This Saturday, the Alberni Valley Multiplex will be transformed into a psychedelic skating show as the Mount Arrowsmith Skating Club hosts its biennial winter carnival.
The Port Alberni skating club hosts its winter carnival every two years. The last show, in 2017, transformed the multiplex into a colourful fairytale forest for the Enchanted Forest skating show.
READ: Alberni skating club’s carnival on ice returns
This year’s theme is everyone’s favourite 1960s English rock band—The Beatles.
“Everybody loves Beatles music—even the kids know the songs,” explained Jean Leshures, director of skating with Mount Arrowsmith. “I just thought it would be so much fun.”
The show will start with a recording from the band’s infamous first appearance in America. Skaters will take the stage for the Beatles’ performance of She Loves You on the Ed Sullivan show on Feb. 9, 1964.
“That’s where the British invasion began,” Leshures said. “We’re calling our show ‘Beatlemania’ so we took the music following that night.”
The biennial winter carnival is a major fundraiser, allowing the club to offer low registration costs so every child in Port Alberni can have an opportunity to participate.
Skaters of all ages will be taking the ice, joined by guest star Larkyn Austman. Austman was the 2019 Skate Canada Challenge gold medallist, the 2018 National Skating Championship bronze medallist and a Team Canada Olympian in 2018.
Along with skating, the show will feature almost 200 costumes, as well as artwork by Andrea Cole and a 21-foot-long yellow submarine with a working propeller designed by Scott Loudon.
“The kids are doing the show, and the adults are doing the background stuff,” said Leshures. “There are so many people involved that are behind the scenes. It’s just going to be a really great day.”
Two shows will take place at the Alberni Valley Multiplex on Saturday, Feb. 23—one at 2 p.m. and one at 7 p.m. Tickets are available for $10 from the Echo Centre or from Mount Arrowsmith skaters. Doors open one hour prior to the show.
Earlier this month, skaters from Mount Arrowsmith attended the Vancouver Island Regional Competition held in Victoria and performed well. The results are as follows:
Star 2 Girls:
Sophie Hodgson – Gold
Rylee McIntyre – bronze
Maija Turner – silver
Olivia Black – bronze
McKenna Blight – silver
Devin Guy – silver
Kaelin Britton- silver
Marie Adby – gold
Star 4 Girls U13:
Anna Pesikova – 3rd
Star 4 Girls 13 and over:
Anya Garcia – 3rd
Star 5 Girls U13:
Tess Thompson – 3rd
Star 5 Girls 13 and over:
Maly Pohar – 7th
Star 6 Women:
Raquel Thompson – 3rd
Aspen Sutherland – 5th
Introductory Interpretive:
Emma Audet – gold
Pre-Juvenile Women U13:
Mirissa Burrows – 3rd
Special Olympics:
Level 1 – Jamie Amos gold
Level 2 – Matt MacDonald – gold
Level 3 – Kari Trott – gold
elena.rardon@albernivalleynews.comLike us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter
