Figure Skating Can Be a Family Affair
When the skaters take to the ice for the 8th Annual Skaters Cup, quite a few families will be among the competitors. The event is sponsored by the Sharper Edge Skating School. The Skaters Cup will take place on May 21, 2005 at the Valley Sports Ice Arena in West Concord. The competition will include 174 skaters, ranging in age from 5 to 63, and at all ability levels.At Sharper Edge, skating has often become a family affair. In many cases the kids got involved with skating as an after school activity.
Parents sometimes find themselves spending hours at the rink each week for practices, year round. In some cases, parents have decided they want to get involved in the action instead of just watching from the sides. Sharper Edge has quite a number of such families. There is a Learn to Skate program geared towards adults, so even the very beginner adult can satisfy that need to glide around on ice.The Ryan family of Concord has five skating members. Mom, Nancy Ryan, and all four daughters skate for Shaper Edge.
Ryan took a Learn to Skate program after her oldest daughter Victoria started skating. I wanted to be able to take her to public skating sessions. But then I loved it. It is fun, and satisfying to see the progress. Dave Dunn of Acton had never skated in his life until two years ago, at the age of 49. He thought it looked like fun after seeing his two daughters skate on Saturday mornings.
His wife encouraged him to take some classes and now he has found a new hobby. I used to ski, but this is more fun. I can do more on skates than I can on skis. And I can do this year round. The Weaver -Vilain family of Carlisle is also regularly on the ice. Mom Suzie Weaver has fulfilled a life long interest by taking up skating as an adult.
She, and daughters Chloe and Camilla skate several days per week. There are at least three other families with skaters of different generations at Sharper Edge Skating School. The Sharper Edge Skating School is a member of International Skating Institute or ISI, which is dedicated to the education and promotion of recreational skating. While there are competitions available for skaters to compete in on a local, regional or even national level, the focus is on skating as a recreational activity. Clubs train individuals for solo and team events.
The local competition will feature competitions in stroking, compulsory maneuvers, individual badge competition, artistic and spotlight events, as well as team compulsory and team formation events. These team events promote cooperation and teamwork for the skaters and give them opportunities to learn new skills. Sharper Edge skaters come from Acton, Bedford, Belmont, Billerica, Boxborough, Carlisle, Concord, Groton, Hudson, Lexington, Lincoln, Littleton, Lowell, Maynard, Millis, N. Billerica, Reading, Sudbury, Tewksbury, Watertown, Wayland, Westford, and Weston.The public is welcome to attend the Skaters Cup. Skaters will be on the ice from early morning till early evening.
There is no charge for admission, and events will be happening in both rinks at Valley Sports Ice Arena on Route 62, in West Concord, near the Maynard and Acton town lines.
