Bracknell Ice Skating Club Newsletter - February 2005

Artistic Proves Enjoyable Event

A total of 31 skaters took part in 20 solo and nine group numbers in the club’s annual artistic competition on January 25 — almost the same numbers as last year.

Although very well organised, the event was marred by problems in the AV room which affected the music skated to by three members.

Unlike most skating competitions, artistics are less about ability and technique and more about entertainment. But entertainment seemed lacking from many of this year’s programmes although most of the audience, and the judges, thoroughly enjoyed the event.

Unfortunately the emphasis on costumes, props and even scenery also often makes it more about how much parents are prepared to pay or how ingenious they are at making these things than about skating.

Because the marking scheme is different to normal competitions in that each of the five judges marks a particular aspect of the programme and gives a mark for entertainment value, it means that someone with little technical ability but excellent costume and props can score the same as a highly skilled skater with a very technical programme and that is why artistics are so popular with those skaters who generally don’t do well otherwise.

Subjects this year ranged from Charlotte Pollecutt-Gray’s enchanting Fairy and Sophie Torrington’s Ugly Bug to Holly Kirkbride’s Cruella DeVil and Holly Jordan, Zoe McBride and Hannah Connor’s Car Wash girls.

It was a shame there were no solo boys above the lowest class and only Harvey Clarke’s Match of the Day programme had any flair or imagination, but one thing members seem to have taken on board is the cute factor — hence Rhiannon Bailey’s popularity with Holly Kirkbride and Emily Farrow in their Mambo/Macarena and with her brother James in Stick It In The Family Album while tiny Tani Turner was good with Anna and Claire Minchinton in their excellent performance of The Marvellous Toy.

The trophy for the most entertaining programme was won by Seren Tudor for her energetic Elvis and the trophy for the best costume/props was won by Claire Minchinton for her magical Mr Mistopholees cat outfit complete with flashing lights.

Results:

Solo, Level 1 and under: Harvey Clarke, 1st, Sophie Torrington 2nd, Amy Barnes 3rd, Ellie Hetebrij 4th, Jordan Brown 5th, Claire Lawley 6th, Kali Turner 7th, Charlotte Pollecutt- Gray 8th, Edward Bissell 9th;

Level 2 and 3: Olivia Clarke 1st, Holly Jordan 2nd, Hannah Connor 3rd, Claire Minchinton 4th, Zoe Mc-Bride 5th, Emily Kellas 6th, Rachel Kellas 7th.

Level 4 and above: Holly Kirkbride 1st, Seren Tudor 2nd, Hannah Hetebrij 3rd, Bethany Jarvis 4th.

Groups: Anna Minchinton, Claire Minchinton and Tani Turner 1st, Holly Jordan, Zoe Mc-Bride and Hannah Connor 2nd; Holly Kirkbride, Rhiannon Bailey and Emily Far-ow 3rd, Rebecca Brenikov and Anastasia Brenikov 4th, Olivia Clarke, Harvey Clarke and Ellie Hetebrij 5th, Hannah Hetebrij and Robyn Vaughan 6th, Rhiannon Bailey and James Bailey 7th, Rachael Cornish and Alana Hudson 8th, Abigail Hurst and Melissa Dron 9th.

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