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Bentley skating carnival revived

This season, after a lapse of a couple of years, the Bentley Skating Club presented a skating carnival to showcase their members’ talents.

The hour-long disco-themed performance took place at the Bentley Arena under the direction of April Skjonsberg, club president, with lots of volunteer help.

Besides four different groups of CanSkate members skating to music picked especially for their routines that included Locomotion, It’s Raining Men, I Will Survive, and Dancing Queen, and an interesting/entertaining demonstration of a different type of skills by some power skaters, there were also some guest skaters.

Guests were the beginner 1 Synchro Team from Rimbey, the pre-novice synchro team from the Ponoka Ice Sensation as well as soloists Nicole Nieuwland and Rachel Rarick from Ponoka and Sevan Schmidt from Bentley, who now skates out of Red Deer.

The grand finale incorporated all of the club members. At the culmination of the event they all received medals.

After each groups performance they had received a bouquet of cut flowers. In appreciation some flowers were presented to some of the adults too.

Skating coach for the second year is Kathleen Moore who also teaches skating in Rimbey and Ponoka. Sarah Carlyle is again the assistant coach.

Emcee for the event was Hans Skjonsberg.

There were many parent helpers including Shannon Anderson, Nancy Haarstad, Janine Bergstrom, Joanne Vanderlinde and Diane Gillis.

The wonderful help of many fathers was greatly appreciated.

There are 27 figure skaters and 17 power skaters in the Bentley Skating Club this year.

Club executive was: president April Skjonsberg, vice-president Andy Fedorchuk, secretary Mona Kubista, treasurer Jennifer Goddu. The coach representative was Sarah Carlyle.

Skjonsberg says she is looking forward to next year. “Now that this (new) group (of organizers) has done one carnival it should be easier as we all know more what to expect in organizing one and we can build a better one next year.”

Club members’ last skate for this season was March 21 when report cards were handed out.

The skating club will start up again in the fall right after Thanksgiving.