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Local figure skaters share ice with some of the best
Evening of Champions
| Source: |
Great Falls-Windsor Advertiser |
| Date: |
September 25, 2008 |
| Author: |
Krysta Colbourne |
It didn't matter to Stephanie Butler that she was equipped with just
the clothes on her back and her skates when she entered St. John's on
Friday, because the reason she was there was bigger than anything she
could have imagined.
"We were halfway to St. John's by Goobies, we were talking about my
hair clips and my mom just remembered that my suitcase with all my
clothes and buckles was still on my bed at home," Stephanie said. "I
only had a sweater, t-shirt and track pants, so my mom had to go out
and buy tights and pants and everything for me."
However, it didn't matter to Stephanie, because she was on her way to
rehearse for the Steele Communications Evening of Champions.
Skate Canada Newfound-land and Labrador and Steele Communications
hosted a skate show last Saturday that featured a world renowned cast
of Olympic, world, national and provincial champions. Ten Sparkling
Blades Figure Skating Club members, along with four members of the
Botwood Seaport Skaters Figure Skating Club, were also part of the
excitement.
The Sparkling Blades' Georgia Hounsell, Becci Milner, Rebecca Noel,
Cecilia Oxford, Hannah Sheehan, Kristen Dooley, Deidre Skinner,
Kaitlyn Dwyer, Stephanie Butler, and Nicole Casey and Botwood Seaport
Skaters Emma Ball, Erin Ball, Erin Cole and Starlene Hibbs shared the
ice with the special guests.
Starlene and Nicole skated with the provincial junior team, Becci
skated with the provincial senior team, and the rest of the local
skaters were part of the provincial enrichment (PEP) team, which
consisted of promising younger skaters selected through skater
development seminars.
Stephanie said her PEP group skated to a routine inspired by the
fashion and music of the 1950.
"It was awesome," she said. "It was a trip of a lifetime."
The nine-year-old said to close the show all the skaters did a few
laps around the rink and waved to the audience. She said was an honour
to share the ice with such amazing athletes.
"That felt really cool. I got a picture with Cynthia (Phaneuf) and
Kurt Browning," she said, adding that Browning, Phaneuf and Jeffrey
Buttle are her favorite skaters.
Stephanie had her brush with fame as she skated off the ice after
practice.
"My mom came running down the stairs yelling, 'Stop!'" she
remembers.
When Stephanie turned around, she noticed Browning skating behind her,
so she stopped and asked him if he would get a picture with her and
her best friend, Kaitlyn Dwyer.
Hosted by Browning, four-time world men's champion and three-time
Olympian, the show also included 2002 Olympic pairs' champions Jamie
Sale and David Pelletier; Jeffrey Buttle, 2008 reigning world men's
champion and 2006 Olympic bronze medallist; Jessica Dube and Bryce
Davison, 2008 world pairs' bronze medallists and 2007 Canadian pairs'
champions; 2008 Canadian ladies' champion Joannie Rochette; Cynthia
Phaneuf, 2008 Canadian ladies' bronze medallist and former Canadian
ladies' champion; 2008 Canadian pairs' bronze medallists Meagan
Duhamel and Craig Buntin; 2007 Canadian men's silver medallist
Christopher Mabee; and 2008 Canadian dance silver medallists Kaitlyn
Weaver and Andrew Poje.
Also part of the show were the province's own national champions and
medalists: 2006 Canadian junior men's champion Joey Russell and
Alexandra Young and Matthew Young, 2008 Canadian pre-novice pairs
bronze medallist.
The show
Stephanie and her mother, Lisa, said they didn't know anything about
the show until they entered the Mile One Centre Friday
afternoon.
"We basically dropped them off at Mile One and the members of Skate
Canada were there, the organizing team, and they took control,"
Ms. Butler said. "They were very well organized. We were
pleased."
Not knowing made the experience exciting and nerve-wrecking for
Stephanie. She said the surprise helped her skating because it was the
fastest she'd ever had to learn a program, with just an hour and a
half to rehearse on Friday and a couple hours on Saturday.
"I didn't know anything about what to do," she said. "We had to learn
it in two days. I usually get a couple months."
Stephanie added she was able to see the special guests skate as well,
all except Browning because he skated early and late in the show when
her group was behind the scenes getting ready to perform.
However, Stephanie did get to see him skate around the ice a little
bit during practice.
"During rehearsal we were on the news when he (Kurt) was on with
Danielle Butt," Stephanie said. "They turned the camera on us and we
were waving to the camera."
After the show, the provincial skaters were given 15-20 minutes to get
autographs from the special guests.
"They signed my jacket," Emma Ball said. "It was really fun to see
them and they were really nice."
The eight-year-old said she was happy to be a part of such an
event.
"It was really fun. I met a lot of people and there were a lot of
figure skaters there so it was really cool," she said. "I skated in
something really fun and I met a lot of people so it meant a lot
me."
This was the first big event for Emma and Stephanie, but for Becci
Milner, being part of the senior provincial A team meant she was able
to skate in Ice Galaxy, a similar event held a few years ago.
Becci said the event last Saturday was exceptional, and a great
experience for the dozen members of the senior team who skated in the
group number.
"It was lots of fun," Becci said. "There were many hours of hard work
of choreography crammed into three short days to produce the show on
Saturday."
She added the provincial skaters had the opportunity to skate with the
guest skaters for the opening number and closing number.
"It was kind of like we were preparing the crowd and presenting the
stars to them, so it was a great honor," Becci said.
The province's skaters also met with the stars.
"They were more than willing to give some of their free time to sign
autographs and talk to the younger children. All the guests were
really kind to all the skaters. They were genuinely down-to-earth
people and they didn't mind talking to other skaters because they want
to support the younger skaters on their skating careers."
Becci said she believes she benefited from the experience.
"It was an honor to be involved in such a large event and that I was
privileged enough to be a part of it," she said.
"By meeting these skaters it has inspired me to work harder as a
skater myself so that I can be a part of such an event again if I get
the chance."
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