Slicing the Ice with Stout's Women's Figure Skating Club

It began in prehistoric times; an ancient sport of intricate moves, grace and athleticism. Many do not know the history behind the sport, but figure skating has been a popular pastime since its beginnings. Originally, blades were made from animal bone in places such as Russia, Scandinavia, Great Britain, Germany and Switzerland. Today, the sport has come a long way but still maintains its popularity. The women?s figure skating club at the University of Wisconsin-Stout celebrates this long-lived sport, bringing together new friendships and a love for the ice.

At the beginning of October, UW-Stout?s figure skating club begins practice in preparation for their group show, the first Friday of March. All 13 women practice their routines every Tuesday night at the Dunn County Ice Arena. President Kelsie Suppes is one of the members who also practices for outside competitions.

?Only a few girls in the club do competitions. Most are just here for the fun and to show off their skills at the end of the year skating show.?

A senior at UW-Stout, majoring in early childhood education, Suppes has been skating for a total of eleven years. ?It was the one thing that really interested me, besides dance,? said Suppes.

Former club member, Kelly Madden expressed that the club was fun and had helped her stay connected to the sport. ?My grandpa got me into skating,? said Madden, ?and since then it really stuck.? Madden is an interior design major here at UW-Stout. As a graduating senior, Madden decided to focus on her studies for this club?s season.

Like Madden, most of the members used to skate in high school. This club allows them to continue practicing the sport as well as making new friends. ?The club is a blast,? said Suppes, ?We have pizza parties and all the girls are fun to skate with. It helps that the club is small, because we stay a tight knit group.?

One aspect of the sport that the club wishes to get into is synchronized skating. This type of skating has grown rapidly in popularity over the past decade. A team sport, synchronized skating is made up of 8-20 skaters who perform a routine together. It is characterized by speed, intricate formations, and challenging step sequences. ?Next year we hope to have synchronized skating in the program,? said Suppes, ?As well as compete in some local competitions.?

UW-Stout?s women?s figure skating club is open to new members. One can join at any time throughout the year and members must provide their own skates. For more information, please contact Kelsie Suppes at figureskating@uwstout.edu.

Source: http://stoutonia-online.com/2012/02/02/slicing-the-ice-with-stouts-womens-figure-skating-club/

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