Ice skaters bring their creativity to life at artistic competition
Uttoxeter’s ice rink came alive last week as skaters of all ages and abilities took to the ice in costume for an exciting Artistic Ice Skating Competition.
Skaters demonstrated an impressive level of creativity through their colourful costumes and character portrayals at Uttoxeter’s CineBowl. Some performed to music from well-known films and classic shows such as Minions, Wicked, The Wizard of Oz, Matilda, Hairspray and Tangled, while others chose themed pop medleys to bring their routines and characters to life.
Head judge, actress and comedienne, Karina Essery said: “Judging the Artistic Competition today was an absolute pleasure. Everyone was of an incredible standard, and every skater brought their very best. It was very hard to choose winners because all the ideas were so creative and all the skaters should be so proud of themselves.
“What makes Uttoxeter ice rink special is the support everyone shows for each other, it’s fantastic to see and be a part of. It’s an ice rink with a big heart.”
Forty skaters took part in the event across eleven categories, which included those from the Skate Excellence Courses offered by the ice rink. Additional categories included junior and adult inclusive skating, those skating at British Ice Skating level, duo routines and small group performances.
The Artistic Competition was a celebration of self-expression and community, with the skaters coming together to support one another. The event was part of a nationwide competition taking place across all Planet Ice arenas, and the winners from each category will go on to compete in the final at Planet Ice Milton Keynes Arena at the end of July.
Adult competitor Jasmyn Kaur, has been skating for just 18 months and won gold in the duo category, performing as an air hostess to the 2007 Eurovision song “Flying the Flag (For You)” by Scooch.
“I thought it would be such a fun number to do,” she said. “The audience were cheering for us, it was brilliant and we’re really excited to perform the routine again in Milton Keynes.
“I was inspired to learn figure skating after seeing Johnny Weir’s appearance on Dancing on Ice. He’s always been my favourite figure skater, and although I’d always been able to skate but I decided to take the leap into learning properly after seeing him perform. I’m so glad I did.”
General manager, Liz Howe said: “Everyone was fantastic today and it’s what skating here is all about - having fun, building friendships and enjoying new experiences. It means a lot to us to watch our skaters’ confidence grow - children and adults - and that’s also thanks to our brilliant team of coaches.
“We know the finalists who will be representing the rink at Milton Keynes will make Team Uttoxeter proud.”
To skate at CineBowl-iSKATE in Uttoxeter visit: planet-ice.co.uk.
