Ice Breaker

After his bout with cancer, Scott Hamilton's tour with 'Stars on Ice' will be his last as he plans a new life of freedom and balance away from the spotlight

The last time Scott Hamilton left the "Stars on Ice" tour, he had cancer. Now he's leaving the professional skating show for another reason: To savor life on his own terms.

"I've always put my career first, I just think it's time for me to put a little balance in my life," Hamilton, 42, said in a recent phone interview.

Hamilton will make his farewell appearance in Buffalo on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. in the HSBC Arena. Departing the tour he founded may sound bittersweet, but Hamilton still thrives on the joy of skating - and living.

"After 15 years of "Stars on Ice,' it just seemed like this was the right year to leave. It's time to let the other skaters have the show and provide the leadership and see where they can take it," he explained.

"I'm skating well, I'm having a great year and I'm solving a lot of the physical problems that have crept up over the past two years. I want to do other things in this sport. If I wait any longer, I might not be able to do those things on my wish list."

Hamilton, who won a gold medal at the 1984 Olympics, will continue to skate, do television commentary and charity work for cancer patients. He's also working on a skating theater project for Broadway.

"I'm putting all my energies and focus into the here and now," Hamilton said. "I don't look at my time as being short; I want to savor each city and each show.

"There were two ways for me to approach this year: I could ride the wave and rest on everything I've ever done. Or, I could put together the hardest show I've ever done and push myself every single night. That's what I'm doing."

That attitude is quintessential Hamilton.

"Scott revolutionized this sport; without him I don't think this tour would even exist," said Steven Cousins, 29, an eight-time British national skating champion in his third year with "Stars On Ice."

Cousins notices the difference between Hamilton and the current crop of young skaters who dominate the sport. Younger performers on the tour include Tara Lipinski and Ilia Kulik, in addition to Kristi Yamaguchi, Yuka Sato and Cousins.

"Scott's old school; the new generation of skaters doesn't always understand what he and other people went through to build this sport," Cousins said over the phone. "Scott's like a mentor for younger skaters."

Hamilton sometimes cringes at that description.

"I don't mind being called a mentor as long as it doesn't mean buttinsky," Hamilton said. "There's a difference and a line there that can't be crossed. Sometimes, people don't want to be mentored, and it's not up to me to adjust anyone's philosophy and mentality about their career.

"For me, a mentor is someone who helps another person through a difficult time. I'm not a guide but just someone trying to help a person through a period of adjustment. This year, more than any other, I've tried to lead by example."

The skaters understand what Hamilton means to the tour each time he takes to the ice.

"This whole farewell thing has been an emotional roller coaster for all of us," Cousins said. "Each night we all get choked up. No one can imagine what it's going to be like without Scott.

"He has been such a dominating figure in this sport. Scott has crossed over from skating culture to people culture. Everybody knows about him. He's like Muhammad Ali; all people care about him."

The added pressure of this year has changed Hamilton, Cousins believes.

"I think Scott is a little bit quieter," Cousins said. "He's saving his energy and is totally focused on skating. It's like he's determined to make it the best show ever."

Hamilton still goes all out on the ice. He opens the current tour with a typically funny number and then returns at the end for what Hamilton calls, "my 11th hour finale." He has always possessed a sparkling personality on the ice, and is known for wearing outrageous outfits and doing back flips.

"I'm never going to be a classical skater," Hamilton said. "I like doing things that are fun and user friendly because that's what the audience wants. And you have to honor your audience."

The battle with testicular cancer didn't change Hamilton's approach to skating but it gave him a deeper appreciation for it.

"Sometimes I get out on the ice and I just can't believe I'm still able to do this after everything I've been through," he said. "When I was going through cancer treatment, I didn't know if I would be able ever to do it again.

"There are times you take things for granted. I was kind of at that point with the tour when I had cancer. Then, all of a sudden, the show was taken away from me by my lack of physical health. I couldn't wait to get back.

"In that sense, the illness was a blessing. It made me realize that I could come back and have control of my life once again. It also made me aware that none of these years on the ice are guaranteed and you appreciate it more."

Hamilton has said that the worst time for the tour was after the death of Sergei Grinkov, a two-time Olympic pairs champion with his wife, Ekaterina Gordeeva.

She continued on the tour and Hamilton comforted Gordeeva in her time of need. "Scott was there for me and I will never forget it," she has been quoted as saying.

Now Hamilton is taking it one day at a time during his final tour with Stars On Ice.