The “Hamill Camel” and the “Hamill Haircut” were household words in the mid-1970s. Both were creations of Olympic figure skating champion Dorothy Hamill, who was applauded at competitions or exhibitions in nearly 20 nations by the age of 20.
Between 1969 and 1975, Dorothy won 15 major competitions, including the 1969 National Novice Ladies Championship, the 1971 International Grand Prix in St. Gervais, France, and the 1971 Nebelhorn Trophy in Oberstdorf, West Germany. She captured North Atlantic Regional and Eastern Sectional titles in 1972 and was first in the Richmond (London) Trophy and Prague Skate Invitationals as well.
The former Colorado Academy student, who trained at the Colorado Ice Arena in Denver through most of her amateur career, prevailed over all competitors in the 1974 and 1975 United States Senior Ladies Figure Skating Championships and was World silver medallist both years.
Her place in international figure skating history was assured in 1976, however, when she garnered a third consecutive U. S. crown, claimed the World title at Gothenburg, Sweden, and struck Olympic Gold at Innsbruck, Austria.
Women across the country rushed to salons to acquire the Dorothy Hamill look and skaters everywhere tried to emulate the Hamill Camel spin. No one ever did either as well as Dorothy Hamill, who went on to professional stardom with Ice Capades.
