HOTTEST ON ICE LEGENDARY SKATING COACH IN TOWN.

Byline: Naush Boghossian Staff Writer

SANTA CLARITA - As Yugoslavia's male figure-skating champion worked on perfecting his skill, his coach noted every move to produce the perfect turn.

``All the time you do it like that,'' exclaimed Alexei Mishin, the man considered Russia's top figure-skating coach, as he demonstrated Trifun Zivanovic's mistake.

Mishin's emphasis on precise movement and the sharpness of his technique have made him known around the world, with a roster of students that reads like a Who's Who in figure skating.

Now he has set up camp for two weeks at the Valencia Ice Station, where skaters from around the world have flocked to practice under his careful gaze.

``I know of his credentials and the great skaters he's brought up from scratch,'' said Zivanovic, who earned a bronze medal in 2000 and a silver in 1999 when he skated in the U.S. National Championships for the United States. ``They've got some great skills on the ice, and that's what I wanted.''

Mishin has trained, among others, the first Russian Olympic men's champion, Alexei Urmanov, and 1998 World Champion Alexei Yagudin, as well as Yevgeny Plushenko, who recently took the silver medal in the Winter Olympics at Salt Lake City.

While these skaters are performing in professional ice-skating tours, the coaching legend holds skating seminars in different locations across the country.

Pierre Balian, who has been skating for seven years, attributes the improvement in his performance to Mishin's teachings.

``I love training with him because when I started I was not all that (good), but because of his technique, I am where I am,'' said Balian, 18, who placed 10th in the 2002 U.S. National Championships. ``Even when he's not there, I'm skating with his method and skating system.''

And operators of the local skating rink are excited to host champions and future champions.

``It's a tribute to our facility that Mr. Mishin chose us to bring his incredibly talented skaters to practice here,'' said Gary Lane, director of marketing for the Valencia Ice Station. ``We hope that it will encourage our local figure skaters who use our facility to know that we are being endorsed by people of his caliber.''

Mishin - who was a leading pairs skater in 1969, placing second at the World Championships - has been coaching for most of his life and is humble about his success in molding champions.

``Russians sometimes speak an expression: It's not possible to keep a nail in a bag because it will go out,'' Mishin said, demonstrating with his finger a nail piercing through a bag. ``Same for talent. It will some way appear.''

The public can watch the skaters practice from 1:15 p.m. to 2:15 p.m. each day through April 20 at the Valencia Ice Station.

CAPTION(S):

2 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) Yugoslavian champion Trifun Zivanovic figure-skates in Valencia under the tutelage of legendary coach Alexei Mishin.

(2 -- color) Alexei Mishin, left, trains figure-skater Trifun Zivanovic. Gene Blevins/Special to the Daily News