World champ Lysacek returns to Maine

Evan Lysacek, the 2009 world figure skating champion, became the first U.S. skater since Todd Eldredge to take the world crown. Read on.

By GLENN JORDAN, Staff Writer April 10, 2009

Evan Lysacek will be the only one wearing skates, but that doesn't mean he'll be skating alone.

No matter how large the crowd or how vast the venue, Lysacek – who two weeks ago became the first American man in 13 years to win the world title in figure skating – always tries to draw the audience into his performance, to feel something of what he's feeling, to make a connection beyond a simple appreciation of one man's skating skills.

He wants eye contact.

"Competitive skating now has become so technical, and less and less about truly performing," Lysacek said by phone from New York earlier this week. "So it's nice for us to do something performance driven, to develop not only our skating, but that side of our personality as well."

Lysacek brings his personality, and his skates, back to Portland this weekend for a Smucker's Stars On Ice production at 3 p.m. Saturday at the Cumberland County Civic Center. Tickets run from $25 to $115. A portion of the proceeds benefits the Boys & Girls Clubs of America.

Another option for local skating fans: The North Atlantic Figure Skating Club will host its 11th annual show at 7 tonight and Saturday at the Family Ice Center in Falmouth, headlined by Marissa Castelli and Simon Shnapir, bronze medalists at the junior world championships. Tickets run from $7 to $20.

Scheduled to join Lysacek at the Civic Center on Saturday are Olympic silver medalists Sasha Cohen, Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto, 2006 world champion Kimmie Meissner, three-time U.S. champion Michael Weiss and 1996 world champion Todd Eldredge, among others.

Lysacek, a 23-year-old native of Illinois who now lives in Los Angeles, performed with Stars on Ice at the Civic Center last April on the heels of his 2008 U.S. title. The world title he earned two weeks ago in Los Angeles makes him the favorite at next February's 2010 Vancouver Olympics.

"I had done so much press and promotion for it that I felt a sense of heightened expectation," said Lysacek, referring to the world championships being held in his adopted hometown. "To do well, to succeed, was such a special moment, particularly in front of my hometown crowd. That's an experience and a moment I can carry with me forever."

Skating to "Rhapsody in Blue," Lysacek came from behind to win gold despite nursing a stress fracture in his left foot that prevented him from attempting any jumps of four revolutions. He has five triples in the abridged version of his free skate planned for the Portland performance.

The injury will require immobilization in a cast for four weeks, but Lysacek said he could put it off until June. He joked about his contractual obligations – he had already done 12 Stars on Ice shows this season – as the cause for not resting immediately.

The Stars tour ends this weekend with shows tonight in Manchester, N.H., and Saturday in Portland. Afterward, Lysacek will fly home to California, then set out for Tokyo for the inaugural World Team Trophy competition April 16-19 between the U.S., Japan, Canada, Russia, France and China.

He's also scheduled to skate in shows in Denver, Chicago and South Korea, where figure skaters are among the nation's biggest celebrities.

"Sometimes my schedule gets a little out of control, but I'm a yes person," Lysacek said. "And I feel so lucky to be able to have these opportunities."

At the 2006 Olympics in Italy, Lysacek was thrilled to make the team and hoped for a top-20 showing. He wound up fourth, and accompanied the medalists to doping tests, the press conference and awards ceremony.

"Watching them get that medal was so inspirational," he said. "This time around when I get there, I'll be all business."


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