Norris Bowden


Robert Norris Bowden was a Canadian figure skater.
Born in Toronto, Ontario, Bowden won championships in every division of Canadian figure skating. He was national men's champion as a junior and senior, national pairs, dance, waltz, and 10-step champion with Frances Dafoe, and national fours champion.
Bowden and Dafoe captured four Canadian titles and two world championships. They won the silver medal at the 1956 Winter Olympics in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, where Bowden was Canada's flag bearer in the opening ceremonies. Norris and his partner were the first pair skaters to do the twist lift, throw jump, ‘leap of faith’ and overhead lasso.
It was because of these two that some of the rules in pairs skating were changed. According to figure skating historian James R. Hines, the results were "hotly debated" and indirectly led to the inclusion of the short program or technical program in pair skating, since it only included a free skating program at the time.
Outside skating, Bowden graduated with an MBA and worked in the life insurance industry. He was founding president of the Centennial Nursery School for Retarded Children in Toronto.
He has been inducted into Canada's [Sports Hall of Fame], the Canadian [Olympic Hall of Fame], and the Skate Canada Hall of Fame. He was inducted into the World Figure Skating Hall of Fame in 1984.

Results

Event1943194419461947
Canadian Championships2nd J.2nd J.2nd1st

  • J. = Junior level
Event195119521953195419551956
Winter Olympic Games5th2nd
World Championships4th2nd1st1st2nd
North American Championships1st1st
Canadian Championships2nd1st1st1st1st

Event19451946
Canadian Championships1st J2nd

Event195019511952
Canadian Championships3rd3rd1st