Skating show's return features local stars

Ellie Messinger, left, and Annie Neumann, right, lead their respective groups of skaters in a run-through of their chorus-line routine at the BGSU Ice Arena for the Ice Horizons 2007 show.

Scott Hamilton skated in the Ice Horizons show in Bowling Green before he was the Scott Hamilton.

Born in Toledo and adopted by two Bowling Green residents, Mr. Hamilton, an Olympic gold medalist, appeared in the ice skating show four times before he became a star. He has been featured in it 13 times.

Mike Czubinski, the chair of Ice Horizons 2007, said the show has another Scott Hamilton of sorts. Her name is Alissa Czisny.

Ms. Czisny, who grew up in Bowling Green and began skating at age 2, is headlining this year's show, scheduled for April 20 and 21. She is skipping the Detroit stop on the 2007 Champions on Ice Tour to skate in her sixth Ice Horizons.

She was invited to join the Champions tour after finishing third at the State Farm U.S. Figure Skating Championships in January.

Ms. Czisny finished fourth this year at the Four Continents Championships in Colorado Springs, Colo., and 15th at the World Championships in Tokyo.

"She's definitely a star," Mr. Czubinski said. "People know her all over, and we're thrilled she's coming back to skate with us."

Joining Ms. Czisny will be her twin sister, Amber, and Melissa Telecky, both originally of Bowling Green, who along with Ms. Czisny have appeared as featured skaters in past Ice Horizons.

Amber Czisny has competed on the national and international levels, while Ms. Telecky has competed on the national level.

Mr. Czubinski said there will be more than 100 local skaters in this year's cast, ranging in age from 5 to 80.

"We're looking for a great show," Mr. Czubinski said. "The skaters have been challenged with a lot of skating, and this year's show will be more in the tradition of the old Ice Capades and holiday-on-ice shows."

This will be the 21st installment of Ice Horizons, which began in 1968 and was created to support the Bowling Green Figure Skating Club. There will be one show at 7:30 p.m. on April 20 and two more on April 21, at 1:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

Tickets are $15 for general admission. There will also be a limited number of reserved seats for $25 and $50.

They can be purchased on-line at www.icehorizons.org, the ticket office located inside the Bowling Green Ice Rink, and by phone at 419-372-9200. Tickets are also available at Grounds for Thought coffee shop on Main Street in Bowling Green.