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LIIDLII KUE/FORT SIMPSON
The Fort Simpson Speed Skating Club is a month and a half into its season and working to achieve some significant goals.

The Fort Simpson Speed Skating Club's senior members include, from left, back row: coach Val Gendron, Lia Fabre-Dimsdale, Sky Lennie and Harley Betsedea; front row: Meegwun Cazon, Sage Fabre-Dimsdale and Newmoon Buggins. The three skaters in the back row are preparing for the Arctic Winter Games trials. - Roxanna Thompson/NNSL photo

The club, which is celebrating its 12th year, is comprised of 24 skaters.

Longtime coach Val Gendron as well a new coach, Jim Broomfield, run practices on Tuesdays and Thursdays as well as a practice just for younger skaters on Saturday mornings.

On Sundays, all of the skaters come together to practise speed skating longer distances.

Gendron's goal for all of the skaters is to teach them how to do crossovers before the NWT Speed Skating Championships that will take place in Yellowknife from Feb. 18 to 19.

"I know that's a big goal," she said.

Learning crossovers

Crossovers are the technique that speedskaters use to navigate corners by stepping one skate across the other. Learning to do crossovers is one of Etanda Hardsity-Beaverho's personal goals for the season.

Hardisty-Beaverho, 8, is in her second year with the club.

"When you first try, it is really hard," she said about speed skating.

Before joining the club Hardisty-Beaverho could already skate using figure skates, but speed skates are different because they don't have picks, she said.

Hardisty-Beaverho said she has now learned how to skate by pushing off to the side with her blades.

In addition to learning how to do crossovers Hardisty-Beaverho said also she wants to learn how to skate faster this season.

Gendron's other goals for the season include having skaters compete at the Canadian Western Championships in Winnipeg in March and at the Arctic Winter Games in Whitehorse.

Five skaters are currently preparing for the Arctic Winter Games trials that will be held in Yellowknife from Jan. 26 to 29. It's the largest group the club has sent to the trials.

Sky Lennie, who's in her fourth season, is one of the Arctic Winter Games hopefuls.

Lennie, 11, said she's been focusing on practising staying low to the ice, and crossovers.

As the trials draw near, Lennie said she's starting to feel nervous.

Speedskating, she said, is a lot of fun and good exercise for the legs and core.

"You get to learn new skills," she said.

Funding helps

In all of its goals, a windfall of funding is assisting the club. The club won $1,000 from Intact Insurance through the company's World Cup Podium Tracker program. Through the program, Intact donates $1,000 to a speedskating club in Canada every time a member of Canada's national speedskating team places on the podium during the World Cup or World Championship. When Guillame Bastille won a silver medal in October, the club was drawn as the winner.

Gendron used the money to purchase training and safety equipment for the club including skipping ropes, knee pads, helmets and neck guards.

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