Boy Next Door--to Stardom : Skating: Sure, Todd Eldredge is typical . . . if you spend most of your time with 18-year-olds who are independent, well-traveled, world-class athletes.

Todd Eldredge’s attempt to portray himself as an average American athlete will never sell. Too many points clearly miss the mark.

At 18, most kids evolve into adulthood by leaving home for the first time to discover life outside restrictions set by parents and teachers.

But Eldredge, the fifth-ranked men’s senior figure skater in the United States, had an early start. He left when he was 10.

“Really, I’m pretty normal,” insists Eldredge, currently competing in the Pacific Coast Championships at the San Diego Ice Arena.

Sorry, Todd. A normal childhood does not include trips to Australia, Canada, France, Germany, London, Japan and Yugoslavia, many before you’re old enough to drive.

A normal childhood also doesn’t include spending more time on ice skates than in tennis shoes, spending tireless hours--five to six hours a day--in the chill of an ice rink rather than the warmth of the sun.

And it certainly doesn’t mean spending your formative years 3,000 miles from your family. But Eldredge knew this was the road he would have to travel to reach his goal . . . a spot on the U.S. World and Olympic teams.

“It works out better this way for me,” said Eldredge, who left Chatham, Mass., to follow Richard Callaghan, his coach of nine years, to Philadelphia for six years, to Colorado Springs, Colo., for two years, and finally to San Diego, where he has been for almost two years.

Coming from a non-skating background, Eldredge and his family were startled by the demands of the sport.

“It all started so innocently,” said Todd’s mother, Ruth. “You go from group to private lessons to more and more ice time. It slowly engulfs you. We just followed and backed him all the way.”

Eldredge lives in San Diego and trains with Callaghan, the director of the ice arena’s skating school, but represents the Los Angeles Figure Skating Club. Together they have developed a winning chemistry that Eldredge has chosen not to alter each time Callaghan has moved on.

“I had so much success with him in previous years, it was worth leaving home,” Eldredge said.

Eldredge has won national junior and novice titles and last October won “Skate Electric” in London by defeating the bronze medalist from the 1989 world championships.

Four years ago, Ruth Eldredge moved to Colorado to give her youngest son--brother Scott is 18 months older and very much a fan--the added support the family felt he needed.

“My husband and son pushed me to go with him,” she said. “The demands on him were so great. I visited him a lot (in Philadelphia), but it’s different when you’re living with him.”

Homesickness had a short life span once he started winning.

“It makes it less difficult since he’s so successful,” Ruth Eldredge said. “It’s ridiculously expensive, but (winning) makes it easier. I would never do this if he weren’t successful.”

It is that success that keeps driving Eldredge so hard. According to his mother, Todd is a perfectionist.

“If he doesn’t skate well, it makes him more motivated,” she said. “He doesn’t settle for anything less than perfection.”

But he is learning to lighten up.

“When I was younger,” Todd Eldredge said, “I used to put too much pressure on myself. Now I try to keep it all in perspective. It’s no big deal if things aren’t perfect.”

Said Callaghan: “He used to be a terrible perfectionist, too much pressure on himself. Now he’s pretty much found a balance.”

Starting his third year of competition with the senior men, Todd is still one of the youngsters. Christopher Bowman, the reigning U.S. champ, is 24. Most of the top senior men are in their mid-20s.

“Todd is one of the young guys going after the older guys,” Callaghan said. “He’s really a part of the senior group now. It’s his first year as a serious contender there.”

While Eldredge sees himself making both World and Olympic teams--a top-three finish at nationals would give him a world team berth--his broad interests would circumvent any perception of failure.

“I’d be disappointed, sure,” he said, “but my life wouldn’t be over. There is life after skating. You have to balance it out.”

Going back to school to earn his degree--he is taking math classes at Miramar College--performing in ice shows and dabbling with judging skating are all possibilities.

“Some people in skating don’t have anything better to do,” he said. “Some treat it as a job and once they’re out of it, they don’t know how to handle it. When I’m in the rink, I do my work, but I try not to make it my life.

“When I have a bad day, I have to say, ‘No big deal. I’ll come back tomorrow.’ You can’t get all down on yourself because then you’ll come back and screw up.”

According to Callaghan, Eldredge is one of the best technical skaters around--”He’s at the top in the U.S.,” he said--but his communication with the audience needs polishing.

“No matter how good you are,” Callaghan said, “you have to let everyone in your program, and that’s through eye contact and communication.”

Bowman offers fierce competition in this area, too. His endearing performances seem to envelop the audiences and draw them close. But Eldredge isn’t losing sleep over putting the audience in a slumber.

“People get into his program,” he said, “but it’s not really a disadvantage. You have to skate you’re own style.”

Eldredge is also learning the importance of an old skating adage: “Always try to win the warmup.” That is, win over the crowd before the competition.

Said Eldredge: “It’s really important. It could have an effect on the judges if (the audience likes you.”

Jumps and spins are Eldredge’s skating strengths. He is working on a quadruple toe loop that he won’t use until, “he hits more than one out of 10 in practice,” Callaghan said. But his triple axle, triple toe loop is one of the hardest combinations seen at this level.

“It takes a lot of years of pounding yourself into the ground,” Eldredge said. “Then, once you get it, it’s second nature.”

Eldredge’s strong work ethic has enabled him to endure it all.

“I’ve never had to train him,” Callaghan said. “I never hassled with checking up on the follow through because he’d always do it.”

Now, Eldredge contributes equally in the choreography of his routines.

“Over the years,” Callaghan said, “I’ve developed a respect for his ability, his self discipline and talent. I respect his thoughts and input a lot more than five or six years ago.”

And his parents have never tried to infringe on Callaghan’s philosophy.

“He’s almost like family,” said Ruth Eldredge. “It’s been such a good relationship because of ours and Todd’s respect for Richard and his respect for Todd. He’s an excellent coach. When it’s comfortable like that, everything falls into place.”

BACKGROUND Todd Eldredge was the leader after the compulsories and heading into the short program late Thursday in the Pacific Coast Championships at the San Diego Ice Arena. Tonight’s long program will begin at 10:05. The regional is a qualifier for the nationals in Salt Lake City in February.