By DAVE DOMESCIK | Staff Writer

PELHAM – Beginning on Friday, May 2 and ending on Sunday, May 4, the Pelham Civic Complex and Ice Arena will host one of Alabama’s premier skating competitions.

The Magic City Ice Classic, hosted yearly by the Birmingham Figure Skating Club, is set to bring in hundreds of competitive skaters from across the country. Last year’s event welcomed more than 300 skaters and 447 entries from all over the Southeast and as far as Boston, Minnesota and South Dakota.

Vendors will also be present at the event, offering attendants skating and non-skating products. Henrika Taylor, the secretary of the Birmingham Figure Skating Club, gave more of an overview of the Magic City Ice Classic and how it’s grown over the years.

“The Birmingham Figure Skating Club is in its 15th year hosting this competition,” Taylor said. “Our entire team, the BFSC board of directors and LOC (Local Organizing Committee), along with the leadership at the Pelham Civic Complex and Ice Arena, have worked tirelessly together since the pandemic to build our reputation and grow the Magic City Ice Classic into a destination competition for our region and beyond.”

Taylor discussed the facets that make the Magic City Ice Classic a standout competition in the Southeast and beyond.

“First, the Pelham Civic Complex & Ice Arena is an ideal facility,” Taylor said. “Everyone who attends the competition or visits for the first time is blown away that we have such a significant venue here. Second, the people involved are amazing. We are a dedicated team of volunteers who wear a lot of hats and get the job done. We are parents, adult skaters, kids and coaches. Folks pitch in months in advance all the way up to the last moment to make the event run smoothly, and add an experienced roster of nationally ranked officials—who are also volunteers by the way—into the mix and it is very impressive what we are able to do.”

With the sheer number of people who make the event happen, Taylor added that the communal feel of the event is a natural progression.

“We work really hard to build community, not just locally but with clubs, coaches and skaters further afield,” Taylor said. “We really do work hard to make Magic City Ice Classic memorable, Southern hospitality notwithstanding, which brings skaters back every year.”

Registration for the event has doubled in recent years, with this year’s event featuring 387 skaters competing in more than 425 events. Kids and adult skaters will both compete, representing 34 skating clubs and academies from 11 states. More than 80 coaches are expected to attend with their skaters, with 25 officials coming from across the country as well.

Taylor believes that hosting the event provides a boost for the greater Alabama and Shelby County areas as a whole.

“We think it is terrific for the hospitality industry—that’s a lot of people coming into town, staying at local hotels and enjoying the restaurants,” Taylor said. “There is also pride of place I think that comes from maybe changing preconceived notions about Birmingham. One great experience here goes a long way and brings people back for more, not just as a destination for ice sports but as a great place to visit. Magic City Ice Classic helps make all our local amenities more visible.”

Taylor also spoke on the support that the BFSC has received from the city of Pelham and the local community.

“The city of Pelham is a big supporter of the facility in general and the Pelham Skate School, and the BFSC by extension,” Taylor said. “They have championed our skating director, Christian Newberry, to grow and refine the existing skate programs including Learn to Skate, Homeschool Skating and Public Skating to offer great value and a range of ice sport experiences for everyone.”

Keir Breitenfeld, the board president of the BFSC, gave remarks on what first-time spectators should know before attending.

“Be prepared for pretty chilly conditions inside the arena,” Breitenfeld said. “Bring layers. But you can always go warm up in the lobby or outside. Concessions will be open. Also, there isn’t a printed program, there will be flyers with a QR code to follow the event order and live results. Events will range from all levels: Well-Balanced, Excel, Compete USA/Basic Skills, Adult and Showcase. There will be several ensemble teams as well. That’s a lot of figure-skate-speak to take in, but skaters will compete at every age and level, in singles, duets and in teams. A spectator can really get a sense of a figure skater’s trajectory and options within the sport.”

Toby Lunsford, a board member of the BFSC, described the vendors who will be at the event.

“We will have vendors who are pretty specific to a figure skating competition,” Lunsford said. “Pro-Mix Sound & Video and Premiere Photo offer videos and photography to participants. Fine Designs will have sports apparel that can be customized with the competition logo and all the competitors’ names. Kim’s Bling Thing and SkatersEdge offer merchandise from stuffed animals to sparkly gloves, tights and dresses. We also have NY Life Insurance, Mountain High Outfitters, Carol’s Fabric Shop and Sunshine Sweetz Bakery. In addition, we expect a representative here from Edea Skates, a high-performance figure skate company.”

Monica Powers, the vice president of the BFSC, laid out the long-term hopes for the Magic City Ice Classic in Pelham.

“(We hope we can) retain and spread our reputation for hosting a great competition,” Powers said. “We also hope that by establishing a track record, we may be able to host a national competition as we did back in 2018 with National Theater on Ice. We need to really engage our community to pull that off so Magic City Ice Classic is a great way forward, giving volunteers the experience to undertake a larger national competition.”

Priscilla Fowler, the competition chair and a BFSC board member, concluded by discussing what keeps the BFSC committed to hosting the event year after year.

“Honestly, it is the desire to create an event that participants want to come back to year after year,” Fowler said. “That includes the officials. If they experience a well-run competition and feel appreciated for their expertise and love of the sport, we hope they will want to come back. It is an honor to work with them. We have set a high bar and do what we can to exceed it every year. We also really want to support the sport at every level. Everyone thinks of the Olympics when figure skating comes up, but in fact this is a sport that everyone can enjoy as participants or spectators at different levels and times during their lives.”

For more information on the Magic City Ice Classic, visit Bhamsk8s.org/events/magic-city-ice-classic.