Push Dick’s Button: A Conversation on Skating from a Good Part of the Last Century–and a Little Tomfoolery

Jun 27, 2014 | Our Community of Learners

Richard “Dick” Button ESB ‘47
CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
December 2013

Everything many of us know about figure skating, we learned from the man who’s been called the “Voice of Figure Skating.” Now Dick Button, the Emmy Award-winning skating commentator famous for his precise, passionate, opinionated rinkside analyses and for his historic career as a two-time Olympic gold medalist, five-time World Champion, and seven-time U.S. Champion (plus being the inadvertent inventor of the flying camel, the first to successfully land a double Axel in competition, and the first ever to do a triple jump) demystifies this art and sport beloved by millions.

In Push Dick’s Button, you’ll learn about the difference between a Lutz and a Salchow . . . performance highs and lows . . . memorable entrances, exits, and falls (including his own) . . . costume delights and disasters . . . the new judging rules . . . and nuggets of skating training and history, PLUS stories about Katarina Witt, Peggy Fleming, Johnny Weir, Brian Boitano, Dorothy Hamill, and more, including today’s champions, such as Evgeni Plushenko, Davis and White, and the latest sensations. Droll, dishy, dramatic, and dead-on, this book is like a one-on-one conversation with the man whose unsurpassed knowledge, experience, and love of figure skating have influenced generations.

What did you think of this article?
End-of-Year Celebration Recognizes Faculty/Staff Service Milestones & Awardees, and Honors Retirees
History Department Spotlight: Taking Lessons of the Past Into the Future
D-E Summer 2026 Programs
Spring 2026 Live Concert Performances Highlights
Commencement 2026: Relishing ‘Moments of Awe’ Now and in the Future
World Languages Spotlight: Making Cultural Connections Through Language Learning
US Farewell & Awards Assembly Highlights
Upper School Athletics Highlights Reel 2025-2026
D-E 360° After Care and Enrichment
Athletics Schedule
Admissions
D-E.org
D-E Today - News and Editorial Content

Spring 2026 Live Concert Performances Highlights

This spring D-E’s student musicians of all ages participated in live performances that were a culmination of discipline, training, and a deep-seated passion for music. They represented a journey of artistic growth, proving that in music the process of learning is...

Read More

7th Grade “Make It Better” Presentations

How can we build a better world? This was the question posed to 7th graders tasked with selecting a pressing issue connected to one of the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development goals that was personally meaningful and presenting them as part of their “Meet the...

Read More

Third Graders Discover the Joy of Playing the Ukulele

Little hands, big sounds! For one of their final units in Ms. Fiona Crawford’s 3rd Grade Music class, students learned how to play the ukulele, which is among the most versatile instruments for musical beginners. “It is well suited for developing melody, harmony,...

Read More

Class of 2030: 8th Grade Moving Up Ceremony Highlights

The Class of 2030 is moving on up! During a ceremony in Schenck Auditorium, 93 8th graders celebrated the transition to high school with a ceremony filled with warm memories of their Middle School experiences and words of advice to guide them into their next...

Read More

Loading...