How long did it take Caroll Spinney to learn to skate as Big Bird

[DTF]

Is he a good skater normally on roller skates? Does anyone know? I can't balance well at all, and barely did more than stand the time I tried to roller skate - and I could hardly do that on the hardwood skate floor, only on carpet.

Even if he could skate well, though, it would take him a good while to learn to skate in that Big Bird outfit, wouldn't it? We were talking about it at our church roller skating activity for kids, as a number of my fellow workers there recalled Big Bird roller skating - but none of us knew how long it took to learn. We all just agreed it had to be a *really* long time.

 

[D'Snowth]

Oh you know, I've been wondering the same thing myself! That seems so hard to do!

 

[minor muppetz]

I know that before performing on Sesame Street, Caroll Spinney had experience roller skating while performing full-body characters on Bozo's Big Top.

 

[Xerus]

I also remember Big Bird riding a unicycle in the early episodes. That has to be tricky for Carroll trying to keep his balance with that huge costume on.

 

[D'Snowth]

At least Caroll was lucky enough to be able to learn these things. Embarassingly, I never could learn to roller skate, and the last time I tried, I permenantly fractured my tail bone!

 

[Mickey Moose]

I know that before performing on Sesame Street, Caroll Spinney had experience roller skating while performing full-body characters on Bozo's Big Top.

Yeah, I think he mentioned that in his book, where they were going to get someone else to do the rollerskating scenes, but Caroll spoke up and said he could do it himself.

I'm not 100% sure, but I'm almost positive he mentioned that in the book.

 

[Marky]

Ummm, is it provien that it was him doing it (I assume we're talking of the 70's Christmas Special)?

 

[minor muppetz]

Ummm, is it provien that it was him doing it (I assume we're talking of the 70's Christmas Special)?

We're talking about roller skating, not ice skating.

 

[Marky]

We're talking about roller skating, not ice skating.

Oh. My bad.