BC WINTER GAMES
Figure Skating
The BC Winter Games targets skaters at the early competitive stages. The Juvenile Competitive category is for athletes who compete at the provincial level and the Pre-Novice Competitive category is the first category that advances to national level skaters. The athletes at the BC Games are 9-15 years old and generally train on the ice 10-15 hours per week, as well as off-ice programs including aerobics and/or floor classes.
Figure Skating competition at the BC Winter Games includes athletes representing Special Olympics BC. These athletes with an intellectual disability train with qualified coaches for the opportunity to compete at the BC Games. The Games is an important qualifying event for future national and international competitions.
Notable alumni of the BC Winter Games include Liam Firus (2006 BC Games) who was the bronze medalist in the Senior Men’s category at the 2015 National Championships and Larkyn Asutman (2010 BC Games) who was the 2013 National Junior Champion.
Skate Canada BC/Yukon Section oversees the development of figure skating in the province through their 115 clubs.
Competitive figure skating dates back to the late 1800s with the first world championship for men taking place in 1896. The sport was first included in the Olympic Summer Games in 1908 and was an original sport in the first Olympic Winter Games in 1924.
There are many different disciplines of figure skating including singles, pairs, ice dance, and synchronized skating. The BC Winter Games features a singles competition where skaters perform a short program and/or a free program (depending on their competition category). Points are earned for each skating element (e.g. jump, lift, footwork), as well as for five program components: skating skills, transitions, performance, choreography, and interpretation.
