Norris Bowden

Robert Norris Bowden (August 13, 1926 – April 9, 1991) was a Canadian figure skater.

Born in Toronto, Ontario, Bowden won championships in every division of Canadian figure skating. He was national men's champion as a junior and senior (1947), national pairs (junior and senior), dance (1952), waltz, and 10-step champion with Frances Dafoe, and national fours champion.

Bowden and Dafoe captured four Canadian titles (1952, 1953, 1954, 1955) and two world championships (1954, 1955). They won the silver medal at the 1956 Winter Olympics in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, where Bowden was Canada's flag bearer in the opening ceremonies. Norris and his partner were the first pair skaters to do the twist lift, throw jump, ‘leap of faith’ and overhead lasso.

It was because of these two that some of the rules in pairs skating were changed. According to figure skating historian James R. Hines, the results were "hotly debated" and indirectly led to the inclusion of the short program or technical program in pair skating, since it only included a free skating program at the time.

Outside skating, Bowden graduated with an MBA and worked in the life insurance industry. He was founding president of the Centennial Nursery School for Retarded Children (now the Centennial Infant and Child Centre) in Toronto.

He has been inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame (1955), the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame (1958), and the Skate Canada Hall of Fame (1993). He was inducted into the World Figure Skating Hall of Fame in 1984.

Results (Men's singles) Event 1943 1944 1946 1947 Canadian Championships 2nd J. 2nd J. 2nd 1st

J. = Junior level

(Pairs with Frances Dafoe)

Event 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 Winter Olympic Games 5th 2nd World Championships 4th 2nd 1st 1st 2nd North American Championships 1st 1st Canadian Championships 2nd 1st 1st 1st 1st

(Pairs with Suzanne Morrow ) Event 1945 1946 Canadian Championships 1st J 2nd

(Ice dance with Frances Dafoe)

Event 1950 1951 1952 Canadian Championships 3rd 3rd 1st