Scott Hamilton Moving On

Copyright 2000 Associated Press

Scott Hamilton doesn't look at it as retirement. He's merely shifting gears.

Skating's master showman knows the show must go on. As he prepares for life without his very own creation, the Stars on Ice tour, Hamilton is comfortable in the knowledge there are other stars available to take his place.

''It will be cool, great to see the show without me,'' Hamilton said Thursday as he contemplated a future away from the tour he began 15 years ago with appearances in a handful of small towns. He built it into a six-month international series, but will leave the show in April.

''I can step aside and allow these really ambitious, young, talented people the opportunity to shine in their own spotlight without making room for me,'' he said. ''This has been a phenomenal success, but to grow, it has to do so without me. The show will not be diminished with my absence. It will take on a new identity.''

Hamilton's identity was established at the 1980 Olympics, when the young skater who overcame a paralyzed intestine as a child carried the U.S. flag into the opening ceremony.

A year later, he was the national and world champion. Hamilton won each of those titles four times, and took gold at the 1984 Olympics.

He then turned professional and, despite some early setbacks, built one of the strongest followings of any skater. He wasn't merely an athlete, but an entertainer, a comic on ice, and even a friend to those in the stands. Hamilton touched audiences in ways few figure skaters ever have.

''I feel like I was honored to be able to tour with him,'' said 1998 Olympic champion Tara Lipinski. ''I think every skater who has ever been in contact with Scott has learned from him.''

Hamilton, 42, certainly hopes that is true.

''I try not to get involved with what impact I've had,'' he said, ''but how I have been touched. All the great skaters I've had the privilege to skate with and know ... I don't worry about what my significance has been, but I am proud of what I have accomplished so far.''

Hamilton envisions putting together a theatrical production, although he isn't close to settling on a format. He also wants to remain involved in television work he's been CBS' main skating announcer for 14 years.

''The only thing that grows in an inactive career is the ego,'' he said.

Hamilton also won't shy away from taking on the skating establishment when he believes it needs some tweaking. He doesn't like the current setup of international events in which the World Championships have, he says, lost luster.

''The World Championships are THE event, or should be,'' he said. ''The Olympics can be THE event every four years. You've got to protect those events that are special with all you've got and it's not being done. If you water it down with all these others, the World Championships will hold on, but they won't be elevated to what they should be.

''These events like the Grand Prix series and even the Olympics should be held before the World Championships, which should be the be-all and end-all.''

While he's far removed from the competitive aspect of figure skating he stopped competing a bit before his 1997 battle with testicular cancer Hamilton remains a powerful force in the show-business aspect of skating, helping attract the likes of Lipinski and fellow 1998 Olympic champion Ilia Kulik to his tour. He simply won't be so visible any longer.

And it's time.

''It's as if I was teaching a child to ride a bike without training wheels,'' he said. ''I've been doing that for 15 years, holding on even though the kid is ready to ride by himself. And now, he's saying, 'Let go. I'm almost old enough to drive.' ''

When Scott Hamilton skates to ''My Way'' on April 7, it will mark the end of one of figure skating's greatest careers.

Of course, the sport's ultimate showman couldn't leave on a serious note. So his routine to Paul Anka's theme song will include a little irreverence and some of the comic touches that make Hamilton so popular.

''What I like most about the song is someone can use it to express a sense of history,'' Hamilton said Thursday. ''But it also can be done tongue in cheek, with almost a melodramatic image of myself. I want to show the versatility, something I've prided myself on having through my career, and some of the gimmicks and programs I've done.

''And it comes down to closing the door on that part of my life a been there, done that thing. I want to put all of those programs to bed and create new things.''

Next spring, Hamilton will leave Stars on Ice, the tour he founded 15 years ago and built from a regional curiosity to an international success. He'll leave it his way, of course.

On Friday night, the opening performance of the 65-city tour will be televised by CBS. Titled ''Scott Hamilton's Farewell to Stars on Ice,'' the show's star prefers it be considered a celebration of his career, of the tour's strength and of his colleague's talents.

''Stars on Ice came at a time when people were becoming more sophisticated to what skating is all about,'' said the 1984 Olympic gold medalist. ''We were able to create something that is lasting and has been built over time.

''It will be cool, great to see the show without me. I can step aside and allow these really ambitious, young, talented people the opportunity to shine in their own spotlight without making room for me. This has been a phenomenal success, but to grow, it has to do so without me. The show will not be diminished with my absence. It will take on a new identity.''

And what of Hamilton's new identity. Will he do more producing and announcing he has worked figure skating and other events for CBS for 14 years? Might he get more involved in the administration of his sport after years as an outspoken, often enlightened observer?

''I would like to do something unique,'' said Hamilton, 42, who has led a rather unique existence already.

Hamilton's identity was established at the 1980 Olympics, when the young skater who overcame a paralyzed intestine as a child carried the U.S. flag into the opening ceremony.

A year later, he was the national and world champion. Hamilton won each of those titles four times, and took gold at the 1984 Olympics.

He then turned professional and, despite some early setbacks, built one of the strongest followings of any skater. He wasn't merely an athlete, but an entertainer, a comic on ice, and even a friend to those in the stands.

When Hamilton underwent treatment for testicular cancer in 1997, the outpouring of support from people inside and outside the industry was amazing.

Hamilton touched audiences and his peers in ways few figure skaters have.

''Scott taught me to believe in myself,'' said Rosalynn Sumners, who skated 13 years with Stars on Ice. ''I had lost that belief, lost the love and desire for skating. But he always believed in me, which gave me confidence. He taught all of us that no matter what you're going through, don't lose that love of skating itself.''