The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Ice maiden
Dundee boasts some of the world’s elite ice skaters. Gayle Ritchie ventures on to the rink to learn the secrets of its success
Dundee has become a centre of excellence for budding figure skaters. Gayle Ritchie takes to the ice to learn why.
The last time I attempted to ice skate, I was 14 years old and on a date with a spotty teenage lad.
As the disco lights flashed and the music boomed through the speakers, he whirled me round and round like a pro. A few weeks later, he dumped me. I wasn’t particularly heartbroken (sorry, Allan), but it put me right off skating and I’ve never ventured on to the ice since.
A good few decades have passed but when I pitch up at Dundee Ice Arena for a training session, my confidence is still pretty low.
Thankfully I’m in very good hands with four champion figure skaters, Team GB Olympic coaches Debi and Simon Briggs and choreographer Andrew Smith.
There’s Natasha McKay, 22, who is the British ladies champion and ranked number one in Britain, while Karly Robertson, 27, is ranked number two in Britain and an eight-times ladies British senior championship silver medallist.
Schoolgirl Danielle Harrison, 17, is ranked Britain’s number three, while 23-year-old Katie Powell is sixth.
Booting up and shakily stepping on to the ice, Karly’s advice is to “take wee penguin steps”. I try but I end up waddling in a most ungainly fashion.
After I’ve been round the rink a couple of times – very slowly – the girls encourage me to try to glide.
I’m a little reluctant and way too stiff and rigid – you need to be relaxed to do this properly – but fear of cracking my backside off the ice prevents me from being too adventurous.
Other key skills they teach me include how to glide and touch my toes (eek!) and what to do if I fall.
As I gain confidence, the girls spur me on and I promise to return for a Friday night disco session, when dimmed lights and upbeat music might loosen my inhibitions.
I’m full of admiration for these svelte, talented skaters, who spend upwards of 30 hours on ice each week, while holding down jobs, and, in Danielle’s case, going to school.
They’re on the rink from 6am to 9am most mornings, returning in the evenings (and some afternoons) for more.
Simon is equally committed and keen to encourage more people to try the sport.
“Being on the ice can be very exciting, and once you build confidence you can get faster and more powerful, learning new fun skills like jumping, spinning, turning, changing direction quickly, and skating forwards and backwards,” he says.
“Simply putting on a pair of skates and getting on the ice for many people is a huge achievement and skating around the rink at your own pace can be a very relaxing and rewarding activity, both physically and mentally.”
Dundee Ice Arena has established itself as a major hub for figure skating in the UK for well over a decade. That’s down to the programme put in place by Team GB Olympic coaches Simon and Debi Briggs.
Dundee-trained figure skaters have competed in the last nine European Figure Skating Championships, and from March 29 to April 2, Natasha will compete at the World Figure Skating Championships in Helsinki.
“The level of coaching and training has attracted skaters from all over the world to train with the team in Dundee,” says Simon.
“Several full-time athletes have relocated here from across the world to further their careers, and we welcome many worldwide skaters to our biannual training camps from countries such as Australia, Malaysia, Austria, France, and Qatar.”
If you’re thinking about taking up ice skating but worried it’s too late (like me), Simon insists it’s great for people “at any stage of life”.
“The health benefits are huge,” he explains.
“The motion of skating gives legs and core a constant workout. Go faster, and it can be a great cardiovascular exercise, helping to burn fat.”