Cambridgeshire Artistic Roller Skating Club launched in August when three taster sessions were held at Ely Paradise Centre. Following the success of these sessions we have two permanent Grades and Fun sessions starting very soon.
We welcome all ages and abilities. Our goal is to provide a fun and exciting environment for every skater. We hope that we can bring energy and positivity to everyone – our club ethos is one of promoting, supporting and improving British artistic roller skating. We will train skaters in all three disciplines – figures, free skating and dance (dance is the same discipline that Torvill and Dean competed in at several Winter Olympics – the moves are the same, but on wheels instead of blades. Figures and free skating are the same disciplines that were performed by Robin Cousins and John Curry on ice.) All skaters will start by doing Grades 1 to 6 in basic skills and then move on to train in one or more of dance, figures, and free skating.
Our Head Coach for Grades skaters is Rachel Hobbs. She says “I first started skating at the age of twelve and competed in my first competition at the age of thirteen. I absolutely loved skating and would count down the days until I could skate again. For four years I skated twenty hours a week. Unfortunately around 2007/2008 I had to cut down due to work commitments as I work full time as a seamstress. Over the last few years I have been skating again regularly and have been dreaming of coaching and having my own team. I’m so excited to be here fourteen years after putting on my first pair of skates, opening my very own Artistic Roller Skating Club with my best friend Zoë. Thank you to everyone that joined us at our taster sessions. It was a dream come true.”
Zoë King, our Head Coach for Improvers, has also been skating since she was twelve. Now aged twenty-six she says “I have been around the skating world for what seems like a lifetime! I could never imagine my life without skating. I have a passion for coaching, and began learning how to coach when I was fifteen. I Iove seeing skaters improve, and also finding fun ways for them to learn. Our taster sessions were an amazing success and I absolutely loved every minute of it. I can’t wait until our regular sessions begin. I’m very excited that I am starting my own club with my best friend Rachel.” Zoë is Preliminary standard for figures and freestyle, but her main focus is dance, in which she is Silver standard. She competes in the British Championships every year, and has represented Great Britain competing in dance internationally. Zoë has also trained with international coaches in Portugal. She works full time as a Critical Care Nurse, which is her other passion.
We will also be developing our expertise by bringing in world class coaches to give taster days and to join in with coaching some of our sessions. Zoë says “We know our strengths and limitations – but we have a great network of skaters and coaches who are the best in what they do. We will use that network and bring the skills to our club.”
Rachel says “We are so excited to get more people involved in such an amazing sport, there is so much to learn in the skating world and we really can’t wait to start coaching. ”
Zoë and Rachel will be joined by assistants Chris Farrier and Diane King. Chris is Zoë’s partner and says “I haven’t been skating all that long but I now can’t wait to get my skates on. Having been to an international gala as a spectator watching Zoe skate, I could see the passion she has for the sport and the hard work she puts into her routines. I am a firm believer in working hard to achieve your goals. Ever since then I have been learning how to skate with the help of our clubs two coaches Zoe and Rachel. I work full time as a police officer but I am fully committed to helping our club grow and to help coach skaters at some point.”
Diane King is Zoe’s mother and the club treasurer. She says “ I am so proud of Zoe, Rachel and Chris. They have put in a great many hours getting the club started, and arranging the taster sessions. We had fifty skaters at the second taster session, and another one had to be arranged at short notice as we had so many requests for more sessions. I know they will be successful, and I am looking forward to helping at the Grades and Fun sessions, getting the beginners started and standing on their wheels!”
The Grades and Fun sessions will begin from the following dates:
Every Thursday starting from the 14th September 2017
Soham Ross Peers Sports Centre 6:00pm-7:00pm.
£3.00 per skater 50p skate hire.
Every Sunday starting from the 1st October 2017
Ely Paradise Centre
11:00am-Midday.
£3.00 per skater 50p skate hire.
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Left to right: Head Coach (Grades) Rachel Hobbs, Assistant Chris Farrier, Head Coach (Improvers) Zoe King.