Tozzer v. Stenuf

Gone are the days when the U. S. figure-skating championship was a private party for a handful of Eastern socialites. Last week, when the 23rd national tournament was held at Cleveland's swank Skating Club, officials were a little embarrassed at the large turnout. From North & South, from East & West they came, in contestants, largest entry list in the history of the event. To examine each skater's hairline tracings in twelve finicky figures was a laborious task for the tournament's five judges.

After two days of peering & poring--first over the school figures (which count two-thirds toward determining a champion.) and then the free skating (which counts a third)--the judges gravely voted. To the surprise of no one in inner skating circles, 18-year-old Blueblood Joan Tozzer, daughter of Harvard's Anthropology Professor Alfred M. Tozzer, won the women's senior title for the third year in a row.

So letter-perfect at school figures is the professor's daughter that few competitors have a chance against her. Last year and the year before, she edged out peppy Audrey Peppe, whose brilliant free skating stopped the show. This year, with Miss Peppe out of competition (she is skating in a professional ice show), Queen Joan found her throne threatened by another equally brilliant free skater, a newcomer to U. S. competition: 17-year-old Heddy Stenuf. A Viennese who finished second to England's Megan Taylor in the world's championship at Prague last year, vivacious little Heddy captivated the spectators last week with her spins and jumps. But the judges, who like to point out that figure skating is not dancing on ice, awarded the title to Miss Tozzer. Because Queen Joan is planning to marry and move to Honolulu this summer, skating fans predicted that this will be the last year of her reign.

Winner of the men's crown: 19-year-old Eugene Turner of Los Angeles, successor to five-time champion Robin Lee, 20, who turned pro two months ago.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.