Christopher Bowman
Encyclopedia
Christopher Nicol' Bowman (March 30, 1967 – January 10, 2008) was an American
figure skater. He was a two-time U.S. national champion and two-time World medalist
. He won the 1983 World Junior Figure Skating Championships
and competed in two Olympic Winter Games, placing 7th in 1988
and 4th in 1992
.
, USA. In his childhood, he appeared in commercials, and two episodes of the TV series Little House on the Prairie
.
Bowman withdrew from the 1986 U.S. Championships
after finishing second in the short program; he had a separation between his right tibia and fibula.
He was coached as a skater by Frank Carroll
for eighteen years, a relationship that ended following the 1990 World Championships. After that, Bowman was coached by Toller Cranston
and then John Nicks
. In Inside Edge by Christine Brennan
, Bowman admitted to having had a $950 a day cocaine
habit during his eligible career, and that he had checked into the Betty Ford Center
before the 1988 Olympic Games. Cranston also later described Bowman's drug problems in his book Zero Tollerance.
He was known as "Bowman the Showman" for his crowd-pleasing performances. "If I had to pick the three most talented skaters of all time, I would pick Christopher as one," Brian Boitano
, the 1988 Olympic champion, told the Chicago Tribune. "He had natural charisma, natural athleticism, he could turn on a crowd in a matter of seconds and he always seemed so relaxed about it."
Bowman retired from competitive skating after the 1992 World Championships, and toured with Ice Capades
the following year. He left the tour when Ice Capades was purchased by Dorothy Hamill
in 1993. For some years thereafter, Bowman worked as a skating coach, first in Massachusetts
and then in the Detroit, Michigan
area, where he had lived from 1995 until 2007. He also worked as a skating commentator. Prior to his death, he had returned to southern California to make a comeback in acting, with a role as an assistant coach in Down and Distance.
Bowman was pronounced dead on January 10, 2008 at 12:06 p.m. after being found in a motel in the North Hills
area of Los Angeles. He was 40 years old. The Los Angeles County Coroner determined that Bowman died from an accidental drug overdose.
He was divorced from skating coach Annette Bowman Jasinkiewicz with whom he had a daughter.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
figure skater. He was a two-time U.S. national champion and two-time World medalist
World Figure Skating Championships
The World Figure Skating Championships is an annual figure skating competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union in which elite figure skaters compete for the title of World Champion...
. He won the 1983 World Junior Figure Skating Championships
World Junior Figure Skating Championships
The World Junior Figure Skating Championships is an annual figure skating competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union in which younger figure skaters compete for the title of World Junior Champion...
and competed in two Olympic Winter Games, placing 7th in 1988
1988 Winter Olympics
The 1988 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XV Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event celebrated in and around Calgary, Alberta, Canada from 13 to 28 February 1988. The host was selected in 1981 after having beat Falun, Sweden and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy...
and 4th in 1992
1992 Winter Olympics
The 1992 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XVI Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event celebrated from 8 to 23 February 1992 in Albertville, France. They were the last Winter Olympics to be held the same year as the Summer Olympics, and the first where the Winter Paralympics...
.
Biography
Bowman was born in Hollywood, CaliforniaHollywood, Los Angeles, California
Hollywood is a famous district in Los Angeles, California, United States situated west-northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Due to its fame and cultural identity as the historical center of movie studios and movie stars, the word Hollywood is often used as a metonym of American cinema...
, USA. In his childhood, he appeared in commercials, and two episodes of the TV series Little House on the Prairie
Little House on the Prairie (TV series)
Little House on the Prairie is an American Western drama television series, starring Michael Landon and Melissa Gilbert, about a family living on a farm in Walnut Grove, Minnesota, in the 1870s and 1880s. The show was an adaptation of Laura Ingalls Wilder's best-selling series of Little House books...
.
Bowman withdrew from the 1986 U.S. Championships
United States Figure Skating Championships
The United States Figure Skating Championships is figure skating competition held annually to crown the national champions of the United States. The competition is sanctioned by U.S. Figure Skating. In the U.S. skating community, the event is often referred to informally as "Nationals".Skaters...
after finishing second in the short program; he had a separation between his right tibia and fibula.
He was coached as a skater by Frank Carroll
Frank Carroll
Francis M. "Frank" Carroll is an American figure skating coach and former competitive skater. He has coached three skaters to win the World Figure Skating Championships: Linda Fratianne, Michelle Kwan, and Evan Lysacek...
for eighteen years, a relationship that ended following the 1990 World Championships. After that, Bowman was coached by Toller Cranston
Toller Cranston
Toller Shalitoe Montague Cranston, CM is a Canadian figure skater and painter. He is the 1971-1976 Canadian national champion, the 1974 World bronze medalist, and the 1976 Olympic bronze medalist....
and then John Nicks
John Nicks
John Allen Wisden Nicks is a British figure skating coach and former pair skater. His pairs partner was his sister Jennifer Nicks, and together they were the 1953 World Champions...
. In Inside Edge by Christine Brennan
Christine Brennan
Christine Brennan is an American sports columnist, TV and radio commentator, best-selling author and nationally-known speaker....
, Bowman admitted to having had a $950 a day cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
habit during his eligible career, and that he had checked into the Betty Ford Center
Betty Ford Center
The Betty Ford Center , is a non-profit, separately licensed residential chemical dependency recovery hospital in Rancho Mirage, California, that offers inpatient, outpatient, and day treatment for alcohol and other drug addictions as well as prevention and education programs for family and children...
before the 1988 Olympic Games. Cranston also later described Bowman's drug problems in his book Zero Tollerance.
He was known as "Bowman the Showman" for his crowd-pleasing performances. "If I had to pick the three most talented skaters of all time, I would pick Christopher as one," Brian Boitano
Brian Boitano
Brian Anthony Boitano is an American figure skater from Sunnyvale, California. He is the 1988 Olympic champion, the 1986 and 1988 World Champion, and the 1985-1988 U.S. National Champion. He turned professional following the 1988 season...
, the 1988 Olympic champion, told the Chicago Tribune. "He had natural charisma, natural athleticism, he could turn on a crowd in a matter of seconds and he always seemed so relaxed about it."
Bowman retired from competitive skating after the 1992 World Championships, and toured with Ice Capades
Ice Capades
The Ice Capades was a traveling entertainment show featuring theatrical performances involving ice skating. Shows often featured former Olympicand National Champion figure skaters who had retired from amateur competition....
the following year. He left the tour when Ice Capades was purchased by Dorothy Hamill
Dorothy Hamill
Dorothy Stuart Hamill is an American figure skater. She is the 1976 Olympic champion in Ladies' Singles and 1976 World Champion.-Early life:...
in 1993. For some years thereafter, Bowman worked as a skating coach, first in Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
and then in the Detroit, Michigan
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
area, where he had lived from 1995 until 2007. He also worked as a skating commentator. Prior to his death, he had returned to southern California to make a comeback in acting, with a role as an assistant coach in Down and Distance.
Bowman was pronounced dead on January 10, 2008 at 12:06 p.m. after being found in a motel in the North Hills
North Hills, Los Angeles, California
North Hills is a district in the San Fernando Valley region of the city of Los Angeles, California.North Hills is one of the oldest communities in the San Fernando Valley. Formerly known as Sepulveda, the community was renamed North Hills in 1992. Northridge is to the west, Panorama City is to the...
area of Los Angeles. He was 40 years old. The Los Angeles County Coroner determined that Bowman died from an accidental drug overdose.
He was divorced from skating coach Annette Bowman Jasinkiewicz with whom he had a daughter.
Competitive highlights
| Event | 1982-83 | 1983-84 | 1984-85 | 1985-86 | 1986-87 | 1987-88 | 1988-89 | 1989-90 | 1990-91 | 1991-92 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter Olympic Games Winter Olympic Games The Winter Olympic Games is a sporting event, which occurs every four years. The first celebration of the Winter Olympics was held in Chamonix, France, in 1924. The original sports were alpine and cross-country skiing, figure skating, ice hockey, Nordic combined, ski jumping and speed skating... |
7th | 4th | ||||||||
| World Championships World Figure Skating Championships The World Figure Skating Championships is an annual figure skating competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union in which elite figure skaters compete for the title of World Champion... |
7th | 5th | 2nd | 3rd | 5th | 4th | ||||
| World Junior Championships World Junior Figure Skating Championships The World Junior Figure Skating Championships is an annual figure skating competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union in which younger figure skaters compete for the title of World Junior Champion... |
1st | |||||||||
| U.S. Championships | 1st J. | 9th | 4th | WD | 2nd | 3rd | 1st | WD | 2nd | 1st |
| Skate America Skate America Skate America is an international, senior-level figure skating competition held as part of the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating series. It is organized by the United States Figure Skating Association. The location changes yearly... |
4th | 1st | 1st | 2nd | 1st | |||||
| Skate Canada International Skate Canada International The Skate Canada International is an international, senior-level invitation-only figure skating competition organized by Skate Canada. It is the second competition of the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating. The location changes yearly. Medals are awarded in four disciplines: Ladies' singles, Men's... |
2nd | |||||||||
| Fujifilm Trophy Bofrost Cup on Ice The Bofrost Cup on Ice was a figure skating competition held in Germany between 1986 and 2004. It was part of the Grand Prix series until 2003, when it was replaced by Cup of China. Following being booted out of the Grand Prix series, a new form of competition was introduced to the Bofrost Cup... |
1st | |||||||||
| Trophée Lalique Trophée Eric Bompard The Trophée Eric Bompard is an international, senior-level figure skating competition held as part of the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating series. The Trophée Eric Bompard was formerly known as the Trophée Lalique... |
1st | |||||||||
| NHK Trophy NHK Trophy The NHK Trophy is an international, senior-level figure skating competition held as part of the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating series. Figure skaters compete in the disciplines of ladies' singles, men's singles, pair skating, and ice dancing.... |
1st | |||||||||
- J = Junior level; WD = Withdrew