Brian Boitano

Became the U.S. Junior Men's Champion at age 14. First American skater to land a triple axel in competition (1982 U.S. Championships). Four-time U.S. National Champion, a two-time World Champion and the 1988 Olympic gold medalist in Calgary. Originated the 'Tano triple lutz, his signature leap in which a skater will extend his left arm above his head in the midst of the jump. Reinstated as an amateur to skate at the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer as a result of his petitioning the International Skating Union after other Olympic sports such as basketball and tennis allowed professional athletes to once again compete. Satirized in Trey Parker and Matt Stone's South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut (1999), which features a musical parody titled "What Would Brian Boitano Do?" Member of the World Figure Skating Hall of Fame, the U.S. Figure Skating Hall of Fame, National Italian-American Hall of Fame and U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame. Skates from his 1988 Olympic gold-medal performance are exhibited at the Smithsonian. Founded Youth Skate, a non-profit organization created to introduce the sport of ice skating to the Bay Area's underprivileged youth.