Frequently asked questions about Parade Figure Skating Club and SportQuest Skating Academy and the organizations to which they are affiliated.

What's the difference between the ISI and USFS skating organizations?

What is Starlight Ice Dance Club?

How is Parade Ice Garden related to Parade FSC?

How do I get a PFSC/SQSA team jacket?

What is the Spring Ice Show?  Who can participate in the show?

What's the difference between the ISI and USFS skating organizations?

The Ice Skating Institute (ISI) is an organization formed by ice rinks, skating clubs, professionals and skaters to promote the sport of figure skating with particular attention to offering a structured learn to skate program as well as a test and competition program that promotes skating achievements in a team atmosphere where recreational figure skaters are welcomed, cheered and encouraged to progress.

United States Figure Skating (USFS) is the governing body for figure skating in the United States and is the organization that offers the system of qualifying competitions that enables top American skating athletes to qualify for US Nationals.  The USFS further designates the United States skaters who compete in the ISU (International Skating Union) international competitions including Worlds and the Olympics.  SQSA has had two skaters in recent years qualify to compete at US Nationals! SQSA skaters who compete and test in USFS sanctioned events generally do so as associate members of the Starlight Ice Dance Club, which is a USFS club which makes its home rink at Parade.

This competition year the USFS National Championships will be held at the Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul MN  from January 20-27, 2008.  Two of our skaters who train at Parade and are members of Starlight  will be competing at Nationals:  Rohene Ward, Senior Men  and Kirsten Olson, Junior Ladies. Come and cheer them on.

A very large number of our skaters test and compete in both the USFS and the ISI structures. The fun and teamwork aspects of ISI type events provide a valuable balance to the more intensely competitive nature of USFS.  Our ice sessions tend to be very fast moving but are also characterized by big smiles and an obvious love of skating by our athletes, and while this can be a bit overwhelming for young skaters, we also find that the young skaters progress very rapidly as they emulate and are inspired by high achieving skaters who are barely one or two years older than them.

What is Starlight Ice Dance Club?

Starlight Ice Dance Club is a skating club organized in accordance with and affiliated with the United States Figure Skating Association (USFS) , which is the governing body for figure skating in the United States.  Starlight IDC offers a convenient way for skaters (individual, pairs, dance, synchro) who train at Parade to join the USFS.   Membership in Starlight Ice Dance Club includes membership in USFS.  This permits our skaters to test in the USFS test structure and to compete in USFS sanctioned events, including the series of annual qualifying competitions which can lead skaters to participation in the USFS National Figure Skating Championships.

How is Parade Ice Garden related to Parade FSC?

Parade Ice Garden is a facility owned and operated by the Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board. PFSC and  Parade Ice Garden is located  right  next to the world famous Minneapolis Walker Art Center and the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden close to downtown Minneapolis MN, conveniently located less than one mile from the intersections of Interstates 394, 94 and 35W.  Parade Ice Garden is located next to the Uptown district of Minneapolis where a wide variety of restaurants, coffee shops, gourmet supermarkets and shops are located. The Blake School High School Campus is kitty corner from Parade Ice Garden.  Parade Ice Garden is about 4 blocks down the parkway from the Mary Tyler Moore house, famous from the TV series, and currently on the market, after a recent restoration, for $3.6 million!  Parade Ice Garden has two full 200x85’ surfaces plus a studio rink that measures 96’x56’ and is a great venue for our Learn to Skate program as it provides a less intimidating surrounding to our youngest skaters.

Together, PFSC and SQSA, with the support of Parade Ice Garden provide over 20 hours of prime time after school and early evening, coordinated schedule, figure skating ice each week during the school year.  Additionally Parade Ice Garden designates much of its off-peak morning and early afternoon ice throughout the year as Pro's Ice for figure skaters to practice their skills or take a lesson from their coach. 

PFSC sponsors and encourages participation in its ISI Synchronized Skating Lines, which in 2007-2008 includes the Polarettes Teen Synchronized Skating Team, the Polar Edge Senior Youth  Synchronized Skating Team and the Polar Express Youth/Jr. Youth Synchronized Skating Team.  In addition we sponsor the Penguins Intro to Syncro Learn to Skate class which operates just priot to the Fall and Winter Tuesday Learn to Skate Classes.  Synchronized skating is a team sport in which a team of generally between 8 and 16 skaters skate in a coordinated pattern type skating.  Think of it as dance line on skates! This is a growing collegiate sport with many universities now offering scholarships to qualified experienced synchronized skaters. Click on the following link  Miami University, Oxford, Ohio and we think you will be surprised at how synchronized skating has become a well recognized collegiate sport and a valuable alternative track for the solo competitive figure skater especially as they start thinking about college!

PFSC sponsors the Penguins, a hybrid learn to skate/introduction to synchronized skating class held on Tuesday afternoons in both Fall and Winter seasons for younger skaters generally in Kindergarten through 3rd grade.  Most, after a few years, then advance to the Polar Express youth synchronized team, and from there to the Polar Edge Senior Youth synchronized team before making it on to the Polarettes Teen synchronized team.

PFSC encourages its member to compete in the Parade Blades of March ISI competition as well as in other ISI recognized competitions in Minnesota and in the region.  In addition we recognize our many members who compete in USFS sanctioned events throughout the United States.  This coming year you will see the SQSA PARADE team jacket on the backs of our skaters at competitions such as the USFS WIM Milwaukee Open, the ISI Worlds Competition in Chicago, the Chicago DuPage Open USFS  competition, The USFS Liberty competition in Philadelphia as well as the USFS Upper Great Lakes national qualifying competition which this year is to be held in Cedar Rapids Iowa. 

How do I get a Parade/SQSA team jacket?

You can order the team jacket by going to the Member Benefits page.

PFSC subsidizes the ice costs of the ice contracts it offers to its members through the profits earned in the annual Blades of March ISI competition held on Sat and Sunday, the first weekend of each March. As a result, during the 2007-2008 year, PFSC was able to price the ice it offers at a rate of $12.00 per skater per hour long session, compared to the normal ice cost of $13.50. As such PFSC expects its members to volunteer to assist in running the Blades of March competition, as well as in the PFSC produced annual ice show, held the last weekend in April.  The SQSA contract ice sessions were all priced at 13.50 per hour for PFSC/SQSA members. 

What is the Spring Ice Show?  Who can participate in the show?

The Annual Ice Show in late April is open to all skaters who are members of PFSC/SQSA and in the SQSA Learn to Skate School and the PFSC Penguins Introduction to Synchro program.  In addition PFSC/SQSA works with the Minnehaha Academy Learn to Skate School and welcomes their skaters to participate in the annual ice show.

 

The normal PFSC/SQSA school ice year runs from September through April.  During May a 2-3 week mini ice session is offered.  Parade Ice Garden usually closes for maintenance for about 2 weeks at the end of May and then in early June reopens at which time our SummerQuest program starts.

 

PFSC and SQSA are proud to attract and welcome members from all quadrants of the Twin Cities and beyond.  All of our skaters are members of Parade FSC which permits them to skate on our Synchronized Skating lines and skate on the PFSC contract ice sessions on Wed and Thursday evenings and Saturday mornings.  Most of our skaters then further upgrade their membership to the joint PFSC/SQSA membership level which permits them to contract ice on the Monday, Tue, Wed afternoon, Thursday Afternoon, Friday and Saturday SQSA ice sessions.  There is essentially no difference between the PFSC and SQSA ice sessions other than the cost.  The sessions designated as PFSC sessions are offered by the Parade Figure Skating Club (PFSC) at a discounted rate as we subsidize the ice costs for our members with the surplus we generate during the Blades of March competition that is hosted by PFSC. We also try and encourage the use of the last PFSC Wednesday and Thursday session for our younger skaters as these are traditionally the ice sessions with the lower participation by our older stronger skaters, so that the younger skaters have a bit more room to spread their wings.

 

PFSC operates a web site www.paradefsc.org, which is constantly updated with the most current information for skaters who skate and train on PFSC and SQSA ice as well as offering current information and forms for Learn to Skate programs.  Please bookmark this web site and check it often for the most current calendar of ice schedules and events.  

 

SQSA and PFSC are proud to be the home training venue for Rohene Ward, a USFS National Competitor in 2006 in the Senior Men's Division.  While still training as a competitive skater, Rohene also coaches and provides skating program choreography instruction to many of our skaters.  

 

SQSA verifies that professional coaches (pro’s) teaching on PFSC/SQSA ice are qualified and insured.

Please contact any of the PFSC Board Members or SQSA officers for any additional questions or concerns.

·         For General Information on PFSC and SQSA programs please call