By: Pj Kwong

There’s something mesmerizing about watching skaters flying around the rink in practice. With that in mind, I decided just for fun, to head a few miles up the road from my house and see what was going on at Ice Dance Elite in Scarborough, home to Canadian champions and three-time World medallists Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier.

With the deadline looming to head to the 2025 National Skating Championships, the skaters are in hard core prep mode.

Preparing for a national figure skating competition requires a combination of physical training, mental preparation, and strategic planning. Skaters must dedicate countless hours to perfecting their routines, focusing on technical elements such as jumps, spins, and footwork, while also refining their artistry and presentation, even over the holidays! There is always last minute tweaking happening and it’s a treat to watch that in real time.

It was fun to see the skaters who are also obviously working closely with their coaches to fine-tune choreography and ensure their programs meet scoring requirements. My long-time friend and former coaching buddy Carol Lane shared with me that ‘making it’ to Nationals is as significant for coaches as it is for the skaters they helped get there. “It is a confidence boost for sure as a coach to be part of a team that brings skaters to the pinnacle of skating in the Canadian calendar,” said Carol. “The other amazing thing is being in the company of all the other coaches. We get the chance to catch up and share what’s going on but also the tips and tricks we used to arrive there. I always feel as if I come away from Nationals with a fresh perspective and a new idea or two.”

The 2025 Canadian National Skating Championships are taking place in Laval, QC at Place Bell from January 14 – 19, and feature the country’s best junior and senior athletes in the men, women, pairs, ice dance, and synchronized skating disciplines. For more information, visit: skatecanada.ca/event/2025-canadian-national-skating-championships/

Sophia Gover and Billy Wilson-French are headed to Laval for the second year as Juniors. I got the chance to chat with them about their goals for Nationals.

Senior ice dancers Nadiia Bashynska and Peter Beaumont are still getting back to normal after a serious sprain from an ankle roll off a curb for Nadiia In Nice in late October. Frankly speaking, watching them skate offered no hint of injury. Here is how they talked about their pre-Laval training:

Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier are the defending and three-time Canadian champions and are the kind of ice dance team whose material will continue to play over and over in the YouTube playlist in my mind. Here is how they see their pre-Nats preparation and please note that I incorrectly said they were 2x World medallists when in fact they have three:

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