Toller Cranston

Toller Shalitoe Montague Cranston was a Canadian figure skater and painter. He was born on April 20, 1949, and passed away on January 24, 2015.

Toller won the Canadian national championships from 1971 to 1976. He earned a bronze medal at the 1974 World Championships and another bronze medal at the 1976 Olympic Games.

Although Toller never won the top prize at the World Figure Skating Championships because his compulsory figures scores were not strong enough, he won small medals for his free skating performances in 1972 and 1974. Many people think that Toller brought a new kind of art and beauty to men's figure skating with his unique style and grace on the ice.

Personal life

Toller Cranston was born in Hamilton, Ontario in 1949 and grew up in Kirkland Lake. When he was 11, his family moved to suburban Montreal.

After finishing high school, he studied at the École des beaux-arts de Montréal and decided to become a professional artist.

In 1976, Cranston worked with his manager Elva Oglanby to write his first book, Toller. He also wrote other books about his life, sharing his experiences in an honest way.

Artistic career

After finishing his studies, Cranston became an artist. He earned enough money from his art to pay for his skating. His first art show was at his coach Ellen Burka’s home in 1969. In 1971, he had a very successful solo show in Toronto. After that, he showed his art in galleries and museums around the world, with more than 250 exhibitions.

Skating career

Toller Cranston started skating when he was seven years old after his parents gave him hockey skates. A coach named Eva Vasak saw his talent and taught him for free when he was eleven.

Toller faced an illness that made doctors worry he couldn’t skate anymore, but he kept training. He won his first big junior competition in 1964. He later worked with coach Ellen Burka and improved a lot. Toller became famous for his creative and exciting free skating, with unique spins, jumps, and artistic style.

He won many awards, including national titles from 1971 to 1976, a bronze medal at the 1974 World Championships, and a bronze medal at the 1976 Olympics. After stopping competitive skating, he performed in shows like “The Ice Show” on Broadway and toured with “Holiday on Ice.” He also appeared in television specials and skated professionally until he retired in 1997.