It's a 'Journey to Beijing' via West Ashley

Sure, the billionaire U.S. basketball players and underage Chinese gymnasts are impressive. But a pair of Charleston residents deserve gold medals for their role in putting together one of the best, most creative Olympic books in this or the other hemisphere.

ITF/MIKE BAZ

The photo of Serena Williams in a figure skating pose from "Journeyto Beijing - Tennis Celebrates the Olympics."

"Journey to Beijing — Tennis Celebrates the Olympics" is a fun idea hatched by the International Tennis Federation. The 144-page coffee table book features top photographers and carefully produced photos of 44 men's and women's tennis stars dressed to participate in Olympic sports other than tennis.

Maria Sharapova celebrates rhythmic gymnastics.

Roger Federer is a fencer.

Rafael Nadal plays soccer.

Ana Ivanovic tries beach volleyball.

Text and interviews are included but the photo shoots are the sizzle. Much of the credit goes to Charleston resident Danny Kendall, a recent College of Charleston graduate who works part time for the Women's Tennis Association. He helped match players with photographers and outfits and did so from Australia to California to Miami.

Nothing came together any better than Serena Williams and her new second-favorite sport.

Serena on ice

"When we originally approached Serena, she was interested in gymnastics," Kendall said. "But we already had a couple people doing that. So she said, 'Maybe I can do figure skating.' "

Carrie Jones

Getting the 2008 Family Circle Cup champion in a skating dress within a hectic schedule was harder than nailing a triple Axel on green clay.

Kendall was told on a Thursday morning the Serena shoot had to be completed by Friday.

Frantically, he searched for a suitable outfit and found himself at figureskatingdress.com. Coincidentally, the site is run out of the West Ashley home of Carrie Jones.

"I have received some rush orders before but this was a little different," said Jones, who moved her business here from Maryland five years ago. "My first thought was, 'She's under contract with Nike, can't they get her something?' "

No, it turns out the eight-time Grand Slam singles champion and 2000 Olympic doubles gold medalist (with sister Venus) has plenty of tennis gear in her closet but no skating stuff.

"I always hoped I would get to work with an Olympic champion," Jones said. "I just thought it would be a figure skater."

'A lot of trust'

As Jones and her assistant Linda Wilson got busy, Kendall lined up an ice rink near Williams' home in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.

"Normally, we would go back and forth with the client and I would do some sketching," Jones said. "In this case, I told them it would have to be me just doing my thing. It was a lot of trust."

The dress was conceived and in an express mail package within eight hours the same day.

"I was at the post office hoping the rhinestones wouldn't come off," Jones said.

Serena loved the dress, Kendall said, and skated in it for nearly an hour after the photo session.

By the way, business is so good at skatingdress.com, Jones soon will launch rentaballroomdress.com.

Surely, someone famous will come forth with an impossible rush order. And Jones will come through.

Reach Gene Sapakoff at gsapakoff@postandcourier.com.