There's a birthday celebration going at Scotiabank Place this week.
HomeSense Skate Canada International is 35 years old this weekend, and some "anniversary" touches have been added to the proceedings.
Ottawa's own Lynn Nightingale, the women's gold medallist at the first Skate Canada back in 1973 in Calgary, will present the medals after the final in that event here Saturday night. Handing out the hardware after the men's competition: 1962 world champion Donald Jackson, the executive director of skating at Ottawa's Minto Skating Club.
Of course, 1988 Calgary Olympic silver medallist Liz Manley of Ottawa is on hand as the official Athlete Ambassador all weekend. She'll also present the pairs medals. For the ice dance, that honour goes to Isabelle Duchesnay of Aylmer, the 1995 world champion (with brother Paul) in that discipline.
(while we're reminiscing, an aside. The last time this event was held in Ottawa? In 1993 at the Civic Centre, at the tail end of the first week I lived in the capital. How time flies).
Now, all of this isn't to suggest forward thinking of any sort is absent here. A new multimedia tool they've dubbed the Skate Bug is making its debut this week. It's essentially a set of headphones that give fans a chance to listen to some expert commentary from the likes of Manley and reigning world men's champion Jeffrey Buttle.
While I haven't had a keen eye in the stands about it just yet, I'm being told they're a hot item with the fans. And I can tell you the bug has already caught on with some members of the media.
Oh, and speaking of new ... we'll have a whole set of different winners this weekend. None of last year's champs in Quebec City are back to defend their crowns.
Showing posts with label Quebec City. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Quebec City. Show all posts
Friday, October 31, 2008
Reaching For New Heights
There's growing up. And there's growing up.
If it seemed like Rachel Kirkland was standing taller than ever on the opening day of the 2008 HomeSense Skate Canada International at Scotiabank Place ... well, you weren't seeing things. The 16-year-old pairs partner of Toronto's Eric Radford guesses she's grown "three or four inches" since the end of last season — one which saw the fourth-year duo finish fifth at the BMO Canadian championships for a second straight year.
So when Kirkland says she spent her off-season "just really growing," she means it — literally.
"Not just physically, but as a skater and as a team," Kirkland quickly added after she and Radford completed their short program today (they finished seventh out of eight couples with a 50.08-point score). "Our skating has really matured with my maturity ... or growth."
Needless to say, Kirkland's growth spurt has required some extra time to adapt on the part of both skaters.
"We did a lot of revamping of technique," said Radford, 23. "The jumps and the throws and the spins. Things haves changed."
"A little bit," added Kirkland. "But that's normal. I think it actually made our skating better and we've improved a lot."
Also new in the past year or so is the couple's training situation: They've spent two months this season working with former world champion Ingo Steuer in Chemnitz, Germany, and are headed back there at the beginning of November. There, they train alongside current worlds champs Aliona Savchenko and Robin Szolkowy (the gold medallists at this event a year ago in Quebec City, we should add). Another world champion, Brian Orser, works with Kirkland and Radford when they're home in Toronto.
"He's so multi-faceted as a coach, and really covers all areas of our skating," Radford said of Steuer, who won his world crown in 1997 with Mandy Wotzel.
Added Kirkland: "He has really good vision about where we are now and where we need to go and how to get there."
In other words, everything is looking up. And in more ways than one.
If it seemed like Rachel Kirkland was standing taller than ever on the opening day of the 2008 HomeSense Skate Canada International at Scotiabank Place ... well, you weren't seeing things. The 16-year-old pairs partner of Toronto's Eric Radford guesses she's grown "three or four inches" since the end of last season — one which saw the fourth-year duo finish fifth at the BMO Canadian championships for a second straight year.
So when Kirkland says she spent her off-season "just really growing," she means it — literally.
"Not just physically, but as a skater and as a team," Kirkland quickly added after she and Radford completed their short program today (they finished seventh out of eight couples with a 50.08-point score). "Our skating has really matured with my maturity ... or growth."
Needless to say, Kirkland's growth spurt has required some extra time to adapt on the part of both skaters.
"We did a lot of revamping of technique," said Radford, 23. "The jumps and the throws and the spins. Things haves changed."
"A little bit," added Kirkland. "But that's normal. I think it actually made our skating better and we've improved a lot."
Also new in the past year or so is the couple's training situation: They've spent two months this season working with former world champion Ingo Steuer in Chemnitz, Germany, and are headed back there at the beginning of November. There, they train alongside current worlds champs Aliona Savchenko and Robin Szolkowy (the gold medallists at this event a year ago in Quebec City, we should add). Another world champion, Brian Orser, works with Kirkland and Radford when they're home in Toronto.
"He's so multi-faceted as a coach, and really covers all areas of our skating," Radford said of Steuer, who won his world crown in 1997 with Mandy Wotzel.
Added Kirkland: "He has really good vision about where we are now and where we need to go and how to get there."
In other words, everything is looking up. And in more ways than one.
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