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How daring athletes conquered snow and ice and made the Winter Olympics an essential part of the sports landscape.
It takes a certain type of person to speed headfirst down an icy skeleton course or launch himself off a 120-meter hill with only skis and poles to break his fall. As a rather timid writer, I can only watch such daredevil competitors with a combination of shock and awe. To me, driving down my suburban street after freezing rain has left a slick coating on the pavement is as close to winter sports as I want to get. And even that makes me consider a permanent move to Arizona.
So imagine my surprise when I was completely won over by the stories of the men and women who have competed in the Winter Games. From early bobsled champ Billy Fiske to ice dancing masters Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean to indestructible Alpine skier Hermann Maier, these athletes attack their sports with an irresistible combination of valor and passion. Add unequaled athletic ability to the mix and it’s no wonder that they can move even the biggest winter couch potato to fantasize about winning a place on the medal podium.
Another factor in my enthusiasm for the Winter Olympics is the relatively intimate nature of the gathering. With only about one-quarter the number of events and athletes as the Summer Olympics, the Winter Games seem more manageable, somehow, and more accessible. There are fewer athletes to focus on and fewer events to watch, so the stories that can be told are deeper and more complex. At the same time, the defining moments of the Winter Games seem more personal.
Witness speed skater Dan Jansen finally winning the gold six years after losing his sister to leukemia during the Calgary Games. Or Herb Brooks coaching the 1980 U.S. hockey team to the gold 20 years after he was cut from the 1960 U.S. team. Or the fierce battle between IOC president Avery Brundage and Alpine skiers in the 1960s and ‘70s that ultimately opened up the Winter Games to professional athletes. Freeze Frame presents all these stories and many more, for fans, athletes, and winter couch potatoes everywhere.
What the Critics Said
“Macy’s easy, anecdotal style is both substantive and captivating. There is plenty of information to support reports here, but the fascinating details and the open layouts, filled with color images of athletes through the century, will pull in browsers gearing up for the games. Source information and suggested resources close this timely, handsome offering, which will attract both reluctant and strong readers long past the games’ close.”
—ALA Booklist, December 15, 2005
Links:
Buy Freeze Frame from Amazon.com
Order an autographed copy.
Learn more about the history of the Winter Olympics and find great footage of defining moments.
Learn more about the 2006 Winter Games.
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