Much excitement drove me to Sun Valley, Idaho to see Jumpin' Joe, Hartshorn & Sweiding, and Alexei Yagudin skate on the famed outdoor rink during the 68th-year run of the Sun Valley Ice Show. What I didn't know was that the "Headliner" announced on the Ice Show website only announced the biggest name performing. To my very pleasant surprise, 2002 Olympic Gold Medalist and four-time World and European Champion Alexei Yagudin was joined by 2006 Canadian silver medalists Meagan Wing & Aaron Lowe.
The rest of the line-up did not suffer either. A thoroughly enjoyable evening ensued as the skaters performed on an American Bandstand set under an incredible Southern Idaho sunset. Many patrons enjoyed a rink-side open-air buffet as part of the "Dinner and a Show."
While waiting for the event to begin, I snuck backstage to the practice rink. There I witnessed two amazing sights: Joe and Alexei trading jumps as they warmed up, and Anita Hartshorn with her hair in curlers as she soared through the air during a pairs lift. I had black-mail pictures, and I wasn't afraid to use them. I taunted her with an agreement not to post the pics if she would give me a brief interview.
