Khorana Séa-Alphonse – My Skating Journey

Skate Canada is sharing stories and experiences from our community as we recognize Black History Month. Khorana Séa-Alphonse started skating at a young age at a local skating school in Montreal, QC. She was a recreational skater in both singles and synchronized skating and started coaching as an adult. She is now a CanSkate Coach at the Gloucester Figure Skating Club and serves as a member of the Skate Canada EDIA Operating Committee. When she’s not on the ice, Khorana works for the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada and is very busy as a new mom to a six-month-old.

 

NEXXICE Wins Two of Three Finals at 2023 Skate Canada Cup

CALGARY, ALTA. (February 22, 2023) – NEXXICE, from Burlington, Ont., won gold in the Open and Intermediate categories on Wednesday to conclude the 2023 Skate Canada Cup synchronized skating competition.

In the Open event, NEXXICE placed first in both free skates to win the gold medal with 168.52 points. Nova, from St-Hubert, Que., was second at 156.71 and Cassiopée from Sherbrooke, Que., was third at 139.35.

‘’We handled our second skate really well,’’ said NEXXICE captain Avery Clark. ‘’We’ve been in these situations before and we made sure we stayed calm, didn’t do anything crazy and stuck to what we know.’’

In the Intermediate division, NEXXICE was also first in both skates to win the gold with 138.33. Starlight from Ottawa, Ont., followed for the silver with 128.02 and EDGE from Oakville, Ont., was third at 124.59.

‘’To hear that score and hear that we won is hard to describe,’’ said NEXXICE co-captain Sascha Krueger. ’’We just focused on having fun and persevering through whatever came our way.’’

Les Suprêmes, from St-Léonard, Que., ranked third in the first free skate and second in the second free skate but emerged with the gold medal with 120.93 points to win the Canadian Novice title. NEXXICE won the free skate to soar from sixth place to the silver with 119.04. Gold Ice from Brampton, Ont., was third at 118.96.

‘’We worked all year for this and we are super excited,’’ said Suprêmes co-captain Sophie Béliveau. ‘’We knew after yesterday that it wasn’t over yet and we needed to stay focused.”

Click here for full results from the event.

Sixteen Canadian Skaters Set to Compete for Junior World Titles in Calgary Next Week

OTTAWA, ON (February 21, 2023) – Sixteen of Canada’s most prominent junior athletes will be competing at Calgary’s WinSport Arena at Canada Olympic Park from February 27 – March 5, 2023 in the hopes of taking home junior world titles in their respective disciplines. Team Canada will count one woman, three men, three pair teams and three ice dance teams at the 2023 ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships®. 

In women, local talent Kaiya Ruiter will be looking to shine in front of her home crowd after the 16-year-old captured a silver medal at the 2023 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships in senior women, as well as another silver at the 2022 IceChallenge. 

The men’s field will be led by National Team member and 2023 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships senior bronze medalist Wesley Chiu, who will be joined by junior national champion Edward Nicholas Vasii and Aleksa Rakic, who finished fifth at the Egna Junior Grand Prix earlier this season.  

Grand Prix finalists and junior national champions Chloe Panetta & Kieran Thraser will be leading the charge in the pair discipline after a breakthrough season that includes a bronze medal at the Ostrava Junior Grand Prix. Grand Prix silver medalists Ava Kemp & Yohnatan Elizarov will be competing alongside them, as well as IceChallenge gold medalists Ashlyn Schmitz & Tristan Taylor 

Completing the team will be three solid ice dance teams, including Grand Prix Final junior champions Nadiia Bashynska & Peter Beaumont, who have won every competition they’ve entered this season. Riga Junior Grand Prix silver medalists and Skate Canada Challenge champions Sandrine Gauthier & Quentin Thieren will also be aiming for a spot on the podium, as will 2023 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships bronze medalists Hailey Yu & Brendan Giang 

Competition begins on Wednesday, March 1 with the pair and women’s short program, followed by the men’s short program and pair free program the following day. Friday will see the women’s titles awarded, while ice dancers will perform their rhythm dance. The event concludes on Saturday with the men’s free program and the free dance. Select athletes will also take part in the Exhibition Gala on Sunday, March 5. For more information about the event or to purchase tickets, please click here. 

The ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships® is the pinnacle junior figure skating competition of the year. It is an annual event that moves around the globe and is hosted each year by a different skating federation.  

Team Canada 

Name | Age | Hometown | Coach | Training Location 

Women
Kaiya Ruiter | 16 | Calgary, Alta. | Scott Davis | Calgary, Alta. 

Men

Wesley Chiu | 17 | Vancouver, B.C. | Keegan Murphy & Eileen Murphy | Richmond, B.C.
Edward Nicholas Vasii | 16 | Montréal, Que. | Yvan Desjardins & Violaine Émard | Rosemère, Que.
Aleksa Rakic | 18 | Burnaby, B.C. | Joanne McLeod | Burnaby, B.C. 

Pair

Ava Kemp | 14 | Winnipeg, Man. & Yohnatan Elizarov | 18 | Winnipeg, Man. | Kevin Dawe & Andrew Evans | Winnipeg, Man. 
Chloe Panetta | 19 | Laval, Que. & Kieran Thrasher | 18 | Amherstburg, Ont. | Bruno Marcotte & Brian Shales | Oakville, Ont.
Ashlyn Schmitz | 16 | Shellbrook, Sask. & Tristan Taylor | 20 | Regina, Sask. | David & Vicki Schultz | Regina, Sask. 

Ice Dance

Nadiia Bashynska | 18 | Ajax, Ont. & Peter Beaumont | 21 | Ajax, Ont. | Carol Lane & Juris Razgulajevs | Scarborough, Ont. 
Sandrine Gauthier | 18 | Saint-Constant, Que. & Quentin Thieren | 18 | Mont-Saint-Hilaire, Que. | Patrice Lauzon & Benjamin Brisebois | St-Bruno, Que.
Hailey Yu | 17 | Burnaby, B.C. & Brendan Giang | 19 | Burnaby, B.C. | Aaron Lowe & Megan Wing | Burnaby, B.C.  

Team Leaders – Andre Bourgeois & Manon Perron
Medical Team – Albert Schumacher & Pat Stanziano
Officials – Janice Hunter & Jeff Lukasik 

For more information, please click here. 

Four Titles Awarded at 2023 Novice Canadian Championships

CALGARY, ALTA. (February 21, 2023) – Four titles were awarded over the weekend at the 2023 Novice Canadian Championships, taking place at WinSport Arena in Calgary, Alberta.

Charlotte Chung and Axel Mackenzie of Toronto continued an impressive first season together on Monday with the gold medal in ice dancing. Chung and Mackenzie took the title with 113.70 points followed by two Quebec couples. Victoria Carandiuc and Andrei Carandiuc were second at 104.55 and Auréa Cinçon-Debout and Earl Jesse Celestino third at 103.72.

‘’We managed the nerves really well this weekend,’’ said Mackenzie, who also won the Skate Canada Challenge last month with his partner. ‘’We had great support from coaches, family and friends going into today and we wanted to skate our best.’’

In women’s competition, Lucille Yang of Ottawa, Ont., jumped from third after the short program to win the free skate and the gold medal with 139.08. Ashley Dinh of Oakville, Ont., was second at 136.71 and Mély-Ann Gagner of Sherbrooke, Que., third at 128.42.

‘’I’m proud of my skate and feel like I performed really well,’’ said Yang. ‘’My goal here was to have clean skates and have fun.’’

Quebec teams were 1-2 in pairs with Alexane Jean and Charly Laliberté-Laurent first at 119.42 and Beau Callahan and Benjamin Leduc second at 114.58. Annika Behnke and Kole Sauve of Edmonton, Alta., were third at 110.00.

‘’We really gave it our max,’’ said Laliberté-Laurent. ‘’We had a lot of confidence after winning the Skate Canada Challenge.’’

David Howes of Winnipeg, Man., completed the day of finals with the victory in men’s competition. He was first in both the short and free skates for 148.42. Vladimir Furman of St-Hubert, Que., was the silver medalist with 133.35 and Liam Schmidt of Laval, Que., took bronze with 132.35.

‘’I was definitely nervous for the free skate with the expectation of being first,’’ said Howes. ‘’I’m really excited and happy with the way it worked out. It wasn’t my cleanest program, but I fought.’’

The 2023 Skate Canada Cup starts tomorrow and will feature the top synchronized skating teams competing for national titles in novice, open and intermediate. For full results, click here.

Teams Named for 2023 ISU Synchronized Skating Championships

OTTAWA, ON (February 20, 2023) – Following the completion of several international competitions, Skate Canada has named its teams for the 2023 ISU World Junior Synchronized Skating Championships and the 2023 ISU World Synchronized Skating Championships, both taking place in March.

Skate Canada has a robust selection criteria for each ISU Championships to undertake the selection of teams who will represent Canada at these events. Skate Canada’s selection criteria for ISU Championships can be found on skatecanada.ca.

2023 ISU WORLD JUNIOR SYNCHRONIZED SKATING CHAMPIONSHIPS
ANGERS, FRANCE – MARCH 10-11, 2023

Nexxice Junior
Coach: Trish Perdue-Mills

Les Suprêmes Junior
Coaches: Pascal Denis & Marilyn Langlois

2023 ISU WORLD SYNCHRONIZED SKATING CHAMPIONSHIPS
LAKE PLACID, USA – MARCH 31 – APRIL 1, 2023

Nexxice Senior
Coaches: Jennifer Beauchamp-Crichton & Shelley Simonton-Barnett

Les Suprêmes Senior
Coaches: Pascal Denis & Marilyn Langlois

Canada Wins Four Medals at the Spring Cup Synchronized Skating Competition

SESTO SAN GIOVANNI, Italy (February 19, 2023) – Les Suprêmes from St-Léonard, Que., won the gold medal in the senior event Sunday to highlight a four-medal day for Canada at the Spring Cup synchronized skating competition.

Les Suprêmes, the reigning world champions, hung on to the top spot earning 231.81 points. Unique, from Finland, won the free skate but it wasn’t enough to catch the Canadians finishing with 230.84. Canadian champions NEXXICE, from Burlington, Ont., were third at 228.41.

In junior competition, Lexettes from the U.S. ranked second in both the short and long programs but emerged with the gold medal with 188.50 points. Les Suprêmes won the free skate and moved from third to second with 187.81 and national junior champions NEXXICE took the bronze with 185.66.

Last week, NEXXICE Junior won gold at the Hevelius Cup in Poland leading a Canadian medal sweep. For full results, click here.

Winners Announced for the Skate With Us National Contest

OTTAWA, ON (February 18, 2023) – Skate Canada is excited to announce the winners of the Skate With Us National Contest. It has been a privilege to showcase the amazing talent of the Canadian skating community, with over one hundred individuals, clubs and schools submitting videos. Skate Canada was overwhelmed with the thoughtfulness and storytelling of all the entries and saw over 16,900 votes placed for the finalists.

Without further ado here are your winners!

Skate Canada’s Got Talent

1st Place – Christopher Hammer
Club: Fliteway Skating Club
Section: AB/NT/NU
Prize: Two all-event tickets to the 2024 ISU World Figure Skating Championships plus a $2000 CAD travel voucher
View Entry

2nd Place – Matthew Yu
Club: Champs International Skating Centre of BC
Section: BC/YT
Prize: $1000 CAD
View Entry

3rd Place – Safiya Shujah
Club: South Windsor Skating Club
Section: ON
Prize: $500 CAD
View Entry

Skate With Us

1st Place – Elizabeth Kenyon
Club: Skate Winnipeg
Section: MB
Prize: $5000 CAD
View Entry

2nd Place – Rena Wang
Club: Ice Palace Figure Skating Club
Section: AB/NT/NU
Prize: $1000 CAD
View Entry

3rd Place – Jennifer Hortizano Bohn
Club: Creston Valley Figure Skating Club
Section: BC/YT
Prize: $500 CAD
View Entry

Club & Skating Schools

1st Place – Minnedosa Skating Club
Submitted by: Jacquie Gerrard
Section: MB
Prize: $5000 CAD
View Entry

2nd Place – Prince George Figure Skating Club
Submitted by: Julia Shaddick
Section: BC/YT
Prize: $1000 CAD
View Entry

3rd Place – Montréal Silver Blades FSC
Submitted by: Stéphane Boutet
Section: QC
Prize: $500 CAD
View Entry

Skate Canada would like to sincerely thank all the participants. The skating community continues to inspire the work we do, with each entry bringing uniqueness and creativity in their own authentic way. To further showcase the talent of our community, we have also given several of the entries an honourable mention and have featured those on skatewithus.ca for fans to view.

Education and Advocacy Pave The Way for Better Representation Special Feature with Elladj Baldé

Life grants us opportunities to grow, change and improve if we listen, stay curious and keep an open mind. Every February we are granted unique opportunities that come with the celebration of Black History Month. This opportunity looks different for people of different backgrounds. For some, Black History Month provides an opportunity to engage in difficult conversations, to expand understanding and to take a look at the current situation. For Black and racialized people, Elladj Baldé says “this time is a moment to celebrate history and look forward to what the black experience could look like.” Baldé has become an advocate and inspiration for many in the skating community.

His social media stardom is giving young Black skaters someone they can relate to when they dream of seeing themselves on the ice. He is also igniting crowds with his authentic and entertaining style but feels like the current situation “still sits in hope and faith.” The good news is, there are steps we can take to make our way forward and it begins with education and representation.

As a skater, Baldé said the lack of representation and not “seeing someone who looks like him achieve success” was a struggle.  He was often told that he shouldn’t wear what he wanted because the judges wouldn’t like it and it was the same when it came to his music.

“It made me feel that who I was and who I wanted to be on the ice would limit me from success,” said Baldé.

At one point he was even told to cut his hair.

Baldé wants to create room for figure skaters to fully express themselves and become successful in the sport.

“The way forward is to understand what it is to live the Black experience, the Indigenous experience, the People of Colour experience. Education on different styles of music, on different styles of movement; we are so used to seeing skating done in a certain way that we identify as good. But there are so many ways to move on the ice,” explained Baldé.

In November 2021, Baldé and his wife, Michelle Dawley formed Skate Global Foundation, a non-profit organization formed on three pillars: Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI), Mental Health and Climate Change. In 2023, the key focus of the Skate Global Foundation will be EDI.

“To help support skaters of colour, starting specifically with Black skaters,” said Baldé. This support will come in the form of grants, assisting with equipment costs, ice times and more.

One of the biggest barriers to figure skating is the cost. Ice time, coaches and skates can add up quickly and in underserved communities, those barriers are compounded by systemic racism. Mix in a lack of representation adds to the challenge, “it makes it really difficult for a young Black kid to choose this sport and then make it all the way to the top,” said Baldé.

Baldé believes change starts at the top with National Sport Organizations (NSO) taking initiatives and trying to break down barriers and make sport more accessible.

One of Skate Canada’s strategic imperatives over the next quadrennial is Skating for Everyone. As part of this imperative, Skate Canada is taking action on anti-racism, Indigenous engagement and working to eliminate barriers that limit participation in skating.

Through activities such as World Ice Skating Day, the Diverse Leaders in Skating Mentorship Program, Indigenous lead sharing circles and EDIA (Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility) educational resources, Skate Canada has started to make progress in this area.

“I believe that in Canada we have a really good opportunity to make this a sport that looks a lot more diverse than it did a few years ago,” said Baldé.

Baldé encourages the skating community to continue education, have difficult conversations and be open to someone else’s experience.

In closing, Baldé had some inspiring words to share with the next generation.

“If it’s something you really want to do and you love, do it and embrace your gifts. Find what it is that is unique about you and share that with everyone and allow everyone to celebrate you for who you are – there is nothing more beautiful than that.”

____

**Baldé is a former National Team Member who competed at 27 international competitions. Baldé won the Canadian junior title in 2008 and would go on to compete at nine senior Canadian championships, making the National Team five times. In 2015, he won his first gold medal on the international scene at the Nebelhorn Trophy. ***

Top Canadian Skaters Head to Calgary for Novice Canadian Championships & Skate Canada Cup

OTTAWA, ON (February 13, 2023) – Over 65 of the country’s best novice skaters will be competing for national titles in men, women, pair, ice dance and synchronized skating from February 18–22, 2023 at Calgary’s WinSport Arena at Canada Olympic Park. 

The week will kick off with the 2023 Novice Canadian Championships featuring Skate Canada Challenge gold medalists David Howes (men’s), Gabrielle Jugnauth (women’s), Alexane Jean & Charly Laliberté-Laurent (pair) and Charlotte Chung & Axel Mackenzie (ice dance), as well as many other up-and-coming talents.  

Following this event, the nation’s top synchronized skating teams will be competing for national titles in novice, open and intermediate at the 2023 Skate Canada Cup on February 21-22, 2023. Last year’s champions, Gold Ice (novice), NEXXICE (intermediate) and Starlites (open) will be looking to defend their titles and bring home another medal.  

Single day tickets for both events are available through Ticketmaster.ca and are priced at $45 for adults and $20 for children 12 and under (plus applicable fees and taxes).  

For more information including the schedule, entries and start orders, please click here. Both events will be live streamed and can be accessed through the event page or the Skate Canada Dailymotion page. 

Single Day Tickets on Sale for ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships® 2023

OTTAWA, ON (February 13, 2023) – Skate Canada is excited to announce that single day tickets for the ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships® 2023 will be on sale on Wednesday, February 15, 2023, at 10:00 AM EST. The ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships® will take place in Calgary, Alberta, at WinSport Arena at Canada Olympic Park, from February 27 to March 5, 2023. 

Single day tickets will be priced at $25 (plus applicable taxes and fees) and can be purchased at Ticketmaster.ca. 

ABOUT THE ISU WORLD JUNIOR FIGURE SKATING CHAMPIONSHIPS®  

The ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships is an annual event that moves around the globe, showcasing the best young skaters from around the world. 

Skate Canada has a long and illustrious history of hosting ISU sanctioned events, having previously held the ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships five times. This will be the first time Calgary has been selected to host the event. Canada has hosted the Championships in London (1981), Kitchener (1987, 2005), Hull, (1992), and Saint John (1998).  

Ice Dancers Collect Two More Medals for Canada at ISU Four Continents Championships

COLORADO SPRINGS, USA (February 12, 2023) – Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Nikolaj Soerensen took the silver medal and Marjorie Lajoie and Zachary Lagha followed with a bronze in ice dancing Sunday as Canada concluded the ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships with four medals.

Madison Chock and Evan Bates of the U.S. won the ice dance gold medal with 220.81 points followed by Montreal’s Fournier Beaudry and Soerensen at 214.08, a personal best score. Lajoie and Lagha, from Boucherville, Que., and St-Hubert, Que., collected 200.00 to finish third.

‘’We keep improving and we are really pleased with how we performed here,’’ said Soerensen, headed to next month’s world championships with his partner. ‘’We have the experience to know how to pace ourselves and we really pulled it off today.’’

Lajoie and Lagha complete their season with podium finishes in their five international assignments.

‘’It feels amazing,’’ said Lajoie. ‘’We really wanted to get on the podium in our last event. The next challenge for us is to find a program that we’ll enjoy even more.’’

Marie-Jade Lauriault and Romain Le Gac of Ste-Anne-des-Plaines, Que., moved from eighth after the rhythm dance to sixth overall with 171.35

Canada’s other medals were earned on Saturday. Keegan Messing took the silver in the men’s event and Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps of Vaudreuil-Dorion, Que., added a bronze in pairs.

 For full results, click here.

Canada Wins Silver and Bronze at ISU Four Continents Championships

COLORADO SPRINGS, USA (February 12, 2023) – Keegan Messing won the silver medal and Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps added a bronze in pairs in a double medal performance for Canada on Saturday at the ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships.

Kao Miura of Japan took the men’s crown with 281.53 points followed Messing who finished with a career best 275.57. Shun Sato of Japan was third at 259.14. In other Canadian results, Conrad Orzel of Woodbridge, Ont., was eighth and Stephen Gogolev of Toronto, Ont., 13th.

‘’I was dying out there,’’ said Messing about competing at altitude. ‘’I really had to pace myself. I had some great training after nationals but when I got here, I was tired all over again. I kept the focus on the breathing and the training.’’

In pairs, Stellato-Dudek and Deschamps of Vaudreuil-Dorion, Que., took the bronze medal with 193.84. It was the fourth medal in five international events this season for the Canadian champions who set a personal best international score for their free skate with 125.45. Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara of Japan won the gold with 208.24 and Emily Chan and Spencer Akira Howe of the U.S. were second at 201.11.

‘’It was a good stepping stone for us towards the worlds,’’ said Stellato-Dudek. ‘’We’re just trying to improve our skates going into the world championships.’’

First-year pairs Lia Pereira of Milton, Ont., and Trennt Michaud of Brantford, Ont., remained fourth with a personal best 186.33, while Kelly Ann Laurin of St-Jerome, Que., and Loucas Ethier of St. Adolphe, Que., were seventh at 167.67, an international best.

Competition ends Sunday with the free dance. Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Nikolaj Sorensen of Montreal, Que., and Marjorie Lajoie of Boucherville, Que., and Zachary Lagha of St-Hubert, Que, are second and third after Friday’s rhythm dance.

 For full results, click here.