The St. Cloud Figure Skating Club (SCFSC) was formed nearly 50 years ago, in 1973. They were accepted into membership of the United States Figure Skating Association shortly after, in 1976. They offer Synchronized Figure Skating Teams, as well as classes and lessons year-round for all ages, including adults.
“Figure Skating is a very specialized skill that combines a high level of athletic ability, along with grace and creativity. Our skaters work toward goals in passing levels in moves in the field (intricate skating footwork) and freestyle (combining high-level jumps, spins, and footwork into a creative program skated to music).” To learn more about the club, its classes, competitions, and performances, we talked with Theresa Lau, Club Secretary. “Our annual spring show highlights both of these aspects, celebrating the athletic achievements of our skaters in a creative and enjoyable show. Our 2022 theme is “Books and Blades” and is on March 26th at 1:00 and 6:00 pm at the MAC.”
Other than coaches, SCFSC is completely run by volunteers. “Our coaches graciously volunteer a lot of their time – all of them have other careers. The board is made up of parents of club members. Our skaters come from various schools throughout central Minnesota, and share a love of figure skating of all kinds, including moves in the field, freestyle, synchronized, and ice dance. Our skaters work toward individual-level goals, compete in competitions, and perform in our annual spring show which highlights all of our skaters of all levels. We also host two annual competitions; the Granite City Classic, in November of each year, hosting skaters from all over the Midwest and the Granite City Compete USA Competition for our youngest skaters, held in January.”
Though the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the number of skaters as well as their ability to host shows and competitions, SCFSC is coming back strong. “We’ve received volunteer consultation from a theatre producer, Jason Schommer, and this provided new ideas and directions to create a more professional and comprehensive performance, which has been a lot of fun. COVID was a setback, but we are working hard to regrow, and in 2021 hosted an amazing show and successful Granite City Competition.”
“As a club, we make every effort to keep ice costs down for our skaters, so that figure skating can be an affordable option for everyone with a passion for skating. Our Granite City Classic Competition and Annual Ice Show are both fundraisers to try to help decrease the cost of membership, and the more sponsors we have, the more we can improve access to skaters of all ages. We have many levels of sponsorships, and we are working to increase our use of social media to highlight the businesses that sponsor us. We have a number of long-standing generous sponsors who support our club and spring show. Our sponsors in 2020 and 2021 included: Appliance Repair Center, Inc., BCI Construction, Design Electric, Koala Dental Care, Aqua Traction Advanced Marine Flooring, Kwik Trip, Point of Perfection Figure Skating Camp, R.Tamm Photography, BullDog Photo, DeZurik, The Ad Company, Lee’s Drapery Installation, and Minser Chiropractic Clinic.”
“We are extremely thankful for the many businesses who have sponsored our program over the years. As a volunteer-led organization, we also rely on help from all of the parents and families of our skaters and are so thankful for all of their support. We work closely with the St. Cloud Municipal Athletic Complex Operations Director, Todd Bissett, who has been very supportive of our club.”
“Skating at any level is a lot of fun! Any age can sign up for lessons. More information and registration options can be found on our website: stcloudfigureskatingclub.org.”
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