Slabik skates for the final time in Swift Current
A Swift Current Skating Club graduating skater’s final performance is usually a ceremonious occasion at the annual carnival each March. A brief career synopsis is read over the public address system at the Innovation Credit Union iplex. The skater appears from behind the curtain, crams over a decade’s worth of practice and hard work into a couple-minute routine. The music stops, family and friends converge on the Swift Current Broncos bench with cellphone cameras and flowers, maybe even a stuffed animal. Hugs ensue, maybe even a few tears.
When Kiara Slabik had her final performance on March 27, the SCSC’S lone graduating skater missed out on that bookend experience to her career that she likely envisioned only one year earlier.
At least Slabik and the SCSC were able to be on the ice this season and they were able to hold carnival that will be streamed online.
“It was pretty sad because we didn’t really get much of a skating year and I won’t get to come back here much and see all my friends here anymore,” said Slabik just moments after her final performance.
Slabik has been skating since the age of three, beginning on hockey skates in Gull Lake, but quickly made the switch to figure skates. By grade one she had moved up to join the figure skaters on the ice with the senior group. Her on-ice growth was bolstered after the club planned an outing to watch Saskatchewan Stars on Ice in Maple Creek and in Swift Current the following year. She was hooked.
The first year she attended Skate Canada’s Stars on Ice show in Moose Jaw, a member of her club won the meet and greet and they let all the skaters from the small club go in to meet the Canadian greats; this only strengthened her love of skating.
Slabik has shown a tremendous amount of dedication to her skating over the years. She is a member of the Swift Current Skating Club, The Centre of Excellence in Regina, and Team Sask High Performance Team, but her home club is the Gull Lake Skating Club.
“All of that is a big commitment and it has paid off for her. She’s done very well competitively. She attended the Saskatchewan Winter Games in 2018 in North Battleford and won the bronze medal there. She has had some other successes at other competitions along the way,” said her coach Dorothy Gillis.
Like so many young athletes over the past year, Slabik rose to the challenges faced with COVID restrictions. She found sloughs to skate on and intensified her off ice training. Her determination to improve through these tough times gave her a new level of confidence in her skating.
“She has been very driven and committed, very goal orientated, always a perfectionist of course. She has a very calm, quiet demeanor. You never really get a good read on her because she’s always calm and cool. That has proven to be very helpful in competition mode,” said Gillis.
This year, Slabik was selected as one of two women to represent Saskatchewan at Skate Canada Challenge 2021. This was a virtual competition in which videos were done in skaters’ home provinces and sent in to the Skate Canada national office to be judged by officials across the country. Slabik’s final score ranked her as 25th in Junior Women across Canada.
Slabik also represented the Gull Lake Skating Club in Skate Canada - Saskatchewan’s first virtual Sectional Competition. This competition normally features the top skaters in the province travelling from all over to compete in one rink. This year skaters videoed their programs and had them sent into the section office to be judged by officials. Slabik was selected as the Junior Women’s Provincial Champion for the 2021 season.
“It’s pretty exciting, just considering all the challenges this year it was pretty cool to win,” she said of her first provincial title.
“Topping up her career with the Ladies Junior 2021 is pretty significant,” added Gillis.
Slabik wished to thank her coaches, beginning with her first coach, Kim Davis, who recognized talent in her and urged the family to have her meet Gillis. She also noted base coach Dorothy Gillis and her team Dale Hazell, Barb Roberts, and choreographer Christine (Laprairie) Godfrey, as well as Padget Riediger and Shaila Humphrey. She also recognized all the coaches she has taken lessons from over the years that have all played a part in her career.
She was also grateful to the community of Gull Lake for all the positive support she has received throughout the year and to her family and friends who cheered her on and have travelled to competitions and watched livestreams when they couldn’t be there.
Slabik will relocate to Saskatoon in the fall to study Kinesiology at the University of Saskatchewan. She will continue her skating career as a member of Saskatchewan’s Elite Team at Skate Saskatoon under Hazell as her base coach.
“She’s not done yet. It will be exciting to see if we see her on TV in a year or two at the Canadian Championships,” said Gillis.