An Axel is a figure skating leap that starts with a forward takeoff from the left outside edge and ends with a backward landing on the right back outside edge after 1 1/2 revolutions.
For skaters like Kyla Gauthier-Vogl, the Axel was a necessary progression she accomplished about a year ago. But to keep climbing the provincial ladder, she had to incorporate something different into her repertoire, and for the 12-year-old Prince George Figure Skating Club athlete that new trick was the double-Salchow.
To do that, she has to take off on the inside back edge of her left skate, leap high enough to complete two full revolutions and land on the right back inside edge. It's not easy.
It took her a few months to stick those landings with regularity but that day finally came. All that hard work in practice paid off in December for Gauthier-Vogl when she finished third in the StarSkate regional meet in Quesnel to qualify for her first provincial championship.
Gauthier-Vogl will be among 19 skaters in the junior bronze 12-and-under category at this weekend's Pacific StarSkate championships in Cranbrook.
The judges in Quesnel liked the fact Vogl-Gauthier landed her Axels cleanly and held tight rapid spins and that showed on her report card. Since qualifying for the Pacific StarSkate she's been concentrating in practice on refining her double-Salchow and flying camel spin and left the ice Wednesday morning feeling confident as she makes the long drive to Cranbrook today.
"It's exciting to be going to provincials, that's been my goal since I started skating," said Gauthier-Vogl. "I think I'll do good. My practice was good [Wednesday] morning [at Kin 2].
"I just hope to land my Axels and do good spins and good double-Sals," she said. "I'll just have to test the ice and see if it's soft. Hopefully it's like ours. I like hard ice."
Now in her fifth season of figure skating, the Grade 7 student at Southridge elementary school in on the ice practicing eight hours every week. She's happy with her progress and is staying focused on a longterm goal to step up to the competitive stream of figure skating within a couple years.
"Last year my Axels weren't very consistent and this year I'm landing ever single one," Gauthier-Vogl said. "My double-Sals are getting better every day. My main goal [this weekend] is to land two axels and try my hardest at my double-Sal and have good spins."
Her competition starts Friday at noon.
Gauthier-Vogl is among five PGFSC skaters who have qualified for the provincial meet. That list includes 16-year-old Chelsea Akerley, who will compete in bronze triathlon event; Samara Thew (junior bronze 13 -and-over); Shelby Scott (preliminary ladies 10-and-under); and Sydney Kelly of Vanderhoof (preliminary ladies 10-and-under).
"Since the girls qualified in early December they've been working hard and I see a lot of improvements in the quality of their solo run-throughs on a weekly basis," said PGFSC coach Andrea Ludditt. "Some of them skated at the end of January at Cariboots 'n' Blades, another practice competition, and that got them out on the ice on their own in front of judges for some feedback. So they've had another month to perfect things.
"Some of the kids had some small cheats on their jumps at regionals and now they've gotten them fully around and will get full marks for them. Based on what they've been doing in practice all of them are in decent position to get personal bests on their marks."
Kelly, 10, is looking forward to receiving her first skating report card in Cranbrook, where she will receive feedback from a panel of 15 judges. She's among 19 skaters in her class in Cranbrook.
"I just want to make my spins a little lower and have more speed," said Kelly. "The sit-spin is the hardest for me. I really like jumping. I just started landing my Axel last week. I've been working on that since last year."
