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Stojko guest performer at Waterford Skating Club carnival

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Figure skater Elvis Stojko, a three-time world champion, two-time Olympic silver medallist and seven-time Canadian champion will help the Waterford Skating Club celebrate its 50th anniversary this year.

Stojko will be performing at the club’s annual carnival on April 6 at the Talbot Gardens in Simcoe.

There will be two carnival performances at 2 p.m and 7 p.m.

Tickets go on sale Jan. 28 through ticketscene.ca. They cost $20 a seat. Children aged five and younger are admitted free.

Club president Jenn Bard is excited about the carnival and the club’s programs that cater to all ages.

The youngest skater is two years old in the CanSkate program and levels and abilities go up to adult exercise and SkateFit programs.

The club’s season starts in September and finishes in April, followed by spring sessions for all levels starting right after. Online registration is open now.

Children who want to learn to skate can still get in for this year and be in the Carnival which features Elvis Stojko in April.

Bard praised those who have been with the club for many years and helped to keep it going when times were difficult.

Sue Small’s involvement with skating clubs in Port Dover, Simcoe and Waterford spans 38 years.

In Port Dover, she recalls taking the little girl who lived across the road along with her to figure skating. Since her son, Steven, was also skating, Small got involved. When the family moved to Waterford in 1988, Small’s time and work for the skating club increased.

At one time there were a lot of volunteers, but, as numbers dwindled, Small took on more responsibility and, according to Bard, she became the “go-to lady” for the Waterford club.

Along with Small, Sandy Mason was involved with the club for 35 years, as her daughter, Sherry, and granddaughter progressed through the levels of skating. Sherry turned professional coach and Mason’s granddaughter achieved gold test levels and went on to play hockey. Mason said she enjoyed volunteering and worked on behalf of all the kids.

During the period she was with club, Mason was one of three people in the area to take courses to become a figure skating accountant. Before the use of computers, the figure skating accountant was responsible for calculating the judges’ marks manually to create the skating competitors’ scores. She continues to be friends with Joy Lefler from Brantford, and they often talk of travelling to competitions anywhere in western Ontario to be the accountant for the judging.

Sandy MacDonald started volunteering with the club seven years ago and has helped with its reorganization to include Waterford and Simcoe under the umbrella of Waterford Skating Club.

As one of the dedicated small group of volunteers, MacDonald helps with fundraisers to keep costs down for programs and ice-rental. A recent 50-50 draw was won by Joyce Brouillette who split the $2,000 total. Colourful utility tote bags under the brand of “thirty-one” can be purchased through the club’s website as a fundraiser.

Henry Su has been coaching in Waterford for four years.

He started skating at seven years old in Cambridge and progressed to novice pairs level. He was with the Delhi skating club before coming to Waterford, which he always represented in competitions.

In Cambridge, Su skated competitively with Lindsay Stieh, who is in her first year coaching in Waterford. She is qualified to coach all levels up to provincial.

Bard said the skaters enjoy Stieh’s energy and share her enthusiasm.

For the past week, she has been in New Brunswick helping the national skating championships.

A third coach, Janine Mandryk, has started a new adult exercise program of SkateFit and hopes to start an adult synchronized skate team in 2020.

Bard’s daugther, Kate, has been skating for nine years and is in Star level 5. She enjoys the competition and wants to make it to the provincials. Her brother, Sam, said he decided to start figure skating for fun and exercise since he was already at the arena with his sister and mother.

More information about the club can be found online at: http://www.waterfordtricenturenaskatingclub.com/

Carol Steedman is a freelance writer who lives in Waterford. Readers can contact her at goffsteedman@execulink.com.

Brantford Expositor 2019 ©

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