Reg Park

Since his first steps on the ice at the age of 11, and right up to his recent retirement, Reg has devoted his life to skating and coaching. Reg Park was the first Australian male figure skater to compete at the 1950 World Championships, an Australian Mens Singles Champion, two times Australian Pairs Champion, placed second at the British Championships, 1953 World Professional Champion and a renowned national and international coach and judge. After  competing at  the  World  Championships Reg spent the best part of 30 years performing in, choreographing and producing professional ice shows across Europe and Britain, especially as part of the famous Wembley Ice Shows, in England. Reg used his expertise to coach many ACT skaters to national and international level; Miriam Manzano being one of his students and now a coach herself; with many of his other past students becoming successful coaches also. Reg’s style and professional ice show experience was evident in the very popular, amateur Christmas Ice Follies Show he established in Canberra, which became a yearly event up until the late 1990s. The popular ACTISA Reg Park Artistic Trophy, which draws competitors from all states in Australia, has been awarded since 1999. It was established to advance the art of figure skating (as an artistic competition) and to honour the contribution of Reg. Reg was inducted into Ice Skating Inaugural Hall of Fame in 2004; was the recipient of the Australian Year of the Elderly Persons Achievement Award in 1999 and the Australian Sports Medal in 2000. The ACT Ice Skating Association Inc presented Reg with an ACTISA Life Membership in 2007 for “his contribution to the sport of figure skating in the ACT”.   ICE SKATING Born: 16 February 1928 Deceased: 27 September 2019 Inducted: 2012   Associate Member