The Isle of Wight Ice Dance & Figure Skating Club brings together local ice skaters, both recreational and competitive, regardless of age or ability. The club offers the chance for members to meet and practise together, and organises competitions and other events throughout the year.

The Island’s ice rink opened in 1990, was originally owned by the council, and is currently operated by Planet Ice (Arena Group) on a 125-year lease. The Arena Group has plans to redevelop and expand the rink at some point in the future to include a bigger ice pad, a hotel and apartments, but nothing has happened since the plan was mooted in 2006.

The club was formed in 1993. It has more than 100 members of all ages. The club holds two competitions a year: one in spring for free skating, the other in autumn for artistic programmes.

In 1996 the club entered the Southern Challenge team event for the first time. The event, which became the National Team Challenge in 1997, covers all disciplines of figure skating: freeskating, pairs, solo ice dance, ice dance couples, veteran ice dance, as well as solo and group artistic events – the highlight of which is a group show number. The good thing about this competition is that many of the club’s skaters can take part because the group show number involves from 10 to 30 skaters. Our highest position ever in this event – third place – was achieved in June 2006. In 2007, the club won the show section of the National Team Challenge, the first time it has ever done so.

In 2005 the club competed against other clubs in the south in the Southern league for the first time.

In the same year the Island’s first synchronised skating team made its debut, qualifying for the British championships, which were held in January 2006.

In 2007 the Wight Diamonds synchro team took bronze at intermediate level at the British RJS Synchronised Skating Championships. The Diamonds took a national bronze for a second time in 2007, skating at Elementary level at the Scottish championships, Sk8Scotland. Interest in the discipline has been such that we formed a second team, the Wight Gems, which took silver at the British RJS Opens, and a third team, the Wight Crystals.

The Wight Diamonds became British synchronised skating champions at novice level at the British championships in January 2008, competing against Nottingham Shadows and Bracknell Fusion, and skating for the first time under the international judging system (IJS). The Wight Diamonds skated internationally for the first time in May 2008, coming second in their age group in the Olympiysky Sports Complex Cup, held in Moscow, again coming ahead of the Shadows in the overall competition.

With members increasing in age and experience, the teams were reformed in 2008 and comprise the Wight Crystals (juvenile), Wight Diamonds (novice) and Wight Jewels (junior). The Jewels are the highest ability team, formed from the 2008 championship-winning Diamonds, with the Gems turning into the new Diamonds. All three synchro teams are sponsored by Wightlink.

The Jewels are currently British junior synchronized skating champions, having won the title in January 2009 at the British Ice Figure and Synchronized Skating Championships in Nottingham. They have plans to compete internationally, with a forthcoming event in Switzerland in March.

Our individual skaters also compete in club competitions across the south of England at all levels, from Beginner upwards, with a strong record of success. As one of the smallest ice-skating clubs in the country, we’re particularly proud of our achievements. Many of our skaters started with the group lessons at the ice-rink on Saturdays and Sundays.

All three of the rink’s coaches learned to skate on the Island, and have returned bringing their experience of skating nationally, internationally, and in professional ice shows. Head coach Terri Smith (nee Fleming) was named lady coach of the year for 2007 at the IW Sports Achievement Awards.

One of the highlights of our year is the Christmas show, which in December 2007 also featured live opera performed by Opera Anywhere. The show also included skating from British solo ice dance champions Charlotte Aiken and her brother Henry, both of whom learned to skate on the Isle of Wight.