Skating Community Heading to St. John’s for the 2016 Ice Summit

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OTTAWA, ON: Hundreds of skating delegates are headed to St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador for the 2016 Ice Summit. The conference will take place from May 25-28, 2016 and will include a variety of opportunities for members at all levels within Skate Canada. The Ice Summit was formerly known as the Skate Canada Annual Convention and General Meeting (ACGM) and National Coaches’ Conference (NCC).

Attendees will have the chance to Converge, Connect and Collaborate through a wide range of activities, with over 40 workshops, daily networking sessions and nightly social activities. The workshops focus on everything from branding and programming, to off-ice and mental training, to skating essentials, creative movements, edges, spins, and jumps.

Over the four-day event, attendees will be able connect with some of the greatest skating minds in the country. The on-ice workshops feature top coaches and choreographers, including Bruno Marcotte, Joanne McLeod, Anne Schelter and David Wilson. Two-time World Pair Champions Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford will also lend their expertise. Keynote speakers Elvis Stojko and Dr. Stephen Norris will both be featured during separate social networking functions.

The annual Skate Canada Achievement Awards Gala and Banquet will take place on Friday evening. The gala celebrates the accomplishments of skaters, volunteers, officials and coaches who made significant contributions to progress the quality of skating in Canada.

Saturday’s activities include the inaugural edition of The Ice Den. Based on the popular TV show, Dragon’s Den, Skate Canada will be hosting a similar segment designed to generate new and innovative ideas. The event will conclude on Saturday with the 103rd Annual General Meeting of the association. Members will again be able to participate remotely as the AGM and voting will be available via live stream.

This marks Skate Canada’s first return to St. John’s since 2005, when the city played host to Skate Canada International. St. John’s hosted the Skate Canada ACGM/NCC last in 1985.

Patrick Chan Relocating to Train in Vancouver

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OTTAWA, ON: Three-time world champion and two-time Olympic silver medallist Patrick Chan, 25, Toronto, Ont., has announced that he will relocate to Vancouver, B.C., this summer. Chan will continue to be coached by Kathy Johnson at the Champs International Skating Centre located in Burnaby, B.C.

Johnson has been Chan’s head coach since 2012. They will both make the move from Detroit to Vancouver in July.

“I am excited to come home and train full-time in Canada in the lead up to the 2018 Olympic Winter Games. Vancouver holds a special place in my heart and I am looking forward to calling the city home,” said Chan. “I am thankful for the years I spent at the Detroit Skating Club and all the support they provided me. The decision to change environments was a collaborate decision with my team and after reflecting on the past season we decided to make the move to Vancouver. Everyone from Skate Canada and Skate Canada BC/YK have been very supportive, and Kathy and I know Vancouver will be a great environment for us.”

Champs International Skating Centre is under the direction of coach Joanne McLeod. The facility is also home to the Skate Canada BC/YK Section office. The centre supports many top skaters and coaches from Canada and around the world.

PHOTO: © ISU

Nam Nguyen Makes Coaching Change

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OTTAWA, ON: 2015 Canadian Champion Nam Nguyen, 17, Toronto, Ont., has made a coaching and training location change. Nguyen will be relocating to San Jose, California, USA to train with coach David Glynn.

“After a difficult season of not achieving my goals I needed a fresh start,” said Nguyen. “I am thankful for all that Brian and Ernest have taught me over my years with them. I am looking forward to training in a new environment and to working towards my goals for next season with David in San Jose.”

Nguyen had trained with Brian Orser and Ernest Pryhitka at the Toronto Cricket Skating & Curling Club since 2012.

“After careful consideration and discussion with Nam’s parents, we believe a new start will be best for Nam. The move to David Glynn is a good fit,” said Brian Orser. “I wish Nam all the best and I am confident he will rise again.”

Nguyen will relocate to San Jose in May.

Montreal to Host the 2016 Autumn Classic International

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OTTAWA, ON: Skate Canada has announced that it will host the 2016 Autumn Classic International in Montreal, Quebec from September 28 –  October 1, 2016 at the Sportsplexe Pierrefonds.

After a one-year hiatus, the senior international figure skating competition is once again a part of the International Skating Union’s (ISU) Challenger Series. Senior events in men’s, ladies, pair and ice dance will feature some of the top skaters in the world. A junior men’s and ladies competition will also take place, that will not be included in the Challenger Series.

“Skate Canada is pleased to be back in the ISU Challenger Series and we are excited to be heading to Montreal. This is a great opportunity for skaters to collect valuable world standing points,” said Dan Thompson, CEO, Skate Canada.

The 2016 Autumn Classic International is one of 10 competitions that will form the ISU Challenger Series. Athletes at the senior level have the opportunity to earn world standing points. Competitors are eligible to participate in up to three Challenger Series events.

Barrie, Ontario hosted the event from 2014-2015, with last year featuring 52 entries from 21 countries.

Tickets for the event will only be available at the door and specific athlete entries will be identified throughout late summer and fall of 2016.

Team North America Ready to Compete at the 2016 KOSÉ Team Challenge Cup

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SPOKANE, WASHINGTON, USA: For the first time ever, skaters from Skate Canada and U.S. Figure Skating will come together to compete as Team North America at the inaugural KOSÉ Team Challenge Cup. The event will be held April 22-24 at the Spokane Arena in Spokane, Washington, USA.

Team North America will consist of four Canadian and six American entries for a total of 10 entries and 14 skaters in total.

TEAM NORTH AMERICA – 2016 KOSÉ TEAM CHALLENGE CUP

Discipline Name Hometown Training Town Country
Ladies Gabrielle Daleman Newmarket, Ontario Toronto, Ontario CAN
Ladies Gracie Gold Hermosa Beach, California El Segundo, California USA
Ladies Ashley Wagner Alexandria, Virginia Los Angeles, California USA
Men Jason Brown Highland Park, Illinois Monument, Colorado USA
Men Nam Nguyen Toronto, Ontario Toronto, Ontario CAN
Men Adam Rippon Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania Los Angeles, California USA
Pairs Meagan Duhamel / Eric Radford Lively, Ontario / Balmertown, Ontario Montreal, Quebec CAN
Pairs Alexa Scimeca / Chris Knierim Addison, Illinois / San Diego, California Colorado Springs, Colorado USA
Ice Dance Madison Chock / Evan Bates Redondo Beach, California / Ann Arbor, Michigan Novi, Michigan USA
Ice Dance Kaitlyn Weaver / Andrew Poje Kitchener, Ontario Bloomfield Hills, Michigan CAN

An ISU-sanctioned event, the Team Challenge Cup will feature 42 figure skaters competing in a continental team competition (Team Asia vs. Team Europe vs. Team North America). Each Team will consist of three ladies, three men, two pairs teams and two ice dance teams. ISU World Standings (as of Jan. 1, 2016) and the Captain’s Pick Fan Vote were used to determine Team Challenge Cup athletes.

Each team will have a Team Captain, a legend of the sport, who will not compete but help determine team strategy. Team North America will be captained by American Kristi Yamaguchi, the 1992 Olympic champion. Great Britain’s Christopher Dean, the 1984 Olympic ice dance champion with partner Jayne Torvill, will captain Team Europe and Japan’s Shizuka Arakawa, the 2006 Olympic champion, will captain Team Asia.

The Team Challenge Cup will feature two days of competition, opening Friday night with the singles competition as the ladies and men compete in head-to-head matchups for more than $100,000 in prize money. Saturday’s Team Competition (all disciplines) will feature an aggregate scoring format to determine the 2016 Team Challenge Cup winner with a prize purse of nearly $500,000, for a total prize purse of $617,000 (US Dollars).

For more information, please visit 2016 KOSÉ Team Challenge Cup.

2017 ISU World Junior Synchronized Skating Championships coming to Mississauga

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OTTAWA, ON: For the first time ever Canada will host the ISU World Junior Synchronized Skating Championships in 2017. The championships will take place from March 10-12, 2017 at the Hershey Centre in Mississauga, Ont.  Twenty-five of the top junior synchronized skating teams from 20 countries will compete for the junior world title.

“It is always an honour to host international events and we are excited to be hosting the ISU World Junior Synchronized Skating Championships for the first time,” said Dan Thompson, CEO, Skate Canada. “Canada has a fantastic track record of hosting synchronized skating events. Most recently we hosted the 2015 ISU World Synchronized Skating Championships which was an extremely exciting event with Canada winning gold on home soil. We look forward to hosting the world once again in 2017.”

The ISU World Junior Synchronized Skating Championships is a biennial event; the inaugural event was hosted in 2013. In 2015, Team Canada (Les Suprêmes) won the nation’s first medal at the championships, a bronze.

Tickets will go on sale Saturday April 23rd at 10 a.m. (ET).

Ticket packages which include the Friday short program and Saturday free program are $70 and children ticket packages are $25. Single event tickets range from $40-$50. Prices do not include applicable surcharges. All tickets are general admission.

Tickets can be purchased online at www.ticketmaster.ca, by phone at 1-855-985-5000 or in person at the Hershey Centre box office.

Canadian Adult Skaters Converging on Oakville for 2016 Skate Canada Adult Figure Skating Championships

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OTTAWA, ON: Nine hundred twenty-one Canadian adult figure skaters, including 42 synchronized skating teams, are headed to Oakville, Ont., this week in preparation for the 2016 Skate Canada Adult Figure Skating Championships. The event takes place from April 22-24, 2016, at the Sixteen Mile Sports Complex and features adult skaters from across the country competing in four disciplines: free skate, interpretive, ice dance, and synchronized skating.

“The record number of participants in this year’s Skate Canada Adult Figure Skating Championships shows that adult skating is thriving in our country,” said Dan Thompson, CEO, Skate Canada. “Oakville is ready to host our adult skaters as they enjoy a weekend of competition and fun – embracing our Skate for Life values.”

Skate Canada will also be offering workshops on Thursday, April 21, geared specially toward adult skaters. Monica Lockie, Skate Canada National Performance Centre Director, will present and facilitate three workshops focusing on creativity on ice, training regimens, and growing adult skating programs across the country.

Thursday’s opening ceremony will feature Skate Canada CEO Dan Thompson and world champion and Olympic bronze medallist Donald Jackson as guest speakers.

Tickets will be available at the door at the Sixteen Mile Sports Complex. All-event passes are $25 for adults and $15 for children aged 6-12. Daily passes are $10 for adults and $5 for children aged 6-12. Children under five enter free of charge. For further information, please visit the Skate Canada 2016 Adult Figure Skating Championships page.

Skate Canada offers recreational, test, and competitive opportunities to adult skaters through our AdultSkate program. Programs available to adult skaters include CanSkate, STARSkate, CanPowerSkate, and SynchroSkate. To locate a club in your region that offers adult programming, please consult your Section office.

Skating Community Mourns the Passing of David Dore

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OTTAWA, ON: Skate Canada is in mourning after learning of the passing of skating pioneer David Dore. He passed away peacefully this morning in Ottawa at age 75.

Dore was the youngest President of the Canadian Figure Skating Association, now known as Skate Canada. Most recently, and up until his passing, he served as the 1st Vice President of Figure Skating for the International Skating Union (ISU).

“The skating community in Canada and around the world are extremely saddened by the passing of David. He brought figure skating to a whole new level with his innovative and forward-thinking ideas; many practices that he implemented are still in use today,” said Dan Thompson, Skate Canada CEO. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the Dore family during this trying time. The sport has lost a true champion.”

Dore is one of the most decorated administrators and volunteers in Canadian sport, and was inducted into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame in 2008. In 2002, he received the International Olympic Committee’s highest honour, the Olympic Order, for his contribution to sport in the global community. In 2008 he was inducted into the Skate Canada Hall of Fame as a builder.

During his eighteen-year tenure at Skate Canada he developed the National Team program, created the Athlete Trust, developed successful marketing and television concepts and staged three highly successful ISU World Figure Skating Championships.

Dore was also a national medallist, a world and Olympic level judge, and was involved locally at the club and section level.

In 2016, Skate Canada launched the David Dore Mentorship Fund. The fund recognizes positive leaders who exemplify the same leadership traits as Dore in the community, club, section and national level.

Skate Canada wishes to send its sincerest sympathies to Mr. Dore’s family and friends.

Canadian teams fifth and seventh at ISU Synchronized Skating World Championships

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BUDAPEST – Les Suprêmes from St-Leonard, Que., and NEXXICE from Burlington, Ont., placed fifth and seventh on Saturday at the ISU Synchronized Skating World Championships.

Russia won the gold medal with 212.69 points followed by Finland for the silver at 207.84 and the U.S. third at 206.95.

Les Suprêmes improved on sixth place finishes at the previous three worlds earning 201.07. They were also fifth after the short program on Friday.

Skating for the Suprêmes were Rebecca Allaire, Katherine Beaucage, Alexandra Bernardo, Lou-Ann Bezeau-Tremblay, Audrey-Anne Blouin, Joannie Brazeau, Emma Maria Corona, Alessandra Criscuolo, Laurie Désilets, Mélodie Doré, Sara Gilbert, Dana Malowany, Agathe Sigrid Merlier, An-Kim Nguyen, Minh-Thu Tina Nguyen, Laura Olivia Sena, Claudia Sforzin, Sofya Squalli, Helene Stojanovski and Yasuko Uchida.

NEXXICE were the defending world champions and silver medallist at the three worlds before that. They dropped from sixth after the short and finished with 196.06 out of 26 entries.

The NEXXICE skaters were Shannon Aikman-Jones, Cassandra Ablack, Ellicia Beaudoin, Kelly Britten, Sarah Burns, Anna Cappuccitti, Lee Chandler, Alessia Chiovitti, Samantha Defino, Courtney Gray, Celina Hevesi, Renata Khuzina, Victoria Kwan, Lauren Malott, Courtney McNaughton, Lisa Miadovnik, Rachel Ng, Kiersten Tietz, Jillian Tyler and Lauren Varley.

Full results: ISU World Synchronized Skating Championships 2016

Canadian teams in Hungary for the 2016 ISU World Synchronized Skating Championships

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OTTAWA, ON: Canada will have two teams competing at the 2016 ISU World Synchronized Skating Championships this week from April 7-9, in Budapest, Hungary. Twenty-six teams from 21 ISU member nations will be competing for the world title.

Les Suprêmes, from CPA Saint-Léonard, and Nexxice, from the Burlington Skating Centre, earned their entries to the world championships winning gold and silver respectively at the 2016 Skate Canada Synchronized Skating Championships earlier this season in Waterloo, Ont.

Canadian champions Les Suprêmes are the first Canadian entry. They placed sixth at this event in 2015, 2014 and 2013. This season, they won the silver medal at the Neuchâtel Trophy and placed fourth at the French Cup. The representatives of CPA Saint-Léonard are coached by Marilyn Langlois, assisted by Pascal Denis and Amélie Brochu.

Representing the Burlington Skating Centre are the 2016 Canadian silver medallists, Nexxice. They are the defending world champions, and have previously won the world championships in 2009, won silver from 2012-2014, and won bronze in 2007 and 2008. This season, they placed fourth at the ISU Shanghai Trophy. Nine-time consecutive Canadian champions (from 2007-2015), they are coached by Shelley Simonton Barnett and Anne Schelter.

Karen Robertson of Chelsea, Que., will be the Canadian team leader at the event. Dr. Laura Cruz of Toronto, Ont., and physiotherapist Shirley Kushner, of Westmount, Que., will be the Canadian medical staff onsite. Susan Morriss of Victoria, B.C., will be the sole Canadian official at the event.

Mike Slipchuk, Skate Canada High Performance Director, will also be traveling with the team.

For results and full entries, please visit isu.org.

ICYMI: A look back at #Worlds2016

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For some, the ISU World Figure Championships marked a return to glory.

Meagan Duhamel / Eric Radford - Gold

For others, #Worlds2016 was a valuable, and necessary, learning experience that will pay dividends in the future.

With the 2016 world championships now in the books, some Team Canada members share final thoughts on their experience in Boston:

Meagan Duhamel / Eric Radford
“We are so happy and so proud to come here and deliver the performances that we worked so hard for. We believed in ourselves and we knew this result was possible.” – Meagan Duhamel

“We weren’t considered as strong as contenders as compared to last season. It feels great because it is difficult not to doubt yourself when everybody else has that expectation of you. As long you can believe you can do it, you can make it happen.” – Eric Radford

Lubov Ilyushechkina /Dylan Moscovitch

“It’s our second year together, and I think we made a huge step forward this week. As with any new team, it takes time to progress and you can’t buy that time. We’re ready to show what we can do and this week was pivotal for our partnership.” – Dylan Moscovitch

Kirsten Moore – Towers / Michael Marinaro

“With two personal best performances here it sets us up well for next season. I’m thrilled.” – Kirsten Moore-Towers

Gabrielle Daleman

“I’m so proud of how far I’ve come and now I know I can be with the top skaters, Now I am going to go home, push myself even more and get ready for next year. I know I’ll get there one day.” – Gabrielle Daleman

Patrick Chan

‘’There is really nothing to be upset about. As much as we all want to win, it’s great to be here and feel that pressure.’’ – Patrick Chan

Nam Nguyen

Kaitlyn Weaver / Andrew Poje

“We felt really prepared for the competition. But that didn’t come through in the performance. We are still proud of the effort we put into it and the growth we still have to push into the future.” – Andrew Poje

Piper Gilles / Paul Poirier

“This was definitely an exciting week. To be in the last group after the short dance was something we almost weren’t expecting. Both of us are really proud of what we did here. I think we are getting more comfortable being with the top competitors in the world.” – Piper Gilles

“We are so proud how we’ve been able to push the programs the last few weeks and to finish the season with two personal bests is really exciting.’’ – Paul Poirier

Elisabeth Paradis / François-Xavier Ouellette

“It was a lot of fun and we were really proud to be here. After this experience, I think it will really help us for next year.”– Elisabeth Paradis

Missing from team photo: Alaine Chartrand & Nam Nguyen

 

World title for Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford

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BOSTON – Meagan Duhamel of Lively, Ont., and Eric Radford of Balmertown, Ont., struck gold for the second straight year in pairs on Saturday at the ISU World Figure Skating Championships.

It is first time Canada has repeat champions in pairs since Barbara Wagner and Robert Paul won four straight from 1957-1960.

Duhamel and Radford posted a personal best 231.99 with Wenjing Sui and Cong Han of China second at 224.47 and Aliona Savchenko and Bruno Massot of Germany third at 216.17.

“We are so happy and so proud to come here and deliver the performances that we worked so hard for,” said Duhamel. “We believed in ourselves and we knew this result was possible.”

While on paper it appears the Canadians enjoyed a strong season with two gold and silver on the Grand Prix circuit and a national title, it wasn’t as smooth as the previous winter.  They felt that made them underdogs in Boston.

“We weren’t considered as strong contenders as compared to last season,” said Radford. “It feels great because it is difficult not to doubt yourself when everybody else has that expectation of you. As long you can believe you can do it, you can make it happen.”

Lubov Iliushechkina and Dylan Moscovitch of Toronto were seventh at 199.52 and Kirsten Moore-Towers of St. Catharines, Ont., and Michael Marinaro of Sarnia, Ont., followed in eighth at 190.90. It was also personal bests for both.

“It was a bit of work but a lot of fun,” said Moscovitch. “We did a great job of working our way through the program. We kept our focus on the choreography and enjoyment of the program and that really pulled us through.”

Moore-Towers and Marinaro climbed form 10th after the short.

“With two personal best performances here it sets us up well for next season,” said Moore-Towers. ” I’m thrilled.”

Daleman shines in women’s final

Evgenia Medvedeva of Russia won the gold medal in the women’s free skate with 223.86 points. Ashley Wagner of the U.S. followed at 215.39 for silver and Anna Pogorilaya of Russia was third at 211.29.

Gabrielle Daleman of Newmarket, Ont., completed an impressive showing finishing ninth. She smashed her personal best earning 195.68 points.

“I was very nervous going in and I decided I was skating for myself and country,” she said. “I just stayed in the moment throughout and took one element at a time.”

Canadian champion Alaine Chartrand of Prescott, Ont., was 17th.

Full results: ISU World Figure Skating Championships 2016