Elvis has been acting in the broadway show Grease in Toronto this
summer. He will be doing a skating show/benefit for Skate Canada to
help out the 2006 Olympic hopefuls in Montreal. For more details head
to the Skate Canada site, http://www.skatecanda.ca . It's on the
front page.

As far as his marital status, I haven't a clue nor does it really
matter. But should he marry, I'd be very happy for him.

Brigitte

--- In fansofthemanelvisstojko@yahoogroups.com, "dee46382"
<rdow8@c...> wrote:
> --- In fansofthemanelvisstojko@yahoogroups.com, "Brigitte
Laskowski"
> <singerskates@y...> wrote:
> > Has anyone heard if Elvis will be doing his skating show this
> fall?
> > Did he marry his girlfriend yet? After all his skating buddy Todd
> > Eldredge just got married. And if Elvis gets married except just
> > after the honeymoon being married won't affect Elvis' skating
> > ability. He'll skate just as great as he did before marriage.
> >
> > I wonder if Elvis still pays with quad jumps in practice? Has
> anyone
> > seen Elvis perform a quad jump in a skating show since he retired
> the
> > second time.
> >
> > singerskates  I was wondering the same thing.If he got married.It
> won't effect his skating.I saw him in Coi in the spring.I wish he
> would do a quad in the show.I already have my tickets for next year.

--- In fansofthemanelvisstojko@yahoogroups.com, "Brigitte Laskowski"
<singerskates@y...> wrote:
> Has anyone heard if Elvis will be doing his skating show this
fall?
> Did he marry his girlfriend yet? After all his skating buddy Todd
> Eldredge just got married. And if Elvis gets married except just
> after the honeymoon being married won't affect Elvis' skating
> ability. He'll skate just as great as he did before marriage.
>
> I wonder if Elvis still pays with quad jumps in practice? Has
anyone
> seen Elvis perform a quad jump in a skating show since he retired
the
> second time.
>
> singerskates  I was wondering the same thing.If he got married.It
won't effect his skating.I saw him in Coi in the spring.I wish he
would do a quad in the show.I already have my tickets for next year.

Has anyone heard if Elvis will be doing his skating show this fall?
Did he marry his girlfriend yet? After all his skating buddy Todd
Eldredge just got married. And if Elvis gets married except just
after the honeymoon being married won't affect Elvis' skating
ability. He'll skate just as great as he did before marriage.

I wonder if Elvis still pays with quad jumps in practice? Has anyone
seen Elvis perform a quad jump in a skating show since he retired the
second time.

singerskates

I guess you lost your bet since I've never seen a photo of Elvis
skating shirtless.  Although I have seen him jump off a boat with his
bathing suit with no shirt but that's normal to do.


--- In fansofthemanelvisstojko@yahoogroups.com, "Ernest L Sewell, IV"
<ernestsewell@y...> wrote:
> ........so I have this friend who skated w/ Kurt, Brian, Elvis, etc
in
> the 90's and late 80's, although he was never as high up as those
guys
> were.  ANyway, we have this bet (as of today) that says Elvis has
> indeed skated shirtless.  He says Elvis never did, I say he has.  An
> iPod is riding on this bet.  I've searched google and a few fan
sites,
> but have yet to find a pic of him shirtless while skating.
>
> So here's where you come in......I need a link to a pic!  or just a
> pic in email (at yahoo).  I'm continuing to search, but I figured a
> group of Elvis fans on Yahoo might very well point me in the right
> direction.
>
> THanks ahead of time, and a million times over.
>
> -Ern.

Debbie,

No you don't need to rejoin. But we should keep our eyes open for
those who do put spam and porn related things in this group. They
will be banned for life.
The reason, I did this was to prevent non-Stojko/skating fans from
getting in and placing spam and porn in the group. No one who is a
real fan of Elvis' would put up with spam or porn. I'm assuming if
you are already a member that if you catch another member doing such
that you would report it to me so I can ban them. Then if they try to
come in, they will have to answer a series of questions of which I
may change from time to time, so that they couldn't just learn it on
the internet to get in to place spam or porn on the site. It's a
preventative measure I took. I have done the same with another group
that I run called Competitive Adult Skaters. By the way, in CAS it's
pretty hard to get in and no fans are allowed.

Brigitte
--- In fansofthemanelvisstojko@yahoogroups.com, "dee46382"
<rdow8@c...> wrote:
> If we have been members for awhile do we have to rejoin?I posted
the
> message about the girl showing her top.I'm with you this is about
> Elvis and his skating.Debbie

If we have been members for awhile do we have to rejoin?I posted the
message about the girl showing her top.I'm with you this is about
Elvis and his skating.Debbie

Hello,

This email message is a notification to let you know that
a file has been uploaded to the Files area of the fansofthemanelvisstojko
group.

   File        : /People wishing to become members
   Uploaded by : singerskates <singerskates@...>
   Description :

You can access this file at the URL

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/fansofthemanelvisstojko/files/People%20wishing%20t\
o%20become%20members

To learn more about file sharing for your group, please visit

http://help.yahoo.com/help/us/groups/files

Regards,

singerskates <singerskates@...>

Don' want porn or spam.

Group Owner

Singerskates

........so I have this friend who skated w/ Kurt, Brian, Elvis, etc in
the 90's and late 80's, although he was never as high up as those guys
were.  ANyway, we have this bet (as of today) that says Elvis has
indeed skated shirtless.  He says Elvis never did, I say he has.  An
iPod is riding on this bet.  I've searched google and a few fan sites,
but have yet to find a pic of him shirtless while skating.

So here's where you come in......I need a link to a pic!  or just a
pic in email (at yahoo).  I'm continuing to search, but I figured a
group of Elvis fans on Yahoo might very well point me in the right
direction.

THanks ahead of time, and a million times over.

-Ern.

This is the last chance to buy any of the skater photos I have for
sale, and your chance to get them for $1 each no matter how many you
want. I have just over 300 4x6 skater photos consisting of the
following skaters:

Michelle Kwan
Sarah Hughes
Todd Eldredge
Kristi Yamaguchi
Kurt Browning
Rosalynn Summers
Elvis Stojko
Philippe Candeloro
Michael Weiss
Marie-Pierre Leray
Lu Chen
Tonia Kwiatkowski

The photos were taken by skating photographer Jim Graves. They are for
sale for $1 each and a 1 time shipping/handling charge of $2 on any
quantity to anywhere in the world.

For more details and to view the photos, go to:
http://www.generalcelebrities.com/skaters/photos.html

Mike

The 4x6 photos of Elvis and a few other skaters, taken by Jim Graves,
have been reduced in price. They are now $1 to $2 each depending on
how many you want. This is only until 9pm Sunday night (EST), at which
time direct sales will stop and all remaining photos will be listed on
Ebay with a starting price of $1.50 and "Buy It Now" price of $2.50 each.

If you want real 4x6 photos, (lab prints, not computer prints), of one
or more skaters for next to nothing, this is the time to get them.
Check out the selection at:
http://www.generalcelebrities.com/skaters/photos.html

Mike


--- In fansofthemanelvisstojko@yahoogroups.com, "Mike" <groups@m...>
wrote:
> I currently have 30 different 4x6 photos of Elvis for sale. I only
> have 1 of many of them. The photos were taken by photographer Jim
> Graves. Check the photos and prices by going to:
> http://www.generalcelebrities.com/skaters/photos.html
>
> Mike

I currently have 30 different 4x6 photos of Elvis for sale. I only
have 1 of many of them. The photos were taken by photographer Jim
Graves. Check the photos and prices by going to:
http://www.generalcelebrities.com/skaters/photos.html

Mike

Why is someone posting pictures of girls showing their breasts on
this site.This is a site about Elvis not to post this kind of
stuff.I like drag racing and I found some of the same things posting
these same kind of files.Isn't there an adult site for things like
this.Sorry for the rant.

Elvis is no amateur any more

By STEVE BUFFERY -- Toronto Sun


Stojko won't return to competitive figure skating


Legend has it that three-time world figure skating champion Elvis
Stojko once put hockey bruiser Eric Lindros down for the count with a
karate chop.

Yesterday, Stojko cut himself down to size, announcing his retirement
from competitive skating for the second time.

Last April, the Richmond Hill athlete, who initially retired as an
eligible skater following the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics, announced
he was returning to the national team.

Six months, one mystery virus and countless bruises later, Stojko is
again on his way out.

"I am very disappointed (to be retiring) but I have made it clear to
Skate Canada that I will always be available to advise and assist all
of the young skaters who are now part of the national team and those
who have dreams of some day representing Canada," Stojko said
yesterday in a statement.

Stojko, 31, didn't say exactly why he was retiring again, but his
manager, Ed Futerman, told The Sun that the past six months of
training have left the skater physically and mentally exhausted.

"He felt good about making the decision," said the Toronto lawyer. "I
think he realized there's no reason for him to come back. He has done
it all."

Stojko, who also won two Olympic silver medals and was the first
person to perform a quadruple combination jump in competition, was
scheduled to compete at Skate Canada next month at the Hershey Centre
in Mississauga and a Grand Prix event in China in early November.

He now will concentrate on a career as a professional skater.

There were indications not all was well with Stojko last week when he
withdrew from the national team training camp in Kitchener because of
a mononucleosis-type virus.

Skating's Terminator travelled to Florida for a week's holiday, and
while Futerman said the virus is gone, Stojko returned from his
vacation certain it was time to hang up his competitive skates again.

"I consider myself very lucky and fortunate that I have had the
honour of representing Canada for over 12 years," said the seven-time
national men's singles champion.

"I believe I have made some contributions to figure skating in this
country."




--- In fansofthemanelvisstojko@yahoogroups.com, singerskates@y...
wrote:
> From:  singerskates@y...
>
> The person above has asked that we send you the following URL, as it
> contains information that you might find useful or interesting.
>
>         http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/FigureSkating/2003/09/26/210169-
cp.html
>
> Note that information on CANOE is changed frequently.
> In some sections, such as our newspapers, content is removed after
24 hours.
>
> If you have any questions about this service, please send e-mail to:
> webmaster@c...
>
> Thanks!
> CANOE - Your Internet Network
> http://www.canoe.ca

Stojko won't return to competitive figure skating

By NEIL STEVENS

Elvis is no amateur any more



Figure skater Elvis Stojko practices his routine in Richmond Hill, on
April 30. (CP/Aaron Harris)
(CP) - In the end, Elvis Stojko realized it was useless mounting a
comeback at age 31 in a sport dominated by much younger athletes.

He had hoped he could do it. But it just wasn't in him. "We all felt,
and Elvis finally felt, that it was time for him to move on with his
life," explained Ed Futerman, Stojko's business manager. Skate Canada
announced Friday that Stojko has abandoned a return to the top level
of competitive skating. He had announced on April 29 he was making a
comeback following a 13-month retirement.

Stojko advised the national governing body of the sport of his
decision after returning from a week resting in Florida. He'd stopped
full-time training in early September after a virus sapped his
strength.

"I am truly sorry that I will not be returning as an eligible skater
for Skate Canada," Stojko was quoted in a news release from the
organization's Ottawa office. "I have worked very hard these past six
months.

"I am very disappointed but I have made it clear to Skate Canada that
I will always be available to advise and assist all of the young
skaters who are now part of the national team and those who have
dreams of some day representing Canada."

Stojko spent the summer in his home town of Richmond Hill just north
of Toronto working on new programs he was to unveil at the Skate
Canada International meet in Mississauga at the end of October.

He withdrew from a national team weekend camp in Kitchener, Ont., in
mid-September due to fatigue.

"He had been trying to work through (the problem) but it became too
difficult," Futerman said at the time. "He's probably overdone it."

Futerman was right.

"Elvis gave it all that he could," Futerman said Friday. "He realized
as he went along that it was taking its toll on his strength and his
health.

"While he was (in Florida) he had time to reflect and he decided he'd
given it all he had and there was no reason to come back. He'd made
his contribution to skating and it was time to move on.

"It was a decision that was difficult for him to accept but I think
it was a good one for him to make. Coming back was always going to be
an uphill battle for him."

Stojko won world titles in 1994, 1995 and 1997 and Olympic silver in
1994 and 1998 - the latter despite a serious groin injury. In all, he
won 22 gold medals including seven at Canadian senior championships.

"I consider myself very lucky and fortunate that I have had the
honour of representing Canada for over 12 years and I believe that I
have made some contributions to figure skating in this country," he
said. "It is my intention to skate as a professional and look forward
to many new challenges, and I will continue to appear in various
tours throughout Canada and the United States."

He was the first skater to land a quadruple-double and a quadruple-
triple combination jump in competition, and he added a new dimension
to figure skating by introducing martial arts themes.

His last major International Skating Union competition was the 2002
Olympics. He finished eighth in Salt Lake City. Injuries hampered him
throughout his last two seasons.

"We understand how difficult this decision was for Elvis," Skate
Canada CEO Pam Coburn said. "An athlete's career takes many turns
along its course and the path is sometimes unexpected."

Stojko is a member of the Canadian Figure Skating Hall of Fame. He
has raced dirt bikes and appeared in motion pictures. He was named
after Elvis Presley because his parents were big fans of the singer.


--- In fansofthemanelvisstojko@yahoogroups.com, singerskates@y...
wrote:
> From:  singerskates@y...
>
> The person above has asked that we send you the following URL, as it
> contains information that you might find useful or interesting.
>
>         http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/FigureSkating/2003/09/26/210169-
cp.html
>
> Note that information on CANOE is changed frequently.
> In some sections, such as our newspapers, content is removed after
24 hours.
>
> If you have any questions about this service, please send e-mail to:
> webmaster@c...
>
> Thanks!
> CANOE - Your Internet Network
> http://www.canoe.ca

From:  singerskates@...

The person above has asked that we send you the following URL, as it
contains information that you might find useful or interesting.

         http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/FigureSkating/2003/09/26/210169-cp.html

Note that information on CANOE is changed frequently.
In some sections, such as our newspapers, content is removed after 24 hours.

If you have any questions about this service, please send e-mail to:
webmaster@....

Thanks!
CANOE - Your Internet Network
http://www.canoe.ca

I still can't believe that he's coming back!!!! :))) I'm so glad!
Can't wait to see him again! Hope I'll be able to reach Turin in
2006. I really gotta see him live. Thanks for the news
singerskates. :)

  Cheerio!
  Liz

Hi,

Here are my pics for the group.


http://free.hostdepartment.com/a/angie



---------------------------------
Do you Yahoo!?
Yahoo! SiteBuilder - Free, easy-to-use web site design software

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

My Group,

My pics for the men in the group ; ) I think you will like.


http://www.geocities.com/joeygail2000



---------------------------------
Do you Yahoo!?
Yahoo! SiteBuilder - Free, easy-to-use web site design software

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

First post.Elvis' the greatest.Good luck Elvis!

Stojko to return at Cup of China


By BEVERLEY SMITH
Globe and Mail Update

   E-mail this Article
  Print this Article



   Advertisement





Three-time world figure-skating champion Elvis Stojko received a
rather distressing welcome back to the competitive wars yesterday
when he was assigned to the Cup of China event at Beijing in November.

It means Stojko, 31, may have to journey to a country that is the
birthplace of SARS. China has been the hardest-hit country in the
world with severe acute respiratory syndrome, suffering more than
5,000 cases and 315 deaths. About 2,500 of the infections and 167 of
the deaths have been in Beijing.

World pairs champions Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo of China, who usually
train in Beijing, have been working in Harbin instead.

Stojko could not be reached for comment yesterday. He was en route to
Sacramento as part of the Tom Collin's Tour of Champions.

The Cup of China is a new event on the Grand Prix circuit, and
replaces a competition in Germany. The International Skating Union
already is questioning whether the event will take place, saying in a
release that it will reach a decision on a possible move to another
venue by Aug. 1.

Ed Futerman, Stojko's agent, was taken aback yesterday when told by a
reporter that the athlete — who has just announced his return to
Olympic-eligible competition — was to compete in Beijing. "I am
concerned," Futerman said.

Stojko made requests for various Grand Prix events through Skate
Canada, but a Grand Prix commission makes the final decision on where
skaters will compete. Cup of China wasn't one of Stojko's
preferences, Futerman said.

"But I guess we're not in a position to pick or choose," Futerman
said, referring to Stojko's absence from eligible competition last
season. Because he did not compete, Stojko is not a seeded skater.

He has also been assigned to compete at Skate Canada in Mississauga,
Ont., from Oct. 30 to Nov. 2, an event that will be a homecoming of
sorts for the seven-time Canadian champion. It will be his first
competition in 20 months, since a disappointing performance at the
Salt Lake City Olympics.

But because the Skate Canada event is the week before Cup of China,
Stojko faces another unenviable task: going from Mississauga to
Beijing, and competing after time changes and hours riding in a plane.

"This is not a good year," Futerman said glumly.

Also assigned to the Cup of China are Canadian champion Emanuel
Sandhu, world silver medalist Timothy Goebel of the United States,
Brian Joubert of France, and Olympic champion Alexei Yagudin of
Russia, making a comeback after hip problems forced him to withdraw
from Skate America and miss the remainder of last season.

Yagudin was interested in competing at Skate Canada, where he is
revered, but Russia is sending current world champion Evgeny
Plushenko instead. Yagudin will compete at Trophée Lalique in France.

Shen and Zhao have been assigned to Skate Canada.

Stojko is not alone in having to make the long journey. Sandhu also
competes in both, along with pairs skaters Anabelle Langlois and
Patrice Archetto, who finished fifth at the world championships last
March. Langlois and Archetto, who often have the most arduous
schedules, have also been assigned to NHK Trophy in Japan, three
weeks after the Beijing event.

Six-time Canadian champion Jennifer Robinson also faces the
exhausting Mississauga-Beijing run, with assignments at both Skate
Canada and Cup of China.

Reigning world champion Michelle Kwan of the United States has not
been listed to compete in any Grand Prix events. She wasn't on the
original list last season, either, but was a last-minute addition to
Skate America, an event that ignited a stellar season.

There are no Canadian men competing at Skate America in Reading, Pa.,
Oct. 23 to 26.

Olympic pairs champions Elena Berezhnaia and Anton Sikharulidze of
Russia have turned professional.

singerskates (singerskates@...) thought you would be interested in this
article from http://www.globeandmail.com, Canada's leading source for online
news.
---------------------------------------------------------

Hope the ISU finds another country to send all the skaters from the Cup of China
in which to skate their competition.

---------------------------------------------------------
Get today's news delivered to your in-box.  Sign up for our daily News Update!
http://www.globeandmail.com/newsletter/

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Q: Are you staying in for the Olympics?

A: Yeah, I think so, my aim is....there's no limit, so I'm going for
it, and that's farther
down the line...right now, I'm just getting myself set up, see how I
want to structure the
season, talk to Skate Canada, see which internationals we're gonna
choose, and then go from
there.

Q: Can you talk about why you made the coaching change?

A: One is I felt I needed a change, and two, Ushi right now, she's
working, she's part
owner at that arena, there's 4 arena's, there's 4 pad complex, and
she spent a lot of time
away, and they need her there, and she also said, you know, I don't
know if I'm going to be
ready to commit to that type of commitment to you. And I said 'well
thats fine'...it's
kind of a situation where we parted ways evenly, we each needed to go
our separate
routes, so it ended up being a nice thing for us. We still talk and
everything is fine.

Q: So how did you decide on Linda?

A: When I was skating the last number of years, coming to Richmond
Hill to train, Linda and
I used to talk a lot, she used to pick my brain on stuff, working
with Kenny Rose, who's
the last year's Junior Champion, and we used to talk about how we can
help Kenny, and what
would be good, and what I've gone through, and all that, and through
that process I got to
know more about Linda, what her mind set is, and how she approaches
skating, very
professional, there's no bullcrap when it comes down to training, and
it doesn't matter who
you are, World Champion or Junior Champion or Novice Champion, it's
the same everywhere.
And she just has a very open mind, and very supportive...and that's
what I need. And it
ended up being that way, and someone that I feel I can trust, and
that's the most important
for me, and technique, it's all the same, I mean we talk about the
same technique, we're
just talking the same things out, and another set of eyes, that are
very keen, very
skilled, to see what needs to be changed, what needs to be adjusted,
and she has that, and
that's why I think it's a perfect combination.

Q: Whats the response been like, from other competitors,
international skaters?

A: Well, I haven't really talked to anybody in particular, at that
level. I know that the
friends that I have talked to have all congratulated me, I'm getting
like 20 calls a day,
just saying 'hey, we're glad you're back, we really miss you, and we
think you can do it,
and this is great for you'...cause they, the people that know me,
know that I wasn't myself
for the last 4 years, that I was either just low, or depressed, or
not on top of things,
emotionally not connected....physically is a different situation,
injuries come from
within, you know, you draw your own negativity. And unfortunately
that happens, and I got
through that, and I'm just ready to move on, I'm ready to do my
thing.

Q: So when you talked so much about being at peace in Salt Lake City,
was that just words
at the time, or was that just how you were actually feeling?

A: No, actually, I was honest at the time, I mean, to come to grips
with what I was
dealing with. At the time, I came back, and said, you know, I'm done.
I didn't know if I
was going to be done for now, but I was done. And I was thinking
ahead, well, maybe I
should look beyond. So I did, I totally let go of skating completely,
absolutely, I just
did shows, and had no intention of coming back. Interestingly enough,
as I got closer, I
went to Worlds, even before Worlds, I was going to go to Worlds and
commentate, and I
didn't get excited for the first few days, I just sort of watched it.
And then, for some
reason I got a different outlook. And my mom, it was funny, cause my
mom was there, and a
lot of people were coming up to her and asking when I was skating,
and she said I wasn't
skating, and people were, you know, wishing I was out there, and had
a lot of positive
feedback, and I talked my mom, and I said 'I had this weird notion of
coming back for some
reason, I don't know why'. And she goes 'I know'. And I said 'how'd
you know that?' And
she said 'I've just known you're not done yet'. And interestingly
enough, my mom kind of,
she knows me really well, she knows that eventually, when I was
ready, I'd come back, cause
I was not finished yet.

Q: Athletes, world champion athletes like yourself, have come back
after retirement, and it
jut wasn't there. Sometimes it can almost be embarrassing for that
athlete. Do you worry
at all yourself about ever being in that position?

A: Alot of times when an athlete comes back, they come back for
external reasons. A gold
medal, winning a championship, getting the accolades, being in front
of the media, in front
of the press, that's what spurs them on. However, it's not enough. To
be at this level,
it's not enough. It's gotta be for you, you gotta have the right
reasons to do it, you've
gotta be able to get up in the morning every day, get yourself ready,
be driven to go for
it, and that's what gets you there...there are a few that have done
it, but that's the only
way you're going to do it. If you do it for the wrong reasons, forget
it, it's not gonna
happen. Plus, too, I've only been out for a year, so it's much
different than retiring for
5 years. I was thinking about not coming back this year, about coming
back in 05, but it's
too long away from competition. That's why this fall I'd like to do a
number of
internationals, get my feet wet again, just to get the feel, and then
go out and do it.
So, I'm not afraid, I had that part of my career already, that's not
ever gonna change,
and, uh, no matter what I do now, it's all icing on the cake for me.
I'm just glad I can
be part of this and feel good about my skating.

Q: How did you reach that point though, now you're more emotionally,
spiritually healthy,
can you talk about getting to that point?

A: Its....it's complicated... there's a lot of factors involved...I
mean, it's a process
from 98 to 02, and through the 03 season. Um, 98, I just didn't feel
over top of myself, I
had that injury, I pushed through it, I still had the drive, and I
used every ounce of my
drive left, and then I had nothing left. I tried to come back in 99,
bring things back, I
got a little bit healthier, but still the leg was lagging. 2000, I
didn't have the injury
anymore, but psychologically my body wasn't firing the way it used
to. I got a silver medal
that year at Worlds, maybe at 70% of my capability. Then the next
year, it was a total
bomb. I couldn't compete at all, because of the injuries that kept
lagging me, and they
weren't injuries from overwork, they were constant injuries from
small accidents here and
there...weird things were happening. A lot of turmoil was going on.
02, I pushed through,
because that was why I stayed in, to go for it. That was the only
thing keeping me
going...I got through it, but still not emotional, still not
connected. And then last year,
taking a full year away from it, away from my coach Ushi, away from
everybody, just to
skate, and then also doing some things for myself, just some car
stuff, seeing my friends,
just getting away from the whole thing...and eventually it started
coming back on it's own.
It you let go, it'll come back, but you don't know when or how.

Q: Is there a sense of unfinished business here?

A: Yeah, well everyone keeps asking me about the "Gold Medal" - I
mean, its....if that, if
it was only that, I would have went for it more in 02. Because thats
what...I had two
silvers, the gold, you know, should have been there, I should have
went for it...it's not
that, it's gotta come from within. If it's not from within, forget
about it. And I've
shown that to myself, it's coming from within, it's why I'm trying to
reach my potential.
If I reach that, yeah, it's possible, and I can definitely achieve
that, I have no doubt in
my mind, it's just a matter of training, staying focused, and, uh,
the hard work is the
easy part for me. I just, I always push. It's a matter of finding
deep down, that drive,
to keep it going, and I don't have to push hard, because it's there.

Q: How about the quad lutz? Do you think you're going to stick with
it?

A: I'm definitely going to be working on it. I already talked with my
coach Linda about
it, you know, about saving a spot for it in the program. I don't know
when it's going to
come out, because we're just starting to get some of the stuff back,
the axel, all of the
other triples are there, easy, no problem, and the axel's coming
back, the quad toe, the
quad sal we're gonna work on, the lutz, we're gonna work on
everything, because that's how
I'm feeling right now, I wanna work on everything, and get everything
going. Also, working
with Randy Gardner on the long program, and working with Tracey
Robertson, we're gonna be
working on the short program, so I have 2 choreographers working on 2
different programs,
to give sort of a different feel. I'm not "reinventing" Elvis Stojko,
but I'm going to
bring out some more stuff that's been sort of dormant there for a
little while and we're
going to try to elaborate a little bit more on it.

--- In fansofthemanelvisstojko@yahoogroups.com, "singer skates"
<singerskates@y...> wrote:
> http://www.network54.com/Forum/message?
> forumid=14321&messageid=1051938266
http://www.network54.com/Forum/message?
forumid=14321&messageid=1051938266

OK I'll have to copy it from the forum because the link doesn't want
to work.

Q: Why?

A: Ummmmm, cause I feel like I want to be back. It's kinda like, for
4 years from 98 to 02,
getting up out of the bed and trying to get to the rink was a chore.
And I wanted to make
sure that I would have that drive back and that fire back before I
ended my career totally.
And I didn't know if it ever would come back, or when, and it just
happened to be this
year, just after Worlds, around Worlds, I thought 'oh maybe it's
because I went to Worlds
and commentated, maybe it's because I'm around it'. But I left it for
a few weeks, and it
was still there. I'd get up, I'd work out, I'd go to the rink, and
I'd be constantly
thinking about it. And then I realized, wait a minute, I wanna do
this. This is
something I wanted to feel for like 4 or 5 years, the pre-98 season,
and that's what I
feel, I'm ready to go do that now, regardless of age or whatever.

Q: Is it mainly because of the injury situation, that you finally
feel that you're
healthy?

A: Yeah, 98 was an injury that year that should have ended my career,
and I was able to
push through it, but pushing myself to that limit and that strain did
something to my
drive. I didn't trust it anymore, I didn't wanna be around it, I
didn't love skating like
I did before, and I didn't have the vigour and passion for it. I kept
it going because I
knew I had to, for myself, and now I've got it back. I wake up every
morning, wanting to go
to the rink, wanting to train, wanting to be on top of things. You
know, I lost 8 to 10
pounds, I feel much lighter. I just started trying triple axels
again, I hadn't done them
in 4 or 5 months. They feel great, they're coming, everything's
coming, they're easier,
much easier than before, I've got no injuries, my body's healthy, my
mind's healthy, I'm
ready to go.

Q: Mentally wanting to do it is one thing, knowing after this many
years you can still
compete at a world level is another. What do you hope to get out of
this?

A: Hope to get out of this? Uh, reach my potential, which I'm capable
of doing, more than
what I did previous, and that's all I was striving for the last 4
years, but couldn't get
there, because the drive wasn't there, I was constantly battling some
injuries, because of
the mental fight. Alot of times injuries don't just come from a
physical aspect...alot of
it has to do with an emotional and spiritual thing, that you're at a
tug of war, you end up
bringing it upon yourself. And I wanted to be healthy, emotionally
healthy, spiritually,
because that is what does it all! I mean, physical is just a small
part of what I do, and
what athlete's do, and what we're trying to do out there. If we're
happy, we're healthy,
we're passionate about what we do, it's limitless. The limit, it's
just sky high.

http://www.network54.com/Forum/message?
forumid=14321&messageid=1051938266

Elvis Stojko will probably agree that you'll never find him sitting
in a rocking chair, even when he far surpasses his current age of 31.
But now the three-time world figure skating champion has decided to
go back a few years in the other direction and try his luck again at
the sport he dominated not so long ago. On Wednesday, Elvis told
reporters he's doing it for himself and not for external reasons.

"This is something I've wanted to feel for like four or five years,
[since] the pre-1998 season. And that's what I feel, and I'm ready to
go do that now, regardless of age or whatever," he says, having noted
that the physical injuries which plagued him in recent years are now
a thing of the past.

The recurring question with Elvis, right or wrong, is about that
pesky Olympic gold medal that's evaded him – so far. "Everyone keeps
asking me about [it] … If it was only that, I would have went for it
more in '02," he says.

Meanwhile, Stojko's legions of fans across Canada are no doubt glad
he's decided to come back, just as glad perhaps as his new coach
Linda Bridge. "It's a feel good story," she says. "It's wonderful,
it's good for everyone … especially Canada."

To see unedited video of Stojko, click here.
http://www.pulse24.com/In_The_Raw/Raw_Video/page.asp#elvis






April 30, 2003




----------------------------------------------------------------------
----------

Why Elvis Stojko can't hang 'em up
May. 1, 2003. 12:02 PM
At 31, he admits his comeback is `spooky,' but he's just following
his heart
Randy Starkman
SPORTS REPORTER

Elvis Stojko is steamed.

He is near the end of his third on-ice practice yesterday and despite
his best efforts he just can't nail the timing on his triple axel,
the bread-and-butter jump of any top-flight figure skater.

The television cameras, microphones, tape recorders and notepads have
long been packed away. The first official media scrum of his comeback
following a year's absence from competitive figure skating ended more
than an hour before at the arena in Richmond Hill that bears his name.

"Elvis isn't in the building; Elvis is the building," cries manic
Citytv sportscaster John Gallagher in a set-up for his report.

For Stojko, it's back to the unglamorous business of rebuilding his
technique.

The three-time world champion hits the ice on one jump. On another,
he looks like he's about to pull the triple axel off but steps out of
the landing and groans. He pops out of another attempt and kicks at
the ice.

Finally, recognizing he's just too tired, he changes his approach,
deciding instead to do a series of triple loops to help trigger the
timing he needs to get ready for quadruple jumps again. This is
something he hasn't done in more than seven months.

The old spark returns at this point, as Stojko reels off triple loop
after triple loop, each one getting higher, including one that comes
after he has to weave his way through three younger skaters before
executing the move down by the goal crease. He pumps his fists in
celebration.

There is no question Stojko is serious about this comeback. He has
already set his sights on competing in his fifth Winter Olympics, in
2006 in Turin, Italy. But there's also no denying it looked like his
best days were well behind him when he retired after finishing eighth
at the 2002 Salt Lake Olympics and, at age 31, he's a decade older
than reigning world champion Evgeny Plushenko of Russia. There's
never been a skater capture a top figure skating honour at Stojko's
age.

"No one's ventured this far yet so who's to say that it's not
possible," he said. "Part of it is kind of spooky because I'm the
only one doing it so far, but to me I feel it. I follow what my
heart's telling me and go with it."

His new coach, Linda Bridge of the Richmond Hill Skating Club, is
working with him to bring out qualities he hasn't shown for a long
time and will show the fans and judges "a more dynamic, well-rounded
individual on the ice." Stojko has long been pigeonholed as a one-
trick pony, a great technician whose proficiency to nail his jumps
and skate cleanly earned him the nickname "The Terminator."

His short program will feature tribal music with drums to demonstrate
his vaunted power but will contain a pan flute section to display his
calmness within. The long program, to music from the movie The Count
of Monte Cristo, will have a more sophisticated and softer theme than
Stojko has used in the past.

"I'm not reinventing Elvis Stojko but I'm going to bring out some
more stuff that's been sort of dormant there for a little while," he
said.

Bridge, who coaches junior champ Ken Rose and has known Stojko for
years, is a believer.

"He's our most decorated Canadian athlete that should be comfortable
with his place in our sport and move on," she said. "But he's not
done. He's got new business."

It's easy to be skeptical about Stojko's comeback and to place him in
that category of athletes who just didn't know when to stay retired.

But this is an athlete whose inner resources are what always set him
apart. And it is the return of that drive that is fuelling this
comeback. He says it has nothing to do with gold medals, accolades or
anything external.

That drive is in evidence this day. After more than three hours of
practice, Stojko is still out there. The other skaters have left.
It's just him, the Zamboni, and Bridge on the ice, his ever-dedicated
mother Irene manning the video camera.

As the Zamboni goes about its business, Stojko is working on his
spins. He's whirling so fast, it looks like he's going to start
corkscrewing through the ice.

There are hockey players performing at the peak of their craft well
into their 30s. How about a figure skater?

"I'm looking like there's no limits," said Stojko. "I'm just going
for it."

> From singerskates@...

Thought you might be interested in this article.
Why Elvis Stojko can't hang'em up.


Why Elvis Stojko can't hang 'em up

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Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1051643352751&call_page=WM_Home&call_pageid=9\
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Sun May  4 15:14:03 2003


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The following tsn.ca article has been sent to you by singerskates@...
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Elvis welcome back in the rink. We've missed you!

Brigitte
--------------------------------------------------------------------

ELVIS LOOKS FORWARD TO COMPETING AGAIN
--------------------------------------
Canadian Press - 4/30/2003 1:16:24 PM
RICHMOND HILL, Ont. (CP) - Elvis Stojko says he is returning to competitive
figure skating because he hasn't reached his full potential.

And the former three-time world champion says he has not ruled out competing at
the 2006 Olympics in Turin, Italy.

"I just started trying triple Axels again. I haven't done them in four or five
months, they feel great," he told reporters Wednesday.

"I've got no injuries. My body's healthy, my mind's healthy. I'm ready to go."

His new coach is Linda Bridge, who has been coaching Canadian junior champion
Ken Rose.

Stojko, 31, announced his retirement on March 12, 2002, and was named to the
Skate Canada Hall of Fame last June.

Most recently he has been touring the United States as a member of the Champions
On Ice cast.

He won world titles in 1994, 1995 and 1997, and he also won Olympic silver in
1994 and 1998.

After missing most of the 2000-2001 season with injuries and finishing 10th at
the world championships, he went to the Salt Lake City Olympics and finished a
disappointing eighth. It was generally perceived that he could no longer keep up
with younger skaters such as Alexei Yagudin and Evgeni Plushenko, who have
dominated the top of the world podium since Stojko stopped winning.

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