KWSC - Press Releases

Recent Press Releases

KWSC regularly posts press releases on this page. Members of the press wanting further information concerning any of the press releases below are invited to contact:

Paul MacIntosh
Skating Programs Manager
Kitchener-Waterloo Skating Club
Telephone: 519-886-5972 ext. 222
Fax: 519-884-5790
E-mail:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

KW skaters looking for medals at National Championships in Moncton

Waterloo, ON, Jan-12-2012 - Reigning Canadian senior pair figure skating champions Kirsten Moore-Towers and Dylan Moscovitch lead a large group of KW Skating Club members to Moncton, N.B. to compete at the 2012 Canadian Figure Skating Championships which take place January 16-22.

Moore-Towers, 19, and Moscovitch, 27, will be competing to defend their 2011 title. The pair have enjoyed a very successful Grand Prix season capturing bronze medals at both Skate America and the Cup of China. Moore-Towers and Moscovitch teamed up in the spring of 2009 and train at the Kitchener-Waterloo Skating Club with coaches and two-time Olympians Kristy Sargeant-Wirtz and Kris Wirtz.

Joining them in the senior pair competition will be training mates Taylor Steele and Rob Shultz. Steele and Shultz also competed at the Cup of China setting personal best scores in both the short and long programs. Also competing in the senior pair event are KWSC home club members Brittany Jones and Kurtis Gaskell. Brittany will also compete in the Junior Ladies event.

KWSC has three entries in the Junior Pair event, led by ISU Grand Prix final and Canadian records holders Katherine Bobak and Ian Beharry. Bobak and Beharry have had a very quick rise on the international stage and this will be their first Canadian Championships together as a team. Also representing KWSC in the Junior Pair event will be 2011 National Novice silver medalists Mary Orr and Anthony Furiano along with the 2011 Novice Canadian Pair champions, Shalena Rau and Phelan Simpson.

Kitchener-Waterloo will also be represented in senior dance. Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje who have had a sensational Grand Prix season with three silver medals and a fourth place finish at the Grand Prix final will compete in their 5th Canadian Championships. Joining them for their first appearance at nationals will be Olga Lioudvinevitch and Ben Mulder, who train at RIM Park.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

KW Junior Pair Skaters to Compete with World's Best

Waterloo, ON, Dec-07-2011 - Junior pair figure skaters Katherine Bobak and Ian Beharry will compete at the ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final to be held December 8-11 in Quebec City. Bobak and Beharry are coming off a very successful Grand Prix season where they captured a silver medal in Poland in September, followed by a gold medal in Estonia in October. The pair finished third in total points in the ISU Junior Grand Prix series and will compete with the world's top six teams in the final, held for the first time in Canada since the competition was created in 1997.

Bobak and Beharry are scheduled to compete in the short program competition on Thursday beginning at 5:00 pm. The free skating competition begins on Friday at 11:25 am.

Background: Katherine and Ian started skating together in February 2011. Both have competed internationally in past seasons with different partners. They train at the Kitchener-Waterloo Skating Club with coaches and two-time Olympians Kristy Sargeant-Wirtz and Kris Wirtz.

The Kitchener-Waterloo Skating Club (KWSC) is one of the largest skating clubs in Canada. The club???which has existed for over 70 years???is based in the twin cities of Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario, 100 km west of Toronto. The club operates competitive programs that have sent singles skaters, dance pairs, freeskate pairs, and synchronized skating teams to compete in the Canadian championships, as well as international competitions.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The KW Skating Club expands into Sportsworld Crossing

Waterloo, ON, Nov-01-2011 - The Kitchener Waterloo Skating Club (KWSC) announced today they will be expanding their programming to offer recreational programs at Sportsworld Crossing Twin Pad (Sportsworld) on Sportsworld Drive in Kitchener. Executive Director Marie Pringle said "the expansion is one way to meet the growing needs of our community and the expressed requests of our current members for quality recreational skating programs in south Kitchener". It also gives the club a presence at the newly renovated municipal rink and expands the KWSC offerings around the twin cities. Starting in January 2012 KWSC will offer Parent & Tot, Preschool, Pre-power & CanSkate programs on Saturday mornings at Sportsworld. More information on these programs and access to online registration can be found on their website at www.kwsc.org

For the convenience of families, KWSC programs are offered at Moses Springer, Albert McCormick and Rim Park in the North part of the twin cities, Lions Arena in the West, Don McLaren and The Aud in Central, Grand River in the East and now Sportsworld in the South.

KWSC is a sanctioned member of Skate Canada. The club is a not-for profit organization led by a volunteer Board of Directors and operated by professional staff. All programming is Skate Canada approved and taught by Nationally Certified Professional Skating Coaches.

Established in 1938, with a home base at The Carolyn Fedy Skating Centre in the Manulife Financial Sportsplex and Healthy Living Centre at RIM Park, KWSC organizes both recreational and competitive programs for pre-schoolers to adults. As one of Canada's largest skating clubs their competitive programs have sent singles skaters, dance pairs, freeskate pairs, and synchronized teams to compete in the Canadian Championships, as well as international competitions. Recent accomplishments by KWSC skaters include the title of 2011 National Senior Pairs Champions for Kirsten Moore-Towers and Dylan Moscovitch. Andrew Poje, a lifetime Waterloo resident and student of KWSC Coach Paul MacIntosh for over 15 years, began his skating career in the Kitchener-Waterloo Skating Club's pre-school program, similar to the program now being offered at Sportsworld.??His training continued there until his first World Championships in 2007. He and his dance partner Kaitlyn Weaver were silver medalists at the Canadian National Championships in ice dance and placed 5th in the World Championships in Moscow in April. Both teams are working towards a spot on the 2014 Olympic team.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

25 K-W skaters head to Paris, Ontario for early skating season competition

Waterloo, ON, Sep-22-2011 - Over 25 Kitchener-Waterloo Skating Club (KWSC) skaters will compete September 23-25 at the Brant Sports Complex in Paris, Ontario. Headlining the KWSC team will be Canadian Pair Champions, Kirsten Moore-Towers and Dylan Moscovich. Skaters at all levels and ages will use this early season competition as an opportunity to test new programs and technical elements. This annual event is hosted by Skate Canada's Western Ontario Section every September. The event is named in memory of long-time skating judge, Isabelle Henderson. Isabelle was a lifelong skating volunteer and the first member of the Kitchener-Waterloo Skating Club, founded in 1938.

Moore-Towers and Moscovich will use the event as a final test before their international season begins. Other international competitors from KWSC competing will be Taylor Steele and Rob Shultz, who will compete at the Cup of China in October.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

K-W figure skaters to represent Canada in Poland

Waterloo, ON, Sep-14-2011 - Kitchener-Waterloo skaters Katherine Bobak and Ian Beharry will represent Canada in the Baltic Cup in Gdansk, Poland September 14-18, 2011.

Katherine and Ian started training together in February 2011 and both have competed internationally in past seasons with different partners, however this is the first international event for this newly-formed pair. They train at the Kitchener-Waterloo Skating Club with coaches Kristy Sargeant-Wirtz and Kris Wirtz.

The Baltic Cup is part of a 7 event series hosted by the International Skating Union (ISU) called the Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating. The top 6 point earners at the end of the series will compete at the Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final in Quebec City, Quebec December 8-11, 2011.

Katherine and Ian will also compete at Tallinn Cup in Tallinn, Estonia, October 12-16, 2011, which is the seventh stop of the ISU Junior Grand Prix series.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Figure skaters to represent Waterloo at International Children's Winter Games

Waterloo, ON, Jan-24-2011 - Alida Morrison, Margaret Sarzynski, and Peter Smerchinski of the Kitchener-Waterloo Skating Club will compete at the 2011 International Children's Winter Games to be held this week in Kelowna, BC.

The Games, which bring together athletes and coaches from cities around the world, aim to enable, develop and advance the understanding and friendships of students aged 12 to 15 from different countries around the world, and promote the Olympic Ideal.

Alida Morrison of Waterloo began skating lessons at the Kitchener-Waterloo Skating Club at the age of 5. She is a student at l'école secondaire Père-René-de-Galinée, in Cambridge, and is a former student of l'école élémentaire catholique de Mère-Èlisabeth-Bruyère of Waterloo. She has competed on school improvisation teams for the past 3 years, and participates in a local youth group, practices piano, reads voraciously and loves doing puzzles.

"I am thrilled to have been chosen to represent the City of Waterloo and the Kitchener-Waterloo Skating Club", says Alida, "and I am looking forward to the opportunity to meet and make friends with youth from other cities, provinces and countries in figure skating and in the other winter sports that will be represented at these games". Alida is coached by Tara Faarup.

Peter Smerchinski first started skating with the Kitchener-Waterloo Skating Club at the age of 5. He is a student at Kitchener Collegiate Institute in the French immersion program, and a graduate of the K-W Bilingual School. He lives in Waterloo with his parents, four sisters, two dogs, and a gecko named Echo. Peter enjoys canoe tripping in the summer months and most recently completed a 42-day canoe trip in Northern Ontario with campers from around the globe.

"I have been training very hard both on the ice and in the gym to prepare for Kelowna", says Peter. "I hope to achieve a personal best with my programs and I am excited about making friends from around the world who share the same passion for figure skating." Peter is coached by Carolyn Allwright.

Margaret Sarzynski is a grade 9 student at Resurrection Catholic Secondary school. She began skating in 2006 in the Kitchener-Waterloo Skating Club's CanSkate program, then continued her training in the STARSkate and Junior Competitive programs. When she is not skating she is usually getting caught up on school work, or spending time with her family and friends.

"I feel very happy that in few days I will participate in the 2011 ICG in Kelowna B.C", says Sarzynski. "I am very thankful to all my coaches, for all their patience and dedication to shape my skating skills. I will do my personal best in Kelowna and at the same time try to have fun meeting new friends from different countries. I feel so happy to have been given this chance". Margaret is coached by Kris Wirtz and Kristy Sargeant-Wirtz.

Accompanying the young skaters is Kitchener-Waterloo Skating Club coach Kim Biddiscombe. Kim has been teaching skating for 24 years. She has coached pre-novice pairs, junior ladies and senior men at the national level. She has had national medalists at the juvenile, pre-novice, novice and junior level. Kim was selected as the Team Coach for the Ontario Winter Games for Western Ontario in 2004. She also finds time to coach The University of Waterloo Varsity Figure Skating Team. The International Children's Games will be her 4th international competition and her second time as the volunteer coach at the ICG Winter Games.

"I am very proud to be attending these games", says Biddiscombe. "This event not only provides a valuable competitive experience for these skaters but it also gives them the chance to meet athletes from all over the world. My favourite part of the Games in 2009 was watching those athletes excitedly interacting with one another and trading souvenirs. There are so many friendships created at these Games."

The International Children's Games, which began in Slovenia in 1968, puts emphasis on sporting ideals, respect, and understanding different cultures and ways of thinking. The aim of the Games is not to win, but to create strong bonds of friendship and solidarity between young athletes from all over the world.

This year the Games will welcome delegations representing 39 cities from 13 nations including Australia, Canada, Cayman Islands, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Lithuania, Pakistan, Scotland, Slovenia, South Korea, Switzerland, and the USA. The Kelowna Games marks the first time the winter games will be hosted outside of Europe.

The City of Waterloo delegation to the Games includes figure skaters from the Kitchener-Waterloo Skating Club, as well as other athletes from Waterloo curling and speed skating clubs. The 2011 International Children's Winter Games run from January 26 to 31.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

KW figure skaters collect 5 national championships medals

Victoria, BC, Jan-23-2011 - High expectations loomed over competitors representing the Kitchener-Waterloo Skating Club as they faced Canada's best during the Canadian Figure Skating Championships, and the skaters did not disappoint. On Saturday Kirsten Moore-Towers and Dylan Moscovitch became the new Canadian Pair Champions, and on Sunday Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje earned the silver medal in ice dance.

Moore-Towers of St. Catherines, and Moscovitch of Waterloo, entered the event the top-ranked Canadian pair skaters this season. They established the lead early by posting a score of 64.73 in an energetic and well-executed short program skated to Zorba's Dance, putting them a solid 5 points ahead of Paige Lawrence and Rudi Swiegers of Saskatchewan. Their long program, performed to a selection from Les Miserables, featured a number of exciting lifts including the 'superstar' lift that brought the audience to their feet in the final seconds of the program. Moore-Towers and Moscovitch are coached by former Canadian pairs champions and Olympians Kris Wirtz and Kristy Sargeant-Wirtz.

Pair skaters Brittany Jones and Kurtis Gasekll, who also represent the Kitchener-Waterloo Skating Club, finished sixth.

On Saturday, ice dancers Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje of Waterloo were the crowd favourites after their short dance and posted a second-place 65.64 points--a mere 0.16 points behind leaders Vanessa Crone and Paul Poirer with 65.80 points. After Sunday's nearly flawless free skate the couple earned a total of 163.18 points and the silver medal podium spot. Ice dancers Sarah Arnold and Justin Trojek, also of the Kitchener-Waterloo Skating Club, finished in sixth.

Poje, 23, of Waterloo, and Weaver, 21, of Toronto began skating together in 2006 and trained under Paul MacIntosh, whose coaching credits include Olympic gold medalists Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir. Andrew Poje, a lifetime Waterloo resident and student of Paul MacIntosh for over 15 years, began his skating career in the Kitchener-Waterloo Skating Club's pre-school program. His training continued there until his first World Championships in 2007. The couple earned gold last season at the Four Continents Figure Skating Championships in South Korea.

The two Canadian Figure Skating Championships medals follow three medals earned earlier this week at the BMO Skate Canada Junior Nationals, also held in Victoria, BC. Kitchener-Waterloo Skating Club junior pair team Katherine Bobak and Matthew Penasse earned the bronze medal, novice pair team Mary Orr and Anthony Furiano earned the silver medal, and the novice pair team of Shalena Rau and Phelan Simpson captured the gold medal and were awarded the BMO Possibilities Award.

Along with their medals, Moore-Towers and Moscovitch, as well as Weaver and Poje earned the right to represent Canada at the 2011 ISU Four Continents Championships to be held in February, and the 2011 ISU World Figure Skating Championships to be held in March.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Moore-Towers and Moscovitch skate away with gold

Victoria, BC, Jan-23-2011 - After facing Canada's best during this week's Canadian Figure Skating Championships, Kirsten Moore-Towers and Dylan Moscovitch of the Kitchener-Waterloo Skating Club will leave Victoria wearing gold. In addition to being crowned the new national champions, Moore-Towers and Moscovitch will represent Canada at the ISU Four Continents Championships to be held in February, and the ISU World Figure Skating Championships to be held in March.

Moore-Towers of St. Catherines, and Moscovitch of Waterloo, entered the event the top-ranked Canadian pair skaters this season and did not disappoint. They established the lead early by posting a score of 64.73 in an energetic and well-executed short program skated to Zorba's Dance. This put them a solid 5 points ahead of Paige Lawrence and Rudi Swiegers of Saskatchewan. Their long program, performed to a selection from Les Miserables, featured a number of exciting lifts including the 'superstar' lift that brought the audience to their feet in the final seconds of the program. According to Moscovitch, "people have been getting excited for the whole last section, including the 'superstar' lift." The extra difficulty added increased the point value over a regular star lift and made for an exciting end to a dramatic program. Their freeskate earned 122.90 points, for a personal best grand total of 187.63.

This caps off an amazing year for Kitchener-Waterloo Skating Club pair teams at Nationals, all of whom are coached by former Canadian pairs champions and Olympians Kris Wirtz and Kristy Sargeant-Wirtz. Earlier this week at the BMO Skate Canada Junior Nationals held in Victoria, junior pair team Katherine Bobak and Matthew Penasse earned a bronze medal, novice pair team Mary Orr and Anthony Furiano won the silver medal, and the novice pair team of Shalena Rau and Phelan Simpson captured the gold medal and were awarded the BMO Possibilities Award.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

K-W Pair Skaters Lead After Short Program; Dancers in Close Second

Victoria, BC, Jan-21-2011 - Kitchener-Waterloo Skating Club senior pair figure skaters Kirsten Moore-Towers and Dylan Moscovitch are in the lead after tonight's short program at the 2011 BMO Canadian Figure Skating Championships. The couple laid down a clean short program to score a personal best 64.73 points, ahead of second-place Paige Lawrence and Rudi Swiegers with 59.38 points. Brittany Jones and Kurtis Gaskell, also of the Kitchener-Waterloo Skating Club, are currently in sixth with 48.36 points.

Hot off their recent back-to-back silver medals at Skate Canada International and Skate America, Moore-Towers and Moscovitch continue their breakthrough season as gold-medal favourites with reigning Canadian champions Jessica Dube and Bryce Davison out of the competition due to surgery to repair an injury sustained in October by Davison. "With Dube and Davidson not competing it makes the field wide open and creates the opportunity for us", says Moscovitch. For their free program, Moore-Towers and Moscovitch will skate to music from Les Miserables. "People have been getting excited for the whole last section including the 'Superstar' lift," says Moscovitch, speaking about a popular element of their free program. The free program competition takes place on Saturday night starting at 11:50 pm EST.

Moore-Towers and Moscovitch train at the Kitchener-Waterloo Skating Club with their coaches Kris Wirtz and Kristy Sargeant-Wirtz, who have considerable experience to share with their students as Olympians and two-time national champions themselves. "Our having been there helps us coach them on the mental pressure side of competing more effectively to let their training take them through", says Wirtz. Moscovitch adds, "Kris and Kristy are now our managers who set up proper training needed at different times of the year to avoid over-training, and to help us peak at the right time of the year. Their past experience plays an important role in helping us prepare". Wirtz is confident his protégées are ready for the challenge. "Last year I had no expectations", he says. "This year I do. It had always been our plan to be where we are right now". When asked to predict how his students will fare, Wirtz says "I am expecting them to skate 'lights out' and attain the national title".

In the ice dance event, Kitchener-Waterloo Skating Club's Andrew Poje and partner Kaitlyn Weaver were the crowd favourites and are in second place after the short dance event with 65.64 points, a mere 0.16 points behind leaders Vanessa Crone and Paul Poirer with 65.80 points. Sarah Arnold and Justin Trojek, also of the Kitchener-Waterloo Skating Club, are in sixth with 47.13 points. Poje, 23, of Waterloo, and Weaver, 21, of Toronto began skating together in 2006 and trained under Paul MacIntosh, whose coaching credits include Olympic gold medalists Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir. Andrew Poje, a lifetime Waterloo resident and student of Paul MacIntosh for over 15 years, began his skating career in the Kitchener-Waterloo Skating Club's pre-school program. His training continued there until his first World Championships in 2007. The couple earned gold last season at the Four Continents Figure Skating Championships in South Korea. The free dance takes place Sunday at 3:00 pm EST.

The CBC will be providing coverage for the BMO Canadian Figure Skating Championships. For their complete broadcasting schedule, visit www.cbc.ca/sports/figureskating.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Gold and Silver for Kitchener-Waterloo Skaters on Day 2 of Junior National

Victoria, BC, Jan-18-2011 - Novice pair skaters from the Kitchener-Waterloo Skating Club earned gold and silver medals today at the 2011 BMO Skate Canada Junior Nationals, currently underway in Victoria, BC.

Standing 4-foot 3-inches, 12 year-old Shalena Rau and her 14 year-old partner Phelan Simpson may be the smallest and youngest competitors in the novice pair event, but their speed and huge tricks charmed both judges and audience in today's free program. The couple landed a throw triple toeloop jump and a soaring triple twist to earn the Waterloo-based skaters 75.03 points, and the gold medal.

In yesterday's short program, Rau and Simpson's 'On the Town' program opened with a high double twist, and the pair delivered the rest of their elements cleanly to earn 40.72 points.

Mary Orr and Anthony Furiano, who train with Rau and Simpson, earned the silver medal. Yesterday's short program featured a very strong double twist and scored 39.34 points. Today's free program opened with an impressive triple twist, and featured a double throw Salchow to earn 68.86 points.

Rau and Simpson, and Orr and Furiano train at the Kitchener-Waterloo Skating Club and are coached by two-time Olympians, and two-time Canadian Champions Kris Wirtz and Kristy Sargeant-Wirtz.

The 2011 BMO Canadian Figure Skating Championships and 2011 BMO Skate Canada Junior Nationals continue tomorrow. In addition to crowning national champions, the events will determine who will represent Canada at the next ISU World Figure Skating Championships, ISU Four Continents Championships, and ISU World Junior Championships.

This year, a record 12 dance or freeskate pair teams who either train at, or represent the Kitchener-Waterloo Skating Club, are scheduled to compete at the national championships. Competing at the 2011 BMO Skate Canada Junior Nationals are junior pair teams Katherine Bobak and Matthew Penasse, Natalie Kwong and Garnet Suidy, and Aveline Pearson and Alex Sheldrick. Competing in the junior dance event are Jade Marrow and Allan Stoll, as well as Olga Lioudvinevitch and Benjamin Mulder. Jayden Rau and Alexander Green will compete in novice dance, and in the novice pair event are Mary Orr and Anthony Furiano, as well Shalena Rau and Phelan Simpson. Brittany Jones will compete in novice ladies. The 2011 BMO Skate Canada Junior Nationals ends on Thursday.

Competing in the BMO Canadian Figure Skating Championships are the senior ice dance teams of Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje, as well as Sarah Arnold and Justin Trojek. Competing in the senior pairs event are Brittany Jones and Kurtis Gaskell, as well as gold-medal favourites Kirsten Moore-Towers and Dylan Moscovitch. The 2011 BMO Canadian Figure Skating Championships will begin on Friday.

The CBC will be providing coverage for the BMO Canadian Figure Skating Championships. For their complete broadcasting schedule, visit www.cbc.ca/sports/figureskating.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Expectations High As Kitchener-Waterloo Figure Skaters Head to Nationals

Waterloo, ON, Jan-17-2011 - Skaters from the Kitchener-Waterloo Skating Club will compete against Canada's best during this week's national championships. The 2011 BMO Canadian Figure Skating Championships and 2011 BMO Skate Canada Junior Nationals begin this week in Victoria, BC. In addition to crowning national champions, the events will determine who will represent Canada at the next ISU World Figure Skating Championships, ISU Four Continents Championships, and ISU World Junior Championships.

This year, a record 12 dance or freeskate pair teams who either train at, or represent the Kitchener-Waterloo Skating Club, are scheduled to compete at the national championships. Competing at the 2011 BMO Skate Canada Junior Nationals are junior pair teams Katherine Bobak and Matthew Penasse, Natalie Kwong and Garnet Suidy, as well as Aveline Pearson and Alex Sheldrick. Competing in the junior dance event are Jade Marrow and Allan Stoll, and Olga Lioudvinevitch and Benjamin Mulder. Jayden Rau and Alexander Green will compete in novice dance, and in the novice pair event are Mary Orr and Anthony Furiano, as well Shalena Rau and Phelan Simpson. Brittany Jones will compete in novice ladies. Junior Nationals will take place January 17-20.

Hot off their recent back-to-back silver medals at Skate Canada International and Skate America, Moore-Towers and Moscovitch--the top-ranked Canadian pairs skaters this season--are expected to continue their breakthrough season as they head to nationals. But along with expectations to take home the national crown, the couple also has to contend with new pressures. "The biggest difference this year is the pressure", says Moore-Towers. "Since we made the Grand Prix Finals people have greater expectations on us. There are a lot of good teams at nationals this year and everyone is hungry to win. We have a lot of respect for them, so it will come down to the skating." Moscovitch also recognizes the importance of continued focus during a time of growing expectations in the lead-up to nationals. "With Dubé and Davidson not competing it makes the field wide open and creates the opportunity for us", says Moscovitch, "so it is up to us whether or not we let it distract us".

Moore-Towers and Moscovitch train at the Kitchener-Waterloo Skating Club with their coaches Kris Wirtz and Kristy Sargeant-Wirtz, who have considerable experience to share with their students as Olympians and two-time national champions themselves. "Our having been there helps us coach them on the mental pressure side of competing more effectively to let their training take them through", says Wirtz. Moscovitch adds, "Kris and Kristy are now our managers who set up proper training needed at different times of the year to avoid over-training, and to help us peak at the right time of the year. Their past experience plays an important role in helping us prepare". Wirtz is confident his protégées are ready for the challenge. "Last year I had no expectations", he says. "This year I did. It had always been our plan to be where we are right now". When asked to predict how his students will do, Wirtz says "I am expecting them to skate 'lights out' and attain the national title".

The CBC will be providing coverage for the BMO Canadian Figure Skating Championships. For their complete broadcasting schedule, visit www.cbc.ca/sports/figureskating.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Three K-W Pairs Head to Grand Prix Finals

Waterloo, ON, Dec-07-2010 - Three skating teams from the Kitchener-Waterloo Skating Club will represent Canada this week at the International Skating Union (ISU) Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final. Pair teams Kirsten Moore-Towers and Dylan Moscovitch, Brittany Jones and Kurtis Gaskell and ice dancers Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje of the Kitchener-Waterloo Skating Club, will all compete in the final which takes place December 9-12 in Beijing, China. The Canadians will compete against the world's top-ranked skaters for a total prize pool of USD $377,000, shared across men's and ladies' singles, pairs, and ice dance events.

Moore-Towers and Moscovitch head to the finals will tremendous momentum during a breakthrough season that includes two Grand Prix silver medals in November--one at Skate Canada International, and the other at Skate America. The couple turned in a dynamic performance to "Les Miserables" at Skate America, which included spectacular lifts, a triple twist, and a throw triple loop, but the skaters left room for improvement after both stumbled on a triple Salchow, and Moscovitch doubled a planned triple toe loop. "This long wasn't our ideal performance", explained Moscovitch. "It wasn't exactly our easiest run-through, but our training came through and carried us to the end. We are thrilled to be where we are in our second season together".

Moore-Towers, 18, and Moscovitch, 26, train at the Kitchener-Waterloo Skating Club and are coached by two-time Olympians Kris Wirtz and Kristy Sargeant-Wirtz. Moore-Towers credits her Waterloo-based mentors for playing a large role in the pair's success. "Dylan and I both love skating and try to give one hundred percent effort every day so for it to pay off this past weekend is thrilling. We are thankful to our coaches Kris and Kristy Wirtz as well as the many supporters we have at the rink and at home for helping us along the way. We have great coaches", she notes. "Kris and Kristy know how to take us to the end, and we trust them with that." Dylan remarks that it is a lot of work but worth it. "Being an elite athlete is a full time job. It takes everything you have to strive for the top of the world. Kirsten and I work extremely hard to maximize our potential. Our weekly routine is a grueling one. We always set goals for ourselves and work towards the big picture. There is almost no greater feeling than going to compete and seeing all of our hard work come together to achieve our goals."

Kitchener-Waterloo Skating Club ice dancer Andrew Poje and his partner Kaitlyn Weaver will also compete at the event. The pair earned the right to represent Canada following a silver medal performance at Skate America, and a fourth place finish at NHK Trophy in Japan in November.

Poje, 23, of Waterloo, and Weaver, 21, of Toronto began skating together in 2006 and trained under Paul MacIntosh, whose coaching credits include Olympic gold medalists Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir. Andrew Poje, a lifetime Waterloo resident and student of Paul MacIntosh for over 15 years, began his skating career in the Kitchener-Waterloo Skating Club's pre-school program. His training continued there until his first World Championships in 2007. This is Weaver and Poje's fourth year on the Grand Prix circuit. The couple earned gold last season at the Four Continents Figure Skating Championships in South Korea.

Brittany Jones and Kurtis Gaskell are the third team representing the Kitchener Waterloo skating club at this year's Grand Prix final, they are competing in the Jr Grand Prix pairs event.

The ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating series is comprised of six annual competitions that take place in France, Russia, China, the United States, Canada, and Japan. A points-based system based on results is used to determine the top-qualifying skaters to compete in the Grand Prix Figure Skating Final.

Photograph - A photo of Canadian pairs skaters Kirsten Moore-Towers and Dylan Moscivitch is available at http://www.kwsc.org/images/press_photo_dec072010.jpg

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Kitchener-Waterloo’s Moore-Towers and Moscovitch to Skate in Grand Prix Final

Waterloo, ON, Nov-14-2010 - Canadian pair skaters Kirsten Moore-Towers and Dylan Moscovitch have qualified for the International Skating Union (ISU) Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final, to be held December 9-12 in Beijing, China.

The duo continued their breakthrough season by winning the silver medal on Sunday at Skate America--the fourth stop of the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating.

Following a strong short program on Friday, the pair earned a personal best total score of 175.48 points, finishing behind two-time World Champions and Olympic medalists Savchenko and Szolchowy of Germany.

Moore-Towers and Moscovitch turned in a dynamic performance to “Les Miserables” which included spectacular lifts, a triple twist, and a throw triple loop, but the skaters left room for improvement after both stumbled on a triple Salchow, and Moscovitch doubled a planned triple toeloop. The Canadian team collected 113.84 points for the free skate.

“This long wasn’t our ideal performance. We worked through it. It wasn’t exactly our easiest run-through, but our training came through and carried us to the end. We are thrilled to be where we are in our second season together”, Moscovitch explained.

The result, when combined with the duo’s silver medal from Skate Canada International two weeks ago, qualifies the Canadians for the ISU Grand Prix Final.

On the upcoming final, Moscovitch notes “It’s a lot to absorb, but we’re both quite grounded, and we’re taking everything in stride and enjoying every step of the way. For us, it’s not so much an overwhelming thing. It’s more just an exciting thing and we’re really enjoying every moment of it.”

Moore-Towers, 18, and Moscovitch, 26, train at the Kitchener-Waterloo Skating Club and are coached by two-time Canadian champions and two-time Olympians Kris Wirtz and Kristy Sargeant-Wirtz.

Moore-Towers credits her Waterloo-based mentors for playing a large role in the pair’s success. “We have great coaches”, she notes. “Kris and Kristy know how to take us to the end, and we trust them with that.”

Kitchener-Waterloo Skating Club ice dancers Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje also competed at Skate America. The pair finished in fourth place and posted a combined total of 142.34 points.

Skate America is the fourth of six annual competitions that make up the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating series. Competitions take place in France, Russia, China, the United States, Canada, and Japan. A points-based system based on results is used to determine the top-qualifying skaters to compete in the Grand Prix Figure Skating Final.

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Moore-Towers and Moscovitch Win Silver at Skate America

Waterloo, ON, Nov-14-2010 - Canadian pair skaters Kirsten Moore-Towers and Dylan Moscovitch continue their breakthrough season by winning the silver medal at the fourth stop of the International Skating Union (ISU) Grand Prix of Figure Skating.

Moore-Towers and Moscovitch turned in a dynamic performance to “Les Miserables” which included a triple twist and a throw triple loop, but the skaters left room for improvement after stumbling on a triple Salchow, and doubling a planned triple toeloop. The Canadian team collected 113.84 points for the free skate.

Moore-Towers, 18, and Moscovitch, 26, train at the Kitchener-Waterloo Skating Club and are coached by two-time Olympians Kris Wirtz and Kristy Sargeant-Wirtz. The result, when combined with the silver medal from Skate Canada International two weeks ago, qualifies the duo for the Grand Prix Final to be held December 9-12 in Beijing.

Also competing at Skate America are Kitchener-Waterloo Skating Club ice dancers Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje. The pair is in third place after the short dance competition. The free dance competition takes place Sunday at 11:00 am PST.

This is Weaver and Poje's fourth year on the circuit. In 2009 they took bronze in Kitchener at Skate Canada International. The couple also earned gold at the 2010 Four Continents Figure Skating Championships in South Korea.

Poje, 23, of Waterloo, and Weaver, 21, of Toronto began skating together in 2006 and trained under Paul MacIntosh, whose coaching credits include Olympic gold medalists Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir. Andrew Poje, a lifetime Waterloo resident and student of Paul MacIntosh for over 15 years, began his skating career in the Kitchener Waterloo Skating Club's pre-school program. His training continued there until his first World Championships in 2007.

Skate America is the fourth of six annual competitions that make up the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating series. Competitions take place in France, Russia, China, the United States, Canada, and Japan. This year Skate America is being held in Portland, Oregon.

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K-W Pair Skaters Poised for Podium Finish at Skate America

Waterloo, ON, Nov-13-2010 - Kirsten Moore-Towers and Dylan Moscovitch of the Kitchener-Waterloo Skating Club are in second place after their short program at Skate America. The pair scored a personal best score of 61.64, and trail behind Savchenko and Szolchowy of Germany with 63.99 points. The free skating competition takes place Saturday night, beginning at 9:30 pm PST (Sunday 12:30 am EST).

Moore-Towers and Moscovitch brought home a silver medal two weeks ago from Skate Canada International. The couple train at RIM Park and are coached by two-time Olympians Kris Wirtz and Kristy Sargeant-Wirtz.

Also competing at Skate America are Kitchener-Waterloo Skating Club ice dancers Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje. The short dance competition takes place Saturday at 3:50 pm PST, and the free dance competition takes place Sunday at 11:00 am PST.

Skate America is the fourth of six annual competitions that make up the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating series. Competitions take place in France, Russia, China, the United States, Canada, and Japan. This year Skate America is being held in Portland, Oregon.

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Weaver and Poje to Compete at NHK Trophy

Waterloo, ON, Oct-21-2010 - Kitchener-Waterloo Skating Club's Andrew Poje and partner Kaitlyn Weaver will represent Canada in the ice dance event at the first stop of the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating in Japan.

Canadian bronze medalists Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje are the only Canadian entry in the ice dance discipline. This is their fourth year on the circuit. In 2009 they took bronze in Kitchener at Skate Canada International, and had a sixth place finish at Cup of China. The couple also earned gold at the 2010 Four Continents Figure Skating Championships in South Korea.

The Grand Prix kicks off Friday in Nagoya, Japan with five Canadian skaters competing at NHK Trophy. The event runs October 22-24 and is the first of six Grand Prix stops.

The ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships is an annual event organized by the International Skating Union for skaters from the Americas, Asia, Africa, and Australia. Skaters compete in the categories of men's singles, ladies' singles, pairs, and ice dance.

Photographs - High resolution photographs of Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje during a practice session at NHK Trophy held on Thursday Oct 21, 2001 are available for download:

Permission to reprint is granted provided that photo credits are attributed to Liz Chastney.

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K-W ice dancers step in for Olympic champions

Waterloo, ON, Oct-17-2010 - Canadian ice dancers Sarah Arnold and Justin Trojek will serve as alternates for Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir at Skate Canada International. The news follows this week's announcement that the Olympic champions will not compete at the Canadian stop of the Grand Prix skating circuit due to Virtue's recent surgery to both legs to alleviate pain.

Arnold and Trojek, who train at the Kitchener-Waterloo Skating Club, recently finished eighth in their international debut last month at the 2010 Nebelhorn Trophy in Germany. Their strong performance served to highlight the potential of this newly formed pair, despite having trained together for only 18 months.

The team is coached by former Virtue and Moir coach Paul MacIntosh, whose accomplishments also include coaching up-and-coming Canadian ice dancers Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje. Justin Trojek and the Olympic champions Virtue and Moir are no strangers, explains MacIntosh. "Justin, Tessa and Scott all trained here as kids", referring to a time when the young skaters all trained together at the Kitchener-Waterloo Skating Club. "Tessa is thrilled that Sarah and Justin will be their alternates", says MacIntosh.

The pair will skate to music from the movie An American in Paris for their short dance. "Paul was the one who found this piece of music", explains Arnold. "His first words to us when he found this piece was 'I'm an American in Paris Freak!'. I thought he was going a little crazy, probably because it was 6:15 am, but once we saw how excited Paul was about the music we knew this was going to be the music for us!"

For the free dance, Arnold and Trojek have chosen music from the movie Amelie. "Last year we skated to Don't Cry for me Argentina", explains Arnold, "and it showed off our power and chemistry with one another. We tried to stay away from something romantic this year and have a selection of music that made us rely on our skating, not the music. We had Pasquale Camerlengo choreograph our free dance. We felt that his style suited the music very well. Justin and I watched the movie and loved it, but we couldn't think of a way to portray the plot of the movie on the ice. So we decided to make up our own. For some reason I felt that Pasquale's choreography was so fluid that I felt like I was the wind, and from there we decided Justin was going to be a tree. It's a story of how the two elements of nature move together. When we have our costumes on, we really feel like we're in character."

Skate Canada International is the second of six annual competitions that make up the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating series. Competitions take place in Canada, China, France, Japan, Russia, and the United States. This year's competition will be held October 28-31 in Kingston, Ontario.

Photographs - Photographs of Sarah Arnold and Justin Trojek are available for download at: http://www.kwsc.org/press-photos-oct172010.html.

Kitchener-Waterloo Skating Club - The Kitchener-Waterloo Skating Club (KWSC) is one of the largest figure skating clubs in Canada. The club–which has existed for over 70 years–is based in the twin cities of Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario, 100 km west of Toronto. The club operates competitive programs that have sent singles skaters, dance pairs, freeskate pairs, and synchronized skating teams to compete in the Canadian Championships, as well as international competitions.

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K-W ice dancers currently in seventh place at Nebelhorn Trophy

Waterloo, ON, Sep-23-2010 - Canadian ice dancers Sarah Arnold and Justin Trojek are in seventh place after the short dance at the 2010 Nebelhorn Trophy figure skating competition, currently underway in Oberstdorf, Germany. The competition marks the international debut for this recently formed ice dance team.

The pair scored 49.31 points in their short dance, leaving them less than half a point behind Lucie Mysliveckova and Matej Novak of the Czech Republic in the lead-up to Saturday's free dance event.

Arnold and Trojek train at the Kitchener-Waterloo Skating Club. They are coached by Paul MacIntosh, whose accomplishments include coaching Olympic gold medalists Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir, as well as up-and-coming Canadian ice dancers Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje.

Held annually in Oberstdorf, Germany, the Nebellhorn Trophy is one of the first international senior level competitions of the season. Skaters compete in men's singles, ladies' singles, freeskate pairs, and ice dance event. The Fritz-Geiger-Memorial Trophy is presented to the team with the highest placements across all disciplines. This year's competition takes place September 23 through 26 in the Eislaufzentrum Oberstdorf.

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Canadian ice dancers to make international senior competitive debut

Waterloo, ON, Sep-17-2010 - Senior ice dancers from the Kitchener-Waterloo Skating Club have been selected by Skate Canada to compete at the 2010 Nebelhorn Trophy figure skating competition to be held in Oberstdorf, Germany, September 23-26.

Sarah Arnold and Justin Trojek will represent Canada for the first time as a team, and the journey to Germany will mark the international debut for this recently formed ice dance team. 20-year old Arnold and 22-year old Trojek—who are partners both on and off the ice—have been skating together for less than 2 years. Prior to that Sarah Arnold trained in Barrie with former partner Christopher Steeves.

“Before Justin, I only did two years of dance with Chris at the Junior level, so jumping to Senior with Justin was very exciting for me”, says Arnold. “I feel that Kitchener-Waterloo was the right place for Justin and I to skate together. We’ve had a great coaching support team on and off the ice. One of the benefits to skating at RIM Park is the facility. We have our on-ice, off-ice, fitness and physiotherapy all in one place.”

The team is coached by Paul MacIntosh, whose accomplishments include coaching Olympic gold medalists Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir, as well as up-and-coming Canadian ice dancers Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje. “We have a few coaches that we work with and they all help us in different ways”, says Trojek. “Paul is the more technical coach. We also are coached by Rebecca Babb. She is our chorographer and she fills the program with excitement and flow.”

Trojek represented Canada on the Junior Grand Prix circuit and at other junior level international events with former partner Krista Wolfenden. “I on the other hand haven’t even travelled overseas”, says Arnold, “so this will be a new experience all together. This has been a goal of mine for a long time.”

The pair will skate to music from the movie An American in Paris for their short dance. “Paul [MacIntosh] was the one who found this piece of music”, explains Arnold. “His first words to us when he found this piece was ‘I’m an American in Paris Freak!’. I thought he was going a little crazy, probably because it was 6:15 am, but once we saw how excited Paul was about the music we knew this was going to be the music for us!”

For the free dance, Arnold and Trojek have chosen music from the movie Amelie. “Last year we skated to Don’t Cry for me Argentina”, explains Arnold, “and it showed off our power and chemistry with one another. We tried to stay away from something romantic this year and have a selection of music that made us rely on our skating, not the music. We had Pasquale Camerlengo choreograph our free dance. We felt that his style suited the music very well. Justin and I watched the movie and loved it, but we couldn’t think of a way to portray the plot of the movie on the ice. So we decided to make up our own. For some reason I felt that Pasquale’s choreography was so fluid that I felt like I was the wind, and from there we decided Justin was going to be a tree. It’s a story of how the two elements of nature move together. When we have our costumes on, we really feel like we’re in character.”

This competitive season follows a recent decision by the International Skating Union to reduce the number of competitive ice dance events from three to two. Trojek is pleased with the changes. “I think ISU is heading on the right track, from a skater’s point of view. It’s nice because now dancers only have to focus on two events instead of three.” However, the change was not a straightforward elimination of the compulsory dance event. “The ISU did take it out, but they did not remove it completely”, explains Trojek. “So as for our training schedule it still takes a good portion of our day to work our way through the compulsory and hit all the movements on time with our music.”

“Even though the compulsory dance event is out, we still have a compulsory dance in our short dance”, adds Arnold. “The elements in the short dance for junior and senior are the same, but the compulsory dance in their short dance is different. The juniors skate to the Viennese waltz and seniors skate to the Golden Waltz. In the compulsory dance portion itself, it’s judged as four segments. Each segment of the compulsory dance is judged as if it is an element in the program. This can make it hard at times because both male and female have to complete certain tasks in each segment in order to get a level.”

Arnold and Trojek hope to continue to work their way up the ranks by improving their power and making their choreography as intricate as possible to improve their skating skill marks. “We’re going to work on making our elements more difficult as our season progresses”, says Arnold. “We’ve already altered our programs from summer training to make them stronger and more intricate, so we’re on the right path.” Beyond the Nebellhorn Trophy, the young team hopes to earn a spot on the Canadian National team. “We are working towards getting in the top five this season”, says Trojek.

Held annually in Oberstdorf, Germany, the Nebelhorn Trophy is one of the first international senior level competitions of the season. Skaters compete in men’s singles, ladies’ singles, freeskate pairs, and ice dance event. The Fritz-Geiger-Memorial Trophy is presented to the team with the highest placements across all disciplines. This year’s competition takes place September 23 through 26 in the Eislaufzentrum Oberstdorf.

The Canadian team will also include Newfoundland's Joey Russell, who will compete in the men's singles event; Diane Szmiett of Watford, Ontario, who will compete in the ladies' singles event; Ontario pair skaters Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford; and ice dancers Tarrah Harvey and Keith Gagnon, from British Columbia. The Canadian Team Leader will be Paul MacIntosh, from the Kitchener-Waterloo Skating Club.

Photographs - High resolution photographs of Sarah Arnold and Justin Trojek are available for download at: http://www.kwsc.org/press-photos.html. Permission to reprint is granted provided that credit is attributed to the listed photographer.

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Figure skating show promises energy, emotion, and a surprise

Waterloo, ON, Mar-22-2010 – Skaters from the Kitchener-Waterloo Skating Club are making last minute preparations for their annual figure skating show, to be held Saturday at the Waterloo Memorial Recreation Complex.

The skating extravaganza, entitled "Retrospect On Ice", will celebrate the last decade in song, and will include a tribute to the undisputed king of pop, Michael Jackson. Spectators are sure to enjoy this year’s production as much as previous work from artistic director and choreographer Susie McGrigor, whose resume includes ice productions of 'African Footprints', 'High School Musical', and 'Across the Universe'.

Nearly 200 competitive and recreational skaters from the Kitchener-Waterloo Skating Club will perform in this year's show, which will include a veritable who’s-who of local skating talent.

"Although I sincerely believe everybody is a star in our cast, we are excited to have the ice-dance team of Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje, along with several Canadian national medalists", says McGrigor. "Andrew is the home grown pride of the KWSC, and along with Kaitlyn have not only competed at the world championships, but recently won the Four Continents Championships in Korea".

Also featured in the show are Waterloo’s Kirsten Moore-Towers and Dylan Moscovitch, a senior pair team who burst onto the international circuit this past year, delighting audiences wherever they skate.

Some young future stars will also participate in this year's production. Eight-year old Taylor Thurlow, who skates in the club's competitive development program, will be performing for the third year in a row. She says she is looking forward to "wearing lots of different costumes, and doing jumps, spins, and field moves" before an estimated crowd of 1,500 spectators. "The show is a fun way to show people what skating is about", says Taylor. Nine year-old Matthew Wright, who has been skating in the show since he was four, says he is excited about performing a double salchow-double toe loop combination jump in the Jackson piece 'ABC'.

A team of hard working volunteers has logged weeks of long hours to organize Saturday's show. When asked about the challenges associated with putting together such a large-scale production, McGrigor takes a positive attitude: "Who doesn't enjoy a good challenge? Working with a clever, enthusiastic, vital, over-achieving cast is a special treat, but the real prize is being an integral part of something much bigger than myself".

The show promises "a lot of energy, touching moments of remembrance, and uplifting moments for the future", says K-W Skating Club president Lesley Germann, who has been involved in the annual production since 2003. She is particularly looking forward to the emotional opening number. "But that is a secret right now", she says. "Expect some tears for that one".

'Retrospect On Ice' takes place at 3 pm on Saturday March 27 at the Waterloo Memorial Recreation Complex, 101 Father David Bauer Drive, in Waterloo. Tickets are available at the Memorial Complex box office, at the Kitchener-Waterloo Skating Club office, or at the door. More information can be found on the event’s website at www.retrospectonice.com, or by phoning the Kitchener-Waterloo Skating Club at 519-886-5972 ext. 229.

Photographs – High-resolution rehearsal photographs are available for download at: http://www.kwsc.org/scphotos.html. Photo credits: Danielle Earl.

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Kitchener-Waterloo Pair Figure Skaters Head to Junior Worlds

Waterloo, ON, Mar-01-2010 – Local pair figure skaters Brittany Jones and Kurtis Gaskell will represent Canada at the World Junior Figure Skating Championships, to be held next week in the Netherlands.

The couple--who began skating together 3 years ago--placed second nationally at the novice level in 2008, then won the Canadian Junior national title in 2009. Following an impressive bronze medal finish at their international debut in Poland last year, 14-year-old Jones and 19-year-old Gaskell competed for the first time at the senior level this past January at the 2010 BMO Canadian Figure Skating Championships held in London, Ontario.

Gaskell hopes his recent experiences competing at the senior level will bolster his performance at the junior international level. "I found it to be very different going from junior to senior", says Gaskell. "It felt so much better in senior because I was competing against the best in the country and it made me perform at a higher level. I also learned how to act more mature and that gave me a better look on the ice".

Following their recent ninth place finish at senior nationals, Jones and Gaskell hope to improve their program component scores, which include marks for performance/execution, interpretation, and transitions between elements, as opposed to executed elements such as jumps, spins and lifts. "We have been trying to really work on our second mark, by getting more into character with our programs, and working on stroking. All the pair teams at Junior Worlds will be able to do the elements, but it is the artistry and skating skills that will define the top place teams", says Jones.

Although one goal is to improve their component scores, the couple is also banking on strong results for executed elements. "Overall most teams have the same elements as each other, but the triple twist is one element that most teams do not have but Kurtis and I do", says Jones. "We are fast and we have big and solid elements. In competition we tend to really perform and give 100%", says Gaskell. On his younger teen partner, Gaskell comments "she is a fierce competitor and she gives everything in training and competition."

Jones and Gaskell hope to skate two strong programs at Junior Worlds. They also plan on enjoying themselves during what Jones describes as "the experience of a lifetime."

The 2010 World Junior Figure Skating Championships take place March 8-14 in The Hague, Netherlands. More information can be found on the International Skating Union website at www.isu.org.

Brittany Jones and Kurtis Gaskell are members of the Kitchener-Waterloo Skating Club. They train at RIM Park in Waterloo, and are coached by two-time Canadian Champions and two-time Olympians Kris Wirtz and Kristy Sargeant-Wirtz.

Kitchener-Waterloo Skating Club - The Kitchener-Waterloo Skating Club (KWSC) is one of the largest figure skating clubs in Canada. The club--which has existed for over 70 years--is based in the twin cities of Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario, 100 km west of Toronto. The club operates competitive programs that have sent singles skaters, dance pairs, freeskate pairs, and synchronized teams to compete in the Canadian Championships, as well as international competitions.

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K-W figure skaters to represent Canada at Four Continents

Waterloo, ON, Jan-20-2010 – Kitchener-Waterloo Skating Club member Andrew Poje and partner Kaitlyn Weaver will be competing in the ice dance event at the 2010 ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships, which will take place January 25-31 in Jeonju City, Republic of Korea.

The couple earned the bronze medal last week at the BMO Canadian Figure Championships in London, Ontario. Their total score of 184.40 fell a mere 0.3 points short of securing a spot for the pair on the Canadian Olympic team, but earned the duo the right to represent Canada at Four Continents. This will be Weaver and Poje’s third trip to Four Continents, having placed 5th in both 2008 and in 2009. The pair has previously competed at two World Championships, and was World bronze medalists at the 2007 Junior World Championships.

Also making the trip to Korea for the 2010 ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships are Kirsten Moore-Towers and Dylan Moscovitch, who qualified in the senior pair event after finishing 5th last week in London.

"We achieved our personal goals of skating clean and having fun, which is all we wanted to do", says Moore-Towers of the pair’s performance at Nationals. "We knew we had no say in placements, but if I was to make a placement goal; top five is exactly what I hoped for. Of course a standing ovation is fun also."

Moore-Towers and Moscovitch train at RIM Park in Waterloo, and are coached by former Olympians Kris Wirtz and Kristy Sargeant-Wirtz. The team was a new partnership formed in the spring of 2009. This will be Moore-Towers and Moscovitch’s second international event, and their first ISU championship event.

Moscovitch is hoping for a repeat of his team’s recent successes. "Our goals for Four Continents are to continue skating the way we have been skating and deliver two strong performances as well as gain more international exposure and experience", says Moscovitch.

Former Kitchener-Waterloo Skating Club members Allie Hann-McCurdy and Michael Coreno will also represent Canada in the ice dance event.

The Canadian team will consist of 18 skaters who qualified based on their results at nationals. Kitchener-Waterloo Skating Club coach Carolyn Allwright will serve as team manager for Team Canada in Jeonju City.

Allwright has served as a team manager for Canada at more than 10 international events including Junior Grand Prix, Senior Grand Prix, and various ISU Championship events. This is her third trip to the Four Continents Figure Skating Championships as Canada's team manager.

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K-W figure skaters advance to nationals

Waterloo, ON, Jan-09-2010 – Skaters from the Kitchener-Waterloo Skating Club will compete against Canada's best during next week's national championships. The BMO Canadian Figure Skating Championships and BMO Skate Canada Junior Nationals will take place in London Ontario beginning Monday.

The outcome of these events will determine who will compete at the next ISU World Figure Skating Championships, ISU Four Continents Championships, and ISU World Junior Championships. This year's Figure Skating Championships has additional importance because results will also play a large role in determining the Canadian Olympic figure skating team to compete at the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver.

Kitchener-Waterloo Skating Club members scheduled to compete at the BMO Canadian Figure Skating Championships include Erin Scherrer, who will compete in the Senior Women event. Competing in the Senior Pair event are reigning Canadian Junior Pair Champions Brittany Jones and Kurtis Gaskell. Also competing in Senior Pairs are Kirsten Moore-Towers and Dylan Moscovitch, who recently placed sixth at Skate Canada International in Kitchener. Competing in Senior Dance are Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje, who secured their first Senior Grand Prix medal at Skate Canada International last November. The recently-formed team of Sarah Arnold and Justin Trojek will also compete in the Senior Dance event. The senior-level championships will take place January 14-17 at the John Labatt Centre.

Scheduled to compete at the BMO Skate Canada Junior Nationals are reigning Canadian Novice Pair Champions Katherine Bobak and Matthew Penasse, as well as Andrea Tou and Garnet Suidy in Junior Pairs, and Olga Lioudvinevitch and Thomas Williams in Junior Dance. Competing in Novice Pairs are Mary Orr and Anthony Furiano, Aveline Pearson and Alexander Sheldrick, as well as reigning Canadian Juvenile Pairs Champions Shalena Rau and Phelan Simpson. Competing in the Novice Dance event are Michaela Botsford and Scott Botsford, Victoria Coulthard and Peter Ahluwalia, Jade Marrow and Allan Stoll, as well as Kylie Knight and Benjamin Mulder. Junior Nationals will take place January 11-14 at the Western Fair Sports Centre.

Tickets can be purchased online at www.johnlabattcentre.com, by phone at 1-866-455-2849, or in person at the John Labatt Centre box office.

The CBC will be providing coverage for the BMO Canadian Figure Skating Championships. For their complete broadcasting schedule, visit www.cbc.ca/sports/figureskating.

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