A member of the Barrhead Skating Club, Faith Frigon, recently won a gold medal at the Skate Alberta/Northwest Territories/Nunavut STARSkate Championships at Airdrie on March 24.
Coach Misty Blake said Faith did not have to qualify for the competition, which is open to all skaters who are either at the STAR 4 level or higher.
She said this competition is called the championships because it is the only competition hosted by the Alberta/Northwest Territories/Nunavut section, as well as the fact that it is held at the end of winter.
Other competitions throughout the season are hosted by individual clubs and are generally referred to as regionals.
While at the championship, Faith competed against skaters from Calgary, Edmonton, Canmore, Drayton Valley, High River, Red Cliff, Cold Lake, Spruce Grove, Indus and Lloydminster.
Going into the event, Blake said Faith had a bumpy year at regional competitions — she was fighting against some “newfound nerves” and thus hadn’t had a clean skate all year.
“We are all proud that her best skate of the year came at the championships,” said Blake. “Bringing home a medal, and gold at that, is a very huge accomplishment for a small town skater.”
Blake explained that Faith won gold in the STAR 4 Freeskate. A Freeskate program consists of jumps, spins, spirals and edge work to music selected by the skater and their coach.
“When a skater is competing in Freeskate, judges award marks for the quality of your skating, how well you interpret your music, how well you deliver a performance, as well as the quality of your jumps, spins and spirals,” Blake noted.
Faith and her coach had worked on the choreography of her solo routine all season.
Although she won gold at this competition, Faith doesn’t move on to another championship, as the season is now over. However, spring figure skating is now starting up.
Blake noted that Faith and two other Barrhead Skating Club members, Cori Leclerc and Taeva McKay, will be travelling to Edmonton to take advantage of the ice that is still in the city rinks.
They will also enter the 2019 United Sport Sunsational Competition from April 19-21 in Edmonton. All three girls will try skating at one level higher than what they were accustomed to during the winter — Faith at Level 5, and Cori and Taeva at Level 4.
“This will help them set goals for next winter’s season,” Blake added.
