“Bring on the Fun!” returns to Amherstburg

The “Bring on the Fun!” skating competition was at the Libro Centre on the weekend. More photos are on our website and social media.

Skate Ontario and Skate Amherstburg combined for a two-day competition over the weekend at the Libro Centre with the focus on fun.

“Bring on the Fun!” returned to town with skaters from skating clubs around Essex County and Windsor coming to Amherstburg to compete. Sarah Bedal, secretary with Skate Amherstburg, said the furthest club that attended was Chatham-Kent.

“This is a Skate Ontario fun competition,” she said. “They do it across the province.” 

This is the third year “Bring on the Fun!” has been held in Amherstburg and Bedal said it is different than most competitions in that it lives up to its name. Skaters up to the age of 21 get to work on their skills and work on performances and routine that they can’t usually do, including the use of props in their performances.

Bedal said having fun, team spirit and “just enjoying skating” was what theApril 25-26 competition was about.

The competition was held on Saturday with the event resuming Sunday. Star 1 to Star 4 level skaters were on the ice in individual, pairs and group numbers.

“It’s a great chance for young skaters to get experience of a competition without all the stress of it,” said Bedal.

When younger skaters get to a competition next year, they can now do so with a bit more confidence.

Skaters look forward to”Bring on the Fun!” all season, she added, as they often plan their performances and what props they want to use weeks and months in advance.

“It’s a season-long goal after all of what they worked for,” Bedal said. “This is not all about the competition, they get to be a team, show their spirit, work together and have fun.”

Rob & Tina’s No Frills helped with a large donation of food to help feed skaters and volunteers throughout the weekend. Volunteers also assisted there as well, with Bedal noting they received help from parents from outside of Amherstburg as well as a strong group from Skate Amherstburg.

“It could not happen without the volunteers stepping up,” said Bedal. “Without them, we would not be able to do it. They are absolutely vital.”

“Bring on the Fun!” returns to Amherstburg

By Ron Giofu