Skaters from all levels and age groups in the Cranbrook Skating Club took to the ice over the weekend to perform in front of friends, family and the community.
The showcase featured group routines and solos from some of the advanced skaters.
Daniela Hewison, Cranbrook Skating Club head coach, said they felt it was really important for the skaters to be able to put on the show this year.
“We spent probably around four weeks getting ready for this. Ordinarily, we like to have a little more time, but we thought it was really important to make sure the kids get a showcase this year as we’re not sure what will happen in the New Year,” added Hewison.
“We’ve lost our ice show two years in a row because we waited until the end of the season. We really thought it was important this year that the kids have something to showcase to their parents and the community.”
She said it was tough to run the program while only being able to have so many skaters on the ice at once.
“For the Canskaters, we were only allowed to have 15 skaters on the ice which kept our program really small,” said Hewison.
“It was difficult to run and make it feasible when ice costs were so high and we can only have 15 kids on the ice.”
She added that it was especially hard for their competitive skaters to train while not having competitions.
“It was really tough because without competitions and test days they really felt like it was tough to have something to work towards, to have a goal and continue to work hard.”
This last year they were able to have more skaters on the ice and Hewison said they had a great response from the community.
“This year with the numbers allowed to be higher again we had a huge response from the community and we’ve had a great Canskate and Kinderskate program, our rising stars are growing and our STARSkate numbers are growing,” added Hewison.
She encourages kids in the community to join their program and learn how to skate.
“It’s kind of our sport. We spend a lot of time in the cold and hockey is a big thing and so is figure skating,” Hewison said.
“It doesn’t really matter what you go into, it’s a great starting point to come into our Canskate or Kinderskate program and just learn to be comfortable on the ice. It’s not just to be able to compete as a hockey player or a figure skater, but also just as an active for life type of mentality.”