By Eric Christensen
As a proud, card-carrying member of the male gender and self-proclaimed genuine appreciator of 'real' sports, understanding the ins and outs of figure skating has never been a terribly important subject for me to keep brushed up on.
It took one figure skater having another whacked in the leg to get me tuned in.
Sure, I remember the classic stars like Dorothy Hamill and Brian Boitano, and intense Olympic moments like when Tara Lipinski stole the gold from the neck of Michelle Kwan in 1998.
My problem was not a lack of appreciation for the pressure of Olympic-type surroundings. My problem came from not respecting the skaters'' skill and ability to perform.
Problem no more.
As part of the 66-city tour, West Valley City''s E Center welcomed the Target Stars on Ice in early January.
Alongside a female friend and some family, I put on my best smile in spite of the unlucky coincidence of this 'frozen ballet' being the same night as the Florida State vs. Oklahoma football national championship game.
Comfortably seated with sports pager in hand ready to update me on the big game, I watched the beginning number and introduction of 10 of the best figure skaters in the world.
In the first individual performance, not only was American Denis Petrov trying to be alternatively funky with his cut-off t-shirt and body suit, but he was dancing to Creed''s overplayed hit 'With Arms Wide Open,' which did not help.
Needless to say, the night did not look good.
Hall of Fame baseball player Yogi Berra once said, 'You can observe a lot just by watchin''.'
So I watched.
The ability to be not only graceful but also elegant was what struck me first.
Each skater moved with both precision and enthusiasm.
Deathly silence would overtake the audience when skaters attempted triple axles.
Each spectator''s head inched a little higher to see above the person in front of them followed by the arena exploding in cheer when the skater''s attempt was successful.
The crowd''s passion became contagious.
While most performed to classical or instrumental music, Tara Lipinski provided the flavor to the night skating to Elton John''s classic 'Tiny Dancer.'
Psychedelic purple and turquoise lights and appropriate 70s getup accented Lipinski''s performance, and it seemed effortless.
Her movements were fun yet refined.
She brought respect to her skill and to her ability to perform.
Though Lipinski and Kristi Yamaguchi were dazzling, the most impressive performances of the evening were the couple or pair performers.
Moving with the smoothness of swans and with the danger of high-speed car chases, the men tossed and twirled the women around the rink. It was an elegant version of roller derby on ice.
As the night progressed, my sports pager came out less and less, and my seat moved closer and closer to the edge.
Since the ticket prices for the Target Stars on Ice were very similar to the price for good Utah Jazz tickets at the Delta Center, my mom, upon leaving the venue, tried to get me to admit that a Scott Hamilton back flip was as exciting as a Karl Malone dunk.
It was good, but it wasn''t that good.