The last tour of a genuine Star on Ice

Copyright 2001 The Seattle Times Company

Figure skating is an odd, contradictory sport. On one hand, you have athleticism that defies belief. On the other, you have sequins. There's all manner of scandal, from hired knee-whackers to drunken divas driving into trees. And then there's Scott Hamilton.

If skating needs a good guy to vanquish the tarnished image of the sport, one couldn't ask for a better candidate. Here's a guy who not only beat a mysterious childhood ailment that stopped his growth for 5 years; he also bounced back from testicular cancer in 1997. In between he managed to capture 17 amateur titles, including an Olympic gold medal and four world championships, and win 11 professional competitions.

The man practically reinvented professional skating when he founded the Stars on Ice tour in 1986. But even heroes want to retire, and when Stars on Ice comes to Seattle Jan. 7, it could be the last time fans can catch this one in action.

"I am committed to this being my last tour," the maniacally energetic performer says, laughing long and hard at the idea of coming back again. He promises it won't be like seeing the Who's "final tour" for the fourth time.

Hamilton has seen a lot more than his hairline change since he began competing 20 years ago. The technical difficulty required of today's amateur athletes has him wondering whether some of the artistry of the sport is getting lost.

"There's only so much you can do (in a long program) when you have to do seven triples and a quad or two," he says. Huge jumps alone won't land skaters a professional career. You have to be well-rounded, he says.

"The business of the sport has changed a great deal," Hamilton says. "The biggest issue with skating is that it competes with itself. It almost cannibalizes itself." In addition to the touring shows, television is saturated with a confusing array of skating competitions. This saturation puts a squeeze on the tour, Hamilton says. "Opportunity right now has really slowed down . . . production values sink."

Though Hamilton, now 42, wants to leave the sport before his own performance deteriorates, he won't be sinking into a Barcolounger anytime soon. His plans include producing and directing skating-related theatricals, while continuing his fund-raising and cancer-education work.

Though this year's Stars on Ice tour puts him centerstage, he humbly credits the rest of the cast for making it his favorite. "I can't remember a show I like more than this one," he says.

Indeed, the company he keeps is not too shabby: Kristi Yamaguchi, Ilia Kulik, Kurt Browning, Yuka Sato, Steven Cousins, Denis Petrov, Renee Roca and Gorsha Sur, Jenni Meno and Todd Sand, and oh yeah, Tara somebody or other.