By: Debbi Wilkes

For former national and international men’s competitor and retired World and Olympic Coach Louis Stong, skating was not top-of-mind for him as a young hyper active boy cavorting around his grand parents’ farmhouse in Elgin Mills near Richmond Hill north of Toronto.

His Ukrainian family loved all kinds of traditional music, particularly polkas and folk dances. On Sundays the radio was on constantly with Louis dancing wildly to every beat. His creative imagination was waking up.

Photo Credit: Skate Canada

But his deep love of movement didn’t begin at the skating rink. That talent was discovered and nurtured at the Birdsall Dance Academy when his mother enrolled him for lessons as an antidote to some of his excessive energy. It was there he learned about ballet and tap and the early development of what would become modern dance. Most importantly, he learned about the sophistication of music and the value of creative movement.

His introduction to skating happened by accident when his Mom took him to see the Ice Follies where he witnessed debonair star Richard Dwyer, an inspirational moment that led his Mom to enroll Louis at the East York Skating Club in Toronto. His first year found him performing in the annual ice show … as a firefly … but in true Louis fashion, he kept pestering his coach Kate Amyes, “You know, I’d really rather have a solo!”

Photo Credit: Skate Canada

Belonging to the East York club was just the beginning of Louis’s club adventures. As his interest grew, he joined the University Skating Club at Varsity Arena to be coached by Ellen Burka and then on to the Metropolitan Ice Skating School in Weston where his competitive career really began to flourish under the tutelage of Marg and Bruce Hyland who also taught at the Oakville FSC. When the Hylands expanded their reach to the Unionville Skating Club, Louis followed.

Looking back over all the remarkable adventures he has had in skating, from his own competitive career, to coaching World Champions, to being recognized as one of the most sought after coaches in the world, it’s rehearsing and performing in club ice shows which are many of his favorite memories.

Photo Credit: Skate Canada

Why? Because of how the shows brought the community together. Whether club member, parent, or town resident, being involved to make the show a success was everyone’s top priority.

Fathers operated the spotlights; Moms ran the make-up tables and dressing rooms; Coaches were the backstage staff; and costumes were designed and sewn by volunteers in local living rooms.

As an example from Unionville, Louis remembers the joy he felt in the role of the Tin Man from the Wizard of Oz. “I didn’t have to be the hero … I just wanted to do something fun and creative.” Whether it was playing a character, having a starring role or inventing a routine for a two-man skating horse with Guy Revell, Louis felt challenged in very special ways. This sense of community, the production skills he learned and the pride in seeking perfection were values fostered by those experiences, ones which Louis has carried with him throughout the years.

“Those were remarkable times. In a decrepit arena where ice formed on the inside of the dressing room walls, the power of community was there for everyone to see and feel.”

Photo Credit: Skate Canada

Similarly, later in Louis’s professional career, the Oakville Skating Club provided Louis and his wife, Marijane, with the opportunity to develop many skills, honing their competitive and artistic sensibilities.

Together with Carl and Joan Harrison, Eleanor McLeod and Norma Petriska, a fabulous team of coaches emerged to produce magic for the club’s annual ice show. Using a live orchestra and rehearsing to a live piano brought back memories of the years at the Bridsall Dance Academy where it all began.

The club ventured into some very sophisticated themes, one year even producing Shakespeare ‘s ‘A Mid- Summer Night’s Dream’ in three Acts. By then, the club’s competitive population had grown so much that a double cast was necessary. Most characters were played by two different skaters; an afternoon performance would see one cast while in the evening an entirely different cast would perform.

The costumes and set designs were of the highest professional quality making the show like going to the theatre. In everyone’s eyes and especially for Louis, “It was top notch!”

Ice show memories aside, Louis’s advice today goes straight to the core of skating. He feels a club’s primary responsibility is to teach members how to SKATE. Good coaching of the basics and ample ice time breed success whether it’s in figure skating, hockey or speed skating.

To accomplish this Louis recommends that every club should have a vision of what it wants to be, competitive or recreational, both types essential to the advancement of the sport.

Photo Credit: Skate Canada

He sums it up with typical Louis wisdom. “Very few clubs can be all things to all people … but all clubs can provide good things to a lot of people.”