Stars skate into town

Copyright 2001, The Bakersfield Californian

The sport of figure skating may be little more than a rumor to most Bakersfield residents, but don't tell that to Olympic champion Scott Hamilton.

He's right at home on Bakersfield ice.

In a return visit to Centennial Garden 97 and likely his last as a touring performer 97 Hamilton, 42, will co-headline the Target Stars on Ice tour for one performance Wednesday night. During the 65-city tour, Hamilton is sharing the spotlight with 1998 Olympic gold medalist Tara Lipinski, 1992 gold medalist Kristi Yamaguchi, 1998 gold medalist Ilia Kulik and four-time world champion Kurt Browning.

Hamilton, known for the exuberant skating style that garnered a gold medal at the 1984 Olympic games in Sarajevo, said he thrives in smaller arenas like Centennial Garden.

"It was great last year," Hamilton said. "I love the new arenas, they're more intimate. And there's not a bad seat in the house."

This season marks Hamilton's 15th with the Stars on Ice tour and his last as a performer. Not that he's ready to hang up his skates just yet.

"I'm not retiring, but at this point in my life, a four-month tour is a big commitment," Hamilton said. "There are a few more things I'd like to accomplish before I retire completely.

"It's time for the next generation of skaters to take the show to the next level."

Hamilton founded the Stars on Ice tour in 1986, two years after his gold medal performance in Sarajevo. He has acted as both producer and performer since, helping to build a skating show he calls "the best of the best of the best."

New to the production this season is 1994 world champion figure skater Yuka Sato. Other performers include Olympic silver medalist Denis Petrov, three-time U.S. National Pairs Champions Jenni Meno and Todd Sand, U.S. National Dance Champions RenE9e Roca and Gorsha Sur and eight-time British champion Steven Cousins.

Two-time Olympic champion Ekaterina Gordeeva, who has co-headlined the production with Hamilton since 1991, is on a leave of absence, but is expected to return to the show during it's 2001/2002 season.

No one has been tapped to replace Hamilton, who said he may remain with the tour as producer. Even without his performing commitments, Hamilton's dance card remains full. He's found success as a television producer, overseeing the 1997 CBS holiday special "Snowden On Ice," and its Emmy-winning sequel, "The Snowden, Raggedy Ann And Andy Holiday Special." In 1998, he produced Tara Lipinski's CBS special, "Tara Lipinski ... From This Moment On."

After 14 years as a sports analyst with CBS, his voice, and passion for the sport of figure skating is familiar to fans of the Olympic sport. He is already slated to announce figure skating for NBC's coverage of the 2002 Winter Games in Salt Lake City.

Hamilton, who made a triumphant return to the ice shortly after a well-publicized bout with testicular cancer in 1997, said he is now an ardent believer in self-examination as an aid in early detection of cancer. Last year, he founded CARES 97 the Cancer Alliance for Research, Education and Survivorship 97 a program designed to raise money for cancer research and provide information to cancer patients.

"We're planning to start a patient information well," Hamilton said. "The information will explain certain types of cancer in lay terms so the layperson can understand them."

The philanthropic minded Hamilton said he and his fellow skaters are proud that a portion of ticket sales from Stars on Ice will go to support Target House, a facility that provides housing for patients and families at St. Jude Children's Hospital in Memphis, Tenn. Last season, the company donated $230,000 to Target House.

Hamilton said he has made a complete recovery from cancer, but noted that the physical demands of his sport seem to get harder each year.

"The work gets a little tougher, not because of the cancer, but because of age," he said. "Over the years the collective injuries start to catch up and it's time to shift gears a bit."

Shifting gears has never been difficult for Hamilton, who said he's hard pressed to say which of the titles he's earned 97 Olympic gold medalist, popular entertainer, sports commentator, cancer survivor 97 hold the greatest personal significance for him.

"Being an Olympic athlete was a great source of pride I could share with the country," he said. "Being a part of Stars on Ice, sharing the ice with the best skaters in the world and knowing I've had a part in helping other skaters, has been great. It's all a part of who I am."

Perpetually upbeat, Hamilton said remaining optimistic in the face of illness and hardship is a matter of choice. He said he looks back on his bout with cancer as an odd blessing.

"It's not at all difficult to stay positive," Hamilton said. "There are always going to be problems or health issues you have to deal with. It's not the cards you're dealt, but how you play them that matters."