Former Figure Skating Champ Christopher Bowman Dies

By Anastacia Mott Austin

Former United States figure-skating champion Christopher Bowman, 40, was found dead in an L.A. hotel room this week, "possibly from a drug overdose," according to the Los Angeles County coroner.

No one who kept an eye on men’s figure skating in the late 1980s and early 1990s would not recognize the name or remember the talent of Bowman.

The two-time winner of the U.S. national men’s figure skating championship, in 1989 and 1992, Bowman was a huge fan favorite and was known by the moniker, "Bowman the Showman," for his flair on the ice and his ability to draw in a crowd.

"If I had to pick the three most talented skaters of all time, I would pick Christopher as one," said Olympic skating star Brian Boitano, to reporters. "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."

That relaxation didn’t always serve him well. Bowman was said to have relied heavily on his natural talent, and admittedly lacked the discipline for regular practice.

Said Bowman in 1992, "The training and discipline between each event is very difficult for me."

Added Richard Callaghan, coach of Bowman’s skating rival Todd Eldridge, "Christopher was always on; he was the star when it came to doing any competitions. Most of us didn't know how he did it, but he did."

A child actor before he became a skater, Bowman appeared in numerous commercials as a child, and did a guest stint on the television show, "Little House on the Prairie." He had recently returned to his acting roots, appearing in the movie "Down and Distance," directed by Brian De Palma, which has yet to be released.

In addition to his U.S. titles, Bowman won silver and bronze medals in the World Figure Skating Championships in 1989 and 1990, and placed fourth at the Albertville Olympics in 1992, just missing the bronze medal.

Bowman’s personal life had long been troubled, and he had been plagued by drug abuse. He entered drug rehab twice, in 1988 and again in 1992. He had difficult relationships with his skating coaches, most notably Frank Carroll, who had been his coach for 18 years when they parted ways after Bowman decided to improvise most of his free-skate routine at the 1990 world championships (he still placed third).

According to another of his coaches, Toller Cranston, who wrote a book about the figure skating world titled ZeroTollerance, Bowman was involved in the drug scene when he stayed at Cranston’s house for a period of time. Cranston wrote in his book that Bowman "sometimes announced that he was going out for a carton of milk and didn't return for three days." Yet the coach still felt that Bowman had much potential, saying of the troubled skater, "[He] had huge charisma, tremendous personality, and a wonderful sense of humor."

Despite his reputation for wild behavior off the ice and his irreverent attitude toward practice, most of those interviewed from the figure-skating world had nothing but praise for the skater, and genuine sadness at his loss. Most recalled a "a nice person" who had incredible talent.

"The great pity about it is he never realized his outstanding talent," said John Nicks, a skating coach who briefly worked with Bowman. "He's one of the most talented figure skaters of all time…"