Skaters of many ages and all skill levels hit the ice at Affinity Place this past Sunday. The skaters were there to put on one final performance for family and friends, as the season winds down, to show what they’ve learned, and what they’ve been practicing, over the past few months.
The Estevan Skating Club Carnival’s theme this year was “Feels Like Summer,” a theme many of the younger skaters, adorned in water wings, flower wreaths and other summer paraphernalia embodied on the ice. They performed to the sound of a large, bustling audience, over the course of the afternoon.
“We share the accomplishments of the whole community. There are over 100 skaters today, out on the ice,” said Christa Kurtz, a coach with the Estevan Skating Club. “We start with our pre-CanSkate skaters, which are our three-year olds, and then we have our CanSkaters, our junior program, our intermediate program and our senior program out on the ice. Our entire club is performing out there today.”
Performances varied, from the valiant efforts of the younger skaters to navigate the ice in carefully practiced formations to intricate, fluid and acrobatic performances of the figure skating routines put on by the more advanced club members, all set to a varied soundtrack of everything from pop music hits to familiar family favourites from Disney movies.
Kurtz took some time during an intermission, where she was found coordinating and helping out the crowds of young skaters who were eager to get out onto the ice and strut their stuff, to a great deal of pride for everyone in the club.
“I’ve seen amazing growth in these girls this year. Not just on the ice, but individual growth, too,” she said. “Skating is something you need to overcome a lot of fears to do. You need to have a lot of positive self-talk to get through and do it, sometimes.”
Kurtz said that seniors skate every day of the week, while younger members skate at least two to three times a week. Many of the skaters on the ice have been long-time members of the club, having started from as young as three years old.
While the Carnival means the end of the year for the younger skaters, the seniors will be going on to show what they’ve learned another time, attending a test day in Weyburn, in April.
Looking forward to next year, Kurtz said the club will be staying the course. She said that the CanSkate program, in particular, has seen growth since last year, while the intermediate and junior programs have also seen some growth in membership .
“I hope our skating club continues to grow, and I hope the community supports us with our CanSkate program. I know we have a lot of senior skaters who have a lot of goals they want to reach throughout the next year. We’re just working toward everyone’s goals.”
