While many elements in the sport of speed skating have changed in the last 70 years, there’s been one constant in Central Alberta.
This year, the Red Deer Central Lions Speed Skating Club is celebrating its 70th anniversary.
“It’s an impressive achievement,” said club coaching coordinator and head coach Nick Schultz.
“We’re a small club and even when we’re at full numbers, there’s a lot of kids on the ice but it has always been a close-knit group of people.
“Of course, you’re going to have as with any organization, members come and go. But we’ve got some members within that club, that have been involved not just a couple of seasons, but decades… there’s a lot of legacy names coming out of our club.”
Schultz has only been involved with the club since 2013 but knows its history well. He grew up as a good friend to many in the speed skating community in Red Deer, including Olympian Jeremy Wotherspoon.
“We always knew about it. We’ve travelled to the Olympics to watch Jeremy, to both Salt Lake City and Vancouver. Really lived off of the benefits of having your best friend be in the Olympics,” he said.
“We had lots of experience, I want to say we were like professional spectators. We travelled and got to do some amazing things with the sport, but we were never officially in it until all of that was done.”
Wotherspoon’s speed skating legacy in Red Deer continues to this day, as the club hosts an annual Jeremey Wotherspoon Open event. This year, the event is scheduled for Feb. 19.
“It is touch and go, but I’m feeling pretty confident,” Schultz said of the weather heading into that event.
While Wotherspoon inspired a generation of skaters with his four Olympic appearances, Ponoka’s Maddison Pearman, who grew up skating with the Red Deer club is inspiring the next generation of skaters. Pearman, 26, is competing in her first Olympics this month.
“You kind of forget coming from a small town, but this is a big thing for a lot of people,” Pearman said prior to leaving for Beijing.
“It’s huge for myself too, but I know I’ve been working towards it. I know Olympic people… coming from a small town, a lot of people are really excited and it’s great to see. I’m really happy that I can do this and represent Ponoka and Red Deer.”
And the club needs all the inspiration it can get these days. As it’s been for most sports, COVID-19 was not kind to participation in speed skating.
Although they did get some training in last year, Schultz said the club has had slight a decline in participants, but he hopes next season can bring a somewhat return to normal.
“Even though this year our registration numbers were pretty steady compared to last year, which is good. I do have a concern going forward to next fall,” Schultz said.
“We’ve got some natural growth out of the sport– kids are aging out and moving onto post-secondary… and do we have the group of young kids– elementary school kids coming in to slowly rebuild that component, we just don’t know. We’re doing everything we can to bring kids in.”
Especially since this year has been anything but normal for the club, between COVID-19 and having to cancel an ice session at Setters Place because it was too cold one day, only to cancel a session a few days later because it was too warm.
“That has happened more than once this outdoor season,” Schultz said.
“Just fighting to get some of it back. It’s been challenging.”
Schultz added that the club is willing to take on just about any child interested in the sport.
“If you can stand on (skates), if you can make it around the hockey rink when we’re starting out, we’ll take you on because kids learn so quick,” he said.
“We have a great group of junior coaches and they are quite literally a one-on-one relationship with those very beginning skaters. They create a nice little bond.”
What Schultz believes is the key to bringing those new athletes into speed skating and what differentiates it from other sports is the family atmosphere it creates. Although it’s an individual pursuit, the group is as close-knit as it comes.
“One of the strong points of the club is that multi-generational connection. We’ve got one of our skaters, his dad was a skater in the club in the late 80s and 90s and his dad was one of the coaches during that span as well. There are generations that have been involved in the club and that’s pretty impressive,” Schultz said.
In addition to getting younger athletes into the sport, Schultz hopes the club can help develop it across Central Alberta as well.
“We’re looking at some stuff for next year, more regional, club-based racing. Even some race series,” said Schultz, who is part of the development committee for Speed Skating Alberta.
“I think we’ve got some opportunities to make some interesting changes within speed skating and really help it grow. And have more activities.”