Skating queen Osmond basks in the spotlight
Hearing that title during Stars on Ice introductions ‘still a thrill’ for Canadian
She’ll skate to her spot on the ice in the dark while the crowd focus is elsewhere.
Then the spotlight will hit her. And once again she’ll hear those wonderful words: “Ladies and gentleman, the new world women’s figure skating champion … Kaetlyn Osmond.”
She heard those words in Japanese for two weeks, she heard them Wednesday in Winnipeg, Friday in Saskatoon and can’t wait to hear them Saturday in Calgary and especially Sunday in Edmonton.
The 22-year-old has been hearing those words just about every night for more than a month with the Japanese edition of Stars On Ice and now with the 12-show Canadian version.
“It’s still surreal to me,” she said. “I don’t believe it’s actually happening. It is still a thrill to hear it every night. It’s definitely exciting. And it’s definitely a great way to celebrate my entire year.”
Osmond is the world champion Canada hasn’t had since Karen Magnussen in 1973, some 45 years ago. Barbara Ann Scott was the first in 1948 and Petra Burka came in between in 1965.
“With only four of us who have won that world title, it means a lot to be part of that,” she said.
“I had a great email from Karen, and once this tour is over, I’m going to call her. She wrote to not only congratulate me but to tell me to enjoy every moment of it and to share with me that it took four months for it to finally settle in. So I’m waiting to see if that’s the way it will work for me.”
You’d figure, especially considering Osmond went directly from the worlds in Milan to Japan, that she’d be ready to finally pack it in next week. But she insists it’s quite the opposite.
“I’m still loving every minute of it,” she said of the skating tour. “I’m not looking forward to it coming to an end.”
Her mom and dad, Jeff and Jackie, and dog Pasquette made the trip from Sherwood Park, where they moved when she was entering Grade 6, to return to Newfoundland and Labrador for her special appearances between the Japan and Canada tours.
Despite having lived in the Edmonton area since she was in elementary school, Osmond is religious about Marystown, N.L., being identified as her hometown. They named a street after her in 2014.
“Newfoundland was incredible,” she said. “There was a celebration at the airport and an entire day of celebrations in St. John’s. They renamed a section of the highway after me leading into my hometown called ‘Osmond Way.’ ”
She dropped the puck for an RCMP charity hockey game and put on one of her three club shows before the Canadian tour launched in Halifax.
“I finally got to skate in my own rink, the one in Marystown that they renamed after me in 2014. It was sold out,” she said. “That was incredible by itself, but then I went to the western part of Newfoundland and put on shows in Corner Brook and Grand Falls. They were sold out. It was really special to have that connection with everyone. I got to deal more direct and interact with so many of them.”
The Edmonton stop is the show she can’t wait to do.
“I don’t get to perform in Edmonton very often, so when I do, I get very excited. There are going to be so many people I know in the stands and that will make it a little more nerve-racking for me. There’s going to be a thrill to it. And I loved performing in Rogers Place last year.
“It was so cool. That rink is so big and seeing it from the perspective of someone actually on the ice was incredible. Last year, the audience filled the lower bowl and was so great to skate for. This year, they’re telling me that we could be close to sold out.”
She said she doesn’t get to skate in public in Edmonton often, but that’s not entirely true.
“I guess you could say I perform at West Edmonton Mall every day because I train at the Ice Palace, and I’ve been part of the Christmas show we put on there every year,” she said of the rink surrounded by two levels of stores.
You’d think Osmond would be getting recognized as she makes her way from airport to airport and hotel to hotel from coast to coast, but she said she hasn’t noticed any real difference.
“I look so different with my hair and the way I wear piles and piles of makeup when I’m on the ice. Off the ice, my hair is straight, and often, I’m not wearing any makeup. And I wear glasses.”
On the ice these past five weeks, Osmond has been the figure skating champion Canada has waited forever to have again. She’s loving every moment of it, and can’t wait to come home (relax, Marystown, you’ll always be her hometown) to Edmonton.
With only four of us who have won that world title, it means a lot to be part of that