Skate Canada Manitoulin hosts successful first Super Series

LITTLE CURRENT—The recreation centre in Little Current was a bustling hive of activity over the weekend as skaters from across Ontario travelled to the Island to take part in one of the first Super Series competitions to take place under the new Skate Canada structure hosted by Skate Canada Manitoulin. Although the popular Island Skate event is no more under the new structure, which eliminated the invitationals across the Skate Ontario landscape, there were plenty of positives with the Super Series event.

“It was very successful,” said Abby Drolet, one of the organizers of the Super Series event. “We had skaters coming from clubs from all across the province.”

The new system for Skate Canada is still something of a work in progress and the feedback that has been obtained from coaches, skaters and parents has already led to some positive adjustments.

Skate Canada has a number of programs to suit all levels for those who enjoy the sport of figure skating, from the high impact Olympic stream competitors, to the Star program where skaters compete and hone their skills to the CanSkate program, Skate Canada’s official “Learn to Skate” program where skaters simply enjoy partaking in the sport.

The Star program, which the Super Series participants allow participants to work their way through a set series of technical skills adjudicated by trained judges.

Thanks to feedback from the organizational changes, a new series of events will be in place next year that will focus on skaters getting together to hone their skills in a non-competitive atmosphere. Under the new system, events will help create communities and networks of figure skaters from nearby clubs, removing the necessity of long distance travel.

“This is particularly important for the younger skaters, Star 1 to 5 for example, who you don’t want to have travelling long distances,” noted Ms. Drolet. Instead of the pressure of competition driving the action, the focus will be far more on skills development and a sharing of the passion for the sport. Young figure skaters will have the opportunity to meet their colleagues and hopefully be energized in their approach to the sport.

Both Ms. Drolet and her mother, long time Island and provincial figure skating advocate Jane Drolet had high praise for the Northeast Town facility and the town staff who went out of their way to ensure the event went off seamlessly and was a positive experience for all involved.

“The staff were just fantastic,” said Jane Drolet. “I really can’t say enough about how supportive all of the town staff have been throughout the weekend.”

Although weather did prove to be a challenge on Sunday, with the Espanola skaters having to cancel their arrival due to the inclement weather, most of those coming from further away were staying in Little Current overnight.

“Even most of those people coming in from Sudbury came in the night before,” said Ms. Drolet. “The programs started at 8:30 am, so it just made sense.”

The program was also structured to ensure that those travelling from further away were largely able to schedule their travel well, an important consideration with the younger skaters.

Judging by the turnout and enthusiasm of the figure skaters attending the Skate Canada Super Series event, figure skating on Manitoulin, across Northern Ontario and beyond remains in very good shape.