Jamestown's landmark figure skating competition, Skate Chautauqua, will be held Friday and Saturday at the Jamestown Savings Bank Ice Arena. This is the annual event that has given Jamestown a stellar reputation for producing figure skating events.
Skate Chautauqua has presented numerous world and Olympic competitors, national champions, national medalists, and international medalists. Sarah Hughes, 2002 Olympic champion, skated to victory at Skate Chautauqua in 1997 and always says that Jamestown is where her winning streak began. Miki Ando, 2011 and 2007 world champion, won gold medals at Skate Chautauqua in 2005. Kimmie Meissner, 2006 world champion, skated to gold medals at Skate Chautauqua in 2002, and Jennifer Kirk, the 2000 junior world champion, was a winner in Jamestown in 1998.
Who will you see August 12 and 13 at the JSB Ice Arena? The list includes four skaters from Warren County representing Jamestown Skating Club - Jaylyn Orwig, Kirsten DiPierro, Stephanie Hice and Bekah Casey.
Skate Chautauqua has been the catalyst that has allowed Jamestown Skating Club and Jamestown, N.Y., 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. 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.
The public is welcome to attend Skate Chautauqua for free. Competition will be held continuously from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday. 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 U.S. and international skaters. The International Judging System events will be followed by on ice critiques by national and world judges and technical specialists.
Skate Chautauqua is presented by Chautauqua Ice and Jamestown Skating Club and is sponsored by The Post Journal, Alstar EMS, Warren Times Observer, SE 93, Axiom Copiers, and JSB Ice Arena.
For information and a schedule, check the website www.jamestownskatingclub.com.