Freddie Trenkler, one of the great comedians in the history of skating shows, was known as "The Bouncing Ball of the Ice,"

Trenkler entertained audiences for more than 40 years as a featured star in such productions as the Sonja Henie Show, the Hollywood Ice Review and the Ice Capades.

Trenkler was an enormous influence on skaters who came after him, including Olympic champion Scott Hamilton.

"He was my first experience of ice skating," said Hamilton in an interview with UPI.

Hamilton, who was 8 when he first saw Trenkler skate with the Ice Capades at Boston Gardens, said the rest of the show was wonderful, but the clown was all he remembered.

"I remember the show and Freddie's performance as if it was yesterday," said Hamilton.

"To me, he was everything that embodied professional skating," said Hamilton. "He treated everyone on an equal basis. He brought comic genius to the ice."

Hamilton said he personally related to Trenkler's comedy on ice.

"He was a little guy, I was too," said Hamilton. "I've used a lot of (Trenkler's ideas) in my own performances. He taught me what a wonderful thing it is to create laughter."

Trenkler blended a slapstick approach to ice comedy with a slick and powerful style of skating. Hamilton said that enabled Trenkler to appeal to a demographic cross-section of fans.

"He was a comedic genius," said Hamilton. "There were other ice show comedians that were wonderful, but Freddie had his own niche, his own identity. You couldn't compare him with anybody."

One of Trenkler's most recognizable tricks involved swinging on a rope over the heads of audience members.

"He's being chased, chased, chased, chased, by bigger guys," said Hamilton, "when all of a sudden there's a rope in front of him and he grabs it and flies way up over the audience, faster than running speed."

Hamilton used a version of the trick recently in his own act.

Trenkler was never an Olympic skater, but Hamilton said he was a competitive skater who was "better than anyone else in the history of the industry" at what he did.

He said Trenkler's "level of genius" never goes out of fashion.

"It will endure, as Chaplin endures," said Hamilton. "You look at people of another time, another era -- they were so good because they were filled with integrity and creativity that it will last forever."