Figure Skating
Canadian figure skating has a proud history. Kurt Browning topped the world for four consecutive years and continues to be an inspiration for younger skaters. Sale and Pelletier were the gold medalists and darlings of the Salt Lake City Olympics, Don Jackson performed the first triple in competition, and Barbara Ann Scott won gold in the 1948 Olympics. Canadians also recognize Elvis Stojko, Tracy Wilson and Rob McCall, Elizabeth Manley,Isabelle Brasseur and Lloyd Eisler, Toller Cranston, Brian Orser, Barb Underhill and Paul Martini.
The local profile of the sport will get some wonderful publicity two months before the young figure skaters hit the ice in Fernie. Sale and Pelletier, Sasha Cohen, Debreuil and Lauzon, and B.C.ıs Emmanuel Sandhu will perform as part of the Holiday Festival on Ice gala at the Cranbrook Rec Plex, December 9th.
Figure skating has been called an art form, ballet on ice. Athleticism is a requisite, but skaters can develop individual programs compatible with their artistic preferences. All skaters must complete prescribed elements in their programs, but it is the art of the program that evokes enthusiasm from the spectators.
The judging of the figure skating pairs at the Salt Lake City Olympics was highly controversial, if not scandalous, and the Torino Winter Olympics demonstrated an improved judging system. The International Skating Union created a new judging system in which skaters now have a valuable tool to improve their skating. In this system, each element is given a base mark. The judges then assess whether the element was well or poorly done, adding to or subtracting from the base. The marks are then added together to give the competitor a technical score.
Competitors are also given a score on component marks: skating skills, transitions, performance and execution, choreography, composition and interpretation. These components comprise the performance score. While spectators love to see skaters jump, performance marks reward the well-balanced skater who can jump, spin and move fluidly from one element to the next.
At the end of the event, the skaters gets a report cardı telling them which elements they skated well and which elements need improving. Skate Canada has introduced the well-balanced program requirements, which specifically indicate the number of spins, jumps and step sequences that may be included, ensuring that all skaters will be evaluated the same way.
The BC Winter Games have produced many international performers, and the current group of skaters will likely have some future Canadian champions. Sixty participants, ages 1015 (male) and 10-14 (female) will be accompanied by 16 coaches and 15 officials. Their venue is the Fernie Civic Centre.
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