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INUVIK
Inuvik figure skaters dominated at the Yukon Gold Nugget Competition in Whitehorse earlier this month despite being thrown for a loop.

Figure skaters Annika Krizan, left, Lovelle Simon, Maya Krizan, Winter Ross, Rachel Watters and Jackson Ellis ventured to Whitehorse Dec. 1 and 2 for the Yukon Gold Nugget Competition. - photo courtesy of Theresa Ross

Going into the event the six skaters expected to be marked under STARskate regulations – a system meaning Skills, Tests, Achievement, Recognition – but were surprised to find the competition host, Arctic Edge Skating Club, was piloting the STARS program, which holds a different set of standards.

As a result, some of the elements in the Inuvik skaters' routines were deemed invalid and left unmarked.

Still, the figure skaters – Lovelle Simon, Annika Krizan, Maya Krizan, Jackson Ellis, Winter Ross and Rachel Watters – performed well in the competition against athletes from not only Canada but also from Juneau, Alaska. The Inuvik club took either gold or silver in all but one of the events its skaters entered on Dec. 1 and 2.

Coach Danyelle Ellis said she was pleased with the athletes' success and proud to see many of the youth overcome their fears about competing.

"A lot of them have a little bit of nerves going into competitions because they don't compete as much as southern competitors," Ellis said. "But they seemed to settle a bit better, which we have worked really hard on this year during simulations."

The skaters were very aggressive in their programs and laid everything out on the ice, she added.

While in Whitehorse, the athletes also participated in a high test day, which was done as part of the Skate Canada Testing program. Once again the skaters showed their talent, Ellis said.

"Skating season started for them with me the beginning of October, and within two months they tested at a high test day. They never tested at a high test day before, and passed with flying colours," Ellis said, adding a male skater was flown up for the dance portion of the test.

"They also all tried at least three dances and they've never been partnered with a dance partner ... That was challenging for them to go in front of the judges and not have really had much practice with the dance partner. But they did exceptionally well for it. They (judges) wouldn't have even known."

Between all of the skaters, 24 tests were tried, 23 of which were passed.

Not only that, fifteen-year-old Watters received the highest free skate test pass ever recorded by an Inuvik athlete, Ellis said.

Watters skated seven tests and passed them all. She said she felt she skated her solos, both during the competition and the tests, very clean.

"I was really proud of that," she said.

The next competitions for the club will be territorials in February followed by the STARskate championships in March.

In the meantime, Ellis said, the skaters need to work on the artistic side of their routines, for which they have lost marks in past competitions. She also wants to increase their cardio workouts to help improve their stamina.

"I think by February they will be ready," she said.

Ross said she feels she and the other skaters in the club will go far under Ellis's direction. Ellis has been coaching in Inuvik for about two years. Prior to that, athletes were learning from parents and other more experienced skaters.

"I think (Ellis) knows a lot about skating to help us more than we ever had," Ross said.

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