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Kristi is set to perform at two StarSkates shows
StarSkates Salute to Barry Manilow
Mandalay Bay Casino Hotel in Las Vegas, NV- October 9, 1999
NBC Air Date: Saturday, October 23, 1999 - 4:00 - 6:00 p.m. EST
This show will be a celebration of songs written and sung by Barry Manilow.
Other skaters besides Kristi, include: Elvis Stojko, Philippe Candeloro, Michael Weiss, Caryn Kadavy, Denise Biellmann, Artur Dmitriev and Oksana Kazakova, Elena Bereznaya and Anton Sikharoulidze
StarSkates Goes Country
Reno/Sparks Convention Center in Reno, Nevada, November 13, 1999
NBC Air Date: Sunday, November 21, 1999 - 4:00 - 6:00 p.m. EST
In this show, the scene will be set for a varied, fast-paced and fun show featuring the depth and breadth of country music numbers - from Nashville to the Wild West. Live performances by famous country stars will provide a backdrop for the skaters routines. Martina McBride and Bryan White have agreed to participate in the show.
Other skaters beside Kristi, include: Kurt Browning, Todd Eldredge, Brian Orser, Roslynn Sumners, Renee Roca and Gorsha Sur, Suraly Bonaly, Jenni Meno and Todd Sands
For more infomation visit the following websites:
The Robin Cousins Webpage
StarSkates and Improv on Ice Info at the Kurt Klub
Kristi presenting at the NHL Awards
On June 24, Kristi was a presenter at NHL Awards which was broadcast live from Toronto. She presented the "Frank J. Selke" award with John Saunders of ESPN. She looked absolutely great! She wore a black tube dress
Here's what people had to say about that:
TraceyK wrote from the message board: Kristi wore a strapless, short-sleeved, sequined black mini-dress with no necklace/pendant. She was smiling (of course) and mentioned her fiancee'. She said that while in Albertville during the Olympics, she met "a very nice hockey player" named Brett Hedican to whom she will be wed this summer.
gigiJesusluvsyou wrote from FSWorld:
I don't know with whom she presented the award, but she looked really pretty. Her hair is shorter then it was, a little shorter than shoulder length. I would say it was a full, feathery bob cut. She was wearing a short, black, very sparkly strapless dress.
Kristi sighting on Jeopardy
According to Carey123 (from rssif), Kristi and Tara Lipinski were both in Jeopardy videos on June 24th.
Here's what he had to say:
Kristi's question related to the last time, prior to 1992, an American woman won Olympic gold in figure skating. Answer is Dorothy Hamill.
Just a thought: Both women are very photogenic. Tara looks so much older than last year. She's really growing into a lovely young woman. Kristi is plain gorgeous.
Another post by Niffari at Figure Skating Universe:
Both Tara and Kristi Y. were on Jeopardy videos this evening.
Tara's question was related to her name: What was the name of the "Gone with the Wind" family. Answer: O'Hara
Kristi's was related to figure skating. She asked who was the 1976 American Olympic champion. Answer was Dorothy Hamill. I got this one but not Tara's question.
BTW- Both women looked wonderful. Tara looked lovely & Kristi is downright beautiful.
World Stars On Ice Update
Kristi performed at "Worldstars On Ice with Katarina Witt", a one day show on May 1, 1999, which was held in Oberhausen, Germany at the Arena Oberhausen.
A couple of comments by Beate about Kristi's performance:
-"Kristi Yamaguchi's performance to Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto was one of the highlights of the show for me. She was wonderful, soft and elegant. Her jumps - triple lutz, toe loop and loop - seemed effortless. It was impressive.
-"Kristi skated to last season's "Trouble" in her Elvis medley outfit. Again she was very solid with the jumps and spins.
Kristi and former professional football player for the L.A. Rams and Utah native Merlin Olsen will serve as Co-Masters of Ceremonies on May 15 when the Salt Lake Organizing Committee unveils it's mascots and the legacy countdown clock for the 2002 Olympic Games. The event is free :-) and open to the public.
The Olympic newsletter ``Around the Rings'' reported that Salt Lake is using three native animals as mascots: a bear, rabbit and a coyote, representing the Olympic motto of stronger, faster, higher.
Read the following articles for more information:
Stars on Ice Update - Three more years to go:
Kristi plans to continue performing with Stars On Ice for three more years. She's just finished her seventh season with the tour and says "10 is a nice round number." Get your name and address on the advance mailing list to order/reserve tickets to next years' show at the Stars on Ice Official Website now.
Source: IFS Magazine 6'99
5/5 Kristi is No. 35 in the "Top 50 Most Influential Bay Area Sports Figures of the Century"
Quote: "On it's own merit, Kristi Yamaguchi's performance in France -- one in which style and grace prevailed over the strength and athleticism of rivals Tonya Harding and Midori Ito of Japan -- warranted consideration for Yamaguchi's inclusion in ANG Newspapers' Top 50 Most Influential bay Area Sports Figures of the Century.But Yamaguchi's accomplishments before and after that glorious February night, her role in elevating her sport to new heights, and the unswerving character she has displayed as the voice for a generation of American figure skaters made Yamaguchi a comfortable fit at No. 35 on our list." [Very well said!! :-)]
The complete article includes an overview of her career and includes a couple of great quotes from Brian Boitano and Scott Hamilton about Kristi. Aww, shucks here are several that I just had to post:
Brian Boitano: "I think Kristi's an ideal role model. She's a hard worker, she's clean living and she's a nice person who's not affected by her celebrity. In her case, image and reality are totally equal, and that's not something you find in most athletes. Kristi is exactly how she seems to the public."
-"The thing that I think is important about her career is that she's improved as a professional, which is unusual. She's athletic, beautiful, stylistic, and she's as concerned about being a great professional as the she was a great amateur...."
Scott Hamilton: "There is no one in skating that I admire more than Kristi Yamaguchi."
-"There are very few skaters in the history of the sport who have had the determination and work ethic to stay at the top of her sport as long as she has. She is to be admired on every level."
It also states that Kristi plans to retire from the ice at the age of 30 :-( [Boo-hoo! We fans will miss her terribly!! ]
Read the entire article entitled Grace and Style, on or off the ice By Brain Higgins of ANG Newspapers (5-5-99)
4/27 Helping the Kosovo Refugees
The Always Dream Foundation has teamed with Yahoo! Auctions to aid in the American Red Cross' efforts in the Balkans.
Major celebrities including General Colin L. Powell, James Cameron, U2, Blues Traveler, Deepak Chopra, Hanson, Dennis Hopper, Shaquille O'Neal, Tom Petty, Will Smith, Rod Stewart, Kristi Yamaguchi and a host of others have donated items. Through dedicated and ongoing efforts, Yahoo!, participating donors and the Internet community are working to demonstrate the power of the Internet to unite people in support of humanitarian efforts.
Yahoo! Auctions is currently featuring an array of collectibles, autographed memorabilia and unique items for people to bid on to raise funds to help meet the emergency needs of refugees fleeing from Kosovo.
Kristi donated an autographed skate.
To bid on items running in the charity auctions for Kosovo, people can visit Yahoo! Auctions at http://auctions.yahoo.com, or click on "Yahoo! Auctions" or "Charity Auctions for Kosovo" on the front page of Yahoo!.
Source: Yahoo! Finance Entertainment Wire 4/27/99
Hershey Kisses Figure Skating Team Competition Update by Marilyn (thanks Marilyn!! :-)
I saw Kristi last Tuesday at the Hershey's Kisses Figure Skating Competition, which was held in Binghamton, NY. She was the team captain for the U.S. This was the first competition she had entered all year. It was televised on Sunday afternoon - April 18. She really looked nice, and her performance was great. She was paired against Yuka Sato, and she won the pairing. It was a great show with some wonderful skaters, including Michelle Kwan, Todd Eldredge, Elvis Stojko, Victor Petrenko, Alexi Yagudin, Katarina Witt and Punsalan and Swallow. I was sitting by the skater's entrance, so I could see their preparations to go on the ice, and that was quite interesting. Kristi beamed a smile through the whole event.
After the show Kristi came out for an interview in another room, and she was wearing a brown jacket and slim skirt with brown stockings and brown heels. Her hair was in a french twist, and she looked so pretty. I always take pictures during ice shows, and I've been lucky enough to get some good ones. I haven't gotten my film developed from this show yet, but I'm hoping for some good shots. I met some of the skaters after the show, but Kristi wasn't among them. I was fortunate enough to meet Michelle Kwan, though, and get her autograph on one of my pictures! I was pretty happy about that.
More Kristi News from the June 99 issue of IFS
Magazine:
Excerpts from article: Yamaguchi to say "I Do" (p. 14)
San Francisco - Christmas Eve was extra special this year for 1992 Olympic woman's gold medalist Kristi Yamaguchi. That's when her boyfriend of three years, professional hockey player Bret Hedican, asked her to marry him.
"It was a really rough day for him. He missed his flight in the morning because there was all kinds of snow in Vancouver. He was traveling all day. He got to San Francisco around 5:30. He was determined to get there.
Yamaguchi, 27, first met Hedican, 28, when he was a member of the 1992 U.S. Olympic hockey team. They were reintroduced when Yamaguchi performed at the the opening of the General Motors Place in Vancouver in September 1995. Hedican, was then playing for the Vancouver Canucks (he was traded to the Florida Panthers this January). They started dating the following year.
The two have set a tentative date in July 2000 for the wedding.
"I think it'll probably be alittle more traditional," said Yamaguchi, describing the style of the wedding. "We're still working out the details."
Also traditional is Yamaguchi's new home, a condominium in a six-unit building in the Bay Area.
"The building was built in 1931. It has alot of character," she said. "It has alot of detailing in it, like crown moldings and archways."
Yamaguchi plans to continue performing with Stars On Ice for three more years. She's just finished her seventh season with the tour, and "10 is a nice round number," she said.
Competing is also back on Yamaguchi's agenda. After sitting out all the competitions this season, she entered the Hershey's Kisses Figure Skating Challenge, scheduled for April 13 in Binghamton, NY.
Speaking to IFS in March, Yamaguchi explained her decision: "I'll be on the same team with Michelle Kwan, so I said all right."
On May 20, professional skater Jozef "Jumpin' Joe" Sabovcik will walk down the aisle with Jennifer Verili (she competed at the U.S. Nationals several times).
The wedding will take place in Salt Lake City and will be a small affair,
with just 50 guests. Verili's sister, Lisa, and Kristi Yamaguchi will
be her attendants. Sabovcik's 6-year-old son will be "ring boy".
Kristi-related excerpts from the article "Name Recognition: Skaters in the Corporate Marketplace" by Lois Elfman and Mark A. Lund (pgs. 40-41)
Sometimes a corporation is looking for more than a positive image: It wants a bond with it's spokesperson. Last September, 1992 Olympic woman's gold medalist and two-time World champion Kristi Yamaguchi was named lead spokesperson for Mervyn's California, a department store chain. The company felt that Yamaguchi's commitment to her Always Dream Foundation, which raises funds for youth-oriented charities, fit perfectly with it's practice of returning 5 percent of it's pretax profits each year to the communities in which Mervyn's stores are located.
"We looked at the tenets of her Always Dream Foundation and actually found that from a beneficiary standpoint and from a thought standpoint, it was very similar to what we consider our cause-marketing efforts. And some of the beneficiaries, most specifically children and education, are two of the things that we are most interested in as well," recalls Frank Castiglione, Mervyn's vice-president of marketing.
"Kristi's currently appearing in three television spots in which she tells customers that they have the choices that they can make about which products to buy and where they buy it," he adds. "If they choose Mervyn's California they not only get a price that is real compelling and a value from that standpoint, but they get to feel good about the fact that they're going to benefit their communities."
Yamaguchi's deal with Mervyn's grew out of their mutual involvement with the Woman's Sports Foundation: Both the company and the skater (who received a training grant from the foundation 10 years ago) are longtime supporters of that foundation.
Yamaguchi is one athlete whose prominence in the corporate market has grown in the years since she claimed her Olympic Gold Medal. [Bob] Williams [president of Burns Sports, a company that links advertisers with athletes for endorsements] says her maturity and poise, coupled with her sustained high standard of skating, make her even more attractive to corporations today than seven years ago.
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