In one of the few events that nearly jam-packed the Farrell Agencies Arena, the Yorkton Skating Club nearly did it Sunday when the 2011 Yorkton Skating Club Carnival was held.
Following the past few years when there were about 500 in the building for the annual showcase of talent, there was way more then that in attendance on Sunday.
Marlene Hauser, president of the Yorkton club said she was more then pleased with the show of support the carnival received and she tipped her hat at the students that make up the Yorkton club for helping to get the word out of the show.
She looked around the arena following the final performance a good half hour after the show ended and the arena clearer out, pointed to the south side of the Farrell Agencies Arena stands, saying "this side of the arena was pretty much full!".
The last couple of years, the attendance was around 500 but Sunday's was probably quite higher, she insisted.
"I don't know the count yet. This year we exceeded that."
Among the highlights of the carnival were two performances by nationally-known pairs duo of Saskatchewan's Paige Lawrence and Rudi Swiegers.
The pair who call Saskatchewan home, both coming from different hometowns, are also Canadian national bronze medallists; they won third place at the Four Continents championships held in Taipei City, Chinese Taipei.
Hauser, president of the Yorkton Skating Club, said the show went by smoothly and that the performances by Lawrence and Swiegers was definitely a highlight; as well as one from Garrett Gosselin, a native of Regina.
Their performances were scheduled in to both halves of the show on Sunday and both received a warm reception from a crowd Hauser estimated was upwards of 750.
"They get more (and more) polished," offered Hauser following the exit of the spectators from the arena. She said it wasn't hard to arrange for the couples team to be able to skate that day. It was more a matter of waiting until their break in their schedule, she said.
The carnival included nine solo performances, including Gosselin's and the rest were either team efforts or duets. Each performed to selected music, which went over quite well with spectators, Hauser insisted.
"Susan Nagy (club head coach) did all the music, she's very good," said Hauser.
The members of the skating club returned home after several road trips in the last two months which saw them head as far as North Dakota. Competing in that event (the 2011 Magic City held in Minot) were: Carolyn Hauser, Chloe Mrozowich, Emily Gage, Nicki Nagy, Emma Taylor, Tristan Taylor Bailey Speidel, Kellie Onda-Inglis, Laney Hancock, Kelsey Marshall and Kaitlynn Klemetski.
At Weyburn's invitational meet Feb. 5-6 were: Hauser, Gage, Nagy, Emma and Tristan Taylor, Koen Kutcher-Paulmark, Jada Maduck, Speidel and Sydney Kotzer.
At the Region 6 invitational competition hosted by the Yorkton Skating Club in Brendenbury in mid February were: Hause, Mrozowich, Nagy, Emma and Tristan Taylor, Speidel, Madisson Shearer, Maduck, Kotzer, Alexa Haider, Elina Lucky, Jenna Wylie, Dylann Hodgson, Alex Hodgson, Emily Dumka, Neldine and Andy VanHeerden, Kellie Onda-Inglis and Braida LeNouail, and competing at the Jean Norman Competition, held March 4-6 in Moose Jaw were: Nagy, Emma and Tristan Taylor, Shearer, Speidel, Mrozowich, Maduck, Kotzer, Klemetski, Kutcher-Paulmark, LeNouail and Marshall.
The Yorkton Skating Club has announced it will be holding a spring school in April and May at the Gallagher Centre.
