Christmas Brook Figure Skaters: "It's Good To Challenge Yourself"
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| Zia O'Neill, 11, is a Christmas Brook Figure Skating Club skater.
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"It's fun," she said during a Jan. 8 interview at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Skating Rink. "You get to do difficult stuff."
Mackenzie, who lives in Adams, has progressed from a pre-preliminary A level skater to a pre-preliminary B level. The change in level required skill testing.
"I wasn't nervous," she said of the test.
The St. Stanislaus Kostka school third-grade student has a favorite ice move, the camel spin, and a goal.
"I'd like to try for the Olympics," she said.
<L2>Christmas Brook skaters plan to compete during the upcoming Bay State Games and a "production team" will perform at the games as well. For most of the skaters, the combination of tackling increasingly difficult skill levels, competing and performing are worth every minute spent at practice.
Headed To Regionals
Teagan O'Neill of Stamford, Vt., 13, has competed during the autumn-scheduled United States Figure Skating New England Regional competitions. The regionals are a step on the ladder to the U.S. figure skating team and Olympic competition. Only the top finishers progress competitively from regionals to sectionals, and then to national competitions.
"It's a hard competition," Teagan said of the regionals. "Everyone is trying to get a spot to Nationals. I don't get nervous about performing in front of spectators but I do get nervous about how I'll do [during competition]."
She plans to compete at the 2007 regional event, Teagan said.
The skating field at regionals is often quite large, said Lisa Waltermire, president of the Christmas Brook club. During the Oct. 2006 New England event, the intermediate level hosted four categories of 18 skaters in each group.
Waltermire's daughter Jenna Waltermire, 15, plans to compete at the 2007 regionals. She practices for about 90 minutes three times a week and adds an hour-long off-ice workout to her schedule on Sundays, she said.
"My most recent goal is to perfect my double axel [a skating jump]," Jenna said. "I'm determined to land it in competition."
U.S. ice skating champion and Olympic silver medalist Sasha Cohen is her favorite skater, said Teagan, while Jenna acknowledged her favorite skater is current World Champion Kimmie Meissner.<R3>
Cohen is the "complete skating package," Teagan said, and Meissner is "really good and one of the younger skaters," said Jenna.
Zia O'Neill, 11, is Teagan's sister and also enjoys gliding over the ice, she said.
"It's something that my whole family has done," she said.
Getting Centered
Katie Feudo, 10, of Williamstown, explained a bit about spins.
"It takes a lot of practice," she said. "You have to center it. In skating, you learn a lot of stuff."
Lisa Waltermire noted that her daughter tried a number of activities and was captivated by figure skating.
"It's her passion," Waltermire said. "She just loves to figure skate. That's true of a lot of these girls; many of them have been in the club for 8, 9, 10 years. For most of these girls, it's about the fun."
Christmas Brook Figure Skating Club was founded in Williamstown during the 1960s and was incorporated in 1967. The club is named for Christmas Brook and at one time, the skaters practiced regularly at the Williams College skating rink. The skaters do use the college rink but most often practice at the city rink on South Church Street.
<L4>All levels of figure skating are attained through testing, Waltermire said. Each level has age and skill requirements. The USFS organization skating levels are pre-preliminary, preliminary,pre-juvenile, juvenile, intermediate, novice, junior, and senior. The skating levels include ladies and mens categories.
Challenges, Accomplishments, And Goals
Ian Hill, 11, of Adams, is a member of the production team. He has been skating since age six, Ian said.
"I like skating because it's something you learn over time, a special accomplishment," he said.
Nicole Duquette, 15, of Williamstown, began skating as a club member about one year ago, she said. She is excited about her first year as a production team skater.
"I love skating," she said. "I've always loved it. The dresses, the jumps, the grace of it; what inspired me was the move 'Ice Princess.' I always wanted to do skating and I did it."
Ruby Jackson, 13, of Williamstown, is also enjoying her production team debut. Ruby said she's been skating for about six years.
"Being on the production team has been a good experience," she said. "Skating is interesting, especially going to the different levels. It's good to challenge yourself."
Laura Cece is a skating club skating coach. Cece was a club skater during her youth.
"I love teaching," she said. "It's rewarding. It is harder being a coach than it was being on the ice as a student."<R5>
And for each skater, there is a goal waiting.
"I saw skating on TV and thought it would be fun to do," said 13-year-old Tiffany Gundler of North Adams. "I have great friends here. And I'm hoping to place in a competition soon."
The Bay State Games are scheduled for Feb. 2, 3, and 4. Additional information about the games may be acquired at a www.baystategames.org Internet web site.
