CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Next week skaters from all over the country will be in North Carolina for the U.S. Figure Skating Nationals.

Before competitors take the ice, some young skaters from Charlotte will also have their chance to shine in Greensboro.

The skaters will open the 2011 U.S. Figure Skating Nationals competition with a little bit of NASCAR on ice. They've been practicing since the fall in Indian Trail and meeting 50 other skaters from the Carolinas in Greensboro.

Hosting this national competition is a big deal for the area.

"Some of the people who will be competing are the best skaters in the world, so it's great, you know," said Paul Wylie, an Olympic silver medalist. "It's very rare for nationals to come to your town, to your state, especially the Southeast."

But history aside, the young skaters are just excited to be part of the event.

"Well, just to know that all of these people have come from all around the nation to come and compete and that we get to open up for them, it's really a great feeling," said figure skater Mallory Whitson.

Tickets are still available for the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Greensboro. The events run Friday through Sunday, Jan. 30 at the Greensboro Coliseum.

Tickets for individual events start at $10. Package deals are also available.

For more information, visit http://www.northcarolina2011.com/.