A Pair of Aces

From the moment the 17-year-old New York schoolgirl glided out to defend her world's figure-skating title last week, any splay-ankled tyro could plainly see that pert Carol Heiss was a solid bet to keep the championship in the U.S. In addition, the flashiest male who showed up for the meet at the posh Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs was another American. Dave Jenkins, 20, the acrobatic kid brother of Hayes Alan Jenkins, now turned pro, who had won the title four years running.

To provide the spectacular Americans with some competition and round up contestants for the other events, the Broadmoor had flown in the best figure skaters from Europe. Japan hopefully sent over five contestants, including a twelve-year-old girl. Carried away by it all, whooping Westerners hustled the bewildered foreign skaters through mock branding ceremonies (with redhot irons that sizzled slabs of wood clapped over the visitors' backsides) and dragged them on lariats to the Broadmoor Hotel's front desk.

With what little fight they had left after their welcome, the foreigners laced up to compete in the most important part of the meet: the compulsory set of six figures. A contestant's performance of these rigorous figures counted for 60% of his final score. Here was where the American favorites had to be beaten, for no skaters had the talent to top Heiss or Jenkins in the freestyle display that would make up the remaining 40% of the point total.

But when the judges got up from their hands-and-knees peering at the feathery traces on the ice, they unanimously gave first places-in the compulsory figures to Heiss and Jenkins. After that, the competition was really an exhibition. Her blonde pony tail bobbing rhythmically. Carol skimmed across the ice in a dazzling freestyle series of leaps and spins to sew up her title. Later, Jenkins seemed to spend as much time soaring in the air as on the ice to win the men's title.

At 17 and 20, Carol Heiss and Dave Jenkins are likely to keep their titles for years to come. Jenkins, a junior at Colorado College, is getting over the handicap of being the brother of Superstar Hayes Alan Jenkins. As for Carol, a high-school junior from Ozone Park, N.Y., Coach Pierre Brunet makes a flat prediction: "She is still ascending. She should be at her best for the 1960 Olympics."

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