March 15, 2012

Greetings from sunny Utah!  

Will and I arrived at Salt Lake International Airport and headed on the hour drive to Provo.  In the airport, we see other skaters toting around their skate bags but we don’t recognize any of them.

We have a practice tonight and then tomorrow, we’ll have official compulsory dance practice and compulsory dance competition.  We can’t believe how warm and sunny it is here and it’s beginning to look like bringing our winter coats and “skate warm at OVA” clothes was unnecessary.

Wow!  The Peaks Ice Arena is very warm and the ice is soft.  We’ve taken a bunch of pictures because this rink will be hosting the 2012 Pacific Coast Sectionals so we think many of our young OVA friends will be interested.  Peak's Arena 

The complex oddly holds two indoor soccer fields, or what our OVA Brits would call football fields.  There are two arenas but only the one with lots of bleachers is being used for this competition.  The locker rooms run through a hall between the two rinks and leads right to an entrance onto the competition rink.  Instead, we learn that we have to enter the rink from the far side thorough the hockey boxes.  With only three teams in Championship dance, we knew a costume change for compulsories would be difficult, but now it’s impossible given the distance to the locker room.  Of course, there was the time I changed in the arena behind blankets that my friends held up as a dressing stall.

RegistrationWe end up sharing the practice ice with just one solo dancer.  It’s great to have empty ice to get our bearings.  We can feel the altitude but it isn’t too bad…yet.

Yeah!  Our friend Chris is also at the rink having just finished a practice.  Chris lives in Montana and we haven’t seen him since we last competed two years ago.  We keep in touch on email but its great to catch up in person.  Chris is going to wait for us to finish our practice so we can go get a bite together.

Friday, March 14, 2012
Ice Cut Twice as Fast
Our official practice is not until 3pm and we compete at about 6pm so we get to sleep in.  We go over to the rink at about 11am so that I can check in as an official coach and help Chris on his practice since he didn’t bring his coach from home.  

For the first time, Chris has doubles in his program.  They are a little inconsistent but he is going for the challenge of doing them under pressure.  I give him a couple of pointers and encourage his confidence.

The rest of the dancers in our category have arrived.  Warm up by football fieldUnfortunately, our friends Kia and Molly have to compete with an injury.  Molly has a pulled muscle that is on the mend but very vulnerable to re-injury which would affect them at Nationals.  They tell us that they are going to only do a single pattern of the compulsories and just skate around during their free dance so that they can qualify to go on to Nationals.

The other team, Gilbert and April, suggest we all go to lunch together.  Marco, who will be competing in Championship Gold Men, also joins us.  We find this really terrific restaurant, Guru’s, which has lots of yummy choices including pastas, rice bowls, burritos and dishes with lots of vegetables.  The half portions are plenty but somehow Gilbert manages to polish off a full portion...the bowl is larger than his head.  Load those carbs!

Locker rooms
Competition Time
Dressed in our Paso outfits, we ready ourselves for doing the Paso first and then the Starlight.  We’ve drawn position #2 so we’ll be skating second in both dances.  As we swing by the judges’ stand during warm up, I can see a couple of judges we know watching and smiling at us.  It reminds us that the judges are actually rooting for you and want you to skate your best.

We end up sitting in the hockey box across from the judges while each of us in our group competes.  It feels a little weird but also nice as it creates a sense of camaraderie among the competitors
Skaters enter from hockey box
Anita Conrad is watching from the corner glass of the rink so she can get back to the accountant’s room as quickly as needed.  She is the chief accountant at the competition but her presence is helping us feel like we’re at home. 

Anita's Corner

The corner Anita is standing at is the spot for the opening 3-turn for the Starlight and I try to look at her to project a big, happy smile in the sweeping waltz.

Results get posted and we swept all 1st’s in the Paso but the panel is split over the Starlight.  April and Gilbert have four 1st’s to our three 1st’s so they lead after the compulsory portion because the second dance breaks the tie.
Off ice warm up
As we are getting our skates off, a coach that was at yesterday’s practice comes over to ask me if I am from New York.  I tell her I am originally and she proceeds to tell me her name and how she got goose bumps watching us as she realized I was her childhood friend.  Nancy and I skated together as kids and even competed in shadow dance as partners.  We haven’t seen each other in about 25 years but skating is a small world where you make lifelong friends.

Saturday, March 15, 2012

This morning we’ll be competing our free dance and the timing is just like practice time at home.  We’re a little tired as we had practice at 7:30pm last night and then had dinner at California Pizza Kitchen with Molly and Kia.  By the time we got our things organized for the morning and washed up for bed, it was late.  In a way, it’s just like our schedule at home…too little sleep and too much to do.
View from the stands
We have a good official practice.  During the in between time, there’s talk of our event starting earlier so Will and I get going with our off-ice warm up.  We’ve been running the stairs that are just by the accounting office and face the registration desk.  It’s now about the 6th time we’ve run these stairs since we arrived, so I’m either getting used to the folks at the registration desk watching us like we’re crazy or they have gotten used to us and have stopped staring.  Meanwhile, I still have to actively regulate my breathing because of the altitude.

Will’s friend from work in Seattle has just arrived with his new girlfriend that lives in Salt Lake.  He just flew in this morning for the weekend and they hustled to Provo to watch us.  They have not seen figure skating in person and are curious to see what has been getting Will into work late each day.  Their effort to come and support us is a lovely treat.

Ben and I are texting.  He is giving us all that good coaching juju…friendly reminders, lots of encouragement and direction for our nervous energy.  I keep envisioning how he looks when he turns his performance switch on and I work on embodying that feeling to be larger than life.

Molly and Kianoosh finish up and now it’s our turn.  We take our positions and the music starts to play.  Well, it’s happening.  We waltz jump into the twizzles.  The first set is together and even though something feels a bit odd, we get them done and connect up well afterwards.  I jump into the low lift and manage to remember the new change of elbows up first.  I think it’s some of the best arms I’ve done on that lift.  We have trouble on the entrance to our camel as we misread each other and then don’t push together.  Will says to me, “hang on” as he manages to pull me into the camel even though I’m a sack of potatoes.  The camel goes but is creaking around in agony and I think, gosh, we should get extra points for even being able to get a camel off that entrance even though I know the system doesn’t work that way.  But, we get a great entrance into the back sit spin and we try to make up for the camel.  

Our program continues and I’m always amazed at how it feels slowed down and speeding by all at the same time during competition.  We’ve done a great hydro and long lift that rotated easily.  Next thing we know, we’re done.  Of course, part of me wants to say, “Wait. Can we do it again?  We can skate better than that.”  It’s as though the double run-throughs at home were for more than just stamina.  But all we can do is politely bow and graciously smile as though what we’ve skated is worth winning.
Sundance
We’ve qualified for Adult Nationals and tonight we’re going to The Tree Room at Sundance for a nice dinner.  The drive to actor Robert Redford’s resort is only about a half hour and the vistas are gorgeous.  We go early to have time to poke around the grounds in the light.  Oh, there’s a fire pit going and kids are roasting marshmallows…mmm.  The gift shop is big and has cute things.  The halls are filled with pictures of famous folks and less famous folks - all of them having contributed to this special place that cultivates nature and the human spirit.

Tomorrow we’ll go visit with my friends that I met while living in Park City for a ski season long ago.  Lisa took up skating just a few years ago and is going to take her first MIF and FS tests next week.  We’ll have a nice relaxing time to help us regroup and return home ready to train hard for Nationals….I guess in a way we’re are going to get the second run through after all.

Staying on edge,
Anna

P.S.  Thanks to everyone for their support, encouragement and well wishes on this journey.  A special thanks to Ben, who raised the partnership bar; Sharon, who has been in our corner since the beginning and continually teaches us to be slicker, meaner, lighter, more sparkly and super-de-duper while always improving our technique; Steve, who in his jovial way shows us that pair skaters know a thing or two; and Paul, who puts up with me and teaches us that we haven’t yet found the bottom of our “digging deep”.  And, thanks to Will, without whom I would be the silence of one hand clapping.

Our Skaters!

The Seattle Skating club is proud of all our skaters and we applaud their achievements from those taking their first steps to our TEAM USA members.  On this page, we recognize our current skaters who have made significant achievements on their skating journey.  

Adult Sectionals Competitors-Anna Li and Will Eastler

March, 13, 2012.  SSC sends best wishes to Provo, Utah, for Adult Sectionals competitors Anna Li and Will Eastler.  Anna and Will are skating at the Championship Dance Level.  Adult Sectionals and Nationals are different than Sectionals and Nationals for the younger skaters because USFS is trying to be as inclusive as possible for adults who skated as children and those who started as adults.  As a result, the competitions are comprised of events that are non-qualifying as well as qualifying.  In addition, there are non-championship events. 

Anna and Will are skating at the qualifying level, they have to skate at Sectionals to advance to Nationals.  They are skating in the title Dance Event (just as the Senior level is for Youth skaters).  Skaters have to have passed Pre-gold Dance Test or above to enter.  You can skate in this event whether you passed those tests as a child or as an adult.   Anna Li, who skated as a child might well find herself skating against skaters who started as adults.  The winners of each of the Championship events are the national adult champions for the year and will be listed in the rulebook along with the other champions (regular Senior, Junior, Novice, etc.)

Their event has two parts:  1) the compulsories which are the Starlight Waltz and the Paso Doble this year, and 2) the Free Dance.

The team competed 2 other times in Sectionals and Nationals....2008 in Portland then Lake Placid and 2009 in Las Vegas then Grand Rapids.  The team placed 2nd and won Silver medals at all of them...the last nationals just 0.26 behind the 6-time defending champions.

Will and Anna met at OVA when Will came from Boston to do a glass-blowing internship for the summer.  He was completing a degree from Massachusetts College of Art so he came back and forth during school breaks and summer until he graduated.  You can read more about them here.

US Championship Competitor - MARK JAHNKE!

Mark Jahnke & Roxette Howe, photo by Sarah Brannen

TSSC Skater Mark Janke, and his ice dance partner Roxette Howe, All Year FSC,  skated at the US Championships to a 10th place finish in Junior Dance.  Top ten in the Country!!  Awesome job Mark & Roxette!!

Check out  the results and Mark's short and free dance at  www.icenetwork.com.  

Mark will also be providing us with his blogs from Championships so read along and be part of the action!

Congratulations to our Pacific Coast Sectional Competitors!

Olivia Olsen - 10th place Senior Ladies

Mark Janke, SSC 7& Roxette Howe, All Yeaf FSC - Bronze medalists Junior Dance

Gianna Buckley, SSC & Caleb Niva (Everett FSC) - Pewter medalists Juvenile Dance

Congratulations to our Qualifying Skaters at NWP Regionals!

SSC's 2012 Northwest Pacific Regional Championships Team!

SSC's 2012 NWP Regionals Figure Skating Team! Featured are skaters who participated in our Regionals Send off exhibition!

2012 NWP Regionals Qualifying Skaters 

 Eleven skaters from SSC will take to the ice in Spokane, WA this weekend to compete in the 2012 Northwest Pacific Regional Figure Skating Championships.  The top four skaters in Juvenile and Intermediate men's and ladies at this event will move onto the 2012 U.S. Junior Championships in Lansing, Michigan.  The top four skates placing in Novice, Junior and Senior mens and ladies, will move onto the 2012 Pacific Coast Sectional Championships in Salt Lake City.  

The skaters representing SSC this year are:  

Kacie Capuzzi - Juvenile Girls

Madison Schatz - Juvenile Girls

Shoritah Ching - Intermediate Ladies

Shelby King - Intermediate Ladies

Anna Lank - Intermediate Ladies

Alaina Lewis - Intermediate Ladies

Haley Null - Intermediate Ladies

Turner Malatos - Intermediate Men

Ikaika Miyata - Intermediate Men

Sarah Gonzales - Senior Ladies

Olivia Olsen - Senior Ladies.  

Coverage of the event, including schedules, live video streaming and results can be found on icenetwork.  We are also excited that one of our skaters, Ikaika Miyata will be blogging for our club from Spokane.  You will find his posts on our latest news page!

Good Luck to our Qualifying skaters! 

Also taking place in this is the Non-qualifying Northwest Pacific Open competition.  SSC is proud of the seventeen skaters representing our club in this portion of the Regionals weekend.  Skating for SSC are: Emersyn Basile - Non-Test girls, Karissa Black - Non-Test girls, Cassidy Rust - Non-Test girls, Sabrina Rust - Non-Test girls, Emma Winward - Non-Test girls, Mia Matson - Non-Test girls, Evelyn Jackson - Non-Test girls,  Gianna Buckley - Pre-Preliminary girls, Felicia File - Pre-Preliminary girls,  Lori Klein - Pre-Preliminary girls, Julianne Lefelhocz - Pre-Preliminary (no axel) girls, Marissa Charawell - Preliminary girls, Carly Sprague - Preliminary girls, Tori Littlefield - Preliminary girls, Alina Bui - Pre-Juvenile girls, Peyton Darrow - Pre-Juvenile girls, Mercedes Valles - Open Juvenile girls.  Although results for these events won't be posted at icenetwork, we are sure to hear of the great skates that trickle back to us in Seattle.  

We wish all our Northwest Pacific Open skaters their best skate of the year!  

TEAM USA

SSC is very proud to have two skaters that have been named to the 2011-2012 TEAM USA team envelope.  Joylyn Yang and Jean-Luc Baker have been TEAM USA members for two years and represented our country in Junior Grand Prix events last season.  The "JL's", as they are affectionately dubbed, are the 2007 Juvenile and 2008 Intermediate Dance National Champions, as well as the 2010 U.S. Novice Bronze medalists.

Our Collegiate Skaters!

With the advent of U.S. Figure skating's Collegiate level membership, SSC is pleased that many of our skaters, who grew up at our rinks, have moved onto college, but have stayed skating with SSC.  We have also gained some new skaters as they have made their home in WA state or are attending college close to our rinks.  Whether our skaters are far from home and are managing some time at rinks close to their dorms, are here in the city and can skate between classes or have to wait until they are home on break to skate, we applaud all their efforts to stay with this sport as they concentrate on their studies.  SSC's Collegiate Skaters include Lauren Buchanan, Brianna Burt, Justin Feldsine, Phoebe Herland, Mark Jahnke, Kerry Johnson, Megan Lee, Rylie Pepich, Daniela Pinedo, Caitlin Schofield, Smita Shete, Jessica Toika and Brooke Watson.  

Megan Lee & Mark Jahnke, 2009We would be remiss if we did not single out Mark Jahnke as an exceptional SSC skater attending college.  Mark spent many years at SSC both as a singles skater, receiving his gold medal for Senior FS and as an ice dancer, pictured here with SSC skater Megan Lee when they placed 6th in Intermediate Dance at the U.S. Junior National Championships.  Mark has not only maintained his skating while attending BU and now Harvard, but he has continued to compete at elite levels.  The 2011 Pacific Coast Sectional Novice Dance Gold Medalist and 2011 Novice Dance US Championships competitor, Mark is currently training in Michigan with his new partner anticipating competing at this year's Sectional championship in Junior Dance. Check out his other titles on the Club History page.  Kudos Mark!  That's some time management program!  

Seattle Skating Club TEAMS!

As our SSC competitive skaters progress through their testing levels we are proud to recognize their accomplishments by acknowledging them on one of our three competitive teams.

Each of these teams is attained by a skater passing a significant milestone in USFS testing.

In order to be considered for an SSC Team, a skater must be a current SSC member, must have competed or tested in a USFS Sanctioned event within the last two calendar years and must have passed the test associated with each team standard.

Skaters are awarded an SSC Team pin that we hope they wear proudly on their warm-up coats.  Pins are awarded at our end of the year holiday gala.  

The SSC Teams Skaters as of December 2010 are:

Elite Team = attained Novice FS, Novice FD or Pre-Gold Dance levels

Niki Ang

 Jean-Luc Baker

 Sarah Gonzales

Lisa Greene

 Phoebe Herland

 Mark Jahnke

Megan Lee

 Olivia Olsen

 Caitlin Schofield

Brooke Watson

 Joylyn Yang

 Junior Elite Team - attained Juvenile FS, Juvenile FD or Pre-Silver Dance levels

 Monica Amalla

Lauren Buchanan

MacKenzie Caputo

Kacie Capuzzi

Shoritah Ching

Shelby King

Anna Lank

Alaina Lewis

Turmer Malatos

Ikaika Miyata

Haley Null

Developmental Team =  attained Pre-Preliminary FS or Preliminary Dance levels.

Gianna Buckley

Alina Bui

Marissa Charawell

Julie Cheng

Daniel Fewell

Kari Kennedy

Lori Klein

Miriam Miyanja

Ashley Phillips

Madison Schatz

Christina Smith

Carly Sprague

Mercedes Valles

Annika VanSandt

Alyse Whitlock

Ashley Wu 

Congratulations to all of our SSC Team Skaters!