Sport Aberdeen’s Linx Ice Arena recently hosted the Aberdeen Linx Ice Skating Club Dance open competition on 29 and 30 May.  

Ice skaters travelled from across the country to take part, with Alana Pang coming up from Sheffield to compete in the junior ladies category.

Alana said: “I love competing in Aberdeen every year because it is the qualifier for the British Championships and the community here in Aberdeen is lovely. I also enjoy seeing all the Aberdeen skaters.”   

The marketing team from Sport Aberdeen got the chance to speak with three of the Aberdeen skaters on Monday morning.          

28-year-old Alisa Benzie – who only started ice skating lessons when she was 23 – came 1^st in the young adult pre-bronze pattern dance category earning 10.74 points, and this was her first solo dance competition.

Commenting on her love of ice skating, Alisa said: “I always wanted to ice skate as a kid, but I didn’t live near a rink so my Mum would always take me to Elgin and I’d go to a public skate session whilst she would do her shopping.

“Once I moved to Aberdeen and found adult lessons, I started going and within a week, I had my own ice skates and I’ve been coming ever since!”

Above: Alisa Benzie after achieving 1st place

Another skater Catherine Wright competed in the senior ladies category on Tuesday and remarked: “I absolutely love both skating and competing here in Aberdeen because the environment is so friendly and welcoming.

“I’ve been skating for 14 years now (since I was 10) and the thing that really drives me is that I feel so free on the ice.”

Catherine recently scooped gold at the adult nationals at Sheffield Ice Arena, competing in the highest competitive category for free dance and patterns sections – all whilst studying medicine at the University of Aberdeen.

The next competition she will compete in is the British Championships for solo ice dance later in the year.

Above: Catherine Wright during her performance

The final ice skater interviewed was Danielle Watson, who competed in the intermediate novice category and has been skating since she was 4 years old.

She said: “I’ve been raised with ice skating and it’s my whole life, I just love it so much.”

Above: Danielle Watson before competing

Congratulations to everyone who took part in the competition, and a huge well done to Ann Cronin, one of the coaches who is immensely dedicated to her students – travelling up and down the country for their competitions.

If you feel inspired and would like to find out more about how you could get your skates on and take to the ice, then visit the ice skating activity webpage here.

Above: Aberdeen ice skaters on Monday morning before competing