Having a Blast for 60 years

SPORTS Report

with George Le Gresley

Last Saturday, the Paris Skating Club celebrated its 60th year of being associated with what is now Skate Canada. The reason that the founders of the club did this was to allow skaters and coaches to improve their skills through the national organization But more than that technical aspect of the club, I learned that the best way to describe this club is by the passion that the skaters, coaches and executives have brought over the years. Bonded by a love of skating, the fun, memories and sense of family was particularly evident. The membership is continuously proud of each skater’s individual “achievements”, be it a simple jump or their first big spin under the tutelage of the professional coaching staff The end of season show always showcases the “hard work” of the club and its volunteers.

It was a full house last Saturday as the Paris Figure Skating Club presented two 60th anniversary Gala shows. Alumni and current skaters took to the ice to show off some newfound, and in some cases, old found skills!

When I spoke to some of the founders of the club, they noted that back in the day there were skating groups in Paris but felt that there was a real need to establish a club where skaters could be recognized for skills and compete at different levels of competitions. Founders Donna Mason, Ann Kunikcunik-Moore and Marilyne Prine all have a passion for skating, children and as a result they’ve definitely had a lot of fun at the club creating plenty of memories throughout the years

While watching 1st year skater Hattie Goodfellow perform during the Can Skate show, her sister Eliza was cheering her on and her father Sam noted that Hattie had a lot of fun this season, showed great improvement and will be returning next season. Genevieve Berube noted that her daughter Julia Cunningham, a 5-year skater, loves the coaches at the club. Penny Colwell, an experienced coach, noted that one of the best things for the club, was the move to the Brant Sports Complex where they could grow. She also acknowledged that the communication between the skaters and the coaches is excellent and attributes to everyone’s successes Finally, I spoke to 7-year-old Ella Stuart and Aryan Abel who both love executing

Two Paris Figure Skating Club founding members, Donna Mason and Anne Moore (left) talking to CTV for an interview during last weekend’s 60th anniversary Blast from the Past skating gala. The event drew alumni from the past six decades.

Paris Figure Skating Club Photos various jumps and spins – technical elements they work hard to master.

As for the show titled “A Blast From the Past,” it featured skaters from all skill levels including some returning alumni who performed to popular music ranging from the 1960’s to current tunes. The show was staged nicely, well-paced and featured choreographed performances for all skill levels In the end the audience was well entertained, and the performers and their families were smiling at the success of the gala. The coaches, Club President Lisa Campbell and the Executive were all please that the show went off without any noticeable hitches, a perfect way to showcase how far the club has come in the last six decades. No doubt there will be a small break before planning and executing next year’s gala and collective sigh of relief as the club prepares to enter a new decade of existence.

One last note - congratulations is in order to Sadie McRoberts and Samantha Hutchinson for competing last weekend at the Provincial Championships in Brampton

More photos on page 22