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Thin Ice on ABC is a a figure skating competition featuring some of the greatest prop skaters in the world in a special airing on March 19 and 21, 2010. Elisabeth Hasselbeck and urt Browning co-host the competition, which is judged by Olympic champions Dick Burton, Katarina Witt and Kristi Yamaguchi.

The judges include ice skating legend Katarina Witt, two-time Olympic Champion and four-time World Champion; Kristi Yamaguchi, 1992 Olympic gold medalist and Season Six champ of "Dancing with the Stars"; and Dick Button, two-time Olympic gold medalist and the voice of figure skating on American television for 45 years.

Recently Thin Ice judges Kristi Yamaguchee, Richard Burton and Katarina Witt took part in in a conference call interview with columnists. In part of the interview, they weighed in on the competition and how the judging would work in Thin Ice.

Kristi Yamaguchi: I think – I don't know. Hopefully, I can come up with my own – my own identity, I guess. But you know I think I want to – there's two nights of competition. So, obviously, on the first night if you can say something constructive that they can maybe think about for the second night would be helpful. So you know hopefully you know – I mean, we are looking at an incredibly high level of skaters here so I don't think there'll be anything too terrible to say to them.

Richard Button: Well, as far as – as far as what we say to them, I – Terry, would we be doing our usual – I mean, the kind of comments that we can make as to why we're giving them such and such a point?

Terry O'Neil: Sure. It's very close to the format of 'Dancing With The Stars'.

Richard Button: I got it. Well, then I must say that I certainly have every intention of commenting on what I think is right and what I think is wrong. I mean, I think that's what the audience likes to hear and they already have seen that themselves, and if we see something that they haven't seen, I think it's helpful. I'd like very much to be able to be perfectly honest with what we see is happening and certainly in no way sugar coated.

Katarina Witt: Yes, I think the same. You know, we all are going to say what we would like to address, and I don't think we have to slip into characters. We all have our own character, and I guess you know like Kristi and like Dick are saying you know we're just going to address it the way we see it.

Richard Button: I also think it's extremely – can be extremely difficult for a judge to sit there looking at three people, or two people rather that they know very well and then telling them what they think. You know that's tough. It's quite different from 'Idol' in the sense that these are anonymous people.

In other words, Kristi Yamaguchi in 'Dancing With The Stars' is not anonymous to the audience, but she is not – probably, I assume, not a personal friend of the three judges. And in this case, we are friends and know very well these people, and it makes it tough to sit there and (inaudible) you forgot to tie up your shoe laces you know. So that it's not an easy scene for us, but I think that certainly from my point of view, at any rate, we will be perfectly clear and honest, positive, and negative.

'Thin Ice," a new competition for the world's greatest pro figure skaters, live from the MGM Grand at Foxwoods (Connecticut), airing FRIDAY, MARCH 19 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET) and SUNDAY, MARCH 21 (7:00-8:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network.

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Thin Ice is a star studded figure skating competition debuting on ABC on Friday, March 19, 2010 at 8:00 p.m. ET. Elisabeth Hasselbeck and Kurt Browning co -host the the show. Legendary skaters Dick Burton, Katarina Witt and Kristi Yamaguchi act as judges.

The judges include Olympic ice skating legend Katarina Witt, two-time Olympic Champion and four-time World Champion; Kristi Yamaguchi, 1992 Olympic gold medalist and Season Six champ of "Dancing with the Stars"; and Dick Button, two-time Olympic gold medalist and the voice of figure skating on American television for 45 years.

 Emmy winning talk show hose Elisabeth Hasselbeck and Kurt Browning, four-time World Champion Canadian figure skater, co-host "Thin Ice," a new competition for the world's greatest pro figure skaters, live from the MGM Grand at Foxwoods (Connecticut). Thin Ice aris Friday, March 19 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET) and Sunday, March 21 (7:00-8:00 p.m., ET) Dick Button, two-time Olympic gold medalist and the voice of figure skating on American television for 45 years.

The purpose of the program is to entertain the audience, according to a press statement from executive producer Terry O'Neil, 'In the Olympic Games there are more than 300 pages of rules and regulations. In 'Thin Ice,' the entire judging criteria are summarized in two words -- entertain us. And the viewer-vote is a wonderful interactive feature. After years of controversial scoring, we can finally say to the television viewer: This time you judge the skaters.'

The judging will be split between viewer votes via www.abc.com (50%) and a panel of judges (50%). Ten confirmed competitors will come from four skating disciplines - ladies, men, pairs and dance - and will be paired as five couples. No pairs or dance skaters will be coupled with their current partners. Skating programs will be limited to two minutes.

Thin Ice Competitors

•  Stephane Lambiel, Switzerland's World Champion, fresh from the Vancouver Olympics, where he came in 4th
•  Jamie Salé of Canada, 2001 World Champion, 2002 Olympic Champion as a pairs skater, and winner of the inaugural Battle of the Blades with partner Craig Simpson
•  Patrice Lauzon, five-time Canadian National Champion and two-time World silver medalist as an ice dancer
• Shizuka Arakawa, Japan, 2006 Olympic Champion
• Shae-Lynn Bourne, Canada, 2003 World Champion ice dancer
• David Pelletier, Canada, 2001 World Champion, 2002 Olympic Champion as a pairs skater
•  John Zimmerman, three-time U.S. National Champion and World bronze medalist as a pairs skater
•  Michael Weiss, three-time U.S. National Champion and World bronze medalist
•  Elena Berezhnaya, two-time World Champion and Olympic Co-Champion
•  Marie-France Dubreuil of Canada, five-time Canadian National Ice Dancing Champion and two-time World silver medalist

Thin Ice Figure Skating Pairings

•  Shae-Lynn Bourne/John Zimmerman
•  Marie-France Dubreuil/Michael Weiss
•  Jamie Salé /Patrice Lauzon
• Elena Berezhnaya/David Pelletier
•  Shizuka Arakawa/Stephane Lambiel

The competition is being help at the Premier Ballroom of the MGM Grand at Foxwoods Casino in Connecticut. At 50,000 square feet of unobstructed space, it is the largest column-free ballroom in the northeast U.S. Joseph C. Jimenez, senior vice president, Foxwoods Resort Casino said. 'It will be a remarkable setting," "We'll build an ice rink 85'x150' and still have room for 3,000 spectators. The room will have great ambiance, and elegant chandeliers hang from a 26-foot ceiling. Spectator seating will be darkened to give the feel of a cabaret or nightclub.'

Prize money for the event totals $220,000:
• 1st Place - $60,000 per couple
• 2nd Place - $50,000 per couple
• 3rd Place - $45,000 per couple
• 4th Place - $35,000 per couple
• 5th Place - $30,000 per couple

The executive producer of "Thin Ice" is Terry O'Neil. It is a production of O'Neil Entertainment. "Thin Ice" will air in 720 Progressive (720P), ABC's selected HDTV format, with 5.1-channel surround sound.