Frozen in Time. Nikki Nichols

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      Laurence Owen placed sixth at the 1960 Winter Olympics.

      As a child of seven entering my first Figure Skating competition I had been a hard worker, taking pleasure and pride in the results of my efforts. Not being too concerned with the business of competing, I skated as well as I could and came in sixth in the juvenile class …. “She skated well and the audience loved it. The only thing she muffed at all was her camel spin, which is usually a real highlight. Anyway, for seven she is terrific ….” Apparently I thought so too because the next year I didn’t work at all. When mother reprimanded me for my lack of concentration, I (still confident) blithely replied, “Oh, don’t worry about me, mother. When the time comes I’ll be all right.” After I had failed my third test three times and was thus unable to compete, I realized how foolish this attitude was. Still, even today, I must constantly remind myself to concentrate on the job at hand.

      Above all, skating has taught me the power of the mind. How easily the mind can control nervousness or hesitancy. If only everyone realized the power of positive thinking. I firmly believe with Dr. Norman Peale that a positive mental approach can accomplish twice as much as might otherwise be expected. Certainly, this has been my experience. In 1958 before the Eastern Championships I decided that I was going to win them. I felt that I was capable of winning; thus why shouldn’t I? Accordingly, I wrote first place in my engagement calendar, then won the championship.

      Many times, however, this formula doesn’t work. Hard work, positive thinking, and ability are not enough; at such moments I feel very depressed. Will I ever succeed? These thoughts are usually short-lived because my optimism is quick in returning. Although nothing succeeds like success, I have found (even in these few years) that one actually learns more from failure. Moreover, I feel that every failure must have some purpose, that God does help those who help themselves.

      To me, God is a nebulous concept. Just what is He? So far my life has not given me a definite answer to this question. I do think that God, in relation to people, must be a symbol of the conscience. His purpose is to help each human being lead a better life. Thus I recognize failure as part of His purpose: to make us realize the true value of success. Consequently, I feel it is right to maintain an abiding sense of optimism.

      Before she could skate her way to the podium in 1961, Laurence would endure a week of practice, final coaching sessions with her mother, and plenty of glares from other competitors who, underneath the polite smiles, wondered if they could overtake Laurence when the competition got underway.

      Laurence and Steffi certainly knew of each other, and must have considered themselves the top two skaters, based on their finishes at the championships of the previous year. In an odd twist, both Laurence and Steffi almost didn’t make it to the 1961 Nationals. A few months before the event, Laurence slipped, fell forward, and badly banged up her knee during practice. This was the same knee she’d hurt during the 1960 World Championships. For several weeks, the knee was swollen and bruised. She was beginning to have doubts that it would heal for Nationals, and to fear that she’d miss the chance to secure the family legacy that was so important. Finally, the swelling subsided and Laurence regained her jumps—and her confidence—just in time.

      Steffi almost didn’t make it to Nationals for other reasons. Her virtuoso skills at the piano had earned her first place at the Colorado State Piano Competition. She was asked to represent Colorado in the National Piano Competition. The timing could not have been worse. The piano event was happening the same week as Nationals. Steffi’s goal was to be a concert pianist, and most agree she loved playing piano just as much, if not more, than skating, but she chose to skate at Nationals instead. She was eager to win a medal after barely missing the podium the year before.

      Five judges were to score each event, using a 6.0 scale in each set of marks. They would award one mark for technical merit, and another for manner of presentation, what was later known as “artistic impression.” The competition referee gave last-minute instructions to the judges, and the accountant made sure his adding devices were all calibrated and performing their critical task to perfection. These preparations were all carried out with no significant bobbles or missteps. Only one minor mishap occurred when the Russian-style fur hats given to judges for warmth caused an allergic reaction for one judge, who suffered sneezing fits and watery eyes.

      In a last-minute panic, parents began to fear the ice rink wasn’t perfectly level after some skaters complained of feeling off balance. Even just a slight slope could throw off the body’s natural timing. In the 2000 Sydney Summer Olympics, the gymnastics vault was set too low and many competitors had some scary misses on this apparatus. The outrage was understandable—in all sports, equipment must be set perfectly to ensure both safety and fair play. In ice skating, the most important piece of equipment besides the skates is the skating surface.

      The rink manager approached the ice, nervously anticipating a drastic ice resurfacing, and placed a carpenter’s level on the rink. A hushed crowd awaited the verdict. “The ice is perfectly level,” the manager said, almost astonished.

      With that piece of business now settled, the competition was ready to commence. Newspaper reporters interviewed competitors somewhat freely, in an era free of the talent agents, managers, and security now present in the world of elite figure skating.

      Laurence, always modest, gushed about her outstanding mother to reporters.

      “Mother deserves all the credit for our victories,” she said. “We started on double runners at the age of two and formal lessons began at six. This means practicing as long as six hours a day. That sounds a like a lot of work, but we find it fun.”

      Laurence spoke with a sense of wonderment about skating, always beaming about the joy it brought her. Steffi, on the other hand, seemed less concerned with having fun and more on achieving her ultimate goals.

      One Colorado Springs reporter asked Steffi for her final thoughts before skating.

      “I have my heart set on a trip to Europe,” she said. “If nothing unforeseen happens, I’ll skate toward the 1964 Olympics.”

      Chapter Three