Spurred on by the upcoming 2010 Winter Olympics, skaters with the Pacific Blades speed skating club are charged up and competing with great success.
The past two weekends have proven to be successful ones for the local club with top results at B.C. Cup event in Abbotsford and an interclub event in Port Coquitlam.
At the cup event in Abbotsford, 13-year-old Isabella Roeleveld of Roberts Creek led the results, winning division seven, beating out 14 other skaters.
Isabella had a busy off-season attending the Olympic oval summer speed skating camp in Calgary and a camp in Maple Ridge. Isabella was not only able to win her division, but she also established personal best times over all her distances, getting her times closer to qualify her for the provincial championship set for March in Kamloops.
Willie Daigneault also competed in Abbotsford in division seven. He moved up an age class this season and competed against older racers. Nevertheless he achieved personal best times in all his distances and has already qualified for the provincials.
He finished 11th in spite of dire need of new speed skating boots, which arrived on time from Calgary for the competition. Unfortunately, they proved to be too small, and Willie had to use his old falling-apart boots.
Also participating in Abbotsford was Nicole Maseja of West Sechelt, who is presently training and racing with the Ridge Meadows Racers. She finished sixth in the very competitive division three, consisting of 16 skaters.
At age 16, Nicole is pursuing her dream to become an elite skater, eventually able to participate in international competitions.She started skating at age five in Calgary with the Olympic oval program. After moving to the Sunshine Coast at age nine, she continued to speed skate, commuting every weekend to Burnaby, skating there with the local club.
With the formation of Pacific Blades in 2004, Nicole continued to skate on the Coast, competing in many events across B.C. and Alberta. Nicole also represented the Sunshine Coast twice at the B.C. Winter Games.
In order to get to the next level of excellence, she accepted an offer from provincial coaches George Donatelli and his daughter Eden, winner of a silver medal for Canada at the 1988 Calgary Olympics in speed skating, and moved to their house in Mission. This way she is able to train up to five times a week with some of the best skaters in the province.
Last weekend, club newcomer Spencer Kitson, age six, participated in a competition for the first time in Port Coquitlam. In his novice category he won one race and had a second and third place as well. Needless to say, all his times were his personal best, as he never participated in a timed race before.
Isabelle continued her great performance this season, and achieved four new personal best times in all her distances, skating in a much tougher division, where she was moved up, after her great performance in Abbotsford. Her biggest improvement was in the 1,000 metre, where she improved by seven seconds from her previous best.
Nicole also participated in the highest division and had a great meet, managing to get her first personal best of this season in the 1,500 metre race in a time of 2:49.
The club would like to invite anyone interested in speed skating to come try it out. Three tryouts are only $25, which includes the speed skating skates. Check out the club on Mondays from 4:45 to 5:45 p.m. or Wednesdays from 6 to 7 p.m. at the Gibsons arena. For more information, contact Peter at 604-885-9077 or 604-741-5083 or at www.pacificblades.com.
