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Record Turnout for Greenwich Town Skating Competition

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The Town of Greenwich held its 40th annual Townwide Skating Competition and young skaters from all over came out in force to show their skills. (John Ferris Robben photo)

By Liz Leamy
Sentinel Correspondent

Last Sunday, more than 170 skaters from all over the tri-state region took center stage at the 40th Annual Town of Greenwich competition that was held at the Dorothy Hamill Rink, which made for an event that was both memorable and exciting.

This competition, said to be the biggest since it started back in 1977, was just as much about quality as it was about quantity.

Virtually all the skaters, representing 22 clubs from New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, brought their A games, performing like seasoned contenders from the beginner basic skills levels through the pre-championship junior singles rungs.

Exhibiting aptitude, confidence, poise and finesse, this group of young athletes, ranging in ages from five to 16, staged a terrific show.

Many of the competitors executed a host of impressive elements that included double and triple jumps, super-fast spins, fluid edges and breathtaking spirals, among other things, and kept the packed house at the rink, named for Dorothy Hamill, the 1976 Olympic champion who grew up in Riverside, on the edge of their seats.

“This is the largest [town of Greenwich] competition that has ever been held,” said Chris Abbott, president of the Windy Hill Skating Club, host U.S. Figure Skating club for the event that is based at the Hamill Rink. “The caliber of the skating has been some of the highest I’ve seen in recent years.”

The environment at the rink during the competition was one of high energy and excitement. Coaches could be seen encouraging and helping their students while the spectators always seemed to be engaged, clapping loudly for all of the skaters.

Competitors from all over the area traveled to the Dorothy Hamill Ice Rink for the 40th annual Townwide Skating Competition. (John Ferris Robben photo)

“Considering it was the largest registered number of participants that we’ve ever had in the 40-year history of this event, it ran like a well-oiled machine,” said Rich Ernye, manager of the Dorothy Hamill Rink.

Ernye said the efforts of all the participants, including the skaters, parents, coaches, volunteers and members of the Windy Hill Skating Club along with the entire Hamill Rink staff, was much of the reason for its resounding success.

“I was very happy with the participants and support of my staff,” said Ernye, who added that the volunteer work of the members of the Greenwich High School Boys Hockey team, who spent the day running and hanging up results among other things, was another reason the event had gone so well.

A main event

Regarded as one of the most important kickoff non-qualifying U.S. Figure Skating competitions of the year in the tri-state region, the competition featured an extensive roster of young athletes, many of them known and accomplished competitors in and around the area, including those who participated in the basic skills, freestyle and test track levels.

There was even a skater, Andrea Montesinos Cantu, 15, who is slated to represent Mexico at the Junior World Championships in Taipei City, Chinese Taipei, in two weeks and who trains in Simsbury, Conn. She competed in the junior ladies short program division at this event.

The competition represents an opportunity for skaters to develop their skills, build their experience and strengthen the quality of their skating.

At the same time, it gives them a chance not only to perform in front of a crowd, but also a decorated panel of U.S. Figure Skating officials, who marked each competitor according to the quality of their performance and skills.

“It’s great to be here. It’s an excellent way for the skaters to start the season,” said Gilberto Viadana, a two-time former Italian Olympic contender and International Skating Union Technical Specialist who coaches at the Ice House in Hackensack, N.J. with his wife, Michela. “The skaters see which elements and things they need to work on when they compete here and it is an extremely important experience for them.”

Alis W. MCCurdy, U.S. Figure Skating official, presents Whitney Ford, 11, a fifth-grader at Greenwich Academy, the Alis W. McCurdy Cup in the Pre-Juvenile group. (contributed photo)

“We always enjoy coming here to this competition,” added Viadana, who resides in New York City with his wife. “Everyone here is great and the town is so beautiful.”

One of the Viadanas’ students competing at the event, Whitney Ford, 11, a Greenwich resident, was awarded the prestigious Alis W. McCurdy Cup, a citation presented to a skater from Greenwich or who is associated with one of the town’s two clubs, Windy Hill or the Greenwich Skating Club, and who shows “potential through their program presentation and theme.” (Back in 2002, Maia Shibutani, a former Greenwich resident who won silver at the 2016 World Championships and is the 2016 and 2017 U.S. ice dance titlist with her brother, Alex, was awarded this same citation.)

Ford, who is a fifth grader at Greenwich Academy, is an up-and-coming singles contender who first started skating at the former Boys and Girls Club of Greenwich Rink.

She scored gold in her pre-juvenile group due to her exquisite interpretation of the classic ballet composition “Giselle,” in which she executed some double jumps, lovely spins and intricate footwork.

“I love skating; it is part of who I am,” said Ford, who also works with Margot Krisberg, a former international competitor who grew up in Westchester. “Even though I have to work really hard at it, it is worth it.”

Ford, who trains six days a week, said she especially enjoyed competing at this event because it was held in her hometown.

“Being able to compete in Greenwich is special to me because this is where I live. This is where I go to school. This is where my friends are,” she said. “When I was first learning to skate, this is where I skated and competed for the first time. I wanted to skate my best here. I have so many special memories at Dorothy Hamill and I love competing here every year.”

A good omen

The success of the competition bodes well for figure skating, especially in Greenwich.

“You can really see that figure skating is alive and well here in Greenwich,” said Andrea Casson Vaz, a Windy Hill Skating Club board member and the mother of Raven Vaz, a University of Connecticut freshman and Greenwich High School alumna who skated with the Skyliners, the tri-state area U.S. and international synchronized organization, and was a member of their 2106 U.S. National Intermediate medal-winning team.

According to Casson Vaz, events such as this do a lot more than provide athletes with a competitive athletic experience, but also help them develop important life skills.

“This sport gives the skaters an opportunity to express themselves physically and emotionally,” said Casson Vaz. “That goes a long way.”

Nancy Madden Leamy, the esteemed longtime director of the Dorothy Hamill Skating School, agreed.

“It’s wonderful to see these skaters compete, evolve, grow and develop through their experience here,” said Leamy, a U.S. National coach who works with numerous members of the different Skyliners teams. “It is also great to see so many skaters here who have grown up and still are involved and devoted to the sport. I think that is really quite significant.”

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