Page 14 - Flathead Beacon // 1.15.13

14 | JANUARY 15, 2014 COVER FLATHEADBEACON.COM

DREAMS

ON ICE

Figure skating is gaining popularity in the Flathead,

due to the eforts of the Whiteish Figure Skating

Club and its founder, Carol Anderson

W
By MOLLY PRIDDY

HITEFISH – Carol Anderson is calm and delib- Whiteish to practice at the Glacier Skate International Training
erate as she skates behind a boy, who, at the moment, looks like Academy, which teaches power skating for all levels of hockey play-
he’s focusing all of his energy on not falling at the Stumptown ers and igure skaters through the Whiteish Figure Skating Club.
Ice Den.
And one of the irst things these new students will understand
“Push, push,” Carol says, rhythmically. “Push.”
about igure skating is that it is quite diicult to master.

The boy teeters along, eyes big under his helmet, unknow- “It’s one of the hardest sports in the world,” said Chad Good-
ingly following the path of countless others Carol has taught win, the igure and power skating coach and director for the Glacier
over the years.
Skate International Training Academy
Skating is tough to learn at irst, in Whiteish.
since it sets us in motion on a very Take the speed and power of hockey,
slippery surface. It is also a deep add leg-punishing leaps and dizzying
and hallowed tradition, one that spins, then try to hide how hard it all
is gaining momentum in the Flat- is through grace, and you’ve got igure

head.
skaters. These are athletes whose jobs
Carol knows all this. She knows are making incredible feats on unfor-
a lot about skating, actually; she’s giving ice look easy.
been on the ice for 78 of her 82 years, The advanced igure skaters in the
starting as a 4-year-old in Duluth, club perform this job well.
Minn., and eventually founding the Last week they lew around the rink,
Whiteish Figure Skating Club 20 listening to pop music as they worked on

years ago.
their skills, their skates gliding sharply,
“It’s just in my blood,” she says, carving up the Stumptown Ice Den.
as she takes of her white skates Occasionally, they fall. It’s part of the
and leaves them on the table to be sport. But one of the irst lessons taught
sharpened.
at the Glacier Skate’s learn-to-skate
Aprogram is how to fall safely, and then
s the 2014 Sochi Win- how to get back up.
ter Olympics approaches, A gaggle of beginners learned this

most American eyes will be
earlier that evening, during the sec-
trained upon dozens of bedazzled ond lesson of the season. Kids, rang-
igure skaters, who, once every four ing in age from 2 to 8, wore helmets as
years, receive the kind of uninter- they adventured across the ice – stomp-
rupted attention usually reserved ing, whooshing, or merely standing
for professional basketball, football there, depending on their ability level.
and baseball players.
One rogue skater – looking to be young

Figure skating is televised at
enough that walking was probably a re- Carol Anderson started the Whiteish Figure Skating Club in
other times, but the Winter Olym-
cent phenomenon – spent the lesson sit- 1993.
pics provides its biggest stage, when
ting on a bucket, digging the heel tips GREG LINDSTROM | FLATHEAD BEACON
audiences see what can happen if
of his skates into the ice, and scooting
dreams are pursued day in and day
around the rink.
out, and all the toil out of the limelight is globally recognized on All of these steps are important for the learning process,
a podium, with medals, lowers and adulation.
Goodwin said, and more kids are interested than ever before. Gla-
Through this exposure, the Winter Olympics sends kids cier Skate took over skating lessons from the Whiteish parks and

to their local rinks to learn the rigors of skating. In the Flat- recreation department this year.
head, that usually means heading to the Stumptown Ice Den in
“We might have maxed out at over 100 kids,” Goodwin said dur-