MORE AWARDS
MARILYN LEIGH TROPHY

The Marilyn Leigh award is given to the skater who successfully competes and places at the Central Regional Starskate Interclub Championships (formerly known at the All-Ontario Interclub Championships).

These are events involving a number of clubs in the same region or area. The competition categories offered generally fall in line with the applicable Skate Canada Section specifications, so that all Interclubs within the Section are standardized (this allows Skate Canada Sections to offer a Section Final). The National STARSkate Interclub Championship stream provides opportunities for skaters who want to remain in the STARSkate program but also want to have the challenge of competing up to a national level in a credible, nationally standardized event.

This award is given in honour of long-time club coach and Northern Ontario Coach of the Year recipient, Marilyn Leigh, who, at the time of the award’s inception in 1999, had been developing the talents of young skaters, both test and competitive, for 40 years.

SHARON HOLLOWS CANSKATER OF THE YEAR TROPHY

Sharon Hollows was one of many dedicated and honest officials that spent endless hours in arenas judging and evaluating scores of skaters each year.

Sharon had a vested interest in the skating and was encouraged by the late Rex Booker, who was very well known in skating circles as an Internationally ranked Judge. Sharon attended the seminars and courses required to become a judge, passed the necessary courses and began her 30-year career as one of the best known and respected judges in Northern Ontario. One year in particular Sharon judged more tests than anyone else in Canada.

Sharon always looked at the skater as a future potential no matter what level the skater performed. She recognized that the backbone of any club was its littlest skaters (now known as Canskaters) and that with encouragement every skater had the potential to succeed.

Due to illness, Sharon was forced to give up the work she loved but continued to be a lifetime honourary member of the Bracebridge Skating Club until she passed away in 2007. Her daughter, Cheryl, continues her mother's legacy as a high-ranked skating judge.

The Bracebridge Skating Club honours Sharon's dedication to cold arenas and mindless repetition on test days by naming the Canskater of Year Award in her memory. After all, this is where skating all begins.
Champions of Skating
Front Lt to Rt:
Morgan Gill, Abigail deGraaf
and 2008 Canskater of the Year Julia Best.
Back Lt. to Rt.
Award Presenters Katherine Malcolm, Niki White,
Amanda Ball.
BMO FINANCIAL GROUP CHAMPIONS OF SKATING AWARD

In1999 the Bank of Montreal (BMO Financial Group) established the Champion of Skating Awards (formerly the Spirit of Skating Awards) to encourage the future development of skaters. Each Skate Canada member skating club has the opportunity to award two champions of Skating medals at the Canskate level. Canskaters who are eligible must demonstrate the qualities that embody the Spirit of Skating - commitment, perseverance, dedication, passion, triumph and talent. Skaters must be enrolled in a Canskate program with an emphasis on personal achievements or accomplishments.
SYNCHRONIZED SKATING COACH'S ATHLETE OF THE YEAR TROPHY

This award was established in 2003 and the recipient is chosen given by the Synchronized Skating coach. It is to be awarded to the skater who shows outstanding skating strengths, agility, grace and leadership in a team setting. The award is only given if the skater shows abilities that “stand out” over the other team members and may not necessarily be awarded annually.
Meghan Eidt
with Coach Marnee Reid
2005/06 Recipient
BILL McKAY QUADRUPLE GOLD ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

The Club’s decision to honour William (“Bill”) McKay’s memory was an easy one. Since 1996 Bill was involved with the Club as a very active spectator or, as many knew him, a coaching enthusiast when he moved to Bracebridge from Lively, Ontario to be close to his son Don and his family.

Although Bill’s claim to fame was being a member of the Northern Ontario team that went to the Canadian Briar Curling Championships in the 1950’s, upon his retirement in the 1970’s, well-known Northern Ontario Skating Judge Chip Duncan encouraged Bill to learn to skate with a group of adults. Bill and his friends became very keen on the sport and would watch it on the TV in amazement at the moves and precision of the skaters.

When Bill moved to James Street Residence he found that he was only steps from the arena where he could watch his grandsons play hockey. But it didn’t take long for Bill to find out that we had some really great figure skating talent in Bracebridge. Bill always sat in the same seat in the stands but spent most of his time at the ice surface telling skaters what he thought they needed to accomplish that jump or spin. He never missed a practice, competition or carnival. He was always encouraging and concerned and upon his passing in 2004 he left a void in the Club’s colour and enthusiasm. To that end we honour his memory with the Quadruple Gold Achievement Award. The Quad Gold indicates that a skater has received gold level performance in four skating disciplines. The Club’s first recipient is Katherine Malcolm who acquired Quad Gold in Skill, Dance, Freeskate and Interpretive in 2005.
"Bill McKay Award"
Presented by Jean Lilly and
Scott McKay to First Recipient Katherine Malcolm (2005)
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Bracebridge Figure Skating Club
169 James Street, Bracebridge, Ontario P1L 2B8
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