WPCNR PRESS BOX. February 28, 2006: For the fifth straight year, Ebersole Rink was the scene Tuesday evening of a tense United States Figure Skating test session in which thirteen figure skaters put their skills under the scrutiny of three United States Figure Skating judges.
Yvette Salonger, President for the last two years of the White Plains Figure Skating Club remarked that the USFS judges told her they like judging tests at Ebersole Ice Rink because of the high quality of skaters developing in the Ebersole program. Ms. Salonger organized this year’s and last year’s test session. Photo, WPCNR Sports.
Juliana Bailey,16, became the first Ebersole Skater to successfully complete her Senior Freestyle Program Test, as one of the test candidates at Ebersole Tuesday evening. One of the judges commented after evaluating Ms. Bailey’s performance, “This is the first time in judging a Senior Free Skate that I have not had to ask a skater to do a reskate (of a move).” The judges gave Ms. Bailey marks over 9.0 (of 10) needed to pass.
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Putting Yourself Out There.
The USFS judges, (any one of whom would vastly improve the U.S. Supreme Court for scrutiny skills), observed at rinkside. They graded young candidates’ execution proficiency. Each young lady attempted to show they had mastered the skill level the candidates were testing for in showcase skates lasting three and four minutes duration.
Each young lady performed under their watchful eyes alone on the ice. The skater’s job: One chance to execute their edges and jumps with technical quality and definition that would show the judges they had mastered their test level, be it moves or freestyle skates.
There are few experiences more traumatic than a figure skater showing off her moves before USFS judges.
Putting yourself out there at age 10, 11, and 12 up for a figure skating test requires poise, courage, nerves, concentration, management of emotion, and channeling of physical effort in total control, mind over body, but a body in tune and in-shape with endurance and wind to make a skate look effortless and graceful when actually it is the height of coordinated physical effort precisely throttled, accelerated and articulated. Got that? Now, give me that on cue, kid.
Hours and Months Work Tested In a Pressure Packed 3 Minutes.
Figure skaters learn the moves through hard work and practice early as they climb the test levels. They take lessons. They practice on their own. It is a passionate, self-motivating hobby made bearable by the sideboard friendships and skating pals you make along the way, and a lot of bottled water.
Skaters hit tough test levels and hard-to-master moves that the judges deny them again and again: such as the power pulls at Novice level where you have to skate backwards on one skate the length of the rink maintaining speed and edge and articulation and make it look as if you’re enjoying it, and keep smiling.
Achievement: What it’s All About: Kristen Fierst, head of the Ebersole Rink Figure Skating School, left, and Juliana Bailey’s Instructor, Kami Netri, right, congratulate her on passing her Senior Free Style Program. For certain levels of moves, skaters not only have to be judged on the moves required at the level, but on the upper levels, they must also skate a program to music incorporating the moves. Photo, WPCNR Sports.
Passing the Senior Freestyle test classified Ms. Bailey as “Double Gold,” having passed 8 Moves Tests and 8 Freestyle Tests in six years. She began testing in 1999 and has passed Pre-Peliminary, Preliminary, Pre-Juvenile, Juvenile, Intermediate, Novice, Junior and Senior United States Figure Skating levels. For each test you pass you get a line in Figure Skating magazine. It is a big thing if you’re a skatergirl.
Juliana’s next goal is to complete all the USFS dance tests, currently, she’s working on the Silver American Waltz with Instructors Brad and Jocelyn Cox. Ms. Bailey is a member of The Skyliners Synchronized Skating Team of the Figure Skating Club of New York, which finished sixth in the nation in the USFS Synchronized Skating Team Championships at Grand Rapids, Michigan, February 25.
Bailey, like many of the skaters testing Tuesday night learned to skate at Ebersole Rink at age 4, and has been skating at “The Eb” for twelve years. She was instructed here Sundays, Tuesdays and Fridays for many years by Amy Pelichio-Mancini, and Stacy Richmond-Orfini, and has worked extensively with Kami Netri her instructor in moves since Novice Level. Today, Ms. Bailey helps with the young skating classes at Ebersole that she used to be a student in. It is a tears-to-your-eyes transition.
13 Skaters pass 14 of 16 tests.
The Test Session was sponsored by the White Plains Figure Skating Club and saw 13 skaters test at 16 test levels. Of the candidates skating their Axels, Spirals, Sit Spins, Camel Spins, Flips, Salkows, Bielmans and Mohawks (among other skating maneuvers, fans), all 13 skaters each passed at least one test, and there were only two failed tests.
Ms. Salonger reports the White Plains Figure Skating Club currently has 34 young women as members, with three skaters currently at the senior moves level. The club (whose members get to wear the coveted black “White Plains Figure Skating Club” jacket) buys its own ice time from the rink on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sunday afternoons. The club creates a camaraderie between the younger skaters and the older skaters, whom they all look up to.
When Ms. Bailey was a young skater she idolized the older figure skaters in the club and they treated her very nicely. Now she has inherited that role. It is one of the wonderful traditions at the Ebersole Rink, like the Pecks who run the figure skate concession, the skating guards, then there’s Rose and Matt Hanson, the Manager. They know all the kids and treat them well.
Older skaters set the standards and the younger skaters grow up to fill their skates. Ebersole Rink is like an old pair of broken-in skates –a lot of great jumps left in them — and a lot of memories etched by steel blades that trace precise circles on the ice of your heart forever.
