I mentioned the other day that I’m a sports junkie. I’m fanatical about a certain pro football team that shall remain nameless here for the sake of not sparking major arguments. Another thing I’m fanatical about is the Olympics. I watch every minute that I can of both the summer and winter Olympic Games. The sport doesn’t matter. I have preferences of course but if the games are on, I’ll be watching.
During the winter games, the biggest spectacle is, of course, the figure skating competition – on and off the ice. One of skating’s most well known, flamboyant stars and the ultimate provider of a great deal of spectacle is none other than US skater Johnny Weir.
Weir’s January 2011 memoir of his first 25 years (his words), Welcome to My World
isn’t quite the tell all that his myriad fans were hoping for but it is, nonetheless, quite an interesting look into the life of a world class athlete. Weir hasn’t retired from competitive figure skating, though he did not skate during the 2010-11 season and he does not intend to skate competitively this season. Perhaps keeping his competitive options open is the reason he chose not to “dish” dirt about his competitors and about the machinations of the of the United States Figure Skating Association (USFSA), the International Skating Union (ISU) and the judging bodies. I can’t say I blame him if he does intend to compete again.
Johnny’s book is written in his own voice. While some would complain about poor grammar or lax editing, it feels very authentic to read. My only complaint is that he leaves a few holes that I wish he had filled in. It’s understandable that he doesn’t want to burn bridges but I found several times that he would mention something about a person or an event with no precursor information and no outcome info either. He left me wondering a few times. Hopefully his next memoir fills in the blanks.
If you’re a Johnny Weir fan, you’ll enjoy this book.
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