ESPN Figure Skating

There is no doubt skating has been at a crossroads. With TV ratings slipping and Tonya Harding nowhere to be found in the building, the sport has been looking for a way back to the top.

Many have blamed the sport's new scoring system, an intricate formula that even Olympic gold medalist Brian Boitano says leaves him bewildered. Dick Button, a two-time Olympic gold-medal winner, said this week he is "depressed" about the new rules and believes they have stifled the artistic talent of the skaters.

The timing of this debate has been further heightened by the death of former national champion Christopher Bowman, who died at the age of 40 earlier this month. Bowman never won an Olympic medal, but he captivated the public's imagination with his free-spirited personality and flair. Dubbed "Bowman the Showman," he wore his personality on his sequined sleeves. And although he drove his coaches batty with his improvising and off-ice antics, he almost always brought crowds to their feet.

This is what skating needs these days -- personality. While there is a pocket of skating fans who can tell the difference between a triple-lutz and a triple axel, most Americans tune into skating every four years for the Olympics and want to see someone who reaches out to them from the TV screen.

Did people gravitate to Katarina Witt for her excellence in figure eights? The "Battle of the Brians" nearly two decades ago at the Olympics in Calgary was front page news. And how many little girls in the late 1970s begged their moms for a Dorothy Hamill haircut?

This week's U.S. Figure Skating Championships in St. Paul, Minn., could mark the dawning of that new era -- if people actually start paying attention. As the women's short program proved last night, there are many new faces emerging. Mirai Nagasu, a 14-year-old from Southern California lit up the building. She didn't need judges to hand out 6.0s; her performance told the story.

Earlier this season, at Skate America, a Japanese skater named Daisuke Takahashi dazzled the crowd with his short program to a hip-hop version of Swan Lake. The new scoring system didn't prevent the crowd from cheering him on. He and the rest of the skating community just have to bring their personality to the rink.

Tonight, the men's competition should prove to be entertaining with reigning U.S. champion Evan Lysacek duking it out with Johnny Weir, who won three national titles before placing a disappointing third last year. It's a rivalry that could run through the Winter Olympics in 2010.

When asked how he could help revive the sport, Weir replied, "I'm not going to beat anyone up or hit someone in the knee."

If people watch, they might find a whack in the knee much less entertaining.

Weir plans to perform to a Russian rock opera, and as usual, he will use his media sound bites to attract attention. Lysacek, on the other hand, will try to use his quadruple jumps as his knockout punch. It's not Tonya tabloid material, but it shouldn't be boring.

Men to watch

Evan Lysacek
There would be nothing more fitting for Lysacek and his coach, Frank Carroll, than for him to defend his national crown this week. Carroll, who coached Bowman for an emotionally wrought 18 years, has a much more well-conditioned pupil in Lysacek. It will be difficult for Lysacek to repeat his near-flawless performance from the 2007 championships, but he will pull out the stops again with quadruple jumps in his short and long programs.

Johnny Weir
Weir made a big offseason change, leaving longtime coach Priscilla Hill and his family's home in Newark, Del., to train with Galina Zmievskaya (who worked with Olympic gold medalists Viktor Petrenko and Oksana Baiul) in New Jersey. Weir admits he was "lazy" last season and his dismal showing in the free skate at the 2007 nationals lit a fire in him. He also admits that making the move from the laid-back existence in Delaware to life near the Big Apple has made him a "very aggressive driver." We'll see how aggressiveness translates to the ice.

Stephen Carriere
The 2007 world junior champion, Carriere is making his second trip to nationals at the senior level. (He placed ninth last year.) Carriere made a strong showing at Skate America and placed third at another Grand Prix event in Japan this season. Still, Carriere knows he has his work cut out for him if he's going to fit in with the big two at the top. One thing is going for him: He trains in Boston. The city has celebrated a World Series title and a perfect season (so far) by the New England Patriots. Why not add a figure skating champion to the mix?

Brandon Mroz
Mroz finished second at nationals last year at the junior level. This season he won two Junior Grand Prix international events and placed second in the Junior Grand Prix Final, which features the top six junior skaters in the world. This will be the senior-level debut for this Colorado Springs-based skater, but he could make his mark on the skating scene early.

Eliot Halverson
The 2007 U.S. junior champion is also making his national debut at the senior level. This event will have particular significance because Halverson is a St. Paul native. He hasn't had a strong season in the Junior Grand Prix events and struggled to make these national championships with a fourth-place finish in his national qualifier. But the hometown support could help change things.

Amy Rosewater, a freelance writer based in Baltimore, is a frequent contributor to ESPN.com.