Spontaneous applause burst forth from the audience as Japan's Yui Kurihara danced across the rink at Friday Harbour in Innisfil.
The impromptu cheers were a welcomed sound to the seven skaters, as well the organizers of the Skate Escape event on Sunday.
“They’ve been practising on outdoor rinks for the past month, and last winter when they were locked out, they practiced on outdoor rinks,” Mariposa School of Skating spokesperson Trinette Goarley said. “The skaters have been working very hard to find opportunities to get out and perform and practice and this was the first opportunity for some of them to be front of people in two years.”
The small rink at Friday Harbour Resort doubles as a public skating rink and a performance venue for Barrie’s internationally recognized skating school.
However, international students like Kurihara have been few and far between during the pandemic, she said.
“So when Friday Harbour invited us to skate, we were all over the opportunity for our skaters so that they get comfortable in front of people again before they embark on competing,” Goarley said.
With a live DJ and a surprise appearance from Innisfil’s Grade 9 student Anna Goldsmith singing her original single Shine, the singer and skaters invigorated the crowd on an otherwise cold and grey January afternoon.
Which is exactly what organizer Haley Moore was anticipating.
With retail shops, restaurants and gourmet markets open to the public and Friday Harbour residents – in addition to a few pubs and the LCBO – Moore said she was pleased the Mariposa skaters’ entertainment was well received.
“It’s been really great for the community to be able to see and it’s definitely drawn some extra crowds out which has been fabulous. It’s really been a great partnership for both of us,” Moore said after the show.
Moore watched as Mike Marley steadied the learner’s skating device as his seven-year-old daughter, Isla, tentatively skated forward.
“Her grandma lives here, she has a condo, so we’re here all the time,” Marley said. “It’s her second time skating, so she’s actually doing really good. I’m pretty excited for her.”
A combination of Family Day and St. Valentine’s Day on Feb. 14 celebrations at Friday Harbour will offer special entertainers and events at fridayharbour.com/events and on social media.
