On March 9, 1990, a line of vehicles left the Village of Arborg.

We were heading to the 1990 Interlake Regional Precision Competition in Stonewall, Manitoba. The final competition of the season for our 16-member Arborg Junior team.

The Stonewall Figure Skating Club hosted the competition that warm, spring-like day. It was the finale of a successful season for the Arborg Junior, Juvenile, and CanSkate teams. And it’d be the Arborg Junior team’s swan song. After searching high and low, merging skaters from three clubs, and pulling skaters out of retirement, our team would dissolve after this competition.

This Interlake Regional Precision Competition was held earlier than the previous year. Since our parents were working, my older sister and I carpooled with a teammate. Carpooling comes with precision territory.

Inside the Stonewall arena, we waited for our teammates and two other Arborg teams. We could smell the aroma of the rink. Most skaters agree arenas have an aroma. It’s fresh and minty. With a hint of ammonia, but that fades. The stench of changing rooms is another story.

We found our assigned room for the Arborg Junior team. Just the 16 of us. As we were settling inside, most of us missed the cork board outside our dressing room. It’s also called the competition board, where categories, teams, order of skate and results are posted.

Someone said, “Do you see who we’re up against?”

We were one of two teams in the advanced category. However, we didn’t celebrate a medal by default.

Continue reading “Reflections of a Competitive Precision Journey – Silver, Bronze, and A Sunset Ending”