Please be sure to view our December schedule and note the days we have NO ICE. Note: there is a Christmas Camp for the Competitive Skaters, January 3-5, 2019.
After a relaxing holiday season, skaters should be ready to skate again starting on Thursday, January 3 for SS2 and Comp, Saturday, January 5 and Sunday, January 6 for LTS/SS1, Monday, January 7 for Special O, and Tuesday, January 8 for SS3.
The Club is hosting a FREE skate for all its registered skaters and families to celebrate the holiday season. Please join us on Saturday, December 22 from 4:00 – 5:00 at the Shorty Brown Arena at the Multiplex for a fun skate, cookies, hot chocolate and a visit from the ‘Big Guy’ himself. All skaters must wear a helmet please!
The YKSSC Schools Ability Meet will take place Saturday, December 1, 2018. The Ability Meet Information Flyer and Online Registration Form can be found on the Ability Meet page of our website. Deadline to register is Friday, November 16.
The registration fee of $20 (Rockets are FREE!) can be sent via EMT to ykspeedskating.regs@gmail.com. Please be sure to use the password “yellowknife” and indicate which skater your transfer is for. If you prefer, cash or cheque (make out to YKSSC) can be given to Jody or Myra.
Volunteers are needed to make this event happen
Lots of on-ice and off-ice volunteers and officials are needed to run an event like this. If you are able to help, please email Martin. If you are interested in being the Food Coordinator, please email the Ability Meet Coordinator (Jody).
Remember to get your skates sharpened before the meet
You can drop your skates off with one of the Sr. Competitive skaters during their Sunday ice time. The cost is $10.
As a fundraiser for the kids who travel to out-of-town meets, we will have a Silent Auction during the Ability Meet. We have asked all skaters who travel to provide a new/used in good condition item for the Silent Auction. Please support their efforts and make some bids! If you are interested in contributing anything to this fundraiser, thank you very much and please let us know ykspeedskating@gmail.com
Do you have a child that knows how to skate and is interested in trying Speed Skating? Or maybe you want to try yourself! On October 14, the Yellowknife Speed Skate Club (YKSSC) is hosting an Open House Skate and Bring-a-Friend to Class.
Ages 6 – 8 (SS1) YK Community Arena (12:00 – 1:00)
Ages 8 – 10 (SS2) Ed Jeske Rink, Multiplex (12:30 – 1:30)
Ages 10 – 12 (SS3) Ed Jeske Rink, Multiplex (1:30 – 3:00)
Ages 12+ (Senior Competitive) Ed Jeske Rink, Multiplex (4:00 – 5:00)
There is no cost to join YKSSC opportunity!
• Come out and learn what speed skating is all about.
• Play games and learn drills.
• Try out a fun and positive on-ice sport.
What skaters will need to bring:
• CSA-approved helmet and gloves.
• Hockey skates. Figure skates are not permitted as the tips make holes in the ice. There will be a limited supply of speed skates available for guests to try at no cost (only available for Multiplex classes).
• A signed waiver, which you can do before you get on the ice. Anyone under the age of 18 needs to come with a parent or guardian to sign for them. We will have waivers on hand for you to sign.
We have two upcoming bagging opportunities giving our skaters (10+) who travel to out-of-town meets a chance to earn some money back. Follow this link to sign up for the October 13 and December 22 dates. We need parents help too please! If you can’t access this link, please email Heather at hmnystrom@hotmail.com with your requested times.
The camp is aimed at competitive youth skaters (L2T, T2T and Juniors) who wish to improve their technique. It will run Oct 12 – Oct 14.
The Head Coach for the camp is Sue Ellis from Rothesay, New Brunswick. Sue is a Level 4 NCCP coach, and 2002 US Olympic Short Track Team Head Coach.
This will be a technical camp, the focus is working on skill development. The camp participants will watch video of Elite World Cup and Olympic skaters, and analyze the technique and motions that the skaters perform as they skate. The camp participants will then attempt to recreate the motions in dry land exercises and then transfer those skills to the ice. One of the main differences of this camp, is that the skaters will develop an understanding of the technique that they are trying to develop and why; they can then use this knowledge when they analyze their own skating in the future.
The camp will run from approximately 8:30am – 5:00pm each day, with two ice times, dry land, video analysis, and one hour for lunch. Cost for the three days is $270 and we have a limit of 25 skaters. More information can be directed to ianmellors@shaw.ca. They welcome skaters on a first come basis up to the 25 maximum.
We are very happy to announce that Greg Skauge is our new our Skate Coordinator. Skaters who need to rent speed skates (usually for levels SSII and up) can try on and pick up rental skates before the season starts during the following times:
Skates are rented from our locker room at the Multiplex (back room of the Ed Jeske ice surface). Please contact ykspeedskating@gmail.com if neither of these scheduled times work and you need to make other arrangements.
As noted in our Skate Rental Policy, renters take responsibility for the proper care, maintenance and safe handling of the skates and blades during the rental season. It is recommended skates are sharpened monthly or every 5 -10 practices depending on skater’s size, ability and care of the blades. Your skates can be sharpened by one of our older skaters. If you need contact information for a sharpener, please look on our Facebook page or contact us for more information.
We are back with a great season planned for our skaters!
Step 1 – Register
The easiest way to register is with the online registration form. All skaters must be registered before getting on the ice. Registration closes October 31 for the season.
If you want to register in person or ask us questions about our programs, please visit our table at the Yellowknife Community Showcase, Wednesday, September 12 (from 6:00 – 8:00) at the Yellowknife Community Arena.
Step 2 – Payment
After registering, you will need to forward payment. You can do this one of two ways:
For registration questions, please contact Myra at ykspeedskating.regs@gmail.com.
A variety of safety equipment is required for each skater depending of their program level. A full equipment list for each program is listed on the individual program pages on our website. For more information about appropriate safety equipment, visit Speed Skate Canada.
New this year, tinted safety glasses are NOT allowed during competition. As well, you must have a strap for your glasses.
There are various places online you can purchase certified safety equipment. Visit our Equipment page for links and more information.
Closer to home, Overlander Sports in Yellowknife typically brings in a selection of certified helmets, safety glasses, cut-proof gloves and more at the start of the season for our skaters!
We also have a Used Equipment Swap Shop where you can find deals on various types of speedskating equipment from skates to skinsuits! If you have something to sell, let us know!
Will you need a Club suit this season?
The Club has one YKSSC suit left for sale (small adult size). The Club is also considering ordering more suits before the upcoming season. It would be useful to know ahead of time how many will be needed. If you are interested in buying a YKSSC suit this year, please contact Alexandre Larouche at alexandre.larouche@live.ca