About 200 skaters from 25 U.S. and Canadian figure skating clubs converged on Sun Valley to compete in the 42nd annual Sun Valley Summer Figure Skating Championships July 17-20 on both Sun Valley Resort skating rinks.
The Sun Valley Figure Skating Club hosted the four-day competition offering Test Level and Basic Skills events in Free Skating, Artistic, Compulsories, Spins, Interpretive Improvisation and Showcase.
Skaters competed with others at the same Freeskate skill level in groups of up to 11. On the final day, costumed skaters ages 3-18 attracted a large crowd of Sun Valley Lodge spectators who enjoyed the popular light artistic Showcase events on the outdoor rink.
A far more serious atmosphere prevailed on the indoor rink Sunday as panels of U.S. Figure Skating judges conducted USFS testing in Free Skate, Moves in the Field, and Ice Dancing.
The following Sun Valley Figure Skating Club skaters passed USFS tests during last week's competition:
They were Alyssa Krenz (Novice Freeskate), Nicole Pratt (Intermediate Freeskate) and Telar McClure (Juvenile Moves in the Field and Pre-Juvenile Freeskate).
Julia Broderick and Alexandra Harten completed their USFS Bronze Medal Level Ice Dancing tests. Broderick, a Wood River Middle School eighth grader, passed the 10 Fox, and Community School fifth grader Harten passed the Hickory Hoedown and 10 Fox.
The Phyllis Kourland Memorial Trophy went to Ali Butler and Julianna Lamb. They tied for Best Overall Artistic Program at Intermediate through Senior levels. Liesl Bellack of the Aspen (Colo.) Skate Club won Best Overall Artistic at Pre-Preliminary through Juvenile.
Placing first in their competition classes from the SVFSC were Ali Butler, Julianna Lamb, Alexandra Harten, Renee Shapiro, Lex Shapiro, Autum Coulthard, Samantha Bunting, Emma Stuessi, Alex Stuessi, Blair Baker, Travis Flynt, Sheldon Gentling, Claire Fisher, Blake Letourneau, Noelle Weaver, Karsyn Gerringa, Sophia Nicolai, Caty Matthews and Caroline Hold.
Group Showcase Productions Group A third-place finishers were SVFSC "Funky Town" skaters Blair Baker, Sarah Brown, Samantha Bunting, Travis Flynt, Arizona Semones and Claire Stickney.
Fourth in Group Showcase Productions Group B were "Sun Valley Starz" Brooke Allen, Hailey Allen, Amilia Browne, Christine DuFur, Sheldon Gentling, Karsyn Gerringa, Blake Letourneau, Lane Letourneau, Sophia Nicolai and Katie Peters.
Co-chairpersons for the event were Lisa Broderick, Jamie McClure and Joyce Pratt. Referee was Jessica Gaynor of San Francisco. Among the 14 judges were locals David Hold, Barbara Stuns and Lolly Jensen.
Check next week's Local Life edition for more photos.
Senior Artistic: 1—Ali Butler.
Novice Ladies Freeskating: 4—Julianna Lamb.
Novice Ladies Short Program: 4—Julianna Lamb.
Novice/Junior Artistic: 1—Julianna Lamb.
Novice Showcase: 1—Julianna Lamb.
Novice/Intermediate Interpretive: 2—Julianna Lamb. 4—Nicole Pratt.
Intermediate Ladies Freeskating: 2—Nicole Pratt.
Intermediate Ladies Short Program: 2—Nicole Pratt.
Intermediate Artistic: 2—Nicole Pratt.
Intermediate Showcase: 3—Nicole Pratt.
Intermediate Spins: 3—Nicole Pratt.
Open Juvenile Freeskating: 4—Julia Broderick.
Pre-Juvenile Artistic: 2—Telar McClure.
Pre-Juvenile Girls Freeskating: 6—Telar McClure.
Pre-Juvenile Interpretive: 2—Telar McClure.
Pre-Juvenile Showcase: 2—Telar McClure.
Preliminary Artistic: 2—Alexandra Harten.
Preliminary Girls Freeskating: 4—Alexandra Harten.
Preliminary Interpretive: 1—Alexandra Harten.
Preliminary Showcase: 5—Alexandra Harten.
Pre-Preliminary Artistic Group B: 1—Renee Shapiro. 2—Claire Siderman. 3—Caitlin Sholtis.
Pre-Preliminary Artistic Group C: 1—Lex Shapiro.
Pre-Preliminary Girls Freeskating, Group B: 4—Caitlin Sholtis. 5—Claire Siderman.
Pre-Preliminary Girls Freeskating, Group C: 4—Renee Shapiro.
Pre-Preliminary Girls Freeskating, Group D: 2—Lex Shapiro.
Pre-Preliminary Interpretive: 2—Lex Shapiro. 3—Claire Siderman. 4—Renee Shapiro.
Pre-Preliminary Showcase: 1—Lex Shapiro. 2—Claire Siderman. 4—Renee Shapiro. 5—Caitlin Sholtis.
High Freestyle Artistic: 4—Sarah Brown.
High Freestyle Freeskating: 3—Sarah Brown.
High Freestyle Interpretive: 3—Sarah Brown.
High Freestyle Showcase: 3—Sarah Brown.
Low Freestyle Artistic Group A: 1—Autum Coulthard. 4—Isabella Bourret.
Low Freestyle Artistic Group B: 1—Samantha Bunting. 4—Dyllan Millar. 5—Arizona Semones. 6—Emma Stuessi.
Low Freestyle Freeskating Group A : 1—Autum Coulthard.
Low Freestyle Freeskating Group D: 1—Emma Stuessi. 2—Arizona Semones. 3—Dyllan Millar.
Low Freestyle Freeskating Group E: 1—Samantha Bunting.
Low Freestyle Interpretive: 1—Samantha Bunting. 4—Isabella Bourret. 5—Autum Coulthard. 7—Arizona Semones.
Low Freestyle Showcase Group B: 2—Arizona Semones. 6—Samantha Bunting.
Basic 7/8 Artistic: 1—Alex Stuessi. 2—Blair Baker. 3—Christine DuFur.
Basic 7/8 Compulsory Moves Group B: 3—Georgia Holmes.
Basic 7/8 Girls Freeskating Group A: 2—Christine DuFur.
Basic 7/8 Girls Freeskating Group B: 3—Alex Steussi.
Basic 7/8 Girls Freeskating Group C: 1—Blair Baker. 3—Claire Stickney.
Basic 7/8 Boys Freeskating: 1—Travis Flynt.
Basic 7/8 Interpretive: 1—Travis Flynt. 2—Blair Baker. 3—Georgia Holmes.
Basic 7/8 Girls Showcase: 1—Blair Baker. 2—Christine DuFur. 5—Claire Stickney.
Basic 7/8 Boys Showcase: 2—Kenny Pratt. 3—Travis Flynt.
Basic 5/6 Artistic: 1—Sheldon Gentling. 2—Claire Fisher. 3—Brooke Allen.
Basic 5/6 Compulsory Moves: 1—Claire Fisher.
Basic 5/6 Freeskating, Group A: 1—Blake Letourneau. 2—Noelle Weaver. 4—Hayley Allen. 5—Sheldon Gentling.
Basic 5/6 Freeskating, Group B: 2—Katie Peters.
Basic 5/6 Freeskating, Group C: 2—Grace Hoffman. 3—Lane Letourneau. 4—Brooke Allen.
Basic 5/6 Interpretive: 1—Noelle Weaver. 2—Claire Fisher. 3—Blake Letourneau. 5—Hayley Allen. 6—Sheldon Gentling. 7—Lane Letourneau. 8—Brooke Allen.
Basic 5/6 Showcase, Group A: 2—Hayley Allen.
Basic 5/6 Showcase Group B: 3—Sheldon Gentling. 4—Katie Peters. 5—Brooke Allen.
Basic 3/4 Freeskating: 1—Karsyn Gerringa. 2—Sophia Nicolai.
Basic 3 & 4 Interpretive: 1—Sophia Nicolai. 2—Karsyn Gerringa.
Basic 3/4 Showcase: 1—Sophia Nicolai.
Basic 1 to 4 Artistic: 1—Sophia Nicolai. 2—Karsyn Gerringa.
Basic 1/2 Compulsory Moves: 3—Caty Matthews. 4—Amity Matthews.
Basic 1/2 Freeskating: 3—Amelia Browne.
Basic 1/2 Interpretive: 1—Caty Matthews. 2—Amity Matthews.
Snowplow Sam Compulsory Moves: 1—Caroline Hold. 2—Marcella Fisher.
Snowplow Sam Freeskating: 1—Shea Kelly.
Snowplow Sam Interpretive: 1—Caroline Hold. 2—Marcella Fisher.
Basic Skills Pairs Showcase: 3—Alex Steussi and Emma Stuessi.
Group Showcase Productions Group A: 3—Funky Town (Blair Baker, Sarah Brown, Samantha Bunting, Travis Flynt, Arizona Semones, Claire Stickney). 4—Sun Valley Cheerleaders (Kate Connelly, Claire Fisher, Marcella Fisher, Caroline Hold, Allie Evans, Isabella Cronin). 6—Fantastic Four (Julia Broderick, Telar McClure, Nicole Pratt, Lex Shapiro). 7—Groovy Girls (Alexandra Harten, Caitlin Sholtis, Claire Siderman).
Group Showcase Productions Group B: 4—Sun Valley Starz (Brooke Allen, Hailey Allen, Amilia Browne, Christine DuFur, Sheldon Gentling, Karsyn Gerringa, Blake Letourneau, Lane Letourneau, Sophia Nicolai, Katie Peters).
Lex Shapiro was a witching scarecrow during Sunday's Pre-Preliminary Showcase Group B competition on Sun Valley Outdoor Ice Rink.
Photo by Willy Cook
