‘Committed and working hard’: Speed skating head coach talks team’s first skate of the new season

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — While it’s still a few weeks before the weather gets cold and the leaves begin to fall, it’s already full-on winter inside the Pomeroy Sport Centre.

It may be mid-August, but the ice oval is fully in, frozen and prepared for members of the Fort St. John Speed Skating Club (FSJSSC), which is holding its first skate of the season.

The sport has a rich history in the city, with roots tracing back to the mid-1960s. The first oval for the club was an outdoor one, at the very space which now houses its current indoor track.

Names like Kaylin Irvine, Denny Morrison, Joshua Telizyn, who trained in Fort St. John and went on to compete in the big lights of the World Cup circuit and the Olympics, some under the eye of FSJSSC’s head coach, Richard Stickel.

Initially a hockey coach, he’s now been coaching speed skaters for a quarter of a century.  Throughout the session, Stickel gathers his flock like a shepherd, instructing them on the fundamentals and getting the youngsters accustomed to the feel of the ice after a long summer.

Racers on this particular Monday evening are between 11 years old and master skaters well into their 20s.

“I’ve got quite a big group of 11-year-olds that we just brought up,” said Stickel. “For most, it’s the first time on long track blades this year. We really want to just build that strength.

“If you ever watched speed skaters, they skate in a really low position, and it takes a lot of strength to stay down there.”

The team members glide around the 400 metres with grace and precision. Some older skaters go faster than the younger talent, and some even come to the head coach after around 20 or even 30 minutes to say they have had enough.

While he has seen a lot of skaters in his 25 years, Stickel seems enthusiastic about this current crop of skaters, who he feels have the potential to succeed at a higher plateau of competition.

“There are some really good skaters in here,” said Stickel. “It’s hard, like anything else, to make that next level. But there are some kids with some real drive who want to do well.”

Although northeast B.C. has a long winter, there are a few months of the year where warmer weather does take over, with hot and sunny days in Fort St. John.

During those months, Stickel encourages his charges to exercise at least an hour on dry land per day, with summer sessions focused on mobility exercises when there is no ice.

He cites Pat Ferris’ Blizzard Bicycle Club as an example of helping kids keep their stamina during the off-season.

“We do a little bit of power stuff, a little bit of jumps, appropriate for that age group,” said Stickel. “We try to get them to go out every day and do a half hour of something aerobic, not too hard, but aerobic.

“[I also do] a certain specific amount of what we call limitations, like low standing, low walking, where we’re down in that [crouch] position, building that strength.”

Two of the next generation for the FSJSSC were on hand during the training session, Tara Ashrafi and Max Wu.

Ashrafi is the 15-year-old daughter of FSJSSC president Shadi Salehi, who has raced with the Blizzard Bicycle Club during previous off-seasons.

However, this year was special for her: getting to train in Calgary for the Summit Performance Camp at the famed Olympic Oval.

“We did lots of drills and dry land conditioning and skating,” said Ashrafi. “I worked on my corners a lot, trying to get my corner entry right and how to get more glide into my straightaways.”

As for Wu, he spent more time in the off-season “trying to get more power” into his legs for starts in races.

Wu competed in the Canadian pan junior/junior speed skating championships which took place last December in Fort St. John.

“A big part of it is the start, just leaping off the line,” said Wu. “I haven’t really been good at that, so I’m just working on the power in my legs, how fast I can extend it. 

“Whenever we do dry land, we will do big triple jumps to really get the explosive power.”

With his charges back in tow, Stickel feels this season will be as competitive as seasons past, with the club set to host the BC Long Track Championship at the Pomeroy Sport Centre in 2026.

“I think we did a lot of good work,” said Stickel. “We brought a lot of young skaters that are doing good. Our older skaters are really committed and working hard.”

The FSJSSC holds practices at the Pomeroy Sport Centre. More details about the club are available on its website and Facebook page.