SPEED DEMON

For skater Elvis Stojko, the need to live on the edge isn't restricted to the skating rink

Stojko with his baby Photo by Erin Riley

By ALISON KORN -- SportsXtra

 What's that saying, Elvis has left the building?

 Those who live in King City, just north of Toronto, regularly see their neighbourhood Elvis leaving a building, most the time in a blur of black metallic.

 Elvis Stojko loves speed and power, but not just on the skating rink. The muscular figure skater known for his explosive quadruple jump drives a metallic black Porsche 911 twin turbo 993 model that accelerates to 140 km/h in ten seconds. And that's just during a short, hair-raising demo on the dusty country roads near his parents' home in King City. The odometer, surrounded by various dials and gauges, goes up to 320 km/h.

 Stojko does like to step on it, but takes his driving seriously. He's gone to Corvette racing school in Las Vegas and at the training track in Shannonville, Ont., he accelerates the Porsche to 200 km/h. "I've had it up higher elsewhere," he admits, "late at night when no one else is around." He's not about to say where.

A Sunday drive in the country Photo by Erin Riley

 After one year as a pro, Stojko, 31, returned to the amateur ranks this spring and is now Olympic-eligible again. He already has two Olympic silver medals, from 1998 and 1994. He's also won three world and seven Canadian championships.

 When he's not on tour or competing, Stojko stays at his folks' place and commutes to practice in Richmond Hill in his beloved Porsche. It's his dream car, the one he told himself he'd get, "one day when I made it." By 1997, he'd saved up enough from touring with skating shows. He leased the $100,000 car for four years, then bought it. He's only recently finished the upgrades. A large GT2 racing wing helps keep the back end down at high speeds. The 820-horsepower engine rumbles noisily (inside the car, it's virtually silent), and the car squats low to the ground on extra wide racing tires. There's not a ton of room inside, but it's a luxurious ride. "Girls really like this car," Stojko says. "Guys are like, 'OK, what's under the hood?'"

 A devoted fan of German technology, Stojko also owns a 2002 Audi S4 - which he drives in the winter or in the city - as well as a 1993 Volkswagen Corrado, personal watercraft, snowmobile and several pick up trucks. They've all had engine upgrades. And now even Stojko's mom has taken a liking to powerful vehicles. For her birthday, Stojko sold her truck and bought her a white Mercedes SUV. His mother's happy, he reports, because now she can pass people on the highway.

All revved up Photo by Erin Riley

 Though he loves speed, Stojko says he's a careful driver and has never had an accident. He keeps a sharp eye out for oblivious motorists and watches the front tires of the vehicles ahead to anticipate their moves. At the racetrack, he relishes the corners, handling the delicate adjustment in speed and control, since anyone can go fast in a straight line.

 For now, Stojko's priority is skating - his first event this season is Skate Canada International in Miss-issauga Oct. 30 to Nov. 2. He hasn't ruled out the 2006 Olympics in Torino, Italy. But after he retires, Stojko wants to race the American Le Mans Series, a 24-hour road race split among four drivers. If he does, it won't be to finish last.