South Cariboo figure skaters showed off their skills on ice the last Saturday as part of the 2022 Winter Ice Show.
100 Mile Skating Club coach Cindy Mardyn said the show aimed to highlight what students have learned since September. With her help, the 20 students each choreographed their own number following set criteria, including two jumps, two spins and two field movements, such as spirals, spread eagles and hydroblading that show basic skating and edge control.
They each chose their own music, costumes and routines.
“They’ve practiced it for the last three weeks and the show was the result of all of that,” Mardyn said. “I think it went pretty good, especially considering where we started a few weeks ago.”
Ava Rywaczuk and Selene Ball, both nine, have been skating together for nearly seven years and say they have formed a close bond as a result. Ava considers the other club members as her “skating family” and the rink her second home. Throughout the show figure skaters off the ice shouted encouragement to their friends, embracing them after they came off the ice.
“Today was really fun,” she said Saturday. “You get so worked up before you on the ice but when you get on there it becomes a lot easier than you think.”
Mackenzie Williams, 13, said she likes the fact everyone is supportive.
“I feel like if you give people encouragement and cheer them on you make them feel they did amazing,” she said. “I really like it when they cheer me on, it makes me feel welcome and that I’m just skating around, minding my own business and I’m free to just skate.”
Mardyn said as a new coach, it was a bit stressful to plan the show. Now that she has seen what they can do she’s excited to organize another one for March to bring out their true potential. “That will be at the end of the year so hopefully we’ll see a lot of progress from now until then.”
patrick.davies@100milefreepress.net
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