The opening of the new Gibsons arena has seen a surge of interest from new skaters eager to lace up and take a spin, and the occasional spill, on the ice. The record turnout for beginner CanSkate lessons has also boosted the spirits of the Sunshine Coast Skating Club (SCSC), which has worked hard the last few years to build its skating programs.
The club now boasts a full-time director of skating in Lesleigh Farr (a skater and coach with 33 years experience), two coaches in training, the Excel program, offering intensive on and off-ice instruction for skaters interested in pursuing the sport at a more competitive level, as well as beginner and advanced figure and power skating programs at both the Gibsons and Sechelt arenas.
SCSC president Jill-Marie Jarvis said the addition of a second ice arena on the Sunshine Coast provides exciting opportunities for local skaters and for the club. She said she was thrilled when Susan Heffernen, an international skating judge and B.C. Section employee, recently met with the club's executive and parent volunteers to help chart a course for the next five years.
Heffernen has helped the club identify its strengths (great coaching, hardworking skaters, dedicated parent volunteers and a new facility) as well as some of the challenges ahead (rising ice costs, fundraising, boosting the number of skaters at the Sunshine Coast Arena in Sechelt and improving communication with the public, parents and Sunshine Coast Regional District).
Jarvis stresses fundraising and parent volunteers remain the lifeblood of the club, which invites the public, 19 years and over, to their fabulous fall fundraiser, a pub night at the Blackfish Pub in Gibsons, on Wednesday, Oct. 22, 5 to 9 p.m. for a burger and beer ($10), silent auction, door prizes and a raffle.
