First developing an appreciation for figure skating as a journalist in his native Czechoslovakia, this exceptional sports reporter continued to give detailed coverage to skating throughout his more than 50-year Canadian journalism career. Starting with the Toronto Telegram in the 1950s, ‘The Baron’, as he came to be known, was the founding Sports Editor of the Toronto Sun in 1971, becoming the Corporate Sports Editor of Sun Media from 1985-2008, a position he held at the time of his passing. During his career he brought skating to countless readers through his coverage of numerous North American and World Figure Skating Championships and Winter Olympic Games.

The author of the book Donald Jackson King of Blades, his years of documenting and promoting skating are credited with helping to bring the sport from the social pages to the sports pages. A member of multiple halls of fame including Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame, he was the first Canadian journalist to receive the Olympic Order. A mentor to generations of young writers, this iconic Canadian sports journalist was still producing his popular column at the age of 85 when he passed away in 2008.

Inducted into the Skate Canada Hall of Fame 2008.