The Kelowna Speed Skating Club has been helping local Kelowna youth find a life-long passion for thee classic Canadian pastime since 1998.
Throughout their 25 years, they’ve stayed true to their mission to teach speed skating to anyone and everyone interested in learning this exciting, competitive sport.
The club focuses on fostering the skills of both recreational and competitive athletes and currently has 50 young skaters of all levels, from those just learning to speed skate all the way up to national- and international-level athletes.
“We’re very proud of the community we’ve built over the years and how hard we’ve worked to keep this sport accessible to everyone,” says head coach Christine Hank. “We have a solid group of dedicated skaters, engaged parents and loyal, dedicated volunteers and volunteer coaches who keep this club running at full speed all year-round.”
Part of their efforts to keep costs down includes the cost of rental speed skates in their annual registration fee, meaning parents don’t need to worry about buying new skates every time their child grows. Children and youth from other skating sports (hockey, figure skating and ringette) are always welcome and encouraged to come out and learn about speed skating.
In fact, Hank says many of their current club members got started skating in other sports before quickly transitioning into speed skating.
Kelowna Speed Skating Club partners with the City of Kelowna to run a special Monday evening ‘Learn to speed skate’ program from 5:45 to 6:30 p.m. with registration through the City of Kelowna Parks and Recreation guide. These Monday night sessions introduce kids ages five to 15 to short track speed skating. Many participants from these sessions move into other programming provided by Kelowna Speed Skating as well.
For more information about the Kelowna Speed Skating Club and information on how to register contact them at kelownaspeedskate@gmail.com or check them out online at kelownaspeedskating.com and be sure to follow them on Facebook and Instagram for the latest updates on the club, its skaters and their coming events.
