Bowman's Final "Show" Set for September

Sometimes you cringe when you see a name in the headlines.

Christopher Bowman passed away in January 2008, 3 months before I started this blog. So I never got the opportunity to acknowledge the sadness of his death… and unfortunately, when Bowman’s name crops up nowadays, there’s not a lot of positivity behind it most of the time.

Case in point: this recent article, which draws attention to a pending court case in which Bowman’s troubled life will likely take the spotlight. It seems that Bowman’s family is suing a woman named April Freeman out of deep concern that, in essence, she’s messing where she has no business doing so:

--The suit seeks more than $25,000 in damages from Freeman for allegedly misappropriating Bowman's personal property. It cites unauthorized use of the skater's name, likeness, photograph and signature, as well as trademark infringement, alleging Freeman has registered businesses that are identical or similar to those of Bowman's ex-wife.The suit also seeks to bar Freeman from disturbing or even visiting Bowman's grave.According to the lawsuit, Bowman's family buried him in an unmarked grave in a cemetery they will not reveal in an attempt to keep Freeman from stealing his body.

--Freeman claims she just wants to be left alone… family and friends aren’t discussing the lawsuit publicly… so aside from articles like this, which mentions (among other things) that Bowman was working on an autobiography called Gone in Circles at the time of his death… it looks like all interested parties will have to wait until September 14 to hear both sides of the story. Sounds like a fun summer for all involved, eh?

I’ve got Bowman’s FS from 1989 Nationals as the Clip of the Day. Imperfect for sure, but as the first man to take the U.S. title after Boitano, this victory put him on the map. May he continue to be remembered for his seat-of-his-pants style of skating rather than the demons that ultimately brought him down.