From Feb. 4-6, close to 200 figure skaters from around the province will glide into the lakecity when the Williams Lake Figure Skating Club hosts the Cariboots ‘N’ Blades figure skating meet.
Wendy Lonson-Hoffman, president of the Williams Lake Figure Skating Club, said this will be the 27th year the event has been held in the lakecity. It’s also expected to be one of the busiest in recent years.
“This year we’ve got a whopping 169 skaters coming,” Lonson-Hoffman said, up from last year’s 127.
“This will be one of our bigger ones so we’re really thrilled about that.”
The Cariboots ‘N’ Blades meet was once strictly a Williams Lake event; however, in recent years Skate Canada’s Cariboo North Central Region has opened the competition up for other communities to bid on.
“We were fortunate to get it last year and we’re going to get it again next year,” Lonson-Hoffman said.
“Some of the clubs that could have hosted it [like Prince George] are doing major renovations getting ready for the Canada Winter Games.”
Local figure skaters will be joined by competitors from close to 15 clubs from around the province featuring ages as young as six, up to teenagers in junior and senior levels.
Lonson-Hoffman said the WLFSC prides itself on hosting a fun event for everyone who attends — and added this year’s event will be no different.
“We like to think we put on a fun, interesting competition so we do these little extra things to make it a fun weekend for all,” she said. “We’ve got boutiques, a skaters raffle draw, we recognize the kids who have birthdays that weekend and our skaters gifts are pretty interesting.”
Another unique aspect of the meet involves the Williams Lake Stampede Royalty, who will be on hand presenting medals at the meet.
“The little kids think that’s so cool,” Lonson-Hoffman said.
Cariboots ‘N’ Blades goes at the Cariboo Memorial Recreation Complex Friday from 1 p.m. until 9 p.m. Saturday, skating begins at 8 a.m. and wraps up at 9 p.m. Then on Sunday, the event goes from 8 a.m. until 3:30 p.m.
This year’s theme is “I <3 Skating,” due to the event being held during the month of February and Valentine’s Day.
“We’ve been having lots of fun with the theme for our decorating,” she said. “And the awards and medals are all kind of reflecting that.”
Skaters will be competing in free skate and interpretive routines along with several other fun events held throughout the weekend.
“We have some creative events where the kids skate duets, team competitions and other things,” she said. “There are lots of fun, different events as well as the more serious, competition ones.”
She added WLFSC coaches Joanne Macnair, Sandi Sandrock and new CanSkate coach Tanis Freeman have been busy getting local skaters’ routines in shape for the competition.
Admission to Cariboots ‘N’ Blades is free, and Lonson-Hoffman and the WLFSC want to invite everyone in the community to come out and cheer on the local athletes.
“It’s a fun thing for people to come out and watch,” she said. “It’s not something you see every day.”
