Bart's Readers Digest Version of Skating Career

I began skating when I was 13 years old at the Pasadena Winter Gardens in CA.  About half the Olympic team in 1960 and 1964, came out of Southern California so it was an ideal time for a youth to come up through the ranks.   In January 1963 I headed north to Edmonton, Alberta and spent two seasons there skating on the 400m track.  The second season I did very well breaking the North American records for 3,000 and 5,000m.  Based on those performances I received an invitation to join coach Johs. Tenman  in Hamar, Norway to train with his team, Hamar Skoyteklub under Hamar Idrettslag.  I jumped at the opportunity and arrived in Hamar on September 15, 1964.  Seems like last week.   It was a brutal transition from Clarke Stadium in Edmonton to racing in front of the big crowds in Norway but when you are young, insane and full of testosterone anything is doable.  Almost 16 years later I my closed my business, sold the house and came back to the US for good.