Hall-of-famer Judy Thomas reflects on a career spent on the ice

It’s been just about a year since Judy Thomas, a groundbreaking figure skater, 30-year Disney on Ice casting director and figure skating hall-of-famer, fully retired. Today she’s living her best life in a home on one of the Siesta Key Village canals.

Given her background, it’s easy to make a case she was born for a life on the ice. Growing up in Thunder Bay, Ontario, on the northwestern shore of Lake Superior, Thomas started skating at just 2 or 3 years old. “Being on the ice felt like home,” she says. The family even built a skating rink in the backyard during the winters.

Thomas’ entire family was steeped in ice culture. Her father, Penti Alexander Lund, was a professional hockey player for the Boston Bruins and New York Rangers before transitioning to sports journalism following an eye accident. Credited as the first Finnish-born player to score a goal in the NHL, her dad supported Thomas and her sisters in their skating pursuits. That included her twin, Joanne, who unlike Judy, wasn’t interested in going professional. “Joanne was not a traveler,” she says.

She made her first major leap into professional skating in 1973 when she auditioned for Richard Dwyer (aka ‘Mr. Debonair’) for the “Ice Follies” in Seattle. Then, In 1981, Thomas joined the inaugural cast of Disney On Ice, performing in the first show, Walt Disney’s World on Ice. “Looking back the most incredible thing about the entire experience,” she says, “were all the people who enriched my life along the way.” 

Over the next nearly 20 years she performed on stages worldwide, from Boston Garden, where her dad had once played ice hockey, to the storied Radio City Music Hall. “The view from those stages is incredible,” says Thomas, now 69. One personal highlight, she recalls: performing in Thunder Bay in “Ice Follies.” “It was such a thrill,” she says. “Many skaters never get the chance to perform in their hometowns.”

Thomas recently sat down with Key Life to talk about her career, experiences and her life now. 

Thomas toured almost year round for 19 years. “Touring becomes your family, and it’s an incredibly diverse group from all over the world,” she says. “These tours were long. That’s why it was so important to have the right people all contributing to making it a positive environment.” The extensive international travel, which included Japan, Australia, New Zealand and the Middle East, as well as the U.S. and Canada, opened her eyes to the wider world. “In school, you read about these places, but on tour, you see them and learn to love them.”

Courtesy images

After leaving the road, Thomas transitioned to casting and recruitment, a move that coincided with the rapid expansion of Disney on Ice. In five years, the number of touring shows grew from two to 10, creating a significant need to recruit ice talent. “It wasn’t planned,” Thomas says of her career shift. “Life just happened. Every step led to the next.”

She delighted in casting generations of skaters. As casting director, she sought skaters transitioning from competition, helping them become performers who could connect with audiences. She also took pride in seeing skaters she performed with years earlier bring their children into the shows. “That’s a huge testament to the value of the experience,” she says.

In a nod to her impact on the performance skating industry, Thomas has earned three major honors for her contributions to figure skating. In 2017, she received the Sonja Henie Award from the Professional Skaters Association. In 2023, she was inducted into the ProSkaters Hall of Fame and in May 2024 she was inducted into the U.S. Figure Skating/Professional Skaters Hall of Fame. “I didn’t set out for fame, but I’m grateful to be recognized alongside legends like Dorothy Hamill and Peggy Fleming,” she says.

Photo by Lori Sax

Judy and her husband, Dave, have been living on Siesta Key since the late 1980s. The couple met while performing with the “Ice Follies.” Dave transitioned from performer to stage manager and eventually to company manager for Feld Entertainment, which acquired the show after Disney sold it and a few other entities ran it. In retirement Judy enjoys kayaking, walking along Siesta Beach and exploring local treasures like Selby Gardens and St. Armands Circle. “I’m finally getting to experience Sarasota the way I always wanted to,” she says.

Thomas remains active with the nonprofit ProSkaters.org, which mentors and provides resources for skaters transitioning out of competition. She encourages young skaters to make smart, informed choices. “There are no small roles,” she says. “Everything is important.”

Reflecting on her career, Thomas shares these words of wisdom: “Think of yourself as a masterpiece. Build carefully and wisely. It’s not designer brands or Olympic medals that define you — it’s your experiences, relationships and work ethic.”

As for the future, Thomas is confident in life’s serendipity as she continues in her retirement. “Based on the past 50 years, I can trust that whatever comes next will be extraordinary.”