Frick and Frack

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Frick and Frack were two Swiss skaters who came to the U.S. and joined the original Ice Follies show as comedy ice skaters. They skated in Alpine Lederhosen and performed eccentric tricks on ice. One of the more famous tricks was known as the "cantilever spread-eagle" created by Werner Groebli (also known as "Frick").

"Frick" and Hansruedi (Hans) Mauch as "Frack" were one of the most popular comedy ice teams of their time. They found fame while performing in ice shows and films including the Monogram Pictures production "Lady, Let's Dance" (1944).

Frick and Frack skated in the Ice Follies for several years until Hans Mauch contracted Osteomyelitis. Hans (Frack) has since died.

Michael Mauch, the son of Hans, once described the origin of their names: “Frick took his name from a small village in Switzerland; Frack is a Swiss-German word for a frock coat, which my father used to wear in the early days of their skating act. They put the words together as a typical Swiss joke.”

Their partnership reached its peak in the later years of the Ice Follies, a revue promoted by Eddie Shipstad and his brother Roy, which began in 1936 and ran for almost 50 years. Their association lasted so long, and they were at one time so well known, that their names became a household term in many languages.

Performing well into his late years, Werner Groebli continued on as "Mr. Frick" and continued the ice duo's legend. Werner lived in the Palm Springs, California area for over 10 years until the death of his wife and was featured on a PBS TV special in 1999.

Together Frick and Frack made famous the "cantilever spread-eagle" ice trick which was copied by many skaters to follow.

Interestingly, "Frick and Frack" has become an English slang term used to refer to two people so closely associated as to be indistinguishable [link]. The term has become sufficiently generic that people unrelated to the original pair have begun taking it on for themselves [link] [link].

External links

http://www.worldskatingmuseum.org/Home_Page.htm
http://www.famousinterview.ca/interviews/mr_frick.htm
http://www.miracerros.com/artwork/g_cantilever.htm
http://www.icepav.com/glossary_of_skating_terms.htm
['Frick' performing a cantilever spread-eagle]

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