Sixteen-year-old Kennedy Charles and 10-year-old Kendall, daughters of Joel and Dori, are soon on their way to Manitoba Winter Games in Thompson with Team West Speed Skating. Short track speed skating is new to the Games this year.
Kendall is excited and nervous to compete for the first time in Manitoba Games.
Kennedy Charles has just returned from Fort St. John, BC where she competed in the Canadian Jr. Nationals Long Track (ages 14 – 20).
“Junior Nationals is a challenge because of the age difference,” said Charles.
She skates both short and long track events, which are completely different.
The 400 metre long track has more straight-away skating, while in short track the skater is constantly turning.
“In short track it is very important to ‘build’ in the corners, because you only have such a small straight away. In long track you have to build pressure and keep the corners going.”
Solid coaching
With Westman Speed Skating Club the Charles are coached by Pat Leech. From Winnipeg, Tyler Williamson-Derraugh is provincial coach.
Leech has skated in the Lake Placid Olympics in 1980. Derraugh skated on the national team.
Most of the skaters train out of Winnipeg, but Charles and one male skater train in Brandon for the Provincial Team.
Meanwhile, her younger sister Kendall Charles is training with the Provincial Development Team.
Focus
Success depends upon commitment for both dry land and ice time in Brandon and Winnipeg, says Charles. “Always be focused and stick to the training schedule.”
Coach Derraugh drives to Brandon once weekly. The Charles family drives to Brandon, almost daily. In the short track season, Kennedy drives to Winnipeg every Friday.
Speed skaters were disappointed when Virden had to give a pass to this year’s Provincial Winter Games.
“The ice here in Tundra Oil & Gas Place would be a perfect short track,” says Dori Charles.
“She goes out and she does laps, but she can’t pick up her speed because there are no mats.”
Huge, heavy mats are required to cushion the boards for speed skaters. In Brandon the skaters use an indoor short track oval and in winter they skate on the long track outdoor oval.
Former figure skater
From frilly dresses to skin suits, long blades and a helmet, Kennedy Charles made a 180 degree turn from figure skating to speed skating. As a nine-year-old, Charles had just won a Regional figure skating title; but watching Cindy Klassen speed skating captivated her.
“I watched the 2010 Olympics. I asked my dad to figure it out and help me try it.”
This winter while in Calgary competing in Canada Cup competition Charles found herself in the presence of Olympic level athletes.
The long track Olympic trials were on.
“Right after we were done racing... we were cooling down from racing while they were warming up,” says Charles.
“I was from me to you away when Heather McLean found out that she made the [Canadian] team,” says Dori, seeing the overwhelming emotion the announcement brought.
Speed skates are very different from any other skates. Joel Charles sharpens his girls’ skates, every time they skate. A jig holds the skates upside down while the blades are hand-sharpened with a stone.
“Her dad is very much a tech,” says Dori. “If you strip an edge you are falling.”
Strategy of short track
Watching speed skaters, you are looking for the fast start off the line, getting into the corners fast without impeding other skaters.
“We have seen our Olympians being disqualified for interference,” says Dori.
Kennedy explains, “Say you’re in first position, and you are trying to pass them either outside or inside...it’s the oneness of the person that’s passing to not impede. As soon as you do, that there’s a penalty and you are disqualified.Yet you’ve got to be right there to take advantage of every opportunity.”
While she loves the outright speed of long track, the real challenge with short track in the upcoming Manitoba Games, is “you have to think on your feet.
“There’s up to seven people on the line (start). So you have a strategy going in, but someone could do the complete opposite of your expectation and mess up your strategy.”
There’s just over 30 seconds and five laps to do it right.
Speed skating in Thompson runs between Mar. 8-11.
