Published: September 01. 2011 2:00AM

By Stephanie Trotter

More than 13 years have passed since we watched a bun-topped pixie skate away with gold at the Olympic Games in Nagano, Japan. Yet when the U.S. Team takes to the ice this season, Tara Lipinski will once again fill our screens with her effervescent smile and pleasant demeanor. This time she’ll appear as a commentator, not a competitor, and as an adult. The bangs have grown out and Lipinski’s grown up, but one thing’s still the same: her love of the ice.

The 29-year-old only recently returned to the rink, providing commentary for Universal and NBC Sports during last season’s Grand Prix Skating Series. She’s taken most of her 20s off to travel, act and “live a normal life” at her homes in California and South Carolina. That’s right, the youngest woman skater in history to ever win the Olympics, U.S. and World Championships lives a good part of the year on Kiawah Island. And that’s where TALK caught up with her to dish about boys and surfing, Olympic gold and boiled peanuts.

Talk Greenville: It’s beautiful on the boardwalk today. When did you move here?

Tara Lipinski: It was ’97 when I bought the land. My mom’s always been obsessed with the beach, and that’s where we spent our vacations. I just really wanted to have a place of our own.

TG: Wait. You would have been 14. Before the Olympics.

TL: (laughing) Yes. I’m really close with my parents and they watched over me at the time. It was beautiful here. We looked in Florida and it could be touristy. We went out to California and the water was cold. And then someone tipped me off about Kiawah and we came out and loved it.

TG: I’ve read you are driven and knew what you wanted very young. But I thought that was about ice skating.

TL: (laughing harder) Yes! We built it from scratch and it took four years. It’s one of those homes that I hope to keep in my family forever. Right now, all of my cousins are out here with their kids.

TG: What do you like to do here?

TL: I come out two to three months during the summer. I love surfing and going out on the water. We love Charleston. And we go to Freshfields Village and The Sanctuary for the spa. My mom and I love to antique shop.

TG: Now that you live here, ever tried boiled peanuts?

TL: Oh, noooo. I don’t think I’ve ever had one. That’s not good, is it? I’m gonna try them, I promise.

TG: Up until last year, you’ve been low-key doing some acting here and there. Is that a career or hobby?

TL: It’s definitely a hobby. It was really nice to be able to do when taking a break from skating and living in L.A. Now that I’m doing the skating stuff, it’s harder to fit all of it in, so I’m not actively pursuing it.

TG: Why did you hang up your skates when you did and stop touring as a pro?

TL: I wanted to try and live life a little bit and be normal. Skating is always a part of my life and always will be, but I just wanted to find that passion again. I knew for awhile I was interested in commentating.

TG: How did you get into that?

TL: I started at a low level with one of our federation’s skating networks and then got asked to do Universal Sports last year. Then NBC ran some of my call on Sundays. I’m working at it and it’s something I could see myself doing for a long time. My goal is to keep moving up. It’s something I thought would be easy because I know my sport, but then you put the headphones on and it’s like, “Wow, it’s not that easy.” It’s definitely challenging and it’s fun.

TG: Do you want to be like Scott Hamilton?

TL: (smiling) He’s the king of ice skating. At first, I would go to his shows, then I did Stars on Ice and I was lucky enough to tour with him. Obviously he’s the voice of figure skating. I would definitely hope for years and years to come I can emulate him. We’ll see.

TG: Let’s go back to ’98. What was going through your head as they raised our country’s flag for you at the Olympics?

TL: It was happening so fast. I remember thinking, “Remember this; cherish this moment.” It’s shocking because you work your entire life for one moment and you have your doubts that it will ever happen. And when it actually does, it’s kind of surreal and you think, “What is happening?” Almost after the fact, years later, even now, I wake up and I really cherish and enjoy it. I just feel very blessed and grateful that that happened in my life.

TG: Where do you keep your medal?

TL: It travels around. Right now it’s in a museum in Colorado, but I can get it back anytime I want.

TG: You were crowned U.S. and World champ at 14 and won Olympic gold at 15. The ISU then set a minimum age limit for skaters. What do you think about young children in sports?

TL: For me, there is a lot of pressure that comes along with sports, but that’s the beauty of it. As hard as it can be, the flip side is when things do go well, it’s pretty unreal, it’s unmatched. The thing to remember: The child has to love it. It has to come from within. I really, really loved it. I couldn’t imagine my life without it. It balances out the negative effects of the pressure and intensity and everything else you deal with.

TG: You and your mom lived all over the country following coaches, leaving your dad alone to hold down the fort near Houston.

TL: Looking back, my family would probably say, “I don’t know if I could do this again.” But when I look back, I would do it over a million times. I gave up so much of my childhood and I didn’t get to live life in the normal way. But if I had to pick, I would do it all over again.

TG: You took heat for retiring right after the Olympics.

TL: I felt like I’d accomplished everything and I just wanted to move on. I look back and I’m glad I got out of it and my mom could go home. I went on tour and my mom went home to my dad. They handled it beautifully.

TG: Do you want to get married and have kids someday?

TL: Of course. (smiling) Right now I’m newly single and enjoying it. There’s not really a rush. My mom is pretty much my hero. She’s dedicated her life to me. I hope when I have kids, I can try to be a little bit like her.

TG: Looking to the U.S. Team, what does this season hold?

TL: Evan Lysacek is coming back this season, which is going to be an incredible sight to see. He took a year off and he’s the Olympic champion. I think our U.S. girls are working hard and we’ll see lots of new faces coming up. The Russians are going to be incredible. These little girls I’ve been watching over the last few years are going into the senior ranks and they have just a crazy arsenal of triple-triples. I think it will be an exciting year.

TG: And what about your skating? We hear you’re back at it after not stepping on the ice for five years!

TL: Yes. I’m skating a little bit. It started once I started commentating. I don’t really foresee any competition, or shows at this point, but I’m not closed to it.

TG: What about “Skating with the Stars,” or “Dancing with the Stars”?

TL: (laughing) Oh, I don’t know. I love watching “Dancing with the Stars.” It’s one of my favorite shows and Kristi (Yamaguchi) and Evan have been on it, but I don’t know. I really am focused on commentating right now.

TG: We’ll see you then, on Universal Sports or at the beach.

For more, go to TaraLipinski.com.