Men’s and women’s hockey games are a hit around Colgate University’s campus, even as the temperatures drop below zero. But Colgate offers opportunities for students to get on the ice and try a more graceful approach to skating.
At the Figure Skating Club, there is no checking into boards and certainly not any fights.
Senior Grace Kenney is the co-president of the Figure Skating Club. She has been a member of the club for three years, and a figure skater since age six. The club regularly runs from October to February. While occasionally travelling to competitions, the group is not characterized as competitive. Kenney noted that some figure skating environments can have toxic coaching and extreme competition between skaters, but she has made efforts to make the club inclusive and fun for all.
“I like how open it is and how friendly everyone is. Everyone’s coming there to make friends,” Kenney said. “The goal is making it an open space for everybody to feel welcome, make friends, and come to just skate. And that’s my favorite part.”
It also happens to be a great workout. If you are not interested in piling into the gym on a wintery day, figure skating is a great way to get some exercise.
“I started [figure skating] again in college, and I immediately got more toned,” Kenney said. “It’s a really good workout. You have to bend your knees a lot. You have to have a lot of power in your legs and keep your arms up.”
Sophomore Ella Kahn is the social media manager for Figure Skating Club and a Learn to Skate assistant; she has been hard at work crafting social media posts and teaching local children in Hamilton to skate. Learn to Skate is a program offered for children between the ages of five and ten. If you are bummed to be missing out on the Learn to Skate program, you’re in luck because the Figure Skating club also helps new members improve their skating skills.
“I have a lot of friends who have never really skated before who have come [to figure skating club] and they’ve had a good time. The club members are super nice and helpful if you want to learn,” Kahn said.
Kahn’s favorite memory was traveling with the club to Lake Placid for a competition.
“I really enjoyed last year when we went to Lake Placid for a competition. It was really fun,” Kahn said. “It was a great bonding experience, and I feel like I got to know everyone super well.”
The Figure Skating club does not require students to have their own skates; there is a room full of skates available to borrow. This removes the material barrier from figure skating, and allows more students to spend their winter on ice.
Colgate Open Skate, a popular winter activity separate from the Figure Skating Club, allows students to borrow skates and spend time with friends for two hours on select Sundays for free. Sophomores Gabby Doehla and Thalia Karajannis reflected upon their fun experiences with Open Skate.
“I love going to Open Skate because it gives me a fun break from my work, and is a good way to get active with my friends,” Doehla said.
Doehla, a molecular biology major and environmental studies minor on the pre-health track, explained that she is always looking for fun, quick activities to do with her friends as a break from her busy academic schedule. Similarly, Karajannis reminisced on her time during finals season.
“During finals week, my friends and I would go to skate on the ice. It was a great break from studying, and was a very fun and casual experience because we could just show up and skate around,” Karajannis said.
Students looking for a way to enjoy the winter alongside their busy academic lives should consider joining the Figure Skating Club or stopping by Open Skate.
