and attitude has done nothing to enhance the art of figure skating. He singles out the commercially popular Philippe Candeloro as a "Chippendale Dancer on Skates." You may not agree with what he has to say, but he is brutally honest and not afraid to speak his mind. He actually says what other people might think. Most importantly, if he describes a skater's faults, he also tells of their strengths. For example, Toller deplores Elvis' lack of artistry but admires his amazing technical skills. It's a shame that the CBC does not use Toller as a commentator, because he would be like a breath of fresh air instead of the usual boring dribble and fawning from today's skating commentators.

Toller at his best!

One of the most influential skaters of the 20th Century, and a man not afraid to speak out about the world of skating.This book is not exactly a sequel to ZERO TOLLERENCE, but it does give us some more biographical detail, regarding problems with drugs, his sometimes wild and crazy lifestyle, his painting, and his struggle to get his life on track. And, of course, Cranston's opinions on the world of figure skating--warts and all--are worth the price of the book alone. He's not afraid to criticize a sport that he helped to make popular--he sees the problems, and tells it like it is. And, from a man that has the experience and talent to back up those words, it means a great deal.Anyone who loves skating, and is concerned about the future of the sport ought to buy this book--what he says are wise words indeed.