Zen 10 Questions: Bob Fenn
I am in a post-Calgary skating-induced exhausted-soul hangover, so it’s a perfect time to post my interview with the indefatigable, energetic, always entertaining coach Bob Fenn! I taped this interview November 20th, the final day of the Salt Lake World Cup.
When I first skated indoor long track ice at the Pettit center in Milwaukee, I was just another inline-to-ice convert windmilling & waddling my way down the ice. One of the first people to come up to me, say hello, and give me some technical tips, was Bob Fenn. I had no idea who he was. Now I am aware of the amazing athletes he has coached, and the decades he has invested in this sport. This man’s open hearted nature lead him to be that same welcoming voice to other converts like K.C. Boutiette and Derek Parra, as well as countless junior skaters, who even if they never reached the skating stratosphere, will always have fond memories of Bob “Roscoe” Fenn.
This interview is broken up into 4 parts, so audioblog’s video converter does not throw up all over the place. Its vintage Bob, press the play button and enjoy!
Part 1
Here Bob reveals how many years he has been involved with skating, what he does for his day job, the list of notable skaters he has worked with, his connection to George Steinbrenner, and the many people who have touched him over the years.
Part 2
Bob theorizes on why he thinks Shani Davis is successful, his most powerful memories of the 1988 games, the single most amazing thing he has ever seen on skates, his own proudest moment as an athlete, and what the most important ingredients are in the coach/athlete relationship.
Part 3
Bob forgot to thank an old friend, Eric Hendricksen.
Part 4
The Zen 10 Speed Round!!! Short questions ranging from the best legs Bob has ever seen on a speedskater, to what song he always sings along with on the radio.
Thanks Bob!!
About an hour after we finished this interview, one of Bob’s current skaters, Shani Davis, set the 1000m world record!
Here is Bob celebrating!
(and I was in the stands, celebrating along with them as well…. this pic is from dutch TV)
Filed under: Audio/Video, Zen 10 Questions:
Nice interview! (But you have got to do something about a mic! Us old guys have bad hearing…)
So Bob is the American Miyagi guy we see on the ice on tv? He is always wearing a red head scarf, one can almost hear him telling his skaters “Guards on, guards off…”.
thanks franklin!!
When Shani is racing, that is bob on the backstretch, he also has one of the most distinctive voices among speedskating coaches, its a booming, deep thing you can hear a country mile away (and comes through a skinsuit hood buffeted by 35mph wind really well too!)
The red head scarf is a joke between Bob and Shani, as far as I can tell… it has DSB on it, their sponsor…
I agree the mike in my handheld camera is fairly wimpy… if I were an unlimited budget skate-reporter, I would have perfect equipement.. all I can reccomend is turn the computer volume up… I can hear his comments pretty well on my ibook with volume up…
Great interviews, Andrew. Without a doubt, that is a wise, thoughtful man.
As for the sound–my computer is plugged into a good radio, so it uses those speakers instead of its own, and I could hear Bob perfectly. Maybe something like that would help someone else.
Love, Dad
As always, great info. You always bring us the stuff no one else ever cares to. I love it.
I always laugh when I see Bob with that headband on.
On our first visit to the Petit Centre in October 2004, Bob came right over and introduced himself to Larry, Ann and I (Canadian masters). We could see he was coaching some of the younger skaters, but had no idea we were talking to someone who had coached some of the best American skaters in the last 20 years. He seems to be not only a great coach, but a true ambassador for the great sport of speed skating. Thanks for the great interview Andrew!
If you ever get the chance ask bob what message was left in an empty ice cream carton on old printer paper
Surprised on some of the responses and no mention of someone he owe a lot to
good interview
hello
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I don’t know how I happened upon your site, but what a treat to see and hear your interview with Bob Fenn. I’m a couple of years younger than Bob and used to skate in the same association when we were kids in the late fifties and early sixties, and I have to tell you he was a real daredevil and a powerful skater. In those days we just called short track indoor skating (16 laps to a mile) versus outdoor skating(400 meter track). This was all done pack style with 8 guys in a final and we didn’t wear helmets. We had quite a few clubs in the NYC area with a very active skating season throughout the northeast. I sure have great memories of my teenage years traveling every weekend to a meet.
Bob,
Did you order 2 Ipods from Overstock.com? Is your address in Salt Lake City?
I’m in Kansas City and may have received your items by mistake!!!!
Please call 913-269-6108 if any of this makes sense.
Thanks……Mark
M. Fisk, bob lives in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, hes a friend of the family so I doubt those are his Ipods
Not enough room to share my comments, I am west coast-(Rosco)-east coast. I competed with him several times in the ’60s, Bobbie is the meaning of the word competitor in a heat, semi, or final. California (DeMorra) and New York senior class made for some very exciting finals. I look to this day admire and respect this man. Thank you Bobbie for some good races, and same to that skinny guy, what was his name, oh ya, Lanigan. and yes I miss Edith Johnson.
This looks cool. Is there a way to still see the interviews? I would want to show my dad. Thanks
Hey Bob,
Guess skating just got into your blood and never let it go…nice to see you still out there…wow…I actually remember some of names of these people on here…You, Lanigan, Ricky Cassese…remember the weekly races in Flushing? I was so nervous competing… it was almost a blessing when I no longer could….
Hope all is well.