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February 6, 2010

Local athletes have Olympic favorites

By VANESSA McCRAY

TRAVERSE CITY -- Every four years, viewers watch the Winter Olympics to witness the grace of a figure skater or feel the rush of a gold medal ski race.

For some of the region's young athletes who skate or ski, the Winter Games are a chance to cheer for their favorite contenders and see their sport performed at the highest level, on the grandest stage, for the biggest stakes, under the most pressure.

"It's really great to see how far people can go with the sport," said Allison VanderKolk, 17, a figure skater since age 3.

Like many in the roughly 180-member Traverse City Figure Skating Club, Allison will tune in to the skating events, a popular part of the Winter Olympics. The games begin Friday in Vancouver and continue through Feb. 28.

Allison will cheer for the skaters she admires, including reigning men's world champion Evan Lysacek, and marvel at their athleticism.

"It's crazy how high they can jump," Allison said.

She was among the girls who spent a recent afternoon skating at Centre ICE Arena in East Bay Township. Ponytails flew, legs and arms bent in flexible formations, and blades scraped across the ice. While casual skating fans may be unable to tell the difference between a lutz and a loop, these young skaters said their knowledge helps them catch things others might miss.

"Instead of just saying, 'Oh, that's a big jump,' I say, 'Oh, she two-footed that; or she over-rotated that,'" said Niki Roxbury, 11.

The sixth-grader at Traverse City East Middle School started skating at age 3 and especially likes jumping and working on programs. Her favorite skaters include Mirai Nagasu, who last month won a silver medal at the U.S. championships and was named to the Olympic team.

"I really like Mirai Nagasu, because she's really artistic," Roxbury said.

Local skater Emily Cain, 14, said it's amazing to think how much the Olympic skaters have achieved at their age. Nagasu is 16, and fellow American and Olympian Rachael Flatt is 17.

"You know what they're doing, and you know how hard it is," said Emily, who is cheering for Flatt because she "looks like she's trying really hard and having fun."

Some of the girls get anxious watching the Olympics because they understand what skaters must do to win.

"You ... do the sport, so you get nervous for them. So, you feel bad when they fall," said Amanda Shoemaker, 17, a student at Traverse City West Senior High School.

"I know how important it is to do well," said local skater Chloe Gates, 12, whose favorite competitors are "graceful" and "confident." "I just think they know how to handle those situations."

Area skiers, too, feel a connection to the Winter Games and to the fearless athletes who swoop down mountains. At Hickory Hills Ski Area in Traverse City, the Grand Traverse Ski Club conducts races and clinics. Several dozen helmeted, brightly bundled up youngsters gathered at the base of a hill recently as instructors gave pointers.

Stella Sterling, 10, Joseph Aulicino, 9, and Maggie Dutmers, 10, have skied for nearly as long as they can remember.

"I like how fast it is," said Joseph, a Central Grade School student who enjoys the slalom because it demands "quick turns."

All three plan to watch the skiing events during the Olympics. Joseph's favorite skier is Ted Ligety. Maggie praised Lindsey Vonn.

"It's fun to watch the people that used to be like us and trained so hard. I think that's what we all aim to do," Stella said.

Olympic greats Peggy Fleming and Dorothy Hamill made a lasting impression on figure skating coach Ann Manning.

"They become sort of your heroes," Manning said of the athletes who succeed in the sports that youth also play.

Skating evolved over the years as skaters adapted to a scoring change that replaced the previous 6.0 system, said Manning. The current scoring method makes it "much harder for casual fans to understand," she said. But, the "high risk, high reward" aspect of ice skating -- the fierce competition under intense scrutiny -- remains.

"You (have) four minutes. Show what you've done for a lifetime," Manning said. "I always tell kids, 'If you can do this, you can do anything.'"

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