Three synchronized figure skaters from Westlock are back from a national competition where they were part of a team that placed 11th.
Kristyn Chamzuk and sisters Ashley and Kayla Oloske are three of eight local skaters who perform with synchronized figure skating clubs out of Edmonton and attended the 2019 Skate Canada Synchronized Skating Championship held Fed. 22-24 in Waterloo Ont.
The goal of synchronized figure skating is to perform in unison with a team of up to 16 skaters, while executing various formations such as lines, pivots, blocks and intersections.
While the three girls’ intermediate-level team from the Edmonton Synchronized Skating Club may have finished 11th out of 17 teams at the event, the girls agree it was still a great season and unforgettable experience.
“I skated on two teams and we had a really successful year,” said Chamzuk. “We received a gold and two silvers at different competitions throughout the province. Then my intermediate team placed Top 3 in Western Canada, then placed 11th in Canada, so that was pretty cool.”
Ashley said she was pleased with how the team improved throughout the year.
“I was kind of cool to see how we progressed throughout the year because we started out kind of iffy about being in our first year of intermediate and we worked our way up to a point where we realized that we could really get gold,” she said.
In addition to skating with the intermediate team, Kayla also took to the ice with an adult group.
“That was really cool because there are some of them in their 30s with kids and they’re still out their skating. It’s pretty inspiring,” she said.
Hannah Boissonnault skates on the Edmonton Synchronized Skating Club’s pre-novice team which went to regionals, but were not one of the three teams that went on to the national competition.
“We had a really strong pre-novice team this year. We had a really upbeat team with some amazing dresses and I loved our coach Michelle. She’s so talented and really passionate about the sport and keeps us together.”
Emma Vicente and Zoey Rondeau also skate for the same club’s elementary team, while Rondeau does double duty on the juvenile team as well.
Boissonnault recalled there was once a bustling synchronized team of 15 skaters in Westlock, but as numbers dwindled over several years, those who remained interested, commuted to Edmonton.
“The four of us are still in it together,” she said. “Doing the commute makes a big difference in the level of team and coaching you can get. Just having a bigger team makes all the difference in the world.”
Two other Westlock skaters, Anne Bokenfohr and Denise Sturkenboom, also perform with the Northern Lites Synchronized Skating’s adult team. Sturkenboom actually returned to the ice this year after a six-year hiatus.
“It’s such a fun group of girls. It’s a nice outing and it’s a great way to meet some new people who all share a passion for the same thing,” she said, adding the club is a little less competitive, but does take part in three large competitions in a year. “It’s not like it takes a crazy amount of time, but it helps to get through the winter when it’s so long.”
Westlock Figure Skating Club coach Tracy Proulx is hoping to expand the club going into the coming years, perhaps with a local synchronized club.
For more information about synchronized skating you are invited to visit the club’s Facebook page where you can also message with any questions you may have.
