Skating like a family proves to be a winning formula for these athletes

Published 2:14 pm Tuesday, January 6, 2009

SHORELINE

What makes grueling practices, repeat routines and intense off-the-ice training more enjoyable for four Highland Skating Club figure skaters? Their coaches and skating sisters.

“Part of what we strive for here is a family-like atmosphere so they call each other skating sisters,” coach Darin Hosier said Dec. 31 at the Highland Ice Arena. “Skating is tough … I think it’s important for them to know they have the backing of one another.”

Skating like a family has proven to be a winning formula recently for Hosier and three of the young figure skaters he coaches along with coach and choreographer Corrie Martin.

At the 2009 Junior Nationals competition held Dec. 10-13 in Lake Placid, N.Y., skater Amanda Hofmann of Vancouver placed ninth overall in the Intermediate Ladies level while skater Selena Zhao of Bellevue finished ninth in the final Juvenile Ladies level competition. A third skater, Tiana Lee of West Seattle, placed 20th in her competition group in the Juvenile Ladies level.

Although pleased with the outcome of her most recent competition, Hofmann, 13, has set her sights on working harder, becoming stronger and competing out of the country in the near future.

“I just want to be stronger,” she said. “We’re putting new jumps in the program and I want to be comfortable with it … My goal is to make it to Nationals next year.”

Selena Zhao, 10, also has plans to improve her skating through working on her double Axel jump, increasing her foot work and the variety of spins she’s able to perform. She wasn’t expecting her ninth place finish and says when she skates she likes to have fun.

“I just like to smile and have fun but I’m also thinking about how nervous I am,” she said. “I didn’t really think about it at first but then I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, I’m competing at Junior Nationals right now.’”

The three usually meet for practice at the Highland Ice Arena several times throughout the week. In the summer, Hofmann stays with Martin to cut down on an otherwise three-hour drive to the rink. Lee and Zhao practice their skating elements six days a week and take ballet lessons together on their day off.

“Ballet helps with skating and teaches how to be flexible,” Lee, 11, said.

When asked who their favorite figure skater is both Lee and Zhao quickly say Yu-Na Kim. Hofmann names Sasha Cohen. But the girls also look up to Chrissy Hughes, of Issaquah, who shares the ice at Highland and is also coached by Hosier and Martin.

Hughes, 18, will leave for Cleveland, Ohio, on Jan. 17 to make her fourth appearance at the U.S. Figure Skating Championship. She earned 14th her first time skating in the senior division at the 2008 U.S. Nationals in St. Paul, Minn. In this year’s competition she hopes to “skate two strong programs and make them as clean as possible.”

“I really do like (the program) especially the long (routine),” she said. “It’s very musical.”

A freshman at Seattle Pacific University, Hughes makes time to practice her sport after classes

“I really like that (figure skating) gives me the ability to express myself in ways that not many people are able to, and I just feel really comfortable out on the ice,” she said.

Hughes had the extra challenge of making up practice time due to snowy weather, but she’s “right on track” for the national skating stage now, Hosier said.

“She’s been skating clean in practice,” he said. “It’s really up to the judges where she ends up. It’s really difficult to determine where a kid is going to end up in a national competition.”

But placement isn’t everything, Hosier continually stresses to his athletes.

“As much as we appreciate these girls doing well at the lower levels we try to remind them it really is about the journey,” he said. “We strive to get them to improve every year regardless of placement … It’s about each of them achieving their individual goals.”

Hughes says she appreciates the energy both Hosier and Martin bring to the rink on a regular basis. There are far fewer higher level competitive skaters in the area than in other parts of the country, she said. Sometimes that fact makes it difficult to stay motivated.

“When it’s just me out there a lot of times it is hard to get myself going,” she said.

On and off the ice the skating sisters work to keep one another motivated.

That’s apparent when Lee begins a familiar saying between the group.

“You can’t say can’t, because can’t equals won’t, and won’t equals…”

“Push ups,” shout the four girls in unison.