Lipinski Big With Little Skaters

Dozens of mothers, grandparents, kids and little future figure skaters stood in line and snaked through the children’s section of Saks Fifth Avenue on Friday evening to get a glimpse of Olympic gold medalist Tara Lipinski.

Lipinski, 16, was in town for the day to promote DKNY children’s fashions and a national contest that features a grand prize of a skating party with Lipinski and 10 of the winner’s friends. Entrants in Orange County need only to fill out a ballot at Saks and wait until mid-October, when the winners will be announced.

“She has a very positive attitude,” said Kathy Hesse, who drove out from Temecula with her 10-year-old daughter, Megan O’Dell, to snare an autograph and a photo op with the skater.

Lipinski, who sported jeans, a T-shirt and diamond star earrings, took the scene in stride.

Life apparently has been just fine since February’s Nagano Games, where she edged out Sonja Henie’s record as the youngest female to win an Olympic gold medal.

“It’s great,” she said, flashing her trademark wide smile. “I have a little time to travel and have fun.”

Promoting children’s clothes is a good fit for the star, who stands at 5 feet and weighs 91 pounds. She can wear adult fashions (size 0) or kids’ (size 12 or 14).

As with most just-turned-16-year-olds, she is learning to drive and expects her license soon. Unlike most, she will make her first solo run in a black Corvette. “I got some cars from Chevy,” she explained.

Other than that, she is skating with Stars on Ice and going through high school with the help of three tutors and the River Oaks Academy in her hometown of Houston.

Like most teenage girls, she mall-stalks, sews and hangs out with friends. But since her Olympic splash, more people recognize her, she said.

Cookie Lee of Newport Beach staked out a spot at Saks for two hours to introduce her children, 5-year-old Katie Lin and 7-year-old Steven Lin, to the star.

A set of young pairs skaters, they had their own skates for autographing.

“It’s exciting for me because it’s exciting for the kids,” Lee said. And a career in skating would be fine, she added, “as long as they have a good time.”