I/WSA continues partnership with the Crowne Plaza at Historic Union Station as their "Official Hotel."  The Crowne Plaza is located at Pan Am Plaza and is literally steps from the rink. They will offer the incredible room rates for I/WSA patrons of:

• Preferred corporate rate of $104 + 15% tax per room/night on Standard King and Standard Double rooms

• Preferred corporate rate of $129 + 15% tax per room/night on Executive Sleeping Rooms and Train Car Rooms

• Preferred corporate rate of $139 + 15% tax per room/night on Club Level Rooms

Visit the Crowne Plaza’s website at www.crowneplaza.com/ind-downtown or call 1-800-2CROWNE or directly to 317-631-2221. You must use the group code of “WSA” when calling. The Corporate ID number to book online is 100204098. Further questions may be directed by e-mail to jparshley@genhotels.com.

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I/WSA Pairs Sweep Pairs Competition and Junior Nationals

December 4, 2006

Congratulations to Cassie Andrews and Nicholas Andrews--2007 Intermediate Pairs National Champions!

Cassie and Nicholas placed 5th at the 2008 National Championships in their first year of Novice Pairs!

Congratulations to Carly and David Powers--2007 Juvenile Pairs National Champions!

Danielle Seitz advances to Nationals!

November 19, 2006

Congratulations to Danielle Seitz who finished 4th at the Midwestern Sectionals and will compete in Novice Ladies at Nationals.

Curling Stones arrive at I/WSA

November 9, 2006

Boatload of granite en route to Stevens Point due to rapid growth of curling

(STEVENS POINT, Wis.) - Around 13 tons of granite curling stones will leave Scotland Friday en route to a warehouse in Stevens Point, Wis. All told this adds up to 40 sets of curling stones (16 stones per set) that will be distributed to new curling clubs across the United States.

As curling continues to grow in the United States and worldwide, the demand for the granite used to produce curling stones has increased substantially, which has created a void in available sets and is hampering the development of new clubs. The World Curling Federation, based in Perth, Scotland, foresaw this looming problem in 2001 and revved up some old wartime landing craft to remove 2,000 tons of granite from Ailsa Craig, a volcanic island off the coast of Troon, Scotland. Now designated as a seabird sanctuary, Ailsa Craig has a long and storied history of providing the granite for the world's best curling stones.

The preferred granite used for curling stones is particularly dense and fine grained. The stones must be able to survive the constant impacts and friction from running across the pebbled ice during countless curling games.

The 2006 Olympic Winter Games created a surge in curling's popularity similar to the excitement after the 2002 Salt Lake Games. New clubs in California, Colorado, Mississippi, Indiana, Minnesota, New York, Texas, Washington and Wyoming have formed in the past several months and are in need of curling rocks. The clubs receiving the rocks are able to use them for two years at minimal cost through the USCA's Stone Loan Program in cooperation with the World Curling Federation. This allows the clubs to stir up additional interest in their communities and build the membership up. After the two-year contract, the clubs decide whether to return the stones or purchase them. If they purchase, they have five years to pay for them.

"It's a great opportunity to work with the World Curling Federation and offer this program," said Bev Schroeder, USCA Member Services Manager. "It gives the new clubs an opportunity to introduce the sport of curling in their area without having to invest a substantial amount of money. Hopefully, they will be able to initiate enough interest in their area to purchase the sets."

The shipment of rocks will hit the ocean on Tuesday and is anticipated to arrive in Stevens Point by Nov. 30. This logistically-challenging operation was made possible through arrangements by Peter Johansen of Great American Lines, a subsidiary of Fairfield Maxwell Ltd., and courtesy of a generous donation by Kay Sugahara of New York. Sugahara, a long-time supporter of curling and member of the Ardsley (N.Y.) Curling Club, is president of Fairfield Maxwell Ltd.

"I am always interested in providing new curlers more opportunities to play the game," said Sugahara, who was also a key supporter of some of the first World Curling Championships held in the U.S.

Since 13 tons of granite would create some logistical problems in the small basement office of the U.S. Curling Association, Worzalla Publishing has risen to the cause by donating temporary storage space in its warehouse. The stones will be sorted and shipped from there to the recipient curling clubs in December using the services of USA Curling's Official Cargo Carrier, AIT Worldwide Logistics.

Only two companies in the world produce curling stones - one in Scotland and another in Canada. Besides Ailsa Craig, the other major source of granite for curling stones comes from a Trefor quarry in north Wales.

The average cost for a new set of curling stones is $7,600, while used ones can be had for about $5,200. Well-cared-for curling stones can have a useful lifespan of up to 50 years, however. The World Curling Federation has created a loan-to-purchase program to help new clubs get up and running without having to carry the significant financial burden of purchasing the stones outright at startup.

USA Curling is sponsored by AIT Worldwide Logistics, AmerAust Technologies, Nike and The Hilton Family of Hotels as well as by AT&T, General Motors, The Home Depot, and Bank of America through a joint marketing program with the U.S. Olympic Committee.

For more information: Terry Kolesar Luder, USA Curling, terryk@curlingrocks.net, 715-344-1199

Kelley Morris-Adair is Elected as the next President of PSA

October 2, 2006

I/WSA's Kelley Morris-Adair, figure skating coach, was recently elected as the next PSA President.  Kelley has served as the Rating Chair for four consecutive years and the First Vice President for the last year.  Kelley's presidential term will begin at the conclusion of the National Coaches Conference in May, 2007.

"I am honored to have this opportunity and I look forward to continue the visions of the Professional Skaters Association," said Kelley.

 Congratulations, Kelley!

14th Annual Fabulous Fall Free Family Skating Weekend

September 14+15, 2007

The 13th annual Fabulous Fall Free Family Skating Weekend is a fun-filled weekend of free family ice skating, broomball, group lessons, public skating, and a youth hockey game.  Skating sessions include free skate rental, lots of prizes and hungry skaters can enjoy a hot dog and a Coke® for a dollar!  Local figure skaters will be performing figure skating exhibitions.

RADIO DISNEY broadcasted from 1pm-3pm in the American Rink

FREE Curling clinic will be conducted from 11am - 1pm (participation is limited)

PLEASE contact us at (317) 237-5565 for curling registration information to reserve your spot!

Indiana Ice Times Seeks Stories for Next Edition

Indiana Ice Times is a newsletter produced by Indiana/World Skating Academy for skaters, coaches, hockey players, curlers, and others involved in ice sports in Indiana.  We welcome articles and information about skaters, clubs, competitions, tournaments, and training programs to include in this newsletter.  Photographs will also be accepted.  Please include a name and phone number with any information submitted.  The next issue will be published in January.  The deadline to submit articles and photos is December 31, 2006.  In order to submit an article, please e-mail it to cspurgeon@iwsa.org or mail it to:

Courtney Spurgeon

201 South Capitol Ave Suite 001

Indianapolis, IN 46225

Nicholas Anderson and Cassie Andrews chosen as members of the U.S. Developmental Team

July 1, 2006

I/WSA pair skaters Nicholas Anderson and Cassie Andrews were recently chosen as members of the United States Developmental Team by U.S. Figure Skating.  They were chosen because of their first place performance in the U.S. Junior Figure Skating Championships.  Each Developmental Team athlete will receive supplemental funding in the amount of $1,500 to enhance his or her training and development.  The money can be used towards items that will improve the quality of the pairs' skating.  The objective of the program is to identify and develop athletes who have future potential to represent the United States in international competitions.  Congratulations, Nicholas and Cassie!

Curling is Coming to Butler
 

May 3, 2006

Get out your brooms, gloves and stones – if everything goes as music/media arts major Bobby Phillips planned, curling is coming to Butler.

Yes, curling – that odd-looking sport that seems to captivate the country every four years during the Olympics – will be a new club sport in the fall, pending approval of the Student Government Association.

Phillips already has enough players for a team (it’ll be him, pharmacy major Mike Erdman and business majors Rachel Buetens and Nolan Yeakley), someone to teach them (Ryan Brown, an experienced curler who attends Indiana University), a place to play (the Indiana World Skating Academy in downtown Indianapolis), a faculty adviser (Associate Music Professor Frank Felice) and the support of College Curling USA.

He even has a T-shirt slogan ready: Butler University Curling – It’s Sweeping the Campus.

“It was almost sort of a joke at the beginning – this is a really strange sport and it would be cool if we could do it, so let’s try it,” Phillips said. “Then we saw it was possible. We threw a little work in, things were going our way, and then we kept putting more and more work into it and found that the more work we did, things could really go our way.”

Phillips, a freshman from New Hartford, Conn., became interested in curling after watching the Olympics. He started looking into the feasibility of curling in Indianapolis and found no local organizations devoted to the sport. An Internet search led him to the College Curling USA Web site, which gave him the basics needed to get going.

He needed a place to play. So he approached the Indiana World Skating Academy (iwsa.org), which said it would make the special ice preparation needed for curling and put down curling lines.
He needed curling stones, which cost around $4,000. Through a World Curling Federation loan program, the Butler team will borrow stones for up to three years.

He needed guidance. So he turned to Rich Larko, executive director of College Curling USA. At first, Larko was reluctant because Indiana isn’t a curling state.

“Bobby contacted me during the Winter Olympics and said he wanted to get curling started at Butler,” Larko recalled, “and I said to myself, ‘Oh, no, here’s another one who wants to curl where there are no curlers, no curling ice, no instructions, no nothing.’”

But Phillips was persistent, and so Larko began to help him piece things together. He put Phillips in touch with Ryan Brown at IU and sold them both on the idea of holding joint practices at the Skating Academy as a way to conserve money. Previously, Brown and his IU curlers, all from Chicago, would practice when they went home for breaks.

Larko now is also working with a group from Purdue that hopes to start curling in the fall.

“So the impossible has become possible, mainly because of the extra work done by Bobby Phillips, and Ryan Brown’s expertise at curling and instructing rookies how to curl,” Larko said.

In the fall, Butler students will find Phillips and his fellow Bulldog curlers at Block Party and elsewhere, looking for others who want to join them in the world of curling. They’d like to find six more players – enough to have a second team of four and two alternates.

“This started out as something that looked like a fun thing to do,” Phillips said. “It looks like everything is falling into place. We’ll see how it goes.”

-Story submitted by Marc Allen, Butler University

DOYON TAKES OVER FOR INDIANA JUNIOR ICE

FORMER NHL DEFENSEMAN ALSO PLAYED FOR INDIANAPOLIS ICE

April 20, 2006 

INDIANAPOLIS, IN-- The Indiana Ice announced today that Mario Doyon will be Head Coach of the Indiana Junior Ice (Midget Majors U18 Team) for the 2006-07 season.

 The Indiana Junior Ice is an Elite AAA Midget Program stationed here in Indianapolis that sent five players to the USHL’s Indiana Ice last season.  Forwards Eric Miller, Greg Braun and Bobby Dalzell, defenseman Matt Smith and goaltender Nathan Pellegrino all received call-ups last season to the Indiana Ice.

 Born in Quebec City, Doyon was a 1986 NHL Draft Pick of the Chicago Blackhawks and played 16 years of professional hockey which included stops in the NHL, IHL, AHL, CHL and Europe.  He played in 28 NHL games with Chicago and Quebec and scored seven points (3G, 4A) to go along with 16 penalty minutes. 

The former defenseman also played for the IHL’s Indianapolis Ice in 1989-90 and the CHL’s Ice in 2003-04.  He began his hockey career playing Major Junior in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) as he spent three seasons with the Drummondville Voltigeurs.

 The 37-year-old Doyon resides in Avon, IN and is married to wife, Amy.  He has been part of the local youth hockey movement as he has spent the last three seasons coaching his two sons, Drew and Riley.

 Those players interested in trying out for the Indiana Junior Ice can contact Doyon at (317) 502-6597 or by e-mail at madoyon@sbcglobal.net.   For try-out information, check out www.indianajrice.com.

I/WSA Hosted Indiana Special Olympics State Competition

March 9, 2006

I/WSA hosted the 2006 Indiana Special Olympics State Competition on March 9th, 2006.  Over 50 athletes came from all over the state to compete in Figure Skating Badge levels 3, 4, 5 & 6, Freestyle levels 1 & 4, and Speed Skating at distances of 111 meters, 333 meters & 500 meters.  A huge thank you goes out to all of the athletes, family members, and volunteers that made this event such a success. 

Abigail Legg finishes 16th at Nationals

In her first experience competing at Nationals, Abigail Legg skated in the same warm-up group as Emily Hughes and Sasha Cohen for the Short Program.  She wasn't intimidated at all.  She skated with confidence, cheered on by close to 100 fans from I/WSA Figure Skating Club and many family and friends from Iowa.  Abigail said that it was everything she could have imagined times ten.  She finished in 16th place overall.  Congratulations, Abigail!

Abigail Legg qualifies for Nationals in Senior Ladies

Congratulations to I/WSA skater and coach, Abigail Legg, who qualified for Nationals in Senior Ladies in her first year of competition as a Senior Lady.  Abigail says she is thrilled to have qualified for Nationals and if she makes it further she would like to represent Team USA in International competitions this upcoming season.  Abigail is coached by Pieter Kollen, Kelley Morris-Adair, and Donald Adair.

Cassie Andrews and Nicholas Anderson-Juvenile Pairs National Champions

Congratulations to our skaters, Cassie Andrews and Nicholas Anderson, who successfully captured a title of National Champions in Juvenile Pairs at the 2006 Junior Nationals in Westminster, Colorado!

Congratulations also to David and Carly Powers who finished in 6th place in the Juvenile Pairs Final Round.

I/WSA also wants to congratulate their coaches, Serguei and Elena Zaitsev.

Kelley Morris-Adair is Elected First Vice President of the PSA

I/WSA's Kelley Morris-Adair, figure skating coach, was recently elected to the Executive Board of the Professional Skaters Association as First Vice President.  Kelley has served as the Rating Chair for three consecutive years and will continue to hold that position as well as her new one.

  "We are delighted to have Kelley serve as a vice-president to the PSA.  Over the years, Kelley has demonstrated her knowledge and experience in various positions with the organization.  We look forward to adding her expertise to the executive board and to the enhancement of our mission of providing education and accreditation to ice skating professionals," said PSA's Executive Director, Carol Shulman.

Congratulations, Kelley!

I/WSA Figure Skaters Finish Strong at Regionals

The Eastern Great Lakes Regionals were held at Carmel Ice Skadium at the end of October.   At this competition, several I/WSA figure skaters qualified for Sectionals and Junior Nationals. Abigail Legg placed third in Senior Ladies;  Cara Kinney placed first in Junior Ladies; Nicholas Anderson placed fifth in Intermediate Men; David Powers placed fifth in Juvenile Boys;  Cassie Andrews placed first in Juvenile Girls;  Cassie Andrews and Nicholas Anderson placed second in Juvenile Pairs; Carly and David Powers placed third in Juvenile Pairs.  All of these skaters train full-time at Indiana/World Skating Academy.  Their coaches include I/WSA's Pieter Kollen, Kelley Morris-Adair, Serguei Zaitsev and Elena Zaitsev.   Midwestern Sectional Championships are in Littleton, CO in mid-November and Junior National Championships are in Westminster, CO in December.  Best of luck to all skaters!

Indiana/World Skating Academy held its 11th Annual Fabulous Fall Free Family Skating Weekend, October 15-16, 2005

It was a fun-filled weekend of free family ice skating, broomball, group lessons, public skating, youth and adult hockey games.  Skating sessions included free skate rental, lots of prizes and hungry skaters enjoyed a hot dog and a Coke® for a dollar!

 
The Indiana Ice players and mascot were on hand to sign autographs.

 Local figure skaters performed figure skating exhibitions thought the day and local speed skaters demonstrated speed skating.
The three schools with the highest percentage of student attending received a free ice skating party!

Those schools were:

Westlake Elementary (Wayne Township)

George H. Fisher School #93 (IPS)

Rosa Parks Elementary (Perry Township)

Students from over 175 schools attended this year's event.  We had over 1,000 participants this year!

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