The South Jersey Roller Skating Club, which is hosted by Young’s Skating Center, participated in the Tri-State Figure & Dance contest on February 4th in Delanco, NJ. Six club skaters brought home a total of 12 metals for gold, silver and bronze placements, which were spread across multiple skating events. Events for this competition included figures, loops, American and International dance for team and solo skaters. Youth Development Program events were also held for the less experienced skaters. All events were divided by age and skill level categories. Participating Club members were Alivia Spitz (skated in the World Skate Solo Freedance event), Angelica Baglio (skated in figures and dance events), Felix Wu, Logan Brown, Serenity Wu, and Henry Van Worst (skated in the Youth Development Program figures and dance events).
On December 28, 2023, Club skaters were tested for their proficiency in figure and dance skating. A panel of certified judges determined if each skater was ready to compete. Judges looked for multiple abilities in addition to basic skating skills for figures, dance, and freestyle skating. Skaters received a reward for each category they completed with acceptable skill levels.
South Jersey Roller Skating Club skaters are offered the opportunity to participate in roller skating competitions held at skating rinks throughout the U.S. from January through June. Nationals are held in July in Lincoln, Nebraska.
For a skater focusing on international skating, Worlds are held in a different country each year. One of the club’s coaches, Jimmy Lemma, has been to numerous world competitions with his skaters. Roller skating is just like any other sport shown on TV. Skating programs offer a healthy form of exercise along with entertainment for all ages.
