KATU News 2-16-1991 — Tonya’s Triple Axel

At the moment I’m posting this, Margot Robbie is about to play Tonya Harding on the big screen in the first major motion picture adaption of the incident that made her famous. Seems like a good time to dig up some archival Tonya footage, most of it from a happier, more optimistic time before baton crossed leg.

For those who weren’t there, it can’t be underestimated just how surreal this whole thing was to someone who lived here, especially a kid. These were the days when Portland barely got any outside attention and the tourist crowd was pitiful. No one wanted our donuts no matter what we put on them. Then Ms. Harding became America’s, uh, sweetheart and suddenly all the local landmarks I trafficked were on the national news. Tonya’s apartment was a mile from my house. I wouldn’t feel like this again until 2013, when someone peed in the reservoir I do my exercising around and CNN picked it up.

So anyway. We’re going back to February 1991, when Tonya first made headlines for becoming the first American to land the triple axel jump. As you’ll see from the next few videos ahead, she would become a “local hero,” standing there all innocent-like in local promos, any dark thoughts concealed behind that freckled face. In 1991 Portland was Tonya Country, and for a brief moment, we were proud.

“And I’d especially like to thank my husband!” Oh, don’t thank Jeff just YET!