After months of practice, this is the stepping-stone event for a group of figure skaters from the Northern B.C. Centre for Skating.
If they do well this weekend at the BC/Yukon section championships in Coquitlam, they will move on to the 2019 Canadian Tire Canadian Figure Skating Championships in Saint John, N.B., Jan. 13-20.
Leading the way for the NBCCS is two-time national qualifier Justin Hampole, 17, now in his second season in the junior men's category. To qualify for nationals he needs a top-three overall finish this weekend.
Skaters in the junior and senior categories have to post top-three section results to advance. Those in the pre-novice or novice categories require top-four section finishes.
The Prince George-based club has two skaters - Ally Norum and Alex Callaway - entered in the juvenile women's under-14 class, while Jayna Mason is competing this weekend in the pre-novice women''s under-16 class.
Reece Johnson of the NBCCS is entered in the novice men under-17 competition.
All five skaters are coached by Rory Allen and Andrea Ludditt.
Allen also coaches Mitchell Dunn of the Quesnel Figure Skating Club, competing in the juvenile men's under-14 class.
Johnson and Dunn started cutting the ice Thursday afternoon with their short programs and will finish up with their free skates this morning.
Mason is in the first group of pre-novice women slated to skate their short programs today from 8 to 11:15 a.m., and will follow up with her free program Saturday starting at 8 a.m.
Hampole is on the ice for his short program at 8 p.m., and his free program is scheduled for Saturday at 8:10 p.m. Norum and Callaway are set to compete Sunday from 8 a.m. 11:05 a.m.
