Voting Station

Mabel Fairbanks

Please vote to return to collections.

Figure Skater

The Resume

    (November 14, 1916-September 29, 2001)
    First known US figure skater of African-American descent
    Of African-American and Seminole ancestry

Why she might be annoying:

    She never married.
    Her father abandoned her when she was a child.
    Many of her innovative moves were ignored by the skating world because she was black.
    She dyed her hair.
    Some of her costumes were garish.

Why she might not be annoying:

    Her uncle built a rink in her backyard so she could practice.
    She taught herself the basic skating moves.
    Most skating rinks would not allow her to join because of her race.
    Undaunted by racism, she created and choreographed her own ice shows in nightclubs overseas.
    Legendary US champ Maribel Vinson Owen gave her private lessons.
    She coached Tai Babilonia, Randy Gardner, Scott Hamilton and Kristi Yamaguchi in their early years.
    She coached Atoy Wilson, the first African-American man to win a national junior title.
    She also coached the children of Nat King Cole, Dean Martin and Betty Hutton.
    She gave free skating lessons to African-Americans who otherwise could not afford to do so.
    She suffered from myasthenia gravis, which eventually killed her.
    She is the first black skater to be elected to the USFSA Figure Skating Hall of Fame (1997).

Credit: Xer


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    In 2023, Out of 1 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 3 Votes: 33.33% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 5 Votes: 100% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 2 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 3 Votes: 100% Annoying
    In 2018, Out of 1 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 14 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2016, Out of 2 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2015, Out of 5 Votes: 20.0% Annoying
    In 2014, Out of 19 Votes: 36.84% Annoying
    In 2013, Out of 10 Votes: 60.0% Annoying
    In 2012, Out of 24 Votes: 54.17% Annoying
    In 2011, Out of 30 Votes: 46.67% Annoying
    In 2010, Out of 1426 Votes: 45.79% Annoying
    In 2009, Out of 377 Votes: 36.34% Annoying
    In 2008, Out of 1067 Votes: 69.73% Annoying
    In 2007, Out of 2150 Votes: 50.93% Annoying
    In 2006, Out of 347 Votes: 41.79% Annoying
    In 2005, Out of 302 Votes: 44.04% Annoying