Sudburians will have an opportunity to see some of Canada's top figure skaters as Celebration on Ice makes its way to the Sudbury Arena Dec. 18.
Six-time Canadian champion, 2009 world silver medallist and 2010 Olympic bronze medallist Joannie Rochette is among the skaters who are part of the show. The 24-year-old Quebec athlete first took part in the show when it launched a couple years ago.
“The first time I was asked to join, I was just a newbie on the national scene, still competing,” she said. “It was great to be skating with my idols — like Kurt Browning, Jamie Sale, David Pelletier — to share the ice with them was very special for me. I learned a lot from them and I could incorporate that into my competitive skating.”
While she has been skating since she was six years old, Rochette said participating in Celebration on Ice has helped her develop as a competitive skater.
“We still do all our technical elements but without the pressure and stress of wanting to impress the judges,” she said. “Communicating with the audience, I learned it all from (doing shows). During competition, people sitting in the stands can really feel that we're nervous and want to get our technical stuff done. During show skating, we don't really care about that, we just want the crowd to have a great moment.”
Rochette last competed at the Japan Open in October, winning the ladies event, but has since decided not to compete for the remainder of the season, and will instead focus her attention on appearing in shows.
“I’m so glad that after the Olympics I’ve had the opportunity to appear in so many skating shows,” she said, in a press release from Skate Canada. “I really enjoy skating for the fans in so many different cities and countries.”
All eyes turned on Rochette during the Olympics held earlier this year. While in Vancouver, Rochette received word that her mother, 55, had died suddenly of what was suspected to be a heart attack. Putting on a brave face, Rochette decided to continue with the competition and pursue her Olympic figure skating dream, earning the bronze medal for her emotional performance.
“It's weird to see me as an idol,” she said. “I've never really seen myself like that. But I hope when people saw me at the Olympics, it made them want to skate, or keep working hard after a setback or after a tough period in their lives, and keep going at it.”
Other skaters participating in Celebration on Ice include Kurt Browning, world champion, David Pelletier and Jamie Sale, Olympic champions, Cynthia Phaneuf, Canadian champion, Pete Dack and Violetta Afanasieva, world extreme ice skating champions, and Dylan Moscovitch and Kirsten Moore-Towers, international competitors.
Long-time Sudbury Figure Skating Club member Jeff Buttle will return to the Sudbury ice to take part in the celebration. Buttle won a silver medal at the 2006 Winter Olympics and was the Canadian Champion from 2005-2007. In 2008, Buttle became the first Canadian man since Elvis Stojko in 1997 to win the world title.
Lively native Meagan Duhamel and skating partner Eric Radford were selected as the local talent to perform in the Sudbury stop of the ice show's tour.
Duhamel and Radford, who formed a partnership in March of this year, earned a bronze medal at the Nebelhorn Trophy in Oberstdorf, Germany — their first international competition together — this fall.
The show will include a variety of performances, including solos, pairs skating, as well as group numbers.
“I hope a lot of people will come to the show, it's a great family event,” Rochette said. “Especially during the holidays, to be able to skate in a Christmas show, for us, is magical. It's what Christmas should be.”
The arena doors open at 6 p.m. with the show set to begin at 7 p.m. Tickets are available at the Sudbury Arena Box Office, by phone at 705-671-3000 or online at www.greatersudbury.ca.
