ASSINIBOIA — For Assiniboia Skating Club, preparations have started, routines have been choreographed and skaters are actively practicing while the board finalizes details for the annual ice carnival Feb. 14.
Club spokesperson, Lisa Martin, says the club has 30 skaters ranging in age from three to 17.
“Four coaches work with skaters during the season. Tasha Hoff is our head coach and coaches STARSkate, CanSkate and assists with power skating. Travis Marit is our PowerSkatecoach, Justine Bamford is a CanSkate coach and Kimber Bader is a STARSkate coach,” adds Martin
The club gives the honour of choosing a carnival theme to a STARSkater who is graduating from the program. This year, skater Mina Wirges, chose the theme of “love” because this year’s show is on Valentine’s Day.
“We usually start practicing for the ice show after Christmas, although some of our STARSkaters work on their routines all season. These routines can also be performed in competitions. The board starts prep work after Christmas,” acknowledges Assiniboia’s Skating Club.
In addition to the annual carnival, test days are held throughout the season with a majority of skaters tested by local coaches.
“For the select few skaters requiring upper-level testing after STAR 6, they do have to head out to whichever centre is holding that test day within the section. Some of our skaters do participate in competitions and we do have one skater who also skates in Mossbank twice per week. Kimber Bader also coaches for Moose Jaw Skating Club. Travis Marit has his Evolved Hockey business offering hockey skills building,” affirms Martin.
Juliette Martin who participated in Skate Saskatchewan’s STAR Skate 1-4 Regional Competition in Moose Jaw on Jan 18. | Photo courtesy Kerri Martin
Assiniboia Skating Club prides itself on offering CanSkate, STARSkate and PowerSkate.
“We are a member club of Skate Canada. CanSkate Levels 1-6 is the ‘learn to skate’ program to learn skating skills for any on-ice skating activities including hockey, speed skating and figure skating. Once that is complete, skaters will move on to power skating Levels 1-2 (for hockey players) or STARSkate Levels 1-10 (for figure skaters).”
PowerSkate requires skaters to have hockey skates, helmets, sticks and gloves for all activities.
The CanSkate program is not to just learn how to figure skate, but is a learn-to-skate program, which develops skills based on speed, agility and balance. These important skating skills are the foundations for any ice-skating activity including hockey and speed skating, as well as figure skating.
Interactive activities for CanSkate allow participants to run through a circuit at their own pace, focusing on control, agility and balance.
Martin states, “Dwindling numbers and increased costs to run our programs is always a struggle. So many people think CanSkate is just for figure skating, and we are working hard to overcome that stigma. It is really about giving skaters the best start so that they can be their best any time they are on the ice, for whatever activity they participate in.”
While the exact history of the skating club is unknown, past club members recall their fondest memories of the annual Ice Carnival, along with the exciting announcement of a Carnival Queen each year, dating back to the 1970s and ‘80s.
The highlight of the season is always the ice show, where skaters get to showcase their skills for their friends, family and community. Residents love to experience the pageantry, decorations, costumes and performances while celebrating the accomplishments of the club’s skaters.
The annual ice carnival helps bring in additional revenue for the club as well as providing an evening of entertainment.
A common saying about skating club once touted, “The colder the rink, the warmer the memories.” However, ASC says the memories and experiences are always warm and bright because their new rink is lovely.
“Our skaters are more comfortable in this facility, which prompted the club to host a competition last year. The one takeaway from the competition was that the facility was top-notch, for the skaters, judges and spectators alike. We plan on putting in a bid for hosting more competitions and skills training events in future years.”
