I just found this picture while sorting through boxes. Gordie picked me up by the armpits and skated me around the rink. I remember the feeling of swinging over the boards and the old wet icerink air in my eyes. My older brother must have been attending his hockey camp in Detroit. It was 1973.
Any one else have interesting encounters with figures who are in the public eye?
Froukje de Both
…and on ice? yes:
I don’t have a TV, but due to my recent ice experience, I became interested in FS, and saw this run in a episode of a popular but finished TV show. Her performance hit me hard. Dunno why, but with some beautyfull variety acts I saw for a first time I had that to.
The show is a spin-off of The Gala of Stars; celeberties who learn an act in no-time.
So yes; the girl/woman was not even a skater, but an ex-soap star, tv-host, model (try Google), Playmate (if you can handle it, try google w/o filter), and often refered to as the most beautifull women of The Netherlands. I think her biggest acomplishement is being a succesfull (female) radio host.
According the pro’s I spoke above performance was nothing. But the performing -to me- was plain beauty to me. So I decided had to give her a big compliment the next time I would see her. And as I have unicycle performances at many different occasions, that would be just a matter of patience.
Now I started skating myself (to become able to do passing juggling on ice), and last week I went to the ice-rink in Amsterdam… and I saw her! (leaving the ice in a sad mood beacuse it was extremely crowded while it was monday-morning). Before I even recognized her, she disappeared.
Now last monday-morning I saw her again, practising for a couple of hours, together with another celeberty (who I don’t know as I don’t have a TV). Still I did’nt approuch her. Looking at her blog she’s receiving compliment after compliment. So mine would just be another. I wish I could give her the same feeling she gaved me.
Sigh…
Okay maybe this wasn’t an interesting encounter, but just a confession I’m sometimes kind of shy.
Tony Blair and Gerhard Schroeder
During a United Nations conference I suddenly was face to face with Tony Blair and Gerhard Schroeder. I was doing my coffee act (like shown on unicycle.net). In stead of me aprouching them, they came to me to ask for some coffee. There hardly was anyone around because they were late, and so no press around either. So all interaction was honest (both ways), and not just for nice publishity.
On the other hand; shame I don’t have a pic of it.
Jan-Peter Balkenende
At the national congress of the democrats the descission was made who was to become the new leader, and so -most likely- the new minister-president of the country.
As by then I had no interrest in politics (totally opposit as before and currently), I had no idea who’s who.
But once the informal-program started one man got a lot of attention. I decided to offer him coffee (of course again at my unicycling method). My offer made him look around to determe how the bystanders would respond on it.
So I repeated my question emphasizing “Do YOU want coffee?”, which forced the descission into a sudden firm no. A couple of weeks later he became president of The-Netherlands.
Also there I met the later minister of justice, who did like my coffee better. He did’nt even asked if it was fare-trade coffee.
Summon the courage to ask her out. Bring her a rose so your intentions are clear. Girls really like that, and it will definitely put you in a different category than her other fans!
Then be a gentleman. They like that, too. 
I don’t know why guys (generally) haven’t figured that one out!
Summon the courage to ask her out. Bring her a rose so your intentions are clear. Girls really like that, and it will definitely put you in a different category than her other fans!
Then be a gentleman. They like that, too. I don’t know why guys (generally) haven’t figured that one out!
Hey hey wait a minute; her performance touched me, but I’m not in love (with a stranger).
Although, yes; I also do suffer a syndrom that by far most boys/men have: over and over again when you see a girl/woman that looks very cute, you instantly start to think she must be nice. While after <fill in your age> years you should know better. And maybe even more once it comes to figures who are experienced being in the public eye.
So sure I would love a date, but roses are certainly too much ( …yet ).
Okay, a petunia.
Have fun. Tell us if you find the courage to ask her out! You should 
Your syndrome is quite odd… If I see a really handsome straight guy, I immediately assume he’s a jerk.
What if you see an ugly gay man?
Hmm, I have a few that are friends, and a few good looking gay friends, and a few ugly straight friends, too. If it’s one of my buddies, I usually say howdy and we chat!
I do have several good looking straight guy friends. I can put those prejudicial ideas about good looking guys being jerks away very quickly… especially if they flirt with me. Lol
Works great on the long term, while flowers from a florist fade away in no-time. Well, unless you’d like to give dry-flowers.
Reminds me to the by-then-nicest-girl-on-earth for who I smuggeled tulip-bulbs into the US for (she lived in a better climate than NV).
…so now her mothers garden has tulips out each spring 
Today I tried again, same story (gone in no-time).
And so I maybe better contact her via the net, though I’d rather asked her in person. Maybe I’ll just point to this thread. Ah well, we’ll see.
Good luck, Leo. Does she know you are interested? Have you guys been flirting or exchanging glances at all? That’s a good place to start, if you haven’t been doing that already. If she flirts back, you might be able to guess her answer if you were to ask her on a date!
SHHHHH!!!
Noel Gallanger
During EJC/BUC in Edinburg '98 I had a funny one with the at moment the most adored man in UK history.
I wrote her a e-mail that appearntly didn’t reached it’s destignation. I asked her to the premiere of the winter-program of a good circus (where I learned unicycling on 1/1/1995). Afterward I found out it was during her radio-show anyway. I went with someone else. I never ever was sitting front row before.
If she didn’t knew already then after today she does. And yes, I think we had nice eye-contact. I can’t imagen I’m imagine it myself. So just before she left I approached her 
just for a short chat.
Unfortunely things got a little complicated: as she’s the one of the most wanted woman of the country, and still single 
, she got a show to find her prince on the white horse (or blue unicycle?).
But Dutch TV and me are a very inflamable combination. Long ago I almost walked away from a set of a program with the same host of her new show, few minutes before recordings started (giving lots of stress to the production-team and legal-dep.). Seriously; ask other riders in NL: I wave TV requests in NL away by default, especially from the company she now works for. But well, I’m now older and maybe wiser. I should be able to behave.
Anyway I don’t think I need this show, I have a much better idea to learn each other better, which she might enjoy much better as well. Let’s hope things work out. I’ll keep you posted.