The Skater

This was an early Tonya fanzine put out by the original Tonya Harding Fan Club in Portland, and in its day it was apparently considered one of that cities coolest 'zines. The original editor and driving force behind it was Joe Haran, a Vietnam veteran to whom Tonya had shown kindness and given a few meals to and who identified with Tonya because of his own deprived upbringing. Haran's dedication was expressed in the militantly pro-Tonya stance of the publication: it was clear that he recognized the prejudice against Tonya long before the worldwide outpouring of hatred against her that followed the Kerrigan kneewhacking. He also wrote many letters to skating magazines supporting her.

Several issues appear below, courtesy of Joe Haran and Liz Hebert. It is a tradition that we at the Portland Ice Skating Society proudly try to follow in the footsteps of with "The Portlandian".

The Skater, Vol 1 No 1 - April 1993

The Skater, Vol 1 No 3 - June 1993

The Skater, Vol 1 No 5 - August 1993

The Skater, Vol 1 No 7 - October 1993

The Skater, Vol 1 No 8 - November 1993

The Skater, Vol 1 No 10 - Jan/Feb 1994

The Skater, Vol 2 No 1 - May/June 1994