It was a warm day on Sun., March 11, and the weather was perfect for some well-deserved 'Fun in the Sun.'
The theme for this year's Arcola Figure Skating Club's annual Ice Show, it wasn't very warm or sunny in the Arcola Prairie Place Complex ice rink, but the skaters shone nonetheless, and the applause was as warm as a summer breeze.
The Arcola Figure Skating Club has been providing a place for young girls and boys to come and learn the fundamentals of display figure skating for more than half a century.
Founded in 1949, a year after Arcola's first rink was built; the group has only missed one season, 2001, when the original rink burnt down.
This year a total of 28 youths were enrolled in the club, and they were all eager to show off their ever-growing skills.
With more than 125 people packing the seats, the students and guest skaters put on a show to remember.
Speaking about the Arcola club with some senior members of the group prior to the show beginning, it was evident that the strong connections between members of the club is one of the things that has kept the show on the road for so long.
"I've been skating for 12-years," said 14-year-old skater Emily Craig. "I've been in Arcola the whole time."
"I have a lot of friends, and we have a good time skating."
Another of the more experienced skaters taking to the ice for the event was Juliana Schlenker.
At 16-years-old, Juliana has also been skating for 12 years.
"I keep coming because I love to skate," Juliana said. "I get to be with my friends, and I learn a lot of new things."
In Juliana's case however, time is growing short.
Asked how she felt about the end of the skating season and the coming of spring, Juliana replied, "It's kind of sad this year."
"Next year will be my last year," she continued. "I want the season to be longer."
This kind of sentiment seems natural for such a tight knit group of people, however Juliana has been coaching as well as skating for the past year, ensuring that she shares the skills she had learned.
Asked how she felt about the season coming to a close, 15-year-old Taylor Hengen echoed the end-of-the-season sentiment.
"It's a little disappointing," Hengen said. "But I get to look forward to next year."
One of the actively involved parents with the group is Marla Schlenker.
"I started coming here in 1997 with my first daughter," Schlenker said. "It's been 15 years now that I've been involved with the club, and its been very exciting for me and my girls."
Dawn Dyer, the head coach of the Arcola Figure Skating Club, said the closing year had been a great one for the skaters.
"It was a really good year," Dyer explained. "We have 9 CanSkaters join the Star Skaters, and definitely everyone was reaching their goals they set at the beginning of the year."
As the minutes clicked closer to show time, the young skaters began to line up in their costumes.
A sea of sequins and colourful fabrics formed a snaking line as they prepared to enter the rink.
When the show started the procession was led out by Emily Craig, bearing the Canadian Flag, and Taylor Hengen, who was carrying the Saskatchewan Flag.
Following the opening ceremony and National Anthem, sung by Juliana Schlenker, the show began in earnest.
Solo performances and group performances came and went, always with wild applause from the sizable crowd.
Guest skaters also took their turn to display their skills on the ice.
The first was Cassidy Weber, who took to the ice in the first half, and the second was Shelby Hall, a young pupil of noted skating coach Patty Hole.
Coach Dawn Dyer also took to the ice, and displayed the talent that makes her such a valuable coach for the Arcola club.
Once the show was over, presentations were made, including three special presentations for exceptional performance and attitude.
Jessica Baumgartner and Ny-al MacDonald were awarded the CanSkate Champions medal.
Kyra Donahue received the club's CanSkater of the Year medal.
All three of the youths are now eligible to win the Section CanSkate medal, and should they win, they would then be in the running for the National CanSkater award.
