Thrilled by Chills

Copyright 2000 The Oregonian

Scott Hamilton loves ice and entertaining folks with his skating

The ice has been Scott Hamilton's pastime, bread and butter -- perhaps even his salvation.

He is leading his own "Stars on Ice" show on national tour for the 15th -- and last -- time, hitting the Rose Garden on Saturday, Jan. 6.

Earlier he skated for the "Ice Capades." He had become a star in competitive skating, winning national and international titles, including a gold medal in the 1984 Sarajevo Olympics followed a month later by top honors in the World Championships.

His love for the ice came when he was an undersize, very sick 8-year-old whose doctors guessed his life span at about another six months after his illness was misdiagnosed.

He discovered skating and, to everyone's amazement, the youngster not only showed speed, skill and control but also started gaining weight, height and strength. Hamilton began serious training at 13 and was on the 1980 U.S. Olympic team at 21.

And, even though this is his farewell tour with his show, now the "Target Stars on Ice" show, he has no thought of giving up skating.

"I'm just heading in another direction," Hamilton said. "The show has become everything I hoped it would be. It's time for me to move on, let others take the show to its next levels and take on new challenges for myself."

Hamilton admits that after 21 years of touring with ice shows, he is ready for a change of pace. But he stresses that he will not quit skating. He will continue his regimen of skating two hours a day -- an example of what it takes to keep natural talent at its peak.

"I just won't do it on tour," he said. "But eventually I want to try something in a theater setting on Broadway. I haven't thought of myself as a professional skater for many years. I'm an entertainer. I get one thrill from skating because I love the ice. But thrilling an audience is an even bigger kick. When I'm on the ice, I feel them, and it's the greatest feeling in the world."

Sharing the spotlight will be some of the biggest names in skating: Olympic champions Tara Lipinski, Kristi Yamaguchi and Ilia Kulik, as well as four-time World champion Kurt Browning, Yuka Sato, Denis Petrov, Steven Cousins, pairs champions Jenni Meno and Todd Sand, and dance champions Renee Roca and Gorsha Sur.

This show will not be like "Disney on Ice" or "Ice Capades," costume extravaganzas with fanciful creatures, but it is still a family show, Hamilton said.

"One of the most fun nights of my life was when I saw my first ice show when I was 8," Hamilton said. "I want any number I put together to be memorable for children. I do a couple of comedy numbers. And I honestly can't think of a show I've liked more than this, and I've been at this for a very long time.

"There are no better skaters in the world than the stars of this show, and they really look a lot better here than they do when they have to go through all the compulsory moves that they have to do in competition. Here, you get to see world champions having fun."

But there is more than fun to this show. Hamilton returned to it in October 1997 after surviving testicular cancer. Last year, the show donated $250,000 to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn.

"This year we will give a big share of proceeds to Target House at St. Jude," Hamilton said. "The kids in the hospital have serious long-term illnesses, including cancer. Target House gives families a chance to be together on long-term visits. Not in hotels or motels, not sleeping on chairs or couches in the hospital.