LOS ANGELES (CelebrityAccess MediaWire) — AEG has acquired the Champions on Ice ice-skating tour from founder and operator, Tom Collins. Collins will continue to operate the tour as president as well as work with AEG to develop other skating events, programs and competitions. Champions on Ice will maintain its offices in Minneapolis, MN.
“There is no doubt that Champions on Ice is not only the most popular skating tour, it is also the industry’s most successful annual sports exhibition tour,” said Dana Warg, senior vice president, AEG. “In our minds, one of the most important components of this acquisition is having Tommy join our company to continue to operate and expand the tour. Nobody knows more about how to successfully produce and market not only this show but other figure skating events and competitions AEG will be looking to create.”
“I am delighted that Champions on Ice has joined the AEG family,” said Collins. “AEG is clearly a global superpower in the sports and entertainment industry. I look forward to working with AEG and taking Champions on Ice to even greater heights and success.”
Collins founded Champions on Ice in 1969. Beginning as a small, 15-city tour, it has since become the sport’s most attended production, peaking at as many as 85 cities in Olympic years. Now in its 29th year, the multi-city tour is known for showcasing the current and most popular Olympic, world and National Champions along with the most talented up and coming future international skating stars.
Since 1976 every men’s and women’s Olympic champion has appeared on the tour and over the years the cast has been a virtual Who’s Who of the skating world, including Scott Hamilton, Michelle Kwan, Brian Boitano, Katarina Witt, Kristi Yamaguchi, Torvill and Dean, Oksana Baiul, Nancy Kerrigan, Elvis Stojko, Sasha Cohen, Sarah Hughes, Dorothy Hamill and Peggy Fleming among others. Last year’s tour featured Kwan, Cohen, newly crowned Olympic ladies and men’s champions Shizuka Arakawa and Evgeny Plushenko, 2006 World Champion Kimmie Meissner, 2006 Olympic silver medalist ice dancers Belbin and Agosto and the 2006 men’s US National Champion Johnny Weir. — Jane Cohen and Bob Grossweiner
