April 13, 2026 – Kewaskum, Wi – It was a full-circle moment for Dave Webster of Kewaskum who stood among a crowd welcoming local Olympic champion Jordan Stolz. Webster holding a pair of worn, black speed skates that have seen nearly half a century. By the end of the day, they held something new: Stolz’s autograph, layered atop a lifetime of memories.
“I used to speed skate when I was 10 years old up until 16,” said Webster. “Skated at the State Fair Park. It was an outdoor track at the time.”
Back then, Webster wasn’t just skating laps. He was racing against a future legend.
“Eric Heiden was my competitor. He was a year younger and I could beat him when I was young,” Webster said. “But of course that fell apart and he moved on to get five gold medals for United States.”
Time has a way of reshuffling the podium. But Webster carries no regrets, only admiration, both for the past and the present.
When asked about Stolz’s rise, his reaction came quickly and sincerely.
“Oh, it’s unbelievable. Yeah, he did so good for the state and such a little county he came from. Wow, it’s terrific.”
Webster understands what many spectators don’t see, the invisible miles behind every medal. The early mornings. The biting cold. The repetition that turns legs to fire.
“Oh my God, it’s unbelievable,” he said of the training. “Constant around the track in the cold years ago, but now it’s different. The skates are different. You know the weightlifting… I don’t know if they do bicycling anymore to train for it, but that guy, he is a solid man. Yeah, I’m happy for him and what he’s done.”
In his hands, Webster held a relic from another era of speed skating.
“This is called a Ballangrud,” he said. “This is probably 50 years old now. And the straps are made of leather. You’d make your own straps and then you put these in a jig and you sharpen them by hand. I had fun skating on these. They’re great.”
Unlike today’s precision-engineered blades, Webster’s skates were as much handmade as they were worn in, each adjustment a small ritual of the sport.
His introduction to skating was just as homespun.
“I was in Fox Point. We had a rink across the street from our home,” he said. “And my father would stand out there and make me go around and around. And I’m like, ‘Dad, my feet are frozen. One more lap. One more lap.’ Yeah, it was terrific.”
That persistence carried him through his teenage years, until life intervened.
“I was born in ’57, so I was 10. I skated from 10 until 16. Then my father died and I quit.”
And now, with Stolz’s signature etched onto his skates, Webster’s story has found a new chapter, one that ties a childhood competitor of an Olympic legend to the rise of another.
A loop, closed neatly across generations.
From racing a young Eric Heiden… to celebrating Jordan Stolz.
Below is a rebroadcast of the parade for Olympic champion Jordan Stolz.
April 11, 2026 – Kewaskum, Wi – Flags waived, neighbors cheered and applauded and called his name as Olympic medalist Jordan Stolz walked a parade in his honor Friday in the Village of Kewaskum.
“Everyone is just excited to congratulate him and show our support,” said Jessica Trunkel.
Stolz signed lots of autographs on sports cards, hands, and even a forehead. “That was the most unique request,” he said.
When the recipient was asked what his mom would say he said, “My mom will be proud.”
An adult nearby, who maybe had beer on his breath, said, “Now go to one of the 500 tattoo shops in town and make it permanent.”
Ahhhhh gotta love a small town.
April 10, 2026 – Town of Wayne, Wi – Olympic speedskating sensation Jordan Stolz is back home in Wisconsin, and if the crowds gathering around him are any indication, life has changed a bit for the young man from the Town of Wayne, WI.
Fresh off an Olympic run that brought home two gold medals, a silver, and elevated him into international stardom, Stolz served as the featured attraction in parade, celebrating one of the area’s fastest-ever athletes.
Before the parade, Stolz added another memory to his whirlwind post-Olympic schedule by throwing out the ceremonial first pitch at the Milwaukee Brewers’ Opening Day.
“I had a decent amount of notice,” Stolz said. “But I decided to practice only the night before. Last time I threw a ball was like three years ago, so I just had a little practice.”
The first pitch assignment was another surreal moment in what has become a blur of public appearances since his Olympic triumph, though Stolz’s schedule was complicated by the fact he still had major world championship races to complete after the Games.
Foto; Jenning de Boo Wereld Kampioen
Vlnr Jordan Stolz, Jenning de Boo en Zhongyan Ning.
“World Sprints and the World Allrounds were super important for speed skating history,” Stolz said. “I was going to try and win the sprints. I could be the only guy besides Shani Davis and Eric Heiden who have a world sprint title and a world all-around title. I wasn’t able to do it, but I still tried in the all-arounds.”
Though the grueling stretch did not end exactly as he hoped, Stolz noted one remarkable distinction.
“I’m still the only person who’s ever competed in both on the same weekend,” he said.
That challenge came at a cost physically.
“I kind of felt it for the whole week,” Stolz said of the recovery. “Yeah, it was rough.”
Still, he believes the feat can eventually be done successfully.
“I still think it’s possible to do both,” Stolz said. “Some of the Dutch coaches think that, too. The fans think it seems outrageous to do it, and it is, but I still think there is a possibility it can be done.”
Now back in Wisconsin, Stolz is enjoying a rare chance to slow down, at least briefly.
“I’m enjoying the break. I wouldn’t say I miss it,” he said of time away from the ice. “I like going out there and skating just a little bit for fun.”
Even then, the competitive switch never fully shuts off.
“I’m actually going to do a little time trial on the weekend,” he added. “Just for fun, just to see what I can do after sitting around and doing nothing.”
His return home has also brought a new experience locally: celebrity.
“It’s super nice being able to walk around and have people recognize me,” Stolz said. “Before, I’d be able to walk around and not many people were asking for photos. But I feel like there’s a lot of recognition now with the two gold medals, which is great for the sport.”
The recognition, he says, is not just meaningful personally, but important for speedskating’s visibility in Wisconsin and beyond.
“All the things that have come out about me in the media and everything, it’s been nice to have that,” Stolz said. “Not just for me, but for speed skating in general and in Milwaukee, too.”
Among the most memorable moments of his homecoming has been sharing his medals with fans, especially younger athletes.
“I just try to put myself in their shoes,” Stolz said. “To see the gold medal and kind of how I was the first time I saw it. It was really nice. Felt pretty heavy.”
Watching kids hold the hardware has brought things full circle for the Olympic champion.
“They’re looking up to the skater,” Stolz said. “Kind of like how back in the day I was.”
As for his future, Stolz said he likely has two more Winter Olympics ahead of him.
“If it weren’t for 2034 being in Salt Lake City, I probably wouldn’t do it. But being it’s going to be on home soil, it’s something that I should probably do.”
He also left the door cracked open to a potential crossover into cycling someday.
“If it’s something where I can see pretty good results right away, like track cycling, then maybe I’ll try for the Summer Olympics,” Stolz said. “But I’m not going to change too much in my body that it takes away from skating.”
For now, however, Stolz’s focus remains on enjoying the moment, reconnecting with home, and embracing the fanfare surrounding a career that is already moving at full speed.
On a side note:
-The parade begins at the Public Library on Fond du Lac Avenue at 4 p.m. but local business owners say traffic starts to get heavy around 2:45 p.m. when school lets out, so you may want to plan ahead and get into town early. The parade will make its way to the high school.
