Our Roots
Indoor ice skating in Seattle first began around the year 1916 in the Metropolitan Ice Rink. This rink was located across from what is now the Four Seasons Olympic Hotel on University Street in downtown Seattle.
In 1931, the Seattle Skating Club (SSC) was formed to promote and encourage the advancement of figure skating. In 1934, the Civic Ice Arena opened and the club skated out of that facility. The Civic was overhauled in 1961 and renamed the Seattle Center Arena in time for the World's Fair, which was held the following year. It was there that SSC carried out most of its activities until 1964 when the Arena was closed to public skating - remaining open only for ice shows and hockey games.
This closure brought about a move for SSC to the Highland Sports Center, then to Sno-King Arena and then to Olympicview Arena when it was completed in 1994. In 2002, Sno-King was fully renovated and re-opened as the Lynnwood Ice Center. Today, SSC operates with it's primary rink as the Olympicview Arena and it's secondary, basic skills rink being the Lynnwood Ice Center.
The Seattle Skating Club became affiliated with U.S. Figure Skating in 1936. Since that time, the club has produced an impressive number of champions in both National and World level competitions. In 1951 and 1960, SSC hosted the U.S. National Figure Skating Competition, which is now known as the U.S. Championships. In 1961 tragedy struck as three of our SSC club members perished in the plane crash of the U.S. World Team en route to the World Championships. SSC lost Ila Rae & Ray Hadley, the 1960 US Silver Pairs Champions & 1957 US Junior Pairs Champions, as well as their mother and coach Linda Hadley. A trophy is dedicated in their memories at SSC's annual Ice Fest competition.
More recently, the club has hosted the 2005 Northwest Pacific Regional Championships, the 2006 Pacific Coast Synchronized Skating Championships, the 2007 Pacific Coast Sectional Championships and the 2008 Northwest Pacific Regional Championships. SSC is the current home to USA Team members Joylyn Yang & Jean-Luc Baker.
Seattle Skating Club World & Olympic Champions
1983 - Rosalynn Sumners - World Ladies Figure Skating Champion
1984 - Rosalynn Sumners - Olympic Ladies Silver Medalist
Seattle Skating Club U.S. Figure Skating Hall of Fame Members
Inducted in 1995 - Cynthia & Ron Kauffman
Inducted in 2001 - Rosalynn Sumners
Seattle Skating Club National Champions
1939 - Betty Bennett & John Kinney - Junior Pairs
1948 - Mary Firth - Junior Pairs
1948 & 1949 - Karol & Peter Kennedy - Senior Pairs
1951 - Francis Dorsey - Junior Ladies
1952 - Sharon Choate & Richard Bromley - Junior Pairs
1953 - Pat Firth - Junior Ladies
1954 - Dawn May & David Hertz - Junior Pairs
1957 - Ila Rae & Ray Hadley - Junior Pairs
1963 - Cynthia & Ron Kaufmann - Junior Pairs
1966, 1967, 1968 & 1969 - Cynthia & Ron Kaufmann - Senior Pairs
1967 - Lorna Dyer & John Carrell - Senior Pairs
1979 - Rosalynn Sumners - Novice Ladies
1968 - Joan Bitterman & Brad Hislop - Junior Dance
1982, 1983 & 1984 - Rosalynn Sumners - Senior Ladies
1988 - Dena Galech - Junior Ladies
1989 & 1990 - Joseph Druar - Senior Dance
1990 - Beth Buhl - Junior Dance
1999 - Kakani & Ikaika Young - Novice Dance
2006 - Joshua Farris - Juvenile Boys
2007 - Joylyn Yang & Jean-Luc Baker - Juvenile Dance
2008 - Joylyn Yang & Jean-Luc Baker - Intermediate Dance
Recent U.S Championship & Pacific Coast Sectional Medalists
2010 Novice Dance Bronze Medalists - Joylyn Yang & Jean-Luc Baker
2009 Adult National Championship Dance Silver Medalists - Anna Li & Will Eastler
2008 Adult National Championship Dance Silver Medalists - Anna Li & Will Eastler
2011 Pacific Coast Sectional Junior Dance Gold Medalists - Joylyn Yang & Jean-Luc Baker
2011 Pacific Coast Sectional Novice Dance Gold Medalist - Mark Jahnke
2010 Pacific Coast Sectional Novice Dance Gold Medalists - Joylyn Yang & Jean-Luc Baker
2009 National Solo Dance Silver Medalist - Mark Janke
2009 Pacific Coast Sectional Senior Dance Petwer Medalist - Emma Cyders
2009 Pacific Coast Sectional Novice Dance Bronze Medalists - Joylyn Yang & Jean-Luc Baker
2009 Pacific Coast Sectional Intermediate Dance Silver Medalists - Megan Lee & Mark Jahnke
2009 Adult Pacific Coast Sectional Championship Dance Silver Medalists - Anna Li & Will Eastler
2008 Pacific Coast Sectional Juvenile Dance Silver Medalists - Megan Lee & Benjamin Maki
2008 Adult Pacific Coast Sectional Championship Dance Silver Medalists - Anna Li & Will Eastler
2007 Pacific Coast Sectional Senior Dance Pewter Medalists - Emma Cyders & Ikaika Young
2007 Pacific Coast Sectional Junior Pairs Pewter Medalists - Brendyn Hatfield