British Synchronised Skating Championships in Nottingham

This weekend (Saturday 17th and Sunday 18th January 2015), Nottingham’s National Ice Centre will play host to the British Synchronised Skating Championships for the first time. The competition is organised by the National Ice Skating Association (NISA). Their Technical Director, Alistair Wilson tells us more. The skaters commenting are: Eilish Rennie – Highland Synchronised Skating Team, Inverness Emily Potter – NSSA Nottingham Icicles Emily Cheetham – Nottingham Icicles Captain 1. How many years has the NISA British Synchronised Skating Championships been taking place? The British Synchronised Skating Championships has been running for over ten years, and has increased in popularity. It is expected to become a Winter Olympic event in the future and is likely to be included in the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics in 2018 as a demonstration event. 2. What made the event move from iceSheffield to Nottingham’s National Ice Centre? Synchronised skating is really popular amongst spectators. Last year’s event sold out so we have moved to a bigger venue to hold more spectators. 3. How many skaters compete in the competition, and what age range are they? There will be approximately 700 skaters taking part in the British Championships this weekend, across almost 50 teams so it will be an amazing spectacle. There are various categories in the event, all with different age criteria so there will be skaters spanning all age ranges. Skaters as young as 10 years old will compete in the juvenile teams, whilst adult skaters aged 50 onwards may compete in the adult teams. 4. (Question for skaters) How many years have you been skating for, and what inspired you to compete in the Synchronised Skating Championships? (Eilish) I have been skating for 13 years and have been skating for the Highland Synchronised Skating teams since 2003. I wanted to compete at the British Championships as it’s always a great event and I love to perform with my team! It’s great to see how big synchronised skating has become in the UK. (Emily P) I started at elementary (basic) level and have worked my way up the teams in the club to junior level, competing in the UK and abroad. I was inspired to start synchronised skating back in 2009 when attending the rink for a fun skate with friends. The junior team back then were on the ice doing a dress rehearsal for a competition. I was in awe of how skaters could move together at such speed and with great skill. (Emily C) I started skating 10 years ago when I was seven years old. I first saw synchronised skating when I went to watch the World Championships when it was last organised in Nottingham and I've loved it ever since! 5. (Both) Are there any places in Nottingham you plan to visit when here – attractions or restaurants which you want to try out? (Alistair) I’m looking forward to visiting the historic Lace Market, which is right on the doorstep of the NIC. I’ll also do some shopping in the City if I get chance over the weekend, and perhaps pay a visit to Nottingham Castle. (Eilish) As competitions are very busy, we usually don’t have much time to visit other places outside the ice rink and hotel unfortunately. (Emily P) I train in Nottingham but there are lots of nice places to eat that I often visit. Anoki is a good quality Indian restaurant and Nottingham Castle is a nearby attraction worth a visit. (Emily C) I live in Nottingham and there are many wonderful places to eat but I have always wanted to try the restaurant Bill's, it’s new and I have heard great things about it. Tickets for the event are priced at £7. Tickets for concessions and groups of 12 or more people are priced at £5.50. They are available through www.capitalfmarena.com or by calling the box office on 0843 373 3000. There will also be an opportunity to buy them on the day at the Capital FM Arena box office, but as the event sold out last year, it is advised to buy them in advance to avoid disappointment.