Scott Hamilton

Biography: Scott Scovell Hamilton was adopted by Dorothy and Ernest Hamilton shortly after the Hamiltons lost their second child during child birth. A happy, healthy child, Scott was also a trouble maker. He would be found doing all sorts of mischevious things, at the tender age of 6 months his parents found him hanging on the outside of his crib that he was attempting to escape. The Hamiltons had to make a "cage roof" over the crib so he wouldn't fall out again!
Shortly after his 2nd birthday his family adopted a second boy, Steven. The Hamiltons were well on their way to achieving their American Dream. Around the same time, however, the Hamiltons became worried for Scottie's health. He was eating, but he wasn't growing. He had other problems too, so they began taking him to hospitals hoping someone would have the answer. For 6 long years Scott was poked, prodded, and given several different disgusting diets. All of which solved nothing.

Then one afternoon when Scott was 8 Susan, Scott's older sister, and her friends took him to the skating rink. There, with his feeding tube sticking out of his nose Scott Hamilton noticed that on ice... we're all equal. Not only was he slipping and sliding around, but so were the jocks! Scott's mother signed him up for lessons, and the family(as well as the doctors) saw immediate results. After a season of skating, Scott's family doctor told them to take him off his diet and give him some 'real food.' It took some convincing, but his mother finally agreed, and Scott hasn't looked back since. Scott's mischevious behavior did not end when he was little, he got more problematic. After seeing that he would not be able to advance thru the ranks in Bowling Green Ohio, his parents sent him to Wagon Wheel to get more training from bigger name coaches. Scott made sure to get in trouble every once in a while, and was almost sent home. Still, his skating improved, and he was well on his way to becoming a star for the USA. Scott's mother became ill, and during his Christmas break he learned that she had cancer.
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"Scott was beside himself, but yet he didn't want to show mom." ~ Susan Hamilton
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Once again Scott found a need to prove that his mom was right when she said he was going to be a champion. Scott won the Junior US title.

As Dorothy's condition got worse, Scott's concern for her grew. His skating suffered, as did the family's finances. Scott was told that he had only one more year of skating. Scott pushed the limits, but didn't do as well as he could have. As the season came to a close, Scott's coaches at the time(the Great Mary and Evy Scotvold) came and told him that he would be able to continue training as they had found a sponser for him. At the same time, however, his mom had a surprise. She had found a sponser for him and he would begin training under Carlo Fassi--a legend in skating. Scott didn't really want to leave the Scotvolds, but he did as his mother said. Under Carlo, Scott's skating soared. But not until another setback, Scott soon lost his mother to cancer.

Scott buckled down after her death, calling his coach soon after the funeral telling him "I'm coming, and you better be ready to work now." Scott worked hard on figures, as well as his presentation. He was becoming a hot item, but so was his rival Scott Cramer. The two Scott's did NOT have a friendly rivalry, it was downright ugly, and the relationship got even worse when Scott Cramer began training under Carlo Fassi. Our hero felt that he was not getting the attention he desearved, afterall HE had been their FIRST. So Scott talked to his sponsers and decided he was going to switch from Fassi to Don Laws. Don and Scott had met earlier that summer when Scott had been at a training camp out east. Scott made a good choice, as soon after he won the remaining spot for the 1980 Olympic team.

Scott had come a long way from the sickly boy he once was, and his team-mates honored that fact by voting to have him carry the flag in the opening ceremony. Here he was, a virtual unknown in the world, in a cowboy hat that was too big for him carrying the National Emblem in. Immediately he was the center attention of the games in US. Scott went on to have two great skates and came 5th. He only went up from there.

For the next four years Scott dominated Men's figure skating. Sure David Santee, Brian Boitano, Brian Orser, and Jan Hoffman gave him a run for his money, but he always came out on top. Wanting to prove to his former coach that he had picked the wrong Scott. Going into the 1984 Sarajevo Winter Olympics as the heavy favorite put a lot of pressure on Scott. To top it off he had a head cold, and was stuffed up on one side. Both he and his coach shrugged it off, but Scott knew he was in trouble after the first jump in his long program, right at the top he popped a jump. Feeling he had lost the Olympic title Scott--after skating a tremendous program afterward--came off the ice apologizing to Don Laws. At the same time Don Laws felt that he had let the--then--3time World Champ down. Then the marks came up, and it was all good.

Scott returned home to celebrate his medal, but got back to work for his forth World title, which he pulled off easliy. Now came the tough part, how to go about getting a successful professional career off the ground. Scott signed up with Bob Kain of IMG, and was on his way to becoming a successful pro skater in the Ice Capades. After 2 years, unfortuantely, Ice Capades came up to his agent and simply said "Male skaters do not sell tickets, and we won't renew your contract." Just like that Scott's life was unravelling before him, until Bob suggested they start their own tour. That tour is now Stars On Ice.

Scott found the pro world to be very different, especially with skating legend Dick Button calling the shots at the World Pro. Amazingly enough, Dick was playing his own games with judging(and you thought he only told you about the bad boys and girls at worlds HA!). Making sure the judges understood that a decent set of footwork was better than any triple lutz. Scott had always been a technical skater, so this was very difficult. What made it even harder is that four years later, Dick changed his mind and wanted to see the lutz get higher scores. Good ol' Dick... he loves his Robin Cousins and Brian Boitano. But that didn't stop Scott from becoming one of the world's most loved figure skaters of all time. Working with a new choreographer, Sarah Kawahara, Scott became known for his comic gems. "When I'm 64", "I Go Out Walkin/Mr. Right", "In The Mood", "I Love Me", and "Walk This Way" were just some of his earliest comedic gems. However, he didn't JUST do comedy routines, he could also be very serious, "One For My Baby" was a tribute to his good friend Sergei Grinkov(it was originally a tribute to SOI, but after Sergei's death things changed). What was trully special about that routine is that half way thru he raised an invisible glass and toasted one of his best friends.

2 years after Sergei's death Scott once again faced a life or death illness; cancer. Scott imediately started treatment, promising the world that he WOULD beat it. Making "the only disibility in life is a bad attitude" his motto, Scott started chemo in March and by July he was ready to get back to work. Thanks to cancer and chemo, Scott's body was not the way he remembered it. He got dizzy during slow spins, and had no stamina. He got frustrated and often got upset with Sarah, but she stuck by his side and they came up with his signature piece, "With One More Look (At You)." He decided to skate to a recording of it sung by his close friend Gary Morris a Country Western and Broadway star.

Who would have known that Scott Hamilton would go through what he has? But who would have guessed that he'd be crazy enough to go BACK to touring full time with the cast of SOI, bringing in a new wave of Olympic Stars, and still keeping up with everyone! Scott's love for entertaining a crowd was still evident, and so he stuck it out another four years. Coming up on his 15th year Scott began looking into the distant future. Family, settling down, not touring. Scott stayed with his tour for 15 years before calling it quits. He promised to still skate, to still entertain, but he was "getting old" and wanted to "cut back." His fans miss him, but he's still as great as he ever was.

In 2002 Scott, during his "Scott Hamilton & Friends" special, proposed to his girlfriend Tracie Rose Robinson. She said yes and in December they were married. The couple announced during their January Wedding Reception that they were expecting in September. And on September 26, 2003 Aiden Mcintosh Hamilton was born weighing in at 7lbs 9 ounces and was 20inches long.… Collapse