Escapades, on ice

Among the 12 competitors in the Masters Men category of the U.S. Figure Skating nationals on Saturday, Bryan Rabin was the only one to do a triple salchow. He’s also the only one among the hundreds who flocked to Chicago for the 76 trials that took place there who could claim orchestrating parties for Robert Redford, Vogue, Giorgio Armani and Vanity Fair in the weeks leading up to the big event.

For two decades, Rabin has been a secret celebrity of sorts, first at the helm of one of Hollywood’s longest-running and wildest parties, Cherry, and next as the co-owner of one of L.A.’s top event-planning outfits. When Dior, Hermes, Dolce & Gabbana, Madonna or MOCA require a party that will be talked about for years, they charge Rabin Rodgers with the task.

That (and being one of the more charitable and nicest guys in town) explains the turnout last month at a Culver City ice rink: some 170 bold-face pals, including Rose McGowan, Dita Von Teese, Jon Sidel, Tatiana von Furstenberg, Ione Skye and Guinevere Van Seenus. The rink regulars didn’t know what hit them.

Among Rabin’s supporters, it was partly curiosity. Many hadn’t known that before running off to join the Tinseltown circus, this utterly cool guy in Dior Homme and Helmut Lang had been an Olympic-bound national champion figure skater. Rabin returned to the ice nine months ago to get into shape. Before long, he’d reunited with his old coach Derek James and started training for the adult championship, in between organizing Oscar and fashion bashes.

A much smaller contingent of 10 went to cheer him on last weekend in Chicago (which happens to be Rabin’s hometown), including club impresario Joseph Brooks, interior designer Bret Witke, rock ‘n’ roll life coach TC Conroy and makeup artist Kathy Jeung — who came straight from an gig with Kylie Minogue in Shanghai. Also there was costume designer Robert Saduski, who created the Hedi Slimane-inspired slim black skate suit (it stretches!), complete with skinny tie.

Along with the salchow, Rabin managed seven double jumps, including a double axel. He took home the bronze. Take that Will Ferrell.