Cleaning house BY LEXI ROHNER They are called “sweepers”; young skaters
who glide around picking up small gifts, such as fl owers and stuff ed animals (called tossies), that fans have thrown onto the ice in appreciation of a performance. They have been part
of championship
events domestically and internationally for de- cades and in recent years have become woven into the fabric of the U.S. Adult Championships. Their contribution to the event isn’t lost on
the adult competitors, who, at the 2011 event in Salt Lake City, even tipped the youngsters. “I loved being a sweeper,” said Claire Loy, 10,
who worked the 2013 U.S. Adult Championships in Scottsdale, Ariz. “The best part was helping and cheering on the skaters. I even received a medal from an adult skater.” Loy’s mother, Kim Krause, a masters-inter-
mediate competitor, organized the 2013 sweep- ers. Included were Loy, 22 Coyotes SC of Arizona skaters and one skater from California. “It was like a family event for me because my
mom competed and my friends were sweeping with me,” Loy said. “It was great to see their beau- tiful and creative costumes.” “I loved their enthusiasm when they came
off the ice,” sweeper Lauren Kobley added. Siblings Grace and Ryan Taylor found them-
selves caught up in the excitement and energy of the competition at their home rink in Scotts- dale.
“Getting to be a sweeper for the Champion-
ship Men’s events showed me exactly how far I can go with my skating,” Ryan said. Veteran adult skater Thom Mullins appreci-
ates the eff orts of the sweepers, especially the youngest ones. “There is always one little kid out there who
has a hard time picking up an item, or getting one at all. Then we cheer like mad when they fi - nally get one,” he said. Longtime adult skater Terryl Allen knows the sweepers get a feel for this event through
exposure to adults who’ve remained passionate about the sport. “I hope they remember and enter this event
when they’re old enough,” Allen said. The myriad items thrown onto the ice are
generally bagged up for the competitors. How- ever, inspired by a competitor whose sister had been the victim of domestic violence, the Grand Rapids LOC in 2009 donated many of those items to a battered women’s shelter.
OBERSTDORF COMPETITORS
BEFRIEND TEEN SWEEPER Courtney O’Connor, 15, has scoliosis, a med-
ical condition in which a person’s spine is curved from side to side. It’s been her skating and in- volvement as a sweeper at adult events that have her looking forward to the future. O’Connor is the daughter of adult skaters
Brownell and Perry O’Connor. She worked as a sweeper at the 2012 ISU
Adult Skating Championships in Oberstdorf, Germany, where she met the competitors and made them laugh while they nervously waited for results. “It was fun,” O’Connor said. “Some Canadians had frisbees that they fl ew through my legs.”
Courtney O’Connor and her father Brownell O’Connor. She was also a sweeper at the 2007 Russian
All-Stars Show in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, where O’Connor delighted in chasing 2006 Olympic pairs champion Maxim Marinin around the ice to give him fl owers when he did not see her.
“My parents have always skated, so I’ve been
brought up around adult skaters,” O’Connor said. “My twin brother, older sister and I were the only children at Obi (Oberstdorf) besides other sweepers.” O’Connor lives in southern Ireland and trav-
els to her grandmother’s home on Friday nights, where she continues on the next day for skating lessons in Belfast in Northern Ireland. She underwent surgery two years ago for
her medical condition and hopes to compete later this year, with aspirations of taking part in the 2018 Paralympics Games, if skating is includ- ed.
“I’d love to see more people with impair-
ments learning to skate,” O’Connor said. “It’s very special and it pulls on everyone’s heartstrings.” O’Connor’s father is clear that the Oberst-
dorf family really is a family and is grateful to count his fellow participants as friends. “To see you all support a little girl you’ve met
briefl y is truly amazing,” Brownell said. “Make no mistake, when Courtney competes again, each and every one of you will have had a part in her recovery.”
Sweepers who partipated at the 2013 U.S. Adult Championships in Scottsdale are (l-r) MaKayla Bonnell, Nicole Mathis, Cloey Hall, Emily Hayes, Katelyn Brotherton, Lauren Brotherton, Grace Taylor, Katie Hartnett, Cassidy Pearson, Tiana Passante, Paige Owens, Ryan Taylor, Lauren Kobley, Avry Nelson, Claire Loy, Juliet Parker and Abbey Lehmberg. Not pictured : Carter Griffi n, Lilly Guthrie, Sakshi Wagh, Lizzie Gabrielle, Cat Eybeyer, Nami Reynolds, Kelly Campbell
SWEEPERS ENJOY THEIR ROLE AT ADULT EVENTS
SKATING 39
S:10.375” T:10.875” B:11.125”
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