Roger Estey spent most of his teenage and college years figure skating and ice dancing. Then along came life off ice β a job, marriage, kidsβ¦ Those long hours at the rink receded deep into his past.
Thirty years later, though, circumstances brought him back. It felt really good. So good, in fact, that he has returned to skating and is trying to spread the word about the joys of ice dancing. At 61, Estey recently became a gold medalist in ice dance after a year break.
The accomplishment, which began about two years ago and culminated in March, is a first for both of them. It was a lot of fun and good exercise. For Estey, it all began in Massachusetts in the early 60s.
Having skated on a pond as a child, he took his first figure skating lesson when he was 13 years old. Back then, figure skaters were expected to learn the basic dance steps and patterns, he says. A tall teen, he was asked to take some of the girls through several of the dance tests. There were very few competitions. By high school, ice dancing had become his passion. It was a ball.
It was one of those things that rinks did then. When I came back, it was gone. Estey graduated from college and completed the Pre-Gold dance tests in After college, he began coaching. But his time on the ice was eventually replaced with spending time with his family β his wife, Margaret, and three stepchildren. Over the years, he worked mostly in real estate until one day, about three years ago, Margaret passed away suddenly.
