By Abby Farrell
The Spring 2025 issue of SKATING magazine hit mailboxes this past weekend. Here are five stories to check out.
Click here to subscribe to SKATING magazine.
Legacy on Ice Inspires Healing
On Jan. 29, 2005, the figure skating community lost 28 beloved athletes, coaches and parents on American Airlines Flight 5342. In this issue, we pay tribute to those lives lost far too soon as they headed home from National Development Camp in Wichita, Kansas.
In the spirit of healing and to honor the lasting legacies of the victims, the community came together in Washington D.C., on March 2 to grieve and pay tribute those 28 individuals through the only way they know how — skating. The night featured appearances by figure skating legends such as Olympic champions Brian Boitano, Kristi Yamaguchi, Peggy Flemming and Scott Hamilton, as well as emotional performances from current and former Team USA skaters. To remember his parents Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, Team USA skater Maxim Naumov performed to his parent’s favorite song, “The City That Doesn’t Exist,” a ballad from a Russian film. Isabella Aparicio also skated to pay tribute to her brother Franco Aparicio and father Luciano Aparicio who lost their lives. The event also recognized the brave first responders who were first on the scene after the tragic crash.
Remembering Dick Button
One day after the tragic plane crash, the skating world lost the legend Dick Button who passed away on Jan. 30, 2025, at the age of 95. The two-time Olympic champion is best be remembered for his artistry and athleticism, as well as a beloved television personality. On ice, his accomplishments are unrivaled and started what is called the “Golden Age” of American figure skating. He won consecutive Olympic gold medals (1948, ’52), five-consecutive World titles (1948–’52), three-consecutive North American titles (1947, ’49, ’51), seven-consecutive U.S. titles (1947–’52) and a rare European Championships (1948). He is also credited for landing the first double Axel, the first triple jump (a loop) and for creating the “Button Camel,” a forward spin now known as the flying camel. On television, Button was known as the “Voice of Figure Skating,” serving as an analyst for almost every Olympic Winter Games, regardless of host network, until 2010. Always an innovator and highly opinionated personality, Button created the analyst role, which earned him the first Emmy Award for Outstanding Sports Personality (1981) and an induction into the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame (2015).
Teams Elite Wins World Junior Title
On March 8, Teams Elite made history by becoming the first U.S. synchronized skating team to win a World title at the ISU World Junior Synchronized Skating Championships 2025 in Gothenburg, Sweden. The team out of Northbrook, Illinois, finished third in the short program, but came roaring back in the free skate to claim gold, the team’s sixth total medal at the World Junior Championships. Coach Danielle Ostrower reflected on how the win was not only important for their team, but for all of the teams that came before them and that it is a testament to how far Team USA has come. They were joined on the podium for the second time at the World Junior Championships by the Skyliners, who secured the bronze medal.
A Look Back at the U.S. Championships Through Pictures
Have you ever wondered what it looks like behind the scenes at the U.S. Figure Skating and U.S. Synchronized Skating Championships? Now is your chance to get an exclusive look at the two pinnacle events, from moments of celebration between athletes and their support systems in the stands to the moments of connection and focus just before competitors take the ice.
Skate Tech Molds Career Path
Aislinn Munck-Owen started her skating journey at a young age after getting kicked out of ballet classes, and has been involved with the sport ever since. Today, Munck-Owen is a skate tech and owner of Home Ice, a skate shop located inside The Skating Club of Boston. The business that opened eight years ago stemmed from decades of experience molding and fitting boots that started in Helena, Montana, as she worked alongside her father on skates ordered through a catalogue from Rainbow Sports in Chicago. After graduating high school, she skated for Disney on Ice for six years until a recurring injury in her right foot prompted early retirement. She then later took a job managing a skate shop inside The Skating Club of Boston, and after two years, bought out the inventory and started Home Ice. Some people might raise their eyebrows at a female skate tech, but Munck thinks it’s cool for parents to see that their daughter gets to see a woman skate tech, showing that it is a plausible career path.
