THE move to bring two successful skating clubs together — one of them the former Isle of Wight Synchronised Skating Club — is taking them onto a new level, winning golds galore at the prestigious Trophy D’Ecosse.
Five teams from the Solent Synchronised Skating Club headed north of the border to take part in the recent three-day international competition, held in Dumfries.
First to compete on day one were their newest team, the Solent Droplets, who skated to music from enchanting Disney film, Encanto.
This was the first competition for this team, with many of the skaters' ages ranging from five to 12 years.
It was also the first time the team had skated their routine on a full-sized ice pad.
The Droplets, coached by Islander Roxy Collins, competed in the pre-juvenile category — amazingly scoring 15.54 points, to win the gold medal.
Roxy, an Island skater for many years, is now a coach at Planet Ice Gosport, coaching solo skaters and synchronised skating for Solent.
Juvenile team, the Solent Waves, also had the Midas touch, with a new personal best score of 39.14 for the quality of their spooky Addams Family mix routine.
So impressed they were by the performance, judges awarded the Waves the prize for most entertaining routine.
It was a fantastic achievement for the young team of skaters, whose ages range from nine to 15 years — particularly as they were pitched against strong competition from teams hailing from Dumfries, Nottingham and Sheffield.
On day two, the Solent Storm Junior B team took to the ice.
Due to illness, a few last-minute team changes were forced to be made the evening before the competition.
However, this did not stop the team giving a confident performance and, once again, they took first place gold.
Their fast-paced Shakira medley routine — which included a group lift — earned them a super score of 56.26.
Intermediate team, Solent Riptide, whose skaters range from 12-17 years, competed on the final day of the competition — giving a solid performance and receiving a well deserved silver medal.
Closing the competition was the beginner category.
The buccaneering Solent Splash — which comprised skaters with an age range of nine to 19 years — performed a pirate-themed routine ... and deservedly won gold.
It was a very successful second competition for the Solent Synchronised Skating Club, since their formation last year.
The Island group, which had struggled to operate since the closure of the Ryde Arena in 2016 — the only facility to have provided skating on the Isle of Wight — had been using Planet Ice Gosport, with support from Wightlink.
Solent spokesperson, Ruth Curtis, said: "Great skates and medals for all five of our teams.
"The club take part the Britannia Cup, which incorporates the British Championships in Nottingham this weekend."
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