He tagged along with his little sister to the Bountiful Ice Rink more than a decade ago.
A couple of years into skating, he learned how to do a back flip on the ice.Now he's a feature performer for Disney, traveling around the country, doing shows every night, spreading magic to children with his jumps and spins.
Scott Irvine, 22, grew up at the Bountiful Ice Rink, which he calls home, even though he skates all over the country.
"It has a great surface, and it's very well-maintained. It's probably one of the best-maintained rinks I've skated on."
Irvine can't diminish the magic of Disney and reveal what character he portrays. But it's a popular show that draws huge crowds with a lovable, mischievous character.
The job allows him to make money doing something he loves and showcase his penchant for being a performer.
Although many of the skaters who flock to Bountiful are involved in the fast-paced, expensive world of competitive skating, Irvine said he was drawn to the showmanship side of the sport.
"I've always been into the showmanship, doing the tricks, the backflips. This is where skating took me, to performance, to entertaining."
Irvine said the Bountiful rink helps skaters achieve their competitive goals by offering an Olympic-size skating area at a price that is a bargain.
Ice time in places such as California is as much as $7 an hour. In Bountiful, skaters pay $3 an hour.
That helps out people such as Betsy Burbidge, a Bountiful woman who is grooming her teenage daughter to be a world-class figure skater.
Maren, 16, has already been to the nationals twice but was sidelined this year after she broke her collarbone playing soccer.
She's recovered enough that she is back to her old schedule on the ice, which includes two hours of practice each day and nine lessons a week. At 35 minutes per session and costing more than $1 a minute, Burbidge says the price of the lessons quickly adds up.
The rink is what drew the Burbidge family to Utah. Maren Burbidge has been skating since she was 8 years old. Five years ago, the family moved here from Los Angeles.
"We came here because of the rink," Betsy Burbidge said. "This is a good facility."
Burbidge says many subtle factors go into making an ice rink a favorite for skaters - the mineral composition of the ice, the lighting, the temperature, even the music.
Lighting and music aside, Maren prefers to concentrate on polishing her technique - executing triples with fluid grace. Her face flushed with excitement and the exertion of skating, Maren Burbidge describes the kind of pull figure skating has over her.
"I totally love it. The challenge of it - it's like theater almost, you get to perform in front of everyone, it's the drama. It's like every sport wrapped into one."
Bill Olson, 26, lives in Park City but travels to Bountiful every day for two hours of ice time. His employer gives him the time each day to hone his skills.
At one point in his skating career, Olson ripped open his calf with the edge of his skate and was recently sporting fresh scratches on his elbow after taking a spill.
"Injuries are an everyday thing."
But, he says, he's dedicated to a sport he's been involved with for three years and encouraged by the kind of talent the Bountiful rink attracts.
"The best coaches in Utah are here."
The ice rink, through the Utah Figure Skating Club, has carved an edge for itself in the national ice skating community. It has played host to the nationals twice and the prestigious competition will return in 1999.
"That speaks fairly highly of our facility," said John Miller, ice rink manager and the city's recreation director.
Aside from the glory of national competitions, Miller said the 24-year-old rink has become an integral part of the community because of its heavy and varied use.
With hockey teams, figure skaters and the public competing for ice time, the rink is "completely booked," Miller said.
Even though there's a steady line of skaters using the city-owned facility, Miller said it is not a money maker.
Last year, the city had to subsidize the rink by $8,000.
City officials figure the cost is worth it in terms of providing recreation for area youths.
"It's a great facility for kids to come in and get off the street and get involved in some good, wholesome activities," Miller said. "It's been a great facility for the community."