The weather outside might have had folks taking it slow in snowy conditions, but it was the exact opposite on the ice at the Barkman Arena during the Fish Bowl speed skating meet.
The Moose Jaw Kinsmen Speed Skating Club saw a host of blazing fast times throughout the weekend, leading to a ton of great results for skaters from the local club and beyond at the event in Caronport during the Mar. 2 weekend.
“It’s gone amazingly well,” said MJKSSC coach Verna Kergan during a break in the proceedings on Sunday afternoon. “I’d say every kid in our club got at least three (personal bests) this meet and we couldn’t have asked for a better ice surface, it’s a great place for us to skate. They were really accommodating, and then our volunteers have been amazing and it’s been a really successful meet.”
Times were so fast on the Barkman ice that they even rivalled what was being put down by some of the top skaters in Western Canada at the same time.
“There are some skaters from other clubs who are in Calgary at the Western Canadian Elite Circuit, and our times here are faster than the ones in Calgary, and that’s pretty exciting,” Kergan said. “So it was really fast this weekend and it was a good meet to come to.”
Skaters came from as far as Calgary and Lloydminster in addition to communities from all over Saskatchewan took part in the event, which also acted as a qualifying meet for elite skaters heading into the final competitions of the season.
The meet is named after Moose Jaw speed skating legend Graeme Fish, who set a world record in the 10,000 metres during the 2019-20 World Single Distance Championships and eventually went on to finish sixth in the 10,000 at the 2022 Beijing Olympics.
Fish has begun a climb back into the elite ranks, with the 26-year-old most recently seeing action in the 2024 Single Distance Championships in Calgary, where he finished third in the 10K.
“It’s awesome,” Kergan said of her former protege. “We’re really proud of him and he’s making his way back up there and we’re looking forward to seeing his results and everything… it’s nice when he can get here, but he has a pretty busy schedule and it’s always fun when we get to watch him skate.”
For more information on the club, be sure to keep an eye on their website at www.mjspeedkating.com and follow them on social media.
