Figure Skating Club of Charleston has 14 skaters qualify for regionals

This is an exciting time for the Figure Skating Club of Charleston.

The club, based out of the Carolina Ice Palace in North Charleston, has 14 girls ages 10-15 heading to Raleigh this week and next for U.S. Figure Skating Association regionals.

“This is the first year in a long time that we’ve had this many going to regionals,” said Stacey Mons, the Figure Skating Club of Charleston’s skating director.

The Figure Skating Club of Charleston (fscofcharleston.com) has been in existence since 2000 and boasts around 70 to 80 members from throughout the Lowcountry as well as Columbia, said Libby Chabot-Lundeen, one of the coaches and instructors.

There are nine coaches for the program, and it requires a big commitment from the coaches as well as the youngsters and their parents.

“All of these kids skate at least five days a week,” Chabot-Lundeen said. “They are supposed to skate between 10 and 15 hours a week. Many of them skate three hours in the morning before school and some come back after school.”

Skater Emma Jackson’s mother, Sandy Lenz Jackson, is an instructor and two-time national champion who skated in the 1980 Olympics.

The younger skaters from the group will compete for two to three days in Raleigh with an initial and final round. Those who place in the top three will advance to the final round. There are more rounds for older skaters.