by Cori Hilsgen
news@thenewsleaders.com
Area figure skaters are busy practicing and preparing for the 39th St. Cloud Figure Skating Ice Show entitled “Skate the Day Away.” Skating performances are scheduled for 1:30 and 7 p.m. on Saturday, March 24; and 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, March 25 at the Municipal Athletic Complex in St. Cloud.
Eighty skaters, ranging in age from preschool through 11th grade and representing 35 area schools, will participate. Locally, five of the skaters attend Kennedy Community School and four attend St. John’s Prep School.
The Ice Show will include 28 performances that include an alumni skate, high school guy/girl routine (which includes high school skaters and the other person they recruit), parent/child skate, beginner and intermediate synchronized team and various routines from the beginner skater to the more advanced junior/senior level.
The skaters practice year-round on their own so they can advance to levels in which they are prepared and able to compete. Show practices will be held March 10-19. Skaters are grouped together according to levels and work with a coach on a routine choreographed for the show. The show is a fundraiser for the St. Cloud Figure Skating Club.
Taylor Nordine of St. Joseph, age 11, will be skating with the Ice show. She has been skating since she was 7 years old and said she gets very excited to participate every year in the show and enjoys skating because it is challenging.
“I am in free-style level one,” Nordine said. “I love skating because it is fun to jump, spin and just skate around with friends. Right before I go out to perform with my group, a whole bunch of energy pops up inside of me. I also love the Ice Show because I like to learn new performances and get to wear fancy dresses.”
The newly formed St. Ben’s Figure Skating Club will also perform at this year’s show. St. Joseph resident Baylee Mehr is a past member of the St. Cloud Figure Skating Club. Mehr, who has been skating for 15 years, said six members will perform at the show.
The St. Ben’s skaters will skate to the musical group Lady Antebellum’s “We Owned the Night.”
Their routine will feature synchronized elements, individual jumps and other routines. The club practices two days each week at 6 a.m. Mehr said she welcomes the opportunity to skate at this year’s show.
“Skating and the St. Cloud Figure Skating Club have been in my life for over 15 years,” Mehr said. “I am excited to mesh the two worlds-past and present-by showing my CSB/SJU pride while simultaneously supporting my first figure-skating club.”
Mehr said the St. Cloud Figure Skating Club has been helpful with organizing the St. Ben’s Skating Club.
“The St. Cloud Figure Skating Club has been a great resource for our St. Ben’s Figure Skating Club and we look forward to a continued partnership in order to help both clubs succeed and grow,” Mehr said.
Guest skater Kiri Baga will perform two routines at the show. Baga was a silver medalist in the 2011 Junior Grand Prix in Japan and a gold medalist in Germany and Turkey for the 2010 Junior Grand Prix.
Tickets can be purchased from any St. Cloud or St. Ben’s Figure Skating Club member, at the Sartell and Sauk Rapids Coborns stores, at Byerlys or at the MAC at show time.
