Figure Skaters from 'Discover Stars on Ice' perform

Copyright 1998 National Broadcasting Co. Inc.

MATT LAUER, co-host:

For the past 12 years, the best skaters in the world have toured the country as part of "Discover Stars on Ice." And now they are swinging through New York, and they're nice enough to stop by here at the Rockefeller Center rink to pay some--a little visit to us. Kurt Browning...

Mr. SCOTT HAMILTON ("Discover Stars on Ice"): This is...

LAUER: Let me do the introductions first, all right?

Mr. HAMILTON: OK.

LAUER: Kristi Yamaguchi, Ekaterina Gordeeva and the one and only Scott Hamilton. Good morning to you.

Mr. HAMILTON: I got time-out a second ago, didn't I?

LAUER: That's right. You have to go sit in the corner. How you doing?

Mr. HAMILTON: There is no corner here.

LAUER: How you doing?

Mr. HAMILTON: Excellent. How you doing?

LAUER: I'm doing great. You guys are on a tour. You go to Providence tonight, you're back in New York. And you're in Boston, all over the area. How's the schedule treat you?

Mr. HAMILTON: Me?

LAUER: Yeah.

Mr. HAMILTON: You better start down there. The schedule hasn't been as good to me as it's been to everyone else.

LAUER: Is it tough for you, though? Because you're still getting strong again?

Mr. HAMILTON: It's been OK. The Olympic break was tough, but the show's been great. It's the best show we've ever had. Each city gets more and more--you know--people are coming back to see us again and again. So it's been really terrific. And the schedule is fine. It really is.

LAUER: You talked about the Olympics. How did you like broadcasting the Olympics? Did you have a good time?

Ms. EKATERINA GORDEEVA: It was a great experience for me. It was--it was very interesting. Different side of Olympics than I've ever seen. And I watched--I watched every competition. It was great experience.

LAUER: You all happy with what happened in Nagano?

Ms. KRISTI YAMAGUCHI: Very exciting.

LAUER: Yeah?

Ms. YAMAGUCHI: Yes. Especially the women's team doing so well. It was fun to see.

Mr. HAMILTON: I wish they could all win a medal, though.

LAUER: Yeah, yeah.

Ms. YAMAGUCHI: Yeah.

LAUER: Kurt, you going to lead us out there? We're going to do a little performance now, and then we have a surprise, I understand at the end?

Mr. KURT BROWNING: I'm going to show you just how tough my job really is.

LAUER: Why don't you do that for me? Make me feel good, all right? Go ahead. Ladies and gentlemen:

(The skaters are shown performing.)

KATIE COURIC, co-host:

All right. Hi, Scott. How are you? This has been way oversold. Let me tell you. You're going to give me a very quick skating lesson. I may be hampered by the fact that these are my bowling shoes with blades.

Hi, Kristi, how are you? Nice to see you. I want to learn how to spin.

Mr. HAMILTON: You want to learn how to spin?

COURIC: Yeah.

Mr. HAMILTON: Just keep your feet by this.

COURIC: I want to do--hi! I want to do one of those tight spins where you go really fast.

Mr. HAMILTON: OK!

COURIC: Go ahead, tell me. Really.

Mr. HAMILTON: You go first.

COURIC: OK.

Mr. HAMILTON: I'll turn you, OK, like this. Like this, like this. OK, now all you have to do is practice that every day for about 20 years, and then just pull in and roll tight.

COURIC: Oh, come on. Show me how to do it. What do you do? I don't know how--is that how you do it?

Mr. HAMILTON: Excellent. That's excellent. You're a natural.

COURIC: Thank you very much. Is there anything else you'd like to teach me.

Mr. HAMILTON: Yeah, OK, now just--OK--now just go like this. Can you go like this? OK, that's all you have to remember. OK? That' all you have to remember because it goes like this--what I'm trying to teach you, it goes like this. (Hamilton shown doing a backflip). See--they work together! Work together! OK, you're turn. You're turn. Katie, your turn. Your turn! You take one side, I'll take the other.

COURIC: Can I see you guys do it first? I need to see a woman do it.

Mr. HAMILTON: One, two, three...

COURIC: No, you're kidding! OK, good. Actually, we could try that. But I don't think so. Come on, Matt--Mr. Big Guy.

LAUER: I'm sorry.

COURIC: Thanks, you guys. You were terrific. Thanks so much for the lesson. We'll do the backflip as soon we're off the air. Have a good day.