Trailblazers
Visionaries who have broken barriers in figure skating, forging new paths and creating invaluable opportunities for future generations.
Atoy Wilson
Inducted 2025
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In 1965, Atoy Wilson shattered barriers by becoming the first African American to compete at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, where he finished a strong second. The next year, Wilson won over the crowd and judges to become the first African American U.S. champion (novice).
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Wilson was an early protégé of the fabled Mabel Fairbanks, an African American coach who fought for the 13-year-old’s inclusion on the ice and in the club. After being offered membership to the Los Angeles Figure Skating Club, Wilson became eligible to compete at the 1965 U.S. Championships in Lake Placid, N.Y. There, Wilson and his tight-knit family were restricted from the official hotel because it was for "whites only."
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After winning the 1966 novice crown in Berkeley, Calif., Wilson moved up to juniors and ended his competitive career with a fourth-place finish in 1969. While attending Loyola Marymount University, he began to perform in ice shows. Charles Schulz, the creator of “Peanuts,” offered Wilson his first professional job as a performer in “Snoopy's Musical on Ice,” at a television event where he performed with such stars as Peggy Fleming and Mr. Frick. Wilson later toured with Holiday on Ice, and Ice Follies and spent nine years performing internationally with Holiday on Ice.
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After retiring as a performer, Wilson returned to Los Angeles and worked in production accounting in the television industry. The Los Angeles Figure Skating Club invited Wilson to perform at its 75th Anniversary gala in 2008.
