Skills learned at ice rink a bonus for Minnesota's Olympic skater

Mark Ladwig hasn't been driving the Zamboni recently at the Ellenton Ice and Sports Complex. After the Moorhead native skated at the 2010 Olympics with partner Amanda Evora, the pair got lots of invitations to perform at ice shows, which took him away from his maintenance duties at the Florida rink where they train.

He's kept his ice-resurfacing skills sharp, though. Last year, Ladwig and Evora broke through in a big way, earning their first medal at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, their first Olympic berth, their first trip to the world championships and their first medal at a Grand Prix event. When they compete at this week's national championships in Greensboro, N.C., Ladwig hopes to accomplish something else for the first time: driving the Zamboni at the nation's premier event.

"I know the guys who keep the ice in premium shape at nationals," said Ladwig, 30, who begins pairs competition with Evora in Thursday's short program. "I wanted to learn from them, so last year, I helped them patch holes in the ice. I'm looking to step up this year."

It says something about Ladwig that even as his skating career has taken off, he's still happy to do unsung work. Throughout most of his nine-year partnership with Evora, he's resurfaced ice, sharpened blades and taught toddlers how to skate at the Southwest Florida Figure Skating Club in Ellenton.

That kind of labor has been necessary to pay the bills during a career that is a testament to perseverance. Ladwig and Evora finished fourth at the 2007 U.S. championships, fifth in 2008 in St. Paul and fourth again in 2009. "There were times," coach Jim Peterson said, "when everyone, except the two of them and the coaches, lost belief."

The past year has left them overflowing with that once-scant commodity. At the Vancouver Olympics, Ladwig and Evora -- fresh off their silver medal at the U.S. championships -- skated the highest-scoring performances of their career in both the short program and the free skate to finish 10th. They followed up by placing ninth at the world championships in Turin, Italy, to end a season that showed them what they were capable of doing.

It also produced some other benefits. Ladwig reconnected with many classmates from Moorhead High School; they had seen him skate in the Olympics and looked him up. The pair was featured in several performances of the Stars On Ice tour, including a show in St. Paul that drew many Minnesota relatives and friends.

Like most elite athletes, Ladwig and Evora discovered that simply getting to the Olympics and world championships wasn't enough. They worked last summer to improve their skating skills, while rehearsing new programs that showcase their stylish lifts and high degree of difficulty.

The pair skates its short program to the big-band jump of "Sing, Sing, Sing" and its long program to the drama of Pavarotti's "Nessun Dorma." The international credibility they built last season paid off at their two Grand Prix competitions last fall. After finishing fifth at the Cup of China, Ladwig realized another long-held ambition -- to visit Russia -- and came home with a bronze medal from the Rostelecom Cup, the first Grand Prix medal for him and Evora.

Ladwig's icemaking skills probably won't be on full public display this week. He figures at best he might be able to talk his way into driving a lap around the practice rink.

With Evora, he'll spend plenty of time at center stage, showing off a higher-profile talent. "We've been striving a long time to get to that step," he said. "We were always on the cusp. We could peek over the fence and see what's going on at the dinner party, and we really wanted to join. It's nice to be asked to sit at the table now."