Ready to showcase their on-ice talent
[attach]1391[/attach]A successful figure skating season is concluding its long program as the North Toronto Skating Club gears up for their Showcase April 1.
The group’s 500 plus students will take part in performing loops, lutzes and balancing on their blades.
Event planner Zena Alman is looking forward to seeing her hard work come to fruition before parents and skating fanatics.
“It’s a ton of work but it’s for the kids and they love it,” she said. “Everyone likes to get dressed up in costumes and show people what they can do.”
Her daughter, Sophie, will be performing at the event after her own exciting 2009-10 season.
In November, the younger Alman placed ninth in the Central Ontario Championships, pre-novice level.
“I was happy because it’s out of a lot of people,” said Sophie. “I had a pretty good skate for my short and long.”
Skating since she was three, the 14-year-old Sophie is eager to take on her next challenge at the novice level.
“She’s excited about moving up a level,” Zena said. “She has a new long program she’s excited to try out.
“Outside of school, skating is the biggest part of her life.”
Sophie is modest.
“I’m not expecting to do so well right away,” she said of her change in competition.
Still her coach, David Long, commended her for her hard work.
“That was quite impressive,” he said. “Actually that was one of the highest rankings from a North Toronto kid because it’s primarily known as a recreational club.”
Working as a coach for 13 years and as a skater in his earlier years with North Toronto he’s seen the evolution of the sport in midtown, admitting there is a surge every time the Olympics roll around.
And he does his best to dispel the stigma associated with the sport.
“In North Toronto there’s a bit of a hockey-first mentality for boys, it’s hard to break that market,” he said. “I’m guilty of it too because I play every Wednesday night at North Toronto hockey.
“I did both growing up but trying to convince some of these fathers to have their boys do figure skating is a tough one to sell sometimes, especially when some of the costumes in the Olympics are a little too much.”
Now his children Carter, 4, and Emily, 5, are sharpening their blades on ice, and his wife Margret also coaches.
“It’s one big happy family,” he said, with a laugh.
Even with the winter season winding down, some skaters keep going throughout the summer with the Metro Toronto Skating Academy.
Sophie is one skater who won’t be hanging up her dancing skates any time soon.
She’ll be performing at the Showcase, which is a celebratory thank from all the coaches, kids and parents for a job well done.
“It’s the end of the season and show everyone what we’ve learned,” Zena Alman said. “Everyone gets together, which is fun, as opposed to everyone being against each other competing.”