In a sport played by tens of thousands, watched by millions and worth nearly half a billion, only a chosen few guide the dynasty that is figure skating. This is their story -- with others along the way. Once considered a genteel pastime, figure skating in the current day is big business both on and off the ice. It is a sport controlled by an elite group of individuals who attract the public's attention, rule the sport's direction, receive the most accolades and have the power to banish others from, or admit them to, the kingdom. These personalities are a mix of skating royalty, business titans and politicians. As the viewing public learned during the 2002 Olympic Winter Games, skating is a world filled with stars, scandals and social tiers. Frozen Assets takes you both front row and backstage in the skating world. There are the luminaries -- Scott Hamilton, Kristi Yamaguchi, Katarina Witt, Nancy Kerrigan, Oksana Baiul, Tara Lipinski and Michelle Kwan. There are the power brokers who populate International Management Group and Tom Collins Enterprises. There are the almighty officials of the International Skating Union. There are the working stiffs. And there are the media and the fans watching it all. This is the inside story of how the skating world works. What it takes to be a champion and what it means to exist if you aren't. This is the journey to the Olympics and the path followed after the podium. Some soar and some crash, but no one gets an easy ride. For most of its years, competitive skating was a sport that only received significant exposure in Olympic years. Now it's a television staple, and "amateurs" are millionaires. In days gone by, professional skating consisted of lavishly produced ice shows. Today's pro world consists of two highly competitive star-oriented tours and a lot of under employed performers. The sport as we all watch it. The millions spent on some. The dynasty of a chosen few. Frozen Assets -- The New Order of Figure Skating. Book jacket.