Many people in the skating world recognize the name Lucinda Ruh, but few have actually seen her skate. Also known as the “Queen of Spin,” Ruh made her mark on the skating world through her magnificent spinning ability, frequently showcasing spin positions that she had created. In her autobiography, “Frozen Teardrop”, Ruh cites her father as one of her inspirations for becoming such an incredible spinner. His advice to her was to find something that she could be the best at and, for Ruh, that skill was spinning in figure skates.
Ruh skated in her last World Championships in 1999, where she placed a career best 13th. Although her free skate there was marred by a few jumping errors, one barely notices them in recordings, as her artistry and spins are what stand out from the performance. The International Judging System (IJS) was not introduced until 2004, making her program scored under the 6.0 system. The low technical marks she received for her free program at the 1999 Worlds make one wonder whether she would have fared better under the IJS. Her scores clearly showed that her spins were underappreciated, while under the IJS they would likely receive more credit for their features, innovative positions, and near perfect quality.
However, Ruh states in “Frozen Teardrop” that she didn’t spin to win titles: she spun to escape from the pressures of the skating world. The spins that she loved so much eventually forced her to leave the sport due to their incredible velocity causing a series of concussions, which led to myriad health problems. Her legacy in the skating world continues to this day as many of the spin positions she created are still performed by today’s top skaters.
The Platinum Edge 