Sports Illustrated Kids Magazine November 1997

Elvis Rocks By Teresa Stevenson
This Elvis isn't the King of Rock 'n' Roll. Elvis Stojko is the King of the Ice. The crowd is silent and the lights are dim in New York City's Madison Square Garden. A stocky, muscular figure in a tight red T-shirt and black stretch pants glides onto the ice and stops. He stands in the glare of a spotlight. A voice booms over the loudspeakers: "Ladies and gentlemen, Elvis Stojko!" A 1950's rock 'n' roll song, "Whole Lot of Shakin' Going On", blasts across the arena. The crowd bursts into wild screams and applause, Elvis Stojko [STOY-ko] starts to skate. Elvis, age 25, is the world's best male figure skater: He has won the world championship three times in the past four years. He also won the silver medal at the 1994 Olympics. But Elvis really rocks when he performs at ice shows such as this one, the Campbell's Soups 1997 Tour of World Figure Skating Champions. Elvis flies around the rink like a rocket. He jumps so high that his legs seem loaded with springs. He does Karate chops and throws punches into the air to the beat of the music. Elvis is a rock 'n' roll show on ice.
© Photo by Gérard Châtaigneau	The Karate Kid You can tell a lot about Elvis by watching him skate. He loves rock music. He wears rings on his fingers, an earring, and a black-leather jacket. To stay in shape, Elvis does martial arts. He began studying karate when he was 10 years old and earned his black belt six years later. He has studied kung fu for the past seven years. He also has a high-powered way of relaxing. Elvis zips around on a snowmobile and Jet Ski, and he rides a motorcycle on dirt tracks with his friends. WHEW! Meet the King Elvis grew up in Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada. His mother was born in Hungary. His father came from Yugoslavia. Mr. and Mrs. Stojko loved Elvis Presley. That Elvis was a rock 'n' roll singer. He was a star all over the world in the 1950's. He was known as the King of Rock 'n' Roll. Mr. and Mrs. Stojko named their son after the King. Elvis started skating when he was 5, after he had watched a figure skating competition on television. "I loved the spins, the speed, and the thrill of skating," Elvis says. "My mom always had to drag me off the ice." Elvis was strong, and he was a natural jumper. But polishing his skill took tons of practice. By age 13, he was training five days a week for six hours a day. "You can have natural talent, but it's not going to amount to anything if you don't work hard," says Elvis.
© Photo by Gérard Châtaigneau
Climbing to the Top Jumping and spinning were easy for Elvis. But it was his personality that turned him into a champion: Elvis is as stubborn as a cat clinging to a tree. He had a million reasons to quit skating, but he didn't. Kids at school teased Elvis and said figure skating was for girls. His teachers got mad because he missed a lot of school when he traveled to compete. But Elvis loved to skate, and he ignored the people who doubted him. Even more difficult for Elvis to overcome was the skating judges' attitude towards him. The judges score skaters on their performance. They are used to watching tall, thin skaters. But Elvis is a sturdy 5' 7" tall and 157 pounds. "I was shorter, stockier, and more powerful than the other skaters," says Elvis. Skaters were expected to be great jumpers and spinners, but the judges also wanted them to be graceful and creative dancers. Elvis got great scores for his jumps, but he was something of a clod in the grace department. For a long time, it seemed that Elvis would be a very good skater - but never a great one. At the 1992 Olympics, the crowd loved Elvis. But the judges thought he skated like a linebacker. Elvis finished seventh. Elvis was disappointed, but he didn't quit. He hired a dance teacher to help him polish his routines. He worked on moving more gracefully. He learned to point his toes and to extend his arms and legs. The hard work paid off. Elvis won the silver medal at the 1994 Winter Olympics. One month later, he won his first world championship!
The Big Goal Since then, Elvis has left the rest of the skaters spinning on the ice. He won his third world title this past March. At the 1997 worlds, Elvis took skating into new territory. Most male skaters perform triple jumps - they jump into the air and spin three times before landing. Elvis jumped and spun four times. After landing, he immediately jumped again and performed a triple! This jump is known as a quadruple-triple. Elvis is the first skater to perform the quadruple-triple in competition. Elvis can't wait to compete at the 1998 Olympics. Who knows? This short, stocky, stubborn skater who never quits may just bring home a gold medal. © Photo by Dave Black Thank you Amanda for letting me know about this article. Check out the Sports Illustrated Kids Magazine Website