Bracknell Ice Skating Club Newsletter - April 2006
Bracknell Open Proves a Winner for Organisational and Skating Skills
Entries may have been down overall because of changes in NISA
rules, but this year’s Bracknell Open on April 24-27 was a major
success for Sue Truby and her team of organisers and for many of the
club’s skaters.
Having reached a peak two years ago of 430, entries dropped to 382
last year because free skating classes could not be held for skaters
at championship levels. The fall would have been more had it not
been for a surge in entries for the solo dance qualifying
competitions.
This year’s event attracted 359 entries which meant it could be held
on just four days instead of five. There were 129 dance entries (92
last year) of which 87 were in the qualifiers and 42 in other
classes (compared to 75 and 17 last year) and so two days, instead
of 1.5, were devoted to dance. There were also 230 free entries, 60
fewer than last year partly because of a rule which prevents any
higher level skaters, who may want to enter NJS events later in the
year, from skating in Opens. However entries as usual came from
throughout the UK.
There was such a big entry in the novice and primary qualifiers that
it was possible to have separate classes for girls and boys but
numbers were light in the intermediate and senior classes. There was
however a lot of interest, and good feedback, about the
non-qualifier dance classes and it looks like these could attract
many more entries next year.
Last year a day was devoted to Beginner and Level 1 free skating
classes but this year, because numbers were down, it was possible to
have Level 2 classes on the same day too. And as there were fewer
entries at Level 6 and over, and in pairs, there was no need for the
fifth day.
However the number of BISC skaters taking part remained much the
same as in recent years. There were 23 dance entries by 14 members
-11 (14 last year) competing in the dance qualifiers and 12 (8 last
year) entries in other dance classes; and 31 free skating entries
plus 20 in 13 solo and group artistic classes compared to 35 free
skaters plus 27 skaters in 16 artistics last year.
The number of medals won by BISC skaters also rose from 23 last year
to 28. Last year nine were for dance including four in qualifying
classes, 11 for free skating and three for artistic. This year 14
were for dance including three in qualifying classes and 10 were for
free plus four for artistics.
Much praise and thanks must go once again to BISC’s competitions
organiser Sue Truby for the enormous amount of hours and effort she
put into ensuring that
the club’s Open remains one of the biggest and most popular in the
country and keeps its reputation for being smooth running and having
a friendly atmosphere and good facilities.
This was particularly difficult this year because of late rule
changes by NISA, and
having to swap referees and find a replacement judges’ steward
because of a bereavement just two weeks before the event. Thankfully
Alice Hanrahan felt up to being the steward as usual, and Sarah
Hanrahan did referee on the Wednesday.
But finding helpers to run the event proved even more difficult than
in previous years.
“Sadly it's the same few that help time and time again and this year
we seemed to have even fewer than in the past which just increases
the burden on those who are willing to give their time,” Sue said.
“We very nearly had to cancel or curtail the event because of the
lack of willing volunteers. If someone is willing to take half or a
whole day off work to take their child to a competition, then they
need to do the same when their own club is running a competition -
otherwise there won't be any competitions to take children to!”
* Volunteers will soon be needed to help at the Bracknell Adult Open
on the last Thursday and Friday in June.
Newcomers make their mark in Dance Competition
Fifteen BISC members competed in the solo dance qualifiers on the
first two days of the Bracknell Open and eight competed in 13 other
dance classes.
The event began with the novice girls qualifying competition in
which Sadie Robbins, who had previously qualified, came 5th in the
compulsory and 8th in the original which placed her 6th overall out
of 25. Olivia Clarke came 11th (7th in the compulsory and 11th in
the original) while Kristiana Hadley, 9, competing in her first
qualifier, came 21st (15th in the compulsory, 23rd in the original).
In the primary boys class, Jack Finerty (skating for Slough) came
1st in each section and 1st overall while Paul Dredge, who had
qualified previously, came 3rd (2nd in compulsory, 3rd in original)
out of 3.
In the novice free dance competition, Sadie came 1st and Hayley
Salmon 2nd out of 5; while in the Level 2 and under compulsory
class, Laura Kerr, competing in her first Open, skated well enough
to win both dances to come 1st overall out of 4, with Amy Barnes 2nd
in both dances and 2nd overall and Jordan Brown 3rd in both dances
and 3rd overall. Laura also competed in the Level 2 and under
variation class where she came 2nd of 3.
Sadie additionally competed in the Level 4 and under compulsory
class for which she won gold, beating five others, after coming 2nd
in the first dance and 1st in the second; and in the Level 4 and
under original dance class in which she was 2nd of 4.
On the second day Fiona Piggott and Charlotte Hester won places in
the junior final. Fiona was placed 4th overall (2nd in the
compulsory and 6th in the original) while Charlotte came 5th overall
(7th in compulsory and 4th in original). Laura Hartley came 8th in
each section and 8th overall out of 13.
Competing in the intermediate class, Jen Truby, skating in her first qualifier this year, suffered a nasty fall as she came off the ice after the compulsory and missed qualifying by one place after coming 6th overall (5th in compulsory, 6th in original) while Rachel Kellas came 7th in each section and 7th overall out of 7.
Carly Emery (skating for Slough) won the senior class, coming 1st
of 2 in both sections.
In the free dance competitions, Fiona won the junior class, in which
she was the only competitor, and Carly won the intermediate/senior
class in which there were seven entrants.
Jen also came 2nd of 3 in the Level 7 and under compulsory class,
2nd of 2 in the open compulsory class and 1st in the open original
class.
Why Jodie was a Hero
A 20-year-old Slough skater proved inspirational when she took part in the Level 7 and under original dance competition.
Four years ago Jodie Takhar broke her back in four places in a horse riding accident. The fall was so bad that her organs failed and she spent a long time in intensive care. She had to learn to walk again and then to skate again. As well as working on her skating tests, she has qualified as a Level 2 coach.
She was thrilled at the prospect of being able to compete again but her age and test passes didn't match the criteria for the solo dance qualifiers. However there was a class at Bracknell for which she was eligible. She was over the moon at the chance to compete … and even more thrilled when she won!
Telford and Dumfries Open results Page
Free skater, James Bailey, 13, was the only BISC member to compete in the Telford Open where he came 2nd out of 2 in the Level 4 boys’ class. Sadie Robbins, 10, and Olivia Clarke, 11, both competed in the free skating competition at Dumfries. Sadie came 8th and Olivia 11th out of 11 in the Level 3 girls’ class.
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