Breakaway club flourishing

Press, 5 October 1984, Page 10

Breakaway club flourishing

By

808 SCHUMACHER

A new ice skating club, Canterbury Alpine, can look back on its first winter’s activity with considerable satisfaction.

The start of the season, howeyer, was anything but satisfying. The Canterbury Alpine Ice Skating Club was formed by a breakaway group from the Mainland Ice Racing Club, in April, this year.

Dissatisfaction caused mainly through a clash of personalities resulted in a split in the Mainland club which, ironically, was formed in 1981 after a breakway from the Centaurus Ice Skating Club. The decision to form a

new club was made after the annual meeting of the Ice Racing Federation of New Zealand in Picton in April. Irregularities at that meeting led to the resignation of six members of the Mainland club’s committee.

The immediate past president of the club, Mr Barry McCallum, one of those to resign, said that he was urged by younger skaters to keep involved in skating. “I could have easily gone fishing.” But with the support of past skaters and former

members of the Mainland club, the Canterbury Alpine club was born within a fortnight of the annual meeting of the Federation after a well attended meeting at the home of Mr McCallum, who is the first president.

A constitution was written and the club was approved as an incorporated society. However, a snag occurred when it first applied to become an affiliated member of the Federation. Its application was not received favourably.

Mr McCallum would not disclose the reasoning behind the club’s rejection, but after work behind the scenes, the Canterbury Alpine club was accepted in time for it to be represented at the New Zealand 111 m track championships in Auckland in August. , The club, which has more

than 80 members, had 16 skaters competing in all grades at Auckland. The skaters did so well that Canterbury Alpine, in its debut at a national meeting, finished with the Dan Mellamphy Shield for the club gaining most points. Two of its members, Katrina McCallum and Robert McCallum, were selected in the New Zealand team to compete against Australia for the Tasman Trophy, and they played their parts as New Zealand won the contest for only the second time in 10 years.

Now that the club is firmly established and recognised, Mr McCallum is determined to see that it continues to flourish. He does not want the club to be

seen as one catering just for speed skaters — the recollection of social skaters leaving the Mainland club for that reason last year — being vivid in the memory. “We are encouraging skaters at all levels and ages. Those who wish to pursue the. sport of speed skating are fortunate to have top coaching available. A leading New Zealand senior skater, Tim McDonald, along with a veteran of the sport, Jan Havenaar, and his son, Jon, are on hand to help.

Mr Havenaar said that it has been especially pleasing to see skaters who had come along on figure skates being able to adapt to speed skates and have the confidence to compete at national championships within four to five months.

Enough people attended sessions on Sundays at the Centaurus rink to more than pay for the ice time bought

by the club last season. With the closing of the rink last week-end, the club is looking forward to the opening next year of an international rink in Christchurch whereby members will have skating opportunities all year round.

The summer months will not be idle ones for Canterbury Alpine members. A summer programme has started already and the club activities will not be confined to purely skating. Water ski-ing, discos, socials and picnics are all part of the scheme to keep people involved in the running of the club.

For the many good speed skaters at the club and for the many others who are making pleasing progress, a trip to Australia is possible next year. An invitation to the Australian championships is expected and the club would accept it readily, according to its enthusiastic president, Mr McCallum.