THANKS TO CONTRIBUTORS

For us, in oval-starved southern Ontario, speed skating requires a lot of travel. I don't get out as much as I'd like, but managed trips last season to Milwaukee (twice), Ste-Foy, Calgary (twice) and Heerenveen. There's a whole lot of other masters speed skating going on out there that I don't get to personally experience which makes it tough to report the news.

As such; I'm grateful to, and would like to acknowledge, the many other folks who contributed articles, photos and e-mails to this blog during the 2007-08 season -

Anika Bedard (Quebec City) who translates many of these posts into French.
La Page des Patineurs de Vitesse Maitres

As well, Anika contributed posts of her own
Maurice Gagne Inducted into Quebec Sport Hall of Fame

Sheila McGinn (Ottawa)
Ellis Edge Masters Camp - Days 1, 2, 3 and 4.
Mont Ste. Marie Masters Camp
Getting Started in Masters Speed Skating

Ian Mellors (Banff/Canmore)
Masters Ice Racing Challenge

Alicia Weiss (Ottawa)
Bytown Masters Long Track Meet
Ottawa Long Track News
Ontario Provincial Long Track Championships (also thanks to Larry Magloire - Brampton)
Lakefield Masters Challenge
Ontario Masters Short Track Championship

Brett Arnason (Winnipeg)
Alberta Indoor Long Track Championship
11th Masters International Open American Championship

John Sommerville (Brockville)
Brockville Eastern Regional Ability Meet

Mike McDonald (Manitoba)
Manitoba Mass Start Long Track Championship
Manitoba Short Track Championships

Jake Maarse (Ottawa)
Bytown Marathons Re-Scheduled

Willem Langenberg (Edmonton)
North American Marathon Championships

The Travelling Skates (you know who you are)
Schaatsen in Geleen
Eisschnellaufen in Erfurt Deutschland

Ed Burns (Vestal NY)
US National Marathons

Anna Delaney (Kingston)
Bytown Marathons

Paul Shoebridge (Cambridge)
17th Masters International Speed Skating Games

Rejean Lavoie (Calgary)
Masters in/en Germany/Allemange

Also a tip of the hat to others around the world promoting masters speed skating through their own blogs and websites -

Andrew Love (Salt Lake City)
Zen and the Art of Speed Skating

Stefano Dotti (Italy)
ISU Masters Short Track News
Italy Masters Speed Skating News

Dr. Volker Serini (Krefeld GER)
ISU Masters Speed Skating News

Olu Sijuwade (Milwaukee)
US Masters Speed Skating

Frank Anderson (Perth Australia)
World Masters Short Track

Many thanks to countless others skating, coaching, organizing, timing, starting, recording, judging, handing out arm bands, building/maintaining ovals - and anyone I may have missed.

2007-08 was an incredible season. With so many folks contributing, 2008-09 holds much promise for this great sport.

MASTERS INTERNATIONAL SHORT TRACK SPRINT COMPETITION - SYDNEY AUSTRALIA

Masters short track skaters from all nations are invited to participate in a possible Masters International Short Track Sprint Competition to be held during the week of September 29 to October 3, 2008 at the Sydney Ice Arena in Baulkham Hills, New South Wales. The viability of the event is contingent on the number of participants who have shown interest by June 15, 2008.

For more information - see World Masters Short Track, and to express your interest - e-mail Frank Anderson at thenewbordersecurity@aapt.net.au.

THE FUTURE OF LONG TRACK SKATING?

Having started speed skating later in life, I've only heard stories of outdoor skating tracks in southern Ontario at places like Toronto, Niagara Falls, London and Kitchener-Waterloo. For me, skating began on a rink that my father built in the back yard of our house every winter through the late 50's and early 60's.

When we began skating with our children in the mid-90's, most natural ice venues had vanished from the area except for the track that the dedicated volunteers of the Kitchener Sertoma Club used to build on the old running track around the tennis courts at Conestoga College. At that time, this ice would last maybe 3 to 4 weeks at best during January. It would nevertheless provide a limited opportunity for some pre-competition training prior to the provincial championships which alternated annually between Sault Ste. Marie and Ottawa. The site is now a parking lot.

In those days, there was sufficient interest in long track in southern Ontario to fill at least one bus with skaters to make the long trek to what seemed like the sub-arctic conditions of Sault Ste. Marie. In some years, the Cambridge Club alone would fill one bus with Brampton and London sharing another.

Now barely 10 years later, it seems the weather has warmed enough that natural ice in January is no longer a sure thing there or in Ottawa. Within the past few years, there have been several cancellations and postponements of competitions due to warm weather and un-skateable ice conditions. Ducks swimming on the open water of the Rideau Canal in January is now quite common. Understandably, the number of long track skaters seems to be sadly diminishing.

In more recent times, there have been ongoing efforts to develop a refrigerated track at Lakefield north of Peterborough. As funding and contributions slowly trickle in, some equipment (including an ice re-surfacer) has been purchased and the track has been rough-graded. Having progressed this far, organizers bravely staged the first-ever competition on this site in the form of a Masters Challenge last February - only to be stymied once more by - you guessed it - the weather.

Masters skaters thrilled to be in Lakefield for the first-ever competition on the Ontario Speed Skating OvalMoments later, the meet is tragically cancelled!

This is increasingly bad news for speed skating in Ontario which historically has produced some of Canada's top long track competitors including, most recently, Kevin (Overland) Crockett, Cindy Overland, Kristina Groves and Christine Nesbitt.

The issue of a lack of long track venues seems to be foremost in the psyche of the national speed skating community - evident in the voter-selected 2008 winner of Canada's Best Speed Skating Story. Most folks seemed to identify with young Alastair Starke's video about creating an oval on the frozen slough behind his family's farm in Lloydminster Alberta. Lucky for Alastair, global warming did not destroy his field of dreams as seems to be the case in southern Ontario.

What is the future of long track skating? Indoor ovals are expensive to build and operate and are, therefore, few and far between. The long-distance travel by car and plane, to get to these ovals unfortunately contributes further to the environmental problem that is making natural ice a thing of the past. Food for thought as we head into the long hot summer and wait once more for winter to return.

ONTARIO SPEED SKATING SUMMER CAMP

Registration is now open for OSSA's Summer Camp which includes a masters category for three 1/2 days during August 19 to 21. Details for the camp, to be held in Gloucester Ontario, can be found here.

IMSSG NEWS

Some items of interest to Canadians were posted on May 3, 2008 on the IMSSG website -

The quota for Canadian competitors for the 18th Masters International Games in Bjugn Norway during February 27 to March 1 2009 has been set at 12. As in the past, Canadian entries will be accepted on a first-come-first-served basis. Interested skaters should watch the IMSSG website for entry forms starting in October 2008.

The 2011 Masters International Games are scheduled for Calgary's Olympic Oval.

ELLIS EDGE MASTERS CAMP

Registration is now open for the Ellis Edge Masters Camp scheduled for August 25 to 28, 2008 in Ottawa Ontario.

For Sheila McGinn's account of last year's camp in Saint John, New Brunswick - see Day 1, Day 2, Day 3 and Day 4.