For the third time in 15 years the U.S. national figure skating championships have come to Utah, and the state's oldest skating club is hoping to capitalize on it.
The Utah Figure Skating Club, more than 50 years old, has enjoyed an influx of young new skaters whenever major skating events come to town. Club officials hope this time is no different, but what they're really hoping is that the event raises money for their club to provide financial help for Utah skaters."The first national championships held here in 1984 helped our club tremendously," says Jack Searle who serves on the board of directors for the UFSC and is co-chairman on the executive committee for the 1999 national championships. "It gave us enough money to do a lot of things for the kids and help promote the sport."
The club subsidizes ice time for skaters and covers some of their traveling and training expenses. In the past, the UFSC provided financial assistance to Holly Cook, who placed third in the World Championships in 1990, and helped pay for Susie Brasher, among others, to go to the national championships. The club gave $500 each to nine skaters who competed in the sectional competition in Phoenix this winter. From that group, Mackenzie Baltz was sixth in the ladies' senior competition, John McKinnon was fifth among senior men and Stephanie Rosenthal was sixth among intermediate ladies.
The club also provided a smaller amount of money to the 20 or so Utah skaters who competed in the regional competition in San Jose, Calif. Club members can even apply for a scholarship as needed.
"We're here to help the kids," says Searle. "There are a lot of good skaters in Utah . . . . None of us get paid for what we do, so we spend the money strictly for helping the kids. Skating is a fairly expensive sport by the time you get lessons, costumes and skates."
The club maintains a membership of 200 to 250 skaters. Most of them are current or former competitive skaters, but the ranks also include recreational skaters. They have seen their sport grow in Utah in recent years.
"Until only two years ago, the only rink was in Bountiful," says Searle. "Now there is a rink at Cottonwood Heights, West Valley, Ogden and Provo. Skating has spread quite a bit. Of course we share the rinks with hockey, and that's grown tremendously, too."
Utah also is home to two more skating clubs, with a fourth one on the way.
The local skating clubs do most of the work involved in producing a major competition such as the national figure skating championships. The biggest service the clubs provide is recruiting and organizing 1,700 volunteers needed for the event -- volunteers to staff information booths and hospitality lounges, coordinate transportation, assist the media, provide security and chaperones and medical personnel, sell souvenirs, do hair and makeup for the skaters, monitor and patch the ice. Volunteers work a minimum of eight-hour shifts, but many work 12 to 16 hours.
According to one skating official, volunteers on the organizing committee have logged some 10,000 hours in making preparations for the national championships.
The clubs also organize tryouts to find skaters for the opening and closing ceremonies, the awards ceremonies and for picking up the flowers that fans throw on the ice after a skater's performance. There were 126 skaters in the opening ceremonies.