©
Photo by
J. Barry
Mittan (#9301413)
When
Tai Babilonia and Randy Gardner embarked on the U.S. winter tour of Champions
on Ice in January of 1998, it wasn't just another series of performances
for the dynamic skating duo. It was the beginning of 30 unforgettable
years of dazzling and astounding audiences the world over; 30 years as
one of the most popular pairs ever to emerge from their sport; and 30 years
of extraordinary grace and championship skills. Yes, 30 years later,
the charismatic and ingratiating team of Tai and Randy can still be easily
counted among the few, truly genuine stars who continue to illuminate figure
skating today.
Having started skating at the respective ages of eight and ten, Tai and
Randy first came into prominence by winning the National Junior Pairs Championship
in 1973. By 1974, they had become the youngest pair team ever to
represent the United States in the World Championships. By 1976 they
had won the first of five consecutive U.S. Senior Pairs titles. And,
by 1979 they had earned the highest score ever recorded in Pairs skating
at the U.S. National Competitions. That same year they were crowned
World Figure Skating Champions in Vienna, Austria and, with victory in
hand, they simultaneously upset a 14 year Soviet domination of pairs skating
by becoming the first Americans in 29 years (and only the second U.S. team
ever) to capture the much heralded title.
By 1980 and the Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, NY, Tai and Randy had not
only become the sweethearts of figure skating, but had also won the hearts
of America. As America's greatest hope, they were highly favored
to win the Olympic Gold medal over the formative Soviet team of Rodnina
and Zaitzev.
However, as history began to write itself, this victory was tragically
one not meant
to be theirs. During the warm-up prior to their premier Olympic performance,
Randy fell due to a previous groin injury. As the audience in the
arena gasped for breath, so did a television viewing audience of millions.
The pair was forced to withdraw from Olympic competition. Indeed,
at that moment in time, they knew a lifelong dream had been shattered.
But what they didn't know...was that they had begun to embark on a career
of such longevity and such staying power, that it would prove incomparable
to any team before them and, perhaps, any in the future. Unbeknownst
to them, Tai and Randy had clearly arrived in a way that could have never
imagined.
A few months later, Tai and Randy were invited to turn professional as
special guest stars with the
Ice Capades. From 1980
until 1983, they toured 30 weeks a year with engagements in every major
and secondary market in the country. America embraced them with open
arms.
Starring appearances in numerous ice spectaculars followed. And,
so did countless awards and honors. One of the most distinguished,
was in September of 1987 when the United States Olympic Committee (USOC)
announced a unique program to honor athletes who have demonstrated exceptional
achievement and represented the spirit of the Olympic Games. While
these athletes may not have necessarily achieved their individual goals
of winning medals, they didi contribute to Olympic competition through
heroic efforts. The program honored one Olympian from each of the
games since 1968 and was voted on by a panel of pre-1968 Olympians, USOC
officials, and over 2,000 members of the national press. By
overwhelming response, Tai and Randy received the first Olympic Spirit
Award.
1987 continued to be a year of firsts. The endearing twosome starred
in the first ever instructional ice skating home video, How to Ice Skate,
which demonstrated fundamental skills to beginners through advanced levels.
Today, it remains an invaluable source of skating education. Additionally,
they headlined the first ever Caesar's Christmas on stage
at the world renowned Caesar's Palace Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada.
In 1988, Tai and Randy starred on stage at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion
in Los Angeles. As a landmark production, Festival on Ice
toured the U.S. and played only the most prestigious proscenium theater
stages in the country. Of significant note, were engagements at the
Opera House of the John F. Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. and the McCallum
Theater at the Bob Hope Cultural Center in Palm Desert, California for
which Tai and Randy were its inaugural stars.
Having already become annual headliners in the main showroom of Harrah's
Hotel in Lake Tahoe and, by the early 1990's, headliners at the Desert
Inn Hotel in Las Vegas and Balley's in Atlantic City, Tai and Randy continued
to epitomize the meaning of true marquee value. If audiences didn't
have the chance to see them in person, they saw them frequently on various
network television specials and in print and television advertising campaigns
for such products as Nestle's Crunch and Lee Jeans. They were also
the subject of On Thin Ice, a fact based NBC television movie
which chronicled Babilonia's life, in particular, but featured both Tai
and Randy's personal relationship and budding career. They continue
to thrill viewers in such television specials as Las Vegas on Ice
with Wayne Newton, Ice Capades in Toyland; have returned
to professional competition; and are frequent guests on talk shows and
news programs. Most recently, they appeared with Jay Leno on The
Tonight Show, Home and Family, and with Katie Couric on both The
Today Show and MSNBC.
In 1992, to add to an already remarkable list of achievements, Tai and
Randy were 
inducted
into the United States Figure Skating Hall of Fame. Joining
the company of such skating greats as Scott Hamilton and Peggy Fleming,
the induction was followed by Tai and Randy's 25th Anniversary celebrated
in a 40 city nationwide Tour of World Figure Skating Champions,
as well as a specially selected tour of winter tour of winter theater performances
in The Nutcracker on Ice throughout the U.S. So successful
were their appearances in both productions, that they resigned for The
Nutcracker in 1995 (which included a month long, sold out engagement
at Harrah's Hotel in Atlantic City); a winter Tour of World
Figure Skating Champions in 1996; were called upon to headline
a special tour of 1997 Nutcracker holiday theater performances
throughout the U.S., and brought their spectacular maneuvers to the prestigious
Universal Amphitheater in Los Angeles for a week long special 1997 Christmas
holiday engagement of Gershwin on Ice...The Memory of All That.
As individuals, Tai and Randy have their own interests. A single
mother to her young son Scout, a name fondly taken from one of the children's
characters in the classic story of To Kill a Mockingbird, Tai is
an avid collector of antique clothes and jewelry.
Randy works as a director, choreographer, and producer
for such Olympic champions as Victor Petrenko, Klimova and Ponomorenko
and Robin Cousins, as well as 1994 Olympic sensation Elvis Stojko for whom
he has directed and choreographed six Canadian tours (1994-1999); and one
of skating's newest and most deserving stars, Rudy Galindo, 1996 U.S. National
Champion. In 1997, Randy began serving as Director of Staging for
Tom Collins' summer and winter Tour of World Figure Skating Champions
and repeated those duties for Collins' 1998 Champions on Ice
tour. For television, he has directed and staged skating sequences
for Beverly Hills 90210, Fox on Ice, Las Vegas on Ice and
specials for the
ESPN
and Lifetime cable networks.
Together, Tai and Randy's interests and activities extend to carefully
chosen charitable concerns such as the Special
Olympics. Their passion, however, lies with various national
and regional children and adult AIDS organizations such as the Pediatric
AIDS Foundation, the Los Angeles-based
Camp
Laurel, AIDS Project Los Angeles,
and Project Angel Food.
By all definitions, Tai Babilonia and Randy Gardner have earned their place
as two American treasures. Through the years of hard work and dedication
to their sport and to each other, they have not only succeeded professionally
and personally, but they serve as an inspiration to anyone who has ever
wanted to make a difference.
--provided by Michael
Sterling and Associates
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Randy's
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Having started skating at the respective ages of eight and ten, Tai and
Randy first came into prominence by winning the National Junior Pairs Championship
in 1973. By 1974, they had become the youngest pair team ever to
represent the United States in the World Championships. By 1976 they
had won the first of five consecutive U.S. Senior Pairs titles. And,
by 1979 they had earned the highest score ever recorded in Pairs skating
at the U.S. National Competitions. That same year they were crowned
World Figure Skating Champions in Vienna, Austria and, with victory in
hand, they simultaneously upset a 14 year Soviet domination of pairs skating
by becoming the first Americans in 29 years (and only the second U.S. team
ever) to capture the much heralded title.
to be theirs. During the warm-up prior to their premier Olympic performance,
Randy fell due to a previous groin injury. As the audience in the
arena gasped for breath, so did a television viewing audience of millions.
The pair was forced to withdraw from Olympic competition. Indeed,
at that moment in time, they knew a lifelong dream had been shattered.
But what they didn't know...was that they had begun to embark on a career
of such longevity and such staying power, that it would prove incomparable
to any team before them and, perhaps, any in the future. Unbeknownst
to them, Tai and Randy had clearly arrived in a way that could have never
imagined.
inducted
into the United States Figure Skating Hall of Fame. Joining
the company of such skating greats as Scott Hamilton and Peggy Fleming,
the induction was followed by Tai and Randy's 25th Anniversary celebrated
in a 40 city nationwide Tour of World Figure Skating Champions,
as well as a specially selected tour of winter tour of winter theater performances
in The Nutcracker on Ice throughout the U.S. So successful
were their appearances in both productions, that they resigned for The
Nutcracker in 1995 (which included a month long, sold out engagement
at Harrah's Hotel in Atlantic City); a winter Tour of World
Figure Skating Champions in 1996; were called upon to headline
a special tour of 1997 Nutcracker holiday theater performances
throughout the U.S., and brought their spectacular maneuvers to the prestigious
Universal Amphitheater in Los Angeles for a week long special 1997 Christmas
holiday engagement of Gershwin on Ice...The Memory of All That.