Founded in 1959 as a nonprofit organization for owners, operators and developers of ice skating facilities, the Ice Skating Institute is an international industry trade association.
The ISI Hall of Fame honors individuals who have made lasting contributions to recreational ice skating and the ice arena industry.
Ludington has won numerous figure skating honors, including a bronze medal in the 1960 Olympics pairs competition and four U.S. national pairs championships (1957-60).
For Ludington, the ISI award marks his fifth hall of fame honor. Previous hall of fame inductions for Ludington include:
- Ice Skating Hall of Fame (1993);
- World Ice Skating Hall of Fame (1999);
- Delaware Sports Hall of Fame (the first ice skater to be so honored, 2000); and
- Professional Skating Hall of Fame (honored by coaches, 2002).
“I did not expect this last one. The ISI called me and said they wanted me to come out to Anaheim and speak. They kept bugging me about this,” Ludington said. “I finally said I would do it, and then the chairman contacted me and told me that I was going to get an award, and that I had to be there.”
While attending the Anaheim event, Ludington said he was kept busy conducting a series of seminars for ice skating coaches.
“I know a lot of the people that were out there, and they put me to work,” Ludington said. “It was great doing seminars with the young coaches.”
While coaches and skaters work year-round at UD's Ice Skating Science Development Center, public interest in the sport seems to peak with the approach of each new Winter Olympics Games, Ludington said.
“Right now skating is at a low point in the cycle that is determined by the Olympics,” Ludington said. “The tempo and interest will build as the next winter Olympics, slated for Vancouver, British Columbia, in 2010, approaches.”
Ludington said that while helping to develop good skaters is always a goal of all coaches in the sport, he also believes that skaters need to include a college education as part of their personal growth process.
“One of the key things is to make sure that we are helping to create well-rounded persons who have an education and a future once their skating days are over,” Ludington said. “These are the kind of things that are important to me.”
Article by Jerry Rhodes
Photo by Bob Young, courtesy of ISI