Uploaded June 2020 | Updated September 2026, 33 minutes ago

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For so long this performance was one of the lost holy grails and I had almost given up hope of ever finding it. This was the first time Toller was placed first in free skating and it marked the beginning of an artistic revolution in the men's event. Here, Toller dares to raise his arms above shoulder height (hugely frowned upon at the time) on more than one occasion and uses more than just his skates and steps to interpret the music. It paved the way for the acceptance of great artists like John Curry and Robin Cousins later in the decade but it should not be forgotten that Toller was preceded by many skaters who also pushed the artistic boundaries of the sport, among them; John Misha Petkevich, Tim Wood, Gary Visconti, Ken Shelley, Haig Oundjian All these men were incredible skaters who managed to showcase their wonderful musicality despite the restrictions of the time. But that doesn't take away from Toller's impact and the new ground that his skating broke.



A great bit of skating history. Enjoy!