The skating sweethearts love their job

If it's Monday, it must be Wilkes-Barre, Penn.

Jamie Sale and David Pelletier - arguably Canada's most famous pairs skaters - have been criss-crossing the United States with the Stars on Ice figure skating show, nonstop, since November. The Canadian leg of the tour began in Halifax April 16, and Stars on Ice will be at the Bell Centre on Wednesday.

The grueling tour - 73 shows in five months - is the first long-term professional gig for the couple since they turned pro after winning a gold medal at the 2002 Olympics. The Stars on Ice cast often travels by bus to the next city right after the show. Next morning, they head to the arena to practise, play table tennis, stretch, visit the physiotherapist - and wait.

"The waiting can get boring," Pelletier said during a telephone interview from Pennsylvania.

But not the performing.

Sale and Pelletier are one year into a three-year contract with Stars on Ice, which means two more years of living out of a suitcase. It also means steady work and a whole new kind of steady, job-related stress.

"In competition, when you have a bad skate you feel disappointed because you've disappointed yourself and the judges," Pelletier said. "In the pros, I feel terrible if I have a bad skate because people are paying money and taking time out of their busy day to come and see us perform. I skate like every person in the audience is a judge."

Despite the pro world's hectic demands, Sale was downright giddy about leaving the amateur world behind. "I couldn't wait to turn pro and become an entertainer." she said. "I work on being entertaining so that the people will come back again next year."

Sale and Pelletier became household names during the 2002 Olympics after their flawless performance placed second to a flawed one by Russian skaters Elena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharulidze. Allegations of corrupt judging surfaced and the Canadians were eventually awarded the gold medal. At the time, popular opinion was that the scandal would force the figure-skating world to ensure fair judging. The jury, so to speak, is still out on whether this has happened. "You still go to the Worlds (the World Figure Skating Competition) and know where everybody will place in advance," Sale said. "That's no fun for the public."

Because of the rigours of the Stars on Ice tours, Sale and Pelletier squeeze television specials, pro/am competitions and learning new routines into the summer months. No vacation.

"We miss our family and friends and our bed," Sale said. "But we're taking advantage of the moment and making some decent money. We can have our regular life later. It's worth it."

Sale turns 26 on Monday. The couple will be in Quebec City at the time, which is cool with them because Pelletier's brothers and Sale's best friend all live there. No concrete birthday plans as yet, but "as long as I'm with David, I'm happy," Sale said.

During the Stars on Ice program, Sale and Pelletier skate with Olympic rivals Berezhnaya and Sikharulidze. Everybody gets along. The amateur maelstrom is behind them now.

Also skating with Stars on Ice are Kurt Browning, Alexei Yagudin, Isabelle Brasseur and Lloyd Eisler, Todd Eldredge, Steven Cousins and Jennifer Robinson.

One last question before the couple head out to the arena. What about the rumours of a future collaboration with Cirque du Soleil? "It might happen," Sale said. "But not until we are finished (our present) contract."