On an Island better known for Summer Games pursuits, the popularity of figure skating has proven stubbornly durable.
Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre, and the old Memorial Arena, have always been packed any time Skate sa国际传媒 International or the Canadian figure skating championships have been held in Victoria.
And a skating town needs good skating clubs. It has them in the Racquet Club and Juan de Fuca.
Tessa Jones and Matthew den Boer of the Racquet Club in pre-novice pairs and clubmates Andie Lynn Gingrich and Liam Kinrade in novice dance have qualified for the 2013 Skate sa国际传媒 Challenge taking place this weekend in Regina. Karlissa Lem and Le Vu of Juan de Fuca qualified in pre-novice dance.
They are all being coached in Regina by Matt Willis, junior development co-ordinator for the Racquet Club.
And Willis won't have much down time when he returns. He has to again pack his bags and leave Tuesday with the high-level Victoria senior dance tandem of siblings Pilar and Leonardo Maekawa, who will be competing in the Golden Spin at Zagreb, Croatia, with the chance from there of advancing to the prestigious Four event.
"I had to move to skate," said Willis, who skated at the nationals during his competitive career.
"It's nice that top Island kids don't have to move now. People here appreciate skating - attendance for big skating events in Victoria is always tremendous - and we try to keep our club standard high."
More than 500 skaters are in Regina for the Skate sa国际传媒 Challenge to try to qualify for the 2013 Canadian championships Jan. 13-20 in Mississauga, Ont. The Skate sa国际传媒 Challenge qualifiers have advanced through their home sectionals to get to Regina.
The competition will be keen. Among the skaters are national team members Paige Lawrence and Rudi Swiegers of Saskatchewan in senior pairs and Kaetlyn Osmond of Newfoundland in senior women's. Mitchell Islam and Alexandra Paul will also be there, as will three-time Canadian champion Emanuel Sandhu.
Willis said he expects his Racquet Club skaters Gingrich and Kinrade to qualify for nationals in novice dance.
