Skating Club Leaves - the Post Journal

July 8, 2011
By Jason Rodriguez (jrodriguez@post-journal.com)

After a pair of recent statements from those running the show, a curtain is closing on a signature figure skating program in the city of Jamestown.

According to a letter released to a local athlete's website, the last day of the 25-year-old Jamestown Skating Academy was Wednesday.

On Thursday, its office at the Jamestown Savings Bank Arena was empty. Program co-directors Kirk Wyse and Lenel van den Berg stated the classes will continue at the North Buffalo Ice Arena, located off upper Delaware Avenue at 156 Tacoma Ave.

''This move was made necessary as a new contract was presented to us by the new CEO of the arena upon direction of the arena's board which is predominantly made up of hockey enthusiasts,'' Wyse and van den Berg said in a letter to skaters and parents. ''Suffice to say, the agreement was so outrageously priced that very few of you would be able to afford to skate. It left us no option but to move the program.''

Calling Wednesday's departure from the arena "bittersweet,'' the letter from Wyse and van den Berg said the new agreement in Buffalo is simple and allows them to return to their passion of coaching.

The statement anticipated questions from the Jamestown Skating Club board of directors as well as participants who regularly descend on the arena for instruction by its affiliated coaches.

"We also know that some of you may not be able to make the trip to Buffalo and we understand that and we want you to keep skating. ... We will work with the Jamestown Skating Club and the coaches to secure ice in Jamestown for those that the trip to Buffalo will not be viable," the statement reads.

SKATING CLUB LIMBO

A second letter posted by the Jamestown Skating Club board of directors said the directors of the club, which hosts an annual slate of amateur skating competitions, "will be meeting with Kirk and Lenel to try to determine if it is viable to keep figure skating in Jamestown at some capacity. We want to explore all our options, as a club.''

It added that all prospective members of the local club whose submissions were processed by July 1 will still be eligible for the arena's Skate Chautauqua in August and other U.S. Figure Skating events.

Kurt Silcott, new CEO of the Jamestown arena, said negotiations were not completed with the Skating Academy, including upcoming changes to the price of ice time.

"Our position is that we were going to sit down with them and negotiate new ice times and rates,'' he said, adding that they had not yet received any formal indication that Wyse and van den Berg were leaving for another location.

But Silcott added their empty office is a strong indication that they have decided to move their program. Meanwhile, Silcott said there was a discussion with the skating club on Wednesday to ensure their events will go forward, including Skate Chautauqua which takes place Aug. 12-13. He indicated the departure of the pair of longtime instructors does not mean the skating club could not recruit a coaching team of its own.

"Once it is all settled, we will maintain a level of figure skating that the residents of Jamestown will enjoy," he said.

Calls to Wyse, van den Berg as well as the skating club board of directors were not returned.

In a June 26 article in The Post-Journal that heralded 25 years of the local skating academy, van den Berg said Jamestown offered a place of permanence for the successful school. During his tenure, the academy has evolved from humble beginnings in the Allen Park Ice Rink to a renowned institution that attracts athletes from throughout the Northeast and as far away as Mexico.

Said van den Berg: "It's never been about that other stuff, no fighting between skaters and coaches, a very rare situation. We have had several offers to move to bigger markets over the last few years, but we have given them no consideration. We have an awesome arena, a wonderful office in the arena, great skaters, and tremendous support from the local community. Unless that were to change, we would never consider moving the program elsewhere.''