Skating Hall of Fame: Ryan Smith
Speed. Edges. Grace. He has it all. Ryan Smith, born in the small Ontario town of Orillia, can twizzle the pants off anyone. Ryan has stood on many ice dance podiums all over the world. I met the superstar skater Ryan Smith in the Calgary airport on the way home from the 2000 Nationals in Calgary. Officially meeting Ryan Smith was a magical moment for me as I had admired his skating prowess for some time.
Let's set the scene shall we:
Event: Official meeting with Ryan Smith, uber ice dancer
Time: 6am on the day after the Closing Gala
Location of uber star: Lying, half on, half off a big pile luggage on the floor of the Calgary airport. NB. Skates are not comfortable to lie on. That'll leave a mark.
I said: "Can I get you some water?"
Result: Friends Forever
Lesson Learned: Pouring your heart and soul into four thrilling performances (+ gala) can sure make you tired. It must be, as Ryan was so exhausted that he had to be dragged from the small dirty patch of airport linoleum which he fell asleep on to make the flight home.
No one captures the beauty and power of latin rhythms on ice better than Ryan Smith (Pictured here with the lovely Brenda Key). 
2 comments
I can't believe Brenda let me touch her leg like that. Thank you for the nice comments, you are very kind.
It was a pretty sassy move. Perhaps she was momentarily hypnotised by the dazzling array of colours on your shirt.
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