Skip to content

QFSC starts off season in top ten

The Quesnel Figure Skating Club starts off the year with a new coach and a top ten finish for a skater.
11136quesneloliviaonline
Olivia Marleau shows off by making a leg near disappear at the twin arenas at eary morning practice.

Winter sports aren’t relegated to the snowy months anymore.

Olivia Marleau took part in her first skating competition of the season, the BC/YT Summerskate 2012 competition, Aug. 16-19. But the competition wasn’t her first skate of the year by a long shot.

Marleau spent her summer in Kelowna training at an all season rink there to prepare for her season here in Quesnel.

It’s the second year Marleau has summered in Kelowna to keep up with her winter sports and the third year she went south to find year-round ice.

Despite the warmer climes in Kelowna, a larger population allows them to have a rink year-round, which drew Marleau.

Marleau seems to be happy with the results of the summer training in her fist skate of the season down in the Lower Mainland.

“I had a clean skate for my short, and almost a clean skate for my long, just a couple wobbles,” she said.

Later adding, “I could have had a cleaner long, but I’m pleased with it. I did the best I could.”

Her best took her well into the top ten; a sixth in the Pre-Novie 14 and under category.

Now she has her eyes set on the upcoming season. And she’s not aiming low either.

“My goal is to get my double axel for sure and maybe my triple and to place in the top eight in sections,” she said.

With all that training under her belt, and a competitionas well, Marleau is optimistic about the season.

“I think it’ll be the best one yet. It’ll be fun,” she said.

Marleau wasn’t the only skater to make the trek south for the Quesnel Figure Skating Club, however, 8 year-old Valyce Mamic was also showing off for the judges at the event.

Mamic earned a silver evaluation in the Star 2 girls event.

 

Starting fresh with a new coach

 

Now that there’s ice here in Quesnel, The Quesnel Figure Skating Club is gearing up for a new season and a new coach – Wendy Berezowsky.

Berezowsky is a national and international coach, who has come back to Quesnel after a five-year absence coaching skating in Prince George and Vancouver.

“I’m really happy to be back in Quesnel,” she said.

Berezowski brings 40 years of coaching experience.

Jo-Ann Nadalin and Berezowski will work together to coach the team this coming season.

The new coach is already planning big things for the club, the first of which is to keep the club at the top of the region where they sit currently, having won the CNCR regionals.

But she’s not content with keeping the club there.

“Jo-Ann and I are both going to take the club further,” she said.

Specifically, she would like to give the Lower Mainland clubs a northern club to fear. And, she is quick to point out, the club is already strong enough to make the southern clubs nervous. Marleau’s results from the Summerskate competition are proof of that.

The club has seen an influx of new students, along with keeping the girls that skated last year, giving them a good pool to draw from as they plan their ascent.

“We’ve got a lot of young talent coming up and our senior skaters have performed well and proven themselves in the south,” Berezowski said.

Now, Brezowksi is eager to get into the action herself, as she just got situated in Quesnel last week and has had little time to spend with the girls. Despite this, she knows how well the skaters have performed and can’t wait for the competition to begin.

“We’re looking forward to Cariboots and our skaters doing well in the super series,” she said.

The regular season for the club begins Monday Sept, 10.  For registration information see Brezowski or Nadalin at the central registration night, Sept. 5 at the Art and Rec Centre.