Young Drumheller residents will once again get the opportunity to figure skate this year.
The Can Skate and Star Skate programs will begin this fall for local skaters. Koren McDougald, President of the Drumheller Skating Club said the Star Skate junior, intermediate and senior skaters will start on Tuesday, September 8.
“Star Skate is the junior, intermediate and senior level. So these are girls who have programs and go to competitions,” she said.
McDougald explained that Can Skate usually starts at age 3 and can go up to 12 year olds.
“In Can Skate you are learning to stop, start, do crossovers, skating backwards, edges, and starting to learn twirls and jumps. It is mostly figuring out the basics,” she said, explaining there are levels including pre-Can Skate which is levels 1-3, Can Skate A which is levels 4 and 5, and Can Skate B which is level 6.
“After they complete level 6, they move into the Star Skate program. In the Star Skate program you have to learn different dances, and you get tested on dances and that is how you move up so you would go bronze, silver and gold,” she said, explaining that there are six dances in each level.
The Can Skate program will begin on Wednesday, October 7 McDougald said. She told inSide Drumheller that it is expected that the Star Skate program will have 16 skaters this year. As for the Can Skate program, she said there were 55 registered last year and they hope for similar numbers this year.
When asked why a skating program in Drumheller is important for the community McDougald said, “It is just to get the kids out and doing something in the arena and in the community. They get out, they learn a skill, and it is Canada, everyone should learn how to skate.”
“It develops incredible balance. Those kids are skating on those little blades, and you can skate faster than you can run, so it does really encourage great balance,” she said.
McDougald also mentioned that they are part of the Skate Canada program and have to abide by the rules set out by them, including having coaches that are Can Skate qualified. She said they have one coach, Jackie Watts, which switches back and forth between the Can Skate and Star Skate programs and 10 program assistants who work strictly with the Can Skate skaters.
She said once the kids who participate in the Can Skate program are 12, a lot of the boys will move on to hockey and the girls will continue and move up into the Star Skate program until they are 17.
Anyone interested in registering can visit the Drumheller Skating at the Sports Expo on Wednesday, September 9.
