The Bonnyville Skating Club has almost 40 more registered members than it did in the last two years. The expanded club is very enthusiastic this year, according to head coach Kimberly Buchta, who said, “We have a very eager bunch.”
Buchta is in her fourth year of coaching the skating club. She said there has always been an interest in figure skating and skating in general in the community, but explains that the large membership is likely just due to the increasing passion many kids have for the sport of skating.
“The love of the sport is huge on the ice…I absolutely see it in all our skaters.”
The club runs two main programs: Canskate, which teaches anyone ages two and up how to skate, and Starskate, its figure skating program.
Starskate is broken up into four categories, which include skills, freeskate, dance, and interpretive. There are 34 members in the Starskate program, with 22 junior skaters starting out in figure skating, and 12 senior skaters, who are anywhere from the prelim level to a senior silver level.
Buchta is one of three coaches with the skating club. Coaching alongside her are Sacha Jackson, who is also in her fourth year of coaching, and Rebecca Zajic, who is in her second year.
Zajic has also started another skating program this season called Canpower, that teaches power skating for hockey players.
With several returning skaters moving up to higher levels after last season's success, Buchta can see a lot of potential for many of them to continue on with skating, whether it be in competition or coaching.
Buchta herself moved up through the Starskate program here in Bonnyville, to eventually become a coach. To become a certified coach one must complete each level of the Starskate program, she explained.
Skaters from the club participated in their first competition of the year in St. Albert Dec. 3-5. Five skaters brought home medals from the competition.
Buchta said, “The skaters represented the club very well, they all gave strong performances.”
The skating club practices at the C2 Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays at 4 p.m.
The club's next competition will be in Lloydminster Jan. 14-16. It is the Regional Fun Skate, which includes all levels of competition.
The club will host a competition Feb. 12-13 in Bonnyville called the Canskate Fun Meet, which is strictly for the Canskate level skaters. All Canskate level skaters from clubs in the area are welcome to participate in the meet.
