Stewart Dudley Dagge Reburn (August 10, 1912 – June 6, 1976) was a

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

figure skater Figure skating is a sport in which individuals, pairs, or groups perform on figure skates on ice. It was the first winter sport to be included in the Olympic Games, when contested at the 1908 Olympics in London. The Olympic disciplines are me ...

who competed in

singles Singles are people not in a committed relationship. Singles may also refer to: Film and television * ''Singles'' (miniseries), a 1984 Australian television series * ''Singles'' (1992 film), written and directed by Cameron Crowe * ''Singles'' ...

and

pair skating Pair skating is a figure skating discipline defined by the International Skating Union (ISU) as "the skating of two persons in unison who perform their movements in such harmony with each other as to give the impression of genuine Pair Skating a ...

. He was the junior Canadian champion in singles in 1928, the same year he came third in the senior pairs championship with

Veronica Clarke Veronica Clarke (May 17, 1912 - July 27, 1999) was a Canada, Canadian figure skater who competed in single skating, pair skating, and four skating. She competed in pairs with Ralph McCreath, winning the North American title in 1937, and three nat ...

, and as a singles skater, won the silver medal at the

Canadian Figure Skating Championships The Canadian Figure Skating Championships (french: Championnats du Canada de patinage artistique) is a figure skating competition held annually to crown the national champions of Canada. It is organized by Skate Canada, the nation's figure skating ...

in 1929 and 1931. The following year he was runner-up in the senior singles to Bud Wilson, who won the first of his all-time record-setting nine Canadian titles in the event. He was second to Wilson again in 1931, which led to his selection for the 1932 Winter Olympics, although he withdrew prior to competition, while Wilson took home the bronze medal. Reburn, who had also taken the bronze medal in the pairs event with Cecil Smith at the 1931 national championships, was absent from the national scene for two years, then returned in 1934 with a new partner, Louise Bertram. They pair won the gold medal at the 1935 Canadian Championships, placed fourth in the world figure-skating championships and competed in the

1936 Winter Olympics The 1936 Winter Olympics, officially known as the IV Olympic Winter Games (german: IV. Olympische Winterspiele) and commonly known as Garmisch-Partenkirchen 1936 ( bar, Garmasch-Partakurch 1936), were a winter multi-sport event held from 6 to 16 ...

, finishing sixth. They were the first pair team to ever really skate to the music instead of using it as mere background sound. Their new and charming style captured audiences in both the figure skating and entertainment worlds. In 2015, Reburn and Bertram were inducted into the

Skate Canada Hall of Fame The Skate Canada Hall of Fame is the sports hall of fame for figure skating maintained by Skate Canada. It was established in 1990 as the Canadian Figure Skating Hall of Fame. The members are inducted into one of four categories that best represents ...

. Following his competitive career, Reburn skated professionally as

Sonja Henie Sonja Henie (8 April 1912 – 12 October 1969) was a Norway, Norwegian figure skating, figure skater and film star. She was a three-time List of Olympic medalists in figure skating, Olympic champion (Figure skating at the 1928 Winter Olympics, ...

's partner in her international touring ice show. He appeared with Henie in the 1939 film '' Second Fiddle''. Reburn enlisted in the

Royal Canadian Air Force The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF; french: Aviation royale canadienne, ARC) is the air and space force of Canada. Its role is to "provide the Canadian Forces with relevant, responsive and effective airpower". The RCAF is one of three environm ...

at the outbreak of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, becoming a fighter pilot with final rank attained of Flight Lieutenant. He was wounded by shrapnel in December 1943, which ended both his skating and promising acting career, although after the war he worked behind the scenes in the film industry for several years, prior to taking up real estate management. He died in 1976 at the age of 63 of cancer, and was buried in Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Toronto.

Competitive highlights

Men's Singles

* J = Junior level

Pairs career

(with Bertram) (with Cecil Smith) (with Veronica Clarke)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Reburn, Stewart 1912 births 1976 deaths Canadian male single skaters Canadian male pair skaters Figure skaters at the 1936 Winter Olympics Olympic figure skaters of Canada Figure skaters from Toronto Royal Canadian Air Force officers Royal Canadian Air Force personnel of World War II Canadian World War II pilots Deaths from cancer in Ontario 20th-century Canadian people