Arctic Edge Skating Club members had good reason to be checking and rechecking the sharpness of their skates over the weekend.
It was a good time to stick the landing.
The club held a threefer between Friday and Sunday, hosting the 2010 Arctic Winter Games trials, skill tests and the Yukon Gold Nugget Championships, all at Takhini Arena.
“Basically it’s a competition of skaters within our club because we’re the only club in the Yukon,” said Cheryl Van Blaricom, chair for the Arctic Edge Skating Club. “Just competing in front of judges, that’s the whole intent of it.”
Saturday was the big day, with the championships, Arctic Games trails and two Arctic Edge skaters passing skills tests.
Achieving the Gold Level Skills status were Rachel Pettitt, 10, and Teneil Caron, 17, who also passed her Senior Silver test.
“Once they pass a level they start working on the next one,” said Van Blaricom.
“The goal in skating is to get your gold in everything and achieve diamond in dance. Dance has an additional level called Diamond that’s optional, for those really serious about dance.”
Caron was also named to the Yukon’s Arctic Winter Games squad, along with teammates Kelcy Armstrong, Maya Austin, Ariel House and Bryn Hoffman. Coaching the team at the Games will be Lori Austin and Michelle Gorczyca.
“We could have taken two skaters for each level, but we didn’t have skaters qualify to skate at those levels,” said Van Blaricom.
All those named to the team produced results in the championships, especially Armstrong, who won four divisions. For Caron, however, a lack of peers made the event a little less competitive.
“I was the only one in my level, so I didn’t actually compete against anyone,” said Caron. “So it was just to get on the Arctic Winter Games team and an evaluation from the judges.”
The trip to Grande Prairie, Alberta in March will be Caron’s third appearance at the Arctic Games, finishing second in her short program and fifth in her long in 2008.
“It’ll be my last time going so hopefully it’s a good year,” said Caron.
Aside from the competition, trials and skills tests, on Sunday Edge skaters worked with dance partner Graham Casey, a coach and former national level competitor, who was flown up from Vancouver like the three officials in to judge the events. Skaters also took part in a seminar in edging and turns on Sunday.
In related news, local skater Kevin Caron just qualified to skate at the 2010 BMO Skate Canada Junior Nationals next month in London, Ontario. He qualified with a 17th place finish in both his short and long programs at the BMO Skate Canada Western and Eastern Challenge. Kevin squeaked through, needing a top-18 result to get in. (See Wednesday’s paper for story.)
Gold Nugget results
Canskate Ladies Freeskate
1st Alyssa Cuenza
2nd Kaitlyn LeGrow
CanSkate Ladies Elements
1st Mikayla Kramer
Elementary Ladies Freeskate
1st Abigail Cuenza
2nd Kristen LeGrow
3rd Tasha-Lee Schwantz
Elementary Ladies Elements
1st Abigail Cuenza
2nd Kristen LeGrow
3rd Tasha-Lee Schwantz
Pre-Preliminary Ladies Freeskate
1st Zoey Krause
2nd Brittany Au
3rd Jenelle Clethero
4th Taylor Schneider
5th Caitlyn Diakow
6th Morgan Madden
7th Maria Peters
Pre-Preliminary Ladies Creative
1st Brittany Au
2nd Dawn Bohmer
2nd Abigail Cuenza
2nd Zoey Krause
Pre-Preliminary Ladies Skating Skills
1st Taylor Schneider
2nd Zoey Krause
3rd Morgan Madden
Pre-Preliminary Ladies Elements
1st Brittany Au
2nd Zoey Krause
3rd Dawn Bohmer
4th Caitlyn Diakow
4th Taylor Schneider
Preliminary Ladies Freeskate
1st Vina Nelson
2nd Jessica Diakow
3rd Rasheeda Slater
Preliminary Creative
1st Kelcy Armstrong
2nd Mikaela Lane
Preliminary Elements
1st Kelcy Armstrong
2nd Vina Nelson
3rd Rasheeda Slater
4th Mikaela Lane
5th Jessica Diakow
Junior Bronze Ladies Freeskate
1st Kelcy Armstrong
2nd Ariel House
Junior Bronze Creative
1st Rachel Pettitt
2nd Maya Austin
Junior Silver Skating Skills
1st Bryn Hoffman
2nd Mikaela Lane
Pre-Introductory Interpretive
1st Kelcy Armstrong
2nd Rasheeda Slater
3rd Mikaela Lane
4th Jessica Diakow
5th Jenelle Clethero
6th Tasha-Lee Schwantz
Bronze Interpretive
1st Rachel Pettitt
2nd Ariel House
Contact Tom Patrick at
tomp@yukon-news.com