Speaker 1: 0:09

Hey there, welcome to how Do you Skate, the ultimate destination for all skating enthusiasts. We cater to everyone, from beginners to pros. Whether you love inline and ice skating or prefer quads and skateboarding, we have it all covered, and we bring you exclusive interviews with professionals, talented amateurs and influencers in the industry. So sit back, relax and get ready for an exciting journey into the world of skating welcome to.

Speaker 2: 0:42

how do you skate? I am your host, seangan, and today I get to have on David Krugshank I think I pronounced that right and Bonnie Blair, both Olympians, so this is exciting for me. So I usually like to start off with how your guys' skating journey started. So how old were you and how did it all start for you?

Speaker 3: 1:08

started. So how old were you and and how did it all start for you? Um, I'll go first. So I'm the youngest of six kids, but like the youngest by like a long ways. So my birth was announced at an ice rink when my other siblings were skating, and that's how my dad and the other siblings knew I was a boy or a girl, and then I was on skates at the age of two and racing at the age of four. So I don't know life without it. And you know, to my earliest memory till today, I've just always loved being on the ice and everything that goes with it.

Speaker 2: 1:49

Nice.

Speaker 4: 1:51

Yeah, and I mean I started in a pretty historic place for speed skating Northbrook, Illinois. They had a huge club, lots of Olympians, but I actually started playing hockey I don't even remember what age, but started speed skating kind of right around that eight to ten somewhere in there, and then just fell in love with the speed. And I like to do things kind of repetitively, I guess, and kind of see if I can get better at them, and I was always racing in the driveway with skateboards or bikes or whatever. So, um yeah, just fell in love with it and continued to this day with it.

Speaker 2: 2:31

And you've kind of stayed with skating, both hockey and speed skating right.

Speaker 4: 2:37

Correct Yep. So, like I say, I started on the front end of hockey and finishing on the back end on hockey, so, um, in between with speed skating, but, yeah, still love to play, um, love the game. Our son is heavily involved, plays pro as well, so, um, it's a huge part of us. Our nephews have played, uh, my brother-in-law have played, my brother-in-law has had played, so, um, yeah, just uh, skating is is, like bonnie says, in our dna all the way through okay now with bonnie.

Speaker 2: 3:10

Um, did you always do speed skating or did it just start off like just skating in general before? Was your family always involved in speed skating?

Speaker 3: 3:20

yeah, uh, one year my uh two oldest sisters got figure skates for christ, christmas and they went to the rink and they always wanted to go faster and faster and they kept getting in trouble by the rink guard but the speed skating coach had been there at the time and he said, oh, you guys should come try speed skating. And so they went home and they told my mom that and you know my mom was like, oh yeah, you're right. Well, then they ran into the guy in the grocery store, you know kind of small town, champaign, illinois type thing, and um, and so, yeah, then they got speed skates. Um, after they realized they didn't have white speed skates for females, that they wore black ones. Um, then they, uh, yeah, the family got involved in it and you know, like I said, our whole family was at my.

Speaker 3: 4:14

My oldest brother never competed, but everybody else did, uh, and the others were either national or North American champions. And then my dad was always a timer at the finish line with Dan Jansen's dad and my mom, you know, helped out whether it was concession stands. Sometimes she'd be a judge. So like a judge in speed skating is different than like in gymnastics or figure skating. It was more of like in the pack style or the short track who went over the line first? Because that was before you could wear like chips on you to know exactly who gets first, second and third.

Speaker 3: 5:01

We always wore numbers on our back and so the judges sat at the finish line, as well as the timers, and when the skaters went through they would read their numbers on their back so that then they would figure out you know who got first, second or third, being a close call or whatever. So you know, yeah, the whole family was involved in it and although my other siblings never, you know, took it as far as I did, but they kind of went on and did the normal route of, you know, going to college like they were supposed to and things like that, and I kind of wound up putting that stuff off on the sidelines stuff off on the sidelines.

Speaker 2: 5:47

Yeah, Well, it's. It was a pleasure to being able to watch you guys in the Olympics I've always been a huge fan of. I only really watched the skating for some reason, and now snowboarding, but it was. It was awesome to see you guys and it was awesome to talk to Dan about his whole experience all the way through. So now with David, are you, did you come from a family of skaters, or were you kind of like the black sheep of the family with that?

Speaker 4: 6:08

Yeah, first one, my sister's into music and kind of more artsy-fartsy and I do not have that gene at all. So, yeah, I'm on the sports side of things and I just still need to be active. I'm not a great couch guy, so I like to be active. I'm not a great couch guy, um, so I like to be active. I like to be outside, um, and and like I said, like skating was a huge part where I could challenge myself to, to see how much better I could get each week, and and I just really fell in love with that part of it.

Speaker 2: 6:39

Nice. Now I want to know your experiences and like what you were going through when you're leading up to your very first Olympics for each of you.

Speaker 4: 6:50

Well, yeah, that's a little bit of a loaded question because I did. I did baseball and soccer in high school. I actually, even though I had skated, you know, like I say, since I was a little guy, um, I really fell in love with soccer. I love playing that. My good friends were all soccer players. Um, they got recruited to Indiana university where, uh, they had this guy, uh, yagley was Yeager, I think was his name and they won like four or five national championships at Indiana University in a row and kind of that's where some of our guys went and my buddies went and I was like, ah, you know, I think I want to play D1 soccer.

Speaker 4: 7:34

And I got two years out from the 1988 Olympics, which was a junior world championships, and I thought, you know what, maybe I should try to see if I could make that team. Um, and I actually made that team and then won the championships in the sprint division. Um, and then from there it was like, okay, well, next year is the Olympics, like, maybe it was my senior year, I'll try to see if I can make the Olympic team. And it was. I was a huge long shot to try to make that team, but kind of in the running, I guess a little bit Um, and I ended up making it and so I'm like, well, this is probably what I should be doing. Um and so yeah, and then I stayed with it another four, three times, so four in total. Um and yeah, I really enjoyed the journey and the experience and what I learned from it and all my you know coaching that I can attribute how long I skated for the people. I talked to the skaters, I talked to the coaches, I talked to the equipment guys that I talked to have all kind of shaped and molded my career in the skate business. My career as a coach molded my career in the skate business, my career as a coach, my you know coaching with my own kids. So it was really I really feel fortunate that I skated number one in the time that I did with the athletes on the front end and the back end, you know, from Eric Heiden to Peter Mueller, to Leopolis Mueller, to Ann Henning, to Diane Holum, to Sheila Young.

Speaker 4: 9:06

I mean there were just some legends that blew through our generations and then followed up with, you know, dan Jansen, nick Tomitz, bonnie Blair. I mean we just had some absolute legends in our own country and then in, um, in other countries I think even to this day, there's still the historic legends of Uvians my, igor Zelovsky, karen Kanya, um, some of the the historic best skaters who have ever lived uh, were just in our generation, which is crazy. So, um, and we were out at the bars with them or we were on the ice with them or at dinners with them, and it's just. You strike up skating conversations and you learn, you know, you learn what they did and what what their training habits were and how they took care of their equipment and, yeah, just so many learning experiences along the way. We were really fortunate to skate when we did.

Speaker 2: 10:08

Nice and your experience leading up to it.

Speaker 3: 10:11

Yeah, for me. I kind of grew up more on, you know what we back then called pack style or like what is known now as short track skating um, like what Apollo Ono does. However, uh, even back then we did it outside. It wasn't necessarily always just done in a hockey rink. So you know I never did what they called the Olympic style or long track skating, where you're going against the clock, so I just had somebody kind of talk me into it.

Speaker 3: 10:47

Just prior to the 1980 Olympic trials and my very first race, my pairing didn't even show up. I was in a borrowed skin suit, you know that had the hood, because we didn't have that in pack style suit, you know that had the hood because we didn't have that in pack style. And my very first race that I skated, I skated a time that was qualifying me enough to be in the Olympic trials, which was the following weekend. So I then took part in the Olympic trials the next weekend, took part in the Olympic trials. The next weekend I was actually paired with Leopolis Mueller and she set a track record in the 500, and she came up and thanked me afterwards and said if it wasn't for me getting her off the starting line so fast because I was so fast off the starting line that her first hundred meters was faster than what she would normally go. That that was kind of why she set a track record and you know. And then this gal goes on and wins a medal at the Olympics. So you know, to me as a young, impressionable kid I was kind of like, oh wow, you know, that was kind of cool and maybe I should do this more often. So that was kind of like my first taste of the Olympic style type racing, and then qualified for my first Olympic team the following year in 1984. But I still skated short track in between. Then, as a matter of fact, we were both on my last year of skating short track. I won the World Short Track Championships. That was Dave's first qualifying for a short track team. So we were both on that same team together in 1986. And then that was my last, you know.

Speaker 3: 12:47

Then I decided okay, I'm going to focus more on the long track. That same year prior to those world championships I was third overall at the world sprint championship. So I started getting on the podium, no-transcript, and kind of like Dave said earlier, you like that thrill of being able to compete against yourself and that clock at the end of the straightaway. It doesn't lie, it tells you the truth, whether you like it or not. It, like tells you the truth, whether you like it or not. So you know I didn't want any, but you know if if I skated well it's because of myself, and and if I didn't skate well it's because of myself. So, like I said, then I decided to just really focus more on the long track. After that, 86 world championships Okay, or short track, and then it was just all on track after that.

Speaker 2: 14:09

Now during, since you both made four Olympic appearances did you ever have times where you were just ready to quit, like you couldn't do it anymore? You just wanted to give up.

Speaker 4: 14:21

I would say, yeah, I mean, I think any athlete would probably be lying if they said they didn't didn't have, you know, parts of their career. Um, you know that they're, they're unhappy, um, but I would say for both of us, and and Bond can probably answer as well, but I mean I, they were very short lived, like you know, over dinner. Dinner I was pissed off, I'm not doing this anymore. And then the next day you wake up and you're back at it. Um, I think that's one of the traits that makes bonnie and I, um, you know, pretty relentless as athletes and pretty successful as athletes because, um, those periods that we got down, whether it was our coach or our racing schedule or our results or whatever, you know, we rebound pretty quick. So we blow the steam, whether it's, you know, break a hockey stick and then move on to the next one, or throw a golf club and move on to the next hole. But you know, I think we're pretty good at dumping that baggage pretty quickly. So you know, I think we're pretty good at dumping that baggage pretty quickly.

Speaker 4: 15:26

So you know, there was some things I had to retire at one point for a little bit, just for some health sinus allergies, all that kind of stuff. I just wasn't able to train the way I wanted. But then, you know, quickly came right back at it when I got healthy, bon had some stuff with some coaches you know where, wasn't totally happy with the results, but again adjusted quickly and then back and had the success. Um, you know right away. So, yeah, I mean I think all athletes go through that. I just tell my guys I coach, everyone's going to go through it, it's just a matter of when. So you're going to run into some bumps along the road, it's just how quickly you get. You get over to the other side of the bump and get to on the downhill and get back at it.

Speaker 3: 16:12

Yeah, and I think I'll add onto that Cause he kind of, you know, spoke for me, which is totally fine, but I, I think one of the parts that goes along with that is, as athletes and maybe not even just as athletes as human beings, no matter what we're doing, we're all going to have those peaks and valleys, right, and it's how you adjust to those, adapt to those and what you can do to. You know, try to get to that other side. And I had a brother that had a brain tumor and he lost his battle but but through it all, he never saw his glasses half empty. He always saw his glasses half full, and so when he got his brain tumor, he go. Well, you know, before I got my brain tumor, there was, like you know, 10,000 things that I could do, and now that I have a brain tumor, there's 9,000 things that I could do. So you know, he always saw the positives and things instead of the negatives, and I think you know that's that's one of the things that you know we try to bring to our kids.

Speaker 3: 17:26

We try to instill that in some of the athletes that we work with as well is trying to find those positives in things instead of just only the negatives. Like you know, there's always going to be negatives of stuff. But trying to find those positives, trying to get better than you were the day before, you know you don't want that snowball to keep getting bigger and roll out of control, right? So you want to find a way to break it down and, you know, try to think of those things that are going right and build upon those to get you out of some of those valleys that that you wind up happening.

Speaker 3: 18:08

You know, yeah, I, I did have a lot of success, um, in in our sport, but, uh, there were definitely a lot of frustrating times that go with that and I think a lot of times the the public just sees oh well, you were at the Olympics and you won. Well, it wasn't always winning, you know, I definitely had my frustrations. So, you know, I think it's like Dave said, it's how you deal with them, to make you come out the other side to. You know, the sun's always going to come up tomorrow and try to be better than you were yesterday.

Speaker 2: 18:45

Yeah. So now, what did you guys do, as far as I know, with different sports, because I'm back working on doing the rollerblade series next year for inline speed skating and working my way back into it. So what is the stuff that you guys were? How were you training in the off season to prepare yourself for the skating season? And like was your diet consistent year round or do you have cheat days where you just splurge and hit like a good pizza place?

Speaker 4: 19:18

or are we coaching you now, or are we just? Are we just?

Speaker 2: 19:22

in general.

Speaker 4: 19:22

I've actually I've actually got coaches out here so yeah, no, I mean, I think it's a great question and and I think, um, the first word that jumps in my mind is balance, right, um, so you need to have balance and you can't take, even with the young kids, that that we coach, you know whether it's it's getting into the parents saying at 10 years old, oh, they're going to be on the Olympic team or they're going to make the NHL or whatever. It's like, hey, man, like you need to be a human being first and be balanced. And so, yeah, there are cheat days, yeah, there's pizza, yeah, there's popcorn, yeah, there's, you know, candy, but within reason, and I think, again, it's. You know there's nothing wrong with that, but you so you have to be happy first off, to be good at anything that you do. You have to be, you know, happy and really be passionate about what you do. But certainly, yeah, you have to be disciplined.

Speaker 4: 20:31

For us it was biking, running weights, a lot of low work, imitation stuff, where we get down in the skating position. You've probably seen, since you're a skater, but you know a lot of. You know skating, specific strengthening drills, not just. You know weight room. You know, yes, cleans are important. Yes, squats are important. Yes, you know, olympic lifting is huge Jumps, plyometric stuff, all of that is key. But getting strong in the skating position is probably start there, probably start there. You know you can get your zone two bike stuff in, you can get your. You know we kind of work the two ends too right. Either black or white, we're either going zone two or we're going full tilt. And those are kind of obviously how people train. Now they try not to stay kind of in the middle zones where it's no man's land. It's either full tilt or we're going pretty easy. And Pagaccia, you know, the guy that won the Tour de France this year, talks a lot about that if you're interested in going into podcasts and listening about that, but it's really spending, you know, 80% of your time. You know technique zone two easier stuff, and 20% hitting it hard. Know technique zone to easier stuff and 20% hitting it hard. Um, and that's kind of what we try to do. But diet and health and nutrition and supplements and all that stuff is a is a key part of of what we do with our elite athletes as well as educating our younger athletes to, um, you know, eat a little bit less candy. Make sure each meal is somewhat balanced Because, again, we're into the whether you want to call it the mental health, but there's so much stuff going on right now learning and giving these kids the tools to, like Bon said, be able to adjust right away and get out of your rut, rather than saying, you know it's someone else's fault, you know just blaming everything else.

Speaker 4: 22:30

Right, you know, I'm mentally not there today. You, it's on you. You got to shake out of that Like it's. But if you don't have the tools for that and they haven't been mentored and taught on, how do I get out of that rut? You know, then there's going to be a problem. So that's a big thing that Bon and I felt passionate about is trying to use our life experiences and our sport experiences to educate these you know young athletes as well as you know out in our communities to help people. I don't want to say, stop making excuses, but you have the power to take control of things. You can do it. You really can do it and be strong.

Speaker 3: 23:17

And then I'll just add a little bit, not necessarily the last part, but earlier on. You know, I think nowadays there's so much more information out there in regards to, like, the whole nutrition thing and all that. So you know, when we were skating, it was more of, like he said, just well, balanced, right, and we didn't have a lot of those tools. It wasn't like we were getting blood draws and knowing that, oh you're, you know, more anemic or you need more of this. Or you know, like we're rolling the dice, right, we're just trying to eat a balanced meal, right, we're just trying to eat a balanced meal and you know, probably more meals for him being a guy than than myself, but you know, like pretty much ate three meals a day, with, you know, some snacking in there or whatever, but like. But, like you said, it was more of just a well-balanced and you know I I guess we were just kind of guessing like, yeah, I ate.

Speaker 3: 24:23

You know, before every Olympic race I had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and a big, huge glass of milk. Now they're going to tell you you shouldn't drink milk, right? And you know, now, after doing some blood draws, like I'm supposed to be dairy free. Now I cheat, but I'm also like, I'm also like not competing anymore so I can cheat, but but you know, like things like that, that that I, that we probably ate that weren't like the best for optimal success, right, but we didn't have those tools back then. So you know, there's just so much more information now that is readily available to anybody and you know, and yes, for athletes, but you know it's also for general people being just trying to live their life, you know, should try to eat a well-balanced meal, correct? So you know, yeah, I think for us it was more about just being well-balanced, but now, as we've gotten to a different part in this whole game, we know that there's a lot more information out there to be able to to help those of this generation try to be their optimal best.

Speaker 2: 25:44

Yeah, that was always one thing I remembered, even though it's what, 30 years later, was the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, as always before, and then didn't you get a Skippy commercial?

Speaker 3: 25:56

And then I did a thing with Skippy Yep, and I still I just finished a big, huge jar today.

Speaker 2: 26:03

I have a jar of peanut butter and just a spoon that I just have sitting next to me. Just every once in a while, just do a spoonful.

Speaker 3: 26:09

Yeah, I'm glad I'm not allergic to nuts. That would really I'd be really sad yeah.

Speaker 2: 26:16

Well, you would have found out the first bite. So Right. So, but so, after your last Olympic appearance, is that when you retired, or from competitive speed skating?

Speaker 3: 26:29

So, yeah, we were both a little bit different on that one. My last Olympics was 94, but we already knew the following year, the World Sprint Championships. Knew, the following year, the world sprint championships, which at that point in time was the biggest competition on a non-olympic year, was going to be right here in milwaukee, wisconsin. So I knew, after the olympics, I'm not retired, like I'm not going to retire, when the biggest competition of the season comes to what is now my hometown, like I knew I couldn't be a spectator sitting in the stands, like I, just that was not in my wheelhouse. So, um, I did train for one more year and retired, uh, at the age of 90, or I retired in 1995.

Speaker 3: 27:19

And I actually my, even though that competition was here in Milwaukee. I won all four races the world championship, which was in front of like 300 members of the Blair Bunch, which was just super cool, we probably almost had about, you know, a third of the stands, of the stands. And then, a little bit later on, in the same season, I wound up finishing my career in Calgary, obviously one of my favorite tracks, and I skated my very last race, a thousand meters, which set an American record, and so that was my last race and you know. And then I knew I was going to be done Like it.

Speaker 3: 28:08

It wasn't easy. I mean, like to this day I still love the sport, so I still love to go out there and but yeah that it was hard to walk away, but when you kind of walk away at the end of a season it's kind of the norm, right, because then your season's done and whatever. But where it really hit me was the following October. Like this time of year I went out for a run and the wet leaves on the ground or whatever that you get in October was a smell that I'd been smelling for 16 years in Germany, because that's where we always were in October. And.

Speaker 3: 28:51

I went out for this run thinking, oh, I'm going out for some exercise, and in the middle of the run I'm like bawling and I'm like, oh my God, I'm in Milwaukee and I should be in Germany, and you know it, just it like hit me right and um, so that that part of like yeah, it was hard. And then at the next Olympics we actually were already married and I was five months pregnant at the time and you know, yeah, you could say it's hormones, I don't know, but I like walked into the rink in in Nagano and I was to do an interview with Harry Smith and he started interviewing me and I thought I was fine. And in the middle of the interview I'm like bawling again, like you know, this is all going on and I'm not part of it anymore and um, so that it that you know, it's kind of like you go through withdrawals or whatever it was. You know it's such a big part of my life, um, but then yet, like having, I think having dave, being able to go on after the fact kind of gradually got me out of it, versus it really being cold turkey, which you know, even though I wasn't competing, I was still around it a ton and I think that that helped soften the blow. But yeah, it was.

Speaker 3: 30:18

It was super hard because it's, you know, such a big part of your life and you know, I feel extremely lucky that our daughter has decided to pick up this crazy sport that we were in and now we're kind of living it vicariously through her and, you know, has brought back a lot of great emotions and, you know, a smile on my face and and gets me to get to the rink more often and get out there. And you know, granted, like the power in the legs aren't there, but I still like to cheat at night and have some ice cream or whatever else. So I figured if I do a couple laps then I'm all good.

Speaker 4: 31:00

So Dave's retirement was a little bit different, so I'll let him yeah, there are a lot of ladies that are glad she retired because she probably could have won the next two Olympics. To be honest, so or three. So you know I just I skated a couple more years, after 98 games, and then retired and, like Bon said, still, we're still in it every day. And then retired and, like Bon said, we're still in it every day. Our son started skating right away, so that kept us in the rink. I started coaching right away, so that kept me in the rink, so we've really never left the rink, which has made the transition way easier.

Speaker 2: 31:40

Now you guys started the Dash Project.

Speaker 4: 31:45

How long ago after your retirement, was that? So yeah, quite a few years after our retirement, bonnie and I were both on the board of US Speed Skating and gave back in that way and we really were concerned about the development over the last 20 years, or the lack thereof of development, as far as US speed skaters in the United States. You know we ended up getting a bunch of inline skaters Joey Mantia, brittany, the last, aaron Jackson, the last gold medalist since Bonnie for the United States. So a lot of our, our top level athletes currently and and previously over the last 30 years have been from the sport inline Um and we haven't really until kind of Jordan Stoltz there are a couple of them, obviously, but he's the rock star of kind of a non um inline skater. He's a traditional, started off kind of in pack style, like Bonnie said, then did short track and now is the best of the best Um. There really haven't been that many of them.

Speaker 4: 32:50

And so you know we saw the need for developing a program um again, of getting and recruiting more athletes. Like last year we had our was it really our first club program? We kind of had a dash elite program where we had nine to 11 guys to 12 guys depending on the year. But last year we actually had a club and we had, I think, 34 skaters and I bet you know 28 of those had never actually speed skated in their life. So we're really trying to go get new skaters and introduce them to the sport that gave us so much and taught us so much and gave our family kind of what we have. So we're excited about the next 20 years and what this program can be and where we can get skaters from and what we can teach them and we can use sport as a vehicle and a platform for teaching these kids life lessons.

Speaker 2: 33:54

Very cool. Yeah, I like that. That's actually when I first did not realize you guys were on the board when I first reached out about coming on the podcast, Did not realize you guys were on the board when I first reached out about coming on the podcast and at that time I was just like in the prep mode for the podcast and super nervous about doing it. Because getting on and talking to people and then I mean I've been involved in pro wrestling so I have friends that are famous. But getting to talk to Dan Jansen, who was like my whole influence for getting into skating in the first place, I was like a little kid, I'm like, oh, I'm, I'm, I was super nervous. And then I actually have that issue of sports illustrated with Bonnie and Dan on the cover. I think I still have like two copies of it.

Speaker 3: 34:36

So if I ever get to get them, signed.

Speaker 2: 34:38

That's what I think. So too. So. But I mean I'd love to one day come out and train with you guys just to get some, get some experience on the ice too, because we have I'm in colorado now and we have lakes that are up in the mountains and people skate on the lakes. I would just love to skate across the lake so where are you? In colorado uh, just a little north of Denver and North Glen.

Speaker 4: 35:03

Oh, we build our skate out of Dakota, okay.

Speaker 2: 35:06

How far are?

Speaker 4: 35:06

you from Dakota.

Speaker 2: 35:08

Oh, not very far at all, maybe 30 minutes. I actually had to think about that. I've only been here for two years. I have to really think where things are out here.

Speaker 3: 35:18

I've got a ton of family in Colorado. I have a niece and a nephew. Nephew and his family are in Denver, and then I've got a bunch more in the Springs and then I have a sister up in Silverthorne. So we get to Colorado quite a bit because we got places to stay when we go skiing out in Silverthorne.

Speaker 2: 35:40

That's awesome. Now, does your family out here? Are they involved in skating? Because I noticed out here skating is way bigger than it is in California now.

Speaker 3: 35:50

They all were. So, like my, my nephews grew up, grew up playing hockey in the Springs, there that that family is more from the Colorado Springs area, so they played hockey. But my sister, who's one of my sisters that has passed away, she ran the speed skating club in Colorado Springs and you know, kind of back in the day, like, yes, you know, they didn't have really people to compete against, so it was whoever she could, you know, roust up to come be in some of the practices, which some of them were even figure skaters and things like that. But she was, she was pretty good about just recruit, recruiting herself, and and then, um, they would, at the broadmoor world arena they used to always put on ice shows, so the speed skating group would do barrel jumping acts during their like portion of these figure skating shows. So you know, and then they would do like a relay or whatever. But but yeah, you know, there's she's, she's passed away.

Speaker 3: 37:00

We actually at one point had our short track team was based there in Colorado Springs at the training center, so that's pretty much almost where Apollo was training all his years. And then, yeah, you know, kind of in the last few years I don't think they've really had much. They've got a little bit of a group there, um, with speed skating with um pat. Pat wetland is, uh, coaching and I believe he's still in the springs as well, so, um, there's not a ton, but there's a little bit of a group there. They've had a couple of good skaters that have shown some promise, um, so they're young and kind of up and coming, so we'll see what happens with them very cool.

Speaker 2: 37:48

Now I'm 52, so is there if I decide that I want to like take up the ice? Competition is their age category.

Speaker 3: 37:57

For me, or you have a master the world championships is in milwaukee this year.

Speaker 4: 38:02

Hurry up and get on ice. Yeah, you could do it. When's the World Championships? End of January.

Speaker 2: 38:08

And when do you want me to come to train with you? Tomorrow.

Speaker 4: 38:11

That's great.

Speaker 2: 38:13

Yeah, I got to show up to work tomorrow and then we got the Raiders-Broncos game this weekend, so after this weekend I can.

Speaker 4: 38:19

Okay, there you go. Perfect, so after this weekend I can. Okay, there you go.

Speaker 2: 38:22

Perfect, but so a few of the questions that I like to ask as we get towards the end is who is your biggest influence to get into skating? I know you come from a skating family and you were on your own, so who was, like, the most influential person for you?

Speaker 4: 38:39

That's a good. Uh, that's a good. I, I didn't really. For me, I didn't really have anybody, until, probably, dj was a guy that you know was five years, six years older than me, or whatever he is. Um, is he four? Okay, so four, um, yeah, I mean I think dan and nick tom, it Thomas, you know, peter Mueller, there were a couple of guys right in front that were that were legendary world sprinters.

Speaker 4: 39:09

I mean, they were the best of the best in the world. I mean so as a kid growing up at 16 and seeing these guys at 20, you know, just crushing, crushing races and standing on the podium every time. Um, you know, certainly was up there. Bonnie was up there. She was winning anything and everything that there was to win. Um, but I was more used to that because you know Bonnie and I grew up short track, so I see Bonnie winning all the time. Um, you know where Dan was. Dan really didn't skate a whole lot of short tracks. So, um, and nick thomas was a little bit even older than that. I think he's six years older than me. So, um, those guys were kind of out of it and so on the long track side, I would say those were the guys that that influenced my career and and mentored my career, to say hey, like maybe I could do that what they do. Yeah, and then just just being better yourself, like just trying to stay within yourself and be a better skater than than you could be.

Speaker 3: 40:16

So Mine's maybe a little more long winded. Of course I get long winded anyway, but I think probably anyone in the sport of speed skating and as long as they, they know more the history of the sport, um, you know you can't not have in that conversation eric hayden, because what eric did? You know no one will ever do again to be the best at the shortest event and the longest event and all the ones in between, like you know those that are skating well now, you know they're either good in 500,000, 15, or then they're good in the 5k, 10k, but to do all of them. You know so him just in a sense. You know he. You know he was this icon and although I got to be in the Olympic trials with him, um, that was the only competition I was ever in with him, uh, but you know some of those others, like I I said about, uh, leopolis Mueller and how she said that to me in those Olympic trials. Um, you know so for her, um, um, you know so for her, um, uh, sheila Young-Ockowitz, who then I did skate a little bit more with because she was in those Olympics and then she retired and then she kind of came back again. So I was with her, like on a team or so, um, but you know the the history that that she brought um to the sport, that she brought to the sport, and then, you know, along with that, as I'm this up and coming, the East Germans were up here right.

Speaker 3: 42:01

So you know, yes, I was looking towards them and then it got to be the point where I kind of came into their realm and that's when I realized, at that point I needed to look past them and not up to them anymore. So that was kind of a learning curve for me. That you know. Then you've got to get into this, into this headspace of you know, yeah, they're good, but shoot, I'm right here with them. So now, now we're this. You know, somebody seemed as large as life, and now you're there with them. You've got to figure out how to change that mindset and look past them. And, and you know, they were bigger, stronger, but you know, technically they didn't skate as well. And that's where I was able to, you know, kind of catch them. I had better technique than they did and that's how I was able to, you know, dave, as well as DJ and Nick, having these guys to be able to skate with every day and be in their slipstream and them be like my motor pacing. They were a very big part of my success.

Speaker 3: 43:30

So, although you know, yes, I looked up to them, yes, I, I, you know, I I don't know if idolize them is the right word, um, because I think. I think I guess, when you kind of idolize somebody there they're more, yes, they're larger than life, but they're maybe not as tangible. And when you're sitting there eating dinner with them every night, you're all together in life, but they're maybe not as tangible. And when you're sitting there eating dinner with them every night, you're all together in this right. Yeah.

Speaker 3: 43:57

And but being able to have them there and me being able to like chase them and emulate them and to be able to bring me to speeds that I would never be able to go on my own, that then, once I got to those world record speeds, I knew what it felt like because I had already been there before. So you know, I was so lucky to be able to have them and be able to also have that technique that I could stay with them. You know, that was the other part of it too, like, yeah, you can be behind them, but if you can't stay with them they don't help you at all. But I was able to like figure out how to, because of that technique, be able to stick with them and have them be able to bring me to speeds I could never imagine going on my own. So you know, yeah, I think there there's so many different parts of that question that you ask because it's not, it's not one simple thing, right it.

Speaker 3: 45:02

And it starts at a little kid where there was even a girl, sarah, doctor, she was from Madison, she actually had a daughter that won a medal in the Olympics this summer in cycling, and but Sarah and I the exact same age. She was better in the longer races, I was better in the shorter ones. We usually had more longer ones and shorter ones, so she'd always win the overall title and I'd be second. But you know, even for her, you know, at a younger age, 12, 13, like I'm looking up to her, you know. So there's always kind of different people along the way. That that, I think, is part of the. The help of you climbing and the help of the journey of it all to, you know, take you to its highest level.

Speaker 4: 45:56

It's just, you know, you look at the Olympics and you saw how well our track team did and how well our swim team did right at the past Paris Games, and I think, again, that's one of the reasons we started this program because we had, as mentioned earlier in the podcast here, so many historic I mean legit legends that that made it.

Speaker 4: 46:17

I mean we're the winningest NGB in winter Olympic history for the United States. I mean speed skating is, you know, swimming or track and field in the winter games as far as winning, and we've gotten away from that. But we had, we had all these, you know, I had young men, older men, men that you know, like Bonnie said, there were pockets of each group, had someone else to look up to, where you see, in swimming, like the kids watch TV, they see that and they go to their clubs and then they have their clubs that they look. So it just breeds. It breeds winning, and so that's why I think, you know, us swimming's been so powerful and track and field's been so powerful as they have. Then they, you know, go from high school and then they go NCAA Division I, then they go in the Olympics and there's always people to chase or legends of the sport, you know, and it goes generation to generation and just the machine just keeps churning and burning winners and that's a cool process to watch.

Speaker 3: 47:21

And for them too. You know they're lucky because they have that NCAA link and we don't have that in our sport and I think that's one of the parts that's a struggle for our sport to keep the athletes, to keep that churning and burning, and I think we were lucky that we've got them. But here our ice rink is literally right off the interstate, four miles from downtown Milwaukee. You know we really feel like we can be able to get more athletes involved in our sport and you know, unfortunately, with the other rink out in Salt Lake, you know it's the rink itself is just kind of off the beaten trail, right Like the main thoroughfare or interstate if you want to call it is, you know, a good 15 minutes once you get off it to go to get to the ice rink.

Speaker 3: 48:38

So it's not. You know hearing people like buzz by our rink and they're like, oh, that big building, that's kind of cool. Well, you know, yeah, we got to get you in there, so and it's literally right there. So, you know, I think that's one of the things you know like, like Dave said, you know, like track and field and and the swimming, and you know some of these, these kids that have been watching Katie Ledecky for years and now they're actually on a team with her right, like how cool is that? And and doesn't sound like she's done yet. So but you know they do have that NCAA link, which which helps their sport, uh, greatly. So you know we need to get, we need to get help. Otherwise, um, for our sport to keep us being that, you know, number one sport in winter, ngb history.

Speaker 2: 49:32

Yeah, I agree it's. It's always been one of my favorite and growing up in California, kind of like Florida, we're the tan skaters, so that's what we got. But what is your future vision of the Dash project? Are you planning to expand? I know, even if you get into like training short track people and then bringing them out periodically to train at the big track, if you have like the kind of like satellite, satellite clubs all around the country?

Speaker 4: 50:03

Yeah, and luckily, you know, with our, our rink, we can do short track and long track in the same rink, which is, which is great. But, yeah, I think, growing it, whether it expands you, it expands outside of Milwaukee, who knows? I mean open to anything, as far as if people want to donate, it's a 501c3, it's a tax write-off. It depends on how big this thing grows and what we can do for, again, life lessons and mentorship with the young men and young women that we have. But certainly we'd love to keep growing.

Speaker 4: 50:37

Our club when I grew up was, you know, about 100 to 120, you know athletes in our club, so you know that obviously just sticks in my mind as a target of something that I think we can get to. Usually, you know, for every hundred athletes you have, you probably get one Olympian out of that. So, um, that's just been a historic trend and and so obviously we want to do that or do better than that, Um, and we want to leave that as our legacy. You know, with the sport of speed skating, that, um, that we could do. But, hey, I love going to California. You, you know, skating on the boardwalk if you can, and I mean you want to skate along the ocean. There's nothing better than that. Just go for miles and miles, miles, from manhattan beach up to santa monica, that's.

Speaker 4: 51:22

That's not a bad swing right there yeah, there's just no competition though yeah, that's true, but hey, like bond said, we're retired so we can just cruise and watch the sunset and get a good workout while we're doing it, which I love.

Speaker 2: 51:37

Definitely. So. One thing that I didn't get into earlier, that I think everybody's going to want to know, is the love story behind you two. How did you two come together? And we want the juicy details details, go for it.

Speaker 3: 52:01

oh, um, you know, I, I it's just, I think, being around um each other and um, we were for sure, just friends. First, um, and you know we made that first uh, short track team in 1986 and I am five years older than he is, so I did kind of rob the cradle a little bit. But his mom said to me at the airport you take care of my little Dave. And now nothing started at that point in time. But I definitely remembered that comment that she said to me.

Speaker 3: 52:31

And you know, years later it was more of, you know, a friendship that grew into something something bigger. And you know, yeah, now I don't know how many years it's been, but we've got two kids and we're still in an ice rink and we, we still enjoy each other's company and almost finish each other's sentences. It was funny. Like Dan Jansen would have said like, oh my God, you guys share one brain because of things that we say or whatever, and there's different things still to today, like he'll say something or we hear something on TV and we'll both say the exact same thing. And I was like, yep, that's why we're married.

Speaker 2: 53:17

That's awesome.

Speaker 4: 53:18

Yes, and who knows, like I say, my mom maybe saw something before, right, when I was probably 15, 16, we started traveling and you know, and you're 15. You're not looking at someone that's 21 or 20, right, you're not like it, just at that point. I think our ages as we matured, our age difference, kind of shrunk.

Speaker 4: 53:44

And so, yeah, I mean, but who knows, I'd have to ask my mom. I never asked her like hey, did you think we were going to get together? Her like hey, did you think we were going to get together? Or, and my, my almost 99.99% would be, yeah, I thought you guys would be a good match. Um, because she always liked Bonnie, she liked hanging out with Bonnie's family, um, and I think she was like she didn't like some of my other girlfriends. So I think she was like this is who you should be with, this is who you should marry. So I think when we actually did get married, she might have been the happiest person in the room, right?

Speaker 2: 54:20

Well, besides us, so who asked who out? Was it you or Bonnie?

Speaker 4: 54:28

I don't know. Some people have asked that.

Speaker 3: 54:30

Necessarial and it's probably even like you didn't really go anywhere.

Speaker 4: 54:36

Yeah, because we were traveling.

Speaker 3: 54:38

Hanging out more with each other, right, like you know, it was kind of more of something organic, I guess, versus, oh, do you want to go to a movie Like? We didn't do that because, like, typically like overseas and watching like Doogie Howser in German, you know like, or watching a tennis match in German, you know you, just you just kind of like hung out more and I think we just gradually started hanging out more and more with each other. So, um, yeah, it wasn't really like a date, I don't't know.

Speaker 4: 55:13

Yeah, I'm not sure we really yeah, we didn't start in a normal.

Speaker 3: 55:18

It's not a normal situation, right, and it wasn't online.

Speaker 2: 55:24

We didn't have online back then.

Speaker 3: 55:26

We did not have online back then I actually kind of miss those days actually sometimes.

Speaker 2: 55:32

So just like when you're out and the person's on the phone the whole entire time you're like hello, I'm here, yeah, right. Exactly. So now, because you were involved with the NHL for a little while too, right?

Speaker 4: 55:45

Still to this day, yep.

Speaker 2: 55:47

Okay, and what do you do with the NHL?

Speaker 4: 55:50

So I'm a skating coach, advisor, consultant, um to the LA Kings. I think I'm on my year eight or nine with them, Um, but I've been with the Dallas stars organization, Chicago Blackhawks organization, did some consulting in Columbus, as well as, uh, Phoenix when they were in phoenix. Now they're utah um. So, yeah, I've been around the league for yeah, 25 years, um, and so it's created a skate created a skate, yeah, with mario lemieux called that, uh, mlx skate.

Speaker 4: 56:25

Then we sold that to easton bell sports. That skate became the mako skate, um, and now I have another version, um, that we're rolling out under the name Dicosi, um, and so we're using, um, again, all the information that that I've gotten over the years through what elite level skaters like to use and why they like to use it and what are the key components to making good equipment, um, I still feel that the current skate market is just really, it just is really undervalued and it's not. Guys are using crappy equipment, to be honest. I mean, they're skating on plastic and they're squatting 400 and 500 pounds. I mean, um, so we're putting together different parts with different components, um, that will allow the athlete to maximize their power distribution into the ice.

Speaker 4: 57:21

Uh, we actually, with that other skate, we actually finally got carbon fiber into the national hockey league, which almost all skates are now carbon fiber, and a unibase, uh, sole.

Speaker 4: 57:30

So I feel very proud that we were able to do that and accomplish that. But it left the underside of the chassis meaning the toque, as a lot of hockey guys like to describe it which is still the plastic holder. That plastic holder has been around since the 70s. So we're going to be using all different materials magnesium, titanium, stainless steel, things that we use in the speed skating industry that allow us to maximize our power output from ourselves into the ice and get a better grip of the ice, better speed of the ice, better propulsion off the ice, better acceleration off the ice, as well, as we're going to have tons of different adjustments for the athletes to be able, like a bike or a golf club, fit that tool to their body, which is not done right now. The blades come, they're mounted where they mount and like you're an inline guy, so you get your skates where you get your skates.

Speaker 4: 58:30

But if you're an inline racer, you know you have adjustments and you can move your blades left and right, and almost no two inline skaters that I know of have their skates in the same spot, same as speed skating. So why would hockey be any different than those two disciplines? So, yeah, we're bringing that to market. We have a bunch of patents already on it and we're excited and forward to, uh, either do that ourselves or partner with a company that would be willing to, um, you know, get into that market.

Speaker 4: 59:01

And and again, same as we are doing with dashes expand our knowledge, um, with the athletes and try to optimize the potential athletes, um, you know, success, and let them get as high as they want to get and not let the equipment be a limiting factor in their success, which we see all the time, from foot problems to knee problems, to groin problems, to abdominal surgery, to labrum surgery, to, you know, back issues. I mean, there's so many things that are related to skates that we could fix, we just don't have enough time in the day. So we're hoping that these skates allow it to be a lot quicker and easier for the equipment managers and for the athlete to be able to make those adjustments themselves.

Speaker 2: 59:46

That's awesome. So that's like a whole new concept for the whole hockey world. Then it's going to be completely new.

Speaker 4: 59:53

Yep, the guys are. I'm sure they'll kick their heels.

Speaker 3: 59:56

It's a pretty traditional sport, but I think once guys like when clap skates came in, nobody wanted to go on clap skates, but then you realized you needed to go on clap skates or you're going to get left behind.

Speaker 2: 1:00:07

So yeah, I think it'll kind of be the same thing yeah, they actually do make one inline pair of clap skates that I've seen. So haven't used them, haven't been able to find them, but I saw like the prototype of them, but I don't know if they actually came to market, wasn't?

Speaker 4: 1:00:24

the Mars blade? Was it the Mars blade, the one that it pivots a little bit kind of like a clap skate, or does it actually come off the boot?

Speaker 2: 1:00:34

It comes off the heel, comes off the boot, okay, so I think I have a picture of it somewhere. I'll have to find it and send it to you later. Yeah, so now, when you guys were speed skating, what was your skate of choice? Like, what was your?

Speaker 3: 1:00:51

when we competed viking, okay, um, but now, as a retired run-of-the-mill person like I, I have a marquesi skate. That's a collapse skate okay I'm still a viking blade um. I'm not the technical person. He can go on with that.

Speaker 2: 1:01:13

Well, after that last speech, yeah, he's definitely technical.

Speaker 3: 1:01:17

I was more. Here's your skates. They're set up, they're perfect, just go.

Speaker 4: 1:01:23

And really there was only one. I would say it would be like Schwinn right, there was only a Schwinn bike. You only got a Schwinn bike. Viking was a Dutch company company and they pretty much had a hundred percent share of the market. I mean, you know, ballen grud, there was, there was a sss I mean there were a few skates later in our career that dabbled in dj skated on sss the japanese manufacturer at the end of his career and got his gold medal and world record on SSS.

Speaker 4: 1:01:54

But there were very few people Japanese and like DJ and you know one or two others, I mean there were very few that skated on that equipment. And Viking still is the dominant force in speed skating, the Dutch company. So. But Marchese's done a nice job. We actually use Pinnacle out of Atlanta. Pinnacle makes the boots and then we get our blades from Viking and he's been great. He's a huge inline presence, pinnacle Racing again in Atlanta.

Speaker 4: 1:02:27

And Jimmy, and his last name is Blair. I mean now he makes skates for Blair. So I said, hey, blair, can you make skates for Blair? So I said, hey, blair, can you make skates for Blair? So that's how our relationship started, because we needed skates for my daughter. So, and we knew Mark Casey makes a fantastic product and is a legend in our sport, but he's kind of getting towards the retirement age and we wanted something that obviously our daughter could be through her career and wanting to skate through the 2034 games in Salt Lake City, which is going to be awesome. We wanted to make sure we had consistency for her all the way through the games. So we look for Jimmy's probably. I don't know what he is. He's probably 35 or 37.

Speaker 3: 1:03:11

I don't know how old Jimmy is, but it also wasn't maybe as in as much demand. So it was a little bit easier to get product quicker. Yeah, yeah. Yep.

Speaker 2: 1:03:23

So, she's shooting for the 2034 Olympics.

Speaker 4: 1:03:26

Yeah, so we'll make a run at it next year for Italy, okay, and then obviously from there it goes to um, right, but that is in. Why am I drawing a blank on where that's at? Oh, france, maybe, I think. Okay, I think it goes italy, france, uh, america, um. So yeah, she'll make a run at at those three, and then I think she'll be 33, 34 by then. So I'm assuming. But, like I say, bonnie was I mean, was the best she ever was.

Speaker 3: 1:04:01

On my 31st birthday.

Speaker 4: 1:04:02

On her 31st birthday. I mean no one could touch her.

Speaker 3: 1:04:06

And there's a lot of athletes now that are speed skaters, more than I'm looking at that are able to skate. You know longer and you know kind of when you look at our sport in the sense too it's there's not a lot of jarring and pounding on. You know it's pretty smooth and fluid and you know same thing with whether you're on the bike or you know there's a lot of athletes that do get on inlines. That wasn't something that worked for me so I really didn't do much inlining. It was very. I skated technically very different on inlines than I did on the ice, so it was more. I didn't want my technique to change on the ice if I got the bad. You know the technique from the inlines but you know a lot of the things they do is kind of smooth and fluid so you know it can be easier on your body to have a little bit more longevity.

Speaker 2: 1:05:03

Yeah. So now, because of what you guys do, I'm going to ask the question differently than I usually ask. What would be the advice that you would give to someone that wants to come into speed skating, and if they want to train with you, how would they get a hold of you to to? And I know pro wrestlers that have packed their bags to go move to Florida to train. So if people want it bad enough, they'll pack their bags and move to Wisconsin and train with you guys. So what's the best advice you can give them besides train with you.

Speaker 4: 1:05:41

I do it, just whether you're with us or with you know, with whatever coach, do it skating you know you love skating, we love skating. Uh, it's been a huge part of our lives, your life, and skating brings joy. So we don't care who you do it or where you do it or how you do it, Just do it. And that's why Nike is so great with the just do it. I mean, it's so simple and it's so true. Just get involved, Get outside, Get active, Go to your skate park, go to your ice local ice rink, do it.

Speaker 4: 1:06:16

And if you want to get in touch with us, we're easy to find. You know it's just dash skating dot org on the online and you can hit my email. It's Dave at dash skating dot org. Pretty simple, and get in touch with us. But get out and get active and get skating to be a part of your life. It's a great again inline hockey, speed skate. We do it all and it's just so fun and brings joy to our family and to us personally. Just get out there and enjoy it yourself.

Speaker 3: 1:06:50

Enjoy it yourself.

Speaker 3: 1:07:08

And I just just to add on a little bit, I just think, for for anybody, just, you know, being active is just so important for the well-being of peace of mind, and you know, sleeping and everything else, but then, like, sleep is important for being active.

Speaker 3: 1:07:14

You know it all kind of goes in this vicious circle, but there's for sure lots of great things for any human being just to be active, period. And you know, yeah, we'd love you to come here and come skate with us. But and I think one of the other things you had touched on a little bit earlier in regards to what is our vision of Dash too, you know, I think the other thing too and Dave alluded a little bit to it was you know how, like you see, a lot of of soccer clubs, they start at such a young age and then they take them all the way up, and that's that's envisioning, that's what we'd like to be able to have them at, all those different you know increments, to have them all in there, and that would be just super cool and, um, you know that that could be part of the legacy of what we have for the sport of speed skating would be the ultimate.

Speaker 2: 1:08:21

That's awesome. I'd like to thank you guys for coming on and hopefully, as my listeners grow, that uh, we get more people to reach out to you and start training with you.

Speaker 4: 1:08:33

Awesome, love it and we'd love to see you out. Come on, get those world championships this year. Thank you, thank you.