After a successful showing at provincials, the Bonnyville Skipperoos are headed to the national stage.
During the provincial competition in Grimshaw from Saturday, April 6 to Sunday, April 7, the skipping group qualified in team events for the first time and four will be competing in individual categories, including endurance and 30-second speed.
Head coach Renee Marchildon saw the team make strides throughout the year.
”They tend to push themselves at practice, and we strive to beat their personal bests when it comes to speed and stuff like that and, hopefully, still beat those bests at competitions,” she said.
Eleven-year-old Izzy Watters competed in the 11 to 12-years-old category for speed, endurance, power, and freestyle.
To her teammates, Watters encouraged them to believe in themselves.
”They tried their best, and they did very good,” she said.
Watters finished second overall, and said she enjoys skipping, “because it’s competitive and you compete against a lot of girls.”
One of the highlights of provincials was what the athletes got up to when they weren’t in front of the judges.
”It’s a place where they get to be together with other skippers, and it’s a really awesome sport because... when they’re not actually out competing, they’re out in a practice gym with all the other skippers from all the other clubs learning new things,” detailed Marchildon. “It’s an awesome sport for that, where you’re always teaching everybody else.”
While the Skipperoos restarted the club in 2012, they have a history of being part of Rope Skipping Alberta.
”The Bonnyville Skipperoos were kind of the original club in Alberta,” Marchildon explained. “They actually went around to communities in Alberta to help promote the sport.”
Grimshaw, where provincials were held this year, started their own organization after the Skipperoos did a demo back in 1989.
Not only did the team have fun at provincials, but they came out on top, which has them heading to nationals in May. The event is being hosted in Olds, AB.
”I’m going to practice extra hard on the events that I qualified for,” expressed Kate-Lynn Mahon, who made it for 30-second speed and endurance for the 13 to 14-years-old category.
Marchildon said, “I’m just looking forward to going to nationals, and seeing what that has to offer.”
With all they’ve accomplished so far, Marchildon can’t wait to see what the team can do next.
”I’m definitely proud of how much they’ve worked, how much they pushed themselves, and they’re always coming up with new ideas and things that I can’t even think of. I’m like, ‘try it.’ Then, I can help them with executing it better.”
She continued, “A lot of them really love the sport, and just love to do it.”
