Tonya Harding is returning to the ice.
Remembered both for her historic figure skating finesse and her role in one of the biggest sports scandals of the 1990s, the skater has spent the past few decades mostly outside the spotlight.
It’s been 32 years since Harding — who made history as the first American woman to land a triple axel in competition — participated in her final Winter Olympics. In 1994, she was banned for life from all United States Figure Skating Association events.
But she never stopped skating.
In an exclusive interview with KOIN published this week, Harding — now 55 and living in Vancouver, Washington — said that she’s been skating twice a week since spring, hoping for the chance to one day perform for an audience again.
“The love of skating is why I always came back,” she told KOIN. “I just can’t walk away from it.”
And now that longed-for opportunity to skate for a packed house is just on the horizon.
“Tonya Harding and Friends” — a figure skating showcase that will feature Harding alongside other athletes, including beloved ex-Lloyd Center regulars Jerry and Tally Leonard — is slated to take place Dec. 12 at Vancouver’s Mountain View Ice Arena.
Good luck, finding tickets, though. None appeared available Friday and social media reports indicate the event sold out in minutes.
To prepare for December’s show, Harding has been practicing her jumps and spins and using a harness to help regain her strength, according to KOIN. She’s also been working with two coaches — including Dody Teachman, who Harding trained with in the early 1990s as her skating career was nearing its peak.
Harding still maintains the grit of her early skating days, Teachman told KOIN. “She’s a force all her own,” she said.
Over the past decade, Harding has briefly returned to the public eye during reality television stints on “Dancing with the Stars” and “Worst Cooks in America.”
This time, though, the skater who was born and raised in Portland said she’s eager to return to the sport she knows best.
“It makes my heart feel good,” she told KOIN. “ I’m really glad people are going to be able to come see me skate again.”
“Tonya Harding and Friends” will feature performances by Harding, plus eight other skating acts. A full lineup, along with skater biographies, can be found online.
Among the group is couple Jerry and Tally Leonard, two former competitive ice skaters who spent almost 60 years as regulars of the Lloyd Center ice rink where Harding learned to skate. When the mall — and its beloved rink — closed in August, crowds gathered to watch the Leonards glide across the ice one last time.
“Tonya Harding and Friends” will take place at Mountain View Ice Arena at 2 p.m Dec. 12. Tickets, which ranged from $20 to $150, appear to be sold out.
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