Competitive
Program - Competitions & WO Teams
WO & Skate Canada competitive structure means competitive
opportunities for ALL skaters!
In partnership with Skate Canada, Skate Canada - Western Ontario
is working to deliver quality competitive programs for our skaters,
geared toward all ages, interests and abilities. It is hoped that
knowledge of the programs available for our skaters, summarized
below will allow for a greater understanding of the competitive
process and the many opportunities available in WO. This information
will hopefully enable skaters, coaches, parents and clubs to make
the best possible choices, and position our skaters realistically
within this structure.
This also shows how WO Section programs integrate
our athletes within Skate Canada's competitive structure.
Canadian, international, world and Olympic athletes
serve as inspiration to our up-and-coming young skaters.
Adult, special needs and varsity
events mean that skating can remain an activity and passion at
many levels for many years.
Competition announcements are assembled
by the Section Championships Chair in consultation with the WO
Championships Committee, and are available from our Competitions
page.
BMO Skate Canada Sectionals - Western Ontario
Sectionals identifies the top skaters in each province (Ontario
having four sections) for advancement to the next round of qualifying
events ultimately leading to Junior Nationals or the Canadian
Championships. Sectionals is a skater’s first exposure to
competitive stream competition, and is to be organized from a
technical perspective as closely as possible to the Canadian Championships
in terms of rules and competitive experience.
Each Sectionals Championships event is title sponsored by BMO,
and may be sponsored locally in accordance with the Skate Canada
marketing guidelines.
Sectionals allows the sections to feature and recognize their
talented skaters, train officials and volunteers, reward sponsors,
and provides entertaining skating for audiences at the provincial
level.
Western Challenge Team
The WO team to the BMO Skate Canada Western Challenge
is selected by protocol (placing) at the WO BMO Financial Group
Sectional Championships at the following levels: pre-novice, novice
and junior.
The team will represent WO at the BMO Financial Group Skate Canada
Western Challenge (one of 2 Qualifying Events being held to determine
the entries for the National and Junior National Championships.)
Juvenile, Pre-Novice and Novice skaters who qualify advance to
the Junior National Championships; Junior and Senior skaters who
qualify advance to the Canadian Championships.
Senior competitors may be required to skate to qualify at the
Challenge event. Juvenile champions from each section advance
directly to the Junior National Championships.
Future goals of this program are to have skaters from this team
reach the National Championships in all disciplines at each level
of competition. It is hoped to have team members participate in
special events throughout the year and assist with regional seminars.
Junior Nationals Team
The BMO Skate Canada Junior Nationals is the
national event for the top Juvenile, Pre-Novice and Novice skaters
from across Canada.
Competitors consist of the BMO Financial Group Sectional Juvenile
Champions in singles, pairs and dance, and the top third, rounded
to the next whole number, or top eight placed (whichever is greater)
pre-novice and novice finishers from each of the BMO Financial
Group Challenge events.
Canadians Team
The BMO Canadian Championships is the national
event for Senior and the top Junior skaters from across Canada.
This team is selected by protocol (placing) from the BMO Financial
Group Skate Canada Western Challenge for junior competitors; senior
competitors advance directly to Canadians based on their placing
at sectionals.
WO Canadian Team members generously assist and participate in
seminars and special events during the year that will help develop
our future teams.
WO Boston Pizza STARSkate Interclub
Championships (WO Interclub Championships)
All competitors in STARSkate categories may compete at this
event. There are no qualifying events for skaters entering the
WO interclub championships. Category criteria follow Skate Ontario
and National STARSkate event requirements.
Trillium STARSkate Championships (Ontario
Interclub Championships)
An Ontario championship from Skate Ontario, skaters qualify through
their own Section STARSkate Championships (Boston Pizza STARSkate
Interclub Championships) by placing first, second or third in
the respective categories.
Ontario Trillium Cup / Ontario Winter
Games
Another Ontario championship from Skate Ontario whereby competitors
must qualify through their own BMO Financial Group Sectional Championships
by placing 2nd, 3rd or 4th in juvenile ladies, men, pairs and
dance or 5th, 6th or 7th in pre-novice and novice ladies and men.
These events are alternated each year.
National STARSkate Championships
The gold medal winner in the triathlon and biathlon categories
at the WO Boston Pizza STARSkate Interclub Championships advance
to the Skate Canada National STARSkate Championships.
WO Select Team
This program is directed toward skaters competing at the sectional
level.
Skaters who placed 2nd, 3rd, 4th in the juvenile categories and
skaters who placed 5th to 8th in pre-novice, novice and junior
disciplines at the WO BMO Financial Group Sectionals will be invited
to participate on the Select Team.
The skaters are eligible to purchase a WO Provincial jacket at
a subsidized cost.
Skaters may be selected from this team to compete at the Ontario
Winter Games and/or the Ontario Trillium Cup, depending on the
year.
It is hoped that an enrichment seminar will be offered each year
for the skaters and their coaches.
Competitive Opportunity Program
This program is directed to skaters competing at the Sectional
levels. Selection comes from recommendations of coaches, skater
development committee and results from the summer competitive
competitions.
Singles skaters may be selected to represent the section at the
'SASK Skate' Invitation Competition in October. The section will
cover costs for expenses to the competition. [see
WO results from Oct 2006]
This competition provides a pre-Western Challenge experience
and helps contribute to the development of the competitive skaters
in our section.
WO Development Team Program
This program is available to any skater in Western Ontario Section
who is working on the Preliminary Freeskate test or has completed
all the Preliminary Dances. Age and Skate Canada tests passed
are the criteria for entry to the program.
There are up to 3 levels of categories in the disciplines of:
ladies, men, pairs and dance. Skaters must register for the program,
then register to compete in 2 of the designated competitions in
the fall. Each skater will be assigned points based on his/her
performance and placing at the events, and given a written evaluation
at each event.
The WOS Development Team is selected to represent WO
at a possible out-of-section competition. A training seminar for
all registered participants, their coaches and parents is held
generally in the spring. [More
info...]
Futures Events
Three competitions (Futures East, West & Central) are held
consecutively for our future stars. They include the following
singles categories: WO CanSkate, WO Recreational (Pre-Preliminary
Limited A & B to Preliminary Limited A & B) and STARSkate
(Pre-Preliminary & Preliminary).
Adult Events
Skate Canada Technical Guidelines for adult categories shall
apply to any Western Ontario competition specifically designated
to offer these categories. The WO Boston Pizza STARSkate Championships
event will provide a showcase for the adult categories. Other
invitational events may offer some or all of the adult categories.
The complete technical package is available from the Skate Canada
– Western Ontario Section office.
A national adult competition is held annually by Skate Canada,
and there are no qualifying requirements to enter this event.
[More info...]
Special Needs / Special Olympics Events
Western Ontario offers events to our special needs competitors.
The Futures East, West and Central, and other competitions will
offer these categories. These categories shall be as defined by
the Special Olympics technical guidelines. The complete special
needs technical package can be obtained from the Skate Canada
- Western Ontario Section office. [More
info...]
OUA – Ontario University Athletics Competitions
Varsity figure skating is currently offered only by Ontario University
Athletics (OUA), in partnership with Skate Canada.
Ten Ontario Conference universities compete annually at invitational
competitions and the OUA Figure Skating Championships. Five of
these university teams are in Western Ontario.
The OUA announcement package describes the categories and technical
requirements for varsity events offered during the season.
High School Invitational
This is a team high school competition that was held for the
first time in March 2005. It was an outstanding success in its
inaugural year with 17 schools participating! [More
info...]
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