Ice King

Seventeen years ago, a young athlete from Bowling Green skated onto Olympic ice at the Winter Games in Sarajevo. When the slight figure in the bright blue jumpsuit skated off again, he had a gold medal - and America had a hero.

Scott Hamilton and the Target Stars on Ice cast will perform at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at Wright State University's Ervin J. Nutter Center. Piquing interest in the performance was the announcement that this would be Hamilton's final full year with the tour.

"I've been doing this for a long time,'' said the co-creator and co-producer of the tour, now in its 15th season. "It's been an amazing run, but it's time for me to pull back, time for the show to move on and time for me to go my own direction. You'll still hear from me. I'm not retiring . . ., but I'm ready to take the next step, wherever that takes me.''

Joining Hamilton are Olympic champions Tara Lipinski, Kristi Yamaguchi and Ilia Kulik, as well as four-time world and Canadian winner Kurt Browning and eight-time British champ Steven Cousins. World gold medalist Yuka Sato is making her debut with the cast, and Olympic pairs silver medalist Denis Petrov is performing solo for the first time. Rounding out the cast are national pair champions Jenni Meno and Todd Sand and two-time U.S. national dance champions Renee Roca and Gorsha Sur.

For Browning, the tour (which also travels through his Canadian homeland) offers a welcome opportunity to perform in front of friends and family, as well as fans.

"Skating for your country is an awful and wonderful responsibility,'' Browning said. "Playing at home is scarier - you certainly feel more pressure. I mean, when I'm in Texas, there aren't 15,000 people in the stands waving Canadian flags and calling out my name.

"It can go either way. Sometimes it helps, sometimes it doesn't. Either way, it's great to stand by the boards after warm-ups and have so many friendly people come up and speak to you.''

Others feel the tension no matter where they're performing.

"There's so much excitement just before the show begins,'' Lipinski said, "You try not to let it affect you except to get you ready to skate your best.''

And producing top-level performances night after night isn't easy, especially with the colds, sprains, pulls and injuries that are common in the skating profession.

"You just have to force yourself sometimes, you have to forget the physical part and just give the audience the best performance you have in you that night,'' said British native Cousins, who now calls Ontario home. "For me, it was never about the medals or finishing first - it was about doing my best on that particular night.94

Like most of the cast, Cousins has one steadfast belief: "It doesn't matter how we feel when we start a performance, what matters is how the audience feels when it's over.''

But during Hamilton's farewell tour, post-show feelings range from elated to drained.

"The show is emotional, there's no way to avoid that, but it isn't sad, it's wonderful,'' Hamilton said.

The likable showman is taking advantage of the chance to give back to the people who have cheered and supported him throughout his career.

"On this tour, every night is special to me,'' he said, "because this is my opportunity to say thank you. There is a moment at the beginning of each performance when I first come onto the ice and there's such a warm greeting. I know it isn't just for this night, but for all the nights.''

Since Hamilton's early amateur days, he has been skating's foremost ambassador.

"He's the best,'' said Lipinski, who won her Olympic gold at the 1998 Nagano games. "Everyone loves Scott. He is the reason some of us started skating and why all of us are part of this tour.'' His affection for fellow skaters, dedication to the sport and positive attitude have endured, even through the testicular cancer that threatened his life a few years back.

"I have a lot of reasons to celebrate,'' Hamilton said. "I have a lot of people to celebrate with. That's what this tour is - a 65-city celebration.''

Numbers in the show include music from Marvin Gaye, James Brown, Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin and Diana Ross. In one of the evening's funnier moments, Hamilton skates his way to a slightly rearranged version of Paul Anka's My Way.

And in what is arguably the night's most elegant piece, Yamaguchi performs to Stevie Wonder's If It's Magic in a poignant on-ice tribute to Hamilton.

"That one gets to me,'' Hamilton said. "When Kristi skates for me - it's hard not to feel something. It's such a beautiful skate.''

But there's a moment not to far down the road - one his tour mates aren't looking forward to in the least.

"Scott has been so many things to us,'' said Cousins. "He's done so many things for us, made so many things possible. Imagining the tour without him is simply unfathomable.''

Target Stars on Ice

Where: Wright State University's Ervin J. Nutter Center, 3640 Colonel Glenn Highway, Fairborn.

When: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Cost: $56.50, $43.50 and $33.50, available at the Nutter Center Box Office or Ticketmaster outlets. Top-price tickets almost sold out. Parking is included.

More info: Call 775-4789 or 228-2323, or visit the Web site at www.ticketmaster.com.

Hamilton on Hamilton

Favorite program he ever skated: "Oh wow, there have been so many. My Way in St. Louis, One More Look at You in Anaheim the year I came back from cancer and maybe Hair in Madison Square Garden - that's as good as I can skate.''

CD currently in his CD player: "That's easy, it isn't even out yet, but Rick Nielsen's a good friend of mine, so it's Cheap Trick's 25th anniversary album. He sings with his kids on there. It's amazing. Everyone should hear it.''

Last movie he saw: Snatch.

Type of car he drive: "I'm a sucker for Porsches. I am a Porsche freak. If I had all the money in the world, I'd own one of every Porsche ever made. But I don't, so I don't. I do own two, one's in Denver and one's in California.''

Favorite food: "Anything Asian.''

Favorite junk food: ""Uh, anything Asian.''

Place he goes to get away from it all: "My car.''