Paul Wylie: A TSL Interview (1992 Olympic Silver Medalist)
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- Опубликовано: 25 июл 2024
- Paul Wylie, a name that resonates with elegance and skill on the ice, is a figure skater whose life and career have left an indelible mark on the world of figure skating. Born in Dallas, Texas, Wylie's journey from a young boy with a passion for skating to an Olympic medalist and beloved figure in the sport is a testament to dedication, perseverance, and artistry.
Paul's fascination with figure skating began at a young age. His parents, who were both adult figure skaters, introduced him to the ice when he was just three years old. Recognizing his natural talent and enthusiasm, they enrolled him in skating lessons, setting the stage for his lifelong devotion to the sport.
Wylie's talent quickly became evident as he progressed through the ranks of competitive figure skating. Under the guidance of esteemed coaches, such as Carlo Fassi, John Nicks, Evy Scotvold and Mary Scotvold, he honed his skills and developed a unique blend of technical precision and artistic flair that would become his signature style.
The pinnacle of Paul Wylie's career came at the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville, France. He delivered a mesmerizing performance in the men's singles competition, highlighted by his artistic interpretation of the music and his mastery of intricate jumps and spins. His long program, set to music from the movie "Henry V," captivated the audience and judges alike. Paul's performance earned him a surprising and an Olympic silver medal, a moment that would forever define his legacy in the sport.
Wylie continues to contribute to the figure skating community. He champions the importance of grassroots initiatives to promote figure skating and is also engaged in charitable work, using his platform to support causes such as cancer research and children's education.
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There was nothing better as a 90’s skating kid than watching Paul Wylie throw it down at a pro competition like Ice Wars. He was the ultimate blend of technique and art. His 1992 Olympic free is still one of my go-to life palate cleansers. Great interview!!
I miss those competitions so much. We were so spoiled, getting to see brilliant skaters like Paul Wylie, Brian Boitano, and Kristi Yamaguchi week after week in competitions with few rules and plenty of room for creativity. I'd take some of those pro performances over the cookie-cutter jam packed eligible performances we see today under COP any day of the week. They showcased the sport in such a good way. I miss those days.
My favorite favorite FAVORITE skater bar none; class act in all ways. Saw an interview w him & some CBS commentator in Alberville post-men's competition, & that guy actually asked him, 'Are you disappointed that you didn't win the gold medal, & only got the silver?' Paul's answer was so great -- 'How could anyone be disappointed in winning an Olympic silver medal?' I've been in love w him for close to 40 years, & my husband understands & is quite okay w it! 😊😊😊
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Same here. We ordered the "Official Video Cassette" of Paul Wiley's Alberville long program. I could be caught watching it while waiting for my husband to get home. After all of these years, I love to go back at Christmas and watch his "O Holy Night." "Who could be disappointed?" Just watch the Awards Ceremony and notice how Paul Wiley CANNOT stop smiling." What a moment for us all!
I loved Paul's commentary for ESPN back in the 2000s. You can tell he's super intelligent just from the way he talks about things. He's very analytical and detailed.
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OMG! Fangirling hard! He's my fav skater (male or female) of all time! ❤️ One of my fav skating memories is watching Paul skate like at the '92 Olympics with my mom and us jumping up and down in our living room screaming! 🤣
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Mine as well. I was at college watching the 92 Olympics on a portable B&W TV. I screamed when he landed that last Triple Toe Loop. Everyone in the dorm could hear me.
I was an adult skater at Colorado Ice Arena in the late 70s and 80s and remember your pairs skating with Dana Graham. In those years at CIA we saw all the greats skate in the shows. You were always one of my heroes. How inspiring you all were! Robin Cousins, John Curry! Plus Tollar Cranston at South Suburban took the time to help one of the adult skaters improve her spiral . Some of my fondest memories are of those days! I am now 80 and the thrill of it all still lingers!
Great to see Paul Wylie after all these years. He certainly owned many iconic programs, especially in the pro circuit.
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I loved this interview. Paul is always such a class act and one of the nicest guys in skating. I used to run into him in Houston when he’d come visit his parents…and we’ve bumped into each other in the airport a few times and we’d stop and chat.
Scott was correct in his 1992 Olympic commentary that Paul’s life would change in the most positive way.
2.5 hr interview with paul wylie?!! what a lovely surprise
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Love this interview! Watching Paul win the silver was one of my first memories of watching skating at 11 years old. He’s my favorite male skater of all time ❤.
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I think this is my favorite TSL interview ever. Just fabulous. Paul is so intelligent, warm and insightful. Glad to hear he is still involved in skating and hope to see more in the future. Thank you so much for this interview!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Dave: Dorothy Hamill texted me and asked if she could call and talk about my sit spin. But I told her I was getting ready to interview Paul Wiley....
Also Dave: OMG is this really my life????
For real, Dave, you are living the dream here.
Can you do more 2.5 hour interviews with amazing skaters complete with skating clips?? 10/10 would watch ALL DAY.
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My favorite skater of all time! I still cry when I watch his 1992 Olympic performance. I’ll take his artistry over jumps any day!
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What a treat..Intelligence, humor..Paul Wylie has made me cry more than any other skater..What a show!! TY!
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Paul is such a sublime skater; one of my all time favorites!
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So many quiet lovely moments in these programs. I miss this time in skating so much.
YES!!! Just like Jenny says, those pro events seemed to be sooo important at the time. I'll be 40 at the end of November and seeing Paul reminds me of my youth! The mid 90's were really a fantastic time in life lol
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Such a compelling interview, I didn’t want it to end. Thank you Dave for the preparation and care you put into this.
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What a treat. My favorite skater. Deserved the gold.
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Figuring skating needs more skaters like Paul Wylie!! My favorite program of his was JFK. His footwork and jumps were wonderful!
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John Nicks is the unsung hero of true figure skating. Thank you for this increíble interview
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Nice shout out to Joe Summerfield! He was my coach and it was so thrilling to see his old student Paul win an Olympic medal when I was a kid!!! I’m grateful Joe stressed good stroking and edges. It has stayed with me and really helps as an adult skater.
This interview is such a treat! Paul’s skating was so beautiful. His posture, back and arm movements were superb.❤️
Thanks for not abbreviating the Carmina program!
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Wonderful interview! Long, but I wanted even more! Love having the video clips interspersed throughout. Makes me nostalgic for the days when there was actually some FEELING to skating and not just ticking off the boxes to get in the requirements. Sigh. Thx for this treat!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Anyone else recognizing a similarity between Paul's skating and Shoma Uno's? I don't think it's just the height factor, either. It's the way they pull you onto the ice with them as you're watching, and at the end you're winded from holding your breath. The intensity of movement, the attention to detail...how lucky we are to live in a time of such great skaters!
Absolutely!
I'm so excited for this interview! Paul is hands down one of the best skating performers of all time. His line, posture, attention to detail, musical interpretation and SPEED is like night and day compared to any skaters today, including Yuzu!
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And his gorgeous sit spin in his Carmina Burana program that correctly SITS all the way DOWN and spins like a top is phenomenal!
100%
Really respect the amount of research and care that went into producing this interview. And it's awesome to see Paul still so passionate and engaged with skating
He had such gorgeous lines! I miss that a lot.
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As a non-skater, I watched skating with my mom in the late 70's and 80's. She loved Charlie Tickner. As an adult I continued to watch skating and still do. I enjoy the artistry and Paul Wylie was always one of my favorites and such an outstanding person. Thank God he's still with us despite his medical scare as well as Todd Sands! For me it wasn't about who could land the hardest jumps, but the beauty and emotion that came through their programs. This interview is such a treat. Thank you!
thank you for the clips!!!! he's so beautiful!
Of course!!
I will always feel that at the 1992 Olympics, Paul was judged by his reputation as an inconsistent skater and not by the actual performances he gave there. He was totally robbed of the gold medal. How anyone could think Petrenko's LP, where he over-rotated, down-graded, fell on, or fell out of SIX jumps, was superior to Paul's LP, not to mention Paul's incredible choreography, is a total mystery. Petrenko's LP performance in Albertville is easily the most unworthy gold in Olympic history. I could just hear the judges' frantic thought process: "Paul Wylie, the 'choker' who never won a world medal or National title win the Olympics? Never." Thus, Peterenko got to "take his turn" at the top, as it has been said, and win the Olympics under the former popularity contest we used to call the 6.0 system. And yes, Paul is right; Nancy was robbed in 1994, too.
This may be my favorite interview video ever. Paul was/is my favorite skater of all time, first as the likable underdog with so much talent and charisma but so much inconsistentency, and later as the dramatic and stylish professional with epic iconic movie soundtrack programs. His Olympic triumph against all odds is still the best skating moment in every way. He wasn't on the radar for a medal unless you knew how good he was and had faith it would happen. For me, his Schindler's list program in Andover with the lighting is the most poignant work of art skating routine of all time, by far - it transcends skating or sport and touches on raw emotion and reverance and artistic sophistication and vulnerability on a gutsy level, complete with a fast dramatic spreadeagle for the ages.
Thank you Paul and David for this incredible interview, it was exactly what I needed to see tonight - a reminder to never give up, have faith, and that sometimes goodness wins. And kudos for showing that entire Carmina Burana program. I remember it like yesterday, an unforgettable masterpiece as well.
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So many memorable routines. Carmina Burana when the lights in the stadium shorted was epic.
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I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOOOOOOOVE, that you splice in a visual representation of what Paul describes at various points in the intv. Talking about the Janet Lynn homage, then you see the clip of him going into the lutz for that moment etc. It REALLY makes the intv even more informative and gives a wonderful context. Thank you for the hard work on that!
FABULOUS interview! Thanks TSL & Paul! I didn't know the legacy/training connection with John and Robin. That makes SO much sense. Paul's gravitas, and emotional belief in and commitment to his programs is STILL palpable now in video form. GRATEFUL for what he has shared with us as far as his sport AND art! BRAVO!
This interview is great. Paul is one of my favorite skaters of all time!!
(Sharon Shneyer), Mine too
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Thank you so much for this interview, it was fabulous! Love how thoughtful and open Paul was about the ups and downs of his career. 1992 was my first Olympics and I cheered so hard for Paul and thrilled with his success (and of course thought he should have won). He is still my favorite men’s skater of all time. Have you judged the 1992 Olympic men’s event on patreon yet?
We reviewed it, but we haven't done a full judging yet.
Paul's tenacity in skating is unparalleled. The fact that he eventually was able to have some consistency with the triple-axel, alone and in combination, speaks volumes of how much determination he had, as well as excellent coaching. It wasn't a fluke that he won silver in Albertville. I wish Jason Brown would be able to get at least one consistent quad. Unfortunately, the skating from the 1990s has been ruined by skaters who spend very little time in competition after winning either an Olympic or World medal due to the current demands of the sport. There is no opportunity for a professional career because the public doesn't have much viewing history with them. Ladies are too injured to sustain a professional career. Brian Boitano, Kristi Yamaguchi, and Paul excelled as professional skaters even beyond their competitive skating. Jill Trenary's layback actually improved. It's wonderful to see Paul doing so well. What a wealth of skating knowledge.
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What a fantastic interview. Dave and TSL, thank you. Paul Wylie was always a favourite of mine, terrific skating, intelligent, modest (in the best way) and insightful. Again, thank you for this.
Glad you enjoyed it
One of the all time greats! The definition of making everything and every movement matter. Brings tears to my eyes
Paul Wylie is my favorite skater ever. So beautiful in his artistry. They never gave him enough credit. So tender when he spoke of Sergei. ❤
Dave - this was just wonderful. Thank you!!!
Glad you enjoyed it!
I love Paul Wylie! Great interview! Wonderful.
Paul seems like just such a delightful person! Thank you for sharing this interview
Glad you enjoyed it!
What a treat!! Thank you Dave! Loved listening to Paul's stories and perspectives.
Glad you enjoyed it
Thank you for this interview. One of my fondest memories is sitting at the dining table with my mom listening to Paul call the 1994 ladies long program. To listen to all the drama and then see it later that night was a surreal experience.
Love Paul Wylie!! This brings back such memories of that era, and to see a lot of them now coaching is extraordinary the amount of talent and experience they have to share with the next generation. I also greatly love and appreciate your interviews, this, Evy, and the others you have posted in recent months!! Can hardly wait to see more interviews, more shows, and wish you great growth with this channel. Your love of the sport shines through with the channel, and with your own skating!! Thank you David!!
I Love Paul Wiley he was one of my favourites in the era of the great G&G a wonderful era
I didn’t want this interview to end. Much like I never wanted Paul’s skating programs to end. He is a true gift to figure skating. Thank you, thank you.
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Excellent interview with a great skater.
Thank you, Dave. Now I'm feeling nostalgic for the good old days.
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Also, thanks for the putting the clips on here Dave. Love that choice!!
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Great interview with Paul. Always a fan, and have had fun taking lessons from him over the years.
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Love Paul! Enjoyed his incredible skating for years. I have the utmost respect for him! ❤
Same here!
Love hearing Paul’s perspective!!
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Such a magnificent interview David!!! BRAVO!!!!!!!!!! NO One will ever skate as great as Paul.
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I really love this interview. He has so much history behind him.
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I'm one who thinks he should have won the gold in 1992. The emotion of Henry V, in combination with him hitting all his jumps, was sublime. He's one of my favorites, and this was a wonderful conversation about his skating career.
Such a great interview with Paul. Learned so much about him that I had no idea of after being such a fan of his skating for so many years. Great questions Dave. So enjoyable
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Excellent interview ! Went to watch Paul live 3 times at the masters Miko pro-competition, which used to be held in Paris back in the 1990s. He was one of the most popular foreign skaters here because of his incredible showmanship and charisma. On top of that, he spoke an excellent if not academic French!
Love it!!! The added footage is a great touch!
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Happy Paul discussed his heart ‘adventures’ as I refer to them. I’ve had a few and am a speaker for the American Heart Association. He’s a wonderful person.
You can’t love skating and not love Paul Wylie!
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Paul was the highlight of the men's competition at 1990 U.S Nationals, but at least some of his frustration over the final placement is unfounded. He was second in the short program to Eldredge. Bowman's fourth place in figures had no bearing on the outcome.
I loved every minute of this interview. Thank you!
Glad you enjoyed it!
really great thought through interview, Dave! and the video ends on such a high note!
Wonderful...late to post here but I was honored to have a lesson from Paul when he was in Los Angeles at the Lakewood rink. I really enjoyed Paul as a teacher and as a person (not always a bonus!). Hope to have another lesson when I am in Boston this Fall.
So much respect and admiration for Paul. Saw him in Columbus, felt surreal.
He is great!
What a wonderful interview. One of my all time favorite skaters. 😊
This. This is everything. ❤️❤️❤️
This was amazing! Dave, this must have been an immense amount of work to put together with all the clips and the content. So wonderfully done. Paul always was, and continues to define the words “class act”. Amazing.
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Love this interview!
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I do remember the Dueling Banjo’s that Paul skated in the Dallas Figure Skating Club show back in 1974.
What a great and informative interview, love Paul!
Glad you enjoyed it!
his parents being adult skaters is really the last piece of the puzzle
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What a great interview! Because of the length, I thought I'd listen to it in 2 or 3 segments - NOPE! Listened straight through because Paul is so interesting and articulate, and has such an abundance of cumulative experience and insight to share.
Amazing ❤
Love Paul Wylie !!!!! 💫
I taught myself how to do a Russian split jump watching Paul W on tv. I still can do them at 50. I hope he comes teach the adult skating community too. I want to now skate at every beautiful rink in the world. Do you think you can do a series showing the most beautiful rinks and outdoor rinks of the world? We can armchair travel. Wolman rink is one of them for example. I love the description of the denver rink. I was amazed by the Utah rinks too with the view of the mountains from the rink.
Oh nooo❤❤❤ the best evernin 1992 it would have been gold
Paul was such a joy yo watch skate!
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I always wondered "what if" you had done a triple lutz, there, Paul. But, OMG, what a triumph, all the same! Couldn't have happened to a nicer guy!
Glad you enjoyed it!
I love Paul Wylie. I fell in love with him more as a pro skater. I was only 8 when he got silver at the 92 Olympics. I only watched the women’s event for Kristi. I just think Paul is an exceptionally kind human being. Your questions were very insightful. I need to find videos of his performances now. His stories are interesting to listen to. He sounds like he’s a great coach. I didn’t know he went into cardiac arrest. I love how he talks candidly about his faith in God. It’s evident God’s not done with him yet. I do miss the 90’s era of skating. Skaters don’t have the same opportunities now. Of course, I blame USFS for that. I wish artistry was valued more. I could listen to people like Paul talk all day. One thing I do like better about the skaters from today though is that they’re all friends, and there’s not as much of a rivalry between them.
That video was incredible. It just got better and better as it went along. Jesus Christ! 😂
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can we all give Lindsey a gift of a lesson with Paul?
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Dorothy Hammill reaching out to discuss Dave's sit spin - wow, so generous of her to help. Please share some of her pointers one of these days.
Will do!
Paul Wylie definitely is a class act. I remember watching many clips of him skating when I was younger. I rewatch his JFK program at least once a year! Dave, what is your favorite program of Paul's? :)
Henry V, Carmina Burana, The Mission, Schindler’s List, Go The Distance.
And JFK.
@@TheSkatingLesson No mention of the Miss Saigon "Why God Why" program? Sacrilege!
I still remember reading a USATODAY article (1993-94), pertaining to ‘how’ Nancy Kerrigan used Paul’s method of skating back-to-back long program -as her way of correcting her horrible showing at 93” Worlds. They even quoted Paul saying that’s it’s akin to climbing a mountain. The article mentions how this intense training took off 5 lbs off Kerrigan’s frame (which is a significant amount of weight off her already small frame), you see the difference both physically and mentally. But Paul’s not joking when he says this physically aggressive training should only be used on a short term basis only, and most ideal training for Olympic training only.
His Carmina makes me tear up. I mean...c'mon.
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I am hoping the Lord calls him to write an autobiography as his story is amazing.
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Paul out here rocking that good hair!
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His Carmina Burana Is my favorite. 1:49:00
Did everyone skate to that “Playin’ our song” piece?? Lol
Ha we sure did. 4 that I can remember at one rink (including me 😂)
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Hi Paul it's tab
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I hope ioc doesnt take down this video from the footage u used
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what exactly did Carlo Fassi do? Paul is very vague at least to me.
figures should be brought back from the lowest level up to and including juniors
Tyranny of the Difficult. Brilliant. Stealing that.
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Absolutely "closed source" gate keeping and the diffidence it creates is ruining the sport IMO. We can all benefit from each-other's expertise but it takes humility and trust. Not a lot of that going around in the skating world these days, unfortunately.