Days of feuding between figure skating sisters Emma and Bethanie Child are few and far between.
They're pretty much best friends on and off the ice, so no worries about personality clashes.
Considering they both compete in the same group, clustered in the 13-and-older women's STAR 5 STARSkate constellation, the fact they like each other is a good thing. Skating is difficult enough and sibling rivalry is the kind of stress they both can do without. That friendship extends to their clubmate, Hannah Jones, who also competes as a STAR 5 skater, and together the three Northern B.C. Centre for Skating athletes get along famously.
"We're all really good friends and we work together really well on the ice and we do understand we're competing against each other but we have to do our best and no matter what happens we're going to be happy for each other and we'll still be friends after," said Bethanie Child.
"There are some times Emma has landed jumps before me and I'm happy for and proud of her but I also want it for myself, so I just know I have to respect her as a skater and a sister and work just as hard to get it for myself."
Emma just turned 14 and Bethanie is 16. They've been at the same level throughout their skating careers but this is the first season they're also competing in the same age group for the same medals.
The Child sisters and Jones are into the homestretch practicing for their final event of the season, among 21 NBCCS athletes entered in the STARSkate Super Series Victoria Day competition next weekend in Surrey.
In their most recent competition in the Super Series final in March in Kelowna, Jones finished 28th, one spot ahead of Bethanie. Emma topped the NBCCS STAR 5 trio, finishing 17th.
"All three of them didn't have their best skates and I'm sure one of their goals is to have a good score and end their season with a strong performance," said NBCCS coach Andrea Ludditt.
"They have pretty hard technical programs - they're doing Axels and double-Sals and the spin rotations and they're putting in a lot of effort. They're very similar (in calibre) and that creates good energy and they know how to push each other."
Compared to the other two local skaters in her class, Emma is more of a natural performer, which gives her a bit of an edge. She excels in her jumps and spins and has the ability to relax when she's skating in front of the judges.
"A lot of people don't like it but I just love being out there," said Emma. "The nerves kind of get to me and I do better than I do in practice, just knowing it's the one shot I get."
Bethanie stays more on an even keel and keeps her emotions in check - not too high or too low. As an accomplished pianist, just like her sister, she prides herself on how she interprets her music and uses what she hears on the ice to make her movements flow into her elements and carry her speed into her spins.
"I just wish I had Emma's enthusiasm - when she gets on the ice she just smiles when she performs, she's focused but also shows she enjoys what she's doing," said Bethanie.
Jones, who put down roots with the club at age 7 when it was known as the Spruce City Skating Club, is skating with more confidence and has mastered some of the more difficult elements. She emerged this season as the club's most improved intermediate skater. Competitions are high-anxiety ordeals for Jones but her determination to get better and move up the STARSkate ladder helps her overcome those nervous moments. She appreciates having two other skaters of equal ability in her own club to feed off during practice and while waiting for their turns to compete.
"I love them so much, Bethanie and Emma and I are really close friends and it's so much fun - we don't think of it as competing against each other, you're competing against yourself," said Jones. "It's a little bit better to have two friends with you rather than you're alone with nobody. So if you don't do well or someone does well you're there to lean on each other a bit."
"The competition level goes up a lot higher when you're at those ones at bigger centres where there's a lot more skaters and so much talent coming in and they're really stressful but I like it. My goal is to beat my personal best, 15-something. I just want to land all my elements and do the best at what I know I'm good at and make sure those silly mistakes in practice don't carry over to the competition."
NBCCS veteran Justin Hampole, who finished 13th at the 2018 Canadian Tire senior national championships in January is just starting his second season in the junior men's class. He'll also compete at STARSkate in Surrey and plans to perform his short program armed with a two new technical elements - a triple-loop, triple-loop combination and a triple flip.
"We have lots of kids who have worked really hard and I think they're in a good place to compete really well," said Ludditt.
