Sisters Carmen and Katie Ercolani are part of the Figure Skating Club. “We started performing at hockey games my sophomore year when Michaela Heuckendorf (‘15) was captain,” senior captain Katie said. The club was created a few years prior but had never performed.

Katie and Carmen both have been figure skating for many years; Carmen has been skating for twelve and Katie for thirteen. “Originally, our mom had signed us up for basic skating lessons and later we took private lessons,” junior captain Carmen said.

At first, figure skating was more of a recreational hobby, but then they started competing and loved it. “It is exciting to move up levels and compete,” Carmen said.

When starting figure skating, basic skaters learn two-foot spins and jumping from one foot to the other. They also learn crossovers, forwards and backwards, and how to move around the ice. “Then I started working on double rotates twice in the air,” Katie said.

Although the Figure Skating Club is small, the members make up for it with passion. There are six figure skaters in the club, including two freshmen, two seventh graders, and Carmen and Katie Ercolani, as well as senior manager Morgan Frank. “We don’t really have a coach, but we work with Ms. Weir who skated for the Gopher hockey cheerleading team,” Katie said. 

The team performs their routine between the periods at both boys and girls hockey games. The routine is performed to the song “Victorious” by Panic! At the Disco, and starts with freshman Alicia Fripp doing a death drop where she kicks up her legs and lands in a back sit spin. Freshman Jordan Stanke and Fripp do cross axles which are a 1½ rotation jump with a crossover and a jump. “Katie and I do duck under spirals where I duck under Katie’s leg,” Carmen said.

Performing at hockey games is more than just going out and skating. “During the performances, it is more about entertaining the audience,” Carmen said.

Like every sport, it takes practice. Though they practice a few times a month together, each skater practices more on their own time. “Individually, I practice six out of the seven days of the week for hours,” Katie said.

For Carmen and Katie, there is more to figure skating than what meets the eye.  “It is a part of our lives now. We don’t think about it. I don’t know what I would do without skating,” Katie said.

Though some sports start to seem like a job rather than a hobby, Katie and Carmen figure skate for the joy of it. “We don’t do it because we have to; we do it because we enjoy it,” Carmen said.