Two hundred skaters. One hundred coaches. Thirty officials. That's how many people involved in figure skating will be visiting Humboldt this winter, to compete in the 2013 Saskatchewan STARSkate Championships, hosted by Skate Humboldt. The figure skating competition will take place at the Elgar Petersen Arena January 17-21.And while January may seem like it's a long way off, Skate Humboldt is already getting organized for this large competition. STARSkate stands for Skills, Tests, Achievement and Recognition, explained Larry Durand, president of Skate Humboldt. It's a nationally recognized program unique to Canada that has been running for over 40 years, under different names. It offers opportunities for skaters of all ages to develop skills in ice dance, skills, free skate and interpretive skating. Skaters take either group or private lessons in each area, and as they hone their skills, often choose to get tested to progress through different levels in each area. They may also choose to compete at various competitions, either within a club, between clubs or at an invitational.The STARSkate Championship is considered an invitational competition, although it is open to all STARSkaters in Saskatchewan.This annual provincial competition "allows Skate Canada to feature and recognize the STARSkate skaters of Saskatchewan," Durand noted, adding that last year, four Humboldt skaters competed at the 2012 event.Between events like free skate, spins, jumps and dance at the STARSkate Championships, it is estimated there will be between 500 and 600 performances on the ice that weekend. "There will be lots to see for figure skating fans" Durand said. And between the skaters, judges and coaches, as well as the family and friends of the skaters, "there's going to be a lot of people in this town," Durand said. The STARSkate Championships is held in a different place in Saskatchewan every year, Durand explained. In 2012, it was in North Battleford; in 2011, in Meadow Lake. "It's usually a larger centre. You have to bid to host."For Humboldt's bid, he added, "the stars were in line. No pun intended."They pursued hosting this competition, Durand said, because their club has grown and become very active over the last few years. "We have a very active STARSkate program, with a number of skaters competing at regional competitions and provincial competitions like the STARSkate Championships and Jean Norman," Durand said. The club also successfully hosted their regional competition a few years ago. "Now, with a strong club, and a strong board, we could really do some great things. We would really like to put Skate Humboldt on the map," he noted.Skate Humboldt offers a number of skating programs, including CanSkate, Advanced CanSkate, Hockey CanSkate, CanPower Skate, Junior STARSkate, STARSkate, adult synchronized skating, and competitive skate. Membership in the club has increased to about 60 skaters enrolled in full-season programs, with between 70 to 80 enrolled in their CanPowerSkate program, held just in the fall. There were 17 skaters in the STARSkate program last year, and there could be more this year, Durand said. Their regular season programs start October 15, while the fall skating school and power skating clinics are currently being held. The club will be actively seeking volunteers to help out at this event. They already have an event committee set up, Durand noted, headed by co-chairs Boyd Seidle and Michelle Unger. "It's huge," said Durand of this event.They work with Skate Canada Saskatchewan on a lot of the technical details, he noted, but the local committee is looking after finding volunteers and sponsors.
