rinkside
MOTHER AND DAUGHTER ACHIEVE MILESTONES TOGETHER Elizabeth Ellsworth, 49, and daughter
Catherine, 13, were both testers at a recent session hosted by the Essex Figure Skating Club in West Orange, N.J. For Elizabeth, passing the Westminster
Waltz marked the successful completion of her Adult gold dances, a journey that took her seven years. For Catherine, it is just the beginning, as the judges signed off on her three preliminary dances. “She was so proud of me and I was so
proud of her,” Elizabeth said. “It was so special and such a fun expe-
rience to share,” Catherine added. “I was so happy she passed her last dance and I was so happy to do my fi rst ones.” The two, who live in New Canaan,
Elizabeth Ellsworth, with coach Oleg Voyko and her daughter Catherine
Conn., and typically skate at the Terry Con- nors rink in Stamford and The Rinks at Shel- ton, describe the fi rst and last dance tests as milestones.
Snowplow Sam came to skate at Kettler Capitals Iceplex on Jan. 9 in Arlington, Va. Sam skated with some of his classmates as well as new friends. While on the ice, Sam taught the importance of falling on your bottom, tying skates properly, the basic fundamentals of skating and, above all, friendship. After the public skate, Sam stayed to say goodbye to his friends and handed out Snowplow Sam coloring books. Snowplow Sam made National Skating Month memorable at Kettler Capitals Iceplex.
ICE CREWS PLAY MAJOR ROLE AT BIG EVENTS
By Dave Fies There are skaters, coaches, judges, offi -
cials, programs, music, scores and spectators at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships. But nothing happens without the ice! Many are coming to appreciate the ded-
ication of the ice rink builders and ice techni- cians who make certain the ice sheets are as perfect as possible. “Ice is a 24-hour-a-day job, and more
complex than most realize,” said Mike Clayton, president of Ice Rink Events, the company
that provides the practice rinks at champion- ship events. “You have the industry’s top pro- fessionals here, all taking great pride in their work for these skaters, these athletes, these artists.” U.S. Figure Skating’s ice technicians
working the U.S. Championships keep a close eye on the ice temperatures and watch for any imperfection that might aff ect a perfor- mance. A quality ice sheet is important to Clay-
ton and his partner in life and business, Lena Gottschall, as their ties to fi gure skating go back to their childhoods. Gottschall is Ice Rink Events’ lead designer; she is usually fi rst to test new ice surfaces, giving constructive in-
put about the feel, the fi nish and the texture of the ice. Don “Scooter” Mosher, a fi xture at U.S.
championship events for 18 years, is Ice Rink Events’ senior technical director. Dave Gag- non has been a presence at championship events for 22 years, Don McKenzie for 17 years and Bruce McNally for 12 years. STAR’s Cory Portner kept the ice resurfacers in Omaha in top operating condition all week. Early arriving skaters in Omaha watched
the practice rink come to life. They marveled at the technology of building a full-sized ice arena in only fi ve days. Many skaters and coaches thanked the ice crew for a job well done.
(l-r) Ice dancers perfect their moves at the practice rink in Omaha; Mike Clayton and Lena Gottschall of Ice Rink Events; the ice rink crew at the CenturyLink Center kept the conditions perfect for the sport’s top athletes; Juvenile ladies accept their medals in Omaha.
“In the fi rst tests you’re learning the
fundamentals of ice dancing; by the last one you’ve performed 23 dances of vary- ing diffi culties and rhythms,” said Elizabeth who with Catherine is coached by former Ukrainian Olympian Oleg Voyko. Catherine is also a freestyle skater, hav-
ing started skating at the age of 4 when her mom introduced her and her brother to the sport at a local rink. “I liked it right away,” Catherine said.
“The sensation of being on the ice is like no other.”
Elizabeth was an occasional recreation-
al skater as a child but really got involved at age 39 as a mother of young children. “I loved the camaraderie among the
other adults and the goal-setting,” she said. “It became my ‘me time.’ ”
— Laura Fantarella
62 MARCH 2013
PHOTOS COURTESY OF LENA GOTTSCHALL
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