Just Right!
| Source: |
Charleston Post and Courier |
| Date: |
April 25, 1998 |
| Author: |
Brenda Rindge |
The night went off just as it was planned: 15-year-old Tara
Lipinski became a professional by skating two perfect routines,
landing all jumps, doing everything just right.
Olympic gold medalist Lipinski took to the ice Friday at the North
Charleston Coliseum in her first nonsanctioned event, the
made-for-TV Skate, Rattle & Roll Figure Skating Championships.
The event was more a scripted program than a competition, with an
enthusiastic crowd of 7,500 cheering over and over as hosts Eric
Nies of MTV and former Olympic athletes Summer Sanders and
Rosalyn Sumners often retaped portions of the show.
The crowd favorite, Lipinski led throughout the competition and
sealed her win by skating a flawless second routine, to the song
``Oh Tara'' by the Knack, and earning straight 10s from the five
celebrity judges.
Introduced by Nies as ``Charleston's newest hometown girl,''
Lipinski, whose family recently bought property on Kiawah Island,
received a rousing welcome and later said the event was the
``perfect way to come out.''
The program will air on ABC, locally WCIV, at 9 p.m. May 7.
Lipinski edged competition three-time World silver medalist Surya
Bonaly, who performed her trademark back flip during both
routines, and Olympic gold medalists Katarina Witt and Oksana
Baiul. Bonaly was also making her professional debut.
Now that the deed is done, what next? A promoter for the
Campbell's Soups Champions on Ice tour said Friday that Lipinski
has a contract to skate with the tour this season and that she is
scheduled to perform in Syracuse, N.Y., tonight.
She will also be with that tour when it makes a stop at the
Carolina Coliseum in Columbia at 7:30 p.m. May 20. Tickets for
that event are $45 and are available by calling (803) 251-2222.
In the men's competition Friday, crowd-pleaser Kurt Browning, with
two jump-laden routines, lead after the first round and also
received straight 10s in his second routine. Browning, who was
in town just three weeks ago with the Stars on Ice tour, was the
only skater who played to the crowd, hugging fans and even taking
one child onto the ice briefly.
Other male competitors included Olympic medalist Viktor Petrenko,
U.S. bronze medalist Scott Williams and European Champion
Viacheslav Zagorodniuk, who was also making his professional
debut.
Competitors skated to rock 'n' roll songs by the likes of Smash
Mouth, Chumbawamba, Spice Girls and Will Smith before a panel of
judges who are all Olympic medalists, but none of whom are
skaters. Judges included Greg Louganis, Sheryl Swoopes, Jonny
Moseley, Cammi Granato and KC Boutiette.
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