Todd Eldredge says professional skating is a labor of love

Todd Eldredge has been on the job for only a few weeks, but he's already learned one vital lesson about life as a professional figure skater:

"Naps are important."

Eldredge turned pro after the Olympic games at Salt Lake City last year. He signed on with the nationally touring Smuckers Stars on Ice, which stops Wednesday at Target Center in Minneapolis.

It's not that Eldredge is unaccustomed to travel. He's racked up his share of frequent flier miles since he started skating at age 5. It's just that he's older now, 31, and practically every time he laces up his skates it's in a different city.

"It's fun being a part of Stars on Ice, but the travel between cities is probably the biggest challenge," Eldredge said of the tour, during which he'll visit 61 U.S. cities before the last stop, April 12 in Portland, Maine. "You perform, then get on a bus and drive six hours. Some nights are harder than others but, for each audience, you give it your best each night."

As an amateur, Eldredge gave his best, using his patented fast spins and triple axles to win legions of fans and several high-level competitions. He won the U.S. National Championship six times and the World Championship in 1996. But, in three tries, he didn't win an Olympic medal, something that still gnaws at him.

"It's sort of a thorn in my side, but some win a medal and some don't," said Eldredge, who lives in Detroit. "I had a great career and got to go places many kids never get to go. Having not fulfilled my dreams of an Olympic medal made it more difficult to turn pro, but I am where I am. It's time to get on with things and enjoy life."

And that he is. Aside from the rigorous travel schedule and reduced practice time, Eldredge is all smiles about his Stars on Ice gig. Who could blame him, what with skating with the likes of two-time Olympic champion Katarina Witt and developing friendships with people he used to compete against? And best of all, he noted, there are no judges.

"Here, there is no pressure," Eldredge said. "We don't have to worry about what the judges are going to do to us tonight. We just skate for the audience."

Eldredge enjoys the camaraderie that's developed among the cast of world and Olympic champions, particularly the friendship between Canadians Jamie Sali and David Pelletier, and Russians Elena Berezhanaya and Anton Sikharulidze. The two pairs were embroiled in a judges scoring scandal at last year's Olympics that ultimately led to them sharing the gold medal. In Stars on Ice, they skate together.

"It's cool to see them together," said Eldredge, who will do two solo numbers -- one to a Buddy Rich song and another by Andrea Bocelli -- and two group numbers with such stars as Alexi Yagudin, Kurt Browning and U.S. pairs champions and world bronze medalists Kyoko Ina and John Zimmerman.