Jamestown's landmark figure skating competition, Skate Chautauqua, will be held Friday and Saturday, August 14-15, at the Jamestown Savings Bank Ice Arena. This is the annual event that has given Jamestown, N.Y., a stellar reputation for producing figure skating events.
Skate Chautauqua has presented countless national champions, national medalists, international medalists, and world and Olympic competitors.
Sarah Hughes, 2002 Olympic champion, skated to victory at Skate Chautauqua in 1997 and always says that Jamestown is where her "winning streak" began.
Article Photos
Ellie Elchert
Miki Ando, 2007 world champion, won gold medals at Skate Chautauqua just three years ago in 2005.
Kimmie Meissner, 2006 world champion, skated to gold medals at Skate Chautauqua in 2002.
Jennifer Kirk, the 2000 junior world champion, was a winner in Jamestown in 1998.
Who will you see Friday and Saturday in Jamestown?
That list has Warren County skaters from the Jamestown Skating Club, including Jaylin Orwig, Kirsten DiPierro, Rebekah Casey, Samantha Dalrymple, Stephanie Hice, Julia Bauer, Ellie Elchert and Rebecca Hummel.
Skate Chautauqua has been the catalyst for Jamestown to win the bids to present the 2005 U.S. Junior Figure Skating Championships and the 2009, 2007 and 2004 North Atlantic Regional Figure Skating Championships. All of this greatly contributes to the economic development of the Jamestown/Chautauqua area. The Skating Academy and Jamestown Skating Club have given Jamestown a reputation for presenting the highest level amateur figure skating events in United States, and as a result have introduced thousands of visitors to Jamestown .
The prestige of Skate Chautauqua can be attributed to the support of the Jamestown community and volunteers. Great opportunities are created for skaters at Skate Chautauqua to be presented in a professional atmosphere, be critiqued by world and international judges, and have valuable interaction between coaches, judges and skaters.
This year, compliments of Chautauqua Ice and Jamestown Savings Bank Ice Arena, admission to all Skate Chautauqua events is free.
Competition will be held continuously from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday August 15. Of special interest will be the IJS (new judging system) events which will be held in Rink A both Friday and Saturday with some of the top US and international skaters. The IJS events will be followed by on-ice critiques by the national and world judges and technical specialists.
Skate Chautauqua is presented by Chautauqua Ice and is sponsored by Quality Markets, The Post-Journal, Alstar EMS, Warren Times Observer and WKSN.
For information, and a schedule, visit www.jamestownskatingclub.com or call (716) 664-6609.