Tonya Harding Updates

Fellow Tonyaphiles;

as you've probably guessed, there isn't much going on in Tonyaville at
the moment. Linda Lewis tells us that Tonya has been doing occasional
meet-and-greets and has been invited to box in various places. She also
tells us that there is at least one major project under development but
that at this stage it is still under wraps, so we really can't say
anything.

In the meantime, here is a site that hopefully may be of interest.

http://www.cruelladekwan.com is, as its name suggests, a Kwan site, but
there are also video clips of other skaters
(http://www.cruelladekwan.com/otherskaters.htm), including Tonya
http://www.cruelladekwan.com/otherskaters/harding.htm).

There are 6 videos including Tonya's 94 Olympics Long Program (the one
she re-skated due to the broken lace), 91 National 3-axel, and 94
Nationals Long & Short Programs, LP scores and an interview.

The latter is the one where, in between a massive dose of asthmatic
hacking and coughing, Tonya says she "knows who my true friends really
are", a statement that is always cited by Tonyaphobes as "proof" that
Tonya is guilty. It's supposedly meant to be some kind of deep, dark,
coded thank-you message to Eckardt and his boys for their work in taking
care of Nancy, but it's patently obvious from her comments later on in
the interview that she's actually referring to her fans and sponsors.

There is also footage of Midori Ito in action that's worth a look too:
http://www.cruelladekwan.com/vf/otherskaters/ito/

Quality is variable - the interview is good, but unfortunately
rapidly-moving stuff like skating jumps don't compress well and tend to
look blurry. If you're studying these for technique you'll be wasting
your time. The sound is also rather hissy (oh WHY didn't people buy HiFi
VCRs for taping this stuff?). Don't attempt to play the videos "on the
fly" - if you're on a dialup it won't work and on broadband you'll
overload the server. Some of the videos have what sound like Japanese
soundtracks.

As an interesting aside, we learn that Tonya's horoscope for that week
stated:

"A long cherished goal moves within reach. You feel elated! The outside
resources or talents you need are available. Your leadership skills put
you ahead of the pack."

If you've ever wondered whether astrology was a load of bollocks then
this will remove all doubt.



Terry Hall
Head of Special Duties Section
Portland Ice Skating Society - New Zealand's Tonya Harding fan club
http://www.geocities.com/portice