These skaters from the Sun Bowl Skating Club performed well during a recent big competition in West Kelowna. Skaters include (back row left to right) Kyra Koepke, Lindsay Koepke, Emily Stewart, Laura DeVries and Mary Martin. Front row (left to right) are Amy Rathgeber, Sophiea Moore, Jordan Brunner and head coach Andrea Umstaetter. Club members will remain very busy in the coming weeks as they prepare for the regional championships that take place early in the new year. (Tina Koepke photo)
The Sun Bowl Skating Club may be small but their skaters can deliver.
The figure skating season got off to a great start with many Osoyoos skaters winning gold and silver at the interclub competition held in West Kelowna recently.
The Sun Bowl Skating Club is home to many talented skaters who compete at competitions around B.C. during the winter season.
The club’s Star 1 skaters who attended their first competition did well with Jordan Brunner receiving gold level marks, while Sophiea Moore and Amy Rathgeber both received silver marks, an excellent showing for their first competition.
Mary Martin, who also competed in her first competition, received bronze level marks at the Star 2 level.
Laura DeVries just moved up a level and received bronze for her skate at the Star 3 level.
Lindsay Koepke received gold for her skate in Star 4 over 13, while her sister Kyra received silver in the under 13 group.
They both had great skates landing axles in their programs.
Emily Stewart, competing in the Senior Bronze level, dominated the group receiving a gold medal, two points ahead of the next competitor.
Head coach Andrea Umstaetter, said more than 185 skaters competed in West Kelowna and the local skaters did exceptionally well against talented competitors.
“Almost all of the girls skated as well as they could,” she said. “Considering this was the first big meet for many of our girls, they skated extremely well and weren’t overcome by nerves. I’m very proud of them.”
The next competition will be the regional competition in February.
While the Sun Bowl Skating Club has operated out of Osoyoos for many years, the club attracts young skaters from across the region, including Oliver, Okanagan Falls, Rock Creek and even as far away as Greenwood.
For a relatively small club, it has produced numerous outstanding competitors for the past several years, said Umstaetter.
Know someone wanting to learn to skate? The Sun Bowl skating club will be accepting new registrations for our Learn to skate programs on Dec. 17 from 6 to 8 p.m. and Jan. 4 from 3 to 4 p.m. at the Sun Bowl Arena
For more information about the club, check out or website or Facebook page for more information. www.sunbowlfsc.com.
KEITH LACEY
Osoyoos Times
