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. It also was the Arborg Junior team’s swan song. After searching high and low, merging skaters from three clubs, and pulling skaters out of retirement, our Junior team of sixteen would dissolve after this competition.

None of us were entering the Interlake Regional Precision Competition with an attitude of, well, after this, I never have to skate this program again. Because we did at was held earlier the regular time. With the inclusion of precision in the Interlake Winter Games and the regionals accepting CanSkate teams, there were more than double the amount of teams at the arena.

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 are 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, “Did 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”