The Late Show With David Letterman
Promoting From This Moment
Transcript by Angie


Dave: You know, your shorts are just gonna' fly off when you hear this. It was exactly a year a go this week, a year ago this week, isn't that nuts? That our next guest won an Olympic Gold Medal. She now stars in, buy the way co-insided with the Olympics. She now stars in her very own special right here on CBS. Here she is, Tara Lipinski ladies and gentlemen.

Tara: (walks out and waves to the audience)

Dave: It's good to see you again.

Tara: You too.

Dave: It's crazy isn't it. You look great. I mean, you're a year older and and you look the same. Well that's good.

Tara: Yea, it is.

Dave: Well that's what it is. See when you like 16 years old now?

Tara: Yea

Dave: Yea and a year ago you were like 15.

Tara: 15, yea.

Dave: And see, a year ago, a year ago I was 50 and now I'm 51. And I just, I know I look like hell.

Tara: I don't think so. You look the same.

Dave: Oh no, that's what happens. That's what happens. Write that down in you diary. 'Cause I know you kids keep the diaries. And when you get to be 50 you'll realize, 'Oh geeze, Dave was right. I'm starting to look like hell.'

Tara: Ok. I'll have to think about that for a while.

Dave: No you don't. Now ahh.... How's ah, now you're not retired are you?

Tara: No

Dave: Now what have you done? You turned professional. You're no longer an amateur figure skater.

Tara: Right. I'm professional now.

Dave: Yea, now does that mean, do you still compete as a professional? Or they don't have professional...

Tara: Like professional competitions.

Dave: Right

Tara: Not amateur. Like I can't compete in the Olympics in 2002. So I do professional competitions and I tour with Discover Stars On Ice and...

Dave: What, Discover Stars On Ice...

Tara: Yes

Dave: And is that is a world famous skaters proforming...

Tara: Yea

Dave: Now is that a competition or an exibition?

Tara: No, an exibition. We travel, do shows, like 60 cities a year. So, it's fun.

Dave: Yea, but people don't wager on that do they?

Tara: No (laughs)

Dave: But it.. Now I'm thinking that, and knowing a little bit about this, being a child athlete myself. I'll bet... I'll bet that when you won the Olympic Gold Medal in Japan that it was a great sense of relief. Not only for the competition but for all of the long hours. You started skating when you were 3.

Tara: 3, yea.

Dave: Yea, and so your skating. I mean it's not a hobby. It really is all consuming, all inveloping, and it must have been a sigh of relied. You thought, 'Well, you know it's fun and it's great and it payed off but I'm glad that....

Tara: That it's over.

Dave: ...I can go on to something else.'

Tara: Yea.

Dave: It must have been a relief.

Tara: It's like I look back, and I like to look back, and remember all the great times. But to do it again would be so hard.

Dave: Yea. People have no idea really what it does.

Tara: No. Lots of pressure, lots of pressure.

Dave: Well, good for you.

Tara: Yea

Dave: Congratulations on that.

Tara: Yup.

Dave: Now, the just had the ah.. they just had the big ah... The big National tournament this weekend.

Tara: Yea

Dave: And Michelle Kwan won that?

Tara: Yea

Dave: Did you watch any of that?

Tara: I was actually doing a show that night and I got to watch the last bit. Because my best friend, Angela, was on so I got to watch her.

Dave: And there was like to two... a couple of kids, girls, that are like 13 years old competing in that?

Tara: Yea

Dave: Wow, now is that all right, to compete in that?

Tara: I think so. I was 13 and I was competing in it so...

Dave: Yea

Tara: I say go for it.

Dave: But it's alot of pressure for a 13 year old, as I told you, when I was 13 I had a paper rout.

Tara: (laughs) But I think it is ok. When I was 13 and I think when you start that young you kind of get used to the pressure.

Dave: Yea

Tara: Instead of coming in the last minute and having to do it all.

Dave: Are you always thing of like trick stuff to do on the ice?

Tara: What do you mean?

Dave: You know like tricks.

Tara: Tricks? (laughs)

Dave: The stuff... are you always...you know its kind of like... here we go...

Tara: Usually its planned. I don't just do whatever.

Dave: I know but your always planning, what if I try this instead of a tripple axel?

Tara: No

Dave: What about a quadruple axel...

Tara: No, never.

Dave: ...or you know.

Tara: No, I never...

Dave: Kind of like a summersault or something.

Tara: (laughs) No. You just stick to your rutine.

Dave: Yea. Can you skate with your eyes closed?

Tara: Um, I never tried.

Dave: You think you could or not?<

Tara: I bet I could. It may be a little dangerous but.

Dave: Yea. But I bet you could because it's so engraned in your nural muscular system now. You probably could, skating.

Tara: Yea

Dave: You know what I'm saying?

Tara: Yea. I think I would be different. Like balance and everything.

Dave: Yea well it all works together. Well, I'm telling you of course.

Tara: (laughs) Push Dave.

Dave: Hey, did you get that car? Did you ever get your drivers license?

Tara: I did. And remember the key chain you have me with the ice skate. You know I use it. Well it's a little heavy but I mean.

Dave: Now last time we talked you were gonna go and take your drivers test.

Tara: I did.

Dave: And you passed on that?

Tara: I passed. (applause)

Dave: What kind of car did you get?

Tara: A black Corvette.

Dave: A black Corvette? Man, that's pretty good isn't it?

Tara: For my 16th birthday. It was a surprise.

Dave: Now you see, the Olympic Gold Medal that's one kind of a symbol. And then the black Corvet, that's a whole different deal right there. To get the one you gotta get the other one first.

Dave: Now you can't drive a Corvette, right? I mean it's like a big, scary, powerful, sports car.

Tara: No. I love it.

Dave: Have you ever had it sideways?

Tara: Sideways? (laughs) No.

Dave: Did the back end ever come around on you?

Dave: Can you drive it with your eyes closed?

Tara: Noooo.

Dave: Ever think about tricks to do with the car?

Tara: No.

Dave: How fast have you had it? And don't tell me anything over than 55.

Tara: No, I say the speed limit. I'm a good driver. Careful.

Audience: (boos and claps)

Tara: Boo? (laughs)

Dave: Well hell, if that's the case you should have gotten a Buik Skylark.

Tara: (laughs)

Dave: You're not gonna do any tricks or nothing.

Dave: Did you meet Lu Soloff by the way? Tara Lipinski, Lou. Lou, Tara Lipinski. Lou Soloff.

Tara: Hi. (laughs)

Dave: Tara, the show, From This Moment, airs Wednesday. That's tomorrow night?

Tara: Tomorrow night.

Right here on CBS. Is that right?

Tara: That's right.

Dave: Well good luck. I hope it goes well for you. It's a pleasure to see you again.

Tara: It's nice to see you too.

Dave: Tara Lipinski. Thank you very much.

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