The 100 Mile Skating Club is preparing for a year-end show under the Big Top.
On April 13 the club will be running a Carnival-themed year-end show complete with custom costumes, a circus backdrop and a spotlight on the ice. It’s a prospect that excites figure skaters like Olivia Guenther and Hazel Letz.
“It’s very nervewracking because this is one of our big shows and most of the time it’s not been this big. Now there’s a spotlight, all the lights will be off, there’s a narrator there is a lot of stuff going on,” Guenther said. “It’s pretty exciting.”
Skating director Cindy Mardyn said Carnival will cap off a hugely successful year for the club. Their season started in August with several of their keenest members attending their first competition and rising through the levels of figure skating. Since Mardyn took over running the club in 2022 she said their membership has more than doubled from 70 students to close to 160.
“It’s pretty amazing. The word is getting out, people are coming and we’ve had nothing but positive comments from parents,” Mardyn said, noting new skating coach Rachel Hunt has been a super addition to the club.
Letz joined the club five years ago and said figure skating has been one of her passions ever since. She especially enjoys how free she feels on the ice and noted Hunt has been great to work with this year.
Guenther, meanwhile, joined the club after taking dance for five years. While at first she didn’t like figure skating much she has since found it to be a lot of fun.
“When I skate it makes me feel happy and also if I’m having a bad day I can just come here, skate and all my bad feelings go away,” Guenther said.
Mardyn said it has been several years since the club has done a large-scale year-end show like this. Many of their youngest Canskate members don’t even remember the last time they did it and are a bit intimidated. Despite this, she noted that all the kids who have signed up for the show are excited and working hard to learn their routines.
“(The Carnival theme) started with a joke. Back in the day we used to call all ice shows carnivals and some of the older members used to skate as kids still called it carnival,” Mardyn explained adding they decided to embrace it this year. “We have everything from lions, to feather dancers, tight rope walkers, clowns and all the usual carnival people.
“It’s been a blast (to work on these routines) with the kids. Of course, they want to choreograph everything themselves but sometimes the coach has got to say no, you have to do it this way. They’re having fun with it though and we value their input quite a bit at this stage, they love to show their creative side.”
Keeping with the carnival theme the lobby of the South Cariboo Rec Centre will be decorated like a concession selling popcorn and treats for the show. Mardyn noted a committee of parents has been getting the costumes and props together and planning a 50/50, which has been a big help.
These include Carnival coordinator Crystal Thibeault and club president Lisa Shearer. So far Shearer said they’ve spent $7,000 on costumes alone and will likely spend $20,000 to put on the show. This includes both volunteer hours and money raised from fundraisers and local business sponsorships.
They said the kids have really bought into the show and have begun practicing for it, with the first two weeks of April dedicated solely to preparing for the show.
“It’s going to be a really good musical and visual delight for the public to come watch and enjoy,” Thibeault said. “We have solos, duets and group performances, all in costume.”
Joining the 60 skaters from the club taking part in the show, Mardyn has invited two guest skaters up from the Langley Figure Skating Club. Skill Test Achievement Recognition (STAR) 10 skater Hanna Li will be doing some interpretive skating while competitive skater Irena Lin will do two of her competitive routines for the audience.
“It’s going to be really exciting for our kids because they haven’t seen any STAR skating above a level three or four. Our kids are all level one and two so to see a STAR 10 will hopefully encourage them to keep going,” Mardyn said.
There will be a matinee and evening performance of the Carnival Show, with the matinee set for 2 p.m. and the evening show set for 6 p.m. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children and are available at Donex Pharmacy & Department Store and RE/MAX 100. Tickets will also be sold at the door, with children under the age of five getting in for free. The club’s goal is to break even.
“It would just be great to fill the arena. I think all ages will see a little something they like whether they’re previous skaters or just want to enjoy an evening out,” Shearer said.
