2024 Winter Classic Kindersley
Wow! “Oh the weather outside is frightful, but the skating inside delightful”! And since we’ve no place to go, come on down to the West Central Events Centre and watch these young figure skating contestants do their thing, complete with twirls, spins, jumps and twists as they compete against their peers.
The 2024 Winter Classic of figure skating rotates to Kindersley once every eight years. That is because only towns and cities with two ice surfaces can qualify. I spoke with event Chairperson, Ashley Wildman, who said “That many volunteers are needed to help make this event run as smoothly as possible”. This year there are approx. 340 skaters who range from 7 to 18 and even some adults!
Skate Canada Saskatchewan is responsible for ensuring there are enough judges and many many other details too numerous to mention. And considering the extreme weather outside this weekend, it’s a great thing that most skaters and friends and parents arrived in Kindersley on Friday!
Kimmers Korner was repurposed as an online registration centre for the young skaters. There were tables filled with merchandise for draws, including a 50/50. The WCEC is a busy place to be. Even the concession was doing a bang up business. All the skaters I saw were very happy to be here and made new friends, even though they competed against figure skaters from other skating clubs across the province. The skill level was also impressive. Figure skating is a tough sport and these youngsters are handling the stress of competition extremely well. A little more practice and confidence and who knows where they could be next time? Onward and upward to bigger and better things in the future!
So, if the eight year rule still applies, the next time Kindersley is the host of this event will be 2032!
By Kevin Martin
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