Bud Wilson

Montgomery “Bud” Wilson was Canada’s most successful figure skater of the 1920s and 1930s. He first hit the international scene in 1928, placing 7th at that year’s singles World Championships, but quickly upped his ranking to 4th in 1930 and 2nd in 1932 (Canada’s first medal at the championships), before sliding down to 5th in 1936. His career in singles at the Olympics followed a similar trajectory, finishing 13th at the 1928 Winter Games, acquiring a bronze medal in 1932 (Canada’s first Olympic medal in figure skating), and finishing 4th in 1936. He also skated in pairs at the 1930 and 1932 World Championships, as well as the 1932 Winter Olympics, often with his sister Constance Wilson-Samuel, before focusing solely on singles events. He was, however, much more successful in North America. In singles, pairs and fours, he was North American champion 10 times and Canadian champion 18 times, half of those in the singles category. After retiring in 1939, he spent 20 years coaching skating at the St. Paul Figure Skating Club in Minnesota and the Skating Club of Boston and is a member of the latter’s Hall of Fame. He is also a member of the World Figure Skating Hall of Fame (since 1976), the Skate Canada Hall of Fame (since 1990), and the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame (since 2007) and still holds the record for winning the most number of Canadian figure skating titles.