IDAHO
Sun Valley Serenade
Although a few professional skaters performed the principal acts, the first Sun Valley Ice Shows featured skaters who could barely make their way around the rink.
Young people employed by Union Pacific to work at the resort in other capacities were given a costume, a pair of skates and instructions that were often as sketchy as, “just move around!” Guests were also engaged in the chorus numbers and their photos printed in the society pages of the local newspaper back home. Skating outside in the summer was as unique an experience then, as it is today.
The ice surface, from 1937 to 1955, consisted of a small, 120′ x 60′ outdoor rink. In 1955, a larger, 180′ x 90′ outdoor rink replaced the small one and remains as the rink today.
The skating shows grew as the rink expanded and they continued to expand. Guest and staff performances were eventually replaced by visiting and local skating students. By the late 1970’s, the shows were comprised mainly of children, with one famous skater or skating pair a summer. Peggy Fleming, Tai and Randy, and Dorothy Hamill skated here in that era.
Between 1980 and 1984, the number of high-profile skaters participating in the ice shows increased dramatically. “Suddenly we had quite a few big, big shows,” remembers Rainer Kolb, Director of Recreation at Sun Valley. “Scott Hamilton came up every year when he was the World Champion. Kitty and Peter Carruthers, who were the U.S. Pair Champions for four years and Olympic silver medalists, skated here.” All were amateurs at the time.
“Then that group became professionals after the 1984 Olympics and we were dealing with agents instead of skaters, coaches and moms. But we were able to bring up the new amateurs and the pros came back year after year. They started networking with other pros, telling each other how much fun it was to skate in Sun Valley.”
The spectacular scenery and fresh, mountain air are some of the reasons that visitors and locals, amateurs and professionals enjoy skating here.
“The top skaters love to perform in our shows because they love skating outdoors, looking up and seeing the stars,” says Rainer Kolb. “It is low key here and they like to combine the work with time for vacation.”
Schedule
Jozef Sabovčík June 10
Olympic Bronze Medallist
2x European Champion
Margarita Drobiazko & Povilas Vanagas June 24
World Medallists
8x Lithuanian Champions
Philippe Candeloro July 1
2x Olympic Bronze Medallist
2x French National Champion
Evgeni Plushenko July 4
2006 Olympic Gold Medallist
2006 European Champion
2006 Russian Champion
Rena Inoue & John Baldwin July 8
2006 United States Champions
2005 United States Silver Medallists
Tanith Belbin & Benjamin Agosto July 15
2006 World Bronze Medallists
2006 Olympic Silver Medallists
Xue Shen & Hongbo Zhao July 22
2006 Olympic Bronze Medalists
2x World Champions
7x Chinese National Champions
TBA July 29
Alexei Yagudin August 5
2002 Olympic Gold Medalist
4 X World Champion
3 X European Champion
Todd Eldredge August 12
World Champion
6x United States Champion
Evan Lysacek August 19
2006 World Bronze Medallist
2006 United States Silver Medallist
AND
Sasha Cohen
2006 World Bronze Medallist
2006 Olympic Silver Medallist
Irina Slutskaya August 26
2006 Olympic Bronze Medallists
2006 European Champion
2x World Champion
Jamie Salé & David Pelletier September 2
2002 Olympic Gold Medallists
World Champions
Canadian Champions
Elena Leonova & Andrei Khvalko September 9
2x World Professional Champions
2x American Open Champions
tags:things to do, sun valley, ice skating, olympics, olympic champions, outdoor ice rink
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