Angie Dorrington, whose husband, Frank, was a well known hockey star with the Corner Brook Royals, was a major force in the formation of the Club. She was also the Club's first professional instructor and continued to coach with the club for some 10 years. With the help of a small group of volunteers, the Club grew in size quickly from the original group of some 20 figure skaters.
As the Club grew in size, the achievements of our skaters mounted with many medals being won at various regional and provincial competitions. The Club hosted its first major competition in Humber Gardens in 1980 - Skate Atlantica - with participants coming from all over Atlantic Canada. Before and since, Silver Blades has hosted a number of successful regional and provincial competitions. As well, synchronized skating (precision team skating) has long been an integral part of the Club's programming. In 1983, Corner Brook was first represented at a national precision skating championship after winning the first Newfoundland and Labrador Championship. In 1997, the Club again sent a team to the national precision championships in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
After its early success, the Club fell on hard financial times in the early 80's. With the able guidance of dedicated volunteers, including Maude Fraser and Joan Targett, Silver Blades was able to continue to offer programming to the young people in our community. With the onset of the 90's the Club experienced large growth in its number of skaters and programs. This again was achieved due to the dedicated service of many volunteers and especially the strong leadership of Gary and Janet White. Another person who has continued to be of invaluable assistance to our skaters to this day has been Odelle Pike, whose first involvement with the Silver Blades Figure Skating Club began over 25 years ago.
Since then, the Club has also incorporated a speed skating program in hopes of developing the sport further in Newfoundland and Labrador.
As we look forward to our upcoming season in the Canada Games Centre, it is expected that Silver Blades will offer instruction to some 300 skaters including children as young as 3 years to adults. The Club presently has 4 full time professional coaches, including three who learned to figure skate through the Club, namely Lisa Young (King), Yvette Targett and Heather Sceviour (Smith).
While the Club did experience some regret in leaving the confines of Humber Gardens after so many years, we look forward to many more years of success in the Canada Games Centre. Continued quality programming, with an emphasis on fun will be our goal in the years to come.