ICE TECHNICIANS
Ice technicians should be willing to spend long hours at the ice rink on a daily basis during a competition. Usually the ice technician arrives at least 30 minutes before the first event and stays until the day is over. Although the days are long, Dave Gagnon, national vice chair of ice tech- nicians on the Competitions Committee, feels the time is well spent. “You get to watch a sport you are interested in and excited about, and
you know you made a difference in the quality of the competition. You helped to make the ice safe and of competition quality, kept the event on schedule and running smoothly, and you got to meet some of the nicest and most interesting people.” To be able to serve as an ice technician at U.S. Figure Skating com- petitions, one first needs to be a certified ice technician (CIT) or in the process of becoming a CIT through STAR (Serving the American Rinks). To become a CIT, an individual must complete the following three opera- tions courses and pass the exams: • Basic Refrigeration (BR) • Ice Making and Painting Technologies (IMPT) • Ice Maintenance and Equipment Operation (IMEO) Once certified by STAR, one should apply for a position as an ice technician with U.S. Figure Skating by contacting Gagnon at iceteck@
cox.net and, if accepted, one will be assigned to various competitions with other ice technicians where he/she will be evaluated for attitude, ability to work with many personnel diplomatically and willingness to react im- mediately to situations that may arise on or off the ice. For more information on becoming a CIT through STAR, visit STAR’s website at
www.starrinks.com and click on “Education.”
Mike McGuire and Carol Nugent helped call the action at the 2012 Prudential U.S. Figure Skating Championships in San Jose, Calif.
CONCLUSION
Becoming an official is hard work, and it takes time and of- ten a financial investment to attend the competitions, test sessions, schools and/or seminars necessary to get certified. However, the re- wards are worth it, as evidenced by people who have been serving as officials for more than 50 years. “Being an official has its benefits because it allows me to stay
involved in skating while having a career outside of the sport,” said Wendy Enzmann, chair of the Technical Panel Committee, national referee and technical panel official and international judge. “Being an official takes work and dedication, but the rewards are well worth it. I encourage everyone to give it a try and see if it’s for them.” Among the rewards you’ll receive: one of the best seats in the
house! Juliet Newcomer is the director of technical services for U.S. Figure
Skating. Prior to being hired to work at headquarters, Newcomer was a regional singles/pairs judge and also served as a music coordinator at nonqualifying competitions.
SKATING 33
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