CARNDUFF — Aria Martin is a five-year-old who started school at the Carnduff Education Complex this past fall. The year before, she went to a different kind of school—the Carnduff Skating Club.
The Carnduff Skating Club has been around long before Aria was born—possibly even before her parents were born! When it first began, it was affiliated with Skate Canada, but the certification process for coaching with Skate Canada has become increasingly difficult. Since most of their skaters were not interested in competitive skating, the club decided to continue teaching the basics without the Skate Canada connection. For those who wanted to skate beyond recreational levels, Skate Canada chapters were available in places like Oxbow and Virden.
The club teaches both hockey and figure skating techniques. As children get older, they decide which type of skating they would like to focus on. The coaches are all skilled skaters who learned through Skate Canada’s programs. The current coaches are Makayla Lowdon, Kristen Carriere and Kamryn Borreson, although Kamryn is currently away undergoing treatment for leukemia.
About 20 skaters attend the club’s sessions on Tuesdays and Fridays. There are three levels: Learn to Skate (which Aria is in), Junior Skaters and Senior Skaters. The hour-long ice times begin in November and end in March. This year, the season wraps up on March 18 with Broadway On Ice—Carnduff’s version of Disney On Ice! The event gives all the skaters and their coaches a chance to show the public what they have learned.
This is Aria’s second year skating, and she recently decided to "major" in figure skating. A few weeks ago, she was extremely proud of her brand-new figure skates, complete with long, pink blade protectors!
If you’re interested in seeing how Aria and her fellow skaters have progressed, plan to attend Broadway On Ice at Carnduff’s Fast Arena on March 18. The show begins at 6 p.m.
