COVER STORY
travel time and the ability to spend that time skating or visiting with family or friends has helped Glenn maintain a lifelong pas- sion for the art of flying.
Earth- Long Track National Racing Program member Petra Acker
wanted to do mission work with her friend and fellow skater Rebecca Dyrud. They tried for over a year to plan a trip together to work in Kenya, Africa but schedules kept plans at bay. When Haiti suffered a devastating earth quake in 2010, Petra’s mother Cyndi suggested they make this a mission of help and see if Re- becca could join them. The details all fell into place and within weeks travel was set. When asked what it felt like stepping off the plane aer arriv-
ing in Port- au- Prince, Haiti, Petra remembered “It was over- whelming. It was dark and the airport was chaos, the heat was simply oppressive. It took a few days for the enormity of our surroundings to sink in. The conditions and need was so desper- ate.” For the next two weeks, Petra and Rebecca set out to work with a medical team sent with the Samaritans Purse organiza- tion to offer assistance in constructing shelter, bringing support to a school and an orphanage. When arriving at the orphanage, home to 20 children ranging in ages infant to 12, the volunteers learned the children had not eaten in two days. The first effort of relief soon found them searching for large bags of beans and rice. “The orphanage was my favorite place,” recalls Petra. “These kids have absolutely nothing; no home, no bed, no family and until we arrived, no food, yet they still greeted us with bright, happy smiles every single day. Compassion and love were all they craved and that was something that I could give freely and in a never ending supply.” Through their stay, Petra and Rebecca learned that hope and support will be the bricks and mortar of rebuilding Haiti.
Fire-
When spending months on end in a temperature controlled building set at “frozen”, Hence Bollinger of Bethlehem, PA goes
Hence Bollinger
in the opposite direction to clear her head- straight into the fire at a nearby studio. There she is not blowing off steam, rather creating endless combinations in blown glass. In 2006, a glass blowing studio opened its doors a mere 3
miles from Hence. The art form had always intrigued her so she watched numerous demonstrations year aer year while telling herself “I need to take a class.” With the urging from husband Andy and friend Brian, Hence made time for a class in 2009 and has been bitten by the “glass bug” ever since. Asked what was most enjoyable about making glass art,
Hence was quick to respond “this is a cra that not many people do which adds to the allure. Plus the euphoric thrill of working with a molten medium of 2300 degrees…I can go from working with pure clear glass to having hundreds of color combinations and designs. It’s absolutely mind boggling.” Hence continues to improve her eye-hand coordination and dexterity in the studio twice a week, working for 3-4 hours per session. “When you are glass blowing, you cannot think of any- thing else; it requires every second of your attention because you must commit to the piece. Once you start a project you have to see it through.” “You need to be confident, fearless, and persistent; be ex-
tremely attentive, have patience and a clear head.” All important qualities to possess, because quite literally, Hence is playing with fire.
Water- How does a speed skater spend time off the ice? Surprisingly,
on the water! Never far from this element, coach Ryan Shimabu- kuro has gravitated to the sport of wakeboarding. Not only does he enjoy catching a wave or two, Ryan is also a judge at local grass roots competitions to national tournaments. “Water is my therapy, my outlet. Being on a boat with my fam-
ily and friends on a nice, calm sunny day is very relaxing for me.” Ryan shared. Ryan’s older brother Reid introduced him to the sport back in
1994 when Ryan spent a month long trip to his native Hawaii. A combination of water skiing and surfing, wake boarding offers a lifestyle sport rather then competitively driven. Having ridden in both ocean & lake water, freshwater is pref-
erable for this rider. “Saltwater is more dense than fresh, mak- ing landings harder on the
body...and the time it takes to clean the boat equipment” Ryan shared. Judging is taken very seriously even though the atmosphere
is “pretty chill”. Ryan will always make sure to score fairly for overall tricks such as spins & grabs, composition or overall flow of a rider & execution whether the run has been done clean or without falls. As the first rider of the day sets the bar for those that follow them, this is important. Ryan has learned that coaching during intense speed skating competitions on ice are balanced with the laid back style found on open water with wakeboarding. When out of their common elements of the skating rink or
oval, these members of US Speedskating have found a way to shine in their own individual elements. n
www.usspeedskating.org Summer 2012 RACING BLADE 19
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