What Skating Programs Does the Saugeen Shores Skating Club Offer?

The Saugeen Shores Skating Club offers four programs: CANSkate, Pre-Star, STARSkate, and SynchroSkate. CANSkate is the entry point for beginners of any age, Pre-Star bridges learn-to-skate and figure skating while building hockey-relevant skills, and STARSkate is the advanced track for skaters pursuing ice dance, skills, freeskate, and interpretive skating. SynchroSkate appears in the club's program menu, though the site's program descriptions focus on the first three. The club also lists spring and summer skating sessions with registration available through its site.

CANSkate: The Entry Program

CANSkate is Skate Canada's flagship learn-to-skate program, and the club describes it as having taught "the best skaters in Canada how to skate" for decades. Key features:

• Progressive skill teaching in a group lesson format
• Delivered by Nationally Certified Coaches and Program Assistants
• Youth and adult programs are both available

This is the right starting point if the goal is simply to learn to skate for fun, to build fitness, or to establish the fundamentals before hockey or figure skating. No prior skating experience is implied as a requirement.

Pre-Star: The Bridge Program

Pre-Star is designed for skaters who have completed the beginner stage ("the slippery side of the sport," as the club puts it). It uses group lessons and shifts focus toward:

• Strength, speed, edges, and turns — skills the club notes are crucial for hockey players and figure skaters alike
• Basic jumps and spins for those planning to continue into STARSkate

Choose Pre-Star if the skater has basic skating ability and wants either a stronger foundation for hockey or a preview of figure skating elements before committing to STARSkate.

STARSkate: The Advanced Track

STARSkate is open to skaters of all ages who have moved through Pre-Star and want to develop more advanced elements. Participants train in four areas:

Progress is measured through standardized test evaluations by certified Skate Canada judges, so STARSkate suits skaters working toward formal achievement levels or competitive goals.

SynchroSkate

SynchroSkate is listed among the club's programs in its navigation menu. The site's program descriptions do not detail its format, schedule, or eligibility, so contact the club directly for specifics before registering.

How to Choose

• Never skated, or skating for fun/fitness: CANSkate (youth or adult stream)
• Basic skills in place, aiming at hockey or curious about figure skating: Pre-Star
• Ready for jumps, spins, dance, and formal testing: STARSkate
• Interested in team skating: ask the club about SynchroSkate

Registration and Contact

The club advertises spring and summer skating with a registration link on its homepage, and registration and schedule information is available through the site's Registration & Schedule page. For program placement questions, the club lists its contact email as [email protected]. Coaches named on the site include Janet Dawson, Brittany Sanderson, Cathy Champagne-Baker, Tamara Fenton, Jessica Ronholm, and Michelle Venne Wardrop.