Canadian Olympians headline the 2018 Skate Canada International in Laval

/by

ISU announces line-up for Grand Prix events

OTTAWA, ON: The International Skating Union (ISU) has announced the line-ups for the six 2018 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating events. Canada will host the second stop on the circuit, the 2018 Skate Canada International in Laval, Quebec, from October 26-28, 2018, at Place Bell.

The line-up in Laval features members of the 2018 Canadian Olympic Team, including Gabrielle Daleman, Keegan Messing, Larkyn Austman, Kirsten Moore-Towers and Michael Marinaro, Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier. They will be joined by various current and former world medallists including Shoma Uno of Japan, Evgenia Medvedeva of Russia, Vanessa James and Morgan Ciprès of France, and more.

Skate Canada International is the second competition in the annual ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating series. The other events take place in the United States (Skate America), Finland, Japan (NHK Trophy), Russia (Rostelecom Cup) and France (Internationaux de France).

Each skater/team can be assigned a maximum of two events. Skaters are awarded points based on their placements at their events. The top six from each discipline (men, women, pair and ice dance) qualify for the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final to be held in Vancouver, B.C., from December 6-9, 2018.

TICKETS ON SALE NOW

All-Event ticket packages are on sale now! All-event ticket packages will include all competitions as well as practices. Fans will be able to choose from four levels of all-event ticket packages that are priced at:

  • $136.25 ($120 ticket + $16.25 venue service fee)
  • $177.75 ($160 ticket + $17.75 venue service fee)
  • $220.75 ($200 ticket + $20.75 venue service fee)
  • $298.75 ($275 ticket + $23.75 venue service fee)

Tickets can be purchased online at placebell.ca, by phone at 1-855-634-4472 or in person at the Place Bell Box Office.

SUPER FAN SECTION

The 2018 Skate Canada International will feature a special Super Fan Section! This section includes the first three rows of the arena, allowing fans to be closest to the action. All fans purchasing tickets in this section will receive a limited edition scarf, event program, event pin and a keepsake bag.  All-event ticket packages in the Super Fan Section which includes the deluxe super fan kit are priced at $298.75 ($275 ticket + $23.75 venue service fee).  Fans sitting outside the first three rows of seating may also purchase a Super Fan Bag for only $60.

2018 SKATE CANADA INTERNATIONAL ENTRIES*

MEN
Brendan Kerry(AUS)
Keegan Messing (CAN)
Roman Sadovsky (CAN)
TBD (CAN)
Kevin Aymoz (FRA)
Daniel Samohin (ISR)
Shoma Uno (JPN)
Kazuki Tomono (JPN)
Junhwan Cha (KOR)
Alexander Samarin (RUS)
Alexander Majorov (SWE)
Jason Brown (USA)

WOMEN
Larkyn Austman (CAN)
Alaine Chartrand (CAN)
Gabrielle Daleman (CAN)
Wakaba Higuchi (JPN)
Yura Matsuda (JPN)
Mako Yamashita (JPN)
Elizabet Tursynbaeva (KAZ)
Dabin Choi (KOR)
Evgenia Medvedeva (RUS)
Daria Panenkova (RUS)
Elizaveta Tuktamysheva(RUS)
Mariah Bell (USA)

PAIR
Ekaterina Alexandrovskaya / Harley Windsor (AUS)
Kirsten Moore-Towers/ Michael Marinaro (CAN)
Camille Ruest / Andrew Wolfe (CAN)
Evelyn Walsh / Trennt Michaud (CAN)
Cheng Peng / Yang Jin (CHN)
Vanessa James / Morgan Cipres (FRA)
Aleksandra Boikova / Dmitrii Kozlovskii (RUS)
Haven Denney / Brandon Frazier (USA)

ICE DANCE
Piper Gilles / Paul Poirier (CAN)
Haley Sales / Nikolas Wamsteeker (CAN)
Carolane Soucisse / Shane Firus (CAN)
Shiyue Wang / Xinyu Liu (CHN)
Marie-Jade Lauriault / Romain Le Gac (FRA)
Robynne Tweedale / Joseph Buckland (GBR)
Anastasia Skoptcova / Kirill Aleshin (RUS)
Victoria Sinitsina / Nikita Katsalapov (RUS)
Olivia Smart / Adrian Diaz (ESP)
Madison Hubbell / Zachary Donohue (USA)

CANADIAN ASSIGNMENTS FOR THE 2018 ISU GRAND PRIX OF FIGURE SKATING SERIES*

SKATE AMERICA – Everett, Washington, USA – October 19-21, 2018

MEN:
Nam Nguyen

SKATE CANADA INTERNATIONAL — Laval, Quebec – October 26-28, 2018

MEN: Keegan Messing / Roman Sadovsky / TBD
WOMEN: Gabrielle Daleman / Alaine Chartrand / Larkyn Austman
PAIR: Kirsten Moore-Towers & Michael Marinaro / Camille Ruest & Andrew Wolfe / Evelyn Walsh & Trennt Michaud
ICE DANCE: Piper Gillis & Paul Poirier / Carolane Soucisse & Shane Firus / Haley Sales & Nikolas Wamsteeker

ISU GRAND PRIX OF FIGURE SKATING – Helsinki, Finland — November 2-4, 2018

PAIR: Julianne Seguin & Charlie Bilodeau

NHK TROPHY — Hiroshima, Japan — November 9-11, 2018

MEN: Kevin Reynolds
WOMEN: Gabrielle Daleman
PAIR: Kirsten Moore-Towers & Michael Marinaro
ICE DANCE: Carolane Soucisse & Shane Firus

ROSTELECOM CUP — Moscow, Russia — November 16-18, 2018

MEN: Keegan Messing

INTERNATIONAUX DE FRANCE — Grenoble, France — November 23-25, 2018

MEN: Nicolas Nadeau
PAIR: Julianne Seguin & Charlie Bilodeau
ICE DANCE: Piper Gillis & Paul Poirier

Kaitlyn Weaver & Andrew Poje to sit out ISU Grand Prix events

/by

OTTAWA, ON: World bronze medallists Kaitlyn Weaver, 29, Toronto, Ont., and Andrew Poje, 31, Waterloo, Ont., will sit out the ISU Grand Prix circuit this season.

“Over the last 12 consecutive years, we have committed ourselves 100 percent to becoming champions in ice dance, representing our country on the international stage, and enjoying this incredible journey — challenges and accomplishments alike — together every step of the way.  This past season provided us with the most incredible memories, including finishing on the podium at the world championships in Milan. Fulfilling this accomplishment gave us time and the opportunity to reflect on how we would like to continue our skating career. Through a very patient, analytical, and thoughtful process, we have decided to forego the 2018 Grand Prix season. We plan to return to competition at the Canadian Tire National Skating Championships in January. We thank you for your understanding and allowing us to tailor our career to our best interests,” said Weaver and Poje.

Weaver and Poje are three-time world medallists, winning their most recent world medal at the 2018 world championships in Italy earlier this year. The two-time Canadian champions are coached by Nikolai Morozov and train in Hackensack, NJ, USA.

Skate Canada Podcast Episode 1: Craig Buntin

/by

In this inaugural episode of the new Skate Canada Alumni podcast, Debbi chats with three-time Canadian Pair champion, Craig Buntin.

Buntin is a three-time Canadian Pair Champion, first finding success with partner Valérie Marcoux. Together they won three Canadian pair titles from 2004-2006 and competed at the 2006 Olympic Winter Games in Torino, Italy.

Read More

 

Ticket Info: 2018 Autumn Classic International

/by

OTTAWA, ON: Tickets for the 2018 Autumn Classic International will go on sale on Tuesday, June 19 at 10:00 a.m. (ET). The fifth edition of the event will take place from September 20-22, 2018, at the Sixteen Mile Sports Complex in Oakville, Ont.

All-event tickets are priced at $85 and single day passes prices are as follows: $30 for Thursday, $35 for Friday and $35 for Saturday. Tickets include entry to view practices on the date(s) of each ticket. All tickets are subject to applicable taxes and services fees. Tickets can be purchased at Eventbrite.ca in advance and online only.

Please note that seating is general admission and not reserved.  Seats are on a first-come, first-serve basis.  Ticket quantities are limited, and all tickets are final sale.

The 2018 Autumn Classic International will feature senior events in men, women, pair and ice dance. The event will host approximately 50 entries from over 15 countries. The senior international figure skating competition is one of 10 events that will form the International Skating Union’s (ISU) Challenger Series. Athletes have the opportunity to earn world standing points through the series. Competitors are eligible to participate in up to three Challenger Series events.

The 2018 entries will be announced after the close of entries in late August.

To register for notification of ticket on-sale dates for Skate Canada events, please fill out the form located here.

Supporting our NextGen Through Toller Cranston’s Legacy

/by

Figure skating is driven by determination, dedication and a desire to express yourself with artistic passion on the ice. The Toller Cranston Memorial Fund Athlete Award recognizes these attributes in 14 of the top Next Gen skaters who exemplify this in their sport.

The award honours the late Toller Cranston, a man known for his creativity, freedom of expression and dramatic showmanship. Although he never received an Olympic or World title, his unique artistic vision forever changed the sport of figure skating. For Toller, skating was more than a sport, it was a way to express himself.

The Toller Cranston Memorial Fund Athlete Award celebrates Next Gen skaters who display exceptional artistry on ice at the 2018 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships at the Novice and Junior levels.

Each winner will also receive a free pair of industry-leading boots and blades courtesy of Jackson Ultima Skates.

“I am currently preparing to move up to Junior level this season and I know this means I will have to face lots of challenges”, explained Leah Lee, one of this year’s recipients of the award. “Receiving this award motivates me tremendously to continue to work hard, overcome these challenges and one day become a member of Team Canada, representing Canada internationally.”

The awards are presented at Skate Canada Sectional awards banquets by former Olympic competitors, family, and friends of Toller’s from coast to coast. The last event this year took place on June 9th.

The Toller Cranston Memorial Fund was established by the Canadian Olympic Foundation shortly after Toller’s death in 2015. The fund is a way to show appreciation for the artistry he brought to the world of figure skating and to financially assist young skaters who possess the same artistic values and style as he did.

The Canadian Olympic Foundation and Skate Canada are proud to announce the Toller Cranston Memorial Fund Athlete Award winners for 2018:

Alexis Lay – Novice Men
Alicia Fabbri – Junior Ice Dance
Bruce Waddell – Junior Ice Dance
Claudio Pietrantonio – Junior Ice Dance
Corey Circelli – Junior Men
Daria Carr – Novice Women
Emma Bulawka – Junior Women
Iliya Kovler – Junior Men
Leah Lee – Novice Women
Miku Makita – Novice Ice Dance
Natalie D’Alessandro – Junior Ice Dance
Tim Pomares – Novice Men
Tyler Gunara – Novice Ice Dance
Zoé Duval-Yergeau – Junior Men

Kaetlyn Osmond to skip ISU Grand Prix events

/by

OTTAWA, ON: World champion Kaetlyn Osmond, 22, Marystown, Nfld./Edmonton, Alta., will skip the ISU Grand Prix circuit this year.

“For the past years, my focus has been on the 2018 Olympic Winter Games and I worked really hard to achieve my goals. The 2017-2018 season went far beyond any of my own expectations and now I need time to refocus and evaluate the next steps in my career,” said Osmond. “While I still love competing and performing, I will be exploring other exciting opportunities during this time. I wish all the skaters competing on the ISU Grand Prix circuit the best of luck.”

In 2018, Osmond became the first Canadian woman to win the world championship title in 45 years. Osmond also won gold in the team event and bronze in women’s singles at the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang. She is a three-time Canadian champion and is coached by Ravi Walia in Edmonton, Alta.