Two Squamish skaters are among the best synchronized skating competitors in the province and are going to Manitoba for the biggest competition of their lives.
The national championships are the competitive pinnacle for the novice skaters from Squamish. There is no international competition to advance to after the national event.
Synchronized skating doesn't enjoy a high profile and the attention that some sports get. For Sarah Lariviere, 16, and Kerri-Ann Lowe, 14, it doesn't matter that their sport is overshadowed by higher profile sports.
The pair travels to Burnaby two days a week to train with their synchro team at Burnaby 8 Rinks. The novice skaters are on a team called Pacific Ice. The team is part of the Vancouver Skating Club.Sarah, 16, and Kerri-Ann, 14, will represent their club and their hometown between Mar. 4 and 7 at the Synchronized Skating Canadian Championships.
The Pacific Ice team of 18 skaters qualified to compete at nationals by placing fourth at the western Canadian Championships in Regina Feb. 21 and 22.
The team's birth into the western Canadian event came following a gold medal performance at the provincial championships Feb. 7 and 8 in Maple Ridge.
The sport is very similar to synchronized swimming. Instead of taking place in the water, the skating event happens on frozen water and nose plugs are swapped for skates while swimsuits are traded for bright and colourful skating outfits.
"We have to wear really bad makeup that takes, like, two hours to do," Sarah told The Chief.
She described her sport as being similar to solo skating in that a team of 18 is out on the ice doing solo performances all at the same time.
According to Kerri-Ann, it is a sport that sometimes can be dangerous.
"It's tough," she said. Kerri-Ann then described a recent incident. The maneuver they were doing was being done close to a wall and a skate blade hit the wall. The whole group went down, she said.
Both skaters say they stick with the sport because of the contact they have with the other skaters on their team.
"They are so much fun to be around," said Kerri-Ann.
"I'm kind of like the team clown, so they all make me happy," said Sarah.
The team members see a great deal of each other as they train nine months a year.
Kerri-Ann's mother, April, said the season starts late in August and carries on until the middle of March. Things pick up again in May and June.
Sarah and Kerri-Ann both said they are exciting about the trip to Brandon and they are looking forward to the national championships.
