`Winter Solstice On Ice': It's One Incredible Story -- The Incredible Story Behind `Winter Solstice On Ice'

It sounded like such a wonderful idea 14 months ago. Take some of the world's premier skaters, bring them together with a group of top musicians in a surreal setting and you have the ingredients for a spellbinding holiday television special.

When Steve Sterling, a producer with New York-based Automatic Productions (nothing literally could be further from the truth in this incredible odyssey than the company name), came up with the idea and sold it to the A&E Network, he was faced with finding the right site.

He was confident he did in Kemi, Finland, home of the famous Snow Castle, which would serve as both an in-house setting and backdrop for "Winter Solstice on Ice," which was filmed last March and airs at 6 p.m. Saturday.

During a scouting trip to Kemi, population 25,000, last February, Sterling was told by the mayor and longtime residents to count on minus 25-degree Fahrenheit temperatures during the shoot and colder at night. And not to worry about rain or warm temperatures, which had never been recorded there in early March.

"It was the perfect scenario," recalled Sterling during a phone interview last week. "The Snow Castle, the promise of cold weather, clear blue skies and an enthusiastic community that volunteered its services. Remember, all the skating and music specials previously had been held in hockey arenas."

Kemi is situated in the Lapland area of Finland and not far from the Arctic Circle. And, of course, isn't Santa Claus's home nearby, too? Does it get any better than that for a holiday special?

The production integrated entertainers from eight countries and involved 100 people.

"I was prepared for the cold weather," Sterling said. "I'd lived in Wyoming. So I brought along snowmobile suits, electric socks, a thick hat and gloves. But when the plane arrived in Kemi and the door was opened it felt a lot warmer than what I expected."

The production team arrived in Kemi eight days ahead of the entertainers, setting up the equipment under challenging conditions. Once the eight camera sites were picked, that was it. If anyone attempted to move the cables, there's a good chance they would crack in minus 25 and lower temperatures. The frigid temperatures would prove equally challenging to the musicians and skaters, whose filming stints were limited to two to three minutes."

The production company considered buying weather insurance for the $1 million production, said Sterling, but the cost was prohibitive. And why would it be needed? It had never rained or warmed up over freezing in Kemi on the filming dates, anyway.

Opting not to waste any time, Sterling, executive producer Faithe Raphael and director Larry Jordan began production in the elegant Snow Castle the evening the cast arrived. For the first time, a skating rink was built alongside the castle to accommodate the performers.

The next morning the crew awakened to a dripping sound and 34 degrees- above-zero temperature. "I couldn't believe it," Sterling continued. "The skaters came out to test the rink and it had patches of water all over it. Alongside, the castle was starting to droop and rain began falling. I assured everyone we'd do nothing to put them at risk."

Here was some of the world's top musical and skating talent on thin ice - but all egos were stashed. "The entertainers were the first to step forward and say, `We're with you. Whatever you need, we'll do it.' It was a great psychological boost, because, quite frankly, I didn't know what we were going to do.

"Faithe is a real can-do person and Larry is one of the best directors in the world. But none of us had ever faced anything like this."

A call to the airport meteorologist produced more gloomy news: The high-pressure system would remain another three days. With that report, Sterling, Raphael and Jordan were uncertain what would be left standing of the Snow Castle.

"I asked the meteorologist how far we'd have to go to get cold weather suitable for us to finish filming," said Sterling, "and he said 40 miles west of town on the ice in the northern Gulf of Bothnia."

Kemi's mayor volunteered the services of the Sampo, the town's icebreaker, and within eight hours all the equipment that took eight days to set up was dismantled and transported to the icebreaker. "It looked like a Rube Goldberg production," Sterling laughed. "Everyone pitched in, including the townspeople. The only hitch was that the captain of the icebreaker said the entire crew was in town drinking, so he'd be unable to get the ship moving until they all returned.

"The people of Kimi were incredible. They loaned us all sorts of warm clothing once they heard we were headed out to sea on the ice to film."

To reach the site, the icebreaker cut through 10 feet thick of ice most of the two-hour trip. Before leaving Kemi, the cast dressed in the outfits they'd be wearing for the shoot.

"When we reached our destination, the pilot literally parked the icebreaker up on the ice. Afterward, there was dead silence except for the wind and the snow. The sun came out on the low horizon and the snow flakes that were falling actually had a sparkle on them."

Filming continued throughout the day, which was marked by a long, golden sunset. By midnight, it was a wrap. The equipment was gathered up and the happy group was headed back to Kemi for a few hours of final filming in the Snow Castle, which the residents had recarved to make it look good for us.

Altogether, the bulk of the team was there for four days and three nights.

"It was an experience I'll never forget," says Sterling. "It represented the No. 1 nightmare of my career, a meltdown; the most challenging situation I've ever encountered; but the most satisfying accomplishment of my professional career.

"This is a people business and it's really reflected in `Winter Solstice on Ice.' This was about teamwork and tossing egos aside. Everybody helping everybody, from technical crew, to entertainers, to townspeople. It was an experience of a lifetime."

P.S.: The show features Olympic gold-medal figure skater Brian Boitano and world champion Yuka Sato, with musical performances by Windham Hill's Jim Brickman, Tuck and Patti and Samite.