Few countries in the world have the depth of commitment of Canada’s army of volunteers.
Many of these generous individuals began as skaters themselves or as parents of skaters. Some have elected to support the sport through participation at their local clubs or by helping run club, sectional, national and international events; some have chosen to help on the ice while others participate off the ice at rink side as judges.
Becoming a judge is a grueling task, one which requires dedication, a high level of skating knowledge, patience and expertise. These folks sitting on the judges’ stand may look cool as cucumbers but their heart rates are as high as those of the competitors!
The pressure to assess a performance clearly and fairly, to evaluate all the athletic and artistic factors while considering all the rules … and to do it in a matter of seconds … puts judges on the hottest seat in the house.
So think about what it would be like to judge at the Olympic Games. That’s pressure!
This coming February in Vancouver, Canada will be sending 6 officials to the skating events at the Games. Keep visiting Skating 101 to learn more about these dedicated and knowledgeable experts.
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