Trilliums in Northern Ontario
Northern Ontario
 


   

Growing up in the gold-mining town of Kirkland Lake, Ontario, Tom Collins never expected to emerge as one of the most prominent men in figure skating. The way he tells it, it's amazing he ever got involved in the sport at all.

"We had nothing," Collins said of his childhood days. "We used to hang our socks on the side of the rail of the stove so they would dry. We wore out four sides of each sock before we threw them out."

Following in his father's footsteps, Collins even spent a couple of summers working in the mines. But he used the money he earned to pay for skating lessons and made his way into the touring world as a show skater. Eventually, he transitioned from skating in shows to producing them. This year, Collins will celebrate the 25th year of his touring production, Champions on Ice.

"I can't believe it. I really can't," he said of reaching this milestone year. "But I enjoy it as much today as I did when I first started."

 


Figure Skating

Tom CollinsTom Collins - Skate Canada Hall of Fame member

This builder's involvement in skating has spanned more than 50 years, from a Northern Ontario novice skating champion in the 1940s, to his role as a visionary and promoter in the world of modern ice shows.

Joining Sonja Henie's Hollywood Ice Revue in 1949, he moved over to Holiday on Ice in 1951, rising up through the ranks from skater to tour manager and then producer. Developing a skating tour to highlight the many talents of national and international skating stars, his 'Tour of World Figure Skating Champions' and 'Champions on Ice' provided a new concept in figure skating shows. With an emphasis on quality production and a high-level of skating talent, he launched the careers of hundreds of skating stars and promoted skating to millions of people.

Never forgetting who made these shows the success they were, his role as a benefactor has resulted in ongoing substantial financial contributions to the CFSA Athlete Trust.
 


 

Today Tom Collins has partnered with Michael Collins and the prominent entertainment producer Lee Marshall to form Collins-Marshall Management. They say they are the first company specifically providing management and marketing services to figure skaters. Tom Collins serves as Chairman.

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