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Monday, August 4, 2008
Pikes Peak Pairs & Dance Classic Entry Deadline Extended
The entry deadline for the 2008 Pikes Peak Pairs and Dance Classic has been extended. All entries must be RECEIVED by August 14th.
Additional information:
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Friday, July 11, 2008
When Ice Works
By S.P. Bosley
On Wednesday, July 9, 2008, The IceWorks Skating Complex, located on West Duttons Mill Road in Aston, Pa., held a celebration/press conference to share information about some recent changes and additions to their skating manifesto. Ice Skating Director Joey Suchodolski and IceWorks Skating Club President Lisa Shaw have much to crow about regarding the one-story building that covers four sheets of gleaming ice and the growing roster of talent who calls it home.
 In April of this year, Olympic ice dance silver medalists and five-time U.S. champions Tanith Belbin & Ben Agosto left their longtime coaches, Igor Shpilband and Marina Zoueva, and their training camp in Canton, Michigan to relocate to the IceWorks complex to be trained by former Olympic gold medalists Natalia Linichuk & Gennadi Karponosov. The Zambonied ice shavings had little time to settle when the murmurings surfaced that some other long distance moves might be in the works.
As the first official day of summer approached in June, rumors were confirmed that the current European ice dance champions, Russia's Oksana Domnina & Maxim Shabalin, were also relocating to Aston to train under the tutelage of the renowned world champion coaches Linichuk & Karponosov.
The world stage was then set: the American dream team of Belbin & Agosto would be training with the Russian dream team of Domnina & Shabalin. In the same rink. With the same coaches. The goal for each team is also the same: to capture the coveted gold medal in the Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver in 2010.
The Aston training center is not unaccustomed to high-level figure skaters. Canadian Olympic silver medalists Elizabeth Manley and Elvis Stojko have trained and coached at this facility in the past. World and Olympic coaches Uschi Keszler, Robbie Kaine, Diane Agle, and others of high acclaim also teach a bevy of sectional, national, and international skaters at this facility, including current U.S. ice dance bronze medalists Kim Navarro & Brent Bommentre. IceWorks also just added Vincent Restencourt, three-time French national medalist, to their expanding list of international coaching talents.
In these past few months and for the indefinite future, the spotlight of interest falls on the two teams with dreams of the Olympic gold medal.
Both Belbin and Domnina are 24 (Belbin's birthday is today and Domnina's will be in one month). Agosto and Shabalin celebrated their 26th birthdays in January. On their official ISU bios, the dancers listed different professions. Belbin & Agosto are "athletes," while Domnina & Shabalin are "students." One set of facts seem to highlight their similarities while the other, on the surface, might seem to point out some differences. After listening to their responses during the interviews, it was clear, however, that different word choice might be the only thing that separates these two elite teams.
The question that was proffered first (and clearly the forerunner in the minds of everyone present and at home) was why? Why were the decisions made to leave former tried-and-true coaches to journey across the country for Belbin & Agosto and across the world for Domnina & Shabalin?
 With translation help by Karponosov, Shabalin spoke for the Russian team. He said that it was a very difficult time for them. They had to make some hard decisions but felt they needed a change, and so they decided to come to the "best coaches in the world."
Ben Agosto explained that after 10 years together, he and Belbin just felt they "needed something fresh. We weren’t feeling anything new, and there was nothing to feel enthusiastic about. Now with Natalia and Gennadi, every day there is something new and exciting to learn, and it is bringing a lot of fresh energy to our skating." Agosto also advised that they have not just gone back to the basics but "have learned a new definition to going back to the basics."
Both teams agreed their goal in moving and seeking change was to become better skaters and to be able to present better programs.
"This is our job," Belbin said. "It is 9 to 5, almost literally, with all day spent here and then keeping yourself in the game. We are really self-employed in this, and we do the best job that we can."
Domnina & Shabalin have been training at IceWorks for only two weeks. Shabalin is still not completely recovered from his knee surgery that kept them out of the World Championships in March, describing his status as "much better, but maybe now at 70 or 80 percent." The recovery stage of his injury impacts the training regime and schedule right now, but Team Russia hopes the ability to find new doctors and rehabilitation efforts will lead to a quick return to 100 percent.
Both teams responded to questions that addressed likes and dislikes of the new Aston venue.
Domnina & Shabalin reiterated that they have only been here a short period of time, but they were very impressed with the rural beauty of the Eastern Pennsylvania area. Unfortunately, they are unable to purchase a car due to entry documents and red tape. Both skaters are spending a great deal of off-ice time making purchases of items needed to complete their relocation.
Belbin & Agosto, on the other hand, have both settled into new homes. Belbin is renting an apartment in Glen Mills, a new complex that is quickly becoming a skating Mecca, while Agosto has rented a house a few miles away to facilitate his collection of four-legged companions. Belbin further stated that although she missed her friends and family in Michigan, she was very thankful of how helpful and considerate all the skaters, coaches, and families were at IceWorks to make both of them feel wanted and welcome. They also mentioned how they liked being near so many cultural and artistic centers, with the close proximity of New York and, of course, nearby Philadelphia.
Belbin also addressed the subtext of East vs. West, including the conflict of training together and subsequent revelation of strategies and program content. She reminded everyone that the two teams at Aston are not the only possible contenders. Many other elite teams are vying for the same goal in Vancouver. All four skaters admitted that both teams were excited by the opportunities to learn and train together.
 Karponosov offered some insights into the two World-level teams.
"Both teams bring a different level of skating," he said. "Both are strong and beautiful teams, but very different."
Linichuk countered her husband's statement with some reflection of her own.
"These are two absolute unbelievable talents," she said. "They work hard, even if they have an odd look on their face of what I ask. ... They work to learn. They want to grow. They ask for more."
"It is exciting!" Agosto added, "Exciting to participate in, and exciting to watch it all unfold."
This is what happens when they make the ice work for them!
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Sunday, July 6, 2008
Dallas Ice Dance Weekend POSTPONED until 2009
Unfortunately, the Dallas Ice Dance Weekend has been postponed until 2009.
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Friday, July 4, 2008
IceWorks Skating Complex Announces Press Conference
The IceWorks Skating Complex is pleased to announce several new additions to our figure skating program. A press conference will take place at 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, July 9, 2008 at the IceWorks Skating Complex.
In April, the current Olympic Ice Dance Silver Medalists, American's Tanith Belbin & Ben Agosto relocated to the IceWorks Skating Complex to train under world renowned coaches, Natalya Linichuk and Gennadiy Karponosov.
In late June, the 2008 European Ice Dance Champions, Russia's Oksana Domnina & Maxim Shabalin also announced they would be joining Linichuk and Karponosov's group in Aston. Belbin & Agosoto and Domnina & Shabalin are two of the top teams in the world and are expected to battle for the Olympic Gold Medal in ice dancing at the 2010 Olympics, taking place in Vancouver, Canada.
The growing figure skating program at the IceWorks Skating Complex also added a new coach to the already distinguished list of coaches training skaters in Aston. Vincent Restencourt, who is a three-time French National Championships medalist, three time World Junior Championships medalist and World Competitor arrived from Paris to his new coaching position in Aston, in late June. Restencourt was the first French man to land a quadruple jump
In honor of these exciting arrivals, the IceWorks Skating Complex will be hosting a press conference at which time the skaters as well as their coaches and other members of the IceWorks Skating Complex staff will be available for questions and individual interviews.
Following the press conference members of the press and community will be able to meet these skaters as well as our other elite level skaters and coaches during a reception. The press conference will take place at 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, July 9, 2008 at the IceWorks Skating Complex.
The IceWorks Skating Complex is located in Aston, Pennsylvania and is one of the only four rink facilities in the country. The IceWorks Skating Complex is the training center for many elite skaters, such as; Morgan Matthews (World Junior Champion and US National Junior Champion) & Leif Gislason (Grand Prix Competitor and Canadian National medalist), Leonie Krail & Oscar Peter (2008 Swiss Ice Dance Champions, European and World Championships Competitors), Kim Navarro & Brent Bommentre (2008 US and Four Continents Bronze medalists and World Competitors). In addition to Linichuk and Karponosov, other world and Olympics coaches, such as; Uschi Keszler, Robbie Kaine and Cheryl Snyder train their skaters at the IceWorks Skating Complex. Additionally, the IceWorks Skating Complex has played host to many important figure skating competitions in its ten-year old history, including Regional and Sectional Championships as well as the Liberty Open Summer Competition, the largest non-qualifying competition in the world and one that attracts elite level skaters from across the United States, Canada and Europe.
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