Elvis Puts On Historic Show In Ice Finals

Elvis has left the planet. Tara might not be far behind.

Elvis Stojko soared into the Hamilton stratosphere Saturday night, nailing the first quad-triple combination jump in figure skating history to win the Champions Series final.

“The sky’s the limit,” Stojko said.

That seems to be the boundary for 14-year-old Tara Lipinski, too. The youngest American champion ever, she added this rich title to her rapidly burgeoning collection, once again edging the usually invincible Michelle Kwan.

“I’m still not expecting to win or place,” Lipinski said. “I just want it to be my best.”

Stojko certainly was at his best in winning the $50,000 first prize. Lifted perhaps even higher by his adoring countrymen, who roared after his historic quadruple toe loop-triple toe loop combo, and cheered and applauded throughout the final minute of his scintillating routine, Stojko earned the first perfect 6.0 of the competition. That came from the Canadian judge, for technical merit - even though Stojko later touched his hand to the ice and stepped out of a triple axel.

“Seeing all those 5.9s and the 6.0 was great,” he said. “It went super. I’m happy putting it down here, with a lot of my friends and family.

“I was the first to put down a quad-double and the quad-triple, and I did it at home.”

In all, the 1994 and ‘95 world champion hit seven triple jumps, three in combination on one of the most momentous nights in men’s skating annals. When his exhausting program was complete, he pumped his hands in the air and watched Canadian flags wave from every corner of the Copps Coliseum.