Stars On Ice was founded in 1986 by Scott Hamilton as a forum in
which to showcase figure skating to a fuller extent, both athletically
and creatively, than had previously been available to professional
skaters. Whereas previously the only routes open to pros who wished
to continue skating were the Ice Capades, or similar ice show revues,
Stars On Ice was a unique opportunity for skaters to express their
creativity in working together to create new group and individual
numbers and continue their growth as skaters.
Although the initial "Scott Hamilton's America Tour" only reached
five cities, the tour soon expanded to 30, and by the time its 10th
anniversary rolled around, was reaching 55 cities in America alone, as
well as many additional stops in a relatively new branch of the tour
in Canada. Having gained its main sponsor, Discover Card, Stars On
Ice became known as Discover Stars On Ice. In 1999, Target Stores
took over sponsorship and DSOI became TSOI, Target Stars On Ice.
Fourteen years after Scott Hamilton founded Stars on Ice, he decided
to make the fifteenth tour his last. The 2001-2002 tour was thus
dubbed the "Scott Hamilton Farewell Tour" and was a chance for Scott
to say goodbye to the cities which had supported him and come to see
him skate for so many years. In 2002, Smuckers took over as title
sponsor. The tour has completed its 20th year and attracts some of
the finest professional skaters in the world.
The Canadian branch of the tour began in 1991, gaining its own
sponsor and becoming known as Chrysler Stars On Ice. Chrysler is no
longer the sponsor of the Canadian Stars on Ice (after the 2001 tour).
For the last several years, HSBC has been the primary sponsor, along
with Smuckers and an array of lesser sponsors. CSOI visits almost a
dozen cities in Canada at the conclusion of the US SOI tour, and is
"headquartered" in Halifax.
Exceptional in its ability to combine thrilling individual numbers
with well choreographed, carefully integrated group numbers, Stars On
Ice is definitely not to be missed.
For more information on the tour itself...try the
Stars On Ice homepage.
