Skate Canada will be holding its annual high performance camp September 12-15 at the Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver for Canada’s national figure skating team and elite skaters competing internationally this season. This year’s camp is jointly funded by VANOC, Own The Podium and Skate Canada.

Skate Canada will hold this camp at the Pacific Coliseum every fall until 2009 in order to give skaters the chance to get familiar with the 2010 Olympic venue as all figure skating events will take place at the Pacific Coliseum during the Olympic Games in Vancouver, to be held February 12-28, 2010.

“It’s great what Skate Canada is doing.  It is always to an athlete’s advantage to get familiar with a competition site as early as possible to get rid of that nervous feeling of competing in an unfamiliar space,” said Canadian champion and Olympic bronze medalist Jeff Buttle at the 2006 camp, which also took place at the Pacific Coliseum.

The 2008 BMO Canadian Figure Skating Championships will also be held at the Pacific Coliseum, from January 16-20, 2008.

“This year’s camp is an opportunity for our skaters to get familiar with the venue that will be used for our national championships in a few months, and for the Olympic Games in 2010,” says Skate Canada’s High Performance Director Mike Slipchuk.

The annual high performance camp provides skaters with instant technical feedback and allows them to polish their programs before the ISU Grand Prix season begins.

Meagan Duhamel and Craig Buntin

Vaughn Chipeur

“Our high performance camp gives our skaters the chance to perform in a simulation competitive environment and receive feedback from ISU judges and technical specialists right away,” adds Slipchuk. “This camp gets our skaters ready for the upcoming competitive season.”

Members of the 2007-2008 Skate Canada National Team participating in the 2007 high performance camp are 2007 Canadian Women’s Champion Joannie Rochette, Mira Leung, Lesley Hawker, Cynthia Phaneuf, 2007 Canadian Men's Champion Jeffrey Buttle, Chris Mabee, Shawn Sawyer, Patrick Chan, Joey Russell, 2007 Canadian Pairs’ Champions Jessica Dubé and Bryce Davison, Anabelle Langlois and Cody Hay, Rachel Kirkland and Eric Radford, 2007 Canadian ice dancing silver medallists Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir, and Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje. Canadian skaters competing in ISU Senior Grand Prix events this season Vaughn Chipeur, Kevin Reynolds, Meagan Duhamel and Craig Buntin, are also taking part in the 2007 high performance camp.

Skating fans invited to attend
The Skate Canada high performance camp will also be open to the public. Skating fans will be able to watch Canada’s elite figure skaters perform their new or revised programs at the following times:

What: Short program / original dance competition simulation
Date: Friday, Sept. 14
Time: 4:30 – 7:45 p.m.
Location: Pacific Coliseum

What: Free skate competition simulation
Date: Saturday, Sept. 15
Time: 1:30 – 5:15 p.m.
Location: Pacific Coliseum

Tickets for the public to attend the high performance camp are free of charge and available in limited amounts. For tickets please contact Danielle from Skate Canada-BC/Yukon at 604.205.6960 or by email at danielle@skatinginbc.com

Skate Canada’s 2007 high performance camp will end with a social dinner evening on Saturday, September 15.