Around the state: Skating competition at Verizon Nov. 14

Copyright 2002 Union Leader Corp.

An ice-skating competition that will include U.S. Olympic gold medalists Brian Boitano and Tara Lipinski will be held in Manchester Nov. 14 and later televised nationally on CBS.

"Olay presents Ice Wars: USA vs. The World" will take place at the Verizon Wireless Arena at 7 p.m. Tickets will go on sale Sept. 21 at 10 a.m. Tickets are $ 38, $ 48 and $ 57.

The competition will be aired on CBS-TV (Channel 4) on Thanksgiving night, Nov. 28.

This will mark the second time an event at the Manchester arena will be nationally televised. TNN broadcast World Wrestling Entertainment live July 1.

But it's the first time an arena event will be broadcast by one of the major networks.

Meanwhile, arena workers yesterday began building ice for the upcoming hockey season with an NHL pre-season game between the Boston Bruins and the Washington Capitals set for Sept. 20 and the Monarchs season opener Oct. 11.

In what has become one of professional figure skating's premier competitions, Team USA and The World Team battle on the ice showcasing both the sport's technical and artistic elements.

This will mark the ninth year that two teams of the world's best professional figure skaters battle for the team championship. The event has aired in prime time on CBS since its inception in 1994 and has consistently been one of the highest rated and highly anticipated figure skating broadcasts each year.

The 2002 competition will feature four skaters per team -- two men and two women -- including Boitano, Lipinski and four-time world champion, Canadian Kurt Browning.

CORRECTION-DATE: September 12, 2002