Date of Birth
30 March 1967,
Hollywood, California, USA
Date of Death
10 January 2008, Mission Hills, California, USA (natural causes)
Birth Name
Christopher Nicol Bowman
Nickname
Bowman The Showman
Height
6' (1.83 m)
Mini Biography
Christopher Bowman (Bowman the Showman), a southern California native was born in Hollywood, California on March 30, 1967, raised in Van Nuys and trained in Burbank for 18 years of his skating career. At a very young age, his parents realized the need for good training and representation therefore enlisting Mary Grady of the Mary Grady Agency (at that time the best children's agency in the business) and acting coach Alice Hour, best known as the script coach for the 1960 Alfred Hitchcock classic Psycho (1960) starring Anthony Perkins. Christopher appeared in over 500 television commercials and television shows including "Little House on the Prairie" (1974) & "Archie Bunker's Place" (1979), alongside legends Michael Landon, Melissa Gilbert and Carol O'Connor (I).
Christopher eventually branched into Feature Films as an Actor and Stuntman through Stunts Unlimited. He's been seen in various films including Casey's Shadow (1978) with Walter Matthau, the Troma cult classic Surf Nazis Must Die (1987), License to Drive (1988) with Corey Haim and Joel Schumacher's epic film The Lost Boys (1987).
As a skater, Christopher became internationally known as "Bowman the Showman" and became one of the most electric, mesmerizing men's singles skaters in history. His eighteen year career was nurtured by legendary coach Frank Carroll, past coach of skating greats Linda Fratianne and Michelle Kwan. Christopher was in the spotlight of United States and World figure skating as a 2-time United States National Champion and the winner of 5 United States National Championship Medals and 2 World Championship Medals, Junior Worlds Champion and 2-time Untied States Winter Olympic Team Member. Christopher had the largest fan base in the history of Winter Olympians.
After a very successful competitive skating career, Christopher has once again found himself at home in front of a camera as he has embarked on a natural career of television commentating with FOX sports and as the lead skating analyst for ESPN covering US National and World Championships and numerous elite international events. It was through NBC Radio and WFAN out of New York, he announced for the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympic Games. Christopher is a fun-loving guy and serious about his sport. He is now a well-known coach, with a very successful skating school that hosts figure and power skating seminars internationally.
Most recently, Christopher has re-embarked in his first love of acting, landing a role as an assistant football coach in the family feature film Down and Distance (2008) to be released early in 2008 with Gary Busey, Master P and Little Romeo.
Spouse
| April Freeman |
(25 December 2005 - 10 January 2008) (his death) |
| Annette Jasinkiewicz |
(August 1995 - September 2003) (divorced) 1 child |
Trivia
Two-time U.S. figure-skating champion.
Christopher and Annette have one daughter, Bianca
Fox Sports commentator and analyst
Has a daughter with his ex-wife, Annette.
Has appeared in more than 200 TV commercials, and more than 100 print advertisments.
Has been profiled in People, US, and Rolling Stone magazines
Host of Fox's Rock 'n Roll Figure Skating Championships with James Brown
U.S. National Men's Figure Skating Champion - 1989
U.S. National Men's Figure Skating Champion - 1992
Was featured in the February 12, 1990, issue of Sports Illustrated magazine.
World Men's Figure Skating Bronze Medalist - 1990
World Men's Figure Skating Silver Medalist - 1989
At the time of his death, was taking medication for a Bi-polar disorder.
A former child actor (he had appeared on television's Little House on the Prairie), Bowman had moved from Detroit back to Southern California in order to stage a comeback in acting prior to his death.
Was found dead inside a Budget Inn motel room in Los Angeles. His death was investigated as a possible drug overdose due to prescription medication found at the scene. An autopsy concluded he died from a drug overdose and an enlarged heart (due to weight gain and substance abuse). His blood-alcohol level was 0.12 per cent and toxicology tests also revealed cocaine, Valium and marijuana in his system. He weighed 261 pounds at the time of his death.
Admitted to having had a $950 a day cocaine habit during his eligible career, and that he had checked into the Betty Ford Center before the 1988 Olympic Games and again after the Albertville Games in 1992. Bowman's acute drug problems were later chronicled in the "Zero Tollerance" by Talley Cranston and by former coach Toller Cranston and "Inside Edge" by Christine Brennan.
Personal Quotes
"Each and every competition that I train for, prepare for, is always a personal challenge for me because, as we all know, the training and discipline between each event is very difficult for me," - 1992 interview
Where Are They Now
(2003) Currently coaching at Garden City Figure Skating Club in Metropolitan Detroit, Michigan
(November 2003) He has been a resident coach at the prestigous Detroit Skating Club since 2002.
(August 2007) Coaching Figure Skating Full Time and hosting competitive skating seminars Internationally as well, a working actor part time, while developing his talk show currently entitled "The Showman Show."
... Champion Christopher Bowman Dies ...
... Champion Christopher Bowman Dies ...
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