Jamestown Skating Academy Remains In Good Hands

By Scott Kindberg

8/12/2007 - The Jamestown Savings Bank Ice Arena is white hot.

Hold on, don’t panic, there’s no need to call the fire department.

Kirk Wyse and Lenel van den Berg, co-directors of the Jamestown Skating Academy, have things completely under control.

Wyse and van den Berg took a rare break from teaching earlier this week to talk about the upcoming season for their figure skaters.

‘‘This time of year for us is comparable to a football coach in training camp,’’ van den Berg said. ‘‘It’s totally consuming, but we’re excited about our coaching more than ever.’’ ‘‘This place is on fire,’’ added Wyse.

That’s quite a statement, considering the tandem has been at it for two decades. But as they prepare their students for next weekend’s 11th annual Skate Chautauqua, Wyse and van den Berg have never been happier about the JSA.

‘‘Of all the years I’ve been teaching,‘‘ Wyse said, ‘‘this is the most positive I have ever felt about the upcoming season. Our kids are well-prepared, the new programs are excellent and we feel we have all our skaters in the right categories.’’ Long recognized for its excellence, the JSA has grown into one of the top training centers in the United States.

‘‘When Lenel and I began teaching together,’’ Wyse said, ‘‘we studied programs that were winning and financially successful, and figured out how we could build on the success that we were seeing in these other programs.’’

People from all over the East Coast are taking notice.

Consider: Not only is the Jamestown Skating Academy drawing students from throughout Western New York and Northwestern Pennsylvania, but they are also coming from Boston, Cleveland, Pittsburgh and Lake Placid. Others call New Jersey, North Carolina and Florida home.

‘‘The place has been packed,’’ van den Berg said.

Given the plight of many skating schools across the U.S. — many are experiencing difficult financial times, Wyse said — the Jamestown Skating Academy is thriving.

‘‘Our best asset right now is the talent of our skaters,’’ said van den Berg. ‘‘And, they are committed. When you have talented kids who are committed to being their best at a sport, the atmosphere is awesome. The kids are feeding off each other. There’s friendly competition happening all the time to be the best.‘‘

And while Skate Chautauqua kicks off the season, beginning Friday, the students at the JSA will have opportunities to show off their talents in various venues across the U.S. this fall as well. Among the destinations are Cleveland, New York City, Buffalo, Raleigh, N.C., Salt Lake City and St. Paul, Minn. ‘‘It makes you feel good,’’ said Wyse, who noted that he, van den Berg and seven other instructors are on the ice teaching from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily.

‘‘It’s eight hours of non-stop kids. It’s been a really motivating summer for us.’’

Skate Chautauqua begins at 8:30 a.m. on Friday at the JSB Ice Arena in downtown Jamestown and continues all day Saturday. For a complete schedule of events go to www.chautauquaice.com. Admission to the event is free courtesy of Chautauqua Ice and the JSB Ice Arena.

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